Bonus day off!

Today, being Tuesday, we went into work as normal only to find out that there was no electricity.  Hence the AC’s were not working.  Neither were we!

I’m sure it was 40 odd degrees outside and hotter inside the school where my HOF, myself, 2 other English teachers & one bus monitor waited.  Outside many men had their heads inside the switchboard room.  Big problem!

The HOF phoned the Assistant Principal, Wakila in Arabic (not so sure of the spelling but you’ll get the correct pronunciation from my phonetic spelling) to inform her of this terrible occurrence.

15 minutes later she arrives.  No sign of any Arabic teachers during this time which is surprising as we had all had a directive to be at work by 8.30am.  Obviously we were the only ones paying any attention to this.

The cleaner (lovely lady who speaks the best English out of the four cleaners we have) brought out two woven fans with long handles which Wakila (Ms Umna) later told me that her grandparents used them to keep themselves cool before ACs.

The men said, ‘Big problem.’  Parts or men were coming from Dubai.  Maybe two days with no power. 

Oh!  So sad to hear that…

Wakila tells us to go home so we get ready.  Meanwhile she phones our Cluster Manager to inform her of the situation who tells her to sit tight, someone will be down soon.  Oops, mistake there.  Suddenly we think we may have to stay or be sent to another school for the day.  CRAZY!  So we all take off home without a second glance at her.

I will have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

I walk out and get a taxi to the Post Office to check out the mail situation.  I manage to wave down a new taxi driver who doesn’t even know where the PO is, one block over from where I am standing.  I normally walk over there but it is too hot now and I hadn’t taken my umbrella.  Bad mistake.  The taxi driver nearly gets me killed as he pulls in front of a huge SUV and only misses it by inches from where I am sitting.  Lots of tooting and gesturing occurs which my driver appears oblivious to.  But I am not.  I was glad to get out of that cab.

No mail, so I head to the nearest bus stop trying to save my 25AED for another day, being only 1AED on the bus.  The busy bus stop still has no AC (air conditioning) and hasn’t had for the last month!  I feel an email or phone call coming on as I get a bus from there at least once a week.  I wait behind the shelter in the shade for a short time then get the bus.  I am lucky to get a seat after two stops so can take a swig of my water which I never leave home without, usually accompanied by my umbrella, which I regret later.

I get off at my normal stop and walk over the road to take the short cut through the wasteland only to find that some person has put the fence back up.  What?????  I can’t believe this!  Here I am, sweating profusely in the heat and humidity, without an umbrella and facing a walk round the block to the nearest entrance to our building site.  I’d wiped my makeup and sunscreen off back at work with a wet wipe so am feeling exposed.  Me, who never leaves home without a hat!   I walk to the end of the fence looking for a gap and find a ragged hole so lift my dress and scramble through into a worse wasteland than before.  I am snagged by wire and dried bushes as I make my way towards the beaten path and over to our apartment.

Boy, am I glad to get inside the cool building?  Yes, I am.  I share my woes with the doorman who looks at me blankly as I don’t think he understands a word I am saying.

Once inside I strip off my soaking dress and jump into the shower.  Feeling much cooler I now have a bonus day at home.  What to do?  Perhaps some housework?  This having no work to do around the property sure is different and takes some getting used to.  I never thought I’d say this but I miss my garden and being able to get outside in it.