There doesn't seem to be a lot to write about this week. Partly due to the fact that it was a shorter working week and also because I've had a quiet weekend at home.
On a positive note, I finished entering all my student data into the student management system so it can spit out reports for the kids later this week. It sounds like the parents call into school to collect the reports.
Work has been very quiet with no students. Most teachers arrive much later than I do but as we haven't been told anything about our working hours I continue to arrive at the same time. We have been allowed to leave at 1pm which is a refreshing change. However, from tomorrow we need to be at work from 8.30am to 2pm so our day has been extended. No idea why and no explanation given. Also a directive to 'not discuss this with management'!
Communication, or lack of it, continues to be an issue for me as you never know what is happening or what is expected of you. With four Western teachers leaving next month there is an air of them wishing they were someplace else. It must be difficult to keep enthused when planning for next year doesn't have any interest for them. The Arabic teachers appear to be hardly ever there and when they are they sit around talking and eating and drinking coffee.
We continue with Professional Development training and I will be interested to see what the remaining three weeks hold for us.
The weather is very warm most days and I try to stay inside during the afternoons, often having a nap so I can stay up much later.
I spent two days down at ADEC housing department trying to organise to change apartments. I would like to get one with a balcony if possible as I find not being able to go outside (even if it is only a postage stamp size balcony) annoying. I think that is a bit of our kiwi heritage being in the outdoors. Not that the outdoors here is anything like home. I thought I'd managed to secure the one apartment in the building with a huge balcony but the landlord had promised it to someone else. So a wasted effort.
It gave me an opportunity to, once again, experience first hand the unorganised beauracracy of the organisation. I had no housing allowance showing on my personal file. To change apartments it is now all done online through your file. So I email then call into housing. 3 hours later I am told I need to go to HR. Which is where I thought I was! There were at least 30 people waiting by the time I got served. I was third in the office but there was no-one there to serve for 2 hours. Would you believe that? All in a meeting... 'Patience and flexibility!'
Especially as this is the busiest time of the year for housing as any teacher leaving has to go through many hoops and an incredible amount of paperwork. The funny (or not) part is that no-one seems able to sign or authorise anything. But everyone remains waiting paitently as they fear for their jobs and bonuses.
So I go next door to the other building to be told that the person who can help isn't there today. I leave a message and return the next day. I am impressed as they have actually actioned something. Or sent an email to housing (yes, where I started yesterday) to tell them to do it as they can't.
So back to housing. To find they have instituted a system whereby you now have to fill in a long form explaining what you are there for. A system????? Perhaps. But still no system as to who gets seen first. Anyway the nice new man from yesterday sees me and waves me over. He gets my form and asks the lady who I needed to see for help. No way! She marches over and rudely asks me what I am there for and I explain. But I've ticked the wrong box on the form and she makes a fuss about that and writes the 'correct' thing in. Finally they ask the Indian technician to enter my housing allowance. I sit and wait. Action at last. Once he is finished I go to the computer to action my request.
Can it be that easy? Of course not. The amount is wrong. He has entered 100000 and my allowance is 140000 as I have a family. But the input man will not budge. Twice he says, "But it says you are divorced." Obviously that is a no-no. I explained that I have a child with me and 100000 will only get me a one bedroom apartment. He would not budge. I asked him to phone the lady next door at HR to get confirmation but he tells me he doesn't work for ADEC and can't. So I ask the man who asks him to change it. He is standing two feet away from me and refuses to do it. Only the rude lady can authorise it but will she do this. No! Unbelievable. So now I still have the wrong allowance which will necessitate another visit to housing. Yay...
The word lazy springs to mind. Why do anything if someone else can do it? The woman are the worst. No stress in any of their jobs I can tell you. We could take a leaf out of their books. No wonder they hire Phillipinos in service positions such as restaurants, hotels & beauty parlours.
Another day when I need to remind myself, "Why am I here?" Professionally to model good teaching practice; personally to travel.
On a positive note, I finished entering all my student data into the student management system so it can spit out reports for the kids later this week. It sounds like the parents call into school to collect the reports.
Work has been very quiet with no students. Most teachers arrive much later than I do but as we haven't been told anything about our working hours I continue to arrive at the same time. We have been allowed to leave at 1pm which is a refreshing change. However, from tomorrow we need to be at work from 8.30am to 2pm so our day has been extended. No idea why and no explanation given. Also a directive to 'not discuss this with management'!
Communication, or lack of it, continues to be an issue for me as you never know what is happening or what is expected of you. With four Western teachers leaving next month there is an air of them wishing they were someplace else. It must be difficult to keep enthused when planning for next year doesn't have any interest for them. The Arabic teachers appear to be hardly ever there and when they are they sit around talking and eating and drinking coffee.
We continue with Professional Development training and I will be interested to see what the remaining three weeks hold for us.
The weather is very warm most days and I try to stay inside during the afternoons, often having a nap so I can stay up much later.
I spent two days down at ADEC housing department trying to organise to change apartments. I would like to get one with a balcony if possible as I find not being able to go outside (even if it is only a postage stamp size balcony) annoying. I think that is a bit of our kiwi heritage being in the outdoors. Not that the outdoors here is anything like home. I thought I'd managed to secure the one apartment in the building with a huge balcony but the landlord had promised it to someone else. So a wasted effort.
It gave me an opportunity to, once again, experience first hand the unorganised beauracracy of the organisation. I had no housing allowance showing on my personal file. To change apartments it is now all done online through your file. So I email then call into housing. 3 hours later I am told I need to go to HR. Which is where I thought I was! There were at least 30 people waiting by the time I got served. I was third in the office but there was no-one there to serve for 2 hours. Would you believe that? All in a meeting... 'Patience and flexibility!'
Especially as this is the busiest time of the year for housing as any teacher leaving has to go through many hoops and an incredible amount of paperwork. The funny (or not) part is that no-one seems able to sign or authorise anything. But everyone remains waiting paitently as they fear for their jobs and bonuses.
So I go next door to the other building to be told that the person who can help isn't there today. I leave a message and return the next day. I am impressed as they have actually actioned something. Or sent an email to housing (yes, where I started yesterday) to tell them to do it as they can't.
So back to housing. To find they have instituted a system whereby you now have to fill in a long form explaining what you are there for. A system????? Perhaps. But still no system as to who gets seen first. Anyway the nice new man from yesterday sees me and waves me over. He gets my form and asks the lady who I needed to see for help. No way! She marches over and rudely asks me what I am there for and I explain. But I've ticked the wrong box on the form and she makes a fuss about that and writes the 'correct' thing in. Finally they ask the Indian technician to enter my housing allowance. I sit and wait. Action at last. Once he is finished I go to the computer to action my request.
Can it be that easy? Of course not. The amount is wrong. He has entered 100000 and my allowance is 140000 as I have a family. But the input man will not budge. Twice he says, "But it says you are divorced." Obviously that is a no-no. I explained that I have a child with me and 100000 will only get me a one bedroom apartment. He would not budge. I asked him to phone the lady next door at HR to get confirmation but he tells me he doesn't work for ADEC and can't. So I ask the man who asks him to change it. He is standing two feet away from me and refuses to do it. Only the rude lady can authorise it but will she do this. No! Unbelievable. So now I still have the wrong allowance which will necessitate another visit to housing. Yay...
The word lazy springs to mind. Why do anything if someone else can do it? The woman are the worst. No stress in any of their jobs I can tell you. We could take a leaf out of their books. No wonder they hire Phillipinos in service positions such as restaurants, hotels & beauty parlours.
Another day when I need to remind myself, "Why am I here?" Professionally to model good teaching practice; personally to travel.
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