Much needed long weekend

Four day weekends are my kind of life.  And look, you even get a second blog entry!

Thursday was spent cleaning up at home which consisted of cleaning two bathrooms & toilets (it's not all glamour and painted nails), vacuuming the floors then washing them.  I find the tile floors difficult to keep clean and use a wide cotton mop to get the dust then wet mop.  But for decent cleaning you need to vacuum.

Then it was the numerous loads of washing to get through and dry without a clothesline.  What I'd give to be able to put my lovely white sheets outside in the fresh air and sun.  They just don't smell or feel the same dried in the dryer or in the sun coming through the window.  Today will be ironing day (don't fall over laughing, Mum) so my clothes are ready for work.  The down side of wearing lots of cotton is the ironing.

Then Thursday afternoon I popped down to the Home Centre to see if they had a sale as I'm still looking for a sofa bed.  I'd missed out on two secondhand ones and still looking.  There I met up with another kiwi who I  hadn't seen for ages so we arranged to go for coffee the next day.  After I got home that night she texted and suggested a day in Dubai so at 8am Friday three kiwi gals head off for a girly day out.

As we are leaving Abu Dhabi we get caught up in a bottleneck of traffic and sit without moving.  I'm thinking this is unusual for a Friday as no-one is usually out and about, especially that early.  As we inch through the narrowing lane I see many trucks fill with goats.  Then I see a man carrying a goat away.  As the smell of animals invaded the car it finally dawned on me that we were at the sale yards.  And all these men were there buying the fatted goat to slaughter for Eid.  What a sight.  Unfortunately I was just too slow with the camera so missed a shot of the line of animals being led, one even in a wheelbarrow, some dragged by rope, most slung over shoulders.  I can't help but wonder where all these animals were taken to be slaughtered.  I have visions of the roads running with blood and carcasses littering the back alleys.  I do know that the head is always kept and served up, something to do with keeping it attached so they know it was slaughtered facing Mecca.

What surprised me was that most of the men buying the goats appeared to be poor.  This I can tell at a glance by the clothing.  Most were workers in their 'best' garb so it must be a great expense for them.  I had visions of all these goats being taken back to work camps for a ritual slaughter.  I am keen to find out what I can about the traditions while here so will try to find out more.

Our drive to Dubai was uneventful with little traffic.  We arrived at Ibn Battuta Mall which is heralded by amazing gates.

 I loved this mall which, I thought, was huge.  It was a bit of a rabbit warren though with each area having a different country theme, China, Persia, etc.

 We were looking for a particular cafe to have breakfast at so off we wander.  Not an information counter in sight and no-one was any help.  After wandering aimlessly for half an hour we ask a man driving an 8 seater golf cart train.  He know and tells us it is at the other end of the mall.  So I ask, can you take us?  Yes, no problem.  So on we three ladies hop and he slowly starts.  Then stops.  To tell us it'll be 5AED each.  Talk about laugh.  We pay up and off we go.  Yella, yella (faster, faster) we go and off we fly.  I wish I'd taken a photo as it was hilarious.  He's tooting at all the Pakistani men tourists as they take photos, get out of our way.  By the time we arrived at the other end we were very pleased we'd paid as it would have taken us hours to get their and we'd never have found the cafe.  It turned out to be owned by a kiwi which the others knew, hence the reason for our visit.  'The Limetree Cafe', if you're ever in Dubai.

After a lovely breakfast of pumpkin and feta scones for me we head into some shops.  I'd spied a Columbia shop with shoes on sale so returned there to buy a pair for my upcoming trip to Switzerland.  I paid 220 AED which is around $75 NZ so that is a good price.  They aren't the waterproof ones but they will be good  for walking also.

Then it's into another shop, Wallis, which I loved.  I purchased a black and white top with a short sleeve.  Then we had a good look around the sporty type shops which had a NZ influence and clothes we were all familiar with.  All three of us bought something there then we bumped into a Samoan couple from Auckland who Lisa had been to their wedding, her sister's best friend.  Small world.

Now the trick with getting into Dubai is to park at this mall which was empty and catch the metro into town.  So off we go and get our 14 AED ticket which was enough for us to travel all day.  We didn't opt for the gold pass which gives you access to your own carriage but went normal.  However, the women have their own carriage so don't have to squash in with the men.

Auckland metro could learn a thing or two about moving people here.  Trains arrive every 6 minutes and off we go.  We jump off at Mall of the Emirates and stop for a coffee while Trish goes wandering off to find her expensive glasses she left at a nearby hotel.  Lucky for her she returns an hour later with them.  Lisa and I browse through shops but looking, not buying.

Next stop Dubai Mall.  Wow!  The biggest mall in the world with the most people in it I'm sure.  It was crowded when we arrived, or so I thought.  First stop the spectacular aquarium full of fish.  Hundreds are lined around the barriers watching feeding time.

Queues for the bathrooms are out the doors so we forgo this idea and wander around a bit.  Moving is difficult as it is so busy so we head outside to view the Burg Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  As it's daytime the fountains are not going but we sit outside and enjoy the atmosphere.  People from all around the world are there doing exactly the same as us.

We wander over the small bridge to the newly opened souk and find an amazing restaurant where I eat four different salads, the best I've tasted over here.  We sit overlooking the water towards the Burg Khalifa.

After relaxing we head back inside the mall to find a bookshop.  Which is a mission in itself.  The mall is even busier so it takes us a while but eventually we reach it.  I browse but could have spent a fortune and the day there.

Getting back to the metro station is difficult as the walking is hampered at every turn by parents with pushchairs and toddlers and parades.  There was a whole floor dedicated to kids clothing and once again I wanted to stop to photograph their window displays.  Amazing!

The clientele of the mall is changing as we leave.  Emirates are now there en mass and as we head into the metro the queues of people trying to get in astounds us.  Police are yelling and pushing the crowd through, holding batons aloft.  Every Pakistani worker in Dubai must be trying to get into the mall.    Again I want a photo to show what is happening but can't stop moving to take one plus am afraid the police would nab me.  When the train pulls in it is seething with men.  The doors open and they spew forth and rush to the many buses now lined up to take them around to the mall.

We are glad to get onto the metro and head away from the mall.  I shudder to think what it will be like in there tonight.  It's now 6pm and it's open 24 hours over the Eid weekend.

I mentioned the clothes of the men earlier.  There seems to be distinct groups, identified by what they wear.  You have the workers who have their best outfits for holiday weekends.  It amazes me that they are so clean when they live in work camps and we see them doing their washing in buckets.  This outfit consists of the long loose pants and flowing top in matching cotton.  These are mostly Pakistani I think.  Then there is another group who wear jeans and short sleeved checked cotton shirts.  I think these are Pakistani too but am unsure of the difference in dress.  Maybe they are younger?  Then there is the Indian businessman who has his wife and beautifully dressed kids.  He wears dress pants, long sleeved shirt (must be tucked in with a belt on his pants) and usually a tie.

So back out to the car and home we go.  I had a wonderful day in Dubai and can see the attraction of going there.

Then Saturday my other kiwi friend was coming in and we had hairdresser appointments.  Time to get the hair cut and coloured.  I've gone copper which looks more mahogony to me!  Very dark but looks fabulous in the sun.  You'll be able to pick me out on the telly by my glowing hair.

After the beauty parlour, only cut, colour, eyebrows & threading today, we head around for a massage.  OMG!  We got this German/Russian woman who knew her stuff.  Best massage I've had I think and that's saying something.

By now we're starving so head out for a drink and bite to eat.  Le Meridian is calling our name so we park and head into the beer garden for a beer and some cod & chips, Abu Dhabi style.

I'm home by 10pm and ready for bed.

Today I'll do a few things and get ready for another busy weekend next week.  Already the town is humming with F1 events and you can pick the men here for it.  They have a look to them, much like when we stepped off the plane in Hamilton for the V8's.  Except these ones have much deeper pockets and wear the polo & Ferrari shirts.  Apparently they fly in Russian hookers for the week.  Think we saw one or two of them last night...

Eid Mubarak (Happy Eid)

 It’s early Thursday morning and I’ve just sat down with a wonderful concoction of Arabic Tea.  A teacher at work keeps bringing it in for us so I’ve made it myself this morning for a treat.  You begin by boiling water on the stove with fresh ginger.  Once this has boiled you add one or two tea bags and let steep.  Meanwhile heat some Rainbow Milk which is like our Anchor evaporated milk.  I got the cardamon flavoured one.  This milk is thick and slightly sweet to my taste.  Add a dash of sugar if wished.  You can then mix the tea and milk together or leave separately in insulated jugs.  Help yourself as wished!  Most places have a large pot for coffee and a smaller one for tea.  Milk is always served hot.  Public places nearly always have a coffee pot and tiny cups to drink the strong, bitter local coffee.

The reason for this treat today (and the fact I’m home) is that it is Eid.  For me that means a four day weekend!  For Muslims it is an important religious festival.  If Ramadan was Christmas, then this is New Year.  Without the booze!  You couldn’t buy any alcohol for two days apparently so everyone was in stocking up.  The Indians seem to be the worst and they buy whiskey by the bottle load.

We had hardly any girls at school yesterday so finished an hour early.  Most families are travelling to be with family for this important celebration. 

Yesterday saw the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy site for Islam.  Mecca is in Saudi Arabia, our neighbour, close to the Suez Canal.  I was watching it on TV last night as 2 million Muslims circle the Black Box or Ka’aba.  The Black Box is a marble structure which they’ve built a mosque around.  This is where all Muslims face when they pray.  Millions of people circle it together, an amazing spectacle.  Mostly men, of course, and they are draped in what appears to be two sheets.  One around their waist and the other loosely draped over their shoulders so lots of skin is showing, an unusual sight in this part of the world.  The dress represents the simple dress of the prophet, including bare feet.  Women are still in abaya but not all have covered faces.  Toddlers are being carried on shoulders of fathers, those in wheelchairs or pushchairs are pushed around on the two levels above.  Many people are wearing face masks, a sign of modern times.  As they walk around they chant.  When our girls at school do this at assembly they sing a beautiful, poignant song which leaves them all crying.  There is so much more to it than meets the eye.

The black covering with gold lettering is what I watch them sew into place later in the blog.

The amount of pilgrims allowed to enter Saudi Arabia has been reduced in modern times because as many as 20 million would come.  Now it’s limited to around 2 million, balloted from Muslims around the world.  In keeping with modern times, you apply online.

Kaaba in 1907.

It’s now early morning and the square surrounding the black box is a lot less crowded, nearly empty by their standards.  Men are on top of it now and throw ropes down which are tied around large rolled up carpets.  These are then hauled up to the top of the box and secured with ropes.  These men sure know how to tie knots.  This comes from years of herding camels.  The carpets are then unrolled to reveal ornate inscriptions (from the Quran) in gold.  The previous plain black covering is cut away with what appears to be a craft knife and dropped down to waiting men who bundle it into a large cotton covering much like a wool sack.  The marble base is polished with scented oil.  (All this on TV!  We have a channel that you can watch the black box on every day.)   I’m seeing more here than I probably would if I was there. 

Not that I would be there as Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter Mecca.  The government of Saudi has demolished many ancient buildings to develop the mosque around this structure and create new hotels for the pilgrims.  This upset Turkey as they ruined some historical sites.  The Haj (pilgrimage) is the major source of income in Saudi along with oil.  The government still welcomes Muslims from around the world even though there is tension between the Sunnai & Shi’ite Muslims plus the current conflict in Syria which sees various Muslim countries supporting opposing factions.

Here is an extract from a newspaper.

(Reuters) - Nearly 3 million Muslim pilgrims started the first phase of the annual haj on Wednesday, travelling through packed streets from Mecca's Grand Mosque to the enormous camp at Mina just outside the Saudi Arabian city.

In a dense sea of humanity, all clad in the same simple white robes, the pilgrims who were unable to get onto a new rail link were packed into 18,000 buses provided by the city or perched on the roofs of trucks. Others walked the 5 km to Mina in late afternoon temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius.

"I want to ask God for paradise... I don't want anything from the world. I want to win paradise and be among good men," said Abdul Raki al-Yamani, a Yemeni who lives in Mecca, waiting to mount a bus.

Islam's pilgrimage is one of the faith's so-called five pillars and is a duty for all Muslims once in their lives if they are capable of it.

The mayor of Mecca, Osama Fadl al-Bar, said he expected the number of pilgrims this year to be close to 3 million people, including those from inside Saudi Arabia. The Interior Ministry said 1.75 million had arrived from abroad.

This year haj comes against a backdrop of division in the Middle East, a historic centre of the Islamic world, as Shi'ite Muslim Iran and Sunni countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey back opposing sides in Syria's civil war.

Riyadh and Tehran have both played down the prospect of politically related trouble at the haj, but Saudi authorities have warned they will not allow disruptions.

In some previous years the haj has been marred by disasters, including stampedes and tent fires in which hundreds were killed. But the authorities have invested heavily in better infrastructure and there have been no such incidents since 2006.

On Thursday the pilgrims will travel a further 7 km to Mount Arafat, a rocky hill where they must stand in prayer, a moment many Muslims see as the climax of the haj.

Hussein Ali, 37, a Syrian who lives in Kuwait, decided to walk from Mecca to Arafat.

"I start marching to Arafat after midnight where it should take about three hours," he said.

They will then spend the evening on the plains of Muzdalifah where they must pick up pebbles used the following day to hurl at three large walls representing Satan in Jamarat, between Mecca and Mina.

"Arafat is the greatest pillar of the haj and I hope the Lord will accept my prayers there. I hope I have enough money so I can come here again so I can repent my sins," said Mohammed Omar Emara, 33, a fisherman from Egypt.

He travelled for three days by bus to reach Mecca after his father gave him money to make the journey.

"I am happy to be here so I can repent my sins in this old house of God and the good deeds are doubly rewarded here," Emara said, as he walked in Mecca's Aziziyah neighborhoods in search of a grocery shop to stock up on bread and water for the journey.

(Reporting By Mahmoud Habboush; Editing by Angus McDowall and Paul Casciato)

After the two days of circling the box, pilgrims make the journey to Mount Arafat.  On the way they pick up stones which they use to pound the walls to drive out the devil.  As I watch, the circle of people diminishes as thousands continue to pour out of the mosque and begin the journey to Mount Arafat.  It is an amazing spectacle.  The city of Mecca itself looks like something out of the bible as millions wind their way through the streets while others try to hitch a ride however they can.  Then the camera pans around and you see the ever present cranes and high rise hotels.

                                   

Haj must be performed at least once in their lifetime by all Muslims capable of making the expensive, difficult journey, a duty that applies equally to Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.

On Friday those that can afford to kill the fatted goat or sheep or camel (based on the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Ishmael which God stopped and sacrificed a goat instead).  Tradition has it that one third of the meat is shared with family and friends and one third is given to the poor, leaving one third for the family.  They’d need a big family to share a camel!  Also the expense of a camel would mean that most would be killing a goat.  In Oman there are still weekly goat markets but not sure here in the UAE.

The similarities between Christianity and Islam are very noticeable with the stories behind the prophet the same as those in the bible.

As I watch now the men on top of the black box are sewing the carpet together.  They are very accomplished at this task and I imagine they have done it many times before.  They use what looks like a wool sack needle and thick black rope, around 1cm at least I'm guessing.  A cherry picker lifts them up to enable them to complete the task.

If you’re interested in reading more go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba  or search ‘ black box Saudi Arabia ‘.

It seems like some weeks I have nothing to write about and others there seems too much.  My week began with watching the All Blacks play Australia on Saturday.  Talk about a nail biting finish!  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game like that before.  And probably never will.  What a gutsy captain Richie Macaw is.

I’d had three kiwi friends over for breakfast of pancakes so the new oven got a work out as did my seldom used cooking skills.  At one stage I was ‘fired’ from the pancake cooking while the teenager took over.  I love it how they know everything and can do it all better!  Of course I wouldn’t be writing that unless I got the job back again!  Using a stainless steel frypan to cook pancakes isn’t as easy as it looks. 

Then we watched the rugby hooked up via live streaming from the computer.  The reception wasn’t the best and the sound reminded me of old radio broadcasts we used to listen to before the advent of TV (well not quite that old but you get the picture) but it was good enough for lots of screaming and yelling, especially towards the end.  It’s a wonder my ‘neighbour’ didn’t pop over again to complain.  Lucky it was a daytime game.

While we had the blinds shut to the outside world a 19 year old girl had hit the bridge coming onto the island in her Lamborghini which exploded into flames, resulting in her death.  She attended the Paris Sorbonne University & lived in the halls two blocks from us.  Of course there was all the usual talk about what is a girl of that age doing with a high powered car like that?  Her fellow students had a night march down to the site of her death to lay memorials.  She was American/Arab and married.  Rich parents apparently.  Hence the Lamborghini.

Then it was Mum’s turn for a birthday and another wedding anniversary for my parents.  Congratulations to you both for such a long commitment.  It’s something to be celebrated in this day and age.

Last night I went into the Madinet Zayed Mall next to the Gold Centre.  First I stopped at the Post Office to check my mail box then walked over to the Home Centre to see if they had a sale.  I’m looking for a sofa bed so my guests have somewhere to sleep other than the couch.  They had a sale but I’m sure they put the prices up beforehand! 

Then it’s run the gauntlet through the Gold Centre to the Mall.  You are constantly accosted by merchants wanting you to buy their handbag or their Rolex.  One thing I’ve noticed this week is more Emirate men working, or appearing to work.  When I went to Al Whada Mall on Wednesday night there were Emirate men in Kandora with hi-vis vests overtop directing traffic outside.  That I’ve never seen.  I wondered if it’s something to do with Formula 1 arriving?  Of course the traffic is a who’s who of high performance cars.  While waiting for my taxi I watched one man inch his Jaguar out between a huge 4x4 and a BMW.  The sign says ‘no parking’ but the Emirates just park up and let out the wives and kids and nannies.

Anyway back to the story.  I’m in Lulu’s Hypermarket buying a few groceries and getting dinner when a siren starts.  Very loud and very long.  ‘This is an emergency.  Please evacuate the building.’  I’m looking around expecting panic but of course this is the UAE.  No-one takes any notice.  The first thing I think of is a bomb!  Why?  Well, it’s Eid, the busiest Muslim festival of the year and the Mall is packed.  Not with Emirates, but with every Indian not currently in India.  The siren stops then starts again then stops.  People are still being served and I’m anxiously looking around and wondering what will happen.  Staff announcements keep being made but no-body seems worried, except for me.  I can tell you that I was glad to get out of there and into the apparent safety of the street, which was so busy.  Trying to get a taxi was crazy and I had to literally step in front of one as it pulled up and turn my back on the others waiting and pretend I couldn’t see them trying to get in.  Of course, it’s always more difficult when you have a trolley of groceries as you can’t just jump in.

While waiting, I talk to an elderly British couple on a stop-over while returning home from a trip to Australia. Like me, they think they could be in India.

Our building has filled up with heaps of new teachers.  I don’t know where they’ve put them all but the pool area and lifts are swarming with them.  A few weeks ago there was a collapse of the car park in a building which lots of new teachers were housed in.  Luckily no-one was hurt as it was during work time.  So all the teachers got put-up at the Viceroy Hotel on Yas Island.  Very nice!  But next weekend is Formula 1 (have I mentioned that yet?) so they have to get out.  As our builders were responsible for building it, they have had to find them all accommodation so they’ve come here.

What am I up to this weekend?  I’m not travelling as most do.  You wouldn’t believe the good deals to fly away for four days.  They go all out here with specials to tempt you to spend your hard earned cash.  Istanbul, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Thailand, the list goes on…

In case you didn’t get the message, it’s Formula 1 next weekend and I have tickets to go so will need all my money to spend there.

Tomorrow I’m off to Dubai for a girls’ day out.  Can’t wait for that!  Then Saturday my friend is coming in and it’s off to the hairdresser and beauty treatments.  Have to be looking good for those petrol heads.  So some shopping is on the agenda for some clothes to wear.  I’m not sure what one wears to keep cool in this heat, look good, be able to climb up grandstands, meet the local dress code and be cool enough to dance the night away at the after party concert?  Will keep you informed on that one.  But my V8 handbag will be getting another race day outing.  It will feel right at home with the Australian V8’s racing around the track.  There are no Holden’s over here so not sure how the pink shirt will go…

A normal week

This week has gone so quickly.  School seems to be hectic with additional testing being foisted upon us from the powers that be.  What I love about it is that it is now six weeks into the school term and this testing is only being introduced now.  However, it is to be conducted between the start of the school term (ah... 6 weeks ago) and the last week of November.  Of course we, and supposedly all other schools, have already conducted our own baseline testing by now.  No matter (or should that be no problem?) we will now drop everything, and I mean that literally including lesson plans, and indulge in a little testing.

The little testing consists of:
letter recognition,
sight words,
phoneme segregation,
reading nonsense words,
recognising initial sounds,
writing samples with analysis,
maths strategy testing for multiplication & division,
and a tick sheet for each child for their social skills in about six catergories.

I felt a New Zealand influence on the testing and wonder who has initiated this?  So I felt right at home with it all but a huge amount of additional work.  So guess what I'm doing this weekend?  That's right, marking!  And don't forget the recording of all this data.

The results don't look good and I wouldn't mind doing all this work if I felt that the results were going to be used to adapt the curriculum to meet the abilities of the kids we are teaching.  The current curriculum has way too many outcomes in it.  For instance, my maths outcomes are more than the number of weeks in the year so you know you are not even able to teach them all, much less allow the children time to absorb them.
I had one girl in each class able to use a repeated addition strategy to get the correct answer for the multiplication strategy.  I think three or four got the subtraction correct for the division.  Using word problems for girls who can't read English is not the cleverest way to run a  maths test.  Even with me reading it to them, their understanding is limited.

Oh well!  There's always the old adage, "If you don't like how things are done here, go home!"  On that note...

I've handed in my notice at my job in Blenheim so intend to stay here for several years.  I'm working with a wonderful teacher who has worked overseas for 10 years and knows all the tricks of the trade to surviving in the classroom environment.  Give them what they want and don't stress about it.  Make it easy on yourself.  Of course, I've yet to learn how to do that but am watching her closely for tips.

I've run assembly with one of my classes this week.  Our theme was Science, Matter, Materials.  The girls did a great job of reading in English and Arabic and paraded their posters around the school.  Our science is going great and we use the science lab at least twice a week.  We've tested the absorbency of paper, found out what materials are permeable and impermeable, investigated permanent and temporary change to materials (flour, sugar, salt, jelly, sand, plaster filler) when we add water, made salt dough decorations, and lastly we made play dough.  The last two activities were looking at how water changes materials, in this case flour.

This week we went on a trip to the Abu Dhabi Science Festival.  Three grades went on two buses so you can imagine what an organisational nightmare that was.  We (the English teachers) were told that we were leaving school at 7.30am so all arrived early to find no-one, and I mean no-one, there.  Mmmmm.... so much for that idea.  I'd upset all my girls by telling them they had to be at school by 7.30am when their buses don't arrive until 8am.  So some taxied in and others got rides.  So I was pretty annoyed when we didn't leave until well after 8am, when the last school bus arrived!  There is no communication between the English & Arabic staff, or very little anyway.  We (the English teachers) were told to write out name tags for the children with our name and phone numbers on them.  The Arabic were not so had to do it all when we arrived there.

Anyway we arrive early to the amazing venue where our group is met by attendants holding a number.  We are put into groups of 25 then follow our guide.  We enter the vast hall and are sat at long tables where the children are all given a pencil and activity book to fill in time while we write labels and all the other schools arrive.  Thousands of children of all ages are there and as the hall fills up the noise reaches a crescendo.

Eventually we are lined up following our guide and taken into the next hall which houses the exhibits.

WOW!  They sure know how to do things over here.

Science takes on a new meaning with each interactive station better than the last.  I'm wanting to break out of the line to try some of the activities.  First for us is the car racing where the girls assemble a buggy made of what looks like technic lego then use rubber bands to power them down an 11m race track.  Not one race track but two side by side so the teams can race.  The winners get their distance on the winner board.  The girls are totally absorbed in this for the 45 minutes we are there.  What I'd give to have access to resources like this at school.

As we leave this exhibit we are all given a brown paper bag containing a bottle of water, a museli bar and a muffin.  So off we traipse to the next exhibit which is wind power.  This one wasn't as exciting and my 'naughty' girls wandered around touching things.  You realise how little exposure these kids have to anything that we consider normal at times like this.  They can't keep their hands off stuff and try to break everything.  I noticed it in the science lab at school when we were making salt dough and play dough.  Very little had had any baking experience and don't know how to behave when using ingredients.  Or how to behave in a environment that had dangers.  More on that later...

Back to the Science Festival.  The girls made windmills then sat them in front of a wind machine.  A hot air balloon rose and fell at the push of a button, a yacht sailed across a table powered by the wind, and a wind tunnel propelled plastic then our paper lunch bags skywards.

After sitting and eating our snack we wandered over to the next exhibit which was to be a show inside a theatre.  As we waiting the girls were entertained by reading free magazines which the Arabic teachers found for them, then a display of dry ice magic.  The show inside the theatre featured Supermarket Science and had the children enthralled as the 'magician' performed her acts.  Here is a link to her website. http://www.science2life.com/

As we left the Festival we were corralled into herding pens as we awaited our buses arrival.  Each girl was handed another brown paper bag of water and food for the trip home.  The noise in the bus was incredible and I was glad we weren't going much further when we finally arrived back at school.  Needless to say I found a quiet activity for the girls to do while I continued testing individual students.

Back to my science lab experiences.  As I said, the girls have little experience in everyday things that we consider normal, such as water play, baking, and how to behave or listen!  Most girls help with cooking but only one or two had any idea how to measure ingredients and as for getting their hands dirty making salt dough!

But the 'incident' I refer to involved one girl who never listens or never understands any directions.  I don't know if she is unable to understand because of her limited English or for 'other' reasons?  Anyway, I have been over the Science Lab rules so many times but do they listen?  NO!

So I'm teaching at the front.  They are sitting in three rows at benches.  Next minute there's this girl and two others coming round the desk to the front.  Then, whosh!  One girl is down on the ground.  I saw it happening but was unable to prevent it.  She tripped, whether it was on the platform I was standing on or by one of the other two girls pushing her, I don't know, but she went down like a ton of bricks.  I thought she'd knocked herself out as she hit her  head on the table on the way down.  I'm only one step away, if that, so I reach down to her to find there is blood pouring out of her forehead.  I slap her hand over it and apply pressure with mine then try to get some order back while I call for the nurse.  I don't want to sit her up as she fell heavily so I call to the girls to get the nurse.  Meanwhile they've all crowded round and are freaking at the one drop of blood on the floor (lucky they can't see the wound) and nobody has gone for the nurse.  So here's the injured girl screaming, the class nearly hysterical and me yelling for someone to get the nurse.  Talk about a language barrier.  So much for calm in a crisis.  Finally my screaming is heard and two girls run for the nurse who arrives with a gauze pad.  She takes one look at the wound and says it'll need stitches.  So she gets the wheelchair and takes the girl away.  I manage to regain some control of the class and quickly, and discretely, mop up the blood on the floor.  Meanwhile the girls find any excuse to come up the front to check out the blood!

The pack mentality is alive and well here and I saw it with the young boys at the Science Festival.  They follow each other and run around then crowd round whatever it is they are doing.  The physicality of them leaves me thankful I'm teaching girls.  The Arab teachers don't seem to care about the punching and kicking and eye gouging that was occurring while the English teachers try their best to stop it.  It's a losing battle and I can see how the riots and 'unrest' that we see on TV occur and get out of hand.  Thinking for oneself isn't a strong point.

Last night I had my quarterly check on my apartment.  Two lovely men arrived ten minutes before the arranged time to check that I was home.  Promptly they arrive back on the dot with a ladder and a bag of tools.  They checked all the plumbing, even undoing the s bends to remove gunk, washed the A/C outlets, checked all the electrical including lights, cleaned my extractor fan and who knows what else.  All this is preventive maintenance.  No phoning up a plumber or electrician for me when they come in and do all this.
I suppose preventing problems is much easier than dealing with them later.

The one thing they didn't check was my fire extinguisher.  I have one and a fire blanket beside the stove.  You'd need them in an apartment no doubt.  Last night I heard the fire alarms go off just after I went to bed but we don't have false alarms like we did in the previous building.  When I set our alarm off inside our apartment the watchman phoned me up on our intercom to find out what was happening.  It's a long way down 28 flights of stairs but I'd rather be running down them than up them.

On that note of physical exercise, I've purchased two tennis rackets and two table tennis bats.  Now I just need to find someone of my ability to play with.  With the weather cooling down nicely the tennis courts here are busy already.  I think I'll book myself some time for a 'play' before attempting a game with anybody though.  "Don't want to let the side down, what?"  

Weekly life

After a hectic weekend last weekend attending parties I decided this weekend I'd just chill out.  That's if you can chill out in Abu Dhabi.  With the weather much more pleasant, in the mid to high 30's, it is still very hot and humid so the evening lifestyle wins out.  Each morning at school during our outside assembly we are all sweating and fanning ourselves.  The girls  have to jig around to the 'Hokey Tokey' in the heat so by mid afternoon the rooms are pretty smelly!  Roll on even cooler weather.

Friday mornings I tend to catch up with skyping those at home then plan to write my blog.  That doesn't always happen as I seem to spend so much time talking lately so the blog gets shifted to Saturday.  I haven't yet caught up with the change in daylight saving so miss some of you at times.  I spend time each weekend doing my planning for school as we don't have enough time during our busy schedule to get this done.

Life is settling into what I'd call a normal pattern with more life around the place since the teenager started school.  I woke up to a body on the couch this morning and nearly have to make an appointment to see my son.  That is what it should be like but it wasn't while he wasn't in school as he didn't have any way of making friends his own age.  I've yet to make some close friends of my own and miss having the ability to pop around to someone's place for tea or a wine especially on Friday evenings.  Skyping friends in Blenheim today makes me miss them a lot.

Still, the thought of the next holiday keeps me going.  We have Eid coming up on our Labour weekend but won't go far as have some expensive trips coming up in the next six months so need to save.  I don't have the disposable income now that I'm paying for schooling so probably won't get a car in the short term and will have to save for the trips instead of just going on a whim.  Bugger!

I'm excited because I've just bought an oven.  Finally!  I've been hanging out for one but didn't want to buy gas as it's 600 AED to get it connected then another monthly account.  I was about to go to town today to buy a new one when I checked online and found an electric ceramic top stove for 350 AED.  In our building no less so no cost for transport and removal.  I raced up and bought it immediately for 300 AED ($100 NZ), sent the two teenagers up to drag it back down 30 stories and the man has just been and installed the power for me.  So for 400 AED I have an oven, instead of around 2000 AED for a new ceramic top one.   On went my apron from home and I became a domestic goddess again for the time it took to clean it.  It comes with a rotissere cooker as well.  Next I'll need to be buying more pots and cooking utensils.

So today has been a good day.  To top it off when I got back downstairs from buying the oven, my Turkish Carpet had arrived.  So now it has pride of place in the lounge as you walk into the apartment.  It is so luxurious and soft to walk on.  I love it to bits and it comes with it's own authenticity certificate.  My next purchase will be a sofa bed for the visitors to sleep on but that can wait till payday.  These two purchases sum up the lifestyle here, budget secondhand goods and extravagant unnecessary purchases.

Shortly I'll head into town as I have some mail to pick up at the Post Office.  Then I'll head to the Mall for a spot of shopping and maybe buy something to cook tonight.  Then later a swim or walk.  Last night I went for another walk around the island.  I do miss the walking we did at home and the ability to just walk out your door and carry on.  But you have to adapt and having a fully equipped, under utilised gym downstairs is just as good.  All it takes is for me to use it...

Celebrations

As I write this entry my whanau back in New Zealand are all in Levin celebrating my Dad's 80th birthday.  I'm sitting in  my son's swandri and a newspaper party hat to get into the spirit of things, awaiting a skype call.  However, it seems technology isn't working today so I sit with my glass of bubbly awaiting a toast.  Never mind it's been poured since 6.30am when I got up!  Even by my standards that's a wee bit early for a wee drinkie.

Why a swandri?  Well each time I skype Dad he is in his, as apparently the weather isn't up to much with strong winds and lots of rain.  From my 'tour' yesterday around the newly erected shelters I think many there will be in their swannies.  Funny that you don't see them much over here???

It  has been a week of birthdays over here beginning last Thursday with the teenagers 17th!  Wow!  I managed to get all my friends into the apartment and took a couple downstairs to look around.  Of course they all want to move here now as the facilities are so much better than anywhere else.  We had a great catch up and shared a few bottles of Marlborough tipple.  Yum!  I'd forgotten how good it can be...

Then this Thursday (remembering that Thursday is your Friday) we had two birthdays atop the roof of our old building, Danat A.  The view over the city was amazing and reminds me how wonderful life on this island is.  Another wonderful balmy evening was spent catching up with old friends and making new ones.  My contribution was Marlborough mussels in the shell and a nice drop of Marlborough wine (Spy Valley seemed apt after all the wine I've drunk up by the golf balls!  Locals will get that one and have a chuckle.).

I've just had a long interruption while I feel as if I've been to the party in Levin.  Finally the technology worked and I've seen all my whanau and talked to most guests at the party.  You can imagine that that took a while.  It was neat to see my three children and catch up with them 'in person', so to speak.  Everyone looked well and happy.  It sounds as if the party went off well with the obligatory oversupply of food (all those worries about not having enough) and as I signed off the drink seemed to be taking a hit.  I didn't know youngsters liked whiskey, must be a throwback from our Dad!  Glad I'm not there to clean up the mess!!!

Happy 80th Birthday Dad.  I'm sure that bottle's still half full, not half empty.

It seems like the guests, and Dad, were very impressed by the surprise haka and waiata from the grandchildren.  This, of course, had been practiced in secret via facebook.  Those without modern technology just had to improvise on the day.  I'm hoping to get some video footage of this show.  Who says youth of today can't do anything?  Certainly not our family.

The weather had lived up to its reputation and everyone was well wrapped up in jackets, scarves and hats.  In typical kiwi style they were all still outside drinking although there was a warmer shed empty, awaiting the revelers later no doubt.

I have no doubt that Dad was proud to have such a wonderful party and is blessed (sometimes a mixed blessing) with such a large whanau who made this possible.   One thing we can all do is party.  I'm sure it is a gene we've  inherited from our parents though...

No one mentioned the memories that we supplied to our niece which she then put into individual envelopes and presented to Dad on the day.  I'm yet to hear if she got 80 of them which was what she had hoped to do.  Here is a link to a website showing the idea.
http://nothingbutbonfires.com/2011/06/sixty-years-memories

While driving to the BBQ on dusk on Thursday night we witnessed an amazing phenomena.  I was looking out the car window and spied what appeared to be a space shuttle or large comet in the sky.  I watched silently for several seconds trying to figure out what I was seeing then spoke up.  The ever-knowing teenager immediately knew what it was and gave us the history behind the event.  Bear with me as I now need to go online to get the details for you.
The Red Bull Stratos "space jump" planned by Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner, 43 is planned for Oct 8th.     http://www.redbullstratos.com
I tried to snap a photo on my phone as it was an amazing sight but it was gone before I was able to get a clear view again.  The sun was just setting and the sky was very hazy with dust so the image was a clear as anything.  However, by the time we moved away from the traffic lights and into the line of sight of the space craft the vision quickly disappeared.  We were so lucky to catch a long glimpse of the unusual sight.  No-one else I spoke to witnessed it, a once in a lifetime event.  As one friend recently wrote to me, life isn't how many breaths you take, it's how often your breath is taken away.

School is settling down into a routine and my classes remain smaller.  It was touch and go for a week as the powers that be have visited twice and demanded that our three G4 classes merge into two.  That would make my classes very big indeed and I wasn't happy to be told this.  It would also mean that we'd probably lose another teacher.  Luckily our VP met with us and the Arabic teachers and we all said we didn't want it to happen.  So far, so good, but one never knows what will happen tomorrow.

On that note, it is sad to see a couple of our friends return to NZ suddenly as his job contract finished.  Here today, gone tomorrow is very much the way they do things here.  He isn't employed in our education sector but the advice to not be complacent rings true.

School is going very well for the teenager and he is enjoying it, even getting himself up at 5.30 am, a first!  He has made new friends and is involved in playing volleyball and basketball at school.  His first game of U19 rugby yesterday was cancelled so that is yet to begin.  Like me, he was struck down heavily with the 'spring flu' which lots have had.  More like a major chest infection or bronchitis in my case and a course of antibiotics was necessary to clear it up.  It is good to see him meeting up with others his own age rather than hanging out with 30 year olds which most of our group are.  Mind you, I've had many comments from these guys here about how mature he is and how he fits in with the guys.  They are all impressed with him and are happy to pick him up for sports and to watch rugby games.  They are surprised when they find out his age as he doesn't fit the 'normal' teenage mould and can hold his own mixing and mingling with others.  I was recently asked if he'd spent a lot of time with adults?

I had my kiwi friend in for the night from the desert on Thursday.  It is always good to catch up and we spent the morning talking.  Our new whanau here is increasingly important as we have all committed to staying for several years and I have formed some strong bonds with some of our group who came when we did.  I am 'affectionately' know as Mama G by the Maori boy (in his 30's) downstairs and that name is now being used by others.  My Aunty G would like that one.

Yesterday and today the view from our apartment is spectacular.  The difference is the noticeable drop in the temperature and resulting clearer air.  I can see to the other side of the island of Abu Dhabi which I didn't even realise I could do.  You realise  how small the city is when you can see it all like this.  The water is bluer and the sky is less hazy.  It was the first time I've walked outside in the day and look forward to getting out more in the next few months.  I went downstairs for a swim several nights ago to find I had the pool to myself.  When I asked the lifeguards why, they replied that it was too cold.  I asked what the temperature was and he replied 26 degrees.  Funnily enough I spent about an hour in there alone, enjoying the water before succumbing to the lure of the jacuzzi.  The outside air temperature was only 32 degrees so the high temperatures have dropped markedly.  Highs are only around 38-40 now so about 10 degrees less than last month so life is much more manageable.

    The city view looking towards my work and Abu Dhabi Mall.   Construction has halted on both these buildings in the foreground at the moment.

    The view looking back towards the city and Al Whada Mall.  On the horizon is the water on the other side of the island.  In the foreground is the workers camp which houses thousands of men who surge out at start and finish time each day.  The sites work 24 hours but less men are on at night.  Each day around 40 buses arrive at the building site on the left to disgorge workers then collect them later.  They look like ants scurrying to and fro.  Quite a sight to see.