The weeks are flying by with only three more weeks of the school term left. Thank goodness is all I can say. Work seems to be getting crazier and crazier, all of which is weird as our school is closing come July.
We had to hand in our Teacher Evaluation Portfolios on Thursday. Basically this is an awful waste of time as we have to provide evidence for each outcome that we will be evaluated against as professionals. One main problem I have is that we are not treated as professionals, rather as trainee teachers. Of course that doesn't sit well with me as I consider myself an experienced teacher with plenty to contribute. But not here. There are no career advancement opportunities available, unless you have a Masters Degree.
I had a humorous email from my Aussie V8 mate regarding my last post about the Pope. He was informing me that the rapid decline in health was due to his and his wife's visit to mass at the Vatican last year while they were here for Formula One. He thinks it was just too much for Benedict to cope with. He's probably right! This snippet had me nearly collapsing with laughter, so much so that the teenager asked what was so funny. Having met him, he joined in the laughter.
The second joke took me a minute or two to get. He was informing me that fish caught in NZ waters wasn't safe to eat due to high lead levels.
You probably all got that as the joke may be old news for you but we're a bit more isolated here.
It was one of my new Irish friend's birthday last night so a large group of women and one brave husband headed out to the Rocco Forte Hotel. Finally I got to hang out where both my boys do or did. But this was an evening with a difference. Ladies night! These are very popular here but usually are on weeknights. Luckily this one was on a weekend so my friend from the desert and I got dolled up and headed out in a taxi.
Ladies nights are put on by the flash hotels which sell alcohol to get punters in. Basically they give the women free drinks and the men flock in to watch and hopefully pick up the drunk girls.
We got a card which was marked each time we had a drink and got five free cocktails. We started with a Margarita then a white Sangria (mmmm mmmm) then a unpronounceable drink. Five cocktails was enough for me anyway.
One odd aspect of the evening (apart from the balding, older men hanging around looking for a companion & the Russian pros with 6 inch stilettos) was all the women who smoked. It was the first time I've been into a nightclub bar here and was shocked at the smoking. Nearly all the Irish women and the English teachers were smoking. Of course, all the Arab men smoke all the time.
Afterwards we decided to walk across the road to KFC and get something to eat. You can imagine that was great for me (don't eat KFC) but it was another eye-opener. What struck us kiwis was the number of kids, including babies, out eating at 1am. Yes, that's right, 1am! Babies crying, kids just about sleep-walking but hey, that's life in UAE. No wonder the kids can't stay awake at school. It is such a different life. One group had three men, 2 woman and about 5 kids, one a tiny baby. Another group was four woman with kids. I never cease to be shocked here.
Then we had another taxi driver from hell take us home. He must have been on a curfew as he practically flew. I thought I was going to throw up as we rounded the last corner to home. I can't tell you how thankful I was to get out of that cab.
Arriving home I checked at the door to make sure all was quiet, which it was. We went in, still quiet, and on checking I found an extra three bodies asleep. Luckily they'd left the couch for my friend.
This morning it was up for a swim before it got too hot. I managed 14 lengths and I have to praise my physiotherapist as it was the first time since being here that I've swam without shoulder pain.
The weather is warming up and the pool is becoming too hot already. It's been up to 32 degrees in the lap pool which was way too hot to swim. The outside temperature is also hot but the poolside is filled with scantily clad girls sunbathing in their bikinis. I feel sorry for the workers as it must be such a temptation for them wandering around and trying not to stare. The tennis courts and basketball court is still getting a hammering while the weather holds.
I've scheduled my walk tomorrow for 7pm as it was far to hot last week when we went at 4pm. As there is no shade round the area we've decided to go later, once the sun has set.
With the weather warming up here, I'm hoping that it's warming up in Amsterdam for our tulip frolick. It's got into double figures Switzerland but back to snow and below freezing this week. I've been out trying to buy some warmer pants to wear so might follow up on some I found on special for 25 AED. Very tight though which is how the Egyptian woman wear them. That's why I didn't buy them last week but will go back and see if they are still there. Strangely there is a massive amount of thicker pants and thousands of fur trimmed jerseys and jackets in the shops here. Obviously they cater to the European tourist who comes here to shop.
Well, if you can't beat them, join them!
We had to hand in our Teacher Evaluation Portfolios on Thursday. Basically this is an awful waste of time as we have to provide evidence for each outcome that we will be evaluated against as professionals. One main problem I have is that we are not treated as professionals, rather as trainee teachers. Of course that doesn't sit well with me as I consider myself an experienced teacher with plenty to contribute. But not here. There are no career advancement opportunities available, unless you have a Masters Degree.
I had a humorous email from my Aussie V8 mate regarding my last post about the Pope. He was informing me that the rapid decline in health was due to his and his wife's visit to mass at the Vatican last year while they were here for Formula One. He thinks it was just too much for Benedict to cope with. He's probably right! This snippet had me nearly collapsing with laughter, so much so that the teenager asked what was so funny. Having met him, he joined in the laughter.
The second joke took me a minute or two to get. He was informing me that fish caught in NZ waters wasn't safe to eat due to high lead levels.
You probably all got that as the joke may be old news for you but we're a bit more isolated here.
It was one of my new Irish friend's birthday last night so a large group of women and one brave husband headed out to the Rocco Forte Hotel. Finally I got to hang out where both my boys do or did. But this was an evening with a difference. Ladies night! These are very popular here but usually are on weeknights. Luckily this one was on a weekend so my friend from the desert and I got dolled up and headed out in a taxi.
Ladies nights are put on by the flash hotels which sell alcohol to get punters in. Basically they give the women free drinks and the men flock in to watch and hopefully pick up the drunk girls.
We got a card which was marked each time we had a drink and got five free cocktails. We started with a Margarita then a white Sangria (mmmm mmmm) then a unpronounceable drink. Five cocktails was enough for me anyway.
One odd aspect of the evening (apart from the balding, older men hanging around looking for a companion & the Russian pros with 6 inch stilettos) was all the women who smoked. It was the first time I've been into a nightclub bar here and was shocked at the smoking. Nearly all the Irish women and the English teachers were smoking. Of course, all the Arab men smoke all the time.
Afterwards we decided to walk across the road to KFC and get something to eat. You can imagine that was great for me (don't eat KFC) but it was another eye-opener. What struck us kiwis was the number of kids, including babies, out eating at 1am. Yes, that's right, 1am! Babies crying, kids just about sleep-walking but hey, that's life in UAE. No wonder the kids can't stay awake at school. It is such a different life. One group had three men, 2 woman and about 5 kids, one a tiny baby. Another group was four woman with kids. I never cease to be shocked here.
Then we had another taxi driver from hell take us home. He must have been on a curfew as he practically flew. I thought I was going to throw up as we rounded the last corner to home. I can't tell you how thankful I was to get out of that cab.
Arriving home I checked at the door to make sure all was quiet, which it was. We went in, still quiet, and on checking I found an extra three bodies asleep. Luckily they'd left the couch for my friend.
This morning it was up for a swim before it got too hot. I managed 14 lengths and I have to praise my physiotherapist as it was the first time since being here that I've swam without shoulder pain.
The weather is warming up and the pool is becoming too hot already. It's been up to 32 degrees in the lap pool which was way too hot to swim. The outside temperature is also hot but the poolside is filled with scantily clad girls sunbathing in their bikinis. I feel sorry for the workers as it must be such a temptation for them wandering around and trying not to stare. The tennis courts and basketball court is still getting a hammering while the weather holds.
I've scheduled my walk tomorrow for 7pm as it was far to hot last week when we went at 4pm. As there is no shade round the area we've decided to go later, once the sun has set.
With the weather warming up here, I'm hoping that it's warming up in Amsterdam for our tulip frolick. It's got into double figures Switzerland but back to snow and below freezing this week. I've been out trying to buy some warmer pants to wear so might follow up on some I found on special for 25 AED. Very tight though which is how the Egyptian woman wear them. That's why I didn't buy them last week but will go back and see if they are still there. Strangely there is a massive amount of thicker pants and thousands of fur trimmed jerseys and jackets in the shops here. Obviously they cater to the European tourist who comes here to shop.
Well, if you can't beat them, join them!
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