back to blogging

Happy 2012! It’s been a while since I’ve blogged and I’ve got no excuse except to say that I’ve been busy! So much time has passed since my last post, I’m not really sure where to begin. Christmas was fun; I went back to be with Sal and his family who welcomed me graciously into their home and it was fun to see family and friends from my old teaching job and church. A lot of people asked me how Dubai was or Saudi Arabia and I had not even been to those places!  On a more somber note, my Grandma Kay passed away during the holidays and I miss her dearly. She was such a special, kind, and STRONG woman that I will never forget. She was a teacher, a soloist and a fashionista who enjoyed life. We shared a special obsession with butter tarts, and sour cream glazed donuts that no one can really understand. She is also the only person who really complemented me on my driving skills when I had my learners permit and after my parents couldn’t drive with me anymore after a few major fights. One fond memory for me is when she accompanied me to visit Trent University when I was visiting Universities and trying to decide where to apply. My parents had just relocated to NJ and I was a shy, overwhelmed, lost 18 year old who had no clue what to do with my life. My Grandma was there for me during those tough few years and I think I was there for her. During the visit to Trent, the tour guide was very sweet and actually asked my grandma what she planned to major in! She laughed her infamous hearty laugh and said that she wasn’t applying but I knew she was truly flattered by the question.

So now I’m back in Abu Dhabi and loving my life here. I have thrown myself into joining clubs and enjoy dragon boat racing, book clubs and am hoping to take a few cooking classes and my favorite new organic restaurant ‘Jones The Grocer’. I also am truly thankful for the friends I have made here. I spend a lot of time with 2 lovely ladies who are so funny, down to earth, generous, honest, great listeners, and most of all genuine friends. Having a great support network here is vital so it has made life wonderful.

School is going well. It has its good days and its bad days. I lost my voice a week ago from over using it in the classroom and the doctor has told me I need to keep my voice at the same level. I have a hard time with that when I witness another child punch, spit or slap another in the hallway or the classroom. What am I supposed to do? Whisper to them! Ha! As if that would work!!!! The boys really respond well to the reward system I have set up in the classroom. They have to focus and be quiet with their eyes looking at me in order to achieve points for their group. If they achieve enough points then they can use the points to play 10 minutes of basketball at the end of the day.

Today I had my first haircut in Abu Dhabi and it was a really cool experience. I went to the salon that my friend Lindsay went to and had my hair cut and styled by this nice fellow from Syria. He cut hair with FLARE! I mean the way he used the scissors, hair brush and the blowdryer was truly an art form! At one point he was flipping the hair dryer around …..tres cool!

So now its getting late and the school week starts again tomorrow. On the agenda for this week is educating the boys about brushing their teeth. The school nurse asked us to practice singing a song and present during the assembly. It should be fun! We will also learn about fractions and continue practicing the rules and routines of the classroom.