A teaching adventure!: March 2014

So 2014 I am going to get back to my blog! School got pretty crazy with inspections and then conferences and report cards I couldn’t keep up with it all! And the one time I did try and keep up I lost my blog.

So I am going to give an overview of the past couple of months and all the things I have done! I feel that I am really adjusting to the country and beginning to know where things are. I do still have a hard time understanding what people are saying sometimes but I am getting a tad better (or at least like to think I am). We have traveled to Al Ain and Dubai in the Emirates a couple of times and they are also great places. I have explored multiples malls in Abu Dhabi as well as Dubai. School was like the end of any 1^st quarter back in the states- testing, report cards, conferences, the whole nine yards. The new thing for me this year was the inspection process. The word is so intimidating! People come in and observe each teacher to create a review of the school. I was totally relieved when that was over! But two more to go this year…

During the time I was not blogging ( L ) it was the 42^nd National Day in the UAE. This is the time 42 years ago the Emirates united. This is a huge deal here! It is kind of like our 4^th of July. The kids all bring in items to decorate the classroom we plan a huge celebration at school! Our celebration was set to be the Thursday before National Day since everything closes so people can celebrate. However….Wednesday night Dubai won Expo 2020 so it was declared a National Holiday! I will never complain about a day off that I don’t have to make up! So we were lucky to have a 5 day weekend just a couple of days before a 3 week vacation! The celebration was the following week. It is so neat to see all the students dressed up in their National Dress and the staff even joins them! I got a new THOBE for the celebration! Being full immersed in this culture is so eye opening! So we had a great time seeing performances, having camels and falcons at school, traditional food and so much more! The kids are so proud of their country it’s amazing to be a part of!

During the long weekend Belinda and I traveled to Dubai to find her a jacket for our trip to Germany and Austria. When we were there we decided we wanted to go to Outback for dinner (have to get that American food in J). When we went over to the Dubai Mall (the biggest mall in the world) it was SLAMMED! We were totally not thinking everyone would be there to watch fireworks at the Burj and watch the dancing fountains! So we decided well we are all the way up here we might as well join! The burj was lit up with the colors of the UAE and we were able to see both fireworks and the dancing fountains! So of you got videos from me- so neat!

When school wrapped up Belinda and I began our journey a few short hours later to head to Austria. We left from the Dubai airport so we have to drive up to Dubai and head out. We took an overnight flight to Austria. Talk about EXHAUSTION! We both woke up halfway through the flight and truly thought we were not going to survive having to stay awake! Lucky us—it was only halfway through the trip!

Vienna, Austria

We landed in Austria and really did not plan how we were going to get to our hostel other than we knew we would take the train. So thank goodness for iphones and wifi- we found the route that we needed to take and the trains that would lead us there. We changed our clothes in the airport since it was about 7am and walked out into the cold. The desert has reallllyy spoiled me and I am a complete wimp now when it comes to the cold! Anyhow- we began train ride and we were very confident that we knew what we were doing. We dragged our suitcases down the road and found Wombats (the hostel we were staying in)---however- jokes on us- they had 3 hostels in Vienna and of course we didn’t pay attention to that! Details and I don’t always seem to get along so OOPS! Sorry Belinda! But the people there were super friendly and we just had to drag our suitcases back down the road and then hop back on a train- all while freezing- no big deal! Austria was beautiful though! We went to multiple Christmas markets, ate lots of pretzels, had some hot wine, enjoyed being in a snowy environment and had my first hostel experience! The hostel was great! We stayed in a room with 2 other girls who were super nice but we all were hardly in the room together just really for sleeping! During our time here, we met up with a couple of other girls that we work with and saw some beautiful markets and even experienced a bit of the night life in Vienna! We took the train one day to find beautiful hills and scenery in Vienna and then somehow ended up at an amusement park! We only stayed a few days in Vienna and then took the train to Munich, Germany.

vienna!

beautiful!

amusement park!

our first christmas market!

The train ride is only about 4 hours long- however…for those of you that know me- I do NOT sit still very well. And again…poor Belinda needs to stop listening to me- I see the train-perfect ok lets get on- however, on the train tickets there are lots of different numbers but the problem is they are all in German and I speak ZERO German. So I have us hop right on (with our 50 pound suitcases)- and come to find out---WRONG CART! We only had to drag them through 3 carts/push through people/lift them up to put them up..yikes. Well after that the train ride begins- we pass where the Sound of Music was filmed and it really was a nice ride just soooo boring. I had to get up quick a few times just to walk around!

Munich, Germany

We get to Munich and the train station we stop at is only a block from the hostel- no worries- it was the RIGHT hostel this time! We met up with another girl we work with who was going to finish the trip with us in Munich. In Munich- we continued our Christmas market adventures, the pretzels, and the hot wine. Here we also went to castles in the Bavarian Villages, went to Olympic village, saw the Alps, hiked up 300 steps to look over Munich, and saw lots of snow! We also went to beer gardens which is a really neat experience. You basically walk into a huge restaurant- find a couple open seats at picnic tables and join the fun! The first night we went we were looking around and I found a table that had quite a few seats with some younger guys so we sat down. We began talking to them and they were from Switzerland. While we are here enjoying some German folk dancing and music I get up to go to the bathroom and somehow end up trying to learn a new game with a bunch of old German guys. I however, am TERRIBLE at the “flipping the coaster” game- so I bring the non-English speaking people to Belinda who challenges them to the game! She of course is good at this game!

<3 beer garden!

300 steps later a look over munich!

alps!

olympic pool <3

Olympic field

touring the castles!

The Hostel Experience…

So, during our time in Munich we stayed in another hostel. The type of hostels we were staying was from the Wombat family. Great reviews, great locations, great staff- everything! Welllll- at this hostel we stayed in a room of 6 (Belinda, Charlotte and myself) and 3 others. One morning when we were getting up we were showering and such- I had just gotten out of bed and Belinda was going to get in the shower. I was deciding what I was going to wear that day and such. Belinda goes in to begin getting ready and a minute later- she comes flyinggggg out of the bathroom clearly NOT happy! Well, I guess not everyone what knows what is and isn’t appropriate for people to share- one of the girls used her loofas…so gross! But looking back- I still find this story quite funny- however do not be alarmed- Belinda DID throw the loofa AWAY! So FYI- don’t ever leave your things out to dry even under your towel! :)

Mulhall’s arrive!

We had no problems getting home and got back into Dubai and headed back to Abu Dhabi- exhausted but now thrilled for our families’ visits! As we were leaving Dubai our families had both arrived at JFK to begin their trip to the UAE! Luckily, our families were on the same flight! So the Mulhall’s (gracefully, of course) met up with Belinda’s mom to begin the introductions. Well, since all of you reading this probably know me- when came my family go ANYWEHRE without causing some sort of episode?! I arrived at the airport around 8pm seeing their flight was supposed to land at 7:30- I was giving them some time to go through passport control, etc. Well Belinda and I are waiting at the airport all excited- and let me give you a visual of the Abu Dhabi airport- you do not have a regular baggage claim where people meet you- you get your bags and a cart (which you have to hold to handles together to move- which is quite funny to watch people try and figure out) but then you roll down a hallway and there are big glass doors- past the doors you have a wall that people stand behind SO excited to greet their visitors! So Belinda and I are making our way closer and closer so they can see us right when they walk out! Welllll….most of you heard that John had a pretty rough trip over to the UAE- after standing and waiting for about an hour and a half I hate to say the excitement was beginning to wear off a tad bit! Well finally I get an imessage from my mom that they are having to wait at the clinic for John to see some doctors to get checked out. Well I wont go into that long story because this blog is already going to be long enough- however, a bit later they come out and we are on our way! Even though it took hours we were still thrilled to see them! And yall remember my funnnnn trip to the UAE and not having any bags well guess whatttt- ETIHAD struck again! NO BAGS FOR JOHN! At least him and dad wear the same size!

During their visit here I kept them quite busy- from trips to the Grand Mosque, to the hop on hop off bus tours of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Ski Dubai, various Souqs, world’s largest firework display in Dubai for new year’s, Al Ain, desert safaris, camel rides, dune bashing, visiting my school, walking the Corniche, a dhow river cruise, and a Christmas brunch I know it wasn’t too relaxing but they got some great exposure to the UAE! I absolutely loved having them all here and we even all survived two weeks in my apartment together! Good thing we kept busy and out a lot :)

brunchin with the Hilliard's on Christmas!

tallest building in the world!

yup, thats a camel with us!

they really got into the culture!

john and i riding 4wheelers!

dhow river cruise in dubai! burj in the background!

desert safari!

merry christmas from the mulhall's!

family from the grand mosque in abu dhabi!

typical family photo! i make them so proud! :)

worlds fastest roller coaster

My New Year’s Eve Experience…

Can you say Ice Ice Baby! That’s right- Vanilla Ice at the Atlantis on the Palm in Dubai (with the attempt for the World’s Largest Firework Display) for NYE! So this is another great story of the UAE and how things can never just work out correctly! So we first get to Dubai- Belinda, Laura and I- we have a hotel and plan to get ready and be super on time for this event! Well- our hotel SUCKED (sorry mom no better way to put it) and we had to change hotels. Awful AWFUL AWFUL! So we got a new hotel0 got ready and headed out. We then got stuck in awful traffic- and I won’t embarrass Belinda on the internet but remind me when I talk to you personally or I see you to tell you her taxi story! We then get up to the palm and our taxi driver tells us the tram is the fastest way and from what we had read we agreed so we paid him hopped out of the taxi and headed to the tram. Again- jokes on us. Tram is closed. The police officer looks at us and points 8km and points- 8kms= 5 miles! Hahahaha what a jokeeeeee. Thank goodness I don’t wear heals sorry Laura and Belinda! So we get up to the part of the palm where you go underwater and you are in a tunnel (I will add a picture of the palm below so you can get a visual). Well the police are telling us we HAVE to be in a car to go through the tunnel- talk about some ANGRY people! There was a huge concert festival going on as well so no joke THOUSANDS of screaming people! Well anyhow- I think there is a riot about to happen! People screaming running others other, police officers screaming in Arabic---scarrrrry! Well we start to go to a place where we could at least see the fireworks if we were not going to be able to get to the Palm- but then I spot a taxi and take off! Me and another girl get to the taxi and we share the taxi and get to the palm by 11! So after a 4 hour adventure we made it and got to meet Vanilla Ice and he took my phone and took a picture with us! Even though he has like 2 songs we know it was a blast! And the fireworks were AMAZING!

worlds largest firework display

atlantis in dubai on the palm!

a view of the palm from above!

Vanilla Ice!

Term Two

Since being back from the holiday and my families visit school has been in full swing. We have hardly had any time off I have gotten so wrapped up with school I never got the chance to blog correctly! We had inspections this term as well as another set of report cards and we are just finishing up parent teacher conferences. It has come to the point I am really feeling settled in the UAE. It is beginning to feel like my home. I have continue to make friends from all over the world! Such an awesome thing to say I have friends from all over :)

This term I did lose my grandfather, Pop. Being away from family in a time such as this was not easy but I am so thankful for the people in my life who were there for me here!

This term has brought…brunches, holi festival, weekends in Dubai, Ferrari world, red bull air show, global village, St. Patricks day with the Irish!, and many random happenings in the UAE! Also, a great birthday celebration with all of our friends here in the UAE! I have a birthday twin over here so we really had some fun! And one of the best tasks has been planning the trip to Thailand! A two week trip in Thailand including Bangkok, Chiang-Mai and Koh Samui! I am so excited for this trip to begin in just 2 days!

red bull air show on the corniche!