Start off with a little happy note: I had my first little boy tell me something incredibly sweet. As I'm teaching (ahem, if you can call that what I do now) a little boy walks over to me as I'm explaining how to write your name at the top of the paper, he walks over to me and says...
I had to stop for a moment and process what had just happened. It's very rare for me to even have a sentence spoken to me in English, let alone a child share with me such a thoughtful and deep emotion. My immediate response of course was, "Aw, I love you to," and to continue teaching. But my mind was definitely wondering if this boy really understood the depth of the word love as it's full meaning in our language. He speaks English fairly well so I'm sure he knew what he was saying... it just caught me off guard since half the time my students can't even tell me if they need a pencil or how to ask to go to the bathroom correctly. Definitely a moment I will not be forgetting any time soon.
I have found while living in a hotel that I am not very good at keeping up with blogs and emails. I should work on that but I'm hoping I don't have too much longer here at the Viceroy to actually start working on that.
After three incredibly loooooong weeks at the hotel, some of us have started the moving process. It will take three days (Inshallah--in God's will, as they say here) to complete the process. I have been told that the flat I signed up for will be the next group of out here so we'll see. They're only doing 15 people at a time right now. Basically, we get on a bus, go back to Rayyana, pack our stuff for the movers. The next day, the movers will come and get the stuff. On the third day, our things will be delivered to the flat and we unpack. Again, this is Inshallah, so it could take 5 days or 5 years... whenever they feel up to doing it. They're finishing up the families and people moving into the Sun/Sky Towers on Reem Island now.
I myself could have lived on Reem Island in a nice sky-rise apartment overlooking the water but I opted for convenience instead. I will be moving into a 23 story building (on the 8th floor) that is about 8 minutes away from my school and right in the middle of loads of things (including a Starbucks next door). Reem was further away and I would have had to drive through traffic to get to work. I wanted some more sleep (surprising, I know... but these early wake up calls are killing me!) so I chose location over the nice amazing and beautiful flats on Reem where there's a whole lot of nothing going on yet. Not to say that mine is not nice by any means of course... it's a nice set up. I'm just praying right now that my fridge fits in the space allotted (it might be too tall since this new place has cabinets above the fridge and my old place doesn't).
Anyway, gonna sign off now and get ready to start prep for this next week of school. It's a shortened week this week and next. We officially have our first holiday on Thursday and Sunday for Eid. I'm thinking of heading to visit my friend Maria down in the west where there is nothing but water and sand. Get the true desert experience... kind of my only option since I had 2,000 dhs stolen from me at school (around $540). Long story... but it was gonna be my plane ticket out of here for Eid so since it was a forward on my pay for October from ADEC and I was forced to take the cash from them I just have to eat the loss. Live and learn...
Til next time; which will hopefully be sooner, rather than later! Miss y'all sooooo much!
"Ms. Krista, I love you."
I had to stop for a moment and process what had just happened. It's very rare for me to even have a sentence spoken to me in English, let alone a child share with me such a thoughtful and deep emotion. My immediate response of course was, "Aw, I love you to," and to continue teaching. But my mind was definitely wondering if this boy really understood the depth of the word love as it's full meaning in our language. He speaks English fairly well so I'm sure he knew what he was saying... it just caught me off guard since half the time my students can't even tell me if they need a pencil or how to ask to go to the bathroom correctly. Definitely a moment I will not be forgetting any time soon.
I have found while living in a hotel that I am not very good at keeping up with blogs and emails. I should work on that but I'm hoping I don't have too much longer here at the Viceroy to actually start working on that.
After three incredibly loooooong weeks at the hotel, some of us have started the moving process. It will take three days (Inshallah--in God's will, as they say here) to complete the process. I have been told that the flat I signed up for will be the next group of out here so we'll see. They're only doing 15 people at a time right now. Basically, we get on a bus, go back to Rayyana, pack our stuff for the movers. The next day, the movers will come and get the stuff. On the third day, our things will be delivered to the flat and we unpack. Again, this is Inshallah, so it could take 5 days or 5 years... whenever they feel up to doing it. They're finishing up the families and people moving into the Sun/Sky Towers on Reem Island now.
I myself could have lived on Reem Island in a nice sky-rise apartment overlooking the water but I opted for convenience instead. I will be moving into a 23 story building (on the 8th floor) that is about 8 minutes away from my school and right in the middle of loads of things (including a Starbucks next door). Reem was further away and I would have had to drive through traffic to get to work. I wanted some more sleep (surprising, I know... but these early wake up calls are killing me!) so I chose location over the nice amazing and beautiful flats on Reem where there's a whole lot of nothing going on yet. Not to say that mine is not nice by any means of course... it's a nice set up. I'm just praying right now that my fridge fits in the space allotted (it might be too tall since this new place has cabinets above the fridge and my old place doesn't).
Anyway, gonna sign off now and get ready to start prep for this next week of school. It's a shortened week this week and next. We officially have our first holiday on Thursday and Sunday for Eid. I'm thinking of heading to visit my friend Maria down in the west where there is nothing but water and sand. Get the true desert experience... kind of my only option since I had 2,000 dhs stolen from me at school (around $540). Long story... but it was gonna be my plane ticket out of here for Eid so since it was a forward on my pay for October from ADEC and I was forced to take the cash from them I just have to eat the loss. Live and learn...
Til next time; which will hopefully be sooner, rather than later! Miss y'all sooooo much!
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