In news of Karen being a bit of a knob, I went to go check up on my Emirates Identity card I have been waiting for, yesterday. I was supposed to receive a text about when it was ready to be picked up, but I have gotten nothing so I thought I'd better follow up. I drove all the way over to the office after school and went up to the front desk and explained it to the man. He said "Ok...may I see your receipt?" I then remember my receipt is sitting on my kitchen table. I tell him this and he says "No problem, let me see you passport." I then sheepishly reply, that I forgot that too. The man looks at me, wags his finger and says "Madam! You are not very good at this at all!" I apologized and said I would come back again. He said, "You need to be more organized, you are acting like a child!" I started laughing and told him that, ironically, I just gave the same speech to my students today. He then comforted me saying "Don't worry, next time you will try harder." The teacher has been schooled.
If you know me as a person, you know I am extremely clumsy and always walk into things. Today over the course of a 45 minute period of teaching I: whacked my head off the wall mounted tv, dropped my white board markers innumerable times, spilled water all over my shirt and managed to get tape stuck to the back of my shirt, twice. The students told me I should try to get some more sleep tonight and each time I leaned up against the tape, a different girl would come up and whisper Miss there is something on your back! Don't worry I will get it! Luckily I have the sweetest students ever who don't even laugh at me when I do these ridiculous things. I have my teaching observation this Thursday which will likely determine if I will stay at my school or not, so I hope to not make a complete fool of myself in front of my superiors (one can only imagine how I will be when I'm nervous).
They constantly forget to ring the bell at my school, so we never know when to let the kids out. My favourite was today when the fire alarm went off for 2 seconds at 2:55pm, and then the bell rang. I looked outside and didn't see anything, so I figured it was an accident. I went back to teaching until a girl opened the door and I could see the whole school had been let out. School is supposed to end at 3:05pm. There was no reason or explanation for letting the kids out 20 minutes early...but that's just the way it is. Insha'Allah!
In driving news, I am pretty sure I am the Grandpa of the UAE roads. No matter what lane I'm in, how fast I'm going, and what rules I am following, someone is always honking at me. On my 20 minute drive to work today 12 people honked at me for going too slow. I was in the slow lane and even going 10 km over the limit! There are speed radars everywhere here and I can't afford the tickets, so I try to go around 80 km/h and they can blow it out their ear for all I care. The funny thing is, I drive pretty aggressively here (because you have to, or you'd never get anywhere) but I am still the frustrating old fuddy duddy driver!
Tonight I start my first lesson of Arabic classes with my friends. Hopefully by the time you see my again I will know how to say something in Arabic to confuse/delight you!
Also...Dubai this weekend! Woot! The Vegas of the Middle East :)
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