My Little Minions

The very thing I love about my children is also the one thing I hate....they are all little MEs.  It never fails, even with a language barrier, I have managed to transform these sweet innocent children into sarcastic, smart-mouthed goofballs.  I turned them into myself.  For example, I had a young man that was so excited because he got a new shanta (book bag).  A little girl lines up behind him, examines the bag really closely, looks up at me and says, "Shanta Bennat (I can't spell any of these Arabic words).  But anyway, loosely translated she was asking me if it was a book bag for a girl.  I kept telling her that it was his book bag and she refused to accept the answer.  She just kept looking at the flowery book bag and then back at me swearing it was a girl's bag.  Then there are those students that love to tell me good job as if I am four-years-old, or the ones that force you to say good morning or goodbye to them, or the ones that look at me like a dummy when I mix up the Sheiks or simply don't understand another child (they know a few English words and swear they can help me out), and finally the girls that keep giving me these cheek kisses every time they come back from specials or when they think I am about to get mad.  LOL.  This is why I can't leave education.  I always fall in love with my students.  I love creating little mini-mes.  Who would think that it even happens across the world?

I am going to miss them for the next three weeks that they are out of school.  But that won't stop me from enjoying America.  I cant wait to get home.  I might sound a bit crazy, but I miss Target, Wal-Mart (I didn't even like Wal-Mart when I was in the states), TJ Maxx, Chipotle, real pizza, street addresses, preservatives and sugar in juices, and so much more.  LOL.  I have 10 strong days to enjoy the states.  I am coming home with an empty suitcase because I want some more of my clothes and shoes, and I want to pick up some things from the store that I can't find here.  Not ready for this 14 hour flight, but so ready to see my mommy and some of my family and friends.

This is probably my last post until after the holiday.  Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever you say at this time of year.

I will leave you all with a few highlights from the past week:

I might joke and play a lot but one thing I do is my job.  Who just started learning English for the first time, doesn't ever hear or see it at home, but can already write his name in English and Arabic?  My child can.  Don't play.  I came here to work. 

This is not a highlight from my week, but I am in love with this haircut.   In 2015 I think I might be more girly and try to maintain my hair and makeup.  That last sentence is probably a lie, but this is a nice cut.

Somebody somewhere in this world thought it was a brilliant idea to let kids write in shaving cream.  "Fine motor skills" they said.  "Learning through play" they said.  Man, my kids wrote their numbers (not evident in any picture captured) but we were all sticky nasty messes when we finished.  It was kinda fun though.  

Last Thursday our school district encouraged teachers to wear red for "Ibby," the teacher murdered on Reem Island.  Red was her favorite color.  The Arabic teachers did not understand at first why we would wear red because they consider red a happy color, not one for mourning.  But, when we explained that red was chosen because it was her favorite color, they participated as well by wearing red shaylas (head coverings) or red in their abayas.  I love the way we came together on this.  

Out here in the desert, they like to have random get togethers.  I am sooooo thankful for my desert family.  I wouldn't have made it out here in this desert without them.  This picture is a "just because" get together since we are all about to go different ways for the break.  We also ate breakfasts/brunch and dinner together everyday this weekend as everyone was trying to clean out their refrigerators before leaving for two weeks.  LOL.  I fought it and I hated it and I even questioned God about it, but I was placed out in this desert for a reason.

I sucked at Christmas this year.  Although it is the same time every year, I feel like it snuck up on me this year.  I did no shopping whatsoever.  SMH.  I will do better with souvenirs and such when I go to the states for the summer.

Two Faced World

Warning - this post will be all over the place as there is a lot on my mind.


Years ago, when I read some of the late Tupac Shakur's poetry and learned a little more about his life outside of rap, I always thought to myself "It has to be a heavy burden to try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."  It seems like Tupac really was upset by the ugliness of the world and wanted to change it, but didn't know how.  This feeling of wanting to change something so big but not knowing how seemed to make him angry, hence showing another side of himself.  These were my thoughts years ago.  I may or may not be right about that assessment, but I still feel that it is hard to think of and internalize the ugliness of the world.  The teacher here was killed because she was American, people in America are being killed because of their race, people in certain neighborhoods are being killed because of their affiliations or material possessions, people over here fight because of differences in tribes.  You can't avoid the ugly.  It's all over.  But why?  I met a man in Bahrain this past week that told me he has traveled to 29 countries and that the world is beautiful but we as people make it so ugly.  I look at my four year old children and think how they are so innocent, but one wrong word or action witnessed can taint them forever.  An expat teacher's daughter was told, in the third grade, by another child that she will go to Hell because she eats pork, because all Christians eat pork.  This hatefulness is not innate, nor do children even understand what they are saying.  It comes directly from adults.  And from what I have learned so far, these are not the teachings of the Muslim religion.  From my understanding, there is no religion that teaches hate.  Yet, there are people that are a part of the religion that HATE in the name of said religion.  These are the things that people like Tupac Shakur couldn't take (I am not sure why he is my point of reference today but I have always found him intriguing).  It just really worries me that my kindergartners in Atlanta used to tell me they hated the Mexican children sitting right next to them in class, but didn't really know why.  It bothers me that one day my current students might be in a brawl because of the tribe they come from, when right now, they are so innocent and accepting.  An expat posted a status stating that her students hugged her today and told her they love American teachers and she didn't have to be afraid.  If children are born so innocent, where do we go wrong in life?  What really happens?

Thinking of the problems of the world gives me a headache.  This is why I don't normally even watch the news.  And it is just tiresome to see the same things happening over and over and over across the world.  When will we wake up.

But anyway, those are just my random thoughts that have been racing through my mind.  But this isn't a sad post as there are two sides to everything.  Just as there is an ugly side to the world, there is also some beauty in the world.  Today the art teacher gave me the traditional cheek kisses instead of or normal handshake.  I think that was her silent way of telling me she cared.  Here are a few pics and short comments about the beauty from the past week.

I already expressed how much fun we had at the school's National Day celebration.  I had to get some henna because one of my children looked at my hand and said "Mafi Henna (No Henna)" as if I was the only one not on it.  I always get smart mouthed energetic children.  They even chump me in another language.  I think it is me.  Children are a reflection of you as the adult.  I must be one goofy, sarcastic individual based on how these kids act.  I love it!!!!!!!!

This country is so full of pride.  They love their leaders, their land, and everything else.  On Decemeber 2nd, actual National Day, I went to the city.  However, you will see no pics because I did not make it anywhere as traffic was crazy with people hanging out of windows and spraying cars with silly string.  It was worse than Memorial Day in Miami.  All I could say was, "Happy 43 UAE."

Some building in Bahrain.  I really love architecture when I go to new places.  I knew I chose the wrong major at Tech.

This is our view from our hotel in Bahrain. (Try to pronounce it with a HA sound for the h.  The Arabic sound similar to our /h/ sound is harder than ours and I find it very difficult to say in the middle of that name.  You also kind of have to roll the /r/ as well.

A close up of my Henna.  It took a total of about 7 minutes for one of the bus moms at school to complete.

Going to a fort would seem boring on a trip but this one was actually huge and somewhat interesting.  LOL....I am such a tourist.

When I hear the word "fort," all that I can think about is Snoop saying "F yo fort" to the little kid, Jody's son, in Baby Boy.

View from the fort.  The ocean was on the other side but I can't find a picture of it.  Maybe I forgot to take it.  Oops.

My Bahrain traveling partners.

One of the only pictures I really took at the Bahrain Museum.  What is your interpretation of this?  Since petrol is one of the largest resources in the gulf, I thought it talks about how money is the root of all evil and can eventually lead to the demise of a person.  Whatever it means, I liked it.

Bahrain has a navy base, therefore they have a club or "disco."  Ummmm, I thought I was back in Atlanta for a minute.  DJ was from Miami and made me feel like I am old because I did not know some of the songs he played.  I need my Adamsville kids back to keep me up on the latest music, fashion, and gossip.  

I took this at the Bahrain Museum as well only because it reminded me of the Wrambling  Reck.  LOL.

Tree of life.  

There is nothing interesting about driving an hour to see a tree in the middle of the desert until you really start thinking about it....this tree has lived for over 400 years in a desert.  Does it use petro for nutrition?  So confused.  And can you believe that they might make the tree non accessible to tourists because people have been spray painting it.  Leave it to human beings to deface and try to kill a tree that beat the odds for over 400 years.

Saw this at some art place in Bahrain near the restaurant we went to, not once but twice.  If you are ever in Bharain you must try Cocos and then check out the little art gallery around the corner.

This car was at the airport when I came back from Bahrain.  I don't know anything about it.  It was gold, shiny, and a car so I took a pic.

My kids dressed as bunnies today to go with whatever letter they are learning in Arabic.  My coteacher is the best teacher ever in my eyes.  She tells parents what they are going to learning in the upcoming week and the parents send the kids dressed for the part.  They even make extra projects for the kids to present.  I bet they will remember that letter forever and the words that start with said letter.  But ummmmm, is it me or are these costumes a bit scary or weird looking?  LOL  Thank goodness they only put the masks on for the picture.  And where the heck do these parents find this stuff?  Where I work and they live is literally a desert.  There is nothing there but sand, one hotel, a grocery store, and some local side stores.  Oh yea, and camels.

Despite my morbid start on this post, there is some beauty in the world and I love to share it when I can.  The world is so two faced like the character on Batman (what is with me and these references today?  UGH).


Random: I have had this annoying cough for the past three weeks.  It annoys me when I hear it so I know it bothers others.  Plus, who wants to be around all those germs.  Yuk.  But anyway, I finally went to the doctor and she said I have bronchitis. (Yes it took me three weeks to go to the doctor because I do not like doctors or medicine.  I will ride a cold out until it naturally goes away normally).  I was told by the guy that did my x-rays that a lot of people living out west in the sandbox have lungs that look like mine because the air is so bad.  Aint that a ___________.  I love the sandbox but apparently it doesn't love me.  Poor little lungs.

The Power of Prayer

Last week, the Sheik asked everyone to pray for rain.  My friend said at her school, at the Sheik's request, the school actually shut down for a period of time so that the Arabic teachers and children could pray for rain.  On Friday while I was in Dubai I heard that it rained in the western region.  Today, as we left work it rained again.  This is the first time I have seen rain or any sign of rain since I have been here.  That is nothing but God.  Prayer works...that's why I make sure to start my day with a conversation with God every time I hear the first call of prayer in the mornings.