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Thursday, October 30, 2014

When The Proverbial Shit Hits The Fan

   I lost it on Tuesday. I.lost.it. I got so made at that disrespectful class that I ended class early. When someone came to tell me that class wasn't finished, I said, 'No, no, I AM FINISHED'. The good kids in the class tried to apologize to me,( isn't that how it always is? The 'good' kids are saying sorry for the bad ones in the class, when in all reality the not so good ones should be saying sorry?') I told them that I didn't want to see them or speak to them. 
   The next day they tried to apologize again, I didn't want to talk to them. I guess they figured I was serious, so they went to their Arabic teacher and asked her to talk to me. She said they were really sorry and promised to be good.  So far they have been as good as they can be. I guess you have to lose (it) to win! 

Monday, October 27, 2014

The.worst.day.ever

   These little ----- are trying my nerves, so disrespectful. 

Just think about the bigger picture.  Just think about the bigger picture.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Watered Down

    Those of you that know me personally and/or have come over to work in the UAE after reading my blog know that the life I portray on the blog is watered down.  There is no question about that. Some people ask me why don't I talk more about 'the real UAE'. Here are a few reasons behind it:

1. You never know who reads these posts. I am sure someone from ADEC is in my newsfeed and I would like to keep my job.

2.   I would never want MY experience here in the UAE to detour or effect someone's decision to come here

   I apologize that the blog seems 'glammed up', but I just want to show all of you the positives that living and teaching in the UAE can bring.  There are a few posts that give you a glimpse of the 'real life', but once again I am a glass half full type of girl and spewing constant negativity would not help anyone.  I always appreciate when someone tells me that my blog has helped them.

Thank you for reading! 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Eid Holiday Part 2

     When we last left off I told you about the stunning beaches of Zanzibar.  My travel buddy and I decided to visit Stonetown, the capital of Zanzibar. Stonetown was located about an hour away from where we were staying. Before we explored Stonetown we went to Prison Island. Prison Island is a 25 minute boat ride from Stonetown.


    The funny thing is Prison Island was never actually used as a prison. It was built to be a prison, but ended up being used as a quarantine area for the Spanish Flu and yellow fever. Later, four endangered tortoises from Seychelles were brought there are a sanctuary. There are now 125 tortoises living on Prison Island.


  They write their age on their back.
   The island also holds a hotel and a restaurant. Towards the rear of the island there is a spectacular view.


Breathtaking.

We proceded back to Stonetown and received a guided tour. Stonetown is composed of a maze of alleys, littered with mosques and numerous shops in which you can bug anything from jewelry to art to clothing.


 I purchased this lovely painting to add to my world art collection:

 
   I tend to buy black and white art because I am not sure what I will have in the future and what I will have in terms of decor.  Nevertheless, when I got home and hung this piece I wish it had a little more color.
   Stonetown was the home of the last known slave market. Slaves were bought and traded to the Middle East. Where the slave market once resided there is now an Anglican Church. 



     We also explored the markets. The meat and fish markets were the most interesting. I just have to say that since I have been back I have not touched meat. The meat market traumatised me.  Cow heads, hearts, livers and cow skins, strewn all over the place disgusted me. Men had their feet proped up next to the merchandise and the flies were turning up.  

   The fish market wasn't as bad.


     All in all I loved Zanzibar and I am so happy that I had a chance to go. 

    Once again thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a comment, I would love to know who actually reads this mess. 

Sunday, October 12, 2014

The Trip of A Lifetime! Part 1

     Last week we had a few days off because of the Islamic holiday of Eid. I decided to take myself to somewhere I have never been, but have always wanted to go: Africa! I took myself to Zanzibar, Tamzania, an island on the west of Africa with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. 
     We left Dubai at 6 am and headed to Nairobi, Kenya where we had a 8 1/2 hour layover. We paid 20$ US for a transient visa and asked the tourist desk what we could do with our time. We settled on a trip through the Nairobi National Park. My friend and I had a nice driver and an open roof 4x4 in which we explored the vast park. We saw zebras, a lion, monkeys and giraffes.


    We headed back to the airport and then we were on our way to Zanzibar. 

   We were staying at a small resort located on Jambiani beach. The resort only had 8 bungalows. Our bungalow was stunning and had 2 bathrooms and showers! 
  Now you may need to sit down for this, but the best part of this whole thing? THE BEACH! 




No filters needed, this is what the beach looked like. Heaven on Earth.

    We spent most of the trip relaxing. One day on the beach we ran into these cuties who just wanted me to pick them up and play with them.


  So precious. 

   We also ran into some boys playing football (soccer) and they asked us of we could get them a soccer ball. So we did.

    
     This trip was so wonderful. What would any trip be without tasting the local food. Since Zanzibar is an island they are known for their fresh seafood. 

 


    Seafood pizza: fish, octopus and shrimp. Yes, it is as delicious as it looks. 

More to come tomorrow!