Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Back to School
After having no school last Thursday or on Sunday and being in the apartment all weekend, it was nice getting back to school on Monday. It was great teaching again and feeling I have a purpose and also so great to see my students again. I missed them over the long weekend. To most the current conflict is the first they would have seen and experienced in their life. Many are confused as to why it is happening and do not understand. Others have family members who participated in demonstrations and protests. The school has both staff and students who are on both sides of the issue. We had a staff meeting this week, where it was brought up that the important thing is to be there for our students. Differences must be put aside here and learning is the primary goal. I have not written a lot about what exactly is going because I do not want to be accused of taking a side. There are people in Bahrain who are unhappy with the current way of life and others that are happy. I will say, like many countries, the conflicts in Bahrain have been a long time coming.
After I wrote last time I did not do a lot, which is why I have not written in a week. The weekend was spent inside reading and watching movies. You know I love movies, but when the weather is so nice outside and you are inside 24/7 in a new place...I just wanted to get out and explore. I did finally move into my apartment on Sunday afternoon. Things had settled down and I figured why not? My place is a three minute walk or so from the school and maybe five minutes to where I was staying with Peter and Kathy. I am in the same area though, so that is nice. Many people have wondered how far I am from the Pearl Monument where a lot of things are happening. I am about 1.3 miles, which does not seem like a lot, but remember when you are on an island that is only 13 or so miles wide, it is. Also with roads the way they are and the roundabout ways you have to take to get places, it really is not that close. So, no worries. My apartment is really nice and came with the job. It is meant for two people with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but there were no teachers who needed it this year, so it is my own place :) There is also a living room area and a nice size kitchen for all the cooking you know I do...ramen and mac n' cheese anyone? There are two other teachers who have apartments on the same floor, so I know people nearby.
If all goes well I should have my CPR residence card next week...fingers crossed. That means I will be able to get internet access in my apartment. That will be really nice. I am currently writing this in the teacher's lounge which has three computers. It is nice to have, but it is anyone's guess when you will be able to use one of them. I suppose no one else needs it an hour before the end of the school day on a "Friday"...well my Friday anyway...that is the one thing I do not think I will get used to. The value of money is slowly coming to me, but it is still confusing. 1 Dinar equals around $2.66. 1000 Fils is equal to 1 Dinar. I know you got it :) I will end up after my time here with a bunch of change to get rid of, I just know it. Oh well...
That is pretty much my last week in a nutshell...hardly as exciting as my first two weeks here. Like I said the most exciting thing this week was being able to go back to school/work. We have had a four day week and I pray that next week things continue to run as normal. My thoughts were with my MN peeps this week, when I heard they got 13 inches of snow. It continues to be gorgeous weather here ranging between 68-78 degrees. We have had a few days of 80 degree weather also. It is definitely starting to get warmer though and I am not complaining. Well, I will sign off for now. Greetings to you all and have a great weekend...whenever it begins!
After I wrote last time I did not do a lot, which is why I have not written in a week. The weekend was spent inside reading and watching movies. You know I love movies, but when the weather is so nice outside and you are inside 24/7 in a new place...I just wanted to get out and explore. I did finally move into my apartment on Sunday afternoon. Things had settled down and I figured why not? My place is a three minute walk or so from the school and maybe five minutes to where I was staying with Peter and Kathy. I am in the same area though, so that is nice. Many people have wondered how far I am from the Pearl Monument where a lot of things are happening. I am about 1.3 miles, which does not seem like a lot, but remember when you are on an island that is only 13 or so miles wide, it is. Also with roads the way they are and the roundabout ways you have to take to get places, it really is not that close. So, no worries. My apartment is really nice and came with the job. It is meant for two people with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but there were no teachers who needed it this year, so it is my own place :) There is also a living room area and a nice size kitchen for all the cooking you know I do...ramen and mac n' cheese anyone? There are two other teachers who have apartments on the same floor, so I know people nearby.
If all goes well I should have my CPR residence card next week...fingers crossed. That means I will be able to get internet access in my apartment. That will be really nice. I am currently writing this in the teacher's lounge which has three computers. It is nice to have, but it is anyone's guess when you will be able to use one of them. I suppose no one else needs it an hour before the end of the school day on a "Friday"...well my Friday anyway...that is the one thing I do not think I will get used to. The value of money is slowly coming to me, but it is still confusing. 1 Dinar equals around $2.66. 1000 Fils is equal to 1 Dinar. I know you got it :) I will end up after my time here with a bunch of change to get rid of, I just know it. Oh well...
That is pretty much my last week in a nutshell...hardly as exciting as my first two weeks here. Like I said the most exciting thing this week was being able to go back to school/work. We have had a four day week and I pray that next week things continue to run as normal. My thoughts were with my MN peeps this week, when I heard they got 13 inches of snow. It continues to be gorgeous weather here ranging between 68-78 degrees. We have had a few days of 80 degree weather also. It is definitely starting to get warmer though and I am not complaining. Well, I will sign off for now. Greetings to you all and have a great weekend...whenever it begins!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Update
I felt I should give you all an update, just in case you are not on Facebook. I am safe and am not worried. Yes, things have happened here and sadly people have been killed. However, depending where you are in the city, it looks like any other day. I am being more cautious and aware of my surroundings, but still walk around the neighborhood. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I know some of you are wondering why I am not coming home. Simply...life goes on amid such tragedies. I am familiar with this environment from living in Jerusalem for nine years. You never knew what could happen from day to day. I suppose when other Americans and foreigners leave, then it may be an option, but right now people are just carrying on with their lives. That is the important thing to do.
We did not have school on Thursday. Classes were cancelled since only a small amount of students showed up. I guess in true Anna fashion, I am not afraid or scared....but rather annoyed. This is my adventure...my time away from Minnesota. I do not want to sit and twiddle my thumbs. I have teaching to do and experiences to have :) With that being said...the weather here continues to be fantastic. If I were to leave now, I would have to return to Minnesota winter and I would like to avoid that.
After I wrote my last entry I was able to go and visit the Bahrain National Museum. It was very interesting and I learned a lot about the history of the country. Did you know that Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East/Gulf to discover oil? The exhibits were well done and fascinating. Of course I took many pictures. I attended Arabic church last night. Everyone is very welcoming and their was a translator so I was not completely unaware what was going on. Plus, some songs were sung that I knew, so I sang in English along with Arabic. As I previously mentioned there are so many different church services to attend here and I enjoy trying them out. I feel it is all part of the experience.
After school on Wednesday I had to go to the clinic for a physical...just another step in order to get my CPR card (residency). Fortunately, no blood was taken as I am not good at that. Basically it was blood pressure, eye exam, height, weight and a chest x-ray. The chest x-ray was the big one. Hopefully I pass and now we await the results. I may actually be a resident able to work by the time I leave in July :) Again, thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I will keep you all posted, but I am fine and feel safe. Would love to hear from all of you as well, so drop me a line via Facebook. e-mail or comment here on the blog.
We did not have school on Thursday. Classes were cancelled since only a small amount of students showed up. I guess in true Anna fashion, I am not afraid or scared....but rather annoyed. This is my adventure...my time away from Minnesota. I do not want to sit and twiddle my thumbs. I have teaching to do and experiences to have :) With that being said...the weather here continues to be fantastic. If I were to leave now, I would have to return to Minnesota winter and I would like to avoid that.
After I wrote my last entry I was able to go and visit the Bahrain National Museum. It was very interesting and I learned a lot about the history of the country. Did you know that Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East/Gulf to discover oil? The exhibits were well done and fascinating. Of course I took many pictures. I attended Arabic church last night. Everyone is very welcoming and their was a translator so I was not completely unaware what was going on. Plus, some songs were sung that I knew, so I sang in English along with Arabic. As I previously mentioned there are so many different church services to attend here and I enjoy trying them out. I feel it is all part of the experience.
After school on Wednesday I had to go to the clinic for a physical...just another step in order to get my CPR card (residency). Fortunately, no blood was taken as I am not good at that. Basically it was blood pressure, eye exam, height, weight and a chest x-ray. The chest x-ray was the big one. Hopefully I pass and now we await the results. I may actually be a resident able to work by the time I leave in July :) Again, thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I will keep you all posted, but I am fine and feel safe. Would love to hear from all of you as well, so drop me a line via Facebook. e-mail or comment here on the blog.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Bahrain Fort, Caribou, the Prophet's Birthday and the Opera!
It was a busy weekend with the past and present playing a big part. The weekend started with me attending a different church. The wife of a teacher at school came to pick me up and drove me to Saar, a nearby town. the service was similar to the one I attended the week before, but this congregation is made up of a lot of foreigners in Bahrain from the U.S., England, Australia and Canada. I met some more nice people and it was nice chatting with other people from the States. While there are many different churches and services to try out here, none of them are Lutheran. I suddenly have a new appreciation for the hour service, as the ones here tend to run around two hours.
Racing is very big here and they have the Formula 1 Track. The government has gotten all the locals to be fans, but unfortunately not many of them can afford tickets. My students were all telling me about it. The big race event is March 11-13th. Apparently race car drivers and fans from all around the world will be in Bahrain over that period of time. There was a highway specifically built to transport people between the airport and track. I did not actually go into the track...and I am okay with that, but we did drive by it and I got some pictures that way. Of course there are advertisements everywhere with the slogan "Fuel Your Enthusiasm."
Anyway, we went to visit the Bahrain Fort, which is definitely more my idea of a tourist attraction. It is one of Bahrain's most important sites and unlike many places that were once by the sea and are no more, this site still is. The fort itself was built by the Portuguese in the 14th Century, but there are six other distinct eras that are obvious in the ruins, some dating back to 3000 BC. It was truly a fun place to visit and I have some 70 pictures to show for it. :) We visited just prior to sunset, so the view was gorgeous. I am still working on uploading pictures, by the way. As soon as I can, I will.
I am now also fortunate enough to say I have attended an opera of sorts. The Italian Embassy wrapped up two weeks of cultural events and shows, with a free Opera for those who arrived and got a seat. We did and I really enjoyed myself. It was in fact several musical numbers performed from several different opera's, but regardless it was fantastic. The soprano, baritone and tenor were amazing. To say I have been to the opera is one thing, to say I have been to an Italian opera in Bahrain is another. Another amusing mention would be the rain after the opera. We left the opera and it was raining. Everyone was covering up and rushing to their cars and may people were waiting to be picked up. It was hardly anything and I walked to the care merely getting wet. Just another example of the weather and how it affects people in Bahrain. I cannot help it, but I find it very amusing.
I spent a few hours one morning cleaning the floor in my apartment. There is so much dust and dirt here, I have a feeling this will need to be done often, however I for sure wanted to take care of it before I move in. I vacuumed the tile first and then mopped it. I definitely got a workout doing it though and I am happy to say the apartment smelled nice and clean. Plus I could walk on the floor without getting black feet. I have not moved into the apartment yet, but hope to this weekend. I have decided not to wait any longer for the papers that allow me to get internet. So, there may be a period when I am not as in touch for a while. The school also got me a mobile phone to have. I love it because the numbers are in both English and Arabic. Of course that was another picture :)
There is no school today because it is a holiday...the Prophet Mohammed's birthday. So I do not have to work today. I admit I slept in and am taking it easy. Will probably do something this afternoon or go for a walk. In the afternoon's a walk is always the thing to do. This way I become familiar with the neighborhood and the sites around. Some people heard Bahrain was on the news...and it probably was, but them me assure you things are fine. Yesterday was a planned/scheduled day of demonstrations. Love how it is a planned day. Anyway, some roads were closed, but things were quiet. Everything is good. Uncertainty, if anything, brings me back to life in Jerusalem when you had no idea when/if something would happen. Let me reiterate that I am fine and feeling safe.
While I have seen the old parts of Bahrain, I have also seen the new parts. There are many malls in Bahrain and I have been to a few. Some stores are familiar and some are not. The biggest surprise was coming across a Caribou Coffee in one of them. Many of you will understand that this is a Midwestern based coffee establishment...it is not widespread in the States. So, to find one here was a complete shock. Starbucks I know is international...but never thought I would find Caribou in Bahrain.
Valentine's Day while not a national day to be celebrated (unlike the Prophet's birthday) was obvious around school yesterday. I normally wear black I admit, but did in the end put on a red shirt. For the record it does not change my opinion on the while day however. For Valentine's Dinner though I attended a catered dinner with Peter and Kathy that the Arabic church congregation was having. I was of course welcomed with true Middle Eastern hospitality and fortunately everyone spoke English, so I could talk to people. I have met so many fascinating and interesting people. Everyone has their own story to tell and how they ended up in Bahrain. 40% of the population in Bahrain are actually citizens, whereas 60% have moved here from other places. Those other places are countries in the Middle East, India and the Philippines. It is truly a mesh of different cultures and people here. Truly amazing!
(I noticed some spelling errors in previous entries. Please forgive me and ignore them.)
Racing is very big here and they have the Formula 1 Track. The government has gotten all the locals to be fans, but unfortunately not many of them can afford tickets. My students were all telling me about it. The big race event is March 11-13th. Apparently race car drivers and fans from all around the world will be in Bahrain over that period of time. There was a highway specifically built to transport people between the airport and track. I did not actually go into the track...and I am okay with that, but we did drive by it and I got some pictures that way. Of course there are advertisements everywhere with the slogan "Fuel Your Enthusiasm."
Anyway, we went to visit the Bahrain Fort, which is definitely more my idea of a tourist attraction. It is one of Bahrain's most important sites and unlike many places that were once by the sea and are no more, this site still is. The fort itself was built by the Portuguese in the 14th Century, but there are six other distinct eras that are obvious in the ruins, some dating back to 3000 BC. It was truly a fun place to visit and I have some 70 pictures to show for it. :) We visited just prior to sunset, so the view was gorgeous. I am still working on uploading pictures, by the way. As soon as I can, I will.
I am now also fortunate enough to say I have attended an opera of sorts. The Italian Embassy wrapped up two weeks of cultural events and shows, with a free Opera for those who arrived and got a seat. We did and I really enjoyed myself. It was in fact several musical numbers performed from several different opera's, but regardless it was fantastic. The soprano, baritone and tenor were amazing. To say I have been to the opera is one thing, to say I have been to an Italian opera in Bahrain is another. Another amusing mention would be the rain after the opera. We left the opera and it was raining. Everyone was covering up and rushing to their cars and may people were waiting to be picked up. It was hardly anything and I walked to the care merely getting wet. Just another example of the weather and how it affects people in Bahrain. I cannot help it, but I find it very amusing.
I spent a few hours one morning cleaning the floor in my apartment. There is so much dust and dirt here, I have a feeling this will need to be done often, however I for sure wanted to take care of it before I move in. I vacuumed the tile first and then mopped it. I definitely got a workout doing it though and I am happy to say the apartment smelled nice and clean. Plus I could walk on the floor without getting black feet. I have not moved into the apartment yet, but hope to this weekend. I have decided not to wait any longer for the papers that allow me to get internet. So, there may be a period when I am not as in touch for a while. The school also got me a mobile phone to have. I love it because the numbers are in both English and Arabic. Of course that was another picture :)
There is no school today because it is a holiday...the Prophet Mohammed's birthday. So I do not have to work today. I admit I slept in and am taking it easy. Will probably do something this afternoon or go for a walk. In the afternoon's a walk is always the thing to do. This way I become familiar with the neighborhood and the sites around. Some people heard Bahrain was on the news...and it probably was, but them me assure you things are fine. Yesterday was a planned/scheduled day of demonstrations. Love how it is a planned day. Anyway, some roads were closed, but things were quiet. Everything is good. Uncertainty, if anything, brings me back to life in Jerusalem when you had no idea when/if something would happen. Let me reiterate that I am fine and feeling safe.
While I have seen the old parts of Bahrain, I have also seen the new parts. There are many malls in Bahrain and I have been to a few. Some stores are familiar and some are not. The biggest surprise was coming across a Caribou Coffee in one of them. Many of you will understand that this is a Midwestern based coffee establishment...it is not widespread in the States. So, to find one here was a complete shock. Starbucks I know is international...but never thought I would find Caribou in Bahrain.
Valentine's Day while not a national day to be celebrated (unlike the Prophet's birthday) was obvious around school yesterday. I normally wear black I admit, but did in the end put on a red shirt. For the record it does not change my opinion on the while day however. For Valentine's Dinner though I attended a catered dinner with Peter and Kathy that the Arabic church congregation was having. I was of course welcomed with true Middle Eastern hospitality and fortunately everyone spoke English, so I could talk to people. I have met so many fascinating and interesting people. Everyone has their own story to tell and how they ended up in Bahrain. 40% of the population in Bahrain are actually citizens, whereas 60% have moved here from other places. Those other places are countries in the Middle East, India and the Philippines. It is truly a mesh of different cultures and people here. Truly amazing!
(I noticed some spelling errors in previous entries. Please forgive me and ignore them.)
Thursday, February 10, 2011
One Week
I have officially been in Bahrain a week (give or take a day) and I just wrapped up my first week of school. Now it is the weekend, although here TGIF does not have the same excitement, as Thursday is Friday. I suppose I could say TGIT...but for some reason it does not have the same ring to it. I am settling into a school routine. It is weird because I have different class periods I teach every day and some days I teach four classes and some days I teach five. Some days I see one of my classes two different times. Also, each day has different period lengths. Not sure if I will memorize the schedule, but I have one right near my desk. Regardless of the schedule, I am really enjoying my classes and teaching. Granted only one week down, but being that I want to return next week...I think that is a good thing. As most of you know 7th grade can be so difficult (puberty and what not) regardless of where you are in the world. I do enjoy my students though. They are great :)
When the school day ends, usually it is time to eat. I believe I previously mentioned that they eat one big meal a day here, mid-afternoon. After eating I have been walking around with Peter and/or Kathy. I am still living with them. The plan was to move into my apartment this weekend, but I may postpone it a bit longer. I do not have my Work Visa yet and I need that to get internet in my apartment...so until that goes through, I would rather stay somewhere with internet access. Not that their company is not good also. For the record I have also tried uploading pics a few time...and it always takes so long that I cancel. Hopefully if I find a time when not a lot of other people are on the internet (middle of the night) it will work. Please be patient. I would like to think the wait will be worth it.
While walking, I am seeing Manama (for those who do not know that is where I am living- the capital of Bahrain). It is not a big place. While walking through a mall yesterday, I came across a Pearl Museum. It was very simple and only one room, but a museum nonetheless. Peter and Kathy have a book that has 50 things to see/do in Bahrain. I am aiming to do a lot of them over the next five months. A lot of places you should see/do when it is not overly hot yet, which makes since. Come late May/early June it will get to the low 90s I am told. Today, it was 68 degrees (which it has been averaging around). I walk around in short sleeves and the locals are bundled wearing earmuffs. I cannot help but laugh.
One of my walks this week was through the old Souk. I love looking at the different stands that vary from antiques to toys, towels, food etc. It brought me back to another Jerusalem memory. A lot of shopkeepers of course tried to entice me to buy things(obviously I am a foreigner), but I just shake my head and say "La shukron" which is no thank you. While I feel safe walking around here alone, the Souk is probably not the place to go alone nonetheless. I have never been good at bartering and would have no idea what a good price is for things.
Not sure what the plan for the weekend is, although I will probably go over to my apartment and clean the floors. There is so much dirt/dust here. It is a habit now to take my shoes off when I enter a home, so when I went to my apartment the other day I did...my socks ended up black. Some cleaning needs to be done for sure, although it was recently painted, so that is nice. I will sign off for now. Missing you all!
When the school day ends, usually it is time to eat. I believe I previously mentioned that they eat one big meal a day here, mid-afternoon. After eating I have been walking around with Peter and/or Kathy. I am still living with them. The plan was to move into my apartment this weekend, but I may postpone it a bit longer. I do not have my Work Visa yet and I need that to get internet in my apartment...so until that goes through, I would rather stay somewhere with internet access. Not that their company is not good also. For the record I have also tried uploading pics a few time...and it always takes so long that I cancel. Hopefully if I find a time when not a lot of other people are on the internet (middle of the night) it will work. Please be patient. I would like to think the wait will be worth it.
While walking, I am seeing Manama (for those who do not know that is where I am living- the capital of Bahrain). It is not a big place. While walking through a mall yesterday, I came across a Pearl Museum. It was very simple and only one room, but a museum nonetheless. Peter and Kathy have a book that has 50 things to see/do in Bahrain. I am aiming to do a lot of them over the next five months. A lot of places you should see/do when it is not overly hot yet, which makes since. Come late May/early June it will get to the low 90s I am told. Today, it was 68 degrees (which it has been averaging around). I walk around in short sleeves and the locals are bundled wearing earmuffs. I cannot help but laugh.
One of my walks this week was through the old Souk. I love looking at the different stands that vary from antiques to toys, towels, food etc. It brought me back to another Jerusalem memory. A lot of shopkeepers of course tried to entice me to buy things(obviously I am a foreigner), but I just shake my head and say "La shukron" which is no thank you. While I feel safe walking around here alone, the Souk is probably not the place to go alone nonetheless. I have never been good at bartering and would have no idea what a good price is for things.
Not sure what the plan for the weekend is, although I will probably go over to my apartment and clean the floors. There is so much dirt/dust here. It is a habit now to take my shoes off when I enter a home, so when I went to my apartment the other day I did...my socks ended up black. Some cleaning needs to be done for sure, although it was recently painted, so that is nice. I will sign off for now. Missing you all!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Miss Anna
Today was my first day of teaching. Being that I still have some jet lag, I woke up with plenty of time to get ready. School hours are 7am-2pm. I am teaching 7th grade English- appropriately 7A, 7B and 7C. During the five day school week, I will see each class seven times, so there are a few days I see the classes twice. The schedule here will definitely take some getting used to, but no major complaints. The students were all great...of course there is one in every class that you know will be a challenge, but I am not discouraged :) The students are all polite and we spent a great portion of class time today getting to know each other. None of them knew where Minnesota was, as they always think New York, California or Disney World when they think of the States. they asked me all kinds of questions including whether or not I was married, my age and one even asked if this was my real hair color :) They remind me of students in the States, as we talked movies, music, games etc. From my teaching experience the only difference so far is that they wear school uniforms. They call teachers by their first names, so I am Ms. Anna, although today I was simply Miss. I love how they say it though. I am teaching what one would expect in a language arts class- literature, grammar, reading, writing etc. They use an American textbook, so I am familiar. They all even seemed to put up with my sense of humor and dramatics....so I guess that is a good thing! Will post more later :)
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tourist Anna
Today was a busy day, but I got to play tourist before starting work. As I previously mentioned, the weekend in Bahrain is Friday and Saturday, so today (Friday) I went to church. There are many service options here and the one I tried today was a contemporary English speaking service. It was truly an experience though, because there were so many people of different nationalities worshiping together. There were people from Africa, India, other parts of the Middle East, Canada, United States and of course local Bahraini's. I met a lot of people after the service many of who work/teach at the school I am starting at. Everyone was so welcoming and I have not felt any homesickness yet. I suppose it will hit me one day when I least expect you. Fortunately I have been busy and have not had time to dwell on home. Not that I do not miss everyone. Let me stress I miss people...not the weather. I promise not to gloat about the weather every time I write :)
Anyway, after church today Peter and Kathy took me to lunch at the BAPCO Club (Bahrain Petroleum Company). It is outside the city of Manama in Awali. It was nice to leave the city and see the desert and some scenery. Lunch was a delicious buffet that included American food options, as well as Indian and local fare. After lunch we continued to head south and visited the Tree of Life. It is indeed a tourist spot and is basically a tree standing alone in the middle of the desert. Local inhabitants believe it marks the location of the Garden of Eden. I hope to post pics soon...so please bear with me. While driving through the desert I saw the local campgrounds. During the winter months Bahraini's rent areas/plots of land, which in reality are like campsites...yet different. For those familiar they are several bedouin tents grouped together. Families go there on weekends to spend time together and to simply enjoy the desert. Note, I said they do this during the winter months...because in the summer it is just too hot. It is all very interesting and I just enjoyed looking out the window while driving and observing. I just love people watching and there is so much of that to do here. Tomorrow, I will get serious and work on some lesson plans and then start teaching on Sunday. I may not get to write for a few days, but I will as soon as I can. Thanks for reading :)
Anyway, after church today Peter and Kathy took me to lunch at the BAPCO Club (Bahrain Petroleum Company). It is outside the city of Manama in Awali. It was nice to leave the city and see the desert and some scenery. Lunch was a delicious buffet that included American food options, as well as Indian and local fare. After lunch we continued to head south and visited the Tree of Life. It is indeed a tourist spot and is basically a tree standing alone in the middle of the desert. Local inhabitants believe it marks the location of the Garden of Eden. I hope to post pics soon...so please bear with me. While driving through the desert I saw the local campgrounds. During the winter months Bahraini's rent areas/plots of land, which in reality are like campsites...yet different. For those familiar they are several bedouin tents grouped together. Families go there on weekends to spend time together and to simply enjoy the desert. Note, I said they do this during the winter months...because in the summer it is just too hot. It is all very interesting and I just enjoyed looking out the window while driving and observing. I just love people watching and there is so much of that to do here. Tomorrow, I will get serious and work on some lesson plans and then start teaching on Sunday. I may not get to write for a few days, but I will as soon as I can. Thanks for reading :)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Arrived in Bahrain
Well I arrived safely...after fifteen hours of traveling, although I have been through many worse travel experiences. This one was very low key actually. I had a stopover in Amsterdam after leaving the Twin Cities and then arrived in Bahrain at 10pm local time Wednesday, which would have been 1pm in MN on Wednesday. Just in case you didn't catch that the time difference is nine hours :) Great people watching at the Amsterdam airport and I knew it had gotten bigger since I was last there 18 years ago, but it really got a lot bigger.
Anyway, as I now write this it is Thursday 6pm...you figure out what time that means it is for you. In Bahrain Thursday is like Friday in that the weekend consists of Friday and Saturday. Sunday starts the school week and my first day on the job. After sleeping in today (as a result of jetlag) I got to tour the school and saw my classroom. Imagine that my own classroom and all I had to do was travel across the world. I will actually be teaching 7th grade English/Language Arts and will have three classes. More info will be shared once I begin. Needless to say I am very excited.
This afternoon I took a walk to the shoreline and inhaled the smell of the salt water. The shoreline is continuously moving farther out, as water gets filled in to make more land...it did cross my mind, if it continues like this it will no longer be an island. Anyway, It was around 70 degrees today here and all I can say is...I love it! No more winter for me...but I will not gloat. It was great seeing and catching up with family friends Peter and Kathy (who are the reason behind this great opportunity). For those of you who do not know, I know them from when my family lived in Jerusalem. They have known me since I was six years old. It is like we always say, time certainly does fly. I am staying with them while I get situated and then have my own apartment to move into. Again more on that in the future.
I figured I should just let everyone know that I arrived safely. I would be lying if I said I did not already miss my family (especially those darlings you know as my niece and nephew), but I remain thrilled and excited about this opportunity. I of course have already taken numerous pictures, but you will have to wait a while to see them. I am trying to figure out internet connections in a foreign country...then I will do the picture thing. So please be patient. Until next time... I know he will not read this, but I do need to say Happy 2nd Birthday to my nephew Tristan!
Anyway, as I now write this it is Thursday 6pm...you figure out what time that means it is for you. In Bahrain Thursday is like Friday in that the weekend consists of Friday and Saturday. Sunday starts the school week and my first day on the job. After sleeping in today (as a result of jetlag) I got to tour the school and saw my classroom. Imagine that my own classroom and all I had to do was travel across the world. I will actually be teaching 7th grade English/Language Arts and will have three classes. More info will be shared once I begin. Needless to say I am very excited.
This afternoon I took a walk to the shoreline and inhaled the smell of the salt water. The shoreline is continuously moving farther out, as water gets filled in to make more land...it did cross my mind, if it continues like this it will no longer be an island. Anyway, It was around 70 degrees today here and all I can say is...I love it! No more winter for me...but I will not gloat. It was great seeing and catching up with family friends Peter and Kathy (who are the reason behind this great opportunity). For those of you who do not know, I know them from when my family lived in Jerusalem. They have known me since I was six years old. It is like we always say, time certainly does fly. I am staying with them while I get situated and then have my own apartment to move into. Again more on that in the future.
I figured I should just let everyone know that I arrived safely. I would be lying if I said I did not already miss my family (especially those darlings you know as my niece and nephew), but I remain thrilled and excited about this opportunity. I of course have already taken numerous pictures, but you will have to wait a while to see them. I am trying to figure out internet connections in a foreign country...then I will do the picture thing. So please be patient. Until next time... I know he will not read this, but I do need to say Happy 2nd Birthday to my nephew Tristan!
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