2017 Sadness to Overwhelming Happiness

Life after 4 years Abroad...

Wow!!! Never did I imagine I would still be here after 4 years of teaching with no end in mind. A lot has occurred, a lot of growth realized and a lot of people no longer with me on this journey. I am still thankful and feel blessed for this opportunity.  Yes, it's been and still is challenging, however, with God I can do ALL things.

So let's talk about some positives...

2017 brought heartache, happiness and blessings. I became singled again after a long but beautiful 4.5 year relationship. He was with me in the beginning of this journey but the distance became too much. No hard feelings on my part. This life isn't for everyone and I understand that to be true. I am taking with me a lot of beautiful and amazing memories that I will enjoy for the rest of my life. We traveled, we learned new things, we explored new cultures and made a few friends along the way. No complaints, no regrets.

2017 also brought me pain through a terrible accident where I was unfocused and managed to burn my whole hand, my arm and a few facial hairs trying to light a grill. YESSS!!! I burnt myself...2 and 3 degree burns. It was unfortunate but I did not let it ruin my summer break. We still managed to have an amazing Baby Shower for the long awaited arrival of my youngest sons first baby. Everything was great. Lots of smiling people celebrating our blessing from above. We had shirts made, had a beautiful and delicious cake and lots and lots of gifts...diapers for months.

2017 also made me a first time grandma or should I say Mi-ma. I am truly thankful and blessed for my little princess, Karson MaKenzie. She is adorable and gave me something wonderful to focus on as I dealt with the recently "singled" status. She was born on August 1st and brought so much LOVE into my life as well as the rest of the family.

2017 also provided the opportunity for me to go to Las Vegas for the first time in my LIFE!!! It was AWESOME. There I was able to let go and grow. I tackled my fear of heights as I leaped off of a 855ft building, screaming all the way down. I loved it. Now I want to tandem skydive. Crazy right????

Anyway, God is AWESOME!!! I know those that know Him know exactly what I mean. Through all my ups and downs, I'm still standing, holding my head up high and know without doubt how truly worthy I am as a beautiful black women. I cannot be broken, I refuse to be broken, I place my life in God's hands and therefore I am abundantly blessed.

Until next time
Stay Blessed

Why! Why! Why!

So often we look to others for validation and confirmation of our actions. For some apparent reason it's as if we need someone to possibly blame if the situations goes wrong OR we need at least one other person to say it's ok to do. No one can give you better advice than your own CONSCIENCE...for your CONSCIENCE is God's little ANGELS helping to guide your way. If you have to CONTINUOUSLY question your actions, seeking VALIDATION for your actions...maybe you shouldn't be doing it!!! IJS ~ Real Talk

Been Away too Long!

I have been teaching abroad in the UAE for 6 months now and the experiences have been Wonderful and Plentiful. Never imagined the TRANQUILITY and PEACE that comes from being outside of the USA. It's not perfect over here but in comparison to the USA I have some highlights that I truly enjoy. Top 6 highlights are...

1.  Let's talk FOOD...where can you go where delivery is just a matter of deciding what you want to eat. Everyone delivers from pizza to every fast food restaurant (Subway, Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy's, KFC) you can imagine as well as your Chili's, Fridays etc. Laziness will not stop you from eating a good meal...LOL!

2. GAS or Petrol...it cost me $52 dirhams to fill-up that's approx. $14 US...REALLY! Do I say more?

3. DEBT-FREE...having the ability to pay-off bills and build a savings that I will truly enjoy when I return to the USA is PRICELESS. In the USA I could never truly see pass my debt but TODAY I am able to see the light shining BRIGHT! One less bill to pay each month brings me closer to living a debt-free lifestyle. I LOVE IT!!!

4. My APARTMENT...Wow! Offers workout facility, grocery store, cleaners, pharmacy, bowling, ice skating, Sports center, hospital, Coffee shop, bar-be-que pits, and pool all in a central location. I really do not have to leave the grounds to be entertained. Oh! and the views from my balcony/windows...GORGEOUS!

5. TRAVEL...it's cheaper to go to places like Paris from her then in the USA. Going on a 7-day (all-inclusive) Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona, Spain for under $1000 US and this includes my flight. Will be visiting several countries with a one-day layover is each to enjoy the views and explore.

6. The WEATHER...It's on average 70 degrees Celsius right now. My family and friends are fighting BLIZZARDS and SNOW while I'm fighting FOG and SAND...LOL!!! Amazing weather...biggest issue is an occasional sand storm or fog alert that makes driving even more challenging. 

Downfall to being abroad...I miss home and the people who LOVE me. It's doable though. This is an experience that I would encourage anyone to take advantage of. I would like my two handsome, intelligent and incredibly smart young men to consider living abroad for some time at some point in their lives. The experience is PRICELESS! I have grown and learned so much about myself, others and the power of God (my higher power) through this experience. Looking forward to so much more.

I Love my Life!!!

My Adventure...not all Peaches-n-Cream

Throughout this journey I have experienced both good times and challenges time. I call them challenges because in Life bad is just a perspective. I choose not to view the challenges in my Life as bad because with each challenge comes a lesson, growth an opportunity that allows me to become a better me. Ok! Enough of the philosophical BS!

Since I have been in Abu Dhabi I have enjoyed great weather, interesting foods, and met some wonderful people...some have become friends. But it has not all been wonderful. The challenges have been many and I have definitely learned a lot about myself. I have been able to grow some and in my mind become a more mature and better person.

Personal side:

I am currently learning that relationships (all types) can survive through distance. If two people desire a relationship/friendship to work distance will not cause it not too. We make decisions everyday about what we want in our lives and we do what we have to to make that happen. Distance can either make it stronger or weaker depending upon the mindset of the two people involved. In my case, my relationship/friendships have become stronger. I have received overwhelming support from those who care and love me. They have taken the necessary measures to stay in contact through FB, text or phone. Some have not!!! Those are the ones that are in question. I understand the Life happens to all of us and I don't expect constant contact from everyone, however contact every once in a while shows you are making an effort and that our relationship/friendship is important to you. I have family members that have not contacted me even once and I provided them with all the necessary information to do so. I have friends that I can never catch up with or hear from which means we weren't all that good of friends before I left. Anyway, relationships/friendships is what you make of them. if you want them to work you have put in the work...both individuals!!!

Professional side:

I have learned a lot on a professional level in the two months I have been here. I took on this challenge because I was tired of the public educational system in the states. I was on the verge of walking away from my career because I just couldn't deal with the politics of a system that does not value Teachers. Coming here has shown me that some people actually value teachers maybe not education like in the US but at least they realize that in order to achieve a quality education for their children teachers need to be appreciated. They show their appreciation through providing them with a wealth of benefits (pay, medical, housing). With it comes some challenging points...the question is do the benefits out way the challenges. In a previous post I discussed my challenges with receiving my housing. It has truly been a major challenge from me. I have been overlooked, screamed at, dismissed, and even told that "you have to understand that things here work slowly and you have to be patient". It is not easy being patient when you appear to be the only one without housing and sleeping on an air mattress in a friends (someone you just met by the way) apartment. Nevertheless, I am learning that to get upset or to become rude or disrespectful gets you no where. You have to learn to play their game and remain positive and respectful at all times, even when they seem to disrespect you. You do not have to become unruly also...be the BIGGER person. Kill them with kindness. Ultimately, God will take care you, just be patient and let His will be done. A lot of my issues with housing can be a direct cause of my reassignment to Abu Dhabi. 

See, I was placed in a temporary teaching assignment because they did not have housing for me in Al Gharbia (the West) in order to move me to my permanent teaching assignment. So instead of having me sit around relaxing by the pool (their words, which is something I never did) they placed me at a school in Abu Dhabi. Al Qimma school is a brand new school with NO structure and I was given 5th grade boys to teach. Having no structure is a situation that is not new for me. I have had to work in environments that lack structure before and chaos becomes the norm. I saw this as an opportunity to be relocated back to Abu Dhabi. You see, most people do not like going West to teach. We were told we cold in up in one of three areas with the West being the least favorite. Though I did not want to start an assignment and then be moved I went humbly to Al Qimma. It paid off because after about two weeks of being there I was asked to stay. Yes! I was staying in Abu Dhabi. But remember all of my information is in the West (medical card, old assignment, housing choice, etc.). So now I had to basically start over and get my name in the loop of the Abu Dhabi placement people. Organization as I know it to be is practically nonexistent to me. So if you do not stay on them and keep reminding them you will be forgotten hence why I am still waiting on housing after being here for two months.

I know this sounds crazy! And I know this probably could have or would have been handled differently by others however I truly believe that GOOD THINGS come to those who wait on Him. God has a plan and an apartment for me. I just have to be patient enough to wait on His timing. No do not that I did receive a housing assignment here in Abu Dhabi but the conditions were UNACCEPTABLE (previous post). I can wait for better housing.

So I still ask the question "do the benefits out way the challenges" and my answer is Yes! This is a great opportunity that not all people get the chance to enjoy. I am blessed and humbled that I was given this opportunity. I do not take it for granted or take it lightly. I will continue to enjoy the benefits, accept and deal with the challenges and continue to allow God's will to be done in my life and throughout this adventure.

So Thankful!

Til next time

Homeless...but not really!

So this journey has truly been a challenge for me over the past two months. I have gone from living in a 4-star hotel with all the perks to living on an air mattress in a friends apartment. How you say...well this is how the story goes.

On Sunday (Oct. 6th) I was told that I needed to leave the hotel and move into my permanent housing accommodations. Those accommodations were call Sahara 4. Below are pictures from my anticipated permanent accommodations.

These accommodations as you can imagine were unacceptable. Who places people in housing such as this. I refused to go to the Sahara 4. I was told to go there for 3-4 days and I would be provided new permanent accommodations or a new hotel room. Again, I refused to go there even one day. Instead, I chose to ask a friend if I could stay with her and she was kind enough to allow me to do that. I could have made a stink and request an extension for my hotel stay but I was so tired of being in the hotel. I was the only one left in the hotel and had no one to talk to so I was happy to find other accommodations. 

Here it is a whole week later and I am still living on an air mattress in my friends apartment. I was told on the last day of school before EID that this was unacceptable and never should have happened. I was promised that I would have permanent housing on Sunday the 20th after EID. I found out that I was overlooked, forgotten, skipped over for permanent housing. EMT's in groups after me (group 3, 4 & 5) have received housing already. They were giving very nice accommodations. The good thing is that my Principal spoke on my behalf requesting that all teachers in his school (Al Qimma) receive good housing because we were dealing with enough at our school. The suggestion was made for Rihan Heights where my friend is living. I was told that there were no more apartments available there but that would have been nice to just have to roll my things to another apartment.

It's things like this that cause people to be runners. I choose to share the good and the "challenges" of this adventure. It's not always going to be positive everyday. Sometimes there are challenges that you will have to face. The goal is to be patient and think before you speak. Understand that all issues do not have to be confrontational even if the other party is being that way. Try to step back and understand situations from the other persons point of view. The journey will make you mature or become more angry with life. You can't react to situations in the negative ways that you used. Just because people respond to you in a negative way doesn't mean you have to react like them. Take the high road and know that it's their issue not yours and that kindness goes a long way. Remember the reason why you chose to accept this journey and that God would not have place this on your heart if it wasn't for you. He didn't say it would easy but He said you don't have to do it alone. Have faith, trust and believe that humbling yourself does not mean your are allowing people to walk over you. You get a lot more with honey...be the bigger person in each situation and you will always come out on top.

Sunday, October 20th, is D-day for me. The question remains "Will I have permanent housing or not"?

Til next time

The 4th-5th Grade Riot...Hmmmmm!

So chaos at my school hit an all time high! The new school I am at has potential however for now there is no structure and a lot of chaos with the students. Staff is wonderful and trying diligently to develop a bond and some since of routine. We have no master schedule, no discipline plan operating, short on teachers and lack of supervision for the students.

The students run the hallways like they are outside. You ask them to stop and they simply look at you and start running again. They lay with rolling chairs pushing them up and down the hall...racing each other with another student sitting in it or they just use them as merry-go-rounds spinning each other in the chair. This past Tuesday, the 4th and 5th grade students took it to another level. They had a crazy, unstructured, riot type display in the cafeteria. The students were running around, climbing tables, throwing chairs...simply treating the cafeteria like a playground. HOR-RI-BLE!!! They were escorted out of the cafeteria and band from going for the next two days. Not sure why they did what they did but someone is going to get seriously hurt one day if structure is not put into place. The administration pulled them all together and had a talk to them about their behavior and the consequences of their behavior. Unfortunately, there are NO real consequences. Students realize nothing is going to happen to them but maybe a phone call home. The problem with that is that if they act like that at home, then a parent will not see their behavior as needing to be corrected.

Chaos for me only happens outside of the classroom. In my efforts to get control, structure and a respect in my class I had to be tough, stern and implement my OWN discipline plan...stand on the wall silence is golden, try it. LOL! It seems to work but it takes a little time for them to get used to it. I still have the resistance crew...about 4 to 5 that feed off each other and try to run things. I crushed the spirit of the leader and left him with only one or two followers. Golden! Overall, the students are great! I like them and care about why they act the way they do. Showing them you care about them goes a long way, like with any kid.

Back home we talk inclusion with exceptional ed students...here it is total inclusion without labels! The students are UNIQUE in their own right and there is no separate exceptional ed classes. Students are just thrown into a classroom "alphabetically" and assigned a teacher. It's crazy but you have to go with it. The one's that probably should be or have been identified as special needs are mixed in with the population. A teacher could have a class full or a few depending on their names (alpha order remember). I will speak on curriculum in another post because that deserves it's own attention...LOL!!! I believe that this has something to do with their behavior because a lot of teachers are not equipped to teach special needs children and the curriculum is the same...no modifications are made for them. They are held at the same expectations. Because students are unable to do the work, struggle with the language and overall do not want to be there brings another dynamic to instruction and discipline.

I don't want to seem like this system over here is crap...it's not! It is very little difference between the inner-city school district back home and here. Come over here thinking that education in the schools are better will set you up for failure...frustration! You have to have a plan...an exit plan and remember WHY you made the decision to come here. You are not here to change the world...you can't and they don't want you too. Keep a positive outlook with a focus on your goal and don't let the chaos penetrate your inner spirit. They are slow to respond to things here and even though numerous request have been made for assistance to bring structure to the school I am at...it sometimes appears it falls on death hears. Students are not use to structure, demands, the word "no" or anything else that resembles positive interaction with another human being. Not only are we teaching them curriculum but SOCIAL skills is definitely a MUST if you want your classroom to be an environment conducive to learning. You must include in your decision making process that life in the classroom is no better than it is in your home country...children are children everywhere you go. The money is good for some people (they do not give raises and they have a salary cap of 12 yrs in education) but if you remain focused and used this experience for what it is...you will be able to maintain for enough years to reach your ultimate goal...Financial Freedom!

Til next time

Temporary Assignment

My school placement is in Ghyathia, Al Gharbia at Al Mottahida all girls school. I believe I will be teaching 6th math. I am excited about my new job opportunity however I am not teaching there as of yet. For now the housing situation for the EMT's of the West have been placed on hold. The hotels (2) are completely full and the apartments have not been cleared for placement. So I am unable to move there to start my assignment. So for now I have been placed in a temporary assignment at Al Qimma School teaching 5th grade boys. Initially I was upset. Getting use to a new culture, language and rules is challenging enough and then having to adjust to your students only to be pulled away and have to go through that adjustment period again and again is even more challenging. Then I realized, this is not about me. God's will for my life will ultimately be done...it will either be done smoothly or kicking & screaming! I choose smooth transition!!! 

I feel that there is a reason for this process and I may not know the reason but I will simply go with the flow. I know in my heart that His will doesn't always match my desires for my life. The moment we realize the God is in control and we turn over to Him the reigns of our lives...our lives will be better off. You cannot guide your live better then God so why do we try. Since going to the temporary assignment I have enjoyed a wonderful experience of teaching. Yes! Enjoyed! A year ago you would not have heard those words come from me. I was miserable in the public school system and wanted out! God place the right people in my life to guide me to this new adventure. I love it and Him!!! 

The school is nice and the staff is friendly. I get to see students work hard and learn new things. No! it is not perfect by no means. Whenever you interact with other human beings their lives is imprinted on your life. If you do not stay focused on your higher power, your guide you will fall prey to the worlds problems, issues and stresses. We cannot allow other peoples "imprint" to penetrate out thoughts and cause issues in our lives. I trust God's will for my life and believe that all will work out the way it is suppose too. I may not be able to see the future or know when or if I will be going to Ghyathia but what I am sure of is that where ever I end up is where God wants me to be. I have been praying that I stay in Abu Dhabi at the temporary placement school however I will humbly go where I am lead to go. Following His will for my life.

This process is truly not for the soft hearted, the impatient, the control freak or even the logical thinker because nothing will make sense to you. You have to learn to relax and go with the flow and TRUST that His will will be done in His time...not yours!!!

Til next time