You are about to enter a country that likes to have a paper trail and things are officially stamped and signed before they are "officially official".
Not an invisible, you know it's there, but you don't see it, paper trail.
A real, do you have that paper in your hot little hand and can show it to the person in charge(?) paper trail.
Bring your attested papers in a special neon colored something-or-other (folder, book, envelope), have it scanned and on a hard drive of your laptop and put it on a flash drive. Make copies and make copies of your copies you can whip out at a moment's notice. I brought 20 and I wish I had more. Even after you are settled here you will wish you HAD made more copies. Because whipping out the original, scanning or simply printing another one uses up precious (yes, it is here) ink that you wish you had for other things your classroom needs.
Bring a good camera. If you have one, great, if you don't, please don't buy a pricey one. You will want to have a camera to take pictures of any and all important visitors you have to your classroom. Sometimes It is always good to have a camera to document the wonderful teaching you are doing in your classroom. Nearly everyone has a camera on their phone but if you buy the cheap burner phone until you get your bearings or know you are going to stay, you may wish you had a camera. If you are teaching KG or cycle 1, there is a technology expectation of the students being able to use a digital camera.
I have two here, and I have let students use them to take pictures while I am teaching. This is when it is good to have a few extra memory cards. Plus, you will be wanting to take pictures of all those lovely experiences you have when you arrive.
Somehow, your proof is in the pudding. If you can produce an official page or a picture, it is better evidence than your notes or spoken word.
Your attested paperwork that you took all the time and effort to have prepared in the prescribed manner will need to be shown, again and readily on hand. You might not get it out for another year, but know where you put it last and it will save you some angst and stress in the long run.
Oh and passport photos. I brought 10, I have 1 left and I had to whip another one out just two months ago. I might get some more taken while I am home. You can get them done here too, but so much easier to not have to worry about them.
So... to go back to the "stamped and signed" comment. If you take a day off because you are sick, you have to have an "official" note from the dr. office to take a sick day. If they have the "new system" up and running, it is easy peasy. They fill out the paperwork, hand you a printed and stamped form, you scan it and enter it into the ERP system on the website (ERP? I don't know what it stands for, maybe Electronic Reporting Program? ... someone else will know, I don't fret over such trivial-ness). Then it goes for approval to your principal and then two others before you are granted the day. Sounds a bit hairy, but it isn't really.
If you aren't lucky, you have to take your paper to the health authority to have it stamped after you have been to the dr. office, then scan and upload.
So when I say things are paper trails driven, you have an idea of what I meant.
You will get a taste of the idea of the camera use from the very beginning I think, but to give you my personal experience... a short story.
At the very end of the year this year, I went to my school to give the Arabic speaking teachers (all Egyptian, except one) a small gift to "remember" me by. They wanted to know all about my new school, where it was, what it looked like, how nice it was etc. They think that Delma is behind the schools in Abu Dhabi and the schools are nicer than our school is, which is not the case, it is a school by school case. Some are newer, some are bigger, some are older, some are not as pretty, etc.
I explained it was nice, the outdoor patio area was enclosed and made a part of the classroom so the rooms were big.
Then.... dun dun dunnnnn ... one of them asked the magic question ...
"Pictures? Miss Cindy, you have pictures?"
Uh, no I didn't take any pictures
"No pictures Miss Cindy? You like taking pictures..." one of them said, with a befuddled look on her face... and then my main co-teacher said to them
"Portfolio, she takes pictures for portfolio".
She gets it. I document for my professional portfolio.
I also take other pictures for pleasure, but no, I didn't think to take pictures of my new school to show them.
They take pictures in every meeting to document the meeting and they get the sign in sheet stamped and signed and make copies of it... for... their official paper trail, the professional portfolio.
What is in the portfolio? oh don't worry your pretty little head about that right now. Your plate is full. It will come in time. It may be a dinosaur and extinct before you would have to worry about it.
Schway Schway, slowly, slowly...
The glorious Intercontinental Hotel, my home for 3 weeks upon arrival:
The lobby
The view from my window
My hotel room had a couch and a coffee bar
The view of the pool from my room, a great place to spend the hot days, but in the water, not in the sun.
My comfy King sized bed that is quite European with just a bottom sheet and a duvet cover, no top sheets here... it is a new experience.
The lovely sink in the bathroom with a separate shower and bathtub, luxury at it's finest.
First I want to say,
I apologize.
I am so sorry that when you write a comment or ask a question on a FB page or on this blog, I may giggle or sigh or think about what great changes are ahead of you.
They are still ahead of me as well and I have been here two years.
The experience of not knowing:
when you will hear about your flight
receive your visa,
the hotel experience,
your school placement and grade level
the materials
the technology in the school
the food
furniture
housing
and on
and on
and on
is just the introduction of the art of Not Knowing.
Personally, I am a planner, at least in my head. I have several versions of how things might play out, because I don't like surprises, good and bad, but especially bad. Of course, I don't know anyone who does like bad surprises.
This is the land of surprises.
For example: I just moved from the Western Region into the city.
To get my clearance from the Western Region, I had to get my account for water and electricity and my "cable" and Internet transferred.
So two days ago, I was thinking...
hmmm....
I am not on the island, so where could I go here (in AD) to get my ADDC (water and electric) account turned off?
Hmmm... the main office, they should be able to do it.
A friend tells me the main office of ADDC is close to Etisalat Main office so I should be able to get it done together ... right?
A friend and I arrived at the Etisalat main branch about 15 minutes til 9, on the first day of Ramadan.
We wonder if we have to get a parking slip out of the machine to park. We walk up to the ticket dispenser and start inserting dirhams. They go in, but it won't print a ticket. We cover our eyes and part of the screen from the already scorching sun and read that parking is free til 9 am.
So we vote to see what we can get done in the building before 9. We walk in and find that they will not open until 9 and there is already a line to go up the escalator (they have them everywhere here) to the service desks upstairs.
My friend only needs to pay a bill, so she goes back out to pay the parking and get a ticket for the dashboard. Long story short, she stood in the heat for more than 10 minutes to find out that the machine would only print out a ticket at 9:01 since parking was free til 9. The security guard told her they had nearly a 100 tickets written the day before, shortly after 9 am. She was hot and fussy by the time she went in the building to pay her bill.
While I waited in the line for the escalator, I asked one of the guards at the information desk if the ADDC building was close by. He gave me directions to one that was behind the Gold Souk, which is not close by. I asked again if there was one closer, and the answer was the same.
This is when I pulled out my new I-phone and started looking for myself. I could find the website, but when I clicked on the map, it said government buildings were blocked on the map. Hmmm, not surprised... so I sent a text to the friend who said they were close.
She called and gave me directions a few blocks away after looking it up on her laptop. So 20 minutes later, as I was #2 on the ticket queue for service, and it went quickly, we were on our way.
We found the Main ADDC building, parked, used our same ticket as it was still good, and walked inside. At the front desk we explain what we need to do, and the man directs us to the branch behind the Gold Souk.
Hmmm ... ok, I should have trusted and gone there instead of being insistent. (not always the case)
We drive to the Gold Souk area (remember there are no street addresses (yet) just landmarks), find the building and go in.
After we have waited in line for a short time I start to explain my situation and what I need to do, the man calls a woman over, because apparently he has trouble understanding me, and I repeat the situation to her. She states I need to call the toll free number and tell them what I need and then they will process it and will take 2 days to get my clearance letter. I will need a statement from my bank so they can refund my deposit. Then I can go to the branch closest to me to get the letter and my receipt for the deposit return to my bank.
Just to be a bit ornery, because they were both quite rude in the way they spoke to me (which rarely happens here) I asked her to write the phone number down. You see, she expected me to pull out my "mobile" and put it in when she said it, but my battery was almost gone from using it to look up places on the maps app.
She then stated any text messages I have received from them will have the toll free number on it. The only problem is that in the western region they do not do things like they do in the city and I haven't had any texts from them.
The kicker is that people in the city have no idea where Delma Island is or how things are done anywhere outside the city, so they don't believe you when you tell them.
She scowled at me when I said I haven't had any texts from ADDC.
She finally finds a piece of copy paper and writes the number down and underlines it 3 times for emphasis. I thank her politely and let her know how much I appreciate her help and we leave.
It is now nearly noon. I feel a sense of accomplishment to get two things done in one day.
I was happy the cable transfer went as well as it did and I called the toll free number and took care of it as my friend drove us back to the towers where I live.
So, no, it doesn't get easier after you get here, you just acclimate to it. I am now accustomed to Not Knowing what will happen, and I try my best not to second guess, prepare worst case scenario responses and just
ROLL WITH IT!
If I can do it, you can too... or you can choose, as many do, to go home.
3 flights, 2 plane changes and a layover in Doha in the late evening hours, the plane touched down in Abu Dhabi. Sounds like the hard part is over right? And now all the fun begins.
First you will either ride a shuttle or walk until you think you can't walk any further, there may be stairs involved. Please keep in mind you will be dragging a carry-on along with you.
It is a bit fuzzy as to what happens in what order, so forgive me.
You will stand in a line to have your eyes scanned and it isn't a big deal, but you can't wear contacts for it.
You will stand in a line to have your passport stamped.
Someone from the company they have book the flights will meet you and give you your copy (temporary) of your work visa.
They will ask you to meet outside to get on a "van" to travel to the hotel.
I walked right outside, but many people took the time to visit the duty free shops. Honestly, I didn't even think about it.
Decide what is best for you.
When you approach the sliding doors to the front of the airport and toward the "bus', prepare yourself.
Have you ever walked into a steam sauna fully dressed? You will soon.
Then some guys will be loading your luggage, along with the luggage of a hundred or so others, into a huge open truck. They cause me to wonder how they can stand out in the heat, in the middle of the night and load a truck with heavy luggage.
You will climb into a bus-like van vehicle with others who are going to the same hotel. The person who gave you your visa will probably also give you a name tag and it will have some way to communicate what hotel you will go to.
Get to know you fellow teachers on the bus. Enjoy the ride.
When you get to the hotel, they will sweep you in, offer you a juice drink and will have your key to your room ready so you shouldn't have to really wait for anything.
This might be a good place to say that the people here do not do "lines" or "waiting". Things are improving but most of the time, people will just crowd around and think they should be waited on next. Your first experience with this concept, or lack thereof, could be at the airport.
When you unlock your room door, I hope it is as nice as when we arrived two years ago. If it is, you will want to take pictures. jump on the bed, and basically do the Happy Dance.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
Calm down til you can rest. If you aren't sleepy, then unpack and prepare to be in the room about 3 weeks.
The first week will be like a vacation.
The second week it will feel like a second home.
The third week you will be ready to have a "real" home.
or then again, you might not ever want to leave.
If you can't sleep, Spinney's is a grocery shop, a bit pricey, but mostly Expat products, and they are open all night. Take a taxi and take a look around, use the atm and buy some snacks for the hotel.
Tips:
If you wear contacts, have your case and solution close, or wear your glasses.
My carry-on's are now backpacks or have a shoulder strap and/or wheels
Go to the restroom before the plane lands.
Check with the front desk about internet usage and make a deal for it.
If you need copies for any reason, ask the front desk before everyone else does.
Ask them to empty your mini bar so you can use the fridge for other stuff, but remember it won't be cold enough to keep food good, will just keep it cool.
Most of the hotels will send a bucket of ice to your room for free.
As a late bloomer, my first airplane experience was when I was in my late twenties and it was a 45 minute jaunt from Amarillo, Texas to Dallas, Texas aboard a Southwest Airlines flight.
Since then I have flown across the world and back on many different airlines and to me, they are all fit into two categories:
Decent and Bad.
It is all about the experience.
When I first flew into the future on a flight of 18+ hours, I tried to make sure I would be entertained and comfortable. I still do the same and about the same way.
Here are my tips for the flight.
MUST HAVES:
reading material
game - mine is an electronic game, yours might be a crossword puzzle, something to take your thoughts and time away from where you are, or the bloke next to you.
noise reduction earphones - best investment ever.... keeps out all the stuff that hurts my ears and gives me an excellent movie listening experience.
comfy shoes and good socks and/or slippers
a light blanket, of your own, that you can roll up for your head or cover up with.
comfy layers of clothes- for if the plane is hot or cold, or if you are hot or cold, or, then again, to cover up your head if the bloke next to you insists on having the light on when you want to sleep.
MIGHT CONSIDER:
Long flight suggestions include compression socks to keep your circulation going. It is a good idea, especially if you are over 45 or so, but I have to admit, I haven't worn them. I do get up and walk to the restroom every couple of hours and I did have them with me on my first flight over.
MUST DO'S:
Drink water for a day before you go, stay hydrated on the plane, drink water, not soft drinks. Add a little juice if it sounds good, but go back to the water, drink it every time you get up and every time they walk by with it.
Take your own snacks for when you get antsy for just a little something to eat (plan ahead, don't pay the outrageous prices for them at the airport).
If you take your shoes off to sleep, put them back on when you wake up. Your feet will swell and shoes will not be comfy if you wait too long to put them back on.
Watch the movies, visit with the person next to you, sleep as much as you can, the time goes faster.
Try not to strangle the guy in front of you that puts his seat all the way back for the entire flight. Just make sure when you get up, you use the back of his seat for leverage to stand. Either he will get the hint and move his seat or you will irk him as much or more than he irked you.
Have a safe flight... have a drink of water... sweet dreams and arrive relaxed and ready for the next adventure.
Probably just about everyone has a suitcase or a set of them for when they travel. When I first found out I would be packing my life in two bags and moving across the world, I didn't give much thought to cases I would use. That has since changed.
Keep in mind that the case isn't going to just get you and your stuff here. You will need a suitcase when you go on holiday to all the wonderful places you will travel once you are here. You will want to take trinkets back to your home country for friends, family and possibly for when you leave the sandbox and return home. You will also need them to carry things back and forth when you travel home to visit.
The weight of your suitcase takes away from the possible items inside you could be taking so make sure it is a lightweight bag.
I prefer one with wheels and two are great, but 4 really rock. I am getting too old to lug a duffel bag, but I wish I still could.
Storage is a commodity here. There is no hall closet to stash your suitcase here. They sit behind living room doors, on top of Wardrobes, in under bed storage or sit out in your spare room, or worse, your bedroom.
Someone shared what they used for luggage and I think it is pretty darn near perfect.
CWC 30 Inch Foldable Duffle Travel Bag By Coldwater Canyon
There is another one that REI carries, but it isn't as inexpensive. The nice thing about these is that they are easily replaceable.
Finally, remember, you can bring two suitcases, 3 suitcases, or a shipping container full. It has to do with your comfort level.
I am a gatherer. I like to live in a home that looks like a home, not a hotel room or a barracks. I came with three suitcases and I will leave at the end with two. (and maybe 6 dining chairs from Australia that I am not sure I can part with)
I wish I had only brought two in the beginning. Now when I go home I take two home and bring back one.
Please understand that you can adjust to life here and will wonder why you thought you couldn't live without something.
Pack smarter that I did.
When you first arrive you will need several copies of your documents, in particular your passport info page and your temporary visa. You can never have enough copies. Sometimes, when asked for it, you can have them make a copy of your copy, but most of the time, they will take the one you gave them. I brought 10 color copies and 10 b/w and it still wasn't enough. I was truly glad I had scanned and saved these on a flash drive, along with all my documents that I had to have stamped and attested.
Even after being here two years, I am still asked for copies different times of year, and even by my employer. Do not think that you are "done" after you get your electronic copies sent in before coming to the sandbox.
Copies in the hotels can vary from "free" for the first few who ask, to a buck or more a copy when they figure out everyone needs them.
Buy a printer that will work with your laptop and print them in the hotel if you want to. I bought a cheap one for about 35 USD when I needed other copies, as did others.
Flash drives, memory cards, if you have them, are great to bring, but are very readily available here and very competitively priced. Almost all of the hotels will be a short taxi ride from a mall, Carrefour or Lulu's or all three.
Books are pricey here and so it is great to have a Kindle or some kind of E-reader. If you are true "bookworm" like me, you can still get your hands on those lovely pages of a real book, but my Kindle has given me access immediately to some texts I can't get as easily any other way. Plus, on my I-pad, I can show children's books on the screen at school.
The schools use Windows and Office, and some of their interfaces on my Mac do not work well at home, but I still prefer my Mac. Did have Office for Mac installed as soon as I could, but others get away without it. Personal choice. There are so many viruses here, I was wanting to avoid them at all costs.
For communicating with those at home. It is getting easier all the time with no or little cost. My skype acct has a phone number that friends can call from any line and leave a message if I don't have it on. I haven't seen the need for a magic jack, but others do prefer them.
Since being here, I have purchased a new laptop, Apple TV, and Buffalo router and I am very happy with all my choices in Technology and I use all of it daily, well almost daily.
