Raindrops keep fallin' on my head!

I awoke this morning to a strange sound. I wasn't sure at first what it was. It sounded like thunder, but it seemed out place in Saudi Arabia. I heard it again and jumped out of bed, pulling back the blinds covering my window. It was raining!
What a rare way to wake up in Saudi Arabia. It only rains once or twice a year, at the most. Sometimes it doesn't rain at all! I remember seeing dark clouds the day before and thinking, "Those look like rain clouds. I wonder if it's going to rain soon?"
I jumped out of bed, made sure I had on some decent clothes, and grabbed my camera. I ran barefoot into the street in front of our apartment building at 7:30am, letting the rain soak through my hair and clothes. I felt like a kid as a stood in the street with my tongue sticking out, trying to catch the raindrops. Some of the other teachers came out with their cameras to enjoy this rare experience. We called out excitedly to each other, "It's raining! It's raining!", laughing like little children.
I'm usually not one to stand out in the rain back home...unless it's during the eye of a hurricane...but I gained a new appreciation for a rainstorm today. I never thought I'd be that excited to see rain! I ran up to our roof to try to get a better view of the streets outside our compound. No one else on the compound seemed to be out. We had been told that when it rained here, it usually only rained for about 10 or 15 minutes, but it has been raining off and on all morning. The streets are even a little flooded. After I decided that I was wet enough from the rain, I went back inside my apartment to see what time it was in Florida. Was it too early or too late to call home? It was about 11:30pm, but I checked Skype just to see if anyone was on. I just had to tell someone back home that it was raining in Saudi Arabia. Luckily, Taylor was still on after having a late night shift as an RA. I Skyped him and told him the exciting news of the rainstorm. He didn't seem quite as excited as I was, but you never can appreciate rain as much as when you're in the desert. Here are some pics and a video of the first rainstorm since I've been in Jeddah:
Enjoying the rain in my pajamas and bare feet.
My flash was on, so the raindrops almost look like snowflakes.

Enjoying Hajj :)

We get two weeks off for Hajj, and I have been enjoying it tremendously.  We have been able to see many different parts of Jeddah, including the not so pretty parts.  Here are some pictures of what we have done so  far:

Jungle Land...a small amusement park we went to with one of the Arabic teachers.  We rode this ride that spun us around and upside down with our abayas flapping in the wind and our bare feet dangling in the air.

Me and the Canadian teachers outside Jungle Land.  I love these girls :)

One of the private Western beaches where we can wear normal bathing suits.

Another view of the beach.  When I'm at one of these beaches, I feel like I'm no longer in Saudi Arabia.

Red Sea boat trip

Here are pictures from our boat trip on the Red Sea.  It was so beautiful and relaxing! What a great way to kick off our vacation :)

Walking through "Diver's Village" down to the boat.

Curious cultural pics

Every mall has a mini amusement park inside for the kids.

This ride was under construction, but looks like a water rafting ride.

This is the front of the Mall of Arabia, one of the biggest malls in Jeddah.

This is one of the souks, closed for prayer.

It's so deserted on the weekend during prayer.

Boom Boom Pow

My 1st grade boys continually surprise me by their behavior (good and bad), academic progress (they are picking up more and more English), and funny things like singing lyrics to English songs I didn't expect them to know. Today, three of my boys suddenly started singing the Black-Eyed Peas song "Boom Boom Pow". They knew more of the lyrics than I did! I'm not sure if they liked it because it had the words "boom" and "pow" in it (typical boys), but I was shocked that 1st grade Saudi boys would know that song! They were so cute and so serious. Then, later that morning, we were creating a mural of the four seasons. The boys who were drawing pictures to represent Spring (some of the same ones who were singing "Boom Boom Pow") decided to add Michael Jackson to their picture. They even gave him an umbrella since it rains in the Spring...and of course a microphone so he could sing. I'm not sure if they know he's dead, but one of my boys idolizes him. He wants to be like Michael Jackson when he grows up, and can even do the moon walk. I have a feeling I'm gonna miss my boys after two weeks of being away from them. But tomorrow I plan to enjoy the sunshine, the Red Sea, and being away from kids for a change.

Hospitals in Jeddah

I have been well the whole time I have been here. I'm used to being sick with a cold this time of year. However, two days ago I came down with a sudden, severe cough. My asthma was affected by it, so I was unable to breathe very well. My inhaler was expired, so I contemplated going to the pharmacy the next day. However, I wasn't sure if they would be open on a Friday - or what times they would be open. I tossed and turned all night with a cough, fever, and headache keeping me up. As soon as it was light out, I made up my mind to go to the hospital.
Now, you might be thinking, "Hospital? Was it that serious?". Well, the hospitals work a little differently here than in the U.S. The doctor's offices are within the hospital, so you could go to the hospital for a wellness visit or something serious. I was a little nervous going, since I had not been to a hospital here before. I was also by myself, since it was early in the morning on our weekend, and I was hoping that someone there would speak English.
I called a cab, and when I arrived I was directed to the Emergency Room. This was the only section of the hospital that looked open at this time of day on a Friday (their Sabbath). I was asked for my insurance card, my temperature and blood pressure were taken, and a female doctor came to ask me my symptoms. I was then escorted to a women's only room where I was put on a nebulizer. After my breathing treatment, they gave me a prescription for meds for my cough, fever, and headache, as well as a new inhaler. I paid 25 riyals (less than $7 USD) to open a file at the hospital and was directed to the pharmacy within the hospital to pick up my meds. Because I used the hospital's pharmacy, I did not have to pay a single riyal for my medication. So, my trip to the ER in Jeddah cost me $7 USD and I was in and out within an hour! I think I like this healthcare system...or maybe I just came at a good time of day?
I am feeling quite a bit better today, but I still have a cough and headache. I took the day off work - my first sick day this year. The hard thing about taking days off is that the school does not have a list of substitute teachers to call in. My principal is actually going to be teaching my students for part of the day, and then other teachers will be asked to cover my class at certain times of the day when they have a break. I feel guilty about taking a sick day and putting more work on the other teachers, but there's no way I would have been able to teach today when my breathing is still not back to normal.
Ask our Father:
* For my health to improve
* That the break we have starting next week will be rejuvenating
* That I will have boldness to speak the Good News to those around me
* That those around me will see J***s in my actions and speech

Internet troubles

Our internet at our apartments has not been working for the past week and a half. The internet at school is off and on. I am typing this at school during my break, so it will be short and sweet.
I just wanted to thank all of my readers for their encouraging words and prayers. My students are settling in to a routine, and I am falling in love with them more and more each day. They are now able to come in to class, put their folders and agendas in the bucket, and get started on their morning handwriting practice. They are even picking up some of the phrases and songs I use in class, and remind each other of the rules/routines. They have improved so much since the beginning of school.
We had parent input meetings last week, and all of the parents that showed up were very supportive and encouraging. A couple of days ago, we were invited to the home of one of the students in another teacher's class. It was just ladies, and we chatted about all sorts of things for three hours, while enjoying good Arabic food. The house was huge! The sitting room had about 7 or 8 couches in it, and four or five coffee tables. They also had an elevator inside the house. The decor was beautiful and the hostess was very hospitable. I wish I had pictures, but it would have been rude to take pictures in their house.
We have one more week until Hajj break. We will be off of school for two weeks, and I have already had many students absent. I'm not sure if they decided to take an early vacation, or they are just sick. I'm not complaining too much, because it makes my class of 25 down to about 20. During Hajj, the teachers are planning on sightseeing, going snorkeling, and shopping in Old Jeddah. All of the teachers are ready for a break, but we're a little worried about the students forgetting routines after a two week break.
I have to go now, but I appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers!

Videos, finally!

The tallest fountain in the world!

Listening to the evening call to prayer from our roof. There's not much to see, I just was recording the sound.

Pics of my classroom :)

Here are some pictures of my frog themed classroom.  I won't be including any pictures of my students, for safety and privacy reasons, but they are adorable!

My job chart - which I haven't taught to the students yet.  I plan on introducing it next week.

First week of school :)

I survived! My first week of school was crazy, but I still want to teach next week, so that's saying something.  All of the teachers were totally surprised by the behavior of the students the first day of school. By lunch time, I was thinking to myself "I am the worst teacher ever.  Why can't I get these kids to listen to me?".  Thankfully, after talking with the other teachers, it seemed as if everyone was feeling that frustration.  These kids have been out of school for about 4 months and many are up late every night, so it was understandable that they would be a little tired, rambunctious, and/or not used to school procedures.  However, we were all shocked by their inexperience with standing in lines, raising their hands to speak, and other typical expected school behaviors.  By the end of the first day, I was seriously considering going back to the States.  I got punched twice in the face by one of my students, had to chase after multiple students throughout the day who ran off down the hall, attempted to teach over four or five crying students, and re-injured my knee while dragging a student to the principal the first day (we both somehow tripped and ended up on the floor).

The Red Sea

We celebrated our last day before school starts with a day at the beach!  I was so excited because I finally got to swim in the Red Sea.  The water is so salty that you barely have to do anything to stay afloat.  Out of habit, I started treading water until one of the other teachers said, "Try being still for a minute.  You'll still float."  And sure enough, I did!  Every once in awhile, I found myself doggie paddling, and had to force myself to stop and just relax, trusting the water to hold me up.  It was a foreign concept for me, especially since there weren't waves to hold me up - just salt.  By the time I got home, there was dried salt all over me.  I'm not used to that much salt drying on me.  It was even in my eyebrows!

Ladies night out

So I was looking through my pictures on my camera and realized I forgot to upload pictures from the amusement park we went to.  This is as close as you'll get to Disney World in Jeddah.  They even had someone dressed as Minnie Mouse and a Teletubbie.  The park has one main rollercoaster, and quite a few smaller rides.  It also has an indoor ice rink, shopping for the adults to enjoy (purses, music, makeup, etc.), a food court, and arcade.

The one roller coaster in the amusement park.  I didn't ride any of the rides because they cost extra.

Saudi time

Over the past couple of weeks, I have begun to notice what I call "Saudi time".  Tasks that seem like they would only take an hour, end up taking three or four hours to complete.  The other day, we all had to go to a clinic to get a blood test and chest x-ray.  This is standard procedure for new workers in the country, and was required for our medical insurance (I finally have my insurance card!).  We were told last minute that we were going to this clinic for a blood test.  We thought we would need to give them our medical reports we had filled out prior to arriving in Saudi Arabia.  Turns out, they only needed copies of our passports - which we luckily had - and 3 passport sized photos - which we didn't have.

Traditional Saudi Dinner

Finally!  Last night, we enjoyed an amazing Saudi dinner at a nice restaurant.  Before we were able to eat, a man had to sing a prayer signifying to the Muslims that is was now time to break their fast.  Then, everyone crowded around the buffet, filling multiple plates with all sorts of spreads, meat, rice, and sweet desserts.  Here are some pictures:

The restaurant had dividers separating families so they had privacy, but then we all went up to the same buffet to get food.  It felt almost like being in a home having a big holiday dinner with family.

From sea to shining sea

After work yesterday, we were able to pull of the road and walk in the sand and look at the Red Sea.  The sand is not as white as Florida - at least the section where we were - but I can't wait to go swimming in the Red Sea.  I have uploaded pictures of the Red Sea:

This is actually the inlet, not the open sea, so the sand and water was kind of dirty.

Elena, me, and Tracy - all Grade 1 teachers!

School buildings and sights

The last couple of days have been spent going through curriculum and learning how to use the SmartBoards.  The school has amazing technology and resources, and anything we want for our classroom we can get.  The pre-K and Kindergarten students will be in the "old" school building (which is only a year old), and the 1st and 2nd grade students will be in the "new" building which they are still finishing up.  I can't start setting up my classroom yet, but I took some photos of both buildings because you will not believe how grand they are!  Tomorrow, we get to make a list of all the furniture and supplies we want in our classroom and they will order it for us.  We will also be making a list of gym equipment so the teachers can have their own gym to use at the school after we are done teaching each day (and then we can cool off in the pool at the school).  I went through the Math curriculum today and am so excited about it!  It is very simple to use, utilizes manipulatives and big books.  The workbooks are great because they have students journal about what they learned after each unit, and I can pick and choose which worksheets to use based on how quickly they are mastering the concept.

Long nights and warm days

So, I am so exhausted from the Ramadan schedule.  Everything is closed until about 9pm, so we had to wait until then to go buy our abayas.  Meanwhile, we had spent all day touring the schools.  We ended up shopping for our abayas and food from about 9:30pm until 3:30am, then ate "dinner" around 4am from Burger King...we were too tired to prepare any food, but hopefully I will be able to try some Arabic food soon.  Needless to say, I am tired, so will make this post brief and try to post some pics.  Shopping for the abayas was fun because there was quite a variety and we got to bargain to get the lowest price.  I got an abaya with gold trim all the way down the front, on the hem, and on the sleeves (it even came with a head scarf with matching gold trim).  I paid 70 riyals, which is about $18 (USD).  We are going to eventually get a picture of all of us teachers in our abayas.  And as to wearing them, it's not that bad.  I chose a material that is very thin and breathable.  The climate is so similar to Florida weather, anyways, that I haven't been terribly hot.  The only time I got really hot was when I went exploring the compound at 2pm - I think I walked a couple of miles (don't worry, I brought water with me).  So, without further ado, here are some more pics:

First impressions

So I met all of the other teachers that have arrived so far....we are still expecting three or four more.  Most of them are from Canada (the Americans haven't arrived yet).  There is one teacher who taught in the United Arab Emirates last year, so she knows a bit about the Arab culture.  There are three or four teachers who have recently graduated college and have never taught full-time before.  Everyone seems very friendly and open, willing to help and get to know each other.  The cool thing is we are all in the same building, so we will build great community and see each other almost all the time.
The school is beyond words amazing!  Next time I go, I will try to take pictures.  There are two different campuses.  Currently, one holds pre-K and Kindergarten, while the newer campus holds grades 1 and 2.  The new building is so new it is not even finished yet.  They are still setting up our classrooms, but the walls are all painted.  The floor is a nice rubbery linoleum looking substance that is quiet when you walk on it, and not slippery.  Both campuses have a large "courtyard" which is basically a giant curved room with windows and a tent-like roof.  Students gather here in the mornings for assembly and during the middle of the day for prayers.

Finally arrived in Jeddah!

I just finished unpacking all of my luggage after a long journey and good night's sleep.  My bed is pretty firm, but I was so tired it didn't matter.  I am attaching some pictures of my apartment.  I need to get some frames for some pictures/artwork I brought so it looks a little more homey.  The walls are pretty bare right now.  I am on the second floor of an apartment building reserved solely for teachers at the school.  I got to choose which floor I wanted.  I've met one other teacher and the principal, so far.  Some other teachers arrived last night after I did, so I haven't met them yet.  We are expecting a few more to arrive today, and then the rest to arrive next week.  We are touring the school today, so I will let you know how that is later today or tomorrow.  But for now, here are some pics I took of my apartment:

In the news!

A family friend interviewed me for our local newspaper.  I have posted a link to the article below:
"Wellington Teacher Takes Job in Saudi Arabia"

The adventure begins

A little over two weeks from today I leave for Saudi Arabia. I am going to teach 1st grade at a Canadian International school in Jeddah. The school is made up of mostly American and Canadian teachers, and mostly Saudi students. It is a private school, so students must pay tuition to attend. I will be teaching all subjects in English, but have been trying to learn Arabic using Rosetta Stone software. There are five 1st grade teachers, and we each have about 24 students. I am nervous about the number of students in my classroom, since I've never had more than 20. First grade is also a new experience, since I am used to teaching 3rd graders. Despite those concerns, I am so excited to be teaching 1st grade and can't wait to get to Jeddah to start learning the curriculum and planning for my class. The students don't start school until October 3rd, due to Ramadan, so I will have a few weeks to get acclimated before starting to teach.