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"