Almost 6 Months in Abu Dhabi

What an amazing experience this has been!!! I am so grateful that God blessed me with such an unexpected gift. Living in this country has brought with it tests that I have sorely needed for my growth as an individual, teacher, and wife. I have been pushed to limits previously unknown to me with regard to the virtues of patience and flexibility...radiant acquiescence is the ultimate goal. I am not quite there yet.

Marriage. Marriage has expanded in its scope and meaning for me. Learning the balance between being an individual and being part of a team has been wonderful. I can see how easy it would be to simply become enmeshed in each other's lives, one not being able to function without the other, a tribute to co-dependence. Inter-dependence is the word I guess I am looking for that best describes the balance. We really didn't have the chance to consistently live together until we got here. I thought it would be harder but I think the fact that I know that I have to let him be him helps to make things harmonious. We work well together despite the fact that I loose my temper easily at times...food plays a big role in my temperament, which Ryan has figured out. If I am hungry it is not the best time to discuss anything of importance, go shopping, take a long walk, or ask me to make a decision.

A simple example that can be expanded to more complex situations...shopping. I hate shopping and Ryan knows this. I like to go into a store, find what I want and leave. So we went to Ikea to buy things for the apartment. We wanted to create a sitting area on the floor with a large rug and pillows. He preferred a certain type of rug but the kind he wanted was well outside of the price either of us were willing to pay for a temporary situation. So, I chose a different rug and he chose the color. Then we had to choose a large pillow cover. I would have chosen an orange/red color but he chose bright green. I decided to support him in his choice and now it is all set up at home and looks nice!!! Who would have thought? By the end of the shopping experience my head hurt and I was starving BUT I didn't loose my temper...YAH!!! And we went to Fuddruckers for dinner which cured my head ache. I also get tunnel vision regarding tasks at times. As a single person I could just go ahead and tackle what ever it was. Now, if I am not careful, I end up dragging Ryan along and he has no idea what is going on. I become very impatient at these times and I must say that I commend myself for not going off as often as I would have in the past. It takes concentrated effort on my part not to succumb to my frustration when I am waiting or explaining. As I said, lots of growth.

Community. Community for me is very important. The people that I have in my life, especially while living overseas, become my extended family. We have been very blessed in this area. We have truly beautiful, generous, sincere, authentic friends that enrich both of our lives. I love that if someone wants to talk to Ryan, they call Ryan. We have mutual friends that value us as a couple and as individuals, which I think is so important. The salsa community here is small and vibrant. Lots of great dancers and I have met some pretty cool people in class and out dancing. Our religious community is wonderful. We are actively participating in activities but are also connecting with people on a friendship basis which I love.

We are also very blessed that there are beautiful parks within walking distance of our house, including one that extends the stretch of waterfront near our house. There are Indian, Persian, Thai, and American restaurants within 5 minute walking distances in any direction. We have two grocery stores that are an easy walk. We live in a building that houses on the bottom floor, a store that we can buy just about anything we need for the apartment. There is a laundry service at the back door for those clothes that would get ruined in the washer/dryer combo we have. An easy walk away is a quiet coffee shop I go to that Ryan discovered when he went exploring one day. We are in the center of the city of Abu Dhabi where we can watch the traffic from our window, have a nice view of the city lights when night descends, and can easily catch buses or taxis for those too far to walk to places.

Work. Work was the biggest test for me when I started. I was appalled at the lack of communication, organization, and resources available from ADEC, the organization heading up the education reform here. I had sat through a month of goose-bump inducing rhetoric about the vision and the goals for reforming the education system here. Then I got to school and there were no books. (And that was only one glaring problem.) I was really challenged as a teacher. I had to remember the fact that I was hired for my skills as a teacher and I had to use those skills in a less than optimal situation. I guess the test of a true teacher is if that person can facilitate learning when there is very little available to support them in this undertaking. Well, I pushed through. I learned not to respond to every new and under planned directive with urgency or "jump to it-ness" . I learned to be flexible with interruptions, changes in the schedule, and the ever changing mind of ADEC. I have tried to provide a stark contrast in the classroom. Where there is fluidity in the school's schedule, in my classroom there is a daily agenda that is consistent. Where there is very little communication from administration, there is constant dialog and direction being given in class. All of this came in the form of classroom management. I don't feel like I hit my rhythm yet in instruction and that has been a bit worrisome. BUT I have spent time during my vacation preparing for the second trimester. I am pretty excited about the expansion I will be doing with the learning centers and strategies I will be using in class. I want this new trimester to be a BIG improvement over the previous one.

Even though I haven't hit my rhythm quite yet, my students and I have bonded. This is the most important part of teaching. When your students trust that you have their best interest at heart in their learning process, anything is possible. When I felt this bonding take place everything else became less important. I only have control in my classroom and in that space I can provide for my students and myself the proper environment for learning.

Life has taken me down many paths...many roads I would not have thought to travel on. Years ago a woman I know said to me of God and dreams, "It is okay to have dreams. But I have found that God's dreams for me bring me more happiness than what I have ever dreamt for myself." Such is life, my dreams and God's dreams.