August 29th (Sorry it is a day late)

It was the first day at The Glenelg School of Abu Dhabi (GSAD). I woke up early because I was unable to sleep. I woke up around 3a.m. and decided to finish my journal from the previous day. I began writing and watching some t.v. show. Thoughts went through my head as I wrote concerning the day ahead. I did not know what to expect with the lack of organization that I had experienced leading up to this day. I told myself to enter the day without any chips on my shoulder. I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and make the opportunity as worth it as possible. I had a teaching job in my fingertips, needed the money, was in one of the most amazing cities in the world and was letting the enemy get the best of me. That and the addition of my lack of food and sleep were bringing me down in a strong way. I needed to shake this and try my best to make this work as much as possible.

We were picked up at 7:15am in the lobby by the school staff shuttle bus and transported to the school. It was about a twenty-minute drive from the Hilton and was very interesting to finally get in a car and see outside of the 2 mile radius around the hotel. We pulled up to this amazing facility that was still being worked on as far as the outside of the campus with construction and such. The security gate went up and we drove in. This campus is enormous! There is one male campus, one female campus and the primary grades campus smack dab in the middle of the two. We walk in and get our folders with the schedules and such. I start mingling and introducing myself to anyone I see and try to find the few male teachers that have arrived to meet as well. After making our way to the female campus cafeteria for initial icebreakers, we begin to learn who is around us and what they are teaching. This is starting to really feel like what I signed up for.

After our primary grades meeting, we were dismissed for a lunch break where all of us who were not participating in Ramadan, made our way to the teacher lounge to eat and drink away from those participating. After lunch was over it was time to head up to the assembly room where the Dean and other Administrative staff spoke with us with everything from expectations, to visa and financial work and much more. After listening and listening, there were questions to be answered. A lot of questions to be answered as far as the financial situation was concerned. It has been made clear that this school was not mentally or physically (number of admin. Staff) prepared for the increase in staff with the addition of the elementary school. We are expected to make through the month of September with out a pay check and still having to front money that we are waiting for reimbursements for. Many of us are financially stuck and needing money fast. That first paycheck or reimbursement check cannot come soon enough.

Immediately following the first day at GSAD, I meet up with the other two teachers in my 5^th grade department and one other Kindergarten teacher to start searching for apartments with an agent. We are driven into the city and shown four different places in our allowed allowance for living. This was another good way for me to see a different side of the city, more the city center and what was around it. Our agent was Abraham, from Egypt and a very friendly and enjoyable guy. He is selling real-estate at the age of 22 in Abu Dhabi, not bad eh? I saw a couple I liked but wanted to see a few more before making the decision. However, from the day at GSAD, I was feeling rushed to pick a place immediately because of the time it would take to finalize.

The main problem that causes reimbursements and paperwork to take so long to go through, is the fact that the GSAD is owned by the mother ship of all mother ships, ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company), which also owns Etihad Airways and so much more throughout the city. They fund everything that goes on at the school and everything must go through them in order to be finalized.

This turned out to be one extremely full day and brought me finally to the exhaustion I needed in order to get a full nights rest and get off this jet lag. I went back to my hotel and managed to get on skype to inform my mom and dad what had happened as well as get some financial advice from my dad concerning that entire manner/housing. He was extremely helpful and then I asked him to call Cassie to see if she was near a computer to get on as well. It was 10:00pm my time, 11:00am their time, SHE WAS ASLEEP!!!! Papa Scott woke her up and she managed to get on for a little bit before she probably went back to sleep or ate cereal in bed. She was a trooper getting up to say a hello but it was 11:00 she needed to get up ha. I hit the hay at a descent hour finally ready to get a full nights rest.

I got a wake up call from the my three girls back home (Mom, Cass and Kel) making sure I was ready! Got to love the ladies in my life! Tomorrow we will continue to learn more about the school and try to get my housing situation settled. Hope all is well back in the states, I miss it and miss you. Don’t give up on the prayers, I am very thankful for them! A&F

In Picture: The Grand Mosque which is seen everyday on the way to school and the entrance to The Glenelg School of Abu Dhabi (Female Campus: Where we are meeting the first two or three days of orientation)