Abu Dhabi TimeIn this post, I will be addressing all of the main questions people have when I tell them my plans. The most common questions:
1) Abu Dhabi?? Where is that??!?
2) Why would you move all the way over there?!?!
3) What's it like over there? Don't you have to cover your whole body??
4) When do you leave?? Can I have your toaster??
1) Abu Dhabi?? Where is that??!?
Abu Dhabi is located in the Middle East within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is important to note that Abu Dhabi is the name of the emirate, as well as the city. Most people are at least somewhat familiar with Dubai, which is an hour and a half by car from Abu Dhabi. If you are not familiar with the UAE, I have explained it to others as: The country of the UAE is about the same size as the state of Maine. Within the UAE, there are seven emirates. The largest emirate is Abu Dhabi and within the emirate of Abu Dhabi, you also have the city of Abu Dhabi (kind of how we have New York, New York). At this point in time, we are not told where we will be placed. So I know I will be somewhere in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, but no idea where. I would love to be placed in Abu Dhabi City, but am open to anywhere they place me!
So where is Abu Dhabi? Here you go!
2) Why would you move all the way over there?
Without going into great detail (that will come later), I chose to go to Abu Dhabi for many reasons. I have been increasingly unhappy with my current job. The county I work in keeps furloughing our days, adding more unnecessary work on teachers, increasing class size, and has not given us a pay increase in years. Additionally, today I found out that due to county budget cuts, any teacher with less than 5 years experience would not be offered a contract today and MIGHT be offered one in a second wave of contracts. I did not want to wait and see, and I did not want to get a contract and see a co-worker get laid off by me getting one, so I submitted my resignation. Many people do not realize that we do not automatically have a job, we have to be offered a job every year which gives you a very limited sense of job security. In my county, every year, people are laid off then many get called back. It's like a moving target that they apparently never have any idea how many teachers they will need and keep taking shots in the dark until they get it right (usually in October when students have been sitting in a class of 35 for the first 3 months of school). County issues aside, I have had more than enough issues in my building as well. Overall, the education system in America is getting further and further away from being student-centered and getting more and more test-centered and adult-ego centered.
There are many things that appeal to me about Abu Dhabi. Let's just go ahead and be honest. The money is great. Not only will they be paying me MORE in Abu Dhabi, but they will be taking care of my housing expenses as well! They will be providing a round-trip flight home each summer and full benefits. I am tired of living paycheck to paycheck and am ready to experience the finer things in life! I am also drawn to the the UAE because of the sunshine, beauty of the land, and most importantly an entirely different culture. I have always loved to travel and see new cultures. At this point in my life I have traveled to almost every US state, and seen almost every US landmark. As much as I would love to travel abroad more frequently, the budget my salary puts me on does not allow for international travel. Through this opportunity I will be able to experience the culture and sights in the UAE, but also be able to afford to travel to other countries as well. I think in a sense I have become bored in Atlanta and the US in general. My contract there is for two years with the option to sign on for more years upon completing the two years. My hope is that I love it so much I don't want to come back, but I will have to figure that out after getting fully acclimated.
To answer a few more common questions about why I am moving there: **Yes, I have friends there already that either really like it, or love it. None of my personal friends hate it there, and all advised me to come over. **No, I don't expect it to be rainbows and skittles everyday. I am fully aware of the cultural expectations and already know that depending on where I am placed, I may have a class with behavior issues. The school at which I am currently teaching has fully prepared me for any behavior issues over there, and I feel I have excellent classroom management because of it. ***Yes, the main religion there is Islam, but there is an accepting attitude of other religions, although you are not allowed to push it on others, as when people hand out bibles and flyers here. Which I definitely didn't plan on doing anyway!
3) What's it like over there? Don't you have to cover your whole body??
As mentioned above, the main religion there is Islam, but it is a very progressive society that is very accepting of all cultures and religions. In fact, I read somewhere that 80% of people living in Abu Dhabi are expats. While in the UAE you are expected to be respectful to their culture and religion by dressing conservatively. Our type of dress is acceptable as long as it covers most of your body, so I will still be packing my jeans and t-shirts along with my long dresses. As for wearing an abaya, it kind of depends on your school. I have a friend that is not required to wear one, but chooses to because it is comfortable and she wears her pajamas underneath. Sounds alright to me!
4) When do you leave?? Can I have your toaster??
I have been told to be ready to leave by the first of August, however won't actually know my departure date until closer to that time. I am currently in the process of storing and selling my things, so I should be ready far before then! And no, you can't have my toaster, it's already been spoken for.
Hopefully this have given a little insight to my decision and hopefully you will continue to follow me on my journey!! Enjoy the pictures below of what I am looking forward to!
Sunsets on water
How awesome! What a neat experience and a leap of faith. Hope you love it. Can't wait to read about how different education is there vs. here. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI am really psyched!! I too have had many of the same questions but am looking forward to the experience!!
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