'A Rose in Concrete' Explained

I am a rose in concrete. 

For those of you not familiar with "The Rose that Grew From Concrete", it is a poem written by Tupac Shakur that was later turned into a track on the album "The Rose that Grew From Concrete" in 2000. It's sometimes funny to think that a rapper such as Tupac can speak to my life, considering our drastically different backgrounds. However, as I look back on every monumental event in my life, there is some lyrical connection to a Tupac song that applies perfectly. I could go on and on about the parallels between Tupac's music and my life, but that may come at a later date.

If you think about a rose that is able to grow in concrete, you don't need to know the poem. Immediately, you know that in order for a rose to grow through a crack in the concrete, it needs to beat all odds, surpass people's understandings and expectations, and rise above the norm even when given a tremendously difficult obstacle. Through all of hardships I have endured, including spending 4 years teaching in a less-than-desirable situation, losing my mother, and being the target of harassment, I have not only endured, but I have grown and flourished. I am now embarking on a new chapter in my life. I am a rose in concrete.

Click the movie to hear the song/spoken word version.

The poem can be found below.

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Provin' nature's laws wrong-
It learned to walk without having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else even cared.

You see you wouldn't ask why the rose that grew from the concrete
had damaged petals. 

On the contrary, we would all celebrate its
tenacity. 

We would all love it's will to reach the sun.
Well, we are the rose - this is the concrete - and these are
my damaged petals. 

Don't ask me why, thank God, ask me how!


And if ya don't know, now ya know!

Abu Dhabi 101

Teach me 'bout the Dhabi, teach me teach me 'bout the Dhabi!

This post includes some general information and fast facts about my soon-to-be home!

Abu Dhabi is the capital as well as the second largest city of United Arab Emirates. Though the city is currently counted as one of the most progressive ones in the entire world, it was not always the same. Until mid 20th century, the economy of Abu Dhabi was maintained by camel herding and production of dates and vegetables. Fishing and pearl diving were other occupations taken up during summer months. However, things changed completely after the city struck oil, in the year 1958. Moreover, after Emirates gained independence in 1971, oil wealth changed the whole scenario, escalating the city's economy considerably. For some more interesting and fun facts about Abu Dhabi, browse through the following lines.

Interesting & Fun Facts About Abu Dhabi

~Abu Dhabi is the capital city of United Arab Emirates (UAE).
~The city is located on a T-shaped island, jutting out in the Persian Gulf (called the Arabian Gulf in the UAE).
~Abu Dhabi is the second most populous city in UAE, after Dubai.
~The UAE seat of government is also located in the city.
~Although Islam is the official religion of Abu Dhabi, many other faiths and religions are acknowledged and given their due respect, in the country.
~The city is also the seat of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which is ruled by the leader of UAE.
~Abu Dhabi is one of the largest oil producers in the world and significantly contributes to the world's economy.
~The city is the wealthiest emirate in UAE, with regard to GDP and per capita income.
~Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), is the world's wealthiest sovereign fund, in terms of the total asset value.
~Abu Dhabi is one of the wealthiest states in the world.
~Around 70 percent of UAE's wealth is concentrated in the city.
~The national dress for women in Abu Dhabi is full length black abba, while for men; it is a long white robe or dishdasha.
~Muslims in Abu Dhabi are not allowed to consume alcohol in any form. On the other hand, the non-Muslims staying in the city are required to have special license to buy alcohol.
~The climate of Abu Dhabi is hot and arid. Sunny and blue skies are predominant throughout the year. One can experience hot and humid climate from June through September. However, the weather cools down in November and the region experiences a cooler climate until March. Temperatures range from a low of around 10°C (50°F), on a winter’s night, to a high of around 48°C (118°F), on a summer’s day. The cooler months, November to April, are the most pleasant time to visit, when temperatures are around 24°C (75°F) during the day and 13°C (56°F) at night. One can also witness dense fog during the cold days.
~The highest summer temperature in the city is recorded in Al-Ain, an oasis city.
~Some of the important tourist attractions of Abu Dhabi include the exquisite Camel Market, ancient forts and theme parks.
~Travelers would be delighted to know that as a rule, no custom duty is levied on personal effects that enter or leave Abu Dhabi. This makes the country essentially a tax-free hub.
~Talking about the time zone, there is no daylight saving in the city and it falls under the GMT +4 time zone, or 9 hours ahead of the US Eastern Time Zone.

Here is a little timeline I found interesting. I think it's amazing the country is so young, yet so developed. I mean they didn't even have a paved road until 1961! This is all thanks to the vision of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

1958 Oil is found and production begins on Das Island
1961 Abu Dhabi’s first paved road is constructed
1962 Abu Dhabi begins exporting oil
1966 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan becomes ruler of Abu Dhabi
1971 Britain withdraws from the Gulf. The United Arab Emirates is born, with HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the leader. The UAE joins the Arab League.
1973 The UAE launches a single currency, the UAE dirham
1981 The GCC is formed, with the UAE as a founding member
1986 Abu Dhabi Duty Free opens
2003 Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s official airline, is launched
2004 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan dies and is succeeded as ruler of the UAE by his son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
2005 Emirates Palace opens
2005 The freehold property market is opened up to foreigners
2005 Abu Dhabi announces that it will open a licensed branch of the Louvre on Saadiyat Island
2007 Abu Dhabi announces its own grand prix, to be held for the first time in 2009
2007 Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque (Grand Mosque) opens

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who is thought of as the father of the nation. He is held in high regard in the country and has a very good reputation within the UAE as well as internationally.

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, son of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who took rule following his father's death in 2004.

My New Journey

The official word is I am moving to ABU DHABI!!!! I decided to start blogging in order to share my pictures, videos and experiences with my family and friends, but also to provide information to other people interested in coming to teach in Abu Dhabi.  The blog will share my true thoughts on my experiences in education in the USA and the UAE. The excitement of my upcoming journey makes it hard to even organize my thoughts and feelings into a readable document, but I'll try my best!

In 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

The Yas Hotel, which has a Formula One racetrack that goes through it.