Friday Fragments: Episode 5 or "10 Things I Learned While in Morocco"

To learn more about Friday Fragments, visit Mrs. 4444's blog.

This edition of Friday Fragments (posted on Saturday) is bought to you by my trip to Morocco this past week. Before I get into it, I must say this: I've been on Spring Break. We get two weeks off, a much needed and well deserved break! The first week - this past week - a friend and I went to Marrakech, Morocco (LOVED it...details & pics later). The second week, my mom is here visiting. So yeah. Best. Spring Break. Ever.

And now, without further ado...

10 THINGS I LEARNED WHILE IN MOROCCO

* The Arabic accent sprinkled with French accent = Très cool! And when a gorgeous Morcoccan man speaks with said accent...sexy!

* Moroccans are beautiful people. Especially the men. GORGEOUS men. Lots of candy for my eyes to behold. Beautiful brown skin...sexy accents...some with gorgeous eyes...yeah, I was in heaven. :D

* Berber scotch = YUM! I had MANY cups of this tasty drink and didn't even get drunk. I mean, it could be cos Berber scotch is really mint tea, but whatev. Semantics, right?

* Locals love it when you express in interest in their language. When we tried words in both Arabic & French, they got excited. And they were so helpful when we asked about words we didn't know. They liked that we at least tried.

* Just cos Morocco is an Arabic country doesn't mean all Moroccans are Muslims. They are diverse in their religions from Muslim, to Christians, to Jewish.

* English is like the 4th language of Morocco. They speak Berber, Arabic, and French. And, if they really wanna venture out, then they learn English.

* Must. Learn. French. Enough said.

* Brown skin is beautiful. I've always known this. I mean, I love my own skin color. But being in a country full of brown skin people who love their skin and don't try to change it...priceless. Different shades of brown. Loved it!

* Climbing a mountain in white pants may not exactly be the smartest thing to do. In my defense, when I woke up that morning and dressed, I didn't know that's what we were going to do. By the time we'd decided and paid for the trip, I didn't have time to change. So I hiked in white pants. They didn't get too dirty, surprisingly.

* I WILL visit Morocco again. I am in love with that country.

That's it, folks. A more detailed post will follow during the A to Z Blog challenge!

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Friday Fragments: Episode #4

To learn more about Friday Fragments, visit Mrs. 4444's blog.

Abu Dhabi Sandstorms

For the past few days, we've been experiencing sandstorms. Nothing like the sandstorm in Mission Impossible 4, mind you, but still crazy. Visibility was practically nonexistent in some places. I've been sleeping with my windows opened with the weather being nice & cool. I had to close them this week cos (a) sand kept blowing in my room, and (b) the wind was blowing so hard, it had my door rattling. Hard. And even with the craziness that is a sandstorm, there were still idiotas who decided it's ok to rev their engines & speed down the street.



I can usually see beyond the ADNEC bldg, but not with the sandstorm.

Wind + Sand = Allergies

Earlier this week, I went running (I know, hard to believe). Lucky me, it was very windy. So, I had to deal with sand constantly blowing in my face. I forgot that sand triggers my allergies just as much as greenery does. It started out slow. A cough here & there. Slight congestion. Itchy eyes. Then, Thursday, my voice chose to slowly go away. And Thursday night, I was at my worst. So, needless to say, I've been sick this weekend...the whole nine: sore throat, no voice, coughing my insides out, sneezing, congestion.

My original plans for the weekend: clean my house, wash/fold/put away laundry, go salsa dancing, have fun. What I actually did: sleep, drink tea, wash laundry, dump said laundry on bed & leave it there, sleep, watch my tv shows, drink tea, sleep, etc. Didn't get much done. Man, I hate being sick! And I'm certain I've reached my tea consumption limit, tho I love tea. It's all I've been drinking.

Teaching With No Voice

Teaching 20-something 3 & 4 year olds who don't understand your language is hard enough. Teaching them ALONE, with a sore throat and NO voice is darn near impossible. Such was my day Thursday. But I survived, thank God. When they got too rowdy, I'd sit down on the carpet and cross my arms...wouldn't say a thing. They caught on that Ms. Raenice isn't happy. So one by one, they'd sit on the carpet and close their mouths. I didn't think it would work, but it did! A wonderful alternative to raising your voice, something I don't like to do.

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Friday Fragments: Episode #3

Friday Fragments is hosted by "Mrs. Fours" at Half Past Kissin Time. Wanna join in on the fun? Check it out here. Basically, you take bits and pieces of your week and list them on your blog. The bits and pieces would each be too small for a regular blog post, but put together, they make Friday Fragments.

Since I missed last Friday, I'm doubling up in this post.

LAST WEEK

• Sometimes, less really is more. Last weekend, I visited the emirate of Al Gharbia, about 2.5 hours away from Abu Dhabi. We stayed at a beach resort surrounded by beach & mostly desert. There was absolutely nothing to do in Al Gharbia...and that was just what I needed. The beach was...it took my breath away. I stayed in the water for hours. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here ya go!

• On the way to Al Gharbia, my friend and I traveled on a bus full of men. There were only 4 women. Thank God for priority seating. The women sat up front near the bus driver. Could've been an uncomfortable situation.
• At some clubs, when they say they have a band, they really mean they have karaoke singers. They're not what we in the States would think a band is, but they are good.
• When they say one hour here in the UAE, they really mean, two, three, four hours. Time really isn't an issure here. Their favorite saying is "Inshallah" (Allah willing). Their attitude is "It will happen when it happens, Inshallah."
• Some of the men here are aggressive. Sometimes, not in a good way, but in a creepy, stalkerish kind of way.
• My Arabic partner was on bed rest for 2 days last week. This meant I was left in a classroom full of 3-4 year olds...alone. Did I mention they don't speak English? Cos they don't. They speak Arabic. Very interesting, I must say. But I survived.
• Speaking of school, I've learned that I LOVE fog days. When it's foggy here, the bus drivers won't drive. They wait until it lifts, then go pick up the kids. This means, school gets a late start. And we still get to end on time. Yeah, fog days are awesome.
• Saw a belly dancer perform last week. I thought she was ok, but I've never seen a performance before. Those who have weren't impressed with her. The men liked it tho, so she did her job. Watching her perform DID make me realize I really want to learn how to belly dance. Put that on my list of must do's while in the Middle East.

THIS WEEK

• Just cos we're a brand new school doesn't mean we won't have our share of difficulties. The ac didn't work in our classrooms this week, which is not good considering the fact that it's like a gazillion degrees here. We also don't have materials or resources nor do we have enough teachers. But we make do with what we have.
• Our apartment building won't have gas for another year or so. At least that's what we've been told. This sucks cos most of us bought gas stoves. Wish they'd have told us BEFORE we spent the money. Some people are having a hard time returning their stoves. Thankfully, the store I bought mine from is letting me return so I can buy an electric stove. God is good!
• Getting our UAE ID and drivers license has been...interesting. Thankfully, I'm almost done with the process. Then I'll really be official with my residence visa, ID, and DL.
• They have so many malls here! Seems like one on every corner. And these malls aren't little either. I'm talking about big elaborate malls. We're even getting a mall built RIGHT NEXT DOOR to our apartment building. Like I can seriously walk to the mall. Now that I think about it, that may not be such a good thing. Easier shopping access...more ways to spend money. Hmmm....
• Just like any other country, they have an issue with equal rights here. Classism is big. The Filipinos, who are considered the lowest class, are treated the worse. It's sad really, but it happens. Not just in the UAE, but everywhere. The more money you have, the more power you have. Sounds familar? They're really more "westernized" than they'd like to admit.
• Speaking of power and importance, the license plate tags reflect their statuses. The lower the number you have on your tags, the more power you have. The lowest number I've seen was 10. And the car was a niiiice Bentley. Must be nice.
• What about those Houston Texans!!!!! 3-1 record so far. I can't watch the football games, but I've been following what's been going on. Keep it up!
• So sad about Steve Jobs. RIP
• Last but certainly not least...I'M GOING TO SEE JANET JACKSON PERFORM IN FIVE DAYS!!!!! That's right. She'll be here in Abu Dhabi and I get to be there. In the fan pit. Close to the stage. I. Can't. Wait.

 

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Friday Fragments: Episode #2

Friday Fragments is hosted by "Mrs. Fours" at Half Past Kissin Time. Wanna join in on the fun? Check it out here. Basically, you take bits and pieces of your week and list them on your blog. The bits and pieces would each be too small for a regular blog post, but put together, they make Friday Fragments.

So, today, I've spent the last 2 hours people watching at the mall around the corner from my apartment. Here's what I've noticed...

• Letting kids run wild seems to be the norm here. LOTS of parents allowed their kids to run around the mall - especially the food court - freely...no stopping them, no watching them. I guess there's no worries about people snatching your kids. One man let his two boys run around the entire food court while he stood (his back to them) and talked to a friend. The only time he actually paid attention to them was when they somehow got on top of the counter where people order their food.
• PDA isn't as illegal as we've been told. Before moving here, we were told that even holding hands was a big no-no. I've seen so many people - Emiratis, Expats, Nationals, everyone - holding hands, putting hands on their mates' butt, snuggling, etc. I even saw 2 men holding hands (at another mall).
• There is a HUGE popluation of Asians here. Most are Filipino. They are treated the worse here by Emiratis (the whole "lower class" status Filipinos have here), but they are some of the nicest people.
• Despite the fact that showing too much skin or wearing tight clothes is frowned upon, some women still choose to wear it. I've seen women wearing tank tops (complete with bra straps showing) or EXTREMELY tight jeans.
• I guess the whole "guys in pink" thing isn't taboo here. Saw a guy carrying a pink backpack. And before you ask, there were no kids with him. One day this week, we even saw a man driving a pink SUV.
• The Emirati men who wear kandoras (seen in the pic below) are very confident of themselves. They walk with this...I don't know, swag? I guess that's the word. I've seen some attractive Emirati men. Never thought I'd find ANY man in an outfit that looks like a dress attractive, but there you go.

That's my Friday Fragments for this week. Have a great weekend!

 

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Friday Fragments: Episode #1

Friday Fragments is hosted by "Mrs. Fours" at Half Past Kissin Time. Wanna join in on the fun? Check it out here. Basically, you take bits and pieces of your week and list them on your blog. The bits and pieces would each be too small for a regular blog post, but put together, they make Friday Fragments.

So, on to my Friday Fragments...

* Obama is well-liked here in Abu Dhabi. I'd venture to say they love him. Sometimes, when replying that I'm from America, the first thing they'd say is, "Oooh! Obama! He's a good man. I like Obama."

* There are no street names here which makes getting around kinda hard for a newbie. It's all about landmarks. Now, what happens if the landmark is taken down, I have NO idea.

* Driving here is gonna be a challenge. Besides the fact that they have no street names, they have these roundabouts that seem impossible to figure out. And then, some of the people here drive absolutely CRAZY. Really. I've rode in taxis where we had to hold on for dear life. And we've had several close calls.

* They like speed bumps. They're everywhere. Seriously. No exaggeration. I mean, I understand being about safety and all, but EVERYWHERE?

* I have keys for everything in my apartment. Every room has a key. Even my living room and kitchen. So weird. My fridge has a key, my nightstands, dresser, vanity, and wardrobe (like a moveable closet) all have keys.

* The outside of my windows are dirty. I'd clean them, but alas, I can't. Not unless I wanna fall nine stories to my death. Nope. Windows will stay dirty. I wonder if they'll have window cleaners. Hmm...

Well, that's it for my first Friday Fragments.

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