Update

I have to start by apologizing! My last post was in September and here we are in December! Oops! So much to fill you in on so I can tell you what I'm doing now. I'm going to go month by month.

September

September began with our school being renovated. Renovations lasted all of September and if I'm brutally honest renovations are actually still happening.

I tried to do more healthy eating and I tried my first Spin class at this gym called The Room. I like working out but my butt and that bicycle seat DID NOT get along. Thus that will probably be my last spin class! LOL!

October

In October, I did another round of the smoothie cleanse and I was very pleased with my results! More so than the first time.

Mike and I went to an Oktoberfest event and we had a really good time. It was smaller than what I pictured in my mind but it was really fun! It was held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.

So many people tell me that I talk a lot about what I do outside of school but don't talk about school much. Well, because being a teacher here is....DIFFERENT to say the least. A school was closed and so that school has combined with my school. The students from the other school are quite different from the boys that I had last year. They "found" a hurt bird and during the break they tried to "nurse" it back to health. The feet you see is that of a teacher protecting the bird.

I have been trying to do different things with my hair. Below is 1 day when I was "feeling" myself.

November

November was a busy month!

November began with Flag Day. If you've been following this blog you probably remember me talking about Flag Day last school year and how big of a deal it is. Nothing changed! If anything, it seemed to be a bigger deal now! 

Working in a Muslim country has made me appreciate cultural differences. We have a large area for teachers to work in and one thing that will catch someone unsuspecting off is if it's prayer time there could possibly be someone praying. You don't have to stop what you're doing to pray. You don't have to be silent. You just have to respect that they are praying and move on. The first time I saw that I was taken aback because in the U.S. prayer is not allowed in schools by children and most definitely not the adults!

My little brother got married this month. So, I ventured back home because I was not going to miss that.  It was a wonderful time and I was so glad I got to see my brothers, my Dad, and some friends and family. I don't think I'll be going back home again until 2020 but you never know. My little brother asked me to do the Mother-Son dance in memory of our Mom...(cue the water works)... well we had to add a little flair to it. See below!

While I was home I surprised the dance team and it was sooooo good to see them and dance with them even if for a very short time!

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I did my first 5K! Let me clarify though! 5K Walk! It was great. Mike and I had never done a 5K and I was so proud of us. There were so many people. The only negative thing I have to say about this event was the water stations all ran out of water! How?!?  On the positive side if you know me, you know I LOVE STILTS! And there were some stilt walkers before the walk began. Talk about overjoyed!

I really am trying to take charge of my health so my friend, Jennifer and I, went to a fitness festival. It was a great experience. They gave out free passes to gym classes, they offered workout sessions, and my favorite was the cooking class which I think we won but they wouldn't declare a real winner. We made fish cakes with tartar sauce and they were delicious! I really am going to add that to our menu in 2019.

I was invited to my first lunch at an Emirati's home. They had so much food just for me. I couldn't believe that they went through all of the trouble and the food was great too. She served Biryani which is rice and chicken (it could be any meat). She also had fresh mangoes, a salad called Tabbouleh that has quinoa, lettuce, and a sauce. It was good too. We ate on the floor which is how her family eats and it was a very enjoyable time. She also offered to teach me Arabic. I can't wait!

November ended with National Day! National Day is where the UAE celebrates becoming 1 country made up of 7 emirates. National Day is a BIG DEAL! Below are some pictures from my school celebration. The women are cooking Luqaimat. They are like doughnuts with honey and sesame seeds. They are my absolute favorite! I know I ate at least 10 of them that day!

December

December was pretty slow. School slowed down because it was Exam Time. The kids' last day was December 12. Staff's last day was December 20. 

The one highlight in December was one of my favorite cousins took a cruise out of Dubai and it stopped in Abu Dhabi! Mike and I took her around the city to see some of the must see attractions. I really enjoyed her and I invited her back anytime!

And that does it. You're all caught up. You need to be caught up because of what comes next! 

VACATION!

Stay tuned to see where we are vacationing for the next 10 days!