The next morning, 14 Sept I was not in the greatest of moods to go downstairs and have breakfast. I am no way an early bird so my waking up at 6:30 is a miracle of my alarm clock. I tossed and turned and complained in my head, giving myself reasons why I have to get up. I first switched the television on to see if I received any notice on our departure to Al Ain. I wasn't too surprised to see that I didn't get any messages. I started to figure maybe we do have to wait 30 days until we get sent to Al Ain. A lot of teachers were saying the night before that we shouldn't complain but need to take advantage and think of it as a vacation. This idea didn't bother me a bit but I was a little worried of being behind the other teachers before us who knew where there schools were and my group wouldn't be prepared for training when school began which was 15 Sept.
I finally got myself up and went to the shower. I go downstairs and to my surprise the lobby is filled with teachers!! I'm like whats going on?!! I see teachers with their luggage. I almost have a panic attack. I go to the desk and they say some teachers are leaving and that's all they know. I go to some teachers and ask where are they going. They basically said Nirvana the company that bused us from the airport is taking the teachers to their proper cities. They showed me where the rep from Nirvana was standing. The teachers were frantically moving around. I couldn't believe no on called me and the front desk didn't send the message to my televsion. If I hadn't forced myself to come down for breakfast I would've missed my bus! I was so pissed off. I head over to Nirvana and the guy says sign in and mark where I'm supposed to go and my good name. I write it down and ask when we're leaving he said 11:00 am. Luckily it was around 7:00 am so I was able to eat breakfast go back up to pack the small amount of items I took out of my luggage. I come down with my luggage and place it with the others. I find some people to ask where they are headed. A lot of teachers were headed to Al Ain like myself. Some were staying in Abu Dhabi the lucky bastards. Others were going to towns way further than Al Ain so I felt appreciative I wasn't sent there. I decided to sit down next to a group of ladies I met before. They had all kinds of complaints. One was talking about how she still didn't get her luggage the airline lost. I felt sorry for her but I really didn't feel like hearing it so I moved to find an area that i can sit and be by myself. 11:00am came by really fast and Nirvana still wasn't here. No one was surprises. I decided to sit down with some other teachers who were headed to Al Ain. They just made a lot small chit chat of why they decided to come all the way here to teach. Most of them were laid off and hadn't worked for years while some just wanted a change. 14:00 came by and still nothing around 15:00 we finally saw the Nirvana rep come over. He said the buses were outside and we should all gather at the lobby. We all quickly walked towards the lobby with our luggage. I still was so surprised how some of the teachers had boxes of stuff with them. The Nirvana rep which I can't remember his name started to call teachers to direct them on which bus to get into. he was very soft spoken so teachers began talking and not paying attention. I thought how typical the Americans being rude while the teachers from the other countries are looking at us like we are crazy. So an older black teacher decides to take matters in his own hands. He starts yelling in his loudest voice. "Listen up y'all! We need to get outta here" so he starts repeating the names the nirvana guy says. He was trying to help and speed things up but a lot of teachers didn't like it. So when he called their names some teachers were like I heard you damn. It was really embarrassing for me so I tried to think of happy thoughts until my name was called.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Anticipation and worry
After having a great day at the forum and having a great meal. I decide to relax and go straight to my room. Even though I was worried about the new information I obtained about moving. I said goodbye to my friends but before I headed up to my room, I asked the front desk woman some questions. I asked how will i know when i'm moving to Al Ain.We were supposed to be moving the next day the 14th based on what other teachers were saying during the forum, at the restaurant and hotel. I was getting more worried because everything was heresay! I had no actual paperwork or email stating when the move would take place.
Also, Stella told me another thing i didn't know is that we had to get medicals done in order to start teaching and her group got them back recently. I thought it'd be a simple thing but she told me she was part of group three which came a two months before my group number four. She mentioned it took her a few weeks to get hers back. I was like wow so I won't be teaching for weeks?!
The lady told at the front desk told me i'd get a message on my television stating any changes or moves being made. She told me that everyone is supposed to be staying until the 30th of September. She had no clue as to recent updates and assured me that Nirvana would let her know. Nirvana just so happens to be the travel company who booked my ticket and never sent me the confirmation until I called them the day I was supposedly flying. She said she received no calls from them yet so I will be informed via the television. That gave me no comfort so I went upstairs to relax, make some calls and check my emails.
I made some calls and was able to check my emails and to my dismay this is what I read. See below: I took out who they were from because I don't want to get sued....they were from two separate individuals who were in different departments from ADEC (you can say my supervisors).
From: Travel 2010
Sent: Mon, September 13, 2010 9:14:28 AM
Subject: Are you in the UAE? - please reply
Good morning folks,
The academic year is about to commence and our very best wishes to all of you as you begin your ADEC adventure.
This email will reach people in varying positions. Some are looking for housing, some are looking for furniture, some are looking for schools for their own children whilst others are simply trying to find the schools in which they will be teaching. As I type this email I want to recognize that all are in rather precarious positions as change is taking many forms and change may seem to be the only current constant.
ADEC has many different departments and there are several lists floating around containing details of who is where and what has been organized for housing and bank accounts etc… This email is actually a simply one. Are you in the country or not? The question may sound remarkable and suggest a lack of intelligence on my part, however, I want to get this information directly from you as we have some staff that are still waiting, with award winning patience, on the other side of the globe. I want to ensure that all remaining LTs are sent tickets as soon as possible and this email will also give me a better idea of which emails are working so that we can repair any broken links in the chain of communication.
So in summary…
Please reply to this email stating
1. I am in the UAE
2. I am still waiting to enter the UAE
LT Support
Abu Dhabi Education Council
P.O.Box 36005
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 2 6150000
Fax: +971 2 6150500
email
Monday, September 13, 2010 3:03 PM
Evening all
Wow - what a day, what a show and... What a mighty impressive meal :)
I am having such a wonderful time getting to meet many of you in the flesh and loads of you have been very kind in your comments.
As a fellow teacher I am aware that a few misbehaving children in a class can receive a large amount of attention when there are many that are behaving in an exemplary manner but go unnoticed. This is a mass email but I want to express my heart felt appreciation for the huge number of you that have been kind, considerate, patient, willing to find humour in awkward situations and in general - the wonderful professional staff that we saw as shining lights when recruitment took place. You are noticed and even the silence when others may whine is noticed and appreciated.
I honestly believe you are coping with regular upheavals and changes in information with skill and politeness. The smiles and the knowing winks and nods make life so much more bearable for those of us trying to advocate on your behalf when meeting with the various departments in ADEC that control your living conditions and other details. We hope today's presentations excited you and gave you a bigger picture of the enormous scope of the task set before us, but also the passion with which our leaders want to support change and improvement.
I do want to make a special mention of the 36 teachers that missed the meal and presentation today. The powerpoint presentations are available on the ADEC website and I will invite you all for a meal when you arrive so that you at least get a bit of tucker after missing out on all the shenanigans today :) I hope you like barbecues hehe. My best friend is one of this final 36 so you an all see that there are no favours. We are simply doing all we can to get people into the country and out to their schools.
I have waded through 437 emails tonight but there are many questions that I have not been able to answer due to time constraints and my eyelids getting rather droopy. I will work on these concerns tomorrow morning when our team gets into the office. Housing, finances, transportation, placements and the flights for the final 36 are our highest priorities. The whole team is dedicated to making transitions as smooth as possible. If, however, you do not find transportation at your hotel tomorrow, I recommend taking one of these options...
1. Grab a taxi and hunt the school
2. Grab a bus and hunt the school
3. Join in with a group of people at an Abu Dhabi training session
And if those options all fall to pieces... Enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the pool
Wishing you all the best and thanks again,
Those emails upset me big time! How could ADEC be so unorganized?! They don't even know who's in the country and who is not? I was starting to get really worried they had no clue what they were doing. I kept wrestling in my mind that I am not in charge in this foreign country and I need to follow there rules. I can't expect everything to be perfect and done my way. The second lady said if I don't make it to relax and chill. It just didn't feel like the right answer. I decided to send out an email to the previous director about medicals and when do I actually leave the current hotel. I read some of the welcome papers from the orientations and realized that I HAD to be in Al Ain and my school for training! I felt a rush of urgency and thought that if I want answers then I have to take the initiative and make sure I don't look silly and be left behind. I didn't want to be the only silly head still at the hotel while everyone else was where they were supposed to be.
After sending the emails, I went downstairs and asked some friends and other teachers had they heard any new news. They said they were gonna be on the safe side by having all their things packed and keep checking with downstairs when they'd have to leave. I made a new (future) friend Lorna by talking to her and asking what school she was assigned. I found out it was the same school as mine! I was so relieved to find someone on the same boat as I was. She gave me the cold shoulder look initially like why are you talking to me but I continued to make conversation with her and asked to meet up with her the next morning and stick together.
Also, Stella told me another thing i didn't know is that we had to get medicals done in order to start teaching and her group got them back recently. I thought it'd be a simple thing but she told me she was part of group three which came a two months before my group number four. She mentioned it took her a few weeks to get hers back. I was like wow so I won't be teaching for weeks?!
The lady told at the front desk told me i'd get a message on my television stating any changes or moves being made. She told me that everyone is supposed to be staying until the 30th of September. She had no clue as to recent updates and assured me that Nirvana would let her know. Nirvana just so happens to be the travel company who booked my ticket and never sent me the confirmation until I called them the day I was supposedly flying. She said she received no calls from them yet so I will be informed via the television. That gave me no comfort so I went upstairs to relax, make some calls and check my emails.
I made some calls and was able to check my emails and to my dismay this is what I read. See below: I took out who they were from because I don't want to get sued....they were from two separate individuals who were in different departments from ADEC (you can say my supervisors).
From: Travel 2010
Sent: Mon, September 13, 2010 9:14:28 AM
Subject: Are you in the UAE? - please reply
Good morning folks,
The academic year is about to commence and our very best wishes to all of you as you begin your ADEC adventure.
This email will reach people in varying positions. Some are looking for housing, some are looking for furniture, some are looking for schools for their own children whilst others are simply trying to find the schools in which they will be teaching. As I type this email I want to recognize that all are in rather precarious positions as change is taking many forms and change may seem to be the only current constant.
ADEC has many different departments and there are several lists floating around containing details of who is where and what has been organized for housing and bank accounts etc… This email is actually a simply one. Are you in the country or not? The question may sound remarkable and suggest a lack of intelligence on my part, however, I want to get this information directly from you as we have some staff that are still waiting, with award winning patience, on the other side of the globe. I want to ensure that all remaining LTs are sent tickets as soon as possible and this email will also give me a better idea of which emails are working so that we can repair any broken links in the chain of communication.
So in summary…
Please reply to this email stating
1. I am in the UAE
2. I am still waiting to enter the UAE
LT Support
Abu Dhabi Education Council
P.O.Box 36005
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 2 6150000
Fax: +971 2 6150500
Wow - what a day, what a show and... What a mighty impressive meal :)
I am having such a wonderful time getting to meet many of you in the flesh and loads of you have been very kind in your comments.
As a fellow teacher I am aware that a few misbehaving children in a class can receive a large amount of attention when there are many that are behaving in an exemplary manner but go unnoticed. This is a mass email but I want to express my heart felt appreciation for the huge number of you that have been kind, considerate, patient, willing to find humour in awkward situations and in general - the wonderful professional staff that we saw as shining lights when recruitment took place. You are noticed and even the silence when others may whine is noticed and appreciated.
I honestly believe you are coping with regular upheavals and changes in information with skill and politeness. The smiles and the knowing winks and nods make life so much more bearable for those of us trying to advocate on your behalf when meeting with the various departments in ADEC that control your living conditions and other details. We hope today's presentations excited you and gave you a bigger picture of the enormous scope of the task set before us, but also the passion with which our leaders want to support change and improvement.
I do want to make a special mention of the 36 teachers that missed the meal and presentation today. The powerpoint presentations are available on the ADEC website and I will invite you all for a meal when you arrive so that you at least get a bit of tucker after missing out on all the shenanigans today :) I hope you like barbecues hehe. My best friend is one of this final 36 so you an all see that there are no favours. We are simply doing all we can to get people into the country and out to their schools.
I have waded through 437 emails tonight but there are many questions that I have not been able to answer due to time constraints and my eyelids getting rather droopy. I will work on these concerns tomorrow morning when our team gets into the office. Housing, finances, transportation, placements and the flights for the final 36 are our highest priorities. The whole team is dedicated to making transitions as smooth as possible. If, however, you do not find transportation at your hotel tomorrow, I recommend taking one of these options...
1. Grab a taxi and hunt the school
2. Grab a bus and hunt the school
3. Join in with a group of people at an Abu Dhabi training session
And if those options all fall to pieces... Enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the pool
Wishing you all the best and thanks again,
Those emails upset me big time! How could ADEC be so unorganized?! They don't even know who's in the country and who is not? I was starting to get really worried they had no clue what they were doing. I kept wrestling in my mind that I am not in charge in this foreign country and I need to follow there rules. I can't expect everything to be perfect and done my way. The second lady said if I don't make it to relax and chill. It just didn't feel like the right answer. I decided to send out an email to the previous director about medicals and when do I actually leave the current hotel. I read some of the welcome papers from the orientations and realized that I HAD to be in Al Ain and my school for training! I felt a rush of urgency and thought that if I want answers then I have to take the initiative and make sure I don't look silly and be left behind. I didn't want to be the only silly head still at the hotel while everyone else was where they were supposed to be.
After sending the emails, I went downstairs and asked some friends and other teachers had they heard any new news. They said they were gonna be on the safe side by having all their things packed and keep checking with downstairs when they'd have to leave. I made a new (future) friend Lorna by talking to her and asking what school she was assigned. I found out it was the same school as mine! I was so relieved to find someone on the same boat as I was. She gave me the cold shoulder look initially like why are you talking to me but I continued to make conversation with her and asked to meet up with her the next morning and stick together.
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