Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Revolution Anniversary

The Revolution Anniversary came and went without much disturbance to life in Egypt.  If you watched the news, Tahrir Square was packed with people again, but, it was very peaceful there.  Supposedly there were more people there this time then there were at this time last year.  We had heard rumors and speculation that there would be widespread demonstrations and to stay home and away from large groups of people, but, in the end, not much happened and the few injuries that did occur in Tahrir on Wednesday was due to mass amounts of people squished into an area not large enough to contain that many people. 

We had the 25th off in order to celebrate the Revolution.  In reality, we stayed home trying to recover from some very, very persistent colds.  Princess and Dimples have both had high temperatures this week, and it was a good day to rest.  Although, with little ones like we have rest is really a metaphor for stay at home and play.

The nursery school always does a great job preparing for events, and naturally, with the Revolution Anniversary this week, the nursery celebrated Egypt.  They made big hats that had the flag on them and made other flag type crafts.  The kids were all dressed up in red, black and white.  A couple months back the nursery had the kids make Egyptian Hieroglyph shirts, so it made sense for Princess to wear that to school with the rest of her outfit.  At the end of the day, she looked about ready to head to Tahrir for the celebrations.  Not that we would, but, she would certainly have fit in with the crowd.


When I saw Princess with her Egypt hieroglyphics shirt and flag hat it suddenly hit me that she is having a pretty amazing cultural experience.  She will grow (hopefully) to be a women that is very culturally diverse because of these experiences she is having at such a young age!  Not to mention, she is starting to pick up on some Arabic, which is only natural because she is so young and language develops best at this age...

And, to prove it, you just have to listen to Dimples talk.  I have no idea what he is saying when he is rambling on.  If we were in Winnipeg, it would be just baby talk, but here, when I watch his mouth and tongue move, I know he is speaking Arabic.  Arabic has many different sounds than English and forces your mouth, lips and tongue to  move differently.  It is amazing to watch his ramble on about his thoughts.  I just wish we could understand him more!  There truly has been a benefit with him spending 8 hours a day with an Arabic couple.  Yesterday, someone said something to Dimples in Arabic and he responded.  He is going to be one lucky guy, probably translating for mom and dad by the time he is 3. 

Other than that, the transition at school continues to roll along.  Exams are approaching and just like at home, the students are feeling the pressure.  They know that they will be challenging, but just like students everywhere, they are trying to find the easy way to write the exams.  Outside of the Egyptian ministry exams that the students have to write every year, the grade 7's are encountering Canadian curricula exams for the first time.  Should be an interesting experience for all involved.


Monday, January 23, 2012

Getting Settled

We have now been in Egypt for 5 months.  Where has the time gone?  When I look at pictures of the kids when we first got here, they look tiny!  Princess is quickly outgrowing many of her beautiful dresses and Dimples is talking up a storm.  So much can change in such a short period of time.  For those of you back home, our kids probably look like giants since they left.  For us, the change with them has been gradual, but from time to time, I get a glimpse of what was and what is yet to come.

The biggest change in the last week has been my teaching assignment change.  It was a whirlwind of emotion.  I never liked math when I was in school, and yet, when I taught it, I felt like a natural...I realize now that it is my teaching ability that was natural and my innate sense of life long learning got me through the math part. 

I have been in my new assignment for a week and have thoroughly enjoyed the pleasure of teaching in one room, teaching two classes of kids only, in only two subjects.  It is comforting to know that my classroom is my classroom and I do not have to share it anymore!  I can say that the transition has settled, that the students have adjusted and life can continue as normal.  The emotional freight train that plowed through my life last week has come to a halt and now, it is just me and the grade 7's.

It seems strange to think of getting settled.  When we were in Winnipeg, no matter where we lived, we always felt settled.  It did not matter what house we lived in, we had our routine.  Princess took dance and swimming, Dimples went wherever we went and we were settled in our church, and our jobs.  When we moved to Egypt we uprooted everything.  After being here 5 months we are just getting into the hang of some things. 

For example, today, when we picked Princess up from school she asked to go to a friends house and play.  I remember asking my mom the same question after school when I was little.  I do not know why it caught me off guard.  Of course I said yes, and Princess drove off with another little girl and her mom.  It was the first "play date" Princess has ever had without me being there, let alone, the first play date she has had since we moved to Egypt.  Sure, she has played with the kids on the street, but, this was half way across town.  It was a big step.  But, that big step is all a part of the process of getting settled.

When I look around our flat, I feel settled.  When I walk around our neighborhood, I feel settled.  At school I am so incredibly comfortable.  But culturally, I still feel a void.  We have started getting to know people, but, the Arabic language barrier has been an incredible challenge to approach.  I have always had a knack for picking language up in a hurry because I NEED to be able to talk to people, to get to know people and be involved in the lives of those around me.  But, all the languages I have ever tried to learn have been either phonetic, or had letters like in the English language.  If I can read it, I can pick it up relatively quickly.  Arabic script is beautiful but I cannot tell the difference between an A or a B in Arabic script.  I have had a couple of very interested students that have been teaching me colloquial Arabic, but that is the Arabic of the street.  Not "real" Arabic.

Not to say that I have not tried, but, in the process of getting settled, it continues to get pushed back to the dark, grey areas of my mind.  I do not think that I will officially feel settled until I can communicate with people on our street that cannot read or write.  But, in the meantime, we are as settled as we can be!  Bring on month number six and all its unexpected surprises that await us.  Perhaps I will pick up a few more words of Arabic, that would be a wonderful surprise!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Transition is Complete...

Today marked the first day of the teaching schedule change.  I said goodbye to my grade 8's and 9's in class on Sunday and today was the first time I would normally see them, but did not.  It was bittersweet.  Some of the grade 9's walked past my room while I was teaching the grade 7's.  They waved and smiled and carried on.  Some have mentioned that they missed me in class, which was considerate.  The reality is, that their life continues, as does mine. 

Teaching Social Studies has invigorated me.  It is a subject I was born to teach.  I love sharing ideas with kids, but having them take the ideas and manipulate them and develop philosophies and ideologies on their own.  Taking them out of the textbook is paramount and being abstract in thought has renewed my mind.

Although I enjoyed the black and white reality of math, the gray areas of social studies inspires me.  So, after teaching social studies all day, I feel inspired. 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Winds of Change...

This is to follow up on my last blog post.  The winds of change have swept through my classroom, my teaching schedule and the lives of my students.  The worst has past, but I dreaded today.

When I first arrived in Egypt, I was asked to change my teaching assignment because one of the teachers did not come to fulfill her contract.  She was supposed to teach grade 8, 9 and 10 math.  Me, being the life long learner and jack of all trades that I am, thought it would be a great opportunity to learn something new.  Not really thinking, I jumped at the opportunity to teach math.  It did not really occur to me that I had not taken a math class since grade 12 and that I had never taken any type of teaching mathematics methodologies in University.  I solely relied on my ability to teach.  The change was only temporary after all and the administration assured me that within 2 weeks - 1 month there would be a qualified math teacher at the school to take over where I left off.

I really did not know what to expect other than the change of my schedule to teach math was temporary.  A temporary change I could handle because as I looked at Unit 1 of the grade 9 math curriculum, I really had to practice to make sure I knew what I was doing.  There were ups and downs in the first two weeks of teaching grade 8 and 9 math, but, I have not learned so much in such a short period of time in a long time.  Two weeks passed and there was no new teacher.

So, I started investing time in making the classroom look nicer and more colorful.  I started collecting resources and getting settled in the 2nd of two classrooms I was working out of.  I continued to think that there would be a new teacher coming in a couple weeks and reminded myself not to get too comfortable because I was still teaching math "temporarily". 

Another 2 weeks passed and there was no word about a new teacher.  I had been teaching math for a month and was really starting to get the hang of things.  I was thankful for the pre-produced math homework books because they were a lifesaver.  I was almost through the first unit and I began to prepare the first test.  I had to think hard about that one...I had only written math tests, never created one from scratch.  But, again, I relied on my teaching experience and drafted a test that ended up being a big challenge for the students.  Lesson learned, I thought, but there would surely be a new teacher by the time I would have to write the next test. The administration continued to look for a new teacher, but, there was no one booking a flight so I continued to get comfortable.

Then two months passed.  I was set in my ways.  I had established routines, learned from mistakes and celebrated with the students when the grasped key concepts with ease.  I was getting comfortable and when I sent emails out with my teaching role under my name, "grade 7, 8 and 9 mathematics", I felt proud of myself and my job.  Sure, I made more mistakes than a veteran math teacher, but, I knew I was getting through to the kids.  Plus, I was getting a little attached to them.

Then three months passed and the second unit came to an end.  The students blew through the test with ease and I finally decided that perhaps I was doing a good job.  All along I had been teaching math to the best of my ability, staying a lesson or two ahead of the students.  But, they were being successful.  I had to be doing something right!  I was excited.  As more and more time passed by, the more I began to feel that the schedule change was permanent and that I would be doing it all year.  Perhaps I should not have started to think that way, but, I was really getting comfortable.

So this takes us to the beginning of December when I learned that they had hired a new teacher for grade 8, 9 and 10 math.  It truly is a wonderful thing for the students to get a qualified, expert math teacher.  I am excited to see where he will take them, not only this year, but in the coming years as well.  I have known about this impending change since the beginning of December and today was the day the students learned that I was moving to my original assignment.  It was only a matter of time before the change happened, but, it is amazing how comfortable you can become once you get settled.  I reminded them periodically that I was a "temporary" teacher for the class, but, I guess as time passed they also became more comfortable. 

So, I went to school today with my heart in my stomach, not really looking forward to telling the students that I have come to appreciate and respect.  Thankfully, the administration took care of the announcement and introduction of the new teacher.  And, at the end of the day, the students are still my students.  Although I will not be teaching them anymore, I am looking forward to seeing them in the halls, joking around with them and hearing how their classes are going.  I can still offer the sage wisdom that only I can share with them even though I will not be, "their" teacher anymore.  But, with the separation from the mathematics, I gain an adventure with Geography which truly excites me because it is something that I have actually studied and prepared to teach. 

The adventure has not come to an end, but a chapter has come to a close.  Farewell mathematics.  I have discovered a new found respect for you calculations and your formulas and I cherish the moments we shared together.  And, consider that, Confessions of a First Year Teacher...Number 1.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

A Whirlwind Week...

It has been awhile since I have updated the blog, but I assure you, we are all well!  We have had a very busy week and I finally have time to sit and share a bit of what has been going on.

Sunday marked the beginning of the school week for us.  Having 3.5 weeks off for the Holidays certainly has its advantages.  We loved the time off with family and traveling around Spain, but, I was ready to get back to classes.  Having been back in Egypt for a full week before classes started, Hubby and I spent some time reorganizing our classrooms and creating new bulletin boards.  It was actually really quite relaxing to work in a classroom that was extraordinarily quiet.  Princess was at school and Dimples entertained himself with the white board  and iPad.  But, being in my classroom without my students was not the way I like it.  I enjoy their chaos, their personalities and their humor.  It is them that makes the classroom what it is...not what I put on the walls, although, I do find the classroom esthetically pleasing.

I was thrilled to see the students on Sunday.  I could not wipe the smile off my face!  I did miss having them around.  I feel like I have had the chance to really get to know the students and as a result have a great rapport with them.  It certainly makes teaching them a lot easier when we all get along. 

However, one of my greatest strengths as a teacher can also be a great weakness.  Ninety percent of the time, it is a strength, the other ten percent of the time is emotionally draining.  This week represented a little bit of both sides which led to a particularly difficult end of the week.  I have always been able to get to know my students very well.  This is why they come and spend their lunch hours in my classroom, visit on their breaks and share both the happy moments of their days, as well as their sad moments with me.

So, when there is a lot of change in the lives of the students, or the class, or the dynamics of relationships, it becomes very emotionally exhausting.  There is a lot of change on the horizon, some of which has already come to pass, more of which is yet to come.  The coming week will prove to be challenging, as the biggest change occurs on Sunday, (more on this next week). 

I have been documenting my experiences as a first year teacher, so I may share some excerpts from my journal next week.  Consider them, Confessions of a First Year Teacher.

As for the rest of the family, Hubby is doing great, plugging away with his course load.  Princess loves school and cannot wait to go there everyday.  She passed her assessment so she is able to enter into the "big" school next year for JK and Dimples will *gasp*, start school on February 1st.  He will be two months shy of being two years old and starting school full time Sunday - Thursday.  That idea boggles my mind!  But, when I see how much Princess has developed academically over the last 4 months, I cannot wait to see what will happen to the little man!

Some people have asked me about how our children are handling such an intense school experience so young.  As I mentioned, Princess loves it.  Going to school is her favorite thing in the world to do.  To set the scene a little bit, the school she attends looks like any other school, except every classroom looks like a Kindergarten classroom.  They learn numbers, shapes, letters and basic math.  They color, they play and they sing songs.  The teachers challenge the kids to accomplish great things and meet the kids where they are at.  Princess speaks English as her first language and many of the kids in her class do not, so the teacher gives her more challenging things to do and tends to have higher expectations of her. 

I am unsure as to what Dimples' class will look like or what they do in his class, with his age of children.  We will have to wait and see for that one. 

Am I a bad mother because I send my kids to such an intense learning experience so young?  I do not think so.  They are learning, they are developing AND, they are learning to speak Arabic, which is much more than I can say for myself.  I know that they would learn and develop if they were at home, full time with me.  But, when Princess wakes up in the morning exclaiming, "School Today, YAY!" I cannot help but smile.


Sunday, January 1, 2012

Feels Like Home


Our trip home to Egypt was LONG!  We woke up at 4:30 Madrid time to go to the airport for our flight to Barcelona.  The flight was the shortest one Hubby had ever been on.  An astounding 50 minute flight landed us in Barcelona at 8 AM.  We had a 6 hour layover before our flight to Cairo.  Although it was a long time to wait, I felt that it moved quickly and the kids kept themselves entertained with a suitcase full of Barbies, Cars, and Books.  People that watched them were entertained by the curiosity and each time a plane took off Princess thought that it left without us.  

Once we boarded the plane to Cairo we were pleasantly surprised to find that the flight would take just over 3 hours instead of just over 4 hours thanks to 146 km/hour tailwind.  Princess fell asleep for 2 hours shortly after the take off and Dimples had fun with the ladies in the seat behind us.  Once Princess woke up she was thoroughly entertained by a Pilot that was in the back of the plane catching a ride home.  He told her wild tales of traveling and flying.  She did not want to go back to her seat for landing.  I was so incredibly thankful for the uneventful flight.

It is amazing how much you forget when your body and mind are exhausted from traveling.  I do not remember much of our arrival at the airport in Cairo other than buying our entry visa at a bank and going through customs.  I certainly did not remember taking a bus off the tarmac to the terminal.  But, all that aside, we got our entry visa, quickly made it through customs.  They asked us absolutely no questions at all.  There were 7 people at the booth and they were all fascinated by Dimples who was about ready to fall asleep as he not really slept since 5 AM.  We waited for what seemed like an eternity for our luggage and then only 2 bags came.  We waited and waited and the third bag and the stroller had yet to come onto the belt.  Just as Hubby went to make a claim the bag and stroller popped out onto the belt.  We were ready to leave.  

Although we have only lived in Cairo for 4 months, it felt like we had returned home; especially when we walked into our flat.  There is something endearing about the honking and crazy traffic. 
Today is a day of grocery shopping and laundry...we may just have to purchase another drying rack for the tremendous amount of dirty clothes that we have.  Dimples is getting his last Christmas present today.  He will finally get his soccer ball.  I fully expect that he will be outside for the remainder of the day!

Our Portugeuse Adventure


Since we were so close to Portugal, we decided to load up the van and take the 641 km trip to Lisbon.  We did not really know what to expect when we got there, but decided that we may regret not taking the trip if we did not go.  I knew there were some interesting castles, churches and monuments in Lisbon, so we left early in the morning on the 27th.  Since the drive would take us a good part of one day, we booked an inexpensive hotel in the downtown area for one night.

The drive was beautiful.  The hills and mountains were everywhere and there were cows, sheep, goats and horses roaming the fields freely.  As we moved toward the Portugal/Spain border the architecture of the homes and buildings started to look more “Spanish”.  Madrid is beautiful, but since our hotel was in a newer area of the city, the architecture is more modern.  

There is an open border between Portugal and Spain so we did not have to stop.  I was a little disappointed because I would have loved to get another stamp in my passport, but, not waiting in a line was great.  The toll was unexpectedly high, but that was okay too.  The kids were great on the drive there.  They alternated who played with the iPad and Princess entertained us with renditions of Old Macdonald Had a Farm. 

There is a huge bridge that takes you into Lisbon.  To the right there is a massive stature of Jesus with his hands raised, similar to the one in Brazil.  The view of Lisbon as you enter on the bridge is absolutely breathtaking.  Stark white buildings with bright red clay roofs dot the horizon.  The bright blue ocean waters surrounding the city complement the white and red to create this beautiful view.   All I could say was, “Wow!’.  I got excited because I knew that we had made the right decision to take the drive to Lisbon.  

As we got closer to our hotel however, I was starting to wonder if we should have gone.  The buildings were in need of serious repair and there was vandalism everywhere.  When we pulled up to the hotel, I became even more concerned because the neighborhood seemed sketchy.   Hubby went in checked in and we took our bags up.  It is true what they say; “You get what you pay for”.  The room was not that bad overall.  It was small, and the staff put two extra beds in the room for the kids.  But, the beds were uncomfortable and the lighting left much to be desired.  It was more like a hostel.  For one night, it would be okay.  For a longer stay, it may have been a nightmare!

We left the hotel to take a walk around the area.  Many of the “touristy” things to do were less than a kilometre away.  As we walked, the area still seemed sketchy.  I did not fear for my safety at any point, but the city felt dirty, smelled like urine, and there were drunk people walking around and prostitutes on the street corners...in broad daylight no less.  No one bothered us and we eventually got to a more touristy are.  We found signs to St. Jorge castle and wandered over there.  The vandalism kept appearing everywhere and Princess scolded the people who wrote on the walls.  This is where she learned the word vandalism...but with her it sounds more like Andawism.  She still struggles with her l’s.  There were some massive staircases that we had to trek up with the kids to get to the castle.  So, if you are traveling with young children and find yourself in Lisbon, prepare for the stairs.  Our stroller is super light, so Hubby carried it up, and the kids made their way up themselves...which in itself is pretty impressive; especially for Dimples.

The first stairway.  Dimples mastered this one.


Dimples needed some assistance on the second set of massive steps.  Princess came down to get us.
A side street view from a higher elevation.  The ocean is in the background.
Princess was in a photogenic mood.  She found multiple unique places to take a photo.

After visiting the castle which was nothing more than an eroded and falling apart edifice to St. Jorge, we opted to head back to the hotel.  The castle did boast some excellent views of Lisbon, but I had read that the sight of the castle itself was not worth the money to explore, so we did not go in, and I am glad because the kids were hungry. 
 
The night was a bit of a disaster.  Neither kid wanted to go to sleep and ended up in the little double bed with us.  Dimples fell out and the morning could not have come soon enough.  The hotel offered a light breakfast which was nice.  We checked out and headed on our way.  We were a bit disillusioned by Lisbon as the initial Wow! factor had vanished.

Thankfully, as we entered another area of downtown, our faith was restored.  Although many buildings were started to lose paint and require some restoration, the area was very beautiful, with gleaming cobblestone roads and paths, immaculate monuments, statues and fountains. The waterfront was nice as well, with the highlight being the massive monastery.  We drove out to see the Aqueduct, but this Aqueduct was neglected in comparison to the Aqueduct in Segovia.  However, it was still magnificent.  The only complaint I would have about this part of Lisbon was that there were many beggars and drug dealers that pestered us.  One drug dealer walked up to us with a loaded syringe...and we had our kids with us!  I had heard that this is a problem in some areas of Lisbon, but figured we would be left alone because we were with kids.  Sadly, I was wrong.

Panoramic View of a main square.
Princess at the Waterfront. 

The street view by the monastery and park.

Dimples and Mama by the water.  He likes to touch my face.

The MASSIVE monastery.
We found the kids an excellent playground to run around at which for them was the highlight I am sure.  Princess even climbed the “rock” wall by herself that kids twice her age were struggling with.  The more I watch her, the more I realize that she will be an adrenaline junky searching out the next big thrill.  Perhaps she will be the one I skydive with one day!

In May Princess was afraid of anything that moved when she walked on it.  Now she is the master of the swinging bridge.

Dimples saw the park and took off running!
We headed back to Madrid in the late afternoon feeling that the trip to Lisbon was worth it.  If we had not gone, we would have wondered what it would have been like.  It would have been nice to have a little more time there as we did not see some attractions.  Although Lisbon did not meet the original Wow! factor, it was still a great place to visit.  It did not make it into my Top 10 Cities to Visit list, but my curiosity has been satiated.