RAK Days 12-14 My Hard weekend and First Teaching Day!

Well, Thursday night was pretty random! First went to Golf club to meet up with everyone and everyone was quite happily chilling out. Most staff were there and we all settled down for a few drinks. Then the guys from the Kayaking turned up and joined us. Rick and Bob, spent most of their time chatting with us whereas the younger lads headed off earlier. Between them they drove us all to the Sailing club which is a shack in the middle of nowhere close to where we live. We had a laugh there before eventually making our way home. I managed to get a lift with Rick at 2am, but others finally made it home, some walking back at 4am! So it was a good but pretty random night. I got a shock at how old Rick was as I thought he was mid 30’s and he turned out to be at least 46! But he was a good laugh and he’s going to arrange my PADI (diving) qualification once I have a group of 6-8 of us arranged.

So what did I do the on Friday, the first day of the weekend? Well, I got up late then grabbed a taxi with Dean and Michelle to head to Home Centre, got there to find it was closed until 7pm due to Ramadam! So we walked to Carrefour, then got a taxi back. Headed down to Hilton Beach club around 3pm which on foot was quite a challenge. Its only a 10minute walk but in the mid-day heat its a challenge and makes you feel like you’ve done a workout by the time you get there! Spent a few hours just chilling round the pool and feeling sorry for the poor people who were only here on holiday. Its mad when you sit surrounded by tourists who are trying to max their sun time before they go home so that they get a tan when we can go everyday and enjoy the facilities, sun, beach and pool! It’s such a hard life here!

Then got back home around 6:45pm and headed out for a taxi to Home Centre with Dean, Michelle and Tony at 7pm! I managed to pick up a few bits and pieces to help make the apartment feel even more like home. Managed in particular to get a wicker style drawer system, as I had no drawers for underwear and socks. But paid AED 90 for it which is about 17 euros! I reckon the same thing back home would have been at least 50 euros! Also got some really nice bedside lamps for AED 50 each which is about 10 euros! Their orange and now I no longer have to keep getting up to turn light off

Was back at apartments for around 8:30pm and headed straight out with Paul and Tony to head to the Corniche for food at Casears. We had a really nice meal here and there was soo much to eat and it came to around 13euros each! So eating out here is quite cheap as this is one of the more exclusive establishments in RAK! Then headed to the Hilton Town Hotel for drinks and bumped into John there! Got a shock at John’s age! Maybe its just me but the men here who are in their 40’s look like their in their 30’s! Maybe international teaching is the way to stay looking young! So we had a few drinks and left there around 1am!

Saturday (day 2 of weekend) was spent first being indecisive, as Michelle and Dean wanted me to join them at the Golf club to use the internet but I knew Roger and Kay had said they would ring if they were heading to beach and I was torn as I knew it wouldn’t be long before they rang. So I started walking to find taxi with them when Roger rang and said he would pick me up in 30mins. So I ended up heading back. Hence still no Facebook activity since I got here!

Roger and Kay picked me up around 1:45pm and we drove to the Hilton where I finally signed up and paid my membership fees! I then headed to the beach to spend time with them. We swam in the sea and saw fish swimming round us. Then as they were getting ready to leave, John turned up looking for me as he had brought his diving book down to show me. So we chilled out and then swam more in the sea. Finally, we headed towards the pools and there we bumped into a load of the others. Karen, Nancy, Tom (our principles son), Tony and the couple who live in our building who have a 7 month old baby, but whose names escape me at the moment. (Update: Vicky and Patrick)

Finally, around 7:30pm I headed back to the apartments with Tony.

So finally, today! Well today was my first teaching day. I had my tutor group all day. But it started with assembly and guess what! I hate the way new staff are always introduced to the school! Last year it was me mis hearing Claude’s surname this year it was another teacher who had Mac...... as a surname. Thankfully it wasn’t so obvious today! As we were standing up anyway I kinda went to wave and then realised and stopped! But I really hate how they do that and wish they would learn to speak more clearly! Bloody head teachers! LOL!

Anyway, I have 7D who are a really nice group. Although I do have one who I can see as a potential nuisance! He reminds me loads of Mark Sweeny! For those of you who are not Pennywell staff. Mark was in my GCSE class the 2 years I was at Pennywell and was always my nuisance not because he was nasty or a particularly naughty but because he was the class clown! I will never forget Sweeney and all his pranks..... grabbing my hand to his neck and pretending I was strangling him to him pretending he was masturbating in my lesson! And now I have this little un in year 7 who I wouldn’t put past him to turn into Mark in a few years time. So we’ve already had a little chat about the time and place for his humour! But I like my group and I reckon they’ll do me proud although they do have a hard act to follow after I had 8.1 last year!

Well, I got to go as off to Hilton for a swim before heading to Home Centre and Carrefour. Also, going to go to Starbucks to see if I can use their wireless internet so I can access Facebook and post some photos and email you all!

10:46 - Tuesday 25 May 2010