A slow start

Sept 12-13th was our Open House which went as well as it could go! It was interesting meeting the parents! Some came in fully robed, some with just the head scarves, and others with just their eyes showing! Not going to lie, being the presence of the fully dressed Qatari men is a bit intimidating (especially when they wear sun glasses!!) Anyhow, others came dressed in normal clothes, yet covering their elbows and knees. One thing I picked up on is that these parents are pretty demanding! They are wealthy and used to getting whatever they want. So some of the mom's came in with their maids and had the maids carry everything etc... wow I hope the kids don't expect ME to be their maid, because that won't be happening! :) It seems as though the 4th and 5th graders will be at a lower reading level than I am used to working with. I will have to grow into closing the communication gap...

School will not begin until Sunday, September 27th. Our school week is from Sunday to Thursday. We are just finishing the Ramadan holiday, which is where the Muslims fast and celebrate the end of their fast on Eid. Eid is celebrated on Sept 20th. I am lucky enough to be celebrating the holiday with some family in Cairo! I will spend a few days seeing the pyramids in Cairo and then take a few relaxing days on the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria! In addition, I am getting some real-life resources to teach my 4th and 5th grader Social Studies class all about Egypt and its history! Sounds like great planning to me!

A few terms I am trying to get used to:
Sheila
(Slang) The covering worn by women over their head. Also known as hijab or khemaar.

Thobe
Originally a word for the long flowing dress that Qatari women wear; now a days normally used for men's dress.

Abbayah (Abaya)
(Formerly called Aldaffah): a one piece cloak which covers the women from the top of their head to their toes.


I hope you all had a HAPPY HALF-Way to St. Patrick's Day!! Stay posted for pictures of my travels!

Cheers!