"i'm so confused!"

There is a good reason why I haven’t written in awhile. I’d like to keep it simple, but simple is just not an active part of my vocabulary these days. My mind is all in a muddle most of the time. Well, at least this country and I have something in common!

And for some reason, my title reminds me of John Patrick Shanley’s “Moonstruck,” so I’ll have you join in my confusion by making constant references to it, although it really has absolutely no bearing on the UAE or my experience here, except, perhaps, for it’s mooniness.

I think I hit on a key to “getting” the culture here: it’s a reactive society, not a proactive one. (Except if it’s behind the wheel in one of the many roundabouts!) I’m used to the western world value that a person’s work ethic is based partly on the ability to think ahead and plan for the “what ifs.” Things come together, eventually, but foresight is not a skill that lives here, except as an expat. It can be terribly frustrating for many of my collegues, and me too, with our western “plan ahead” ideals. It’s unfathomable that a whole country can function without having learned that ability. For example, on a recent evening, hundreds of teachers gathered happily, to get their apartment keys. It took about half an hour (and only five teachers) later for anyone to realize, "hmmm, at this rate, we'll be here until 10am.") Reactive decision-making, not proactive.

This is where I value the craft of teaching more than I ever have before. Some things don’t come naturally. Some things have to be taught.

Something someone said awhile back makes sense, and keeps me from losing my own cool: if someone here gives you their word that something will get done, it will definitely get done. I think what’s happening when people lose it, is that they don’t realize that. Things definitely have a different time table, but requests have not been forgotten! They just work on a different time table...and clock...and calendar...) The essence of time itself is different here. (“Why do you make me wait? It’s la bella luna! Aaaooooou!”)

There was a recent article in a local rag (which I’m reading a lot of now, since I pounce on any scrap of information I can get about this place.) A Taiwanese hospital basically kicked out some UAE patients, due to unpaid bills. Who was responsible for paying those bills? The gov. So, us teachers (also known by something like “habla,” and professors by “ustaad.” Hey, didn’t I write something about that...Sorry, another tangent.) Anyway, the teachers aren't the only ones waiting. (Waiting for passports...waiting for visas...waiting for paperwork to get internet, utilities, cars...waiting for money, keys, apartments...)So, anyway, it really IS affecting their relationships with the rest of the world, and that is a problem. Growing pains of a baby nation with massive britches.

I have an inner civil war occuring right now. I’ve been hired to bring in effective education. Cool. But, my being here, just my being in the presence of my wee ladies, changes their culture. It changes their perception of the world. Not wearing a shayla, and I’m not a scary monster. Worse, I’m actually kind of fun. It’s a threat. There are worse threats out there than me, perhaps, but those are on television and on the movie screen. I’m live theater.

I’m not the only one with an internal conflict. I’ve been given a classroom. I’ve been given a lovely place to live (soon), and nice hotels to live in until that can happen. I’ve been told by my principal that she wants us to be happy. (Imagine that. Human happiness as a priority.) I’ve also been told that if the student’s don’t love me, find another job. Love and happiness are more important than learning. That’s what I’ve been told. Hmmm. Does there have to be a divide? (“Somebody, tell a joke!”)

So, anyway, I’m highly, highly confused. They want me for my knowledge of western education, but they don’t want the western education...err, something like that...

Here’s a riddle for you all: what preserves a culture, all the while, allowing it to remain a major player in the global community? If you discover the answer, or even a clue, please post it on the blog! (Before it gets censored!!!)

Before I go off to plan another lesson (making predictions, text-to-self connections, perhaps,) a last quote from Shanley’s fantastic script: “We aren’t here to make things perfick. The snowflakes are perfick. The stars are perfick. Not us.”