Choirs on the Horizon?

Hi team! So it's been a while... I guess I've just gotten lazy with the updates. I have settled into a routine, which renders me incapable of anything but blobbing out in my spare time. Okay, so that's not entirely true, I do get up to other things, but honestly I haven't felt like my day to day life has been worth blogging about recently. However, in the last few days I was swapped with teaching assistant from a year 1 class, so that changed things up a bit. It was kind of amazing to see the effect that just one more year of school has on a kid - compared to Foundation, these students were following both written and oral instruction a lot more smoothly. I could have slightly more sophisticated conversations with them, and found them to be more independent - sometimes I was at a loss of what to do, because they needed little guidance. This meant that I was primarily photocopying, guillotining, and gluing worksheets or just providing positive feedback and answering the odd question. To be fair though, the Foundation class I have spent most of this year with have had a lot of disruptions to their routine due to staff coming and going. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my little Foundation kiddies, and I will miss them: I have just found out that I'm moving to a different Foundation class instead. I have also been told (after 2 months of silence on this topic) that I will in fact be starting the choir/s up too...which I am now kind of nervous about for a few reasons:

1. I had pretty much given up on the idea that it was happening because of how late in the academic year it is, and had stopped planning for it.
   
2. It sounds like I will be the sole person in charge, and the school haven't had choirs before so there is no actual framework or predecessor to ask about the logistics of it all.
   
3. I'm kind of intimidated by the older students, purely because I am aware that I may not look old enough for them to have the same respect for me as they would for the average staff member
   
4. It's a private international school that costs a lot of dolla dolla so all the parents I'm sure would have high expectations of a choral programme...did I mention I don't know what I'm doing?
   
5. Who da fuqq is going to be the accompanist? It sure as hell can't be me...

That being said I am excited about it all, I just hope I am supported, rather than thrown into the deep end and expected to figure it out on my own. If I'm going to do this, I want to do it well. I want to prove that I can bring something to this school, despite being so young. Being a member of a choir is VASTLY different to directing/leading/conducting a choir. On top of that, choosing repertoire that is simple enough for 5/6 year olds, yet appealing to much older students too will be challenging.

Funny story, earlier this month we were having a bit of a "rainy" period. I should clarify that this "rain"from the students' perspective was more like light spitting to a New Zealander. My kids were getting so excited and hyped up about the weather, saying they couldn't go outside because of the rain etc. One little girl even worryingly called it a storm, which was hilarious. Of course I consoled her and told her that no, this was not a storm. That weather is long gone though, and now it's getting to the point where it's too hot and sticky to sleep under the covers at night, and I don't think I'll be able to get away with not using the air conditioning at bedtime much longer. But as people keep reminding me, I ain't seen nothing yet.

Ugh, why is my go to topic a new commentary on the current weather here. I'm such an old hag.

Also, some of these worksheets are baffling. Some very important vocab for kids here.

Night Clubbing?

So I've had a few nights on the town...and it is strange to have waited so long to be of legal drinking age in New Zealand, only to move to a country where the age is 21 years. However, apparently no one bothers to ID minors (particularly white female minors, like myself) and if a bouncer or bartender asks your age, as long as you tell them you are 21, you are believed. It is madness I tell you! But oooh those cocktails were good. In hindsight, it is quite a different feeling going to bars/clubs when you are in a foreign country, underage and with family and other-people-that-they-know-but-you-don't-know, compared to with friends and you are legal in your own country. All part of the experience I suppose.

I go back to work tomorrow, and while I'm not excited about resuming the 6am starts, I am happy to get back into some kind of routine. Also, boringly, I'm keen to set up a Bahrain bank account so I can begin to transfer my savings and see some tangible money-making, as opposed to wads of cash.

This feels like quite a bland blog post, but I guess the mundane will be interesting to at least my parents. Better short and sweet than long and...not sweet?

If you're interested, please check out my channel where I'm trying to upload vlogs frequently. As they say, a picture paints a thousand words, so a video must paint a million pictures, right? Below is my most recent vlog: a short lil tour of the mosque I visited.

It's Raining Free Money?!

As the saying goes, money doesn't grow on trees...but as I discovered today, on occasion it does fall from trees. And observation towers. 

Today we went to visit the Bahrain fort, which I'd been to once before a few years ago, and it was fascinating. Getting to walk through and observe the over 1600 year old fort is a breath-taking experience. (Not to mention windy and a bit cold, in the winter months.) 

Top level of Bahrain fort

A well with Arabic inscriptions, inside one of the lower rooms

Then we went to Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Park (lengthy title, I know.) This place was so beautiful and scenic. It also had lots of things to see and do, like paddle boats, bike hire, concerts, cafes, playgrounds, and a conservation tower.

Prince Khalifa Observation Tower and Play Area (not my image)

The most bizarre thing I think I have witnessed since arriving in Bahrain was the sight of people dropping little parachutes of cash from the top of the observation tower. It honestly took my brain a few minutes to try to understand why anyone would give away free cash. I watched people frantically scrambled to catch the bundles as the wind steered them slowly down to the ground. Initially it was quite an exciting event - and I am told that the bundles contained between $30-50BD each, which is $120-200NZD. However, I soon felt sick. Little kids were getting trampled and shoved out of the way as butch men and teenage boys practically wrestled for the cash. I witness one 8 or 9 year old boy sprinting, his eyes so locked on the falling bundle that he tripped and smacked his face into the side of the pavement. Meanwhile adults were screaming and jumping with excitement, and snatching cash out of each others hands. One bundle even got caught in a date tree and sent a construction worker climbing up the trunk to snap off the huge leaf that the package was snagged in. It was a REALLY high climb (maybe one and a half storeys?), and he could have really hurt himself - especially as date tree trunks are like palm trees and have no branches to rest on.

I failed to catch any free money, but I honestly think that if I had managed to grab a bundle I would have had it snatched from me, simply because I'm weak and small in comparison to the men who were winning the lots. Perhaps the most dehumanising part was that there were several cameramen set up to capture all the madness, I imagine to broadcast it for people's entertainment. The whole event was actually kind of terrifying, because it showed just how primal people can be, even in 2016.

Or maybe I'm getting too philosophical, I don't know.

Hitting the 1 month milestone

Today marks exactly 4 weeks since I departed Wellington, and in this time I have done a lot of firsts. In particular, it has the longest amount of time I have been away from home. I thought this post would be well spent in reflection, to kind of digest the month past and the things to follow. There are a lot of things I already miss about New Zealand, but also, many things I am embracing about Bahrain. In writing this, I don't mean to sound ignorant or ungrateful of the opportunity I have been presented this year, because I am so so lucky - I just see it as important to document my experiences honestly and openly.

Okay, formal disclaimer over. Sorry guys. In a nutshell, the things I am missing are:

1. the ability to connect with friends and family in the same way (though to be honest, I think pretty much all my friends will be dealing with this sooner or later, if they aren't already)
2. public transport, like buses, trains, and even walking - really, just the independence of being able to get myself places without relying on another person. That really hasn't been possible here, because there is no public transport, very little pedestrian access to anything, and Amwaj is fairly isolated from everything else.
3. having relationships with people my own age (asdfghjklweytuiosjf)
4. anything and everything that relates to sustainability: the ability to recycle, op-shops and second hand purchases etc.
5. 7.30am starts - honestly, that sounds like a dream now. I didn't appreciate them last year, but little did I know being up at 6am every weekday would become my reality. I feel like a toddler, going to bed at 8pm every night.
6. singing in a choir
7. JJ! I'm so scared she won't remember me when I return :(

And on the other side of the coin, the new experiences and things that I love and am embracing are:

1. Supporting myself financially (minus the free accommodation). I actually really enjoy grocery shopping for myself and being able to go out and buy things that I desire. At the same time, I'm taking it fairly seriously, because I'm tracking my spending and setting myself saving goals to achieve every month.
2. Meeting people of all different cultures, backgrounds, religions and walks of life. I'm so willing to learn all I can about other people and the ways in which they view the world. Incomprehensible accents and cultural misunderstandings are often hilarious, but always fascinating.
3. Spending time getting to know my dad's side of the family - who up until now, I only saw sporadically, for a few weeks once or twice a year. Now I see them all the time, and it's great! It feels like Harrison has become my cheeky little brother.
4. the backyard entrance to the beach. So gorgeous. I can't wait until it heats up a bit.
5. Exploring a foreign land, so to speak. Learning the ways that other cultures live, and discovering the differences between New Zealand and other parts of the world.
6. living independently from my parents. I love my mum and dad, but it really does feel so good to have this new freedom, where I'm making all the choices for myself.
7. my ensuite bathroom. Lol, how superficial - but it is truly supercalifregilisticexpialidocious.

That's the extent of my thoughts for now, and it is hard to believe it has been a month. In a lot of ways, it feels like it has gone by quite quickly, but in others, I feel the gaps of what I can no longer do while I am here (as mentioned above). Having said that, I am so excited for what is to come, and I feel so thankful for this experience!

Thanks for reading. 

Also, it's الجمعة, الجمعة, gotta get down on الجمعة.

Learning about Islam

Bahrain accumlulates a lot of litter. It's so sad. There are no public rubbish bins anywhere, which is half the problem. I am taking up the challenge of trying to gather the rubbish on the beach outside my house and other nearby places. There is a gorgeous route around the Amwaj Islands that I have been jogging. It goes over 4 different bridges and all the buildings you pass are so gorgeous. Amwaj is so small that it's only about 5km to do a loop around it.

I was talking to the teacher support I work alongside in my class, and we were talking about sports. I mentioned how I played football, and she explained that she always wanted to play but over here it's considered a boys sport traditionally and it would have been frowned upon for her to do so. I found that really sad, and it had never even crossed my mind that some cultures attach a gender to certain sports. I also witnessed a woman praying silently in the staffroom, which was new to me but pretty cool I thought. I had assumed that they would pray solely in prayer rooms, mosques, or the privacy of their own homes, but apparently Muslims pray anywhere and everywhere! Five times a day, a prayer call can be heard all over the country and that signals a new portion in the day in which to take 5-7 minutes out of the day to pray a set prayer for Allah. The first few times I heard it (in supermarkets, out walking, in my bedroom etc) I was a little confused and amazed that it was broadcast everywhere, but now I'm used to it.

Typing my Arabic name

I downloaded an Arabic keyboard on my phone and it is super cool dawg. The thing is, just as I'm learning their alphabet in order, the keyboard is NOT in order (similar to the QWERTY keyboard) so that's tricky.

Nestled between the prestigious private school and a number of fancy restaurants, there is a slum, where some of the poorest here live. It is so tragic, and I must say that the placement of the slum is bizarre. It's on an empty little lot beside the back entrance of the school.

At the end of the week, our class teacher had to sort things with her passport, so me and the other teaching assistant were left in charge of 26 five and six year olds for two days. Neither of us have teacher training, but it was lots of fun, and we managed. I ran an art activity and read the kids a book - things the class teacher would normally do. 

I visited the great mosque after school on Thursday, a great way to end the week. They give free tours to the public every day except Friday (their holy day). It was so fascinating to see inside such a prestigious mosque. I got to witness the afternoon prayer taking place, and the tour guide gave us some wonderful insight into her Islamic culture and tradition. I learnt that the name "Allah", which nowadays only really refers to the Muslim God, originally meant the one true God in Hebrew - and the original biblical text referred to God as Allah. I also learnt about how and why Muslims pray at five distinctive times during the day and that they believe Jesus was one of many prophets sent from God, but they do not believe in the trinity. The inside of the mosque is not decorated with any pictures or paintings of prophets or interpretations of God, because they believe no one has ever seen God, he is beyond our perception and imagination - which is a powerful idea. I see many similarities between Islam and Christianity (though there are obvious differences too) and I learnt that Muslims believe that all religions believe in the same God - and the differences between them are just human error. I also found out that 85% of Muslims are not Arabs - which definitely surprised me. I am so glad to have had this opportunity to learn more about Islam - and the tour guide invited us back for the celebratory Eid in July, after the fasting month of Ramadan. 

Traditional abiya and headscarf

A very excited Abby, with Annabelle and Marlene at the Great Mosque

Thanks for the read, and I hope all is well back home! Also, stay tuned for my vlog about the mosque.

Playground Romance

Since starting work, I've been going to bed so early. Because I have to get up at 6am every weekday morning, I have been going to bed consistently between 8-8.30pm every night, which I hadn't been doing since I was about 10 years old. It's kind of therapeutic in some weird way. Even then, I find myself almost dozing off on the car ride home at 2.30pm! What can I say? Kids take it out of you! On that note, the last few weeks have been particularly eventful. One kid wet himself two times, apparently because he was scared of one of the kids in his class who was milling around the bathroom, so he didn't go. Another kid (who I suspect may have some undiagnosed ADHD or something similar) attacked me a few times, resulting in me picking him up and holding hands together to prevent him from ripping my hair out, while he growled at me (?). On a happier, and more adorable note, two fairly withdrawn and stand-offish kids became "boyfriend and girlfriend" and they have not stopped holding hands and hugging each other in the last few days. Oh my goodness, me and the other TA have been fan-girling over the cuteness overload. (Might I add, this is the same boy who wet his pants - he's basically a lady-killer. He kept smiling at her and then looking smugly at me, like "are you jealous?")

Meanwhile, I've thrown myself head first into learning Arabic, by a combination of attending Arabic class with the students, and independent learning both online and with printed worksheets. YouTube has a plethora of resources - and the ones aimed at kids are honestly the best. The Arabic teacher starts every lesson with this song and oh my goodness it's so catchy, it's basically my anthem.


I seriously have to go to bed now...at 8:09pm. Goodnight!

Creepy Dudes and Censorship

It's been exactly one week since I arrived on Bahrain soil (sand) and while there are many wonderful things about this country and the opportunities I have had, there are also some injustices I am only just discovering. I thought everyone had heard enough of my gloating posts about all the cool things I get to do for a little while (even though the good most certainly out-weighs the bad) and I wanted to share some of the things that have surprised me about Bahraini culture.

Firstly, driving over here is ridiculous - not to mention dangerous. Nobody bothers to indicate, and if they do, you know the driver is most certainly an expat. On one afternoon drive back from work I saw one car get so impatient with the after school traffic that they drove to the edge of the road, between the space where the road side ends and the barrier begins, and they just drove down the side until they got to the front of the traffic. Let me just I clarify: they were not even driving in an actual lane! Speeding is fairly normal, car crashes are common, and when I walk down most main roads I feel like I am walking beside a motorway. When I was walking to the Marina market this afternoon, in the space of five minutes, two cars beeped at me, and one car SLOWED DOWN while the driver tried to coax me to get into his car for a "lift". Another thing which shocked me was the lack of regard for pedestrians: while they have pedestrian crossings, they might as well not be there because nobody stops for people waiting. This will surely take a lot of getting used to...

Secondly, once I arrived at the Marina market, I walked around the stalls, listening to the music blasting through the speakers, when Macklemore's Same Love comes on. Or so I thought it was... It turned out to be a remix which completely destroyed the original song's premise: advocating for LGBT rights and in particular, gay marriage in the US (the song was written a few years before gay marriage was legalised there). The remix began with the song's chorus sung by a male (instead of a female):

And I can't change

Even if I tried

Even if I wanted to

And I can't change

Even if I tried

Even if I wanted to

My love, my love, my love

She keeps me warm (x4)

As you can imagine, while that didn't surprise me, it did upset me a bit - it's such a brilliant song and the remix didn't make logical sense at all... what can't a heterosexual male change about his relationship? Being straight? There are close to zero love songs about LGBT relationships thus far, so why spoil a perfectly wonderful one? Why not just avoid playing it...?

Anyway, besides those cultural differences that are challenging for me, I'm having a wonderful time and am looking forward to the week ahead. I hope this post wasn't a downer, but I want to record all aspects of life here in my blog, not just the wonderful stuff.

The Lagoon - 15 minute walk from my home

Thanks for reading!

Abz