So much to say

Here is my school! Omair Bin Yousef

There’s a lot to write about. I often think about a new update, and whether it should be funny, inspirational, philosophical, or personal opinion! There is so much to say. But today I will share a story that could quite possibly spark all those in one.

This week was my first full week of school. Minus Tuesday when I had to go get finger printed and a mug shot for an U.A.E. card. I really got to see and be with my class of 50 for a few days. The way it works is I have a class of 25 and another class of 25. They are referred to as 1.1 and 1.2. The boys come at different times for a total of 6 periods. I have 1.1 most mornings and 1.2 in the afternoons. Although it changes on me a bit! Still figuring that out.

Today, I was brave and tried to have the boys who were done with their ‘A’ worksheet, read a small letter book with pictures in the back of the room consisting of ‘I can see an ant’ ‘I can see an airplane’ ‘I can see an abaya.’ They do no understand most of what you’re saying so you MUST act/show/animate/yell/sing to show them to get them to know what you want them to do. So I did using about 3 words and they did what I asked. A whole lot of boys were still working and all of a sudden I hear an Arabic word being yelled. I have no idea what it is, so I say ‘La’ which means no and then said “sit down” then the boy (don’t know his name…Mohammed something I’m sure) pointed and yelled “Miss Emily, Miss Emily.” So I looked at my feet and there it was… a HUGE cricket. I screamed with shock and the whole class got quiet and then laughed at myself. Now it’s not like I was afraid of it, I mean I lived in the Mods while going to school at APU for goodness sake and crickets were a normal part of living. But I had no idea what to do. I quickly thought to myself KILL IT. Then immediately realized, oh no what if culturally you don’t kill bugs in the room!! Hahaha you always have to be careful what you do and say here. So I hovered my cute sandal over it and said ‘yes, yes” showing to kill it. And the whole class said “yes, yes Miss Emily”…so I did!!

EWWWW it was huge and I had a very thin sandal bottom so I felt it and we all heard it ;) There are no sinks, towels, Kleenex at all in the classroom, so I pointed to a “good” kid and began to point to the bathroom in the hall and acted out the whole thing with my hand while keeping my foot up with the dead cricket on it!! No one had any idea what I was even doing!!! I laughed a bit to myself and was smiling a lot cause this whole situation was ridiculous! I couldn’t tell them to run to the bathroom and get toilet paper to wipe it up. At one point a boy looked at me and made a face then went close to the cricket to pick it up with his hands! I yelled “NO NO LA LA” (I put those together often) then I saw a boy run to the trash and grab a candy wrapper and at I first I said no then realized this is the best we’re going to get.

I thought the rest of the day how difficult that small mishap was. I couldn’t talk to them for a simple request of clean up. They look at you with innocent eyes and love you for being their teacher but I know nothing about them!! I don’t know how many siblings they have, or what they eat at home, or if they have a big family, or who their friends are. And although I hope to learn those one day with my savvy Arabic skills…for now animation and modeling is ALL I do!

These little boys are so eager to learn and copy my English all day. It is quite impressive on their desire to learn and their small brains soaking up every little thing I say.