Sunday, September 9, 2012

Qatari's teens idea of fun???

I haven't written in several days mostly because there is nothing new to report.  The weekend was very low key.  Sergey is slowly but surely recovering from his illness, and I managed to get strep...fortunately Sergey was given antibiotics for a virus, so I'm taking the meds and am on the mend.

Today was the first day of school for students.  What a difference from my last job!  No lines of students wanting to switch classes, drop classes, change teachers.  Not a single student!  In many ways the school is similar to the country in that it is a rather relaxed atmosphere.  The students get a 20 minute break in the morning, so that they can have a snack, relax on the many many sofas around the hallways, chat with friends, etc.  Odd, yet interesting.  They also get an hour lunch, and they are free to wander about.  The Senior School is grades 6-12, and the 6th graders are so little and cute. :-)  Haven't worked with middle school students in quite a long time.

I'll be teaching 4 classes each week...2 to seniors and 2 to juniors.  I'm actually happy to do so as it will give me time to really get to know the students.  It's a PSE course:  personal, social, emotional, although much of it will be related to resumes, career inventories, college applications, etc.  So the first day was great except that my team had an after school meeting and I missed the bus, and had to walk home.  It's about a mile, I suppose, but a mile in 110 degrees in a long walk, especially in work clothes.  Yuck!

Anyway, I am not feeling well and was soundly asleep until I heard what sounded like a police chase outside my window.  Looking outside, I saw 10-12 Qatari (and being here, I now know it is pronounced "cut a ree", with the r rolled, similar to Spanish, and emphasis on the first syllable.)  Anyway, 10-12 Qatari older teenagers standing in the dirt/sand outside my compound, which is the view from my room, and a huge truck doing donuts and otherwise driving like a maniac.  Apparently they think this is great fun, as the boys in the dirt were laughing hysterically.  I seriously thought the truck was going to either slam into the compound wall or the dirt, or worse yet, hit another driver.  It went on for about 20 minutes, as Sergey and I stood in amazement.  I should have been calling security, but instead called after they left, and security was going to go walk the perimeter of the compound.  I honestly don't believe these boys meant to hurt anyone....they are ridiculously wealthy and this was their idea of a good time.  However, I'm sure they put no thought into the potential danger....a topic to add to PSE, I think.

Well, I'm going to try to go back to sleep. 

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