That time of year again ...

Like the title says ... THAT time of the year again ... end of August, September looming , the masses are bracing themselves for the return of the rest of the population to clog up the already chaotic roads. Residents are already beginning to complain about the school runs that are about to commence, yet I , am strangely looking forward to it !
Having left teaching oh so briefly in search of better paid pastures new, I have come running back with my tail between my legs. Clearly a couple of years dealing with under tens had not equipped me with the skills necessary for dealing with the business world .Now that I have decided to return to teaching , let me loudly declare "thank God for that! " Yes, its true , most teachers probably dont get paid a fraction of what they deserve, and I think parents , particularly in Dubai , are so jaded at the idea of having to pay collosol fees for their childrens schooling that my wages are the last things on their mind, but I have made my peace with that!

Its a job where being late is NOT an option , where you cannot go to the bathroom when you need to because you are putting small lives at risk by now turning up ( I'm not being dramatic here - you simply cannot just walk away). Its a job where you suffer numerous throat infections during the year and still come to work. You wipe up poop , piddle and snot far too frequently and you get called "mama" at least once a day even though you have no kids of your own .
Its a job where you not only deal with the issues and insecurities of the children in your class , but also with the consequences of the treatment of some parents cruel teacher , 25 years ago, whose actions have created in those parents a sense of hostility and distrust.
It's a job where you often have to deal with your peers in the business world thinking you recite ABC's all day and read stories. Who are secretly jealous of your 2 + months of vacation a year.
But for those that love it .... it's the only job! i am pretty sure that nobody reads these posts ( save for one kind comment - thank you seebee !!:D) So I'm sure I will be forgiven for this naustalgic , albeit slightly nauseous post.
I would like, at this point , to add a disclaimer of sorts , for all the ranting , whining posts regarding my job that I am certain will appear in this blog in the coming months! Cos there ain't nothin' like a burned out teacher , but for now , its all tra la la's and cartwheels as I happily declare that I am no longer unemployed and am actually looking forward to a bit of hard work and curriculum planning ! Yay!!

And one last , slightly unrelated point...'SHE' has been posting. I would like now to hear from 'HE'. Wouldn't you? :P

Nooooooooooooo! But I love KFC

Dammnit , it looks like its time to put our collective consumer power to something slightly more important than self service petrol stations. Shame really , I felt like chicken tonight !! So KFC is off the finger lickin good list.

Actually , it seems like just about all meat is off the list . Having just braved THIS video ( not for the faint hearted , you have been warned ) from a link in a peta website ( well, I did ask for it ) I'm feeling ever so slightly guilty for the hummus with meat I am about to tuck into . I know its wrong, I also thoughts vegans were bleeding heart hippies and the fact that I like most meat coupled with the fact that its the natural order of things- I made my peace with it . Until I saw this video - I'm not naive enough to presume that the lamb chops on my plate were not once living and breathing ,frolicking about a field....but now it seems they lead an horrific existence field with cruelty straight from the dark passages of a Hannibal Lector style genius, and never even made it to that field. What to do....I wish I was still in ignorant bliss !!

Loving Asa !

Could only get the accoustic version of this .. but love it all the same ... rising star - loving it ! :D

Weltschmerz

This is the only word I have to describe things these days.
Weltschmerz
Pronounced velt-shmehrts

From the German welt, meaning 'world', and schmerz, which can be translated as 'pain', 'grief', or 'agony'. Weltschmerz is often translated as world-sorrow, or world-weariness. It is often capitalized.

1. World-weariness.

2. Sadness over the state of the world. (Many dictionaries define it as "sadness over the woes of the world", or "Sadness over the inability of the world to live up to ideals").

3. Pessimism, especially romantic pessimism.

4. A mood of sentimental sadness.

5. Slang for heroin withdrawal.

I dont even speak German , and who knew Zee Germans would have been so insightful as to coin a word which perfectly describes the sorry state of the world- or at least what our reaction to it usually is.

So ... why the glum face? Where to begin !! Well lets start at the recent state of maniac decapitations in the world , in Canada , Santorini, Saudi, UK.... the list seems to go on! When did this become so popular - its cropping up all over the place seemingly , and the more media coverage it gets - the more frequently it is occuring !

What else? How about Zimbabwe's looney tunes leader Mugabe , the man who wont leave office anyother way except in a box - this one is ensuring his longevity as leader is preserved the old fashionned way - as the world looks on.

Lets not even go into Mr. Bush's legacy after his second term in office. The fallout from his foreign policy has severed even further race relations in the world - with East and West being pitted against each other - each one convinced the other is standing directly against all that it stands for.

The Jumeirah Janes of this world continue to write into seven days news paper , soapboxing with thg over different issues in their lives. Nobody is happy with their lot these days - and I , for one, am thinking of opting out !

So , is Weltschmerz just an Emo sensation or is it a genuine reaction to how f%&*ed up the world has become? I dont think this word is a new concept - its definately pre-bush , so the question is - shouldnt there be some new version - like "uber - super- funky-weltschmerz"

I would love to ask a little girl in China ,Yang Peiyi , what she makes of her world - and if SHE thinks the word Weltschmerz applies to her existence...

Wanna play with me?

There is an article in this mornings Gulf News which talks about the effects of children who do not partake in adequate outdoor activities. The poll , taken in the UK, suggests that kids experience in outdoor play is vital in how the interact with the world, affecting things such as their creativity and contributes in general to their all round developmental ability.

Although the survey was not based here in Dubai, Raymond Hamden , a clinical and forensic pyschologist with the Human Relations Institute in Dubai passed comment on how this survey applies to UAE residents. I have to say , I like this guy , having seen him on Dubai ONE's " HERSAY" talking about the psychology behind overeating. I'm sure he would wince if he were to step into any primary school in this country and do a little obersavtion for a day or two .

Nothing ever truly prepared me for the lack of childrens facilities here - I know the authorities make a big effort during the summer time , what with Mohdesh and his summer surprises. and they are to be truely commended for that (- seems that this year , the great big yellow blob is not looming on the sides of our roads either - he kind of creeps me out!) But once again , all the kids activities here are expensive ( 1000Dh per month to particiapte in the summer surprises clubs ) and focused indoors. Perhaps I'm being to critical here of what is a concerted effort to do some good for the kids in this country , but I'm sorry , its the same all year around when the weather is perfect for playing outside.

The importance if free play simply cannot be underestimated in childhood - it is a natural learning tool children develop to discover the world in which they live. I'll spare you the " in my youth " talk , but think about it- when you were a child - did you need to be entertained at all times ? Or could you quite happily find a spot and while away a few hours engaged in childhood creativity - without manmade interference?
We have in Dubai , a generation of children who wouldnt know how to play an impromptu game of catch without some direction from adults. It never ceases to amaze me , the amount of children who are happily excused from play because they have a cold . If you are too sick to go outside and play in the fresh air - then you are too sick to be in school . In fact most schools have a school nurse - generally underpaid and over worked , these women spend their day receiving kids to their office with complaints such as headaches, tummyaches, hurty knees , fingers , cuts etc. Now, I'm no doctor, but I can usually tell a faker . What I call a "bit of a temperature" is called a "feverrrrrrr" and due to the age of lawsuits and whatnot, I cannot ignore a request to go see the school nurse from a child lashing his clammy hand onto his forehead with all the dramatics of amateur panto night. I know the child in question would rather languish on a chair for all of his breaktime than go out and move his body, a body , which incidentally ,has restricted movement for his age, due in no small part to the fact that his maid drops him in a couple of slices of cheese pizza each morning at 10am. I would like to add at this point that it is not entirely uncommon to have children up to the age of 8 or 9 actually be spoonfed ( yes , you read it right - here comes the airplane weeeeeeee) by their nannies.

At the risk of coming across like supernanny here,( lovin' her work by the way ) if something isnt done very soon about providing open spaces in which kids can play and interact with each other- the fallout is going to be a generation of stunted children. To be honest , I think its already happening, and like so many things in Dubai , facilities are limited to the priveleged ones. Priorities people there is a whole generation of Vicky Pollard look-a -likes hurtling their way towards you.

To Wii or not to wii....?

I woke up this morning and once again was faced with a grey/white sky that looked like it belonged to a gloomy morning in December in Northern Europe. The only difference being that humidity has shot up once again , as have the temperatures. Now, we all know what summer in the Emirates is like (and for those who don't - the answer is 'uncomfortable'). But what are some of the consequences of living in such a harsh climate - for a least a good part of the year.

I know its a global problem - but one that is sinking its teeth nicely into the emirates is the problem of obesity , particularly diabetes! The unbearable weather , coupled with not very many footpaths for pedestrians- UAE is not exactly condusive to healthy living. Yes, yes, before you say it , there are no shortness of personal trainers and fitness centres here, but if you DONT fancy giving your hard earned cash to Fitness First and its ilk in order to achieve what should be perfectly attainable without their help - you're between a rock and a hard place in Dubai!Furthermore, as a resident of the lovely Sharjah , I would rather come home from work and be able to catch an hour of non-working activity before heading to bed. A detour to the gym is sure to lead to hours of traffic and delays on top of what is an already hellish commute.

For fear of this turning into a 'reasons why I shouldn't exercise" post, allow me to make my point!The only way I have ever been able to exercise , has been through a brisk long walk - which, contrary to popular belief - its brilliant aerobic exercise. Its also 'do-able' just about anywhere. Anywhere , that is , except most parts of Sharjah , where you will take your life into your hands and risk being run off the road by those lovely trucks with the dangly jingly decorations hanging from the back! Heat , of course is also something that is a strong deterrent for me to get out onto the roads . Also, being in Sharjah, I have noticed that I am distinctly uncomfortable walking as a woman on my own. Am not appreciating the stares of some who cant keep their eyes in their heads. The obvious answer to this would be to throw on an abaya , but seeing as heat is a detterent for me , well thats not going to improve my personal situation now is it !

Enter the Wii. As a teacher by profession , anybody who knows me , knows that I am anti - computer games, and I'm basing that souly on having met ten year olds who cannot conduct a normal conversation due to hours of sitting slack jawed in front of a screen perfecting their thumb dexterity and becoming shockingly desensitised to violence. However, I feel nintendo have somewhat redeemed themselves with the wii. Anything that makes you get off your rear and start to move is a good thing in my book , add to that the fact that if you miss a day - you are asked what happened! Well its working for me!

It has , in the past, come under harsh criticism in recent times in the UK because it allegedly called a young girl "fat". I dont think any parent with a brain should be putting their kids on the wii BMI monitor - it IS fairly honest - and perhaps , as described, inaccurate for developing kids.

But in my book, the wii remains untarnished - anything that gets you moving, and is fun and interactive is a keeper!

Lets face it , if healthy living and an active lifestyle is the norm in your household - then why on earth would you even need to test your BMI on a computer game - let alone allow your children to do it?