A Little Arabic Lesson

Let me start with a disclaimer.  I do not speak fluent Arabic. Nor can I understand conversations but I have picked up some handy-dandy words after living here for two+ years that I thought I would share with you.  From time to time you might encounter these words in my blog because when I use them I feel really cool and smart.  And now you can too!  (Well, unless my pronunciations aren't accurate, then you'll just sound like an idiot).

Marhaba (mar-huh-buh)

Loosely translated it means welcome (this is how I use it) or hi. 

Salam (suh-lom)

Shortened version of the typical greeting. Means hi.

Hammam (huh-mom)

First time I head this in my classroom I thought the student was wanting their mom (first day of school and all that). Unfortunately no one gave me a heads up that it means bathroom.  Jeesh. Good thing I learned it quickly after the first day (the hand gestures and pointing really helped clue me in).

Shanta (shawn-tuh)

I use this in the classroom to mean backpack. But really it just means a bag like you get your groceries or medication in after a hard day at work. But I swear I said it a million times in the classroom to my firsties and they understood what I meant.

La (la)

As in the Christmas carol but in Arabic it means no. Bet you didn't know that all these years you were singing la la la you were really saying no, no, no.  To be used sparingly in the classroom, these kids hate being told no and don't hear it very often.

Aiwa (eye-wuh)

Yes. If you want to say this like a native speaker give a short pause between syllables and on the second your voice should go up a little. And draw the first syllable out longer. There, like that!

Banat (buh-not)

This means a group of girls. Not the "Girl, you lyin" sort of girl but the "I am a girl" version.  I taught a class full of girls (no boys) so I used this word a lot. A. Lot.

Bent (bent)

This is for one girl.

Waled (wahl-ed)

This means boy. Not to be used as "oh, boy" or it could be taken as insult. Boys are king here.

Khalem (cah-lum)

I used this for pencil but it means any type of writing utensil so you could also use it for pen.

Sayaara (see air uh)

Use this at the end of teaching to figure out whose parents are picking them up. It translates to car. So I would make my two lines (no walkers here in the hot, hot desert) and say bus, sayaara to line them up.

Taboor (tuh-bore)

Which brings me to...line. As in line up.  Stand in line. Walk in line. Draw a line. See that line? Make your line the same.

Same Same

Not really Arabic but I thought I would throw it in here.  For some reason most people living here (apart from other Westerners with a good grasp of the English language) don't understand the word same.  But when you say same-same. Click! They understand perfectly. But you have to say it when pointing widly. For instance at the store trying to get internet connected.  Point to the teacher beside you in line who managed to breakthrough the communication barrier and are on their way to scheduling service. Good. Now point to yourself and say same-same.  You will feel like an idiot but when it works you will find yourself saying it constantly.  Especially after class mini lessons.

Inshallah, in'shallah, insha'allah (in-shawl-uh)

You will hear this often. Oh so often.  To the point where you want to take off your shoe and smack someone with it if they say it.  Please restrain yourself. Especially here as there are hefty penalties for things like that such as deportation.  The meaning of inshallah is God willing, or if the God wills it. How it's actually used is more like this:

Me: (on phone third time with apartment maintenance about the AC). So you will come today?

Maintenance man: Inshallah

Me: you said that yesterday but never came to fix it.

Maintenance man: (in a quieter voice) inshallah, inshallah, inshallah

 (what I'm hearing and interpreting). I am very lazy so if I feel like it I will come. But you will probably have to call me at least two more times and threaten to call the complex owner before I get off my butt and fix it.

Me: okay, hopefully I will see you today

In my opinion it is used completely inaccurately. I mean sure, God willing I will have a great teaching year. But He needs my help some days.  I can't just say if God wills it and then make no effort but expect results. Like weight loss...

Okay, off the rant.  Continuing on with your lesson.

Hon (hone)

It means "here." As in get your buns over here. Or put your shanta here.

Ijlus (idge-less)

This means sit. Very helpful in a classroom. Although I've found if I don't say it exactly right (and this goes with names too) I am ignored.

Kabeer (kuh-bear)

Use this for big. You are in big trouble mister. To which the kids giggle and proceed to continue running around the classroom and climbing on the counters.

Mushkila (moosh-kee-lah)

Use it after kuhbear, it means problem. So kabeer mushcullah is big problem. Or you can use it alone. But often you will hear it paired with mafi ( mafi mushculah) no problem.

I hope you found a few new words to add to your tool belt.

I'm Frustrated

It's midnight on a school night. I should be sleeping, not writing a blog post. But I feel frustrated and need to get off my chest what's bothering me so I can sleep.

I have been at my new school for a month now. The kids are starting to warm up to the idea of me being in their classroom (except the kiddo who tried repeatedly hitting me today). I am beginning to understand how the school works and the expectations from my admin.  Those are my positives. 

What is really bothering me is how I spend hours lesson planning only to have the plans not followed. I mean, really. There are two teachers in the class...

Me: (On a Tuesday) What should we focus on next week? Are we continuing with family?

CT (Co teacher): I think they understand family. Let's blah blah blah..... (Quick dictation of all center activities and what needs to change and stay the same for the next week). 

Me: (on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at home) fleshing out the plans, typing the lesson plans, creating groups and center activities

CT also asked me to make a new five senses center for each day of the week. So being the obedient girl I am, I went out and bought cups and food flavorings to make scent jars. The day before I stayed up late putting items into socks and numbering them with nice laminated tags only to not be given the time to explain the activity to students.  So it is currently sitting on a shelf not being used.  She also said the activity was too hard after telling me to use the science book and this was taken right out of the teaching manual! The day I brought in my scent cups she pulls out cotton balls, jars, and food flavorings. "But I already created these!" I told her.  "But these are better," she said. So I threw away my hard work and she spent twenty minutes telling kids how to open a jar and guess the scent. Twenty minutes?

I came in the next week after the plans were done by yours truly and translated by CT.  

CT: Every day I have invited parents to come for an hour to work with their child and a small group to teach them about family.

Me: O-kaaay  (thinking to self where this will fit with the already laid out plans)

CT: what do you think about doing blah blah instead of blah. (I must have given her my your f' n crazy face because she said as you like and the plans were not rewritten.)

Reality: One parent is coming each day and spending at least two hours on a whole class "activity"

Translation: Students have received only one math lesson this week and no literacy lessons or small groups. Internally I am panicking. I started the school year late since I was on maternity leave. I do not have nearly the volume of observation notes my co teacher has. Or any other English teacher in the school. Parent conferences are coming up and my evaluation is in less than a week. They will ask for my notes. Eek!

Then she asked me today why I did not translate in English what yesterday's parent was saying. Um, how about I am not a translator? Better yet, I do not speak Arabic. How can I know what she was saying? So I was taking observation notes on the kiddos. I tell you I just can't win. She said she would tell me what today's parent was saying so I could tell the kids in English. She didn't. So I made it up and said a word here and there. Ha! Take that!

Okay I feel a little better. Thanks for letting me rant. I hope you'll continue to check out my blog after this.

Al Ain, UAE

So I find myself in limbo now that I've arrived in the UAE (The United Arab Emirates) just a stones throw away from Jordan.  It's a bit strange being here.  Most everything is posted in English and Arabic and there are so many things you'd find in the States that you can find here.  Like virtually every type of fast food.  I would have thought I would escape that!

Mushrif Mall in Abu Dhabi - notice the Wendy's

Just like in the States, it's cheap here too! Lucky me.

My employer, ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Council), has placed me in an incredibly nice hotel for a week now.  They've given me a key to my apartment (although it appears to have someone still living there - a slight hiccup in my plans) and I will be in Abu Dhabi for hopefully another week.  At the end of next week I'll have my first new teacher orientation - UAE style.  I just can't wait to see the school and grade level I'll be teaching.  You know how we are - we could plan all summer for back to school!  At this rate I'll only have about a week.  Yikes.

In the meantime I'm trying to just relax and meet new people.  Although most of us in this hotel are teachers, some have formed cliques awful quick.  My "clique" isn't quite working out so I'm still shopping around, so to speak.  The important thing is that I just remain open to new experiences and keep a positive outlook - especially since ADEC definitely has their own version of doing things that takes some getting used to.  All in good time - I have two years.