Cultural diversity at its finest! This country brings more people from around the world together than you could ever imagine! I have met and made friends with people, literally, from all around the globe now! South Africans, New Zealanders (Kiwis), British, Armenian, Egyptian, Irish, Arab, Emirati, Pakistani, Thai, Canadians, eh? The list goes on and on...
Language is a beautiful thing to me. Listening to accents, the pace as to which words leave the tongue, and really struggling to understand not only the English language itself, but how people across regions can actually communicate with each other is so captivating! I've been thinking a lot about how the languages have evolved; how various words have various meanings to different people. I am actually jealous of a linguist's job right now! Fascinating stuff is happening here. So many expats are bi- or tri-lingual. I feel as if I am lacking in that regard. I need some Rosetta Stone in my life! I find the workers to be the most intriguing. The cashiers at the stores are probably the ones I admire the most. They are quick thinkers. They are talented accountants (since there are no pennies or other small amounts of change here, you either get back more or less than an exact amount of what the total actually is. The cashiers are so fast with these calculations! It puts me to shame!) They are incredibly friendly. They have learned how to communicate with any nationality that passes through their line. That is impressive for sure!
Side Note: Speaking of cultures, it was recently Flag Day here. What a joyous event! Multiple assemblies were held at school. Flags that covered entire sides of houses were draped. At some schools, kids were decorated from head to toe in green, black, red and white. The cultural pride here is unmatched! My girls are very insistent that I am a part of everything, so of course, I was given lots of garb to wear! Not to mention, our Vice Principal, gave me my first gift of beautiful material so I can have an Abaya made! I'm super excited about that :-)
FYI: Sheikh is pronounced like, "Shake." We've been getting it wrong all this time!
Canteen = Lunchroom/Cafeteria
I know what you are thinking...a typical school cafeteria. Chairs, long tables, trays, food lines, etc...Nope! Not here! There is a single small building in our outdoor assembly area that serves food. One window for ALL of the girls to order from. A line? Ha! No way! It's survival of the fittest around here. Chairs? Tables? Nope! Girls walk around this outdoor arena or sit on the few benches we have around the outer edge. Meal options? Not quite. There are about 10 items on the list each day. They do not change, ever. It is not a hot/cold tray of food as it is in America. Basic food groups? What, there are food groups?! You have the choice of a carbohydrate, a carbohydrate, or a carbohydrate! Lol, seriously! Basically, you purchase everything a la carte. However, water bottles are the most inexpensive thing to buy, which is a positive. There are water vending machines, and they are 1 dirham, which is about 25 cents USD. Otherwise, the girls buy juice boxes, which are fresh as there are no preservatives here.
This is our canteen below. This is also where we gather as a school to have morning assembly, every single day for 20 minutes. It is 100% in Arabic. The girls sing, play instruments, have presentations/skits, their culture and religion is also deeply honored at this time. It is magical, at times.
When it is time for break at school, that means it is time to eat! We also call our off periods breaks. This word is multifunctional dependent upon the situation. If a teacher is absent, there are no substitutes here, so the kids get another "break" or free period (lucky kids, huh?!) For this reason, we are strongly discouraged from ever being absent! Just within the last couple of weeks have we been required (after 5 years of bringing expats over to teach) to have an emergency sub plan. However, how is a non-English speaking teacher (an AMT - Arabic Medium Teacher) supposed to follow a sub plan for an English speaking teacher (an EMT - English Medium Teacher)??? We'll see how that goes when I get sick (cough, cough ;-)
Lift = Elevator
When I used the word, "elevator," for the first time, my girls looked at me like I was crazy. They had no idea what that was! Shocking to me, well, at first it was...nothing is shocking anymore! All buildings have a basement level, a ground level, and then level 1 and so on. That is a tad different than the states as well, as most buildings in the states count the ground level as level 1. I am always double checking what floor the doors open up to because I have gotten off on the wrong floor too many times to count!
Petrol = Gas
"Do you need petrol?" I love the gas stations here. I never get out of my car. I never even turn it off. Someone washes my windows every time. The gas pump lines are long enough and swivel so that it doesn't matter what side of the car your gas tank it is on, it will reach (genius idea!) And of course, petrol is unbelievably cheap ;-) I do feel badly for the workers as it is quite hot outside, but as I mentioned in my last post, I am grateful they have jobs. I am grateful they are willing to do the work they do in order to feed their families back home. They are amazing people! And they love Americans because they tip!
Taxi = Cab
Ok, of course we use both terms in the states, but here, only taxi is used. There is no comprehension of the word, "cab." The drivers are the most lively and talkative characters I have ever met! They will ask you a million and four questions...you might understand 2 questions! They all tell me they love Americans the most as well, because of the tipping. I think that's their ploy to get you to tip! After they say that, you feel obligated to tip a lot! I don't mind :-)
A4 = Computer Paper
Yep. Paper is referred to by the label on the package. All types, A3, A5, etc...I had no idea what my girls were talking about when they asked me for a piece of A4. What?! "White paper, Miss." Ohhhhh! Then I looked at the package and saw A4 clear as day. I had never once seen this paper classification system before, or never had to actually pay attention to it.
SMS = Text Message
Everyone says, "I'll send you a SMS," or "send me a SMS" It is nice not to have to say the word, "text" all the time now, in a way. It was getting old ;-)
Mobile = Cell Phone
Using the phrase, "call me on my cell," is highly overrated anyway! "What's App me on my mobile" or "I'll send a SMS to your mobile" are acceptable phrases. What's App is what all the cool kids (like myself) use around here to communicate. Mainly because the phone plans here are soooooo different and piecemeal to say the least! Download the app, and soon after, you're ready to make groups and send messages easily!
Data Show = Projector
This one had me quite confused for a couple of days! The girls were writing, "data show" when I was teaching my unit over electricity, and they had to name things in the room that used electricity. Finally, I had to ask one what it was. They pointed to the mounted ceiling projector we teachers all use on a daily basis. Ohhhh! That kind of makes sense now ;-) Data does appear as a show...
Flash = Any other word you may ever think of using for your thumb drive, USB, etc...
They only recognize the single word, "flash." That is all. End of story.
Corrector = White-Out
I had the rolling tape white-out dispenser one day, and my girls had the deer in the headlights look about them when I used it. They were also quite amazed! They all buy the liquid pen types, and "that is corrector, Ms. Raina," I was told so as-matter-of-factly. Never again will I utter the words, "white-out."
Manager = Landlord
Not sure why they don't use the term, "landlord," but they don't! There are lots and lots of managers of varying degrees here. Managers of buildings, managers of maintenance, managers of schools, etc...
Supervisor = Hall Monitor
What a great term for a hall monitor instead of the term, "hall monitor." I'm sure it gives them a sense of superiority. I dig it.
Cooker = Stove
When I arrived, I was told to use our housing allowance money to buy a cooker. Say what?! Ohhhh! A stove.
Washer = Washing Machine
Yes, add that to the list when I arrived. Go buy a cooker and a washer. A washer of what (dishes or clothes?! Hmmm...), I was pondering? Luckily, the local grocery store (like the Wal-Marts back home), will work deals with customers, and I got a killer deal on a cooker, washer and fridge (not refrigerator - that word doesn't exist either) trio!
Take Away = To-Go Box
The first time I asked for a to-go box at a restaurant, the waiter cocked his head to the side and wrinkled his forehead. I asked a second time. After another 5 second or so pause, he asked, "take away???" Why, yes, I want to take my food away...in a to-go box. Nope, leave that part off and just say, "take away, please." I have not boxed up my own food here. They do it for you no matter what, so don't even offer to help out. You'll get rejected a lot around here if you do!
So, that's it for now. I'm sure there are plenty more I have forgotten, but I will keep my list going and will update soon! Living here is learning here! The most delicious thing (had to borrow this line) about it all is enjoying not knowing what 80% of the people around are saying, and this can be quite amusing!
Final Side Note: besides parking on the sidewalks, if you can't find a spot in a lot, simply create your own line of cars down the middle! Why not?!
"Without Courage Your Life Will Never Change" ~Me
