Why yes, this did happen in my classroom today.

Student in a strawberry costume asking, “Is it cloudy?”

Every day a new surprise.

xo, jill

If you’re Canadian.

Rumors have been circulating for quite some time that the famous Canadian coffee shop, Tim Hortons, is coming to the UAE. In fact, the Abu Dhabi location has been poised to open for months. Everyone has been eagerly waiting for the big day (everyone = Canadians.) Really though, it’s a hot topic of conversation! Although I can’t relate to the excitement that Tim Hortons stirs in Canadian hearts, I imagine I’d feel the same way if Burgerville popped up anywhere near my general vicinity.

While the Abu Dhabi shop isn’t quite ready, (who knows why), the Dubai location finally opened its doors a week or two ago.

That’s either fog on my lens or Tim Hortons magic.

Last weekend, Mike and I decided to go check it out for ourselves.

The place was definitely popular. The line was out the door most of the time we were waiting. The seating area was packed so we opted for takeaway. Mike says the coffee tastes like home and while I personally think coffee is disgusting, I approved of my very first Timbit (even though it was not what I was expecting.)

Here’s to Canada upping its game on globalization!

xo, jill

A how-to.

photo by Sarah

If you do much driving outside the city on the Arabian Peninsula, there’s a decent chance you’ll see a camel or two…on the road. While it can be exciting/surprising/nerve wracking the first few times, sharing the road is really quite simple.

1. Slow down, or don’t. (This seems to be optional.)

2. Hit your flashers, this warns the cars behind you.

3. Flash your brights, this warns the cars ahead of you.

4. Continue on your way.

See? It’s easy!

xo, jill

Heavy on the pomp.

The school year has wrapped up for my sweet little students. Unfortunately for me, I have a few more weeks of sitting around in a dismantled classroom. The week before last we sent Grade 3 off with a nicely planned but loooong graduation ceremony. (My school only runs KG-3 so the students are “graduating” to Grade 4 at a new school).

I had been dreading saying goodbye to my girls all year. I taught them for two years and they were my first official classroom of students who were all mine. We went through a lot together. Laughing, crying, screaming (there were some bad times, ok?)…

A few days before their graduation the girls began to get extra lovey. One student drew a picture of herself crying and explained to me, “I am sad because I go new school.” Then she joined the crew crafting out this message:

As their graduation approached, I was nervous. I didn’t want to cry in front of all my students, their mothers, and the staff. Turns out, it was much easier to see them go than I thought. Somewhere between yelling at them to stop playing with the copy machine and their disregard for our practiced song formation, I started to feel a bit relieved. Honestly, if we had gone on for a third year together… someone was going to get hurt. (Figuratively, don’t worry!)

[Full disclosure: I did cry a bit during a rose ceremony where the girls stood up and thanked certain teachers, including me, while placing roses in a vase. It was super sweet.]

The ceremony itself was quite the production. There was recitation, singing, dancing, acting, costume changes, slideshows, gifts, and cake. Boy, was there cake. The most amazing cake I’ve ever seen. A giant cake made from 6 individual cakes. With a student’s face on top. Oh. Yes.

Also worth mentioning was the gift giving portion of the ceremony. Every student received a gift from the school. Every teacher received a gift from the Mothers Council. Individual students gave gifts to their classmates and their teachers. It was a bit out of control. My personal haul included: A bouquet of 4 roses from my entire class, a bouquet of a dozen roses from a student, 2 roses and a tea set from the Mothers Council, a necklace, fake flowers, potpourri, a gel candle, and a picture frame all from students. Excessive, but sweet.

A cautionary tale.

My kind friend took a trip to Canada recently. She was thoughtful enough to select some novelty snacks to mail to me. Unfortunately, the weather got the best of them.

My package was sent to a new collection location. As soon as I saw it, I knew why. My package was quarantined! The chocolate inside completely melted and began oozing out the side. Oops!

The Aero bars are completely flat!

I don’t think I’ll be sampling these snacks, but I’m sure they are delicious.

Thank you for thinking of me, Nikki!

xo, jill