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
October 4, 2011
Big news.
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
August 8, 2011
Blueberries
A comparative study.
Of all the joyful experiences I’ve had at home this summer, berry picking has been one of my favorites. I’ve picked raspberries, strawberries, cherries (though not technically a berry), and lots and lots of blueberries! When I first saw blueberries in the store I was so excited at the price that I thought I should do a bit of a comparison. Molly quickly agreed to be my correspondent from abroad.
Let’s take a look.
UAE
A 6oz box of blueberries will cost you 18.50AED. In dollars that would be $5.07, which breaks down to 84 cents per ounce. [I’ve seen blueberries as much as 24AED which would be $6.58 for a 6oz box or $1.09 an ounce. Ouch!]
photos by Molly
USA
A 32oz box of blueberries will cost you $4.98 (on sale at Fred Meyer) which breaks down to only 16 cents per ounce.
Of course, here you can always pick berries yourself which will cost you even less. And if you happen to know a sweet friend with blueberry bushes, you can pick as much as you want for the cost of some good conversation.
Unfortunately, those high prices in UAE don’t come with extra flavor. I was happy to taste blueberries this summer that actually taste like blueberries!
xo, jill
July 20, 2011
Sharing the road with camels.
A how-to.
photo by SarahIf 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.
photo by Milad
See? It’s easy!
xo, jill
June 25, 2011
Pomp and Circumstance
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.
Masalama, Grade 3!
xo, jill
June 24, 2011
Mailing chocolate in May
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
