Pictures of Abu Dhabi

Here are a few pictures of Abu Dhabi and the surrounding area. There are extravagant beach resorts, desert treks, huge malls, and Dubai has an indoor ski slope. I think there will be too much to do!

Abu Dhabi Skyline

The beaches!

The desert

Moving to Abu Dhabi!

I think everyone knows by now that I have accepted a teaching position in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. I am extremely excited about this opportunity and can't wait to get started! I don't know a whole lot about what teaching will be like there or even where I will be living, but that's all part of the adventure. I do know that I will be teaching kindergarten and that my students will probably not know any English. I will be working with an Arabic speaking teacher, who I hope will be accepting of working with me. I've heard some teachers over there aren't happy with the arrival of so many foreign teachers, which is understandable. Since I don't know what school I will be working at, I have no idea what resources I can expect to find in my classroom. I'm going in with the expectation that I will have nothing.
I also don't know exactly where I will be living yet. I know I will be in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, but that includes much more than just the actual city of Abu Dhabi. The rumor is that most kindergarten teachers will be placed in the city of Abu Dhabi, though there is also the possibility of living in Al Ain or Al Gharbia. Al Ain means "the spring" and is a beautiful city in an oasis, so I definitely wouldn't mind living there. Al Gharbia is in the western region and is less developed than the other locations. Supposedly, it's easier to really immerse yourself in the culture there, so I think I would be happy there as well.

When I say I'm moving to Abu Dhabi, most people have no idea what I'm talking about or think I'm moving to India. So here is a map: