INCOMING EMAIL FROM DUBAI!

Well hello there Room 18!

Finally I have found a moment to write to you all and let you know how
things are going over in dubai! I actually write you a very long email last
night and just as i was about to send it the server went down and i lost it
- i was even in the process of attaching some photos for you!! Very
upsetting i can assure you! But anyway here I am and trying again.

Well so far Dubai has been a very interesting experience with poor Miss John
being very sick after only 2 days of being in the country. So unfortunately
i have managed to spend almost 3 days bed ridden with a nasty bug and that
was really not much fun at all! But i am up and about now and actually as i
write to you i am sitting in my classroom. You would be amazed at the size
of this wee room - just tiny! I really can't imagine 23 little bodies all
running around in here as it is nothing like our lovely big room 18. You
must never complain about lack of space that is for sure as Room 18 would be
at least 2 and half times the size of my room! Yes it is very cozy in here!
I thought of you all as I was unpacking my Dr Suss books and felt really
awful that i had taken them away from you as i know how much you loved them!
But I can assure you that the children here will love them and look after
them just as much as you did.

As for the heat well that is quite something else! It is so unbelievably
hot here that you just can't go outside in the heat of the day. Well
actually some crazy people do but as for me, well I am confined to my
air-conditioned apartment and in fact any where that has air con is my best
friend right now! It is a lot like stepping out into a sauna and you feel
like you might choke on the air it is so thick! Certainly not like our
lovely cool air we have in NZ. I do miss the cool temperatures and can
hardly believe that i ever complained about being cold! So next time you
are hugging the heater think of me and step back out into the cool air -
just for me!

It is also very different with regards to the scenery I have from my
apartment. I am used to staring out into lovely green pastures and home and
even seeing a sheep or two! But here in Dubai (you boys will just love
this!) my window looks about upon almighty cranes and construction work! Oh
and plenty of dust and desert to be seen as well! It is very different that
is for sure!

I was very brave and i managed to venture out to the Mall of the Emirates
the other day which is a MASSIVE mall just down the road from my apartment.
Well words can not describe just how big this place is...it took me about 4
hours of wandering around lost in circles before i managed to find an exit
and high tail it home! It didn't help of course that i was only going on 3
hours sleep after my long flight! Anyway they have this unbelievable ski
place right in the mall and you can shop and at the same time watch people
skiing down the mountain! Very cool I thought and i saw plenty children
having a ball with the toboggans too so i can only imagine that you would
all just love it!

So I still have another week before i am introduced to my new class but I
have been told that i have 23 children and they will be from all different
nationalities so it will be lovely to finally meet them all. The school
here is very big and has about 6 levels so very different to Hobsonville
school which is much more spread out. It is too hot for the children to
play on the field like you do, they are instead restricted to a tiny play
area (looks a lot like the play ground that you see on the indoor playing
areas of McDonalds) outside and can you believe they are only aloud 20
minutes for playing time! And also not to mention that their day starts at
10 minutes to 8! And you thought your day was long! They work right up
until 3 o'clock as well so I ca imagine that i will be one tired teacher by
the end of my first week!

Well I just wanted you all to know that i think of you often and of course
miss you all a lot. I hope that you are working hard for Mr Nash (as i am
sure you will be) and I would love to hear back from you when you are not
too busy of course.

Take care Room 18 and know that I think of you lots. I will write again
soon i promise.

love from
Miss John
xx