Speculation…..

Ramadan is nearly over and I am looking forward to a week off school, partly for Eid, the end of Ramadan celebration, but also for half term. We are not exactly sure which day we will finish mind you. Islamic holidays are only announced on the sighting of the new moon, so we usually know within a few days but we just have to listen to the news and wait patiently for the text message the school sends out to be sure.

This holiday there is extra controversy as last year at this time Sheikh Zayed passed away, and being a great man and much loved by the nationals there is great speculation that there will be an extra days holiday before Eid in memory of him. We have heard of two schools that have announced 2 days holiday this week just to cover themselves I suppose… You all have an idea of what staff rooms are like, you can imagine the debate over who heard what at the moment!

I took some photos on Mike and Sandie’s Camera the other day, so I will post them ASAP. Sandie has set up her own blog so you might want to go have a squiz… She’d love the visitors!

Boring....

Well I have parent teacher meetings this evening and tomorrow evening. They are actually not too bad, very quick. We had to do a lot of work before hand though...

Had a great weekend, went to Jebel Ali beach, Zadok went to work.... He did get yesterday afternoon off so at least that is something. We put the camera in to be fixed yesterday, so hopefully it will be done by next week and I can be interesting again.

Human Clock

Just found this site and it is a classic. I like the digital one best. You can get a little window with it in and keep it on your desktop... Highly amusing.

www.humanclock.com

I will pop it in my links as well... For future reference.

Our Little Street

Here is a great postcard that I found showing our street, Sheikh Zayed Road, in 1989 (yes that is our building) and today. There are even more buildings now!

Amazing!
We had a beautiful buffet dinner last night, the best ever. Camera is still broke so no picture of the chocolate fountain I am afraid!

Ramadan... From Dawn 'til Dusk.

On Monday night someone important spotted the new moon and the holy month of Ramadan was announced across the UAE and across the world. Ramadan is a lunar month in which all Muslims fast from dawn til dusk. No food, no drink. Alchol and smoking are also banned. Office hours are cut and generally it is a more relaxed month.

Non-Muslims are also restricted in their actions. We are not allowed to eat or drink in public. The children are exempt of course, but at school staff are only supposed to eat and drink in the staff room. Working hours are also cut, my hours are now 8am till 2pm (of course that is the minimum, as Zadok drops me off I am still going in much earlier). Food is still served at our club as it is private but alcohol is not served until after 6pm. Music is also not allowed so all will be quiet on the weekends for a while!

Traffic is generaly better but when I leave school in the afternoon it is awful as all the school now get out at the same time aas well as many buisnesses. We are avoiding driving in the early evening as fasters speed home to break their fast. After 7-7-30pm the traffic is good as averyone is home eating!

Our Literacy Lesson Today

This was quite hilarious because the kids kept saying things like 'tasty testicles' and 'squishy testicles' I am sure they meant tenticles....

Mrs Partridge’s Lunch

slimy seaweed soup
wiggly worm sandwich
crunchy caterpillar steak
sticky slippery sand
scary stinky scorpions
squishy smelly earwax
eye ball ice-cream
with a thick blood sauce

and wash it all down with a nice hot cup of
tangy toothpaste tea.

A disgusting lunchtime poem
written by 2G