Let’s put this out there, I was spoiled in Kuwait.

Now that is out the way.

1. no porters, no baggers….you are expected to bag your own groceries and carry your own luggage. No one is waiting on you hand and foot or jumping at the opportunity to assist you.
   

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   I will get over it.

2. ORGANIZATION!!! Look I cannot stress this one enough. I have not heard “inshallah” yet. No one has said “I don’t know” It has been “let me get back with you” “wait a minute” and they actually go and seek the answer legit immediately
   

   Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy on Pexels.com

    

3. The food: okay I have said this before but I will say it again. AMERICA is killing you with the food. I went grocery shopping and I can only buy like 2 pork chops in one package, there is no family size. Bacon, yeah that’s only like 4 slices in a pack. I can still get a dozen eggs but it’s normal size none that medium, large, extra large (and why in God’s name are the eggs different sizes? hmmmm) Chicken yep normal not hormone induced and the best thing ever I can get the wings either the drumettes or the flats. Even the chips and cookies (biscuits) are snack size.
4. English, look just go ahead and learn Mandarin. They are not an English friendly place you have to learn Mandarin or have a translator app. Honestly I ain’t mad at it. Mandarin in their native language and I am a guest here. So Mandarin I will learn.
5. Chopsticks….yep never learned now I will
6. School lunch….they legit cook it daily…never frozen always fresh. There isn’t even a real frozen food section in grocery store except for ice cream.
7. back to food, no part of the animal will go to waste. I have not personally seen it, don’t want to either, but use your imagination.
8. Wal-Mart, look I don’t care where you are it’s the same.
9. IKEA, same thing. Except this is like a family event. Let’s go hang out in IKEA and use their displays. I honestly believe if they hooked up the stoves and bathrooms, it will get used.
10. Delivery, EVERYTHING still delivers
11. EVERYTHING is blocked. While there are ways around this it is still a challenge to deal wit

Let me take a moment to compare schools (this will be a combination of all the places I’ve worked)

1. abroad you get help which is standard common practice. Last year it was me with a teacher’s assistant. This year I get a co-teacher and a teacher trainee. #winning
2. numbers: this is important. Stateside there is usually no cap. Which means they will slam as many kids as they can into a given space….who can learn like that, who can teach like that. Last year the cap was 24. This year 15. Yep FIFTEEN kindergarten kids aged 4-5 in one classroom with 3 THREE teachers. They are gonna have pry me out of here kicking and screaming.
3. Type of schooling: I have done public school and private school stateside. I have even done head start. Preschool private and regular. Abroad I did private school last year. This year I am doing international….this is whole different beast all together. I will update later what this all entails because I still have no idea other than I am teaching British English and not American English (deep and long sigh)
4. Campus: usually schools stateside are divided elementary, middle and high school. Abroad it’s K-12. No problems. Last year the school was one building. This year look I need a map to get around and I have averaged about 15,000 steps daily and school hasn’t even started yet.
5. co-workers: We are ONE is the running theme and we are truly one. I have not meet anyone that did not know what they were talking about or did not know what they are doing. That is fresh tall glass of iced cold water.
6. Lunch: can I stress again it is made fresh daily. When you see people cutting up the fruit and juicing it, you know you have reached a level of greatness.
7. Admin: this is first where EVERY member of Admin will teach a class.
8. Every teacher and co-teaher received a MacBook and every teacher trainee received an iPad. This is big deal to me. I know some schools issue laptops and some don’t.
9. Printing and making copies: look since I left public school this has not been an issue. I can print and make all the copies I want to and not one person will bat an eye and I never come out of pocket for paper.
10. School supplies: I do not issue a school supply list for the kids and I do not come out of pocket for supplies. Praise Jesus!!!
11. Dress Code: this has been all over the place in my career. Some schools have them, some schools don’t. Some cultures require certain things others don’t. Here we are business dress expect for kindergarten and PE. So yes men where ties, the jacket is optional. Ladies are in heels.
12. Uniforms: kids wear uniforms but something that will be brand new to me is this whole inside and outside shoe thing for kindergarten. Along with the fact that we go outside in the rain. Not pouring down rain but drizzle rain, yep suit up and go out.

I will have pictures up soon. The school is still not fully finished and I won’t do a before and after. Just know I am happy for myself and Elise. This is an upgrade from last year and the states.