Another Perspective

Wednesday was a day off for the LT's (licensed teachers) who were required to get their medical checks at a local clinic.  The van left the hotel at 7:30am and like migrant workers, we were packed on and shipped off to have chest x-rays and blood collected in order to be tested for communicable diseases and illnesses, before we could be issued our work visas.  Everyone who had not had their medical exams were eagerly awaiting this moment, because after we receive our medical clearance, our passports are returned to us and we are able to finally travel out of the country and that is what so many of us are looking forward to the most.  

When we arrived at the clinic, we took a number attached to a document which sported our names, a copy of our passport and other pertinent information.  We then waited for our number to appear on a screen, where we were to go to the window, hand them our documents and wait for the next step in the process.  Although, they didn't tell us this and therein lies the reason why I missed my number being called the first time.

When I finally looked up and realized that they weren't calling names, but expecting you to watch your number appear, they had already passed my number and were now on number 36!  I ran to the counter to explain to them that I was number 35, to which the girl behind the desk rolled her eyes and said something in Arabic to the guy who issued the numbers.  He then said to me, "you must watch for your number.  Here take this."  And he issued me number 55!  I was annoyed to say the least, but it gave me time to catch up with friends and I had made when I initially arrived three weeks ago.

The process took almost two hours.  It involved a lot of complaining from us about school, Abu Dhabi in general and the Education Council.  As well as, plenty of laughter at ourselves and at the fact that we were yelled at a number of times by a few guys from the Education Council who reprimanded us for talking too loud in a clinic and told us that we should "know better" as teachers.  That pissed me off and caused most to begin whispering, but I refused to whisper.  We weren't screaming, being unruly or anything of that nature and besides, who in the world packs 30-40 people in tight quarters, "especially teachers", and expects them not to talk AND expect that it won't get loud?  Who does that?

After a morning at the clinic, I needed to eat and enjoy a bit of early afternoon, "nothingness".   So, a friend and I enjoyed a tasty Caesar salad by the pool.  He then went to his room and I headed to the water, chatted with a few of the LT's  and enjoyed a superb day of rest and relaxation.  Thinking, "man, it's October back home and here I am sun bathing and floating in the pool on a Wednesday afternoon." I guess like everything in life, you gotta be willing to take the good with the bad and sometimes, this, ain't all that bad.

Until Next Time,

Terre