Hello,

My name is Ann. I come from Santa Clara, California, USA. I joined Zayed  University because I wanted to experience teaching the Emirati, having an all-female student body, and the lifestyle adventure of coming to the Gulf.

The People of Zayed  University:

I just completed one year here and I'm glad I made the decision to join Zayed University. The students are very generous, interesting, energetic, eager to learn and willing to try. The staff and faculty are incredible. They are talented, experienced, and interesting.

Extracurricular  Activities at Zayed University:

The  University organized five major activities during the first academic year (1998 - 1999); they were the first annual National Day Celebration, Celebration of Women in the UAE, Students as Leaders, Ideal City and choosing Your Major.

My favorite activity was the "Ideal City" which I organized for my department. Our theme was a city for the entire year, and so the students  planned an ideal city and made it from clay. They really enjoyed themselves and  we were happy with the result.

My other favorite day was the National Day Celebration. My students asked me if I would wear a national dress and I agreed.  So they brought me a burqa'a (traditional face mask or cover), a shaila (hair cover), and a national dress. The best thing for me was that I was invited to do that by my students. 

Because we all have fairly rigid schedules, students and teachers alike, we  really value the activity days for the break and for the fun, out-of-classroom  communication they give us.

Using Technology with Students at Zayed University:

All faculty  and students have a laptop and we use it all the time. I use my laptop for  everything from course design and delivery to internal communications.  Our internal communications program can also be used for external e-mails.

We also use the Internet and the computer in the classroom. To facilitate  using the internal communications and the Internet, all classrooms and faculty  workstations, the library and even the cafeteria, are provided with network connections to connect our laptops to the network. 

We also have Proxima Projectorsin each classroom. I can prepare a slide for a lesson or a PowerPoint presentation and take that into the classroom. I can also send it to my students by several different methods. So  there is a lot of back up in case the technology breaks. There are also special rooms equipped with audio/visual equipment such as TV, Video and video-conferencing.

I have access to the Internet at home but that is my personal access. I had  to go to Emirates Telecommunication Company (Etisalat) to fill out a form and  bring in a copy of my residence visa. For information about the cost of  subscribing to Emirates Internet and the monthly charges, please visit the  following site:

http://www.emirates.net.ae/ma_emiratesinternet.htm

Coming to the UAE:

I had some hesitance about coming to the UAE because I had all sorts of  questions. What type of clothes should I wear when I come here? Would my freedom be restricted? Would the Emirati culture accept me? What type of books  and videos shouldn't I bring because they might be considered inappropriate? What would be considered polite behavior? What would the shopping be like? Are  there good bookstores, cinemas and other entertainment places? How much would my monthly expenses be? What do people do during the Holy Month of Ramadan and  how it would affect my life?

To find answers to my questions, I referred to the Internet and read a book, which had good pictures about the UAE and gave me a better idea about the country. The name of the book is: "Insight Guide: Oman & the UAE" - Published by APA Publications GmbH & Co.; E-mail: insight@apaguide.demon.co.uk

When I came here, I found out that there are a lot of Americans and  British in the UAE, so speaking English is not a problem at all for my social life.

There are different cultures in the UAE and they all live together in  tolerance, which is wonderful. You meet people from different nations and you  can build up close friendships with them.

The Emirati People and Culture:

I found out through my experience of teaching the students at Zayed  University, who are all Emirati girls, that the Emirati people are very  generous; polite and friendly; have a good sense of humor; are willing to learn and show a great deal of interest in learning about things.

The Emirati culture is wonderful. It takes time to learn about it and I'm  still learning a lot. You need not judge the culture when you first arrive.  Just relax and appreciate it. The Emirati people are very generous and such tolerant people. I've seen people walking around in really inappropriate dress  and no one is bothering them.

I sometimes talk with my students about the culture and most of my conversations with them have ended this way that I'm a Western woman and I live  my life my way, providing that I don't offend the Emirati culture, and they are Emirati women and they live their life their way. To me, that cultural tolerance  is wonderful. It does take time to learn what's going on but there are many opportunities to experience another culture. There are always many activities  going on -  everything from heritage events to shopping festivals

It's also important to note that the Indian (subcontinent) population is large here as well. So that's yet another new culture that affects your life.

Culture Shock:

You aren't in the West anymore. It sometimes blows your mind a bit to be in the Middle  East. Many perceive it as dangerous! As an American, we've been told to fear certain places in the Middle East. But you can't live your life with fear. I've  had no sense of danger of any kind since I arrived. You need to enjoy being here and being in the culture.

Another thing for me was being away from my friends and family and it helps a  lot to stay in touch with them. It took me time to adjust because I left  exceptionally good friends that I have known for years. I now have developed  very close friendships with people I work with, who in hard times, have been  there for me.

My Typical Day:

I don't  have children so my day starts at 7.00 AM. I make breakfast and I like to take  my lunch to work. I leave for the University at 8.00 AM and arrive there at about 8.10 AM because I like quiet time before everyone arrives at 8.30 AM.

To get to work, I use a Dubai Transport taxi, which you can call to come and pick you up. I always use Dubai Transport because I'm most comfortable with the meter - it costs me AED10 (U$2.7) everyday to reach work. Dubai Transport also has seat belts, which is a big issue. I have friends who were badly injured in a car accident because they were using a taxi that was not a Dubai Transport and  did not have seat belts. I also occasionally get a lift from people in my building or from my colleagues at the university.

During the day, I typically teach two classes, advise students, attend meetings, and prepare for classes. Depending on the day, the time I spend on each varies. But it's all enjoyable.

At lunchtime, I go to the cafeteria of the University and it's very nice there. There are hot meals, Eastern and Western food and a salad bar. They are reasonably priced. There are also croissants, cakes and pies, different types  of coffee and tea, and soft drinks. It's a very good cafeteria. The service is  excellent and food is clean and tasty.

I go home at 5.00 PM but I sometimes work later. I bring my laptop home. I find that I like to work two nights a week for my own comfort level. You very  quickly adapt to the 8.30 AM till the 5.00 PM schedule because you have to become more efficient in your work day.

How I Spend My Leisure Time:

In the evening, I go to Yoga one night a week. There are different clubs in Dubai with  various activities that you can join such as bird watching, natural history and  hiking.

I very often go out to socialize with friends from the University. I have  also met people from my building and other people through Yoga. One of the wonderful things about Dubai is that you can meet a wonderful range of people and everyone is very friendly! For example, Metin is from Turkey, Hajar is from  the UAE, Alia my boss is from Lebanon and Jane is from Canada.

On weekends, which are Thursdays and Fridays here, I sometimes go out camping  with friends. It's not a good idea to go out in the desert by yourself  especially if you are inexperienced. And I definitely wouldn't go dune bashing unless I'm with very experienced people. I did go once with the Student Council. They asked me to chaperone a trip, so I got a wonderful day in Hatta dune bashing and valley bashing.

There are a lot of tours you can take that provides trips to the desert and  around the emirates. I have visited many emirates with various friends. The beaches are beautiful, the ocean is magnificent and clean and the desert is  amazing. The various resort hotels are excellent and you can easily afford to stay at five-star accommodation without any real drain on the budget.

Other weekends, I choose to go to the beach.  There is a very good local beach called "Al-Mumzar Beach Park." For the price of only AED5 (U$1.4), you  can go in and they have excellent facilities.  There are five gorgeous lagoons and swimming pools. On Wednesdays, the park is opened exclusively for women and children.

I also like shopping, going to the movies and to the theater. On the first Thursday of every month, there is a chamber of orchestra at the Crown Plaza  Hotel.

To learn more about what public entertainment is available in Dubai, in  addition to word of mouth, there are excellent publications that provide valuable information such as the Dubai Explorer, the Dubai Connector monthly  magazine, and What's On Dubai. My favorite publication is What's On Dubai.

To get to places, again, I use Dubai Transport. I think even if I were to get  a car, when I went downtown, I would use a taxi because parking is very difficult and traffic is too much. I sit at the back when I use a taxi here  because I'm a woman, unless there is a group of four women where someone has to go in the front. In the UK where my husband lives, I would sit in the front, otherwise, comments would be made. It's the opposite here!

Maggie, My Cat:

Maggie is  about six years old. She also had culture shock when she first arrived. It took her time to adjust but she's really happy now. She spent some time sleeping in the sun. There is no quarantine here and that was very important in our  decision to bring her with us.

On our way to the UAE, the KLM Airline took a very good care of her. She was not put in quarantine but was taken from the cargo hold into the cargo village  and kept in air-conditioned comfort. Then, from there, they picked her up and  took her to the kennel. Keeping her in a kennel while we were in hotel  accommodation was a relief because cats can be affected by heat, which can kill them within 30 minutes. After we settled in our flat, we brought her home.

Taking Maggie back to the US shouldn't be a problem. And if we go on holiday, we could bring in a person or even a company to check on her daily, but we prefer to keep her in a kennel.

My Husband's Job:

The main difference between my husband and other husbands and wives who find it frustrating to find work in the UAE, was that he had many contacts here. That  worked very well. He is a commercial diver and he spent a lot of time in India this year. He's fully employed now by a dive company in Dubai, which is one of the hubs for divers. Dubai, Singapore and Aberdeen are big places for divers  around the world.

My House:

I live in a  flat, which has two bedrooms, a large living room, a good-sized kitchen and two bathrooms.

I like my flat because it's spacious and its building has a swimming pool, a gym and a sauna.  Also, people in the building, both residents and workers, are  very nice.

Another thing that both my husband and I like about the flat is not just that  we are in Dubai and very close to the University but we are also very close to Sharjah which we can see from our window.  And it's easy to get a taxi up to Sharjah as it is to get a taxi to the heart of Dubai.

My Monthly Expenses:

* Currency is  converted at the rate of AED3.673 for U$. For an up-to-date currency conversion,  please visit the following site:

http://www.xe.net/ucc/full.shtml

My Advice to a New Recruit:

You have to  be very patient with the initial frustration of all the documentation and the procedures that you have to do for various things, such as residency visas for your family. It all takes time but it does get done.

You should be open to the culture and should not judge it when you first come. One thing I did when I first arrived was that I went to the City Center  Shopping Mall. I watched all the various people that live in Dubai and I became far more comfortable. 

You should not worry about the various things you hear because people can  think negatively.  Just think positively. 

Decide which of your possessions you would like to bring, and which  possessions you don't want to bring because they are very dear to you and cannot be replaced if they are lost. I'm taking a lot of my jewelry and things I've gotten from my grandmother, back to my mother because if they were lost, I would be devastated.

There are also possessions you don't want to be without like your wedding  ring and other pieces of jewelry you wear a lot.  We bought some small furniture  with us but things like beds, couches and bookcases, we bought them here. 

The furniture allowance you get is very generous. You can furnish your flat  nicely and still have some money left over.  What you need to do when you buy  the furniture for your house is compare prices to know what the real price is  for the items you want to buy. In general, people are very fair here and the prices are reasonable, at least coming from the  UK.

Ann (at  the back) with a colleague.

"The students at Zayed University are very generous, interesting, energetic, eager to learn and willing to try. The staff and faculty are  incredible. They are talented, experienced, and interesting."

"The University organized five major activities during the first  academic year (1998 - 1999); they were the first annual National Day Celebration, Celebration of Women in the UAE, Students as Leaders, Ideal City and choosing Your Major."

Celebration of Women in the UAE - Zayed University

"All students and faculty have a laptop and we use it all the  time."

Students in the Libraray using their laptops

"When I came here, I found out that there are a lot of Americans and British in the UAE, so speaking English is not a problem at all for my social life."

"The Emirati people are very generous and tolerant."

"The University's cafeteria is very nice. It has hot meals, Eastern and Western food and a salad bar. They are reasonably priced."

The Hot Meals section of the University's cafeteria.

"One of the wonderful things about Dubai is that you can meet a  wonderful range of people and everyone is very friendly!"

"There is a very good local beach in Dubai called "Al-Mumzar Beach  Park."  It has five gorgeous lagoons and swimming pools."

Al-Mumzar Beach Park in Dubai

"There is no quarantine here and that was very important in our decision to bring our cat, Maggie, with us."

"The main difference between my husband and other husbands and wives who find it frustrating to find work in the UAE, was that he had many contacts here. That worked very well. He's fully employed now. "

My dining room

"I like my flat because it's spacious and its building has a swimming pool, a gym  and a sauna. Also, people in the building, both residents and workers, are very  nice. "

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