Commitment
Trip Start
Jan 30, 2010
1
11
17
Trip End
Apr 06, 2010
Dubai, Dubayy, United Arab Emirates
Saturday, February 27, 2010
We were picked up outside Megan's apartment around 3pm by a nice guy in a white Kandora. We picked up a few Koreans along the way who seemed to be perplexed as to why Megan was asking them questions in Korean.
Our driver raced along the highway and we had soon left the landscape with cement skyline to be engulfed in rolling sand. We stopped by a shop where we were attempted to be hustled into buying things to which we fought with the resistance in which a millionaire holds their money tight.
Once out in the desert the driver of the sport utility vehicle drove off the road and attacked dunes with relentless aggression. We weaved and spun. Slammed and jumped. I anticipated us rolling over but he was on the ball. We cruised deep into the desert and stopped for some pics. There were camels roaming about and the sand was surprisingly soft and cool.
After an hour of dune bashing as they call it, we made our way to a camp and Coleton and I rode a camel. They had some sand boarding which was slightly mellow and slow. We ate a big feast and were saddened to be informed their would be no belly dancing because a Sheik had died and a hold was put on any form of celebration. After dinner we headed back to Dubai. It was fun and really interesting to be so far out of my comfort zone of routine landscapes dotted with all things found relatively north of the equator. The desert holds a seductive beauty about it. It's sand dunes rise up like the waves of an ocean and it's vastness goes on as far as the horizon lets it.
Yesterday and today I was out of vacation mode and into job mode. I went to a job fair at the upscale Renaissance Hotel. Yesterday started with an orientation about how the job fair would work for the 200 or so teachers mingling in hopes of landing that perfect post. I had seven interviews, a couple of left behind note books (all to which were hastily retrieved), two job offers, a crippling experience of chatting with a beautiful blond from Kazakhstan, and pleasant conversations with some great people. It was a great experience and if you teach, I highly recommend attending a job fair. My first offer came in from a school in Egypt. The lady who interviewed me was very pleasant but it didn't feel right so I declined politely.
Like a full circle I ended up interviewing with the same school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia I was in contact with just before I left Korea. They offered me a job with a better package on Friday night than what was previously offered. I told them I needed to sleep on it. Today I woke for round two of interviews. I had my eye on a school in Kazakhstan and was interviewing with them at 10:00 am and the Saudi School expected an answer, as I told them I would provide, by 10:30 am. At 9:00 am after eating in a shop that was both cheap and off the beaten path, far out of the expensive talons of the hotel, I paced the halls just outside the candidates lounge nervously contemplating my choices. Two years is not a short time and I would be committing to that time in an ultra conservative Muslim country if I so chose. I paced slowly embedding a line in the marble floor of the hotel with my footsteps of thought. I had the interview with the school in Kazakhstan and it went well but nothing was immediately placed on the table. I think the problem was that my mind had been made up and I just needed to make the leap. A leap into uncharted territory in a place I could never have imagined I'd end up five years ago. After the interview with the school in Kazakhstan I went to the first floor to meet with the administrative team for the Jeddah Knowledge School.
I accepted their offer! I will be living as of Sept. 1st in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for two years. It's on in Busan! I am very happy with this pivotal choice in my life path. Jeddah is on the Red Sea and hosts some amazing diving. I will live on a compound with a small American city feel to it. My assignment is teaching the Primary Years Program to grade four nationals.
It's nice to have this business taken care of. Now I've got three months of surfing and exploring Indonesia before returning to Canada for the summer.
Thanks for reading
Comments
Congrats, Kevin! I am excited for you!
Congrats Kevin!! It sounds like you'll have another interesting 2 years ahead of you.
See you in the summer :)
Good stuff K!
Happy for you and wish you best of luck.