Kuwait – Teaching Abroad- American Teacher Overseas

My Blog’s Been Recognized

I am very happy to share that recently I received two awards for my blog. I am both honored and delighted. It’s not really a nomination because there is no vote between bloggers to see who wins. The fact that I was recognized is an award in itself. Even though I’ve had my blog for more than 3 years, I am still trying to figure out how people get their blogs featured on different websites and in news articles. And 3 years may seem like a long time but if you have been with me from the beginning you will know that I took around 2 years off after my first ‘crash and burn’ try at teaching overseas. I picked it back up once I reapplied and started the journey over. Well receiving these awards makes me feel like my blog is being read and ‘Hey’, it must be pretty good. So I guess I will stick with it. But really, here are the requirements for receiving these awards.

Screen Shot 2017-03-29 at 11.28.08 AM — This is my second Liebster Award! Keep ’em coming!

I was nominated by Expat Panda. <-Click here to visit her blog) THANK YOU! She is a beautiful young lady from South Africa, who like me, is teaching overseas. She is teaching in Kuwait and I love the little memes she post in her blog. It is her signature and I’m so jeolous that I did not think of using those first.

My blog was originally started to document my steps to teaching overseas. I used to write when I was a little girl. I loved to write poetry and books. I even had a poem published in a book years ago. One day I will write some children’s books when life slows down for me. I already have my characters and storylines in my mind. Anyway, back to the brief history of my blog. The first time I tried to teach overseas I did not get the job(s). You know the rest. Now I am here in Qatar teaching first grade. And my blog is all about learning and growing over here. I discuss the steps to teaching in Qatar, life in Qatar, traveling and eating. Some might say, my blog is a little personal, but it is. I like it like that.

My advice to anyone considering blogging or just beginning, make a list, so you don’t forget. And…

Don’t ask me what this has to do with blogging. I just like it. But on a more serious note, have fun with it, but keep in mind that Big Brother is always watching. I go by this saying “When in doubt, do without”.

11 random facts about me

I call myself a Pesca-Vegan because I mostly follow a vegan diet but I do eat seafood. SMH (I love it so much)
I am afraid of flying but I love to travel
I have a facebook group called “For Women Living with Alopecia”
I write reviews
My birthday is a big deal to me and I act like a spoiled brat in the month of August
I hate wearing clothes, but I love clothes shopping
I like my food piping hot and if it’s not, I’m not a happy camper. In fact, I will send it back in a heartbeat.
Trey Songz could get it
I want to serve more, maybe volunteer in a hospital to help kids or feed the homeless
I will live forever, at least I tell people that, because I wish I could. I really do love life!
My favorite movies are…

So Expat Panda has created these 10 questions for me to answer. Here goes..

What is your favorite thing to photograph?

I love to photograph sunsets, sunrises and scenery.

Which magical power do you wish you had while you were traveling?

It is difficult to choose just one, but I think I would love the power to teleport then I wouldn’t have to worry about the plane ride. But, I’m cheating now, I could make a whole list of other powers I wish I had. A second one would be to clone myself, so that I wouldn’t have to go back to work but remain on vacation while my clone worked for me. Or maybe the power to expand and deflate my stomach so that I could eat all I wanted and not worry about getting fat. But then that would be unhealthy, so I don’t know. How about you my readers, what power would you choose while traveling?

If we had a day to spend together in your hometown, what would we do?

That’s easy, we would eat cheesesteaks and visit historical sites. Philadelphia has a lot of history.

Which TV show would you like to live in?

Sex and the City! I crack me up! Thank God, she didn’t ask, which character I would be.

What is your “take all my money!” store?

Homecenter, TJMax, Target, Macys, Oh, I’m sorry did you say store or stores?

What food do you crave when you need comfort?

Sushi

What has been your most valuable failure?

Being told no by previous employers, it brought me here

What’s your favorite Disney movie?

BAM! Answered that already, see ^

What would you have told your 16 or 18-year-old self?

Go to college right after high school, it will save you time and earn you money faster

Tell the world the story of how and why you started your blog.

BAM! Answered that already too. See^

Now I have to nominate 11 bloggers that are deserving of this award and pose 11 questions to them. But, unfortunately I don’t know that many bloggers that have less than 300 followers so I nominated a few that I think are deserving.

I have nominated you…

https://fiancevisauganda.wordpress.com/

https://nycteacherabroad.wordpress.com/

https://travelwithmeeks.wordpress.com/

https://beautyglossips.wordpress.com/

https://elizabeth8199.wordpress.com

…for the Blogger Recognition Award and the Liebster Award. If you accept, here are your 11 questions:

What is the title of your post that received the most views?
What is your favorite place to visit in the whole world and why?
If you were granted a redo, what would you use it for?
If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
Describe your dream job? (You can make one up if you want)
What are your pet peeves?
Apple or Android?
Who is your best friend and why?
If you could spend one more day with someone who has passed, who would it be and what would you do?
What are your hobbies, besides blogging?
What do you love most about your life right now?

Congrats!

Side Note

Do they really move this slow in the Middle East?

“Good Morning Kennesha,
I have received a copy of your CV through Teach Away and understand that you already interviewed with our director, Dr. ___ in January. If you are still interested in an elementary teaching position in Kuwait starting August 2016 I would like to arrange a Skype interview with you as early as possible. I look forward to hearing from you.”

This is an email I received today. It was unexpected to say the least but refreshing. After all this time I am still being considered for a position in Kuwait. Too bad I already accepted an offer from Qatar Foundation. Not too bad for me. I mean I wanted Qatar more than the others–but why did they take so long. Do they really move this slow in the Middle East?

Well criminal history reports, degree and transcipt have been sent to PROEX for the final authentication process for a measly $264. I saved almost $200 by driving to Harrisburg and getting the first part done myself. My girlfriend Michele drove with me; we enjoyed 4 hours of girl talk. It cost $15 each to get the documents attested in Harrisburg and $18 both ways for tolls. While I wait for these documents to come back, I have court next Tuesday for the custody hearing. Once the courts send me the modified order, I have to get it notarized, translated in Arabic and authenticated. The FBI clearances will be the last of the paperwork, also needs to be authenticated. I’m getting closer. Only 4 months to go.

Side note: This blog was meant to help others who are considering teaching in the middle east and as a way for me to track every step of the process. It is also intended for others to follow my family’s journey and be inspired. But there is someone else out there, someone extremely bitter, who has chosen to use my information from my blog for something else, for their personal gain and to use the information against my family. So to my husband’s ex-wife, Edna, I say, I see you, hi hater…I hope you are enjoying my blog.

Boys or no boys

No word yet from Qatar Foundations or AUS (Kuwait) but I am 25% through my TEFL course with the University of Toronto.

I have been reading this blog http://www.abudhabiyew.wordpress.com. The author is currently teaching in Al Ain and is from the UK. Her blog is very informative as it begins when she first applied as does mine. Like me, she didn’t put it out there until after she was offered a position.

I am noticing from reading other blogs that teachers don’t really talk much about what it’s like to teach over there. I wonder why… I will have to look for more blogs and stories online about this. I will be sure to discuss this if/once I am over there blogging.

I spoke to another teacher who taught in Abu Dhabi a few years ago. She and I became Facebook friends when I applied the first time. She got the job, I did not. She taught over there for a year and then came home because her mother was ill. Her two young sons accompanied her. I asked her for the true pros and cons. This is what she said: Pros- The money is great and you get to travel. Cons- You don’t know what you are going to get until you get there. She said make sure I ask for Kindergarten. (I did) She also recommended I not take me boys. (What?) She said, girls adjust better than boys. Another teacher took her sons and they did not do well at all, she said. I would prefer not to leave my boys behind because part of the reason I am doing this is so that my boys can experience life somewhere else. If I had to choose going over there with or without my boys I don’t know what I would do.

The decision is getting more difficult as I have given my oldest son the choice to go or not since he only has two years left at his high school and it is a great school. I prefer my boys be with. I don’t know if I could go without them. I can’t see myself not raising my own kids.