Hello! How are you? (Electric Light Orchestra)

With my students in Doha, Qatar.

Kayf haluk?

I often find myself being reminded of my time in the Middle East as an educational advisor.

Whenever anyone asks me, "How are you?" on a zoom call, I invariably find myself replying in Arabic without thinking.

'Alhamdulillah' (Al-harm-du-lill-la) is a phrase taught to me by my Qatari friends. Their translation of it was - By the grace of God, I am well. 

Is there a better response to "How are you?" than that?

When colleagues find out about my time in Qatar (and then the UAE) they are curious about my experiences. All I can say is that it was a genuinely life-changing three years for me (and Jacky) because I was working with a great collection of people in a vastly different environment.

I loved many things about their way of life, and I was often in awe watching the kind of relationships the male teachers had with the boys in my school. 

My colleagues often talk about having good relationships with students, but I didn't really know what that truly meant until I watched the men at Ali bin Abi Taleb school in Al Foah (just outside Al Ain in the UAE).

There were zero behaviour issues at that school while I was there, but a lot of laughs and a whole lot of care and compassion.

It was an extraordinary experience and I feel incredibly privileged to have been a part of that world for a while. A few of my colleagues in OneSchool Global know what I'm talking about.

I often think about them all - what are they up to? How are they and their families? What happened to them next? 

Love and peace - Wozza

Since my feet are now fast and point away from the past, I'll bid farewell and be down the line (Bob Dylan)

Wie geht's?

This week we welcome the return of: some more outstanding photos from the past.

I opened Bob Dylan's Writings And Drawings book at random and lo and behold - Restless Farewell! So...

This time we've gone back 8 years to a time of comings and goings.

Al Ain was the scene for the farewells as I said goodbye to the special people at Ali bin Abi Taleb School...

...and Otane was the scene of celebrations around Jacky's 50th! Jesse and Samantha did a surprise flight back from San Francisco to join the birthday girl, Jade, me, and the O'Neills.

Love and peace - Wozza

Salaam alaikum (peace be upon you)

Wie geht's?

Various things like lockdowns, working from home, and increased family contact with zooms, have given me time to reflect on elements of the past.

That explains why the kids pictures and the caricatures my former students have drawn, have appeared of late.

I sense this theme is going to continue for some time this year as the Covid-19 battle rages on offshore. Nostalgia plays its part to relieve stress.

For the next few posts I thought I'd concentrate on a batch of photos and memories from my picture archive.

At random, today's post is concentrating on...a folder with some snaps from my time as Lead Advisor at Ali bin Ali Taleb School in Al Foah (Al Ain, UAE). 

We're talking 2012.

These were taken at a taboor (an assembly that took place around 7ish each day - before the day's heat got really cracking; for that reason school finished at 1pm each day).

We are caught frozen in time, giving out some maths certificates. I know this because Jan Thomas was the maths advisor at that time, and the guys joining me and Principal Mohammed were the maths teachers.

These were great caring people - the relationships between the boys and the teachers were a great example to us, and our friendships remain - thanks to facebook.

I hope everyone is well back in Al Ain.

Love and peace - Abu Keegan (a.k.a. Mr Warren)

Locking in the pocket a smile (The House Of Love)

Rambling Man (You may say I'm a dreamer - Chapter 10 part 10)

Abdulla, Nidal and Abu Keegan on National Day.

When Jacky and I arrived in Al Ain we were very pleasantly surprised on a number of fronts.

Jacky and Al Ain in the distance from Jabal Ali

My old muckers from Doha - Colin Donald, and Graeme McFadyen were in the UAE as lead advisers and Brett Sloan from Taranaki was also in Al Ain. I was amongst friends.

CJ, Brucie, Brett, Graeme, Ali and our Principals

Our accommodation at the Gardens apartment complex was fabulous, close to the Hilton and its gym, close to Bawadi Mall, and only a 25 minute commute to Al Foah on the northern side of Al Ain for me.

Trees and gardens and manicured hedges were everywhere in this beautiful oasis town. We fell in love with it - the place (apart from the traffic and the madness of driving), the lifestyle and when I got to Ali bin Abi Taleb school - the people!

Jan Thomas - a good egg

My blog post before I started work at the school holds up -

This excites me no end. I've missed being in a school; a place I've lived in for the last 26 years. 

Schools are special places with their own individual worlds. Each school world has its own culture, its own characters and customs and ways of doing things. There are leaders and helpers, outsiders who interact with the organisation, rules and regulations, parents and their children - all moving and working in a symbiotic relationship. The movement can be in a variety of directions but when all are working together in a positive way a school is a force to be reckoned with.

Yeah, okay - I admit - I started with a positive attitude but then it all got better and better. I've loved plenty of my jobs but this one was special. Really special!

Mohammed at work 

When I started at the school, there was only me. No translator (so English teachers like Nidal, Magdi and others helped me hugely); I was the Lead Adviser but also the Arabic and English adviser. Two guys in Graeme McFadyen's team came over to lend a hand in maths and science a few hours a week but generally for a few months it was just me.

And it was great. Really great! I had time to settle in and get to know people and the routines.

With Mohammed and his ESOL teacher

The Principal - Mohammed and his deputy, Fadhil, welcomed me with open arms and hearts!

The English teachers (Nidal, Magdi), Mohammed the librarian, the Arabic teachers (Abdulla, Shaban, Salem, Abdul), Hassan the art teacher, and Khalifa would all became special friends. 

Eventually an advisory team was constructed and support came in the form of a (great) translator - Hisham, ESOL advisers came to help Mohamed and Fadhil like David Wallace, and other advisers arrived on a more permanent basis: Dave (Davego) in science, Alvin in maths initially and then the wonderful Jan Thomas, Gavin - IT, and Pete Kehayioff in English.

Music teacher, Ahmed, at taboor

As a team we hummed! Although...going out a limb here - don't think Dave and Alvin liked each other much!

During my blogging at this time I wrote the following post: 

Here's my list (in no particular order) of 25 things to be thankful for in my job as Lead Adviser at Ali bin Abi Taleb School.

1. The laughter I hear in the corridor outside my office every day (from a revolving cast).
2. Air conditioning - couldn't do it without you Mr General.
3. Barbecues organised by the irrepressible Abdulla
   
4. My dream team of advisers. Take a bow Jan, Peter, Davego, David, and Gavin.
5. Sharing an office with our translator, Hisham (a mutual support network of two).
6. The band at taboor (assembly) every morning.
7. Watching the teachers walk arm in arm with students.
8. Shaking hands with students at break time.
9. The Arabic teacher meetings - a riot of laughs.
10. Morning greetings with the staff and handshakes all 'round.
11. It's a boys' school with an all male staff - alhamdolilah (praise to God).
12. It's a Cycle Two school (Grade 6-9) so nowhere near the same pressures as in Cycle Three.
13. Mohammed, the Principal.
14. Holy Qur'an readings by the students which float in the morning breezes.
15. The view of the trees outside my office window.
16. School rituals.
17. The music coming from Ahmed's room (with Nidal's singing from time to time).
18. Abdulla (one of the Arabic teachers) and his daily greetings.
19. The boys' enthusiastic singing of the national anthem at taboor.
20. The friendly warm relationships.
21. Vice-Principal Fadhil's laugh and cheeky smile.
22. The enthusiasm for learning and embracing change.
23. The lack of private agendas that sabotage improvements for students.
24. The sweet black tea.
25. The open gate that symbolizes a lot about the welcoming atmosphere at the school. 

That sums up my feelings - these two years were a wonderful part of my life with an incredible cast of characters! 

Salaam alaykum - Abu Keegan bin Graham Purdy

Theme from Mr Lucky (Donald Byrd)

I did a presentation to my classes recently on me (entitled 'Who are you? WHO? WHO?).

The idea was to give them some of my teaching history and some family context. 

I did some research and came up with some old photos, including some of me with former students (a wonderfully talented bunch) which I placed on the Baggy Trousers blog. I had tons, though, so here's a few more for Wozza's Place.

Before taboor at AbAT

Waimea College, early nineties

With my translator, Hisham at Ali bin Abi
Taleb School in Al Foah, UAE.

M.A.G.S. Dining room is named after
 Kel White BTW.

Touring classrooms with the principal at
Ali bin Abi Taleb School

Leading PD at AbAT - great staff!

I love this photo with my
sixth form class at Macleans
circa 1987 in Te Kanawa House

Samantha with Jeanette

The eighties were great for thin ties,
colourful shirts and mullets

Lance, Jeanette and the rest of my
media studies class being wacky

I love this photo too -
me and Mohammed
at Ali bin Abi Taleb

Still from Jeanette Galina and Kylie's
take off of Yello's The Race
for media studies.

  

Love and peace - Wozza

I'll shout it to the blue summer sky, and we may never meet again (Hunters and Collectors)

Last week was my 'farewell from Cognition and from school' week and loads of people said lovely things about me. It was cool!

I was telling Jade about my farewells and she said, "It's like your birthday". She's right.

Thursday especially felt like that - centre of attention, pressies, speeches, smiles and joy all around. It was great.

Lots of favourite moments topped off by Salem (one of the Arabic teachers) shaking my hand as he left school, saying, "Goodbye Warren, have a good life". It was so genuine, so heartfelt and so simple I got a tad misty eyed as I walked away - I do confess.

Ma'a salaama to Mohammed...

...and the housekeeping team - Hakim, Morgan and Divan.

The Cognition Dream Team (now and always) said bon voyage to me and SWMBO at our favourite haunt - Shakespeare's in the Al Ain Mall.

Davego and family,Jan, Sue, Gavin, Hisham, Pete and Nola.

David, Pete, Davego, Sue and the birthday boy.

SWMBO with Davego, karen and family

And that's it for the Arabian adventure.

So long to all my friends. I have met so many wonderful, inspirational people and I know I will miss many things about my life here but it is time to shed another skin and get started on the next bit. Who knows what's next and that's exciting!

Love and peace - Wozza