We think we can! We think we can!

Howdy,

Only a couple weeks and we are off to Germany (Nov 3^rd thru 12^th) for a very needed get-a-way.  Then we are back for less than 5 weeks and then we are home for Christmas (Dec 16^th thru Jan 2^nd).  The added bonus there is that everyone is coming home for the holidays.  Scott and Cassie will be there the same days as us and that will make it complete.

I know that I promised to try to keep this year’s letters a little more positive, but this has just been a wreck of a couple weeks.  For the last two months, Missie had not been receiving any pay for her position of Science/Math Coordinator.  So when she went in to ask, she was told that they had changed it to Team Leader.  This meant, that they expect the same amount of work, yet there is no pay increase for this “title”.  The $4500 USD hit can be swallowed, but it really irritated us to no end, that we gave up three additional weeks last summer so she could come back and work with the new teachers – this is only expected of “Coordinators” and “Heads of Department”.  This is now the third time that we have lost promised compensation totaling nearly $15,000 – it’s getting harder and harder to swallow and still keep a smile on our faces.  There is no appeals process, so… ?

The second kick to my desire to motivate occurred a couple days ago when I lost all my files on the computer at work.  The network has been marginal at best since we have been here and getting worse.  After loosing data last year when the hard drive crashed, I chose to keep all my files on a flash drive.  This also allowed me to take all my data back and forth between school and home.  Each day, the computers lock up between 3-5 times each, because the network is not large enough for the number of users.  So on this day, I was trying to go home and after watching the pixie wheel spin (MAC users will know what I mean) for over an hour, I finally powered the computer off.  In the process, it erased about half of my flash drive and de-linked the rest of the files.  Even after trying to use recovery software, it is gone.  I basically lost most of what I had created in the last month – I know I should have backed it up somewhere, but I didn’t.  I was able to retrieve some of the files I needed from emails, and I have hard copies for the others, but just few days of frustration.

The next pleasantry came when we were told this week that we will need to write ALL of the curriculum and lesson plans through grade 9.  That means three years of lesson plans for me, but 5 years worth for Missie.   I think they know we are not coming back and think they are going to get their last miles out of us – I don’t see that happening.  They are certainly making the decision easy for us.

It has been a tough couple of weeks, but we are really staying focused on the end.  I have started lifting three evenings per week and continuing to swim at least two days a week. Missie walks on the treadmill while I am lifting and swims most days I do.  We have been trying to find new restaurants just to get out an evening per week.  The weather is nice (between the dust storms) and we will start camping by the ocean this next week.  The basketball court in front of the hovel is getting some use in the late evenings and seems to draw the neighbors out of their caves.

The photos this week are from a field trip I went on with the 6^th and 7^th graders on Thursday.  This was at a museum for Arab art.  It went as expected.

Lesson of the Week: When you do a good job – they always want you to do more.

Love to all,

Doug and Missie

Can't wait until November!

Guten Tag!

If you can believe it, Missie and I decided not to go spend the next Eid vacation diving somewhere.  I actually thought about it and wanted someplace green and maybe a little bit chilly – and of course with pork and good beer.  So, yes we are headed to Germany on November 2^nd until the 12^th.  Some of you might know that Missie spent time in Germany after high school with a group of Pilots she had met in Phoenix while they were attending pilot school.  They treated her like the little sister and showed her the real Germany.  Later, a couple of them visited us in Flagstaff and even later, both our boys went and lived with one of their families for a summer when they were 8 and 10.  So, now we will be headed over to re-visit old friendships and see how well we have all aged.  I have never been there, so I am really excited to see Germany with friends.

I really apologize for not having any pictures for the pasts several weeks – but we have really been hunkered down just trying to keep caught up.  The process of adding in MYP this year has been a challenge to say the least.  On top of that, the school has begun the process of becoming “Accredited” as a US school – lots to say about that, but I will hold my tongue.  This equates to every teacher being appointed to 2 additional committees and all the glorious meetings that go with it.  With 17 different committees all running in different directions, an unrealistic time line and in a culture of “inshalla”, things should get very interesting.  Starting when we get back from Christmas holiday, there will be a team of auditors at the school for a week plus doing an evaluation.  Along with that, the certifying agency, will be posting a series of anonymous surveys to be completed by teachers – wow, the reaction by administration after the outcomes of those should be extremely  ………. volatile? 

We went to an amazing concert the other night during South American week at the cultural center.  Apparently, the Flamingo is believed to have originated in Uruguay – that might be argued by Argentina, but since they were the same country at one point it really makes no difference.  So, we went to dinner with our friends from Argentina and then to see a Uruguay Flamingo Presentation.  The musicians were made up of a pianist, 12 string guitarist, 6 string guitarist, upright base player and an incredible squeeze box player.  The music was joined with three different vocalists and was a real treat of culture.  We have tickets to go back to another event this next weekend.

We have been getting to see Koen on Skype about every other week and that has really cheered us up.  He is growing so fast and we wish we were there to see every minute, but we are getting to see the changes from afar – miracles of technology.

Lesson of the Week: Always important to reunite old friendships.

Love to all,

Doug and Missie

My ear hurts! What's the matter with you - it's all in your stomach.

Hello to all,

I was waiting to write until I got back from the Dr’s office, because I thought it might be one of the special things to write about.  Just got back and it is!  I felt like I was back in one of our staff meetings – you remember:  Staff - Are the students passing? Me - Do you mean 6^th grade or the 4^th grade curriculum? Staff - “yes”  Me - Which one?  Staff - “Yes, then they are passing.”  My visit to the doctor’s office today went something like that.  I had two appointments – the first was to have the inner ear pressure tested.  This Dr is sharp and seems to know what she is doing; yet she is the subordinate.  Half way through the test, she stopped and stated that the test was in the negative this week meaning the blockage was even worse than last week and there was no need to finish the test.  So, I am then shuttled next door to the Specialist (term used loosely).  He looked at me and said, “tell me.” I told him that my ear was about the same; however, I seemed to have a lot more drainage in the back of my throat causing my throat to be sore most of the time.  He immediately told me it was because of the Acid Reflex.  With no examination he again prescribed me three additional medications and told me to continue taking the three he previously prescribed.  When I tried to explain that I have never had any stomach problems or digestion issues, he stated, “yes, this will make you better.” Come see me in 7 days if not.  So I left – acquired the three new meds and looked them up on Drugs.com.  Once again, I was given a (second) pill to reduce stomach acid – maybe since I didn’t take the first one he thought a second one would help.  The next one was to break up the mucus – that I actually thought might be good until I researched it a little an found it was banned in the US, Canada and the UK (it is only for sale in the Middle East).  The third pill was to settle my stomach after I took the pill that they banned everywhere else because it makes you so sick – sorry but WTF.  The meds were around $100 USD (paid for by insurance) and I’ll throw them on the shelf with the rest.   Been looking at homeopathic remedies and I’ll get a couple of those a try.  They seem to contradict each other a little – eating lots of garlic doesn’t seem like it is going to help my Acid Reflux?????  The doctor tells me swimming is fine, just diving is out for a while; also contradicted everything I can read – and more importantly, my mom told me no swimming!

School is school with everyone running in 100 different directions.  We are scheduled for a training all next weekend and then open house is the following week.  Not to worry, we only had 3 parents show up last year.

Starting next weekend it is Latin America week here in Qatar.  The Cultural Center has concerts, movies, carnivals and a multitude of evening events planned for 10 days.  We have arranged to go out a couple nights with our friends from Argentina that we met last year – should be a welcome change.

Lesson of the Week: Get a second opinion!

Love to all,

Doug and Missie