Emirates Power Structure

It is strange here that where you were born, or what nationality you are, determines your income level and the job you do, which determines your housing and disposible income.  I have never lived in a place where being "western" and educated gets you the chance to do certain jobs, like teaching.  If I was Philippina, I probably couldn't, even if I spoke English.  Instead, here these women often do the cleaning - my nice assistant speaks at least 3 languages, is great with children, and is separated from her own children in the Philippines, but gets paid a fraction of what I do and works double the hours.  Also, apparently, my income is different to the Syrian and Palestinian teachers who do the same job as me.  Not based on ability, just nationality.  It seems really wrong to me.  The pecking order seems to be Emiratis first (who get paid alot and get government help), then westerners (Europeans, Americans, Australians, etc), then other Arabs (Egyptians, Syrians, etc), then Asians (Indians, Philippinas, Pakistanis).  And people dress according to their nationality - Pakistani men where the shalwar kemeez (pants and a long shirt), Asian men sometimes wear a sarong, Emirati women wear all black, other Arab women where more colours, Emirati men where a kandoura (long robe often in white), westerners where western clothing.  So, no one is in any doubt about who is who.  I don't pretend to understand it all, but that appears to be the situation.

However, when the Indian men in the Accounting Office at my school try to bully the staff - controlling the resources, the copier, the paychecks - this pecking order gives me some power.  I just don't feel as intimidated as I might - I've even said that to them.  I think, "We landed on the moon and you didn't.  We controlled the 20th Century.  We have the powerful language due to US political and military and cultural power, built on top of the British Empire.  You are all paying us to teach the English language.  We have Shakespeare, nah nah nah"  It's my way of feeling powerful in return.  Childish I know.  It also shows me that we are products of our culture - all the people who came before me, all the history, all the accidents and wars and politics, lead me to this place - where all these nationalites come together in a desert and the Americans don't come out on the bottom!  I say a little word of thanks to the many generations before me that allow me to stand up to bullies and to teach Mary Had a Little Lamb to Emirati children. 

Charles and I are taking Arabic classes twice a week for ten weeks with a Christian Lebanese man.  He is the first Christian Arab I've ever met (Christians make up 35-55% of Lebanese apparently).  Very interesting.  We are learning the alphabet and getting some nouns and verbs.  I can't say it is easy or that I can say much yet.  We've learned about the similarities between Hebrew and Arabic, which is ironic, and about how in Arabic saying a command (like "Drink this") is not considered rude (as it would be in English) because they have no other way of saying it.  There is also no verb "to be" in Arabic.  Hopefully I can learn to say more as I have a parent at my school who doesn't speak English.  Otherwise, at work, it is alot of me "blah blah blahing" in English at these little children - doing show and tell, Little Red Riding Hood, cutting and gluing, and writing letters and numbers.  If I can balloon twist, I can do this! 

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