"Rags to Riches"

Two days after we arrived in Mount Vernon, Washington, United States, I received an email from a university I had recently interviewed for a job with. I enjoyed the interview, which was conducted via video-conference call while I was in Pretoria, and so I was happy to hear that a job offer was on its way. The job is with the Higher Colleges of Technology of the United Arab Emirates, located in Abu Dhabi, and I was delighted to accept the offer earlier this week. The job will start in mid-June.

As the recent posts from Tim suggest, we have been experiencing some culture shock, and this new position naturally adds to our general feeling at the moment of being overwhelmed, shocked, jolted out of any sense of normalness, etc. Here we are, back in the states, for the first time in 2 years, and we're already filing mountains of paperwork (our marriage certificate needs to be signed by Hilary Clinton, no joke!) and researching international shipping rates to move our lives across the world again.

Obviously all of this has come with a lot of soul searching, which may not be transparent these days, as we've been playing our cards close to our heart and also trying our to take the days one at a time, since when we decided we wanted to begin the process of leaving South Africa, to our present situation. I submit the following Frequently Asked Questions to try and help those curious to figure out what is going on with us these days.

United Arab Emirates? The Middle East? Isn't that dangerous?

No, it isn't. It is true that the UAE is surrounded by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Oman. It's also true that a lot of countries around Africa and the Middle East have recently experienced protests and government actions in response having to do with the quality of life of citizens and related issues. However the UAE is one of the richest countries in the world, with most citizens living very well (the Abu Dhabi area is the seventh largest supplier of oil in the world), and the citizens are not motivated to protest just because other nearby societies are. The citizens of the UAE are comfortable and Abu Dhabi is one of the safest cities in the world by any standard.

Will you speak Arabic? Need to wear a headscarf?

We're looking forward to learning some Arabic, but it's not expected or necessary, nor is wearing traditional clothing, which Emirates do wear, but which they do not expect (or desire) of foreigners. By different measures (and in different areas), 5-20% of the population of the UAE is Emirates (citizens). Most people there are Asians (mostly Indians and Pakistanis) with a significant chunk of the population comprised of Westerners (Europeans and Americans). By any measure Abu Dhabi is one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet, and our ways and norms will be reasonably tolerated (we will need what Tim lovingly calls a "Beer and Bacon License," but that's a discussion for a different blog post). Public displays of affection are not cool there (beyond holding hands), but this is not something we really value, anyway.

You just got to America. Do you hate America or something? Why are you leaving so fast?

We started applying for jobs earlier this year, and I applied to many jobs both within and outside the United States. I have received several interviews for positions outside the states, but I have had little positive feedback from any employers here. Abu Dhabi is one of very few cities that is not so far experiencing reactions to the worldwide recession (CNN has called the city the richest city in the world), and as UAE commonly hires Westerners in higher education, I just lucked out. We are not confident that if we committed to a national job search within the United States that we would find success in a reasonable amount of time, and we are enjoying traveling and living life in interesting places (though we hope to maintain running water and climate control in the future). Early June is soon. But opportunity is not guaranteed to knock in August or September, or October, or November.

What is the job?

It's an administrative position with a largest higher education institution in the UAE, Higher Colleges of Technology. My title will be Policy and Planning Coordinator. I'll be working with university policies and educational statistics and research, and possibly with quality assurance and institutional research. Benefits are very good (44 days of paid holiday leave per year, for example) and opportunities for career advancement are also possible. We're in for a 3-year contract.

What will Tim do?

At this point we have several contacts for teaching in higher education for Tim. Tim may be able to begin teaching physics at the same institution or a different institution in Abu Dhabi this Fall.

Do you hate us? Why won't you stay in America?

We're sorry we don't have longer to relax after our adventure in South Africa. However, some of those 44 days of annual paid holiday leave can be spent in the states (yearly airfare home is also provided), and there should be some left over, should you want to meet up with us in the UAE or anywhere in Europe, Asia, or Africa. Start planning your trips now. Dubai is well known as a tourist destination with an indoor ski mountain in the middle of the desert, and Dubai is an hour or two away. Let's do this. Pick a time and place.

What will it be like? I want to know more.

The position I will be taking is now filled by another American woman who lives with her husband in Abu Dhabi, and I have been fortunate to be able to make contact with her and learn a lot from her about the work and lifestyle there. Her blog is Finding Abu Dhabi and I encourage you to take a look if you want to know more about life in the UAE.


I title this blog "Rags to Riches" because it is so strange for us to experience, among other things, going from a life where needing new pants or more groceries could cause serious financial hardship, to having enough money to get by, and looking forward to a relatively lucrative career. 3 weeks ago our home was a 2-room house without running water or climate control in a rural village off the tar road in Africa, and now we are planning for a spacious apartment in the city, with a few bedrooms and bathrooms, and a balcony with a great city view, in the Middle East. It's all weird, and shocking. But we are optimistic that we will prosper, and we plan to continue to share our adventures with you (in this blog space) in the future.