First week in Dubai

I am 8 days into my adventure in the U.A.E., in ever-expanding Dubai land! It has been a pretty easy landing, because everything is in English as well as Arabic, and there are signs of home everywhere...for example, where I'm writing this from: the familiar leather chairs of Caribou Coffee (aka Starbucks).
I'm living on the 13th floor of an apartment building called "Greenview" although the view is anything but green! I look out on a big traffic intersection, with dust and construction everywhere.
The apartment is great, all modern furniture provided by the school (think Crate and Barrel suede couches and low glass coffee table, dark wood bedroom furniture, a huge closet, etc.)
My school is about a 10 minute drive away, and so far the new hires have been transported by small school vans. This will stop once we all get our visas and residency cards, and then we're on our own. The only bum deal is that most of the other new hires live across the street, and thus have the ease and accessibility to school that I just don't have. But such is life.
Dubai American Academy is a VERY well-funded school. The school is growing nearly as fast as the city, and there are 1,300 kids in the elementary school this year! We start classes this Sunday (week runs Sunday-Thursday with Friday and Saturday as the weekend, this is everywhere here) and my first class will be the 4th grade. The most exciting thing is, I have my own room! Yes, I am a real teacher now, with my name outside the door and everything. I'm teaching 28 classes a week, of Kindergarten, 3rd and 4th grade. There are 3 other music teachers, and we are splitting the huge load among us. There is so much for me to learn here, and right now I feel completely daunted by the upcoming year, but also excited to grow and work with kids again.
I love the expat community here. Everyone's from everywhere, and it really makes the world feel smaller, instead of the other way around. I am getting giddy about the thought of traveling during the holidays. I've been told that I must do a safari in Tanzania, and that the beaches of Oman are not to be missed. Then there's India, Nepal, the Far East, etc...
Here are some photos of my first week here. For those who didn't know, Dubai is the land of giant malls and an an indoor ski slope. I haven't yet tried it out, but it is pretty bizarre to witness!