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A South African Teacher's Adventures In & Out of the Global Classroom

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About me
Travel Destinations
- The Middle East
  - Oman
  - Qatar
  - Bahrain
  - Jordan
  - United Arab Emirates
  - Iran
- Asia
  - Sri Lanka
  - India
  - Laos
  - Myanmar (Burma)
  - Nepal
  - Maldives
  - Turkey
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Czech Republic
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
  - Croatia
  - France
  - Ireland
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
- Caucasus
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
Life in Kuwait
Life in the UAE
Teaching Abroad

About me
Travel Destinations
- The Middle East
  - Oman
  - Qatar
  - Bahrain
  - Jordan
  - United Arab Emirates
  - Iran
- Asia
  - Sri Lanka
  - India
  - Laos
  - Myanmar (Burma)
  - Nepal
  - Maldives
  - Turkey
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Czech Republic
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
  - Croatia
  - France
  - Ireland
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
- Caucasus
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
Life in Kuwait
Life in the UAE
Teaching Abroad

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expatpanda

A 🐼 navigating the 🌎
🔹 Made in South Africa & teaching in Dubai 🇦🇪
🔸 Discussing truths about travel & expat life 🙇🏽‍♀️
Click for blogs & vlogs ⤵️

Just because you went through a painful past, does

✂️Stay away from racist schools- even as a whi

📌 What happens when what's best for you- is not

👩🏾‍🦱 “You’re so lucky to have curly

😷 Returning to school in the midst of a pandemi

🌀Panda's guide to dating someone who works in h

🍎 Dear parents whose children are returning to $🍎 Dear parents whose children are returning to school in September, We teachers care about your kids as much as you do. We have spent weeks preparing for their arrival. We have had endless meetings, learnt new procedures and mastered the modern arts of mask wearing & surface sanitising 😷 I promise you that, largely, as a profession we have worked tirelessly to ensure that we can do the best we possibly can for your children in these uncertain times. We are also human so we are also nervous. We also lie awake at night and wonder if we are doing the right things & making the safest choices 🥺 Projecting your worry onto us will not help the situation. We will need you to remain calm & work together with us while taking all necessary precautions to protect your kids, yourself and us too! We are fully aware of the difficulties that you have faced over the last few months. Many of you may have set up a timetable of learning alongside your own work. Many of you may have felt that the route of giving choice to your children was better. Many of you have probably felt that you simply couldn’t face a day of fractions or Macbeth📚 Many of you have perhaps been far stricter. Our message to you, is whatever stance you took: it was and is OK 👍🏾 Despite the pandemic and the fact that the school year will look different to previous years, we are still excited to start the year; to meet our students and to adapt, evolve & grow together. Despite uncertainty, confusion and anxiety, our students physical and emotional well-being will always be our first priority. Understand that sometimes that might be at the expense of the curriculum 🧨 Your kids may complain to you about not being able to socialise or do things they used to. This is not our fault. We also wish they could hug their friends and play team sports 🏀 When I think of the teachers that I remember most from school, it was the teachers who were kind to me. Kindness is what I want to give your children. Let’s work together to ensure we are all kind to each other 🤗 I am on your side. Even if I am only a small panda with big concerns ⚖️ With best wishes for the 2020/2021 school year, Ms. Aneesa 🐼$

☪️ Advice for teachers moving to the Gulf for

🔰Do you ask your partner for permission to do t

🌀New blog post: Questions to ask yourself if yo

✨ Going through things you never thought you'd g

❇️ Normalise spending time alone even if you’re in a happy, fulfilling relationship ❇️

I enjoy taking myself out for meals, for walks and when it’s not a pandemic- for solo travels even when I’m in a relationship. I personally don’t see anything wrong about wanting to spend time with myself. But people ask things like,

“Where is your other half?”

“Are you guys ok?”

“What happened? Why are you alone?”

Please understand that 2 people in a loving relationship can willingly choose to spend time apart for whatever reason. For me, periods of solitude recharges my mind and allows me to give even more to my partner and to the relationship itself 💕

In a past relationship, I was been berated for this- my innate need to spend time without my significant other. Yet I witnessed the double standard of how when a man does things without his partner, “he is so brave” and “he deserves a break”. But when it’s a woman doing the same, it’s “why is she alone? She should be fulfilling her duties at home instead of gallivanting” 🙄 Many women even feel like it’s wrong to do things without their partner simply because of the way society makes women feel guilty for doing things by ourselves 😑

I’m grateful to finally have a partner who understands & respects my needs. Moreover, a partner who shuts down sexist comments from others since they aren’t paying our bills 🤷🏾‍♀️

At the end of the day, I believe that by engaging in activities independent of each other, couples are better able to maintain their sense of self and bring diverse experiences to their relationship. What do you think... do you also need time alone to recharge or do you think that time apart from your partner is selfish? 🧏🏾‍♀️

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