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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
  - Pakistan
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Belgium
  - Cyprus
  - Croatia
  - Czech Republic
  - France
  - Ireland
  - Netherlands
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
  - Uganda
  - Rwanda
- Caucasus
  - Azerbaijan
  - Armenia
  - Georgia
  - Russia
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
Teaching Abroad
Life in the UAE
Life in Qatar
- Things to do in Qatar
- Info for residents
  - Getting a drivers license in Qatar (if you already have a license)
Life in Kuwait

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
  - Pakistan
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Belgium
  - Cyprus
  - Croatia
  - Czech Republic
  - France
  - Ireland
  - Netherlands
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
  - Uganda
  - Rwanda
- Caucasus
  - Azerbaijan
  - Armenia
  - Georgia
  - Russia
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
Teaching Abroad
Life in the UAE
Life in Qatar
- Things to do in Qatar
- Info for residents
  - Getting a drivers license in Qatar (if you already have a license)
Life in Kuwait

Free Poetry Teaching Resources

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Enjoying Qatari cuisine while learning 🧠 😋

📍: Hotel Park (Doha, Qatar) Located in the cit

📍: Hotel Park (Doha, Qatar)

Located in the city’s financial district, enveloped by skyscrapers is this small unassuming park 🌳

Head here for sunset views and pretty photos before making your way to one of the area’s many restaurants for dinner 🌅

Details:

🚊: DECC metro stop (red line).
🚗: The park has paid underground parking.
🌮: There are restrooms & food trucks in the park.

What’s your favourite sunset spot in your city?

Did you know that you can find a piece of the Berl

Did you know that you can find a piece of the Berlin Wall in Doha?

For 28 years, the Berlin Wall divided east and west Germany. On 9 November 1989, it fell, after which nothing could stop German reunification. Of the 54,000 concrete slabs that once made up the western side of Berlin Wall, hundreds of these segments have made their way to far-flung locales. If you’re interested in seeing the one in Qatar, here’s where to find it:

📍: Georgetown University (Adjacent to the library atrium).
🚊: Qatar National Library metro stop (green line)
🚗: The university has parking.
⚠️ Anyone can visit this, just inform the security what you’re going to see.
⏰: It’s better to visit on a weekend when the campus is empty 😇

There’s allegedly a second piece in Doha, but I can’t locate it. Would love to know if anyone knows where it currently is!!

There’s more to see in the world than just Londo

There’s more to see in the world than just London, Dubai and New York 🌎

You don’t have to travel to places with complicated visa procedures to have a good holiday. I promise!

Every country featured in this video is visa-free, a simple eVisa or Visa On Arrival (VOA) for South African passport holders.

Go where you’re welcomed 💛

What are you some of your favourite destinations?

P.S. The reel took me an hour and a half to put together 🥲

Visiting Mathaf Museum (📍: Education City, Qata

Visiting Mathaf Museum (📍: Education City, Qatar)

This museum specializes in modern and contemporary art by Arab artists but just in time for the Fifa World Cup, they have new, globally renowned collections. One thing I can say about Mathaf is that they showcase thought provoking art, designed to make you question & wonder.

Details for visiting:

💰 : This museum is currently free for everyone.
📍 : “Mathaf Museum” is on Google Maps & Waze.
🚙: The museum has a dedicated parking area.
🚊: The Education City tram stops opposite the museum (Blue line, stop number 2). Connect from the Education City metro station (Green line).
🚌: There is a free Mathaf bus that runs between Qatar National Library, Museum of Islamic Art & Fire Station.

Current collections include-

🔸One Tiger or Another by Singaporean artist, Ho Tzu Nyen
🔹Invisible Labors: Daydream Therapy by Qatari-American artist, Sophia Al-Maria
🔸No Condition is Permanent by Palestinisan artist, Taysir Batniji
🔹Majaz: Contemporary Art by multiple artists

Don’t miss the interactive exhibits at the Majaz Exhibit 😄

Would you visit an art museum?

I am trying to be more intentional about sharing w

I am trying to be more intentional about sharing what I do in the classroom and what it’s like to teach at an international school 🏫

Not to show off but rather, because as much as people want to teach abroad, they never really think about the day to day experiences at work. The amount of planning and creativity it takes to come up with engaging lessons suitable for an international school while still building rapport with students of different cultures 😬

Gosh, there are so many challenges of teaching abroad. From discrimination, to how many hours a day you work and plan, to cultural mishaps with colleagues, to overzealous parents whatsapping at all hours, out of touch egotistical leaders, to learning a new curriculum to teaching a grade/subject you have no clue about.

The stress can be overwhelming 😅

But…

This will never just be a teacher Instagram account. Because I’ll always maintain that you should have hobbies and interests that have nothing to do with your job 👩🏽‍🏫

Being a teacher is not your entire identity. The moment you dedicate your entire life to teaching is the moment you start to burn out. This job can and will eat you alive if you let it 😵‍💫

As we ease into the new academic year (or wind down towards the end if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere), don’t get so hung up on your job that you forget to build an identity outside of it 🐼

If you have a question about the day to day goings on in an international school, please drop them in the comments below. Alternatively leave a 🧡 emoji to send your support to teachers everywhere 🌎

🐼 Panda’s Plates: Sabali (West Bay, Doha) 🍽

📋 Menu selection: They have a small menu with the few items they do exceptionally well. There are no options for vegans and vegetarians. 🦞

🧇 Quality & taste of food: Dishes are hearty and can easily be shared. The food was really flavorful and of a high quality.

🍄 Ambience & aesthetics: This restaurant has no emphasis on theming or aesthetics, you purely go for the tasty food!!

❇️ Highlights & drawbacks: This restaurant is part of Zest Cafe in Tornado Tower. If you don’t know that it’s there, you will easily miss out. There are no signs for it. You have to go in and ask for the Sabali menu. This is great because its a hidden gem but also confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

💰: The price of all main courses is 65QAR each and portions are large. We took food home. Our bill was 175QAR for 2 adults 💷

🚦Last notes: Don’t forget to order the drinks- bissap & gingembre. Both are delicious.

🚙: There is parking outside the restaurant, along the road.

🚊:The restaurant is a 10 minute walk from DECC station.

🌟 Overall rating: 🐼🐼🐼🐼🐼/5

❌ not sponsored ❌ not invited #pandasplatesqatar

🐼 Panda’s Plates: Well On Heritage Restaurant

🐼 Panda’s Plates: Well On Heritage Restaurant (Salwa Road, Doha) 🍽

📋 Menu selection: They have an extensive menu so everyone is sure to find something they like even vegans and vegetarians. The staff are happy to explain anything you aren’t familiar with 🦞

🧇 Quality & taste of food: I loved everything we ordered particularly the deviled fish. They do ask what spice level you want your food to be so choose carefully! I recommend ordering a few things and sharing.

🍄 Ambience & aesthetics: The 2nd floor is the best place to be with pretty artwork and a display of traditional wooden dolls. Apart from a large unnecessary tv, the space is quite relaxing.

❇️ Highlights & drawbacks: The drinks were amazing- try the flood and iced milo! The staff went out of their way to take care of us and accommodate our requests.

💰: The average price of a dish is 20QAR and portions are reasonably sized. Our bill was 130QAR for 3 adults and 1 child 💷

🚦Last notes: Don’t be overwhelmed if you walk in and see groups of men on the ground floor; make your way up the stairs for the family area.

🚙: There is plenty of parking outside the restaurant.

🚊:There are no metro stations within walking distance. You can take a metro to Al Sudan station and get an uber from there.

🌟 Overall rating: 🐼🐼🐼🐼/5

❌ not sponsored ❌ not invited #pandasplatesqatar

🐼 Panda’s Plates: Polka (Duhail, Doha) 🍽

🐼 Panda’s Plates: Polka (Duhail, Doha) 🍽

📋 Menu selection: They had quite a number of dishes with a few vegetarian options. In my opinion it was the perfect amount of dishes without overwhelming the patron🦞

🧇 Quality & taste of food: The food is absolutely delicious and packed with flavour. The herring was my favorite main course- kind of like a polish sashimi. I recommend ordering a few things and sharing.

🍄 Ambience & aesthetics: The space is beautiful; colorful and vibrant. There’s a lot of attention to detail here which instagrammer’s will appreciate.

❇️ Highlights & drawbacks: The cheesecake might be the best I have had in Doha… its not the menu so definitely ask for it! Service was attentive and prompt. The only drawback is that the restaurant is small so you may have to wait in the waiting area downstairs when its busy.

💰: The average price of a dish is 40QAR and portions are reasonable. Our bill was 345QAR shared by 3 people 💷

🚦Last notes: Make a reservation!

🚙: The area is under construction so parking can be an issue.

🚊:There are no metro stations within walking distance.

🌟 Overall rating: 🐼🐼🐼🐼🐼/5

❌ not sponsored ❌ not invited #pandasplatesqatar

🌀New Blog Post: Planning a 3 day trip to Budape

🌀New Blog Post: Planning a 3 day trip to Budapest, Hungary 🌀

Hungary is one of the places often overlooked by travellers coming to Europe, but everyone who visits enjoys themselves. It’s hard to really explain the feeling of being in Budapest. It is busy, yet relaxing. It is rough around the edges, yet elegant. The city still feels Medieval but has all of the conveniences of modern Europe. The food is great, things are cheap, and the people are quite warm 😇

In my blog post I share the details of my trip- where I went, where I stayed and what I enjoyed and didn’t enjoy. I share all the details in my blog post and explain why a visit to Budapest is an excellent add-on to any European trip💡

The link is in my stories or from the latest post tab from the link in my bio.

Would you consider visiting Budapest when you’re in Europe?

Salespeople where I live versus salespeople where

Salespeople where I live versus salespeople where I am from 🏪

I find that going to a store in the Gulf is a very different experience compared to going to a store in South Africa. While both places are friendly, South Africans are overtly chatty and will happily share details of their life with you even if you didn’t ask for it. I find this to be the case for most stores in African countries I have travelled to 🌍

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve wondered, “Do I actually know this person and just don’t remember?” 🤯

Polar’s face at the end kills me 🤣

What are salespeople like where you live or are from?

The worst part about this reel is that it’s base

The worst part about this reel is that it’s based on a true story 🙃

If you’re wondering why teachers are leaving the profession in droves, it’s not because of the students. It’s because of unsupportive, inflexible leadership that are unwilling to listen to their teams as they become more and more out of touch with teacher’s needs 😵‍💫

Leave a 😑 in the comment below if you’ve experienced this before.

Reel inspired by @loewhaley 🎥

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