Cherokee Wisdom

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Ibn Khaldun

Through my time here, I'm trying to learn more about Islamic culture and history so as to have a greater understanding of the customs of the Arab world while I'm living here. My first entry in this category is:

Ibn Khaldun

IBN KHALDUN

This guy was a hardcore intellectual from Tunisia in the 14th century.  According to Wikipedia, he is classified as an astronomer, economist, historian, Islamic jurist, Islamic lawyer, Islamic scholar, Islamic theologian, hafiz (someone who's memorized the Koran), mathematician, military strategist, nutritionist, philosopher, social scientist and statesman.  He is regarded as one of the founders of many intellectual disciplines before they were studied in the West, including historiography, economics, philosophy of history and sociology.  Much of his writing was based on observation of the dichotomy between nomadic and urban lifestyle and the economic and societal challenges that resulted.  His philosophy was highly practical, as per the following: 

Businesses owned by responsible and organized merchants shall eventually surpass those owned by wealthy rulers.[28]

Ibn Khaldun on economic growth and the ideals of Plato

Khaldun also observed that after a period of growth and great civilization (hegemony or suzerainty over a region), its high point will be followed by a period of decay.  Certainly this is an observation from which the United States could learn.  

British historian Arnold J. Toynbee called the Muqaddimah "a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time or place."^[35] Much of his own work on world history was inspired by Ibn Khaldun.

The British philosopher-anthropologist Ernest Gellner considered Ibn Khaldun's definition of government, "an institution which prevents injustice other than such as it commits itself", the best in the history of political theory.

Desiderata

Desiderata

Max Erhmann (1872 - 1945)

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Finally Arrived!

After some trials and tribulations on the runway (we were stuck on the tarmac for 6 hours) in Toronto, Emirates airline has brought a large number of people to Dubai on the world's largest commercial passenger airliner - the double decker A380, which holds 700 passengers.  I made it!   Now I'm at the Intercontinental Hotel, Festival City.  This is easily the most posh hotel I've stayed in.  5 stars!   

I've just arrived, and just ate breakfast.  In an hour I'll go down to meet some people from the school.  It's 9am, but feels more like 4 in the afternoon.  Jet lag, anyone?

Learning Arabic?

I picked up the Arabic version of the Pimsleur Language Learning System, which is the same system that I used to get started learning Mandarin. It worked extremely well, although I must have sounded like a complete fool repeating "would you like to have a cup of tea?" a thousand times to myself.

From what I hear, English is a highly dominant language in Dubai, and even Hindi and Urdu are more commonly spoken there; however, it won't stop me from trying to pick up at least some of the language - to truly understand and appreciate a foreign culture, one must at least make an attempt to talk the talk.

Burj Khalifa

The tallest building I've ever been in was the Jin Mao tower in Shanghai.  It is now the 10th tallest building in the world and at 421 meters, is dwarfed by the new ridiculously tall 828m Burj Khalifa.  I can't wait to go up!

Last Day of Work

Today is my last day of work as ESL Supervisor at the YWCA of Calgary. It has been a great pleasure working here. I was fortunate enough to step into this position with very little experience or background in the field, and I have grown significantly in the past 3 years. Today it was reinforced by my colleagues and supervisors that my work was very appreciated.  I was congratulated for my organization, personality, patience, sense of humour and knowledge of technology. I'm just glad to have been part of an organization filled with such great people. If it weren't for the positive team dynamic we shared, it certainly would not have been as enjoyable an experience.


I was left with this quote, which I really like:


"Each is given a bag of tools, / A shapeless mass and a book of rules; / And each must make, ere life is flown, / A stumbling block or a stepping stone. (R. L. Sharpe)"

The Real Dubai

Read this article on The Independent for a different perspective.

Preparation!

There's obviously much one must consider before embarking on an odyssey such as this. Overwhelmed I am, by the logistical arrangements that must be considered before leaving. Saddened I feel, by the prospect of temporarily leaving family and friends. Excited I am, by this golden opportunity.  It is a hectic and bittersweet time, for sure. These are just some items on my planning list.

- buy dress clothes (I only own 2 ties, 6 shirts and 1 suit) and more summer wear

- scan and save all my teaching materials that are in paper or book form

- sell excess books and things I won't be needing over the next 2 years

- put motorcycle and car as well as excess clothing (winter clothing!) in storage

- order and replace screen on my laptop

- buy an SLR camera

- 

Merhaba

Welcome! I have accepted an exciting opportunity as an Academic Bridge Instructor at Zayed University in Dubai. The purpose of this blog is to document and share my experiences through stories and photos.  More will unfold as I prepare to temporarily leave Canada and embark on this exciting journey!


In the meantime, you can read what this former teacher has to say about life in the Emirates.