Part 6: The Offers

I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;when you run, you will not stumble. (Proverbs 4:11-12)

I had prayed that God would open a door, ONE door. I was beside myself when He opened four.

Bahrain: I would be an elementary school teacher (1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade). The pay is less than in the other three locations. However, (shared) housing and transportation are provided. The Kingdom of Bahrain is very posh. Celebrities like Michael Jackson and Shakira have homes there. It is a beautiful island, in a strategic location (Arabian Gulf), with a very high cost of living. It will be difficult for me to pay a chunk on my student loans. Arabic and English are widely spoken.


<Abu Dhabi: I would teach middle school math/science or language arts/social studies. 50% of my students would be children of international expats, 40% Emirate nationals. Shared housing is provided, as well as transportation. A.D. is in the United Arab Emirates: pristine desert on the edge of a cerulean sea. The beaches are breathtaking. Abu Dhabi is the classy, underrated brother to glitzy, glam Dubai. In its' own right, Abu Dhabi is quite the cosmopolitan city; the only international branches of the Louvre and the Guggenheim museums are soon to spring up in A.D. Oil-rich, and home to many expats, the cost of living is climbing higher with a 12% inflation rate.
Life in Abu Dhabi is modern, nice, and easy...as if I never left the States. Fresh off my unique, highly cultural Morocco experience, I'm not sure the ease of life is what I'm craving. The salary is a little more than Egypt, but not enough to make up for the cost of living. Arabic and English are widely spoken.


Lebanon: I would teach 8th grade science. 60% of the students are Lebanese! The pay is less than A.D. and Egypt, but potential for savings is 75%. I would be housed in my own apartment, a five minute walk to school. The school, 103 years old, well-established, and enjoys an outstanding reputation. (It also overlooks the Mediterranean :) Cost of living in Lebanon is cheaper than A.D. and Bahrain, but much more expensive than Egypt. Nestled between the Mediterranean and the Lebanon Mountains, Beirut (~1.3 mil) is the best of both worlds: beach vacays in the summer, skiing in the winter. Local fruits, veggies, and fish are sold in a market a short stroll from the apartments.

Before the civil war (1975-1990) Lebanon was relatively calm and prosperous, known as the banking and cultural capital of the Middle East. It was widely referred to as both the "Switzerland of the East" due to its financial power and "Paris of the East" as it attracted hordes of tourists each season. Historically, Lebanon is incredibly rich from the influences of the Phoenicians, to the Persian, Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, and Ottoman empires, and finally its' status as a French protectorate. The country is fairly progressive for the Middle East. As a woman, it is an easy environment to adjust: men do not cat-call, stare, and grope as in other Middle Eastern countries, I can walk around as I please, dressed as I like. Lebanon is the "motherland" and as the headmaster told me: "You'll blend in, you look Lebanese" As for the food, what could be better than fresh tabbouleh and kibbeh, straight from the source! Forty percent of the population is Christian. Churches are widespread. The population is generally tri-lingual: Arabic, English, French (!!).

Unfortunately, the country is fairly unstable due to warring factions. A suicide bombing occurred in Beirut the week I went to the job fair. As the headmaster of the school in Beirut explained: "Some people still seem to think assassination is a viable option to settle disagreements." Even more unfortunate for me, Lebanon is one of two destinations (the other- Saudi Arabia) my parents were dead-set against. They asked me to agree not to go there, an easy stipulation with which to abide when the headmaster informed me 3 weeks prior to the fair that I was required to have 6-8 years of experience; harder still when I was actually offered the job.


Egypt: I would teach 8th grade math & science. 80% of the students are Egyptians. The school is located in New Cairo City, a 30-90 minute commute from my fully-furnished residence in Heliopolis. Housing and transportation are provided, unless I want to live in Maadi, then I will use the housing allowance to find my own accommodation. Egypt has an extremely low cost of living. Reportedly, I will live comfortably on <$300/month.


Cairo has a population ~23 million. It teems people, dirtiness and pollution. The school director told me it will be best for my health to "escape" Cairo every few weeks or so. As a single woman, I will be subjected to all manner of cat calls and stares. One of the teachers was even followed and groped last year (that happened in Morocco too). I will not be able to go on outdoor runs through the neighborhood. That would be awkward. It is a more "difficult" life, but in a dynamic city! What can I say? Egypt is the birthplace of ancient civilization, home to 2/3 of the world's antiquities. As an Egyptian resident, I will qualify for all kinds of travel discounts on 5-star hotels and transportation. Egypt is rife with attractions: the Great Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, Mount Sinai. Scuba diving in the Red Sea is unparalleled. It is an hour to Cyprus, two hours to Lebanon, Turkey, and Greece, and a four-hour flight to Milan.