Page 42 - San Diego Woman Amy Haber Issue

Hello, Believe it or not, it is exhausting texting apps over the phone, and
especially when you get a 4-year-
in many cases I speak with some
old with the attention span of a
special students, who have be-
come very good friends, over the
gnat. And then there are those
my name times when you are trying to phone. In fact, one of my best
teach a little one and the parents
friends is a young woman from
repeat everything you say, you
Saudi Arabia named Mona. We
wonder why you are even there.
speak every day and I know her
By Friday about 3 ish I don’t have
whole family, which is extensive
is Carol a voice. So why do I do it, because and includes sisters, brothers,
aunties, uncles, grannies, cous-
I meant it when I said the rewards,
ins, nieces, nephews, and they
I get from getting to know oth-
er people and their culture are
all live together in one complex.
priceless.
I have been on the site for al- You wouldn’t think we could be
besties, but we are, she is 32, I’m
most five years, and I am happy 82, she is Saudi, I’m an American,
By Carol Heath to say that I have a set schedule, but we share our day with each
9 to 3, Monday thru Friday, and other, we laugh, we cry, yes, we
my schedule is always full. In fact, have fought and disagreed, I send
When I started teaching En- ed English. That was almost five I now have a waiting list of stu- her boxes of stuff from America,
glish online some almost five years ago, and I still speak with dents wanting me as their teach- she sends me stuff from Saudi.
years now, I thought Arabs, men, her, only as a friend on the phone er. I credit this fact to my Arabic I have taught her, and she has
and women were a bunch of ter- thanks to our cell phones. students. From Renad to my latest taught me in return and the thing
rorists. I wasn’t even aware of all A quick tutorial may be in student Hamad, the instant rap- that binds us now is love.
the countries that made up the order to help you become ac- port I have with Arabs amazes me. I am learning to speak Ar-
Arab Nation. When I learned, I quainted with how my job works. It takes me about 2 minutes to get abic and even write and read
was going to have to teach Sau- Students from all over the world them relaxed and laughing when it and it ain’t easy folks. Half the
di Arabians as they constitute can buy blocks of time 15, 30, 60, they come into my classroom. If time I feel like I am ready to spit
most of the students we teach, I minutes - once, three times, or you can get your students com- out a great big luggie because of
was a little nervous. I don’t know every day. They have an oppor- fortable and relaxed, they learn the way you have to pronounce
what I expected, but it certainly tunity to select a teacher or tutor so much faster, and if you make certain letters. But that’s not the
was not the reception I received. from over 100 individuals that them laugh, they want to come worst of it as I thought I was pret-
My fourth call and I went into my have their profiles posted along back and learn. I use all my own ty hot stuff when I learned the
welcome, “Hello my name is Car- with a short video introducing material and I am very proud of alphabet in like 3 days. Wrong, I
ol, and I am an American. I live themselves. The students have the fact that I know I have made a just learned the isolated letters.
in California, nice to meet you.” the choice of reserving time with difference in their lives. You are un- You see when you write in Arabic
A very clear, but very soft voice you, or they can just go on the able to get a job anymore in most you write each letter differently
answered me, “Hello teacher, my site and select a teacher or tutor countries unless you can speak, depending on where it appears
name is Renad, and I am from Sau- from the individuals online wait- read and write English as it has be- in a word. Ergo, the letter say M is
di Arabia. I live in the capital city ing. The pay sucks, but the re- come the most spoken language pronounced ‘’mim’ and it is writ-
of Riyadh. Nice to meet you too.” wards I have gotten from getting all over the globe. ten one way at the beginning of
My first thought was I wondered to know so many people from so I have become so close with a word, another way if it is in the
why she was on the site as her many countries have been price- so many students, that even after middle, and yet another way if it
English was amazing, quiet, but less. Wow, that sounds like an ad, I teach them and they get a job, is at the end. Remember I’m old,
amazing. I soon discovered that come here, sign up, easy work, we continue to keep in touch I gotta lotta stuff up there in this
she had practiced her introduc- just talk, you will love it. There is through brain and sometimes it is hard
tion and once she reached ‘nice another side of the coin so don’t email, to remember where the hell I’m
to meet you too’, her English was rush to the computer and sign at when I am writing something.
sometimes broken, sometimes up. The hours suck as you live in I know, I know, why am I putting
backward, and often I struggled America and all your students myself through this torture? It
to find the glue I needed to piece come from a myriad of time is two-fold actually, firstly
the words together. zones. Sitting looking at an I want all my Ara-
I was worried I wouldn’t be empty computer screen bic students to
able to communicate with my waiting for a student is know that
new little student from Saudi tedious, especially when I
Arabia. She didn’t sound like a you get paid by talk
terrorist, and since I was speaking time, so no talk
to a black screen, I couldn’t say for no pay.
sure if she looked like one. I knew
from reading the site manual, that
it would not be unusual for Ara-
bic women to keep their cameras
off. The 30 minutes, the length of
her subscription 3 times a week,
went by very fast and I think we
did more laughing than actual
speaking. Renad was charming,
gracious and made me feel very
appreciated even with her limit-
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