u/sCoNyosa

I live in the UAE and work at a British school, and some colleagues decided it would be nice to go out for end of year drinks. We chose a bar we frequent that has weekly ladies nights where women drink free until 11pm. I’ve gone often and love this place for the quick service, music and vibes. When I first moved here I was blown away that you can have unlimited free drinks just because you’re a woman — and I’m still shocked how common these nights are!

I guess I haven’t been back to the bar in the 5 months I’ve been sober, because I found out tonight they no longer offer non-alcoholic drinks for free. Yes, you heard that right! Only alcohol is free.

Gin and tonic? No problem. Shot of tequila? Easy! A Diet Coke? Sorry Miss, not included. They only offer mixed drinks or shots, you can’t even get the alcohol in a separate glass or get a drink for chaser.

Here I am trying to make a conscious choice to be sober in life and during a work outing, while the table is getting rounds of shots at no cost. So not only do I feel like the odd one out, but I have to pay for it too!

I just needed to share this with people who can have a laugh at how dumbfounded I felt! In the moment I felt so frustrated , but as I write this in bed I’m actually laughing at the whole situation. And at the fact I was so stubborn I just ended up sharing some water with a friend, and decided not to order food because I found the whole thing so silly!

Hi all!

My husband and I are both primary teachers in Abu Dhabi wanting to move schools. I have signed a new offer, and this school has reached out to interview my husband. In addition, he has also interviewed with a separate school. Both are British international schools we can commute to from our accommodation (though different schools would require more transportation costs).

It just so happens we worked together at the same school in the UK, and now the UAE so we are used to it. We enjoy working together, but thought it may be best to work separately if we want to eventually move into leadership roles. From my understanding no matter what we choose, we will only receive one housing allowance because we are married.

My biggest concern working separately would be having different term breaks, but because these are mainly set by ADEK I imagine they would be the same or pretty similar.

For those who have experienced it, what are the pros and cons of working in the same school as your partner compared to working in different schools?

Assuming the pay and package are similar, which would you choose and what would you recommend?