Off the beaten track

Rachel A. Rani, an experienced academician with a successful stint in the Gulf

SIXTEEN years of toil has had its rewards. Having taught in various capacities for the State, ICSE and CBSE streams, teaching now holds an unswerving charm for me. Reaching this stage was a long and arduous journey.

I remember way back, it was after my graduation that I reluctantly signed up for a B.Ed course - the fruit of sessions of goading by my brother. It was not until the internship period started that I discovered my latent talent for teaching.

After teaching at All Saints Boys School for 5 years, the birth of my daughter required me to take a short break from my career. I rejoined the profession with renewed vigour soon after. I worked for a number of schools both as a high school teacher, and as a Principal.

Thanks to God's grace and his perfect timing, I soon got the break in my career I was looking for - I was given the opportunity to work for the Government of Oman as a teacher. An interview and the most exhaustive written test I ever faced were a part of the selection process. The Omani inspector was pleased with my results and I was given the job offer.

I left the country bag and baggage; journeying to a land I knew little about. The loneliness was overwhelming and from then on it was something I had to grapple with every day. The language barrier was another impediment, more so because I was working for an Oman Ministry school and not an Indian Embassy or India affiliated school.

Towards the end of my tenure, I managed to learn Arabic. Maqniyat, the place I was at, is a village 400 kms from Muscat, a valley with rocky mountains in the distance. The people I met were from different walks of life. I worked alongside teachers from Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Sri Lanka. We were an odd mixture of various lifestyles. This was a time I learnt to respect other cultures, and that there were good things about every culture.

What impressed me the most was the immaculate system of teaching English, which is both thorough and well drafted. Textbooks are divided according to periods and not chapters, and owing to its British authorship; it is balanced, systematic and methodical. The skills - reading, writing and speaking, and comprehension are tested and honed. The British inspectors were very helpful, understanding and fun to work with.

The girl child has more freedom in today's Oman, than she ever had in the past. Despite this, it is still a sad fact that most women are confined to the four walls of the house. Although women are now given a lot of employment chances, many of them haven't woken up to the opportunity. However, there are successes, and schools which were once run by hired expatriates, are now being totally managed by local residents. It's just a few more years before self-sufficiency takes its rightful place, and the government of Oman is doing all it can to educate and encourage the natives to take over.

My tryst with locals was very heart-warming. A hospitable people who follow a simple lifestyle and are perfectly contented with their lot in life. I remember once being invited to the home of a local Omani. Large trays full of fruit, dates, halwa and coffee were offered. The coffee was served in tiny cups, which had to be washed when you had your fill. Unaware of this custom, I kept giving it back to the host, who promptly refilled it. This happened a couple of times, till my colleague informed me about what had to be done.

Religion binds the people in totality and the Ramadan solidarity was something I was overawed by. Whatever be the state or condition of the person, he would pray and fast regardless.

The summer and winter climates are extremes that are hard on the Indian frame. A Spartan ruggedness is thus needed in order to survive. The picture of an expanse of barren wilderness with the rocky mountains in the background, and a trail of goats ascending, being led by a shepherd boy, was a picturesque scene that I can still see vividly before me. I even witnessed a historic event - the first flash floods in 50 years.

Many people are apprehensive about the status of working women in the gulf. Women expatriates need to command respect by their conduct, especially because foreign women are seen as those who come only to make money. So a woman needs to be very careful as to how she carries herself, talks and behaves in public in order to preserve her dignity.

My advice to people moving to the gulf, is to save as much money you can. Learn to be independent and self-sufficient. Remember that you are representing your country and you need to be proud of it!

As told to ARCHANA JAYAKAR