Insha’Allah and Dealing as a “Type A” Personality

Insha’Allah (Arabic: إن شاء الله‎, [in ʃæʔ ʔɑlˤˈlˤɑːh]) is the Arabic term for “God willing“.        Often said here as a phrase WHILST waiting

Type A and Type B personality theory (also known as the “Jacob Goldsmith theory”) is a theory which describes two common, contrasting personality types—the high-strung Type A and the easy-going Type B—as patterns of behavior that could either raise or lower, respectively, one’s chances of developing coronary heart disease.

(both definitions slightly based on Wikipedia)

 Disclaimer- The contents of this post are NOT meant to be read as a big whiny complaint.

Hello.  My name is Alison and I am a bit of a control freak.  “Hello, Alison”

Sigh…this is who I am.  Although, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most teachers are?  Just sayin………

Anyhoo, life in the Middle East is not easy on us Type A’s.  I have been here 2 weeks and can tell you that……I still don’t know exactly where I’m teaching or living at this point.  There are ideas, but no certainties.  No move in date.  No worries.

 Insha’allah

I got my plane tickets details 7 days before I left my home.

Insha’allah

I often sit in my hotel (5 STAR hotel, thank you very much) waiting for a note to be slipped under my door to give me my orders for the next meeting, the next day.

 Insha’allah

Sigh….here is how I pass time.

I spend a LOT of time cruising malls- and spending money. (uh-oh)

Sightseeing.  (AWESOME here!  Especially the people watching!)

Eating at restaurants that don’t hurry me out the door in order to “turn the table” for another patron.

And sitting at the lovely swim up pool bar.                                                                           (no words to describe the happiness this gives me)

SO- here is what I do know.                                                                                                    I took on this experience knowing that there would be a lot of waiting and wondering.      I’m in a beautiful location with huge FREE daily breakfast.  (There goes the seam in another pair of pants)                                                                                                                          I’m meeting amazing fellow teachers from all over the world.

Yes, school starts in 2 weeks and I have not yet been able to furnish, let alone move, into my apartment.  Oh well.  For now, I can grade papers at that pool bar…..can’t I??

The little Type A voice inside my head will just have to muffle her frustrated cries at the moment and instead yell out…..

 “OK,  no problem!”  (another phrase often heard here….)

Gotta run….gotta wash some more clothes in the bathtub now.