CELTA, WOMAD and more

Things are very busy this side and have been for a while. About a month ago I finished up with my CELTA, managing to get a Pass B grade, which is a pass with distinction. The course was an incredible experience, too little sleep or proper food, 4 hours of driving a day, but well worth every moment. It’s very practical, with a chance to use the new theory immediately each week, as we taught classes of paying adults during the course.

I’ve come out of the CELTA feeling like a new person, and comfortable handling a class of adults well. Along the way I made good friends, both with trainees and with a few students. AND this coming week I have an interview with the British Council in Abu Dhabi. Hold thumbs.

In the interim we’ve had Madeleine and Bruno over from Germany for a week, arriving at the end of our second Abu Dhabi WOMAD experience.

Thursday, 22 April we made our way through to Abu Dhabi after Virginia finished up at work, booked into the Novotel, and headed out for the Corniche, where the flags were once again flying and WOMAD would again be held.

Overall, of the three nights, I enjoyed this one the most, particularly for the African flair of the evening. The night opened with a wonderful fireworks display, followed by the Drummers of Burundi, a mainstay of WOMAD since it began in 1982, who set the scene with their magical, and brutal drumming. The Zawose Family from Tanzania followed, with more drumming and tribal dancing, and the added touch of having gathered and coached school children from Abu Dhabi to appear (fairly) seamlessly on stage with them after only 2 weeks preparation.

Later Le Trio Joubran, from Palestine, played traditional oud music with flamenco like flair,and an exceedingly fun French ska group had people up on their feet clapping, dancing and laughing to circus-like music.

On the Friday we slept in a bit, lounged around a bit, then took advantage of the beautiful weather and made the hour long walk along Corniche, stopping  along the way at our favourite restaurant, which is surrounded by fountains and is just across from the beach.

It turned out to be a more social night. One of the CELTA students I’d become friends with, Salam, who is from Syria, joined us at the start of the evening. We also met up with Grant and Diane, and bumped into many folks from MZ.

Two groups were pretty, enjoyable, Trans-Global Underground who were a random mash-up of sounds from all over the world, including  Western, African and Asian music styles, African drums, meet Latina dancing and singing, meet rap style chant, meet the most beautiful sitar (I’ve been trying to convince V to play the sitar since). And somehow it all blended and worked together.

We were then in for Sierra Maestra, a Cuban ensemble from Havana, which had Salam, Virginia and I dancing, and Virginia reminiscing nostalgically about her trip to Cuba.

Early Saturday morning Madeleine and Bruno arrived and booked into the hotel.  After catching up on sleep, we took them to the Emirate’s Palace.

We wondered around, had a look at the models of the development happening on Saadiyat Island (i.e. the new Louvre and Guggenheim museums etc.) and looked around the Embroidery exhibition (which was the highlight of Bruno’s trip) The afternoon was topped off by extravagant coffees… Madeleine and I opted for the camel-milk cappuccino, while Virginia got the gold leaf sprinkled one! (which left the rest of us with digestive tract related questions involving sparkles; which unfortunately remain unanswered).

That evening it was back to WOMAD. Now our group numbered five, Salam having joined us again.Musically it was a bit of a strange evening, as headliner Damian Marley (youngest son of Bob Marley) fell ill and cancelled, leaving a scattering of disappointed dreadlocked fans, wondering around aimlessly, perhaps looking for something to ease the pain.

It was also extremely sand-stormy, so after watching a few groups, tummies full of shwarmas, ears full of beach, we headed to the more sheltered workshop tent, where we were in for a treat.

On the first night we’d heard the group, Hanggai, and although we hadn’t seen them live as we were at the opposite stage, I’d decided to buy the CD immediately. The workshop in the tent was being held by them, a Chinese group from the province Inner Mongolia.

The tent obviously was a far more intimate setting with us all watching and listening while lounging on beanbags. They turned out to be fantastic, mixing traditional Mongolian throat singing and a more modern rock feel. By the end we were all on our feet asking for more, and when they finally left, it was to a standing ovation.

 

The evening was unexpectedly topped off when Salam offered to take us sightseeing in Abu Dhabi, which we’ve never had the chance to do at night. We went past the Emirate’s Palace again, and then around the back of the marina, where we had wonderful views of the skyline and bay, and then were taken on a tour of the dock and shipping yard where Salam works.

We were all more than ready for bed when we came walking into the hotel at two that morning, especially as we’d be taking Bruno and Madeleine on the whirlwind tour of Dubai later that day.