SAT Day......Without the SAT (Continued)

Dear Readers,

As I was telling you in my previous post about my SAT day, I was dropped off at the wrong place. After being led through the college, where I soon discovered did not host SAT exams, I had to figure out my plan. My phone had died, and I didn't remember anyone's number. (Omani phone numbers are more confusing than American phone numbers).

So what was I going to do???

I then had a flash back to last week when I was talking to Noah, the other YES student here in Oman.

Me: "I'm so curious as to what your school is like."

"Yeah!" Emma agreed

Noah: "Hah, well you could probably just come on over to ABQ and say you were a new student, and they'd just let you be part of the class."

Jaira: "Hahaha, they SO would!"

Hmmmmm, I started to think.

As I sat in this college with my sweet tour guide looking concerned and helpless about my abandonment, I contemplated my options. Sit in the College and be bored all day....or I could walk across the street.........

I got up from the table, told the girl I was going to go to ABQ, and walked out the door. I walked past the security guards, and (gulp) I crossed the street!
Crossing the street in Oman is quite dangerous due to every road being a highway. But because the street was congested and slowed due to the school, I was surprisingly safe.

'Laadidadida, here I come' I said to myself.

Then, like an angel, I saw one of Jaira's or Bailey's cousins emerge from a car, looking at me in a curiously surprised face.

"Are you coming to our school today?"

"Ummm, yea I hope!"

We walked inside, with not a problem at all. The British-run school was nothing I expected it to be. It was surprisingly bright and happy-looking.

My friend's cousin walked me to the front office, a desk in the middle of the lobby.

I explained my situation mildly.....hoping to fluff everything up so that it sounded like I was sort of supposed to be here.

"So your spending the day with us?" The receptionist asked me.

"Uh, yea! I hope so."

"Okay, sit down and wait for the principal."

I sat patiently talking to the nice girl next to me. Then the principal came, said hello, recognizing me from AmidEast conferences, and told me to have a nice day.

I was OVERjoyed. Although, I wished I had worn semi-normal attire. With the British system, there are many rules on dress code. Closed-toed shoes, hair up and tied, and school uniform. The fact that I was wearing flip-flops, leggings and a sweatshirt was INSANE.

But, hey, I was a new American. I'm expected to make these mistakes. :)

From the Balcony Noah and Bailey spotted me, completely ecstatic that I was there. They waved like excited little kids, and scurried towards the staircase to meet me.

"Quuuiiiiiiiinnn!! What are you doing here!??"

I explained my situation, laughing through the whole thing, amazed that I was getting away with being a nomad for the day.

I went on to be a little tourist. They took me to all there special spots, showed me around, fed me lunch, and introduced me to all their teachers. It was AWESOME. Finally I knew all the people they would tell me stories about.

In the classes I was able to compare mine to theirs, which was priceless information to me - since I'm very curious about global education.
 Meanwhile, all the teachers were totally cool with me, or didn't have the time or energy to care. Most were apathetic, and just treated me like an extra person to copy papers for and give tests to. I even ended up taking a Biology exam!! (I'm hoping to get it back someday and see how I did ;)

So how did the day end?

Well, I used Noah's phone to text Jaira, and when she got the news, she responded:

"Oh God, WHAT are you doing there!? Holy....

tta, Aweee, whatever that's fine, Fatin will take me back to ABQ and pick you up in exchange."

Haha, so I was getting a ride home after all!.

Lucky, lucky, lucky was my day. And I really enjoyed it.