Author: Jill Dobbe
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Publication Date: May 29, 2016
Length: 174 Pages
About the Author
Jill Dobbe is an international educator and published author who writes about her experiences living and working in schools and countries around the world.
She currently lives in her seventh country, Honduras, with her husband, Dan, and her Yorkie-Poo, Mickey.
The Good, Bad and Ugly in Cairo, Egypt
Jill and Dan Dobbe were experienced educators and worked in international schools around the world for ten years.
When their daughter was a senior in high school, Jill and Dan decided to leave their jobs, family and home in Wisconsin and seek employment in an international school again.
They accepted positions at an international school in Cairo, Egypt. Dan would be a high school principal and Jill would be an assistant principal in an elementary school. Their daughter would spend her senior year of high school in an international high school in Cairo.
All for the Love of Adventure...and the Money Wasn't Bad Either
The author made it clear from the beginning that her life in Cairo was far from glamorous and luxurious. The family's apartment was small and they had a long commute each day to get to work in a van. The atmosphere was rather depressing with dead bodies along the road and often witnessing animal cruelty and neglect.
Mrs. Dobbe found very few positive things about her job at the international school. The students were undisciplined and the parents were not supportive. She struggled with the language barrier and the extreme cultural and religious customs of the teachers and students.
The one highlight of living in Cairo was the opportunity to travel.
The Dobbe family traveled many times during the two years they were in Cairo. They had memorable trips to the Pyramids, Mount Sinai and the Red Sea. The author gave a wonderful description of an unforgettable hot air balloon ride with her mother who came to Cairo for a visit and some Egyptian sightseeing. The book is illustrated with color photographs.
The author briefly mentioned the financial advantages of working abroad.
"During our previous years, we also experienced the extra perks of tax free salaries, furnished housing, moving allowances, and complimentary plane trips back to the U.S. Those perks made working abroad a fruitful, unique and exciting lifestyle for all overseas teachers and administrators. We were excited to have it all again."This book should be required reading for anyone considering employment at an international school in a foreign country. Mrs. Dobbe was very candid about the problems and obstacles that she faced in Cairo. Kudos to the author and her husband for their perseverance, grit and love of adventure.
MY RATING: 4 Starts Out Of 5.
FYI ~ The author contacted me via email and invited me to read her book and provide an honest review. I borrowed the book with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
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