Corkonians Abroad: Teaching jobs enticed us to Dubai

THIS week, I caught up with Tracy McCormack, from Gurranabraher, who now lives in Dubai with her husband Eoghan Heffernan, from Douglas, and their daughter Elodie who is two years old, and dog, Biscuit.

Tell us how you ended up in Dubai, Tracy

Eoghan and I got married in July, 2018, and weeks later made the move to Dubai in time to settle before the school year began.

We were lucky enough to have both secured jobs in the same school before we arrived so our transition was smooth.

A big advantage to working in the UAE is that most companies provide housing, medical insurance and flight allowance as part of their employment package, so to some extent you are set up from the moment you arrive.

We made the move for a few reasons really. Firstly, we had previously lived in Melbourne in 2013-2014 and the desire to live abroad again was always there.

Additionally, we had both completed teaching Masters with Hibernia College as mature students and so the attractiveness of securing permanent jobs immediately was hard to pass up.

Sunshine all year round is an added bonus as well (although the summers do get overbearingly hot).

Dubai is also a great base from which to travel during school holidays and see some different parts of the world.

What is life like in your new Middle East home?

Life here is in many ways very similar to life anywhere else. Elodie was born in Dubai in March, 2021, and so this is her home. Dubai is a fantastic place to raise a kid. The opportunities and activities available for kids are endless, particularly, in the cooler months from October to May when the beach or pool is always an option.

We are also very lucky that Elodie has a great group of friends in our estate, including many more Irish kids.

What has been the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge of living abroad I imagine is the same for the majority of expats; being away from family and friends. Raising a child away from her grandparents is definitely hard. And then there are aunts, uncles, cousins and our friends’ groups at home also.

However, we consider ourselves quite lucky that it is only a seven-hour flight back to Ireland. This means that we get back to Cork once or twice a year and we get time with everybody at home.

It’s funny because Elodie loves the rain and wind every time we go home; she loves nothing more than to throw on her welly boots and jump in puddles.

The other major challenge is fully settling in your new home. Although it can be quite easy to get started, it takes time to secure jobs you are happy in and a house that you feel is home.

We initially intended to move here for two years only, however, in hindsight you need that length of time to really just get your feet under the table.

We are lucky now that over the last few years we have great jobs and a home we are proud of.

How might you spend your weekends?

Weekends are busy. Elodie will usually have swimming, gymnastics and / or basketball lessons and the rest of the time is spent enjoying everything Dubai has to offer.

The restaurant scene here is amazing so we tend to eat out a bit or go for a few drinks with friends if we get the chance. The weather is always good so we regularly have friends over for barbecues as well.

Our favourite way to pass an evening is to take a picnic to the beach and watch a sunset with our friends and the kids.

There is also a great GAA scene in UAE. My husband plays football for Laochra Gaels so we go to watch that as well when there is a tournament on. Dubai Eire Og is the kids’ team here in Dubai so we hope to see Elodie togging out for them at some stage in the future.

Tell us a bit about the culture of where you live

Whilst the culture is different to home, it didn’t take long for us to adapt. UAE being a Muslim country, there are of course certain things you need to be mindful of, however, it is not at all as different as some people might think.

Friends / family who have visited were surprised at how culturally diverse and relaxed it is here. UAE is a relatively new country (only 52 years old) but it is very forward-thinking.

In our first three years here, the working week was Sunday – Thursday, as a result of Friday being the holy day. That took a lot of getting used to at the time, however, in January 2022, the working week switched to Monday – Friday with a half-day every Friday to support those attending prayer. This has definitely made contact time with home easier.

My family meet in my parents’ house for Sunday dinner each week, so as you can imagine, this is when I miss home the most. 

When we worked on Sundays it made it very hard for me to catch them all together but now I am able to do so each week, which is great!

Tell us about your careers?

Both my husband and I are teachers. He teaches business and economics, while I am a primary school teacher. We’re very lucky to work in two outstanding British curriculum schools. There are a huge number of Irish teachers in both our schools also which is nice. Our schools have amazing facilities and there are also great opportunities for career progression, which we have both benefitted from.

It is a competitive, private school system in the UAE so the expectations are extremely high in most schools. As a result you work very hard midweek but get to enjoy a great lifestyle on the weekends.

What has been your most memorable moment in your new location so far?

Undoubtedly the birth of our little girl. Elodie arrived in to the world in March, 2021. We were very lucky that life here was continuing pretty much as normal at that time, despite Covid. This meant Eoghan was able to be in hospital with me throughout the birth and that experience is something we will never forget. We are extremely grateful for this because at that time many friends and family at home had a very different experience. Whilst it would have been nice to have our families and friends meet Elodie when we took her home from the hospital, it was also nice for us to close the doors and figure things out ourselves.

If you were back in Cork for one day, what would be the ideal day for you?

I would choose Christmas Day a million times over. Nothing quite beats that in my house. Chaotic from start to finish, there is never a dull moment. I have four siblings, three older and one younger, and eight nieces and nephews. Additionally, my husband has one brother, one sister and five nephews. 

Between the two houses, we are always left with full hearts as well as full bellies by Christmas night.

Every inch of the city is filled with fond memories for us both and we are always happy to return whenever possible.

We usually try to get to some of our favourite places whilst in Cork (and whilst we have a queue of babysitters lining up) such as The Franciscan Well for pizza, Miyazaki for incredible Japanese food and Good for the Soul or Good Day Deli for breakfast.

To me, Cork will always be home. Nothing quite beats boarding a flight to Cork after months away and hearing the Cork accent from all angles again. That’s when we know we are almost home.