Eid Mubarak

Eid Mubarak all. Another Ramadan has ended and another Eid (complete with traditional pancake breakfast) has come (and now gone)...

Hit the gym and the pool today, such disastrously hot weather here still.

Brother has arrived, will post up details and pics of our trip soon.

Much love and ma'a salama

Ramadan Mubarak to all...

Today (Saturday) is the first day of Ramadan here in Oman. And as with every other year I can remember (for Ramadan anywhere I've been at the time), today is mercifully cooler than yesterday, subha'Allah. There is a sweet breeze, and although the sun is still singing everything it touches, the heat is not quite so oppressive.

Work hours are reduced to 6 hours per day in Ramadan by Ministerial Decree - beautiful! I finished work for the day about 40mins ago and am at home "resting". No one is allowed to eat in public here (I'm led to believe you could actually be arrested) - with the exception of little children - which is definitely a new experience. I'm living in a foodless, waterless world at the moment lol

I'm wondering if I'll have the energy to go swimming this afternoon - it certainly sounds tempting. But I've been invited to an iftaar (fast-breaking meal) and its probably a little rude if I scoff a date, sip some water and run off to the pool. This means that by the time I've actually eaten there won't be much time for swimming once the food settles - unless I want minimal sleep again tonight. Oh the decisions we have to make!

Al-hamdoulillah despite missing suhur (morning meal taken before the fast begins) today I'm not feeling to bad - a little dehydrated but nothing to serious. Going shopping in a couple of minutes for some last minute goodies (plus I need a box of choccies for my lovely host this evening). The down side of all this arriving and spending is that I'm now virtually penniless till payday (ok, so I have A$100 about RO29)... this means no vacuum cleaner, no water dispenser and no more candy purchases! Good thing Ramadan is a cheap month for food!

Much love and Ma'a salama

*~* RAMADAN MUBARAK TO ALL *~*

Losing count of the days.

So today was the first day that was meeting free - which means it was a day to be at work and mostly stare at the wall being that my supervisor is not back from holidays yet and not much else is going on. Oh, all the other new staff went of to get their liquor licenses today - you need a special card to get on the grog here!

Temp timetables came out today - Math (I know, don't laugh), Business and IT. Sounds great! It'll be a first for teaching littlies (Math) which should be a nice change. I'm looking forward to getting myself organised this weekend - feeling very unprepared at the moment.

Headed back to the fabric/tailoring district tonight to drop off some material for some skirts. Also picked up my boxes today which was super exciting - its amazing how much stuff I packed that is just totally unrealistic for here.

Anyway, early start tomorrow so off to beddy-byes.

Much love and Ma'a salama.

Catch up

Touched down in Oman about 4.5 hours ago. Met at the airport, got the visa, picked up the bags and was out. Did the usual and changed some money and bought a SIM - that did take some effort to work out, but, interestingly enough, Oman Mobile’s customer service is available and completely functioning before the sun comes up - I was terribly impressed.

So, where am I? I’m not living at work, I’m across the road, not far, apparently 200m or thereabouts - walk in the heat at your own sweaty peril! So I shall need a car to get to school (I’m not kidding I was told it was necessary). My apartment is huge! Walk in the front door to the hallway, immediately to the right is a small room, bare except for two decaying plants. Next on the right is the first of many bathrooms. On the left is my lounge dining room. Continue on into a kind of “holding” room - I don’t really see any function for this room, maybe as a separate dining? On the left off that room is a rather spacious kitchen - alas the stove is electric, no roti-making for me. Diagonally opposite from the kitchen is the master bed with en suite, and opposite that is a single bedroom with en suite. Space is nice, but then I think about all the cleaning and dusting and the cost of running the AC! Oman is very, very, very HOT and humid. At present I cannot leave my bedroom because I turned the AC off in the rest of the house (being green) and now its a good 5/6 degrees hotter out there, and its sticky! Can’t open the windows, to hot. Cold water faucet is persistently luke warm. I think its the first time I’ve opted to have a cold shower (where there was hot water available, therefore Jordan is excluded). Will post pics of the house when I upload my photos.

So, presently lying under the AC on my bed, blogging about the heat and wondering how on earth I can get internet hooked up by this evening and buy all the things I want (RIGHT NOW) form Carrefour without a car!

Conundrums. Maybe I’ll nap on it.

***End day one***

So my first day in Oman has come to an end. I’m unpacked (except for my invisible boxes) and I’ve started on the “new house top to bottom cleaning” which seems to accompany every move. Went to the supermarket (equiv. of Spinneys in Egypt) and picked up urgent items like disinfectant, bleach and soap. Unfortunately there were no latex gloves so my hands have been destroyed. Al-hamdoulillah.

Lunch was nice, dinner was nice - so were the choccies from my favourite little possums.

I’m feeling terribly tired. Might read a little then sleep - once I finish washing all my new kitchen stuff.

Off to do more shopping tomorrow, hopefully will complete most of the list and find out the prices for the rest... Don’t think there’ll be much money saved this month, but you know what they say... You gotta spend money to make money... or maybe its the other way around. Anyway whatever, I’ve got dishes to wash.

Much love and ma’a salama.

*** Day Two***

Late breakkie this morning followed by tour of the school and some meetings. Afternoon dominated by a trip to City Centre - shopping mall, includes Carrefour - and a blinding headache. Still no internet set up at home - could be a while - and the schools internet is down for a systems upgrade or something. Decided that I am definitely buying a washing machine. My boxes haven’t been delivered yet and I’m running out of clothes - no one was kidding when they said three outfits for one day. The humidity here is shockingly high (90% last week apparently). Hopefully by then end of tomorrow I’ll have a hire car sorted. Thinking I’ll hire until I can work out whether or not to buy. Seems that the comfort of all included insurance and not being responsible for the maintenance/repair of the car in case of issues/accident is a good way to go - potentially long-term, it seems to work out a little more expensive to buy a new car rather than hire. Other alternative is a second-hand, looking into a Jeep... All price dependent of course. Anyway, I am off to bed to nurse the remnants of my blinding headache. Hopefully tomorrow brings significantly less pain.

Much love and ma’a salama

***Sometime Later***

I’ve got my car! *woot* It’s all very exciting, I can now get out and about without bugging people for rides. Just a Nissan something-a-rather, sedan, auto (which makes traveling on the crazy Omani roads a breeze) and its white (not sure of the relevance but you get the idea).

Day before yesterday was a morning meeting to “demystify” Islam, and the afternoon was dominated by the medical check up. Interesting experience. We were bussed to a medical centre about 30mins away to have our chests listened to, eyes checked, blood drawn, pee placed in a cup and a chest x-ray. It took 4 hours. Very long hours, but thankfully I did not faint (I was too busy marveling at how little blood they need to draw here in order to test for HIV compared to home...amazing).

Yesterday was the day for organising Resident cards - pretty much nothing can be done/organised here with out this particular card. First stop was a non-descript building 40mins away. After some time waiting our finger prints and photos were taken. Then it was back to the bus - approximately a 1minute ride - then we decamped into another non-descript building in the same compound. More sitting. More waiting. Finally we are called in. Another photo, finger print scan and this time we had to sign a digital pad. That signing was more difficult than it sounds, you couldn’t see where you’d written, nor could you watch the screen as it occurred. In the end just about everyones signature looked like a poor attempt by a five year old. Forwarded onto another waiting room. We waited. Sat and waited. Eventually names were called, we filed up to get our brand new resident cards and then made our way back to the bus and eventually back home.

That afternoon most people went on an excursion, I didn’t attend, deciding instead to go shopping. So I took my wheels for a spin and headed out to Carrefour to pick up most of the things I hadn’t already, and a bunch of delicious stuff not on the list. I’d like to say my fridge is filled with healthy and delicious food, but unfortunately only the delicious side of the equation is really true.

I’m still not used to the heat. Always so sweaty, its quite horrible. I think I need to drink more water. Still no internet and still no boxes. Hoping for tomorrow for the boxes and perhaps the delivery of my washing machine! I am officially out of clothes - i.e. even being able to re-wear items.

Tonight I headed out to the fabric district after dinner. The plan was to find some fabulous, soft cotton in plain colours and get some skirts made. Turns out that plain cotton is a rare commodity here in Oman - rare as in non-existent! The traffic into Seeb was crazy, bumper to bumper. But the main drag was just fabric shop after fabric shop. Some of the most beautiful hand-embroidered cloth I’ve seen masha’Allah. Went into several, disappointed each time by the lack of plain cotton fabric. Managed to get home with only one (minor) incident - hitting a massive pothole at 70km. I think the car survived. Guess I’ll check the tyres in the morning.

Anyway, after a less than fruitful expedition to the fabric district in Seeb, I shall say goodnight.

Much Love and Ma’a salama

Abu Dhabi

Stepped off the plan and was hit with a big, fat, thick wall of disgusting humidity. Sweating, so gross, still have to go and get on another flight...

Have a tummy ache from the plane food (how unusual no?). Oh how I wish I had a very delicious hotel to slink off to with a powerful shower and a clean, fresh bed!

I haven't slept. So that means in the last three days I've had appx 8 hours of sleep. I'm getting those little moments where you feel so dizzy you think you might just black out. But no, I'm sure I'll be fine, so not to worry.

Anyway, off to the boarding gate for the next flight - if there are screaming babies I may just punch out the window, jump and hope for the best!

Much Love and Ma'a salama

Ok ok, I know I never finished (or even attempted) to write about most of the traveling at the end of the last trip... I'd like to say I was just "too busy" but that would be a big fat lie. I thin kI just like the way it is in memory better than actually writing it all out (ok I'm lazy, happy?).

So the blogging begins afresh. Its a new adventure this time - meaning a new country that I have not yet set foot in (well actually by the time this is posted this small statement will no longer true). Also, apparently this trip is all about becoming an adult, taking responsibility, holding down a real job (it all sounds so terribly un-fun!) so that means my blog will be terribly boring as well - not much happening when you have to go to work everyday! You have been forewarned!

Presently about 3000kms above the water of some ocean that I am not all together familiar with, watching the sunset magically on the horizon which seems so terribly far away and makes it appear as if you could just sail a little boat right on over there and drop off right off the face of the earth into oblivion. Which, right now seems terribly appealing being that the kid in the row next to me has screamed for most the the five hours I have been glued to my (pretty good) seat (exit row, room to move, no one seated next to me!) and has sullied her nappy in the most foul way imaginable not just once, but TWICE! I have lost count of the number of times I have gagged thus far - at least her grampa is nice and told her mum to chuck out her filthy nappies on the other side of the plane when he saw me struggling for breath.

Moving on. Aside from the headache (already downed the “complimentary” panadol), knawing hunger in my belly and the little shit behind me who has thus far not ceased kicking my chair (it is taking EXTRAORDINARY patience and self-control not to flip out) I am well.

Had a little sooky la-la moment when the plane took off, which I think scared the poor flight attendant (who is remarkably good looking), but am now looking forward to arriving (if only because the closer it comes so does my next meal). So, I’ve had my Apple and Potato Salad with Salmon, followed by the Ricotta Tortellini and topped with a rather delicious Tiramisu and only have a hamper service and light meal to look forward to AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH (sorry more squealing from the child). No surprises, traveling back in cattle/scum class is a depressing experience - I just keep dreaming of a la carte service, a lack of children and fresh brewed coffee. I need to come into some serious money - or flyer miles, this is not a long term solution to my traveling needs!

Anyway, first thing I’ll do when I get through customs and find my new accommodation... Shower. Then, maybe, I’ll go for a walk (yes in the 4am-35 degree-heat), apparently its 3km to Carrefour (supermarket) so perhaps I will stroll all the way there. Or not.

Turbulence has arrived and I have to put my bag away (its presently blocking the emergency exit - opps).

I’ll post this when I find an internet connection (preferably a free one - gotta love the ME), and put up some pics of the new digs when I’ve settled in.

Much love and ma’a salama.

Day One...

Went without sleep last night. Picked up at 3am by Dad and the driver. Transported to an amazing hotel. Its like another world – honestly you could forget you were in Cairo... If only you didn’t see the pyramids from your bed in the morning.

My room and its view...

After very little sleep (2 hours maybe), headed off to breakfast, and with time to spare before the driver arrived for the day took a quick dip in the pool – which is sub-zero! After that, quick shower and the driver called to announce his arrival.

Up in the mini-bus we head across the city to the Citadel of Salahudin Ayoubi and the 19th century mosque of Muhammed Ali. From the Citadel we could see out over Cairo – the pollution clouding the skyline, the Mosque of Al-Azhar, the wide expanse of the City of the Dead.

Brief stop at Khan el-Khalili. Originally a stop for passing caravans collecting water as the passed over the desert sands now its a super tourist oriented shopping joint. Pretty much anything can be found in the narrow winding lanes, complete with the customary shopkeeper harassment.

From the Khan we went of to lunch on the Nile which was nice and from there to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. What a crazy place. There is stuff everywhere – most of it unlabelled. Amazing. Our guide was great, but by the end of it, it was all we could do to keep our eyes open on the way back to the hotel.