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a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Monthly Archives: March 2013

weekly photo challenge: a day in my life

30 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Al-Dakhiliyah Region, Middle East, Nizwa, Oman, Photography Challenges, postaweek2013, University of Nizwa, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 64 Comments

Tags

Nizwa, Oman, postaweek2013, University of Nizwa, weekly photo challenge

Saturday, March 30:  The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge asks us to create a tiled gallery of A Day In My Life.

What does your day look like? Here’s your chance to share with everyone a day in your life! Here are some suggestions to get started: snap a picture once an hour and share what your day was like, walk us through a typical day for you, or even just what happened today!

Pick the best pictures which give your readers a sense of a day in your life and share them!

Since I’m 9 hours ahead of the east coast of the United States, I always get the photo challenge late on Friday afternoon.  So for this challenge, I started taking photos on Friday evening.  So my day is from Friday evening at 5:00 to Saturday evening at 5:00.

Friday afternoon: writing about the gift of time on my blog
Friday afternoon: writing about the gift of time on my blog
I leave to go to Mario's for a seafood, olive, veggie, tomato & olive pasta
I leave to go to Mario’s for a seafood, olive, veggie, tomato & olive pasta
Mario the chef
Mario the chef
Candles and a table set for 3
Candles and a table set for 3
Saturday morning, driving down my road, heading to work
Saturday morning, driving down my road, heading to work
I park my car in the university parking lot
I park my car in the university parking lot
my desk at work
my desk at work
my students working on exercises
my students working on exercises
My students writing their answers on the board
My students writing their answers on the board
Me checking their exercises
Me checking their exercises
Students present new vocabulary to other students
Students present new vocabulary to other students
LOVE
LOVE
My studenst want me to photograph them making hearts and peace signs
My studenst want me to photograph them making hearts and peace signs
me in front with my students behind
me in front with my students behind
in the "canteen" for lunch
in the “canteen” for lunch
Mona Lisa at the canteen
Mona Lisa at the canteen
walking on the campus under covered walkways
walking on the campus under covered walkways
driving home to Nizwa after shopping at Lulu
driving home to Nizwa after shopping at Lulu
I park my car and take out the groceries
I park my car and take out the groceries
the groceries in my kitchen waiting to be unpacked
the groceries in my kitchen waiting to be unpacked
one bag of my groceries
one bag of my groceries
Coca-Cola Light ~ Arabic style
Coca-Cola Light ~ Arabic style

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friday meditation: the treasure of time

29 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in "Happiness", Friday Meditation, Life, Matthieu Ricard, Spirituality, Time

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Life, Spirituality, WPLongform

Friday, March 29:  This week I finished reading Happiness, by Matthieu Ricard, but he has given me so much to think about, I have a number of topics I’d still like to explore over the next several weeks.  In a fascinating chapter called “Golden Time, Leaden Time, Wasted Time,”  Ricard compares time to a “fine gold powder that we distractedly allow to slip through our fingers without ever realizing it.” The quote at the beginning of the chapter is this:

Those whom summer’s heat tortures yearn for the full moon of autumn
Without even fearing the idea
That a hundred days of their life will then have passed forever.
~ Buddha Shakyamuni

rose blossoms are as ephemeral as each passing moment

rose blossoms are as ephemeral as each passing moment

When I read this quote, I see myself a little too clearly.  I am the person who, tortured by Oman’s “summer’s heat” yearns “for the full moon of autumn.”  Everyone knows how much I am looking forward to leaving the relentless heat of Oman and returning to the four seasons in Virginia, on the east coast of the United States.  I am so ready for my time in Oman to come to an end, so I can return home to the country I love and to my family and friends.  But.  The quote says it all.  By wishing for the next three months to speed by, I should fear that 89 days of my “life will then have passed forever.”  I can see the wisdom of these words, and I feel I should really take them to heart.

Ricard reminds us that “it is essential to the quest for happiness that we be aware that time is our most precious commodity…. For the active person, golden time is when he can create, build, accomplish, and devote himself to the welfare of others.  For the contemplative, time allows him to look clearly into himself to understand his inner world and rediscover the essence of life.”

I am trying my best to cherish my remaining days in Oman, to use my “golden time.”  Even though I’m impatient to leave, I still cherish the time I spend with my students, and if I can add value to their lives, I will be happy with that.  I am trying to meditate daily (though I’m not always successful) and to read spiritual books.  I’m trying to be aware of my own sabotaging thoughts and my impatience for this time to pass, without latching on to these thoughts and without feeling irritated and antsy.  I’m spending time with my friends here and trying to get outdoors in Oman as much as I can, even as the weather gets hotter and hotter.  I’m also trying to make more effort with people whose company I enjoy but have made little effort with so far.

in a rose's short life, there is no time for boredom

in a rose’s short life, there is no time for boredom

Luckily, I rarely feel bored when I have time to myself.

Ricard says of boredom: “Boredom is the fate of those who rely entirely on distraction, for whom life is one big entertainment and who languish the minute the show stops.  Boredom is the affliction of those for whom time has no value.”  By distraction, Ricard says he does not mean “the tranquil relaxation of a hike in the woods, but pointless activities and interminable mental chatter that, far from illuminating the mind, mire it in exhausting chaos.”

the rose strives for tranquility, not chaos....

the rose strives for tranquility, not chaos….

Sometimes I don’t know if the things I do with my time are just distractions, pointless activities, or if they have any real meaning. For example, I spend a lot of time writing my blogs and working on my old blogs, adding more pictures and changing the picture sizes. Maybe this is pointless activity, but for me it brings great enjoyment.  When I share something of myself through my writing and pictures and I make a human connection, I feel great pleasure. When I get insightful comments from people who read my blog, or when I sense that I touch them in some way, those connections add value to my life, and I hope to theirs.

One of my goals for this year is to finish my novel.  As of today, I’ve finished revising through chapter 15 of my 50 chapter novel. I feel this is a valuable way to spend my time because writing and publishing a novel has been my lifetime dream. Sometimes, yes, I waste time, watching a movie or reading a book just for pure pleasure.  But is that a wrong way to spend my time?  I don’t think so.

a rosebud lives each moment it is given and then passes away without distraction

a rosebud lives each moment it is given and then passes away without distraction

Ricard says, “The idle person talks of ‘killing time.’ What a dreadful expression!  Time becomes a long, dreary line.  This is leaden time; it weighs on the idler like a burden and cripples anyone who cannot tolerate waiting, delay, boredom, solitude, setbacks, or sometimes even life itself.”

Maybe sometimes, but not often, I talk about killing time.  Usually it’s when I’m waiting in a doctor’s office, or waiting for my car to be serviced at the GMC service garage.  Or when I’m driving to work or on the interminable drive to Muscat.  Yes, these things have to be done.  But do I often feel that I am doing things to “kill time?”  I don’t think so.  Usually, I feel there are not enough hours in the day to do all the things I really want to do.

I would love nothing better than to sit and contemplate this rose for a long time...

I would love nothing better than to sit and contemplate this rose for a long time…

I like Ricard’s question: “Why not sit beside a lake, on top of a hill, or in a quiet room and examine what we are really made of deep inside?”  Now that appeals to me.  But in reality, I only have time to go out in nature for a walk on the weekends.  It would be lovely if I didn’t have to work and could just take my camera every day for a stroll through the wonders of nature, if I could just sit and contemplate the inner workings of my mind and the universe for hours on end.

Ricard tells of Tenzin Palmo, an English nun who spent many years in retreat, who wrote: ‘People say they have no time for ‘meditation.’ It’s not true!  You can meditate walking down the corridor, waiting for the traffic lights to change, at the computer, standing in a queue, in the bathroom, combing your hair.  Just be there in the present, without the mental commentary.’

Even in the Bible, Thessalonians 5: 16-18, it says: Rejoice always; pray without ceasing. in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

time will slip away for this rosebud just as it does for us

time will slip away for this rosebud just as it does for us

Ricard recommends that we cultivate a number of qualities to experience our relationship with time more harmoniously.

1) Mindfulness allows us to be aware of the passage of time.

2) Proper motivation gives color and value to time.

3) Diligence allows us to put it to good use.

4) Inner freedom prevents time being hijacked by disturbing emotions.

Finally, he ends by saying, “From the day we are born, every second, every step, brings us closer to death…. A lucid awareness of the nature of things inspires us to live every passing day to the full.”

I will try my best to enjoy my last days in Oman without wishing for them to hurry and pass.  I must slow down, contemplate, appreciate, savor these final days, hours, moments.  Because I know I will miss this place, and my dear friends, when I’m gone.

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the roses of jebel akhdar & a lovely encounter with an irish couple

28 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Al Aqr, Jebel Akhdar, Oman, Rosewater, Sahab Hotel, Saiq Plateau

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Jebel Akhdar, Oman, Travel

Thursday, March 28: This afternoon Mario and I venture up to Jebel Akhdar to see the roses for which the Green Mountain is famous.

first glimpse of the roses on Jebel Akhdar

first glimpse of the roses on Jebel Akhdar

In late March and April, this rugged landscape breaks out in blooms of bright pink.  We love wandering through the rose bushes and breathing in the intoxicating fragrance of the delicate blossoms.  Many of the roses are in full bloom, but there are still millions of tiny buds on the bushes, meaning that this is still not the peak of the season.

the rose bushes in front of the mosque in Al Aqr

the rose bushes in front of the mosque in Al Aqr

God gave us memory that we might have roses in December. ~ James M. Barrie

God gave us memory that we might have roses in December. ~ James M. Barrie

At dawn each day, these rose gardens are apparently filled with men and women plucking the petals of full-blown roses. The harvest is collected in a sheet of cloth, gathered in a bundle and taken to one many traditional extraction units set up by villagers in these parts.  The process is rudimentary: An earthen pot, sealed within a hearth, is stuffed with petals and heated for about two hours. The essence condenses into a metal container placed within the pot. The condensate is cooled and filtered several times, yielding a clear liquid (Nizwa.net: Roses of the Jabal).

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, a box where sweets compacted lie. ~ George Herbert

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, a box where sweets compacted lie. ~ George Herbert

The end product, the famous Omani Rose Essence is used in the making of Omani halwa.  Omanis also add a dash of the rose-water to a range of hot and cold beverages, and as flavoring in food dishes and sweets.

a pink, pink bud

a pink, pink bud

A cupful of the essence is also believed to be good for heart.  When applied to the scalp, it is believed to ease headaches as well. Its potential for use in exotic perfumes and fragrances is yet to be tapped, say local villagers.

Each bush yields about 15-20 kg of petals during the season, while it takes about 2 kg of petals to generate 750 ml of essence valued at 5 Omani rials. With the demand for Omani rose essence as strong as ever, the arithmetic works out in everyone’s favor — grower, extractor, seller and halwa-maker included (Nizwa.net: Roses of the Jabal).

sweet fragrance :-)

sweet fragrance 🙂

We wander through the farms, taking pictures of the rose-bush terraces interspersed with terraces of green onions. The sweet scent of the roses mingles with the loamy scent of the onions. We also see buds on the pomegranate, apricot and walnut trees. As Mario grew up on a farm in El Salvador, the whole experience takes him back to his childhood, when he believes he was most happy.  Although I know Mario very well, and I know he is quite a happy person now. 🙂

terraces of onions and roses

terraces of onions and roses

roses and onions

roses and onions

rose bushes on the terraces

rose bushes on the terraces

onions galore

onions galore

fields of onions

fields of onions

the terraces

the terraces

the terraces abloom with roses and onions

the terraces abloom with roses and onions

Along the way, we see some other interesting things: walnut buds, a golden cat, a lizard sunning himself on a rock, some delicate wildflowers, more terraces.

the walnut trees have little buds

the walnut trees have little buds

a little cat in the rose gardens

a little cat in the rose gardens

a lizard sunning himself near the roses

a lizard sunning himself near the roses

wildflowers

wildflowers

more terraces

more terraces

And in the distance, we can see the Sahab Hotel sitting atop the mountain: our ultimate destination.

the Sahab Hotel at the top of the mountain

the Sahab Hotel at the top of the mountain

departing view of the rose gardens

departing view of the rose gardens

After spending a couple of hours meandering through the villages and farms, we head to our favorite spot, the Sahab Hotel, where we drink some wine by the pool, watch the sunset, and then move inside for the always delectable buffet.  After several glasses of wine, we are both telling each other how much we will miss each other when I leave Oman at the end of June.

another beautiful sunset on Jebel Akhdar

another beautiful sunset on Jebel Akhdar

While we are enjoying our buffet, an Irish girl comes up to our table and asks if I write a blog.  Surprised, I say, yes, I do.  She tells me she has been reading my blog and it helped her plan her trip to Oman from Ireland.  She introduces herself as Sarah and then introduces us to her husband; I introduce them both to Mario. I say, “You would recognize Mario if you’ve been reading my blog!”  When I ask about their travel plans, she says she is planning to stay 3 nights on Jebel Akhdar and 3 nights in Muscat.

the fabulous Sahab Hotel

the fabulous Sahab Hotel

When I first see her, I think she has red hair, but it’s not a bright red and in the light I can’t tell for sure.  I say, “Is your hair red?  It’s hard to tell in this light.”  She says, “Yes, it’s more of a ginger really.”  I say, “I have a daughter named Sarah and she has red hair too. It’s wavy just like yours.”

This little encounter really makes my day.  Mario and I both marvel that someone who traveled all the way from Ireland recognizes me from my blog.  Isn’t it a happy coincidence that I happen to be up at the Sahab on this particular night, when she is here?  What a treat.

After they finish their dinner, they take off and I wish them a good time in Oman.  After they are gone, Mario says, “You know, they had a bottle of wine with them.  That shows they really read your blog because otherwise how would they have known they could bring a bottle of wine?”  That’s so funny, but so true.  Because the Sahab doesn’t serve wine but does allow you to bring your own bottle and I’ve written about this in my blog.

pink clouds to go with the roses

pink clouds to go with the roses

The sad thing is that often I don’t think about certain things until it’s too late.  After they’re gone, it dawns on me that I should have taken their picture.  And Mario says, “It would have been great if I had taken a picture of you with them.”  Sometimes I can’t believe how I don’t think of these things until it’s too late.  I’m supposed to be a photographer, after all!!

I hope if Sarah reads this post, she will contact me on my About Me page and send me a picture of their time in Oman, so I can add it to this post! 🙂

Saturday, April 6:  Today Sarah from Ireland contacted me and sent a few pictures of herself and her husband Andrew on Jebel Akhdar.  I was happy to hear she enjoyed her time in Oman.  She wrote of her time on Jebel Akhdar: “We really enjoyed our visit to that area, such a fascinating place and spectacular scenery. I think I liked Wadi Bani Habib best as it really gave you an insight into how people lived in the villages.”

Here are two pictures she sent of her and Andrew on the Green Mountain.

Sarah and Andrew at Jebel Akhdar

Sarah and Andrew at Jebel Akhdar

Andrew and Sarah from Ireland at Jebel Akhdar

Andrew and Sarah from Ireland at Jebel Akhdar

Sarah also wrote of our encounter: “I did think we might meet you in Oman, as I knew that you liked to visit Jebel Akhdar so it was serendipitous that we did meet. I hope that you continue to blog about your travels, wherever they take you as it is lovely to read about these places, even if I don’t get to visit them all myself.”

Thank you so much, Sarah.  You made my day. 🙂

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friday meditation: optimism vs. pessimism

22 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in "Happiness", Death, Friday Meditation, Life, Optimism, Pessimism, Spirituality, United States of America

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

Life, Optimism, Pessimism, Spirituality, WPLongform

Friday, March 22: I have been continuing my meditation practice, while simultaneously reading Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, by Matthieu Ricard. This week, I was intrigued by the chapter: “Optimism, Pessimism, and Naiveté.”  As I read and meditated on this, I couldn’t help looking at myself and trying to determine if I’m a pessimist or an optimist.

a plant has to have a lot of optimism to take root in a harsh environment like this

a plant has to have a lot of optimism to take root in a harsh environment like this

I’ve always called myself a pessimist because, when presented with an obstacle or challenge, I usually think about the worst things that could happen.  That way, I tell myself and others, I’m prepared for the worst.  If the worst doesn’t happen, then I’m pleasantly surprised.

For example, now I’m starting to prepare myself for leaving Oman in 3 months.  On April 1, I need to put my car up for sale.  I keep thinking, Oh no, what if I can’t sell it for what I need to sell it for?  What if I can’t get enough to pay off my loan?  What if I have an accident before I can sell it?  What if something major goes wrong with it in the next couple of weeks?

An optimistic outlook enables you to take one step at a time to overcome obstacles

An optimistic outlook enables you to take one step at a time to overcome obstacles

As you can see, I’ve thought of a number of obstacles I could encounter.  But instead of letting myself become engulfed by worries, I’ve made a plan and written it on my calendar.  I must go to the leasing company and find out what the loan balance is and find out if it’s possible for a buyer to take over the payments.  I must go to the Toyota dealer and get an estimate of the value.  And then I must advertise it.  Finally, I thought of the worst things that could happen.  If I wreck the car, it’s insured.  If I have to spend money to fix something major, then I just have to do it.  And if worst comes to worst, and I cannot sell it, I can ship it back to the USA.

When I read this chapter in Happiness, I started wondering if I really am the pessimist I have always believed myself to be.

The choice: move forward one step at a time, or stay stuck where you are.

The choice: move forward one step at a time, or stay stuck where you are.

According to Ricard, “An optimist is somebody who considers his problems to be temporary, controllable, and linked to a specific situation.  He will say, ‘There’s no reason to make a fuss about it; these things don’t last. I’ll figure it out; in any case, I usually do.’  The pessimist, on the other hand, thinks that his problems will last (“It’s not the sort of thing that just goes away”), that they jeopardize everything he does and are out of his control (“What do you expect me to do about it?”).  He also imagines that he has some basic inner flaw, and tells people: ‘Whatever I do, it always turns out the same way’ and concludes, ‘I’m just not cut out to be happy.'”

When I read this, I thought: Maybe I’m not quite the pessimist I think I am.

Though I call myself a pessimist, and have some of the tendencies toward worry, ultimately, I think I'm an optimist

Though I call myself a pessimist, and have some of the tendencies toward worry, ultimately, I think I’m an optimist

I continued to read on with curiosity.  Ricard goes on to say: “For an optimist, it makes no sense to lose hope.  We can always do better (instead of being devastated, resigned or disgusted), limit the damage (instead of letting it all go to pot), find an alternative solution (instead of wallowing pitifully in failure), rebuild what has been destroyed (instead of saying “It’s all over!”), take the current situation as a starting point (instead of wasting our time crying over the past and lamenting the present), start from scratch (instead of ending there), understand that sustained efforts will have to be made in the best apparent direction (instead of being paralyzed by indecision and fatalism), and use every present moment to advance, appreciate, act, and enjoy inner well-being (instead of wasting our time brooding over the past and fearing the future).”

The optimist uses several tools to live his life: HOPE, RESOLVE, ADAPTABILITY, SERENITY, & MEANING.

Ricard goes on to note that psychologists define HOPE as “the conviction that one can find the means to attain one’s goals and develop the motivation necessary to do so.”

another plant that must be optimistic to live its life here

another plant that must be optimistic to live its life here

The optimist has RESOLVE; she doesn’t give up quickly. “Strengthened by the hope of success, she perseveres and succeeds more often than the pessimist, especially in adverse conditions.”

Optimists are ADAPTABLE: When they encounter what seem to be insurmountable obstacles, they react in a constructive and creative way, while pessimists tend to “brood over their misfortunes, nurture illusions, dream up ‘magic’ solutions, and accuse the whole world of being against them.”

An optimist, even in meeting with temporary failure, is “free of regret and guilt feelings” and able to maintain SERENITY while trying to solve the problem.

Finally, the optimist sees the potential for transformation in every human being, giving MEANING to human life.

So, Ricard says, “The ultimate pessimism is in thinking that life in general is not worth living.  The ultimate optimism lies in understanding that every passing moment is a treasure, in joy as in adversity.”

Hope springs eternal

Hope springs eternal

I don’t see myself as a hopeless person; conversely I see myself as HOPEFUL and ADAPTABLE.  My problem is in maintaining SERENITY in the face of obstacles.  Often I get annoyed, irritable, worried, depressed and angry when I’m faced with obstacles.  The only positive is that these states of mind come and go like fireflies on a summer night.  But ultimately, I have enough confidence in myself to believe that I can solve any problem that is thrown in my path.  I never feel like life isn’t worth living; neither am I ever willing to play the victim.

I know a number of people in Oman who are absolutely miserable; they’re true pessimists.  Never do they try to make the best of their situation.  They see their situation as hopeless, that they are stuck here under the university’s dictatorship, that they have no other options, that they don’t have a country they can return to.  They don’t take walks in nature or try to get out and explore the beautiful country.  As far as I can tell, these are choices they make.  Every day, I believe people can take small steps to change their lives.  An optimist can see this easily; a pessimist cannot.

So, which am I?

Early this morning, my dear friend from high school, Rosie, lost her beautiful niece, Megan, to stomach cancer.  I didn’t know Megan very well, though I’d met her on several occasions.  I do know my friend and her sister Janet, Megan’s mother.  Their family is close-knit and loving, and they are fighters. I’ve known this family almost my entire life and I know what they’re made of.  Megan herself, in the face of being diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer, went to battle for her life.  She wrote a blog about her struggle with cancer:  This is Our Fight: We’re fighting cancer, fighting for the life we dreamed of.

From right to left: Janet (Megan's mother), Megan, and Adam (Megan's husband)

From right to left: Janet (Megan’s mother), Megan, and Adam (Megan’s husband). Taken when Megan was perfectly healthy, in January 2010.

My own insignificant struggles were put into perspective by Megan’s death.  While I have been struggling daily with a horrible job and thinking about the upheaval of moving back to America in 3 months, this beautiful and talented young woman was facing the ultimate struggle, for her life.  This morning, she lost that battle, but during her struggle she was able to keep an optimistic outlook. To me, that’s amazing.

I wonder how optimistic I would be in the face of the ultimate struggle: with death.  I really don’t know.  But I certainly admire a person like Megan who met death with courage and the certain conviction that SHE, if she had her say, would choose life.

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a short trek along the ancient donkey path from misfat al abriyyin & encounters with tree-climbing goats

21 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Al-Dakhiliyah Region, Middle East, misfat al abriyyin, Oman

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

Misfat Al Abriyyin, Oman, Travel

Thursday, March 21: This morning, I call Mario at 7 a.m.  “Are you up?”  Of course, I know he is up.  We share the annoying problem of waking up in the wee morning hours, no matter how late we have stayed up the night before.

heading out of Misfat al Abriyyin on the W9 trail

heading out of Misfat al Abriyyin on the W9 trail

All day yesterday, we kept going around in circles trying to figure out a place we could go for a walk this weekend.  I personally am sick of the same old places, and I didn’t want to do something I have done 4-5 times already.  Neither did we want to drive a long distance.  This morning, when I get him on the phone, he says, “What about the upper path from Misfat Al Abriyyin?  We haven’t done that yet.”

grasses and a fallen date palm

grasses and a fallen date palm

We actually had this on our list of things to do before I leave Oman, but we had considered staying overnight at the B&B in Misfat and then getting a dawn start. However, there is really no need to spend the night, as we live only 45 minutes away.  We agree to go and head off to Misfat.

sunlight glows through the palms

sunlight glows through the palms

Instead of heading down into the gardens and banana plantations of Misfat, which is where I always go, we head uphill on a steep village street and then down some steps toward a large falaj that leads out of the village and into a gorge.

the large falaj leading out of the village

the large falaj leading out of the village

one of many goats we encounter along the old donkey trail

one of many goats we encounter along the old donkey trail

We merge into the W9 trail which heads, after crossing a wadi, to the top of the Western Hajar Mountains.  It eventually meets up with the W8, which goes to Balad Sayt, and the W10, which goes to Sharaf Al Alamayn.  These two trails apparently give magnificent views of Wadi Bani Awf (a treacherous drive through wadi bani awf: a near-tragedy, the picturesque village of balad sayt & a glimpse of the infamous snake canyon).

the view from the shade of the date palms

the view from the shade of the date palms

a watchtower that looks over Misfat Al Abriyyin

a watchtower that looks over Misfat Al Abriyyin

Date palms and banana trees shade us until we get out of the village, where we find ourselves at the edge of a canyon open to the sun.  At least there is a lovely breeze this morning.

the ancient donkey trail (W9)

the ancient donkey trail (W9)

We encounter goats everywhere.  We also see lots of big lizards today, but most of them are too fast to capture by camera.  After walking on a good trail interspersed with stone steps along the edge of the canyon,  the path descends into the wadi and then up the other side, where it eventually meets up with the W8 and the W10 paths.

looking down into some farms in the wadi

looking down into some farms in the wadi

views along the ancient donkey path

views along the ancient donkey path

heading down into the wadi

heading down into the wadi

another little goat friend we meet along the way

another little goat friend we meet along the way

into the wadi

into the wadi

We have no plan to go that far today.  We just want a short walk, so we stop at a shady spot in the wadi after about an hour. A small slick-looking lizard and some wandering goats join us as we take a break.

a little companionable lizard

a little companionable lizard

more goat friends

more goat friends

We get a kick out of some silly goats that are climbing trees and eating flowers off the uppermost branches.

a goat up in a tree nibbling furiously on flowers in the upper branches

a goat up in a tree nibbling furiously on flowers in the upper branches

another view of the tree-climbing goat

another view of the tree-climbing goat

a silly goat in another tree

a silly goat in another tree

nibbling tree-climbing goat

nibbling tree-climbing goat

Finally, we backtrack to Misfat al Abriyyin, where we meet on the trail some normal-looking ex-pats who work at a college in Muscat.  We are both surprised to find these unusual specimens in this part of our world.

glowing bush

glowing bush

On our way back along the falaj, Mario spots a male frog squeezing the eggs out of his female counterpart in the water of the  falaj.

frogs working together to lay eggs.  That's teamwork!

frogs working together to lay eggs. That’s teamwork!

returning to the village of Misfat Al Abriyyin

returning to the village of Misfat Al Abriyyin

We end up having a lunch topped off with fresh banana juice and orange juice at a little “restaurant and coffee shop” in Al Hamra.  We are done a little after noon and on our way back to Nizwa. 🙂

Click here to see my other posts on the lower half of Misfat Al Abriyyin.

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sunday post: bay

17 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Asia, Crete, Europe, Greece, Halong Bay, Jakesprinter Sunday Post, Middle East, Muscat, Muttrah, Oman, Photography Challenges, Plakias, Shangri-La Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa, Vietnam

≈ 39 Comments

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Sunday Post

Sunday, March 17:  Jake’s Sunday Post for this week is bay.  A bay is defined as: A broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inward.

Here is the famous Halong Bay in Vietnam.

Halong Bay in Vietnam

Halong Bay in Vietnam

Halong Bay in Vietnam

Halong Bay in Vietnam

On the south coast of Crete, a beach town called Plakias sits within a small, glimmering bay.

a bay off the southern coast of Crete, in Plakias

a bay off the southern coast of Crete, in Plakias

Plakias, Crete

Plakias, Crete

And in Oman, we can find a number of small bays as well.

a small bay on the coast of Oman

a small bay on the coast of Oman

a bay at Shangri-La Resort in Oman

a bay at Shangri-La Resort in Oman

And finally, here is a harbor, which is sort of like a bay, but more so.  A harbor is a place on the coast where vessels may find shelter, esp. one protected from rough water by piers, jetties, and other artificial structures.   Here is the harbor at Mutrah in Oman.

the bay, or harbor, at Mutrah in Oman

the harbor at Mutrah in Oman

Mutrah Harbor

Mutrah Harbor

Sunday Post

 

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weekly photo challenge: lunchtime

16 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Asia, Cambodia, Crete, Fira, Greece, Middle East, Nagarkot, Nepal, Oman, Phnom Penh, Phoneography Challenge, Photography Challenges, postaweek2013, Santorini, South Korea, Weekly Photo Challenge

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Greece, Nepal, Oman, postaweek2013, South Korea, weekly photo challenge

Saturday, March 16:  The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is lunchtime.  Michelle of WordPress writes:

Time to show us your lunchtime. This might seem like a pretty narrow task, but if you think of “lunchtime” as a theme, there are lots of places you can take it:

  • Show us what you actually had for lunch.
  • Show us what went into your lunch — a stunningly saturated pile of red radishes at the farmer’s market, or the process by which you construct the Ultimate Turkey Sandwich.
  • Show us what a mealtime is like at your house. Who’s there? What are they doing?
  • Show us a photo of someone truly enraptured by what they’re eating and capture the deep satisfaction of an enjoyable meal.
  • If you don’t have time for lunch or eat on the run, show us that.
  • Show us your favorite place to sit while you eat lunch, or your favorite place to prepare food.
  • Capture a candid photo of the guy behind the counter of your favorite greasy spoon.

This is meant to be another phoneography challenge, which I’m not at all keen on since I don’t have a camera phone.  Since I usually eat lunch at my desk at work, and since I didn’t feel like hauling my camera to work to take a boring picture of me eating lunch at my desk, I thought I would post some of my favorite lunchtimes I’ve experienced in my travels.

I’ll start with the smoked salmon, cream cheese and caper baguette I ate for lunch on Thursday at the Blue Marlin at Marina Bandar al Rowdha in Muscat.  I have to say I didn’t find the lunch all that exciting.  On the contrary, I found it totally uninspiring.  I probably wouldn’t go back to this place again to eat.

Smoked salmon baguette at the Blue Marlin

Smoked salmon baguette at the Blue Marlin

Only one time in the whole year and a half that I’ve been in Oman was I invited to an Omani’s house for lunch.  First they brought out this.

the snacks before an Omani lunch

the snacks before an Omani lunch

Those beans on the left hand bottom corner of the large tray were delicious.  So were those French fry-like things.  I ate and ate, thinking this was our lunch.  After I was fully stuffed, they brought out this.

the main course, rice and chicken and salad

the main course, rice and chicken and salad

Needless to say, I tried to eat as much as I could, but it was hard because I wasn’t hungry at all after eating all those beans.  (nakhal fort, lunch with an omani family & a wild drive up wadi mistal)

Here’s a hole-in-the wall lunchtime place, similar to many such places in Oman, that Mario and I encountered when we went exploring wadis on a rare day of flooding in Oman.

a "restaurant" on the way to Wadi Damm

a “restaurant” on the way to Wadi Damm

Here’s a “restaurant and coffee shop” (they don’t seem to believe in naming restaurants in the interior) in Ibra, where my family and I ate lunch while they were visiting Oman in January.

a typical Omani restaurant like most you will find outside of Muscat.  This one is in Ibra.

a typical Omani restaurant like most you will find outside of Muscat. This one is in Ibra.

My son Adam eats with his hands, Omani style.

My son Adam eats lunch with his hands, Omani style, in Al Hamra.

To be honest, I’m not all that crazy about Omani food or Oman’s Indian food, the only alternative outside of the capital.  I normally like Indian food, but in these types of restaurants, the menu is limited to Chicken Biriyani or Chicken Masala.  Both Omanis and Indians in this country are really fond of chicken.

Neither did I care much for Korean food when I lived in South Korea, but here is a typical Korean lunch of bibimbap I shared with my son Alex when he came to visit me in Korea.

Korean lunch of bibimbap

Korean lunch of bibimbap

Koreans have to wash a lot of dishes for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Koreans have to wash a lot of dishes for breakfast, lunch or dinner

However, in most of my travels, I adore the local cuisine.  Turkish and Greek food were my favorites, but I also loved the food in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.  Here are some pictures of my Greek lunches.

Sardines and capers in Fira, Santorini, Greece.

Sardines and caper leaves in Fira, Santorini, Greece.

Eggplant rolls in Fira, Santorini, Greece

Eggplant rolls in Fira, Santorini, Greece

Greek salad for lunch in Akrotirion, Santorini, Greece

Greek salad for lunch in Akrotirion, Santorini, Greece

Bruschetta & Greek beer in Fira, Santorini, Greece

Bruschetta with feta cheese and olives & Greek beer in Fira, Santorini, Greece

the owner of the Meteora Restaurant, who serves her customers right from the huge pots as we bring our dishes around

the owner of the Meteora Restaurant, who serves her customers right from the huge pots as we bring our dishes around

My delicious meatballs at the Meteora Restaurant in Greece

My delicious meatballs at the Meteora Restaurant in Greece

Here is a lunch I enjoyed at a riverside restaurant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  I love this kind of food.  It seems so healthy. 🙂

Cambodian lunch of steamed fish with dipping sauces :-)  YUM!!

Cambodian lunch of steamed fish with dipping sauces 🙂 YUM!!

In Nepal, I ate a wonderful traditional Nepali lunch outdoors while enjoying a view of the Langtang range of the Himalayas.  This was my most recent special lunchtime break. 🙂

traditional Nepali food for lunch

traditional Nepali food for lunch

my view of the Langtang Range of the Himalayas during lunchtime in Nagarkot, Nepal

my view of the Langtang Range of the Himalayas during lunchtime in Nagarkot, Nepal

I love taking lunchtime breaks while traveling, but if I make the mistake of having a beer or wine with my lunch, I get really lazy in the afternoon.  I try to save wine or beer for dinnertime, but I’m not always successful. 🙂

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friday meditation: enlightenment guaranteed

15 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Enlightenment Guaranteed, Friday Meditation, Japan, Life, Spirituality, Tokyo

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Life, Spirituality, WPLongform

Friday, March 15: This week I watched a 2002 German film called Enlightenment Guaranteed. The film is an amusing yet thought-provoking story about two German brothers who go to Tokyo in search of enlightenment amidst a series of mishaps and tribulations.  I loved this film not only because I could relate to the brothers’ experiences as foreigners in Japan (I recognized my own experiences in Korea!), but also because it gave me food for thought on my spiritual journey.

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto, Japan

Uwe is a kitchen designer with 4 screaming children and a wife, Petra, who he continually berates. At work, he tells a couple of his clients that arguments usually start in the kitchen because most kitchens are poorly designed and too small.  He tells them a kitchen has to make you happy, that you should be able to think clearly while chopping onions or cabbage.  The act of chopping, he says, can be aerobics for the soul.

In an argument in Uwe’s house that begins in the kitchen, Petra is busy cleaning up a puddle of cold milk that her child knocked to the floor because it wasn’t warmed. Uwe comes in and says, sarcastically, that he’s not surprised; after all, the child likes his milk warm: “Look, Mama made a mess.  People learn from experience.  That’s what makes us human. In theory, at least.”

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto, Japan

Later that evening, when Uwe returns home from work, he finds his wife and children are gone.  There’s a note on the kitchen floor from Petra: “I’m learning from experience that you will never change.”

Uwe calls his brother, Gustav, who studies Zen Buddhism and works as a Feng Shui consultant. He spends time in meditation each day and applies Zen principles in his daily life.  Gustav is packing for a trip to Tokyo; he plans to stay several weeks at the Sojij Monastery in Monzen.    Uwe begs Gustav to take him along to Tokyo: “Don’t leave me alone! I’ll kill myself,” he cries and pleads with his brother in a drunken stupor.  “I won’t bother you!  I’ll carry your bags!”  Earnest Gustav agrees reluctantly to take Uwe along, even though he wants to do the journey alone.

So begins the “enlightenment” of Gustav and Uwe. Throughout their travels, Gustav reads wise Buddhist truths from a book about Zen.  When the brothers arrive in Tokyo, every Japanese person on the streets is talking on a mobile phone. The city is an assault on the senses.

In the hotel, Gustav uses a compass to determine the optimal direction to lie in his bed, and Uwe measures his bed like he measures his kitchen cabinets.  As they leave their hotel to go out for dinner and drinks in Tokyo, Uwe says, “Can we leave our passports in the room?”  Gustav says, “Of course.  Nobody steals in Japan.”

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto, Japan

After dinner, they head to a bar.  Gustav, who is worried about getting lost in Tokyo, warns Uwe that they should use neon flashing signs to remember their location: KAWASAKI and EPSOM.  At the bar, they order 3 drinks and the bill shockingly comes to $600. When they head back out to the street, they can’t find their landmark signs.  By this time, Uwe’s money is “finito” due to the outrageous bar bill, and Gustav has only 5,000 yen ($52).  They can’t remember the name of their hotel, but Gustav has a business card he picked up from the hotel desk.  He gives it to a woman taxi driver and they start driving for what seems like a long distance, further than they walked.  When the driver finally stops, they say, “This is the hotel??” The driver says “Otel??? Otel??” like she’s not sure she understands. They get out of the taxi, and they see a hospital across the street: “Maybe she thought we were saying “hospital.” By this time, they are down to 1,000 yen, and they decide to go to an ATM for more money.  The machine is flashing Japanese instructions and then eats Uwe’s card.  Gustav inserts his card, and the same thing happens.  Now they have no money, no means of getting any, and no idea where they are.

Now, with nothing left, Gustav reads from his Zen book: “Become homeless.  Feel good in your own skin.  In misery is bliss.”  With the small change they have left, they go to a casino, hoping to win the jackpot.  Of course they lose all their money in the slot machines.

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto, Japan

As it turns into the wee morning hours, Gustav reads: “Have patience every day of your life.”  Exhausted, they stop in a small park lined with cardboard boxes, and they each crawl into one to sleep for the night.  As they prepare to sleep, Gustav says, “I don’t think it’s all that bad.”  Uwe says, “In the last hour I only thought of Petra and the kids 17 times.  What do you mean it’s not all that bad here?  Is this more of your Zen bull****?”

In the morning, they wake up and Gustav swears, “No more cardboard boxes!” They go to a department store where they find tents for sale, and Uwe steals a bright yellow tent by putting it under his jacket.  As they are crossing a huge and crowded crosswalk, they get separated.

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto, Japan

Uwe has been filming their experience on his video camera and as he wanders alone through the streets of Tokyo, he says to the camera, “I feel like I’m on some strange planet.”  While Gustav wanders alone, trying to reassure himself, he reads in his Zen book: “The melon knows not the cold wind of morning.  Alone on the ice, a cheerful cormorant.”  Gustav steals a meal from a sushi conveyor belt.  Uwe goes to a palm reader who reads his palm in Japanese; he films her reading.

Gustav ends up in a metro station singing Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive!” in German.  While singing, a German girl approaches him to put money in his hat, and he latches on to her: “You speak German!!??”  As she takes him by train to her home, where she lives with a Japanese man, Gustav looks out the train window and sees the yellow tent beside the track.  The brothers are reunited and go to Anica’s house, where she gives them a place to sleep and the ability to work in a German Oktoberfest house to earn a little money.  As she speaks some Japanese, she translates Uwe’s palm reading from the video: “Clear lines, strong feelings.  Recently you’ve had problems in your love life.  I see a separation from your wife.”  Uwe says, “Separation or divorce??”  She says, “I see a hope line that points to the light.”  Uwe ponders the meaning of this.

gravel raked by monks into a pattern

gravel raked by monks into a pattern in Kyoto, Japan

Finally, they are on their way to the Buddhist monastery in Monzen.  On the train, Uwe reads: “Meditation is the way to enlightenment.”  Gustav says, “Yes, you just sit there and let your thoughts come and go.”

Uwe continues reading: “We must see through the illusion that there is a separate self.  We practice to remove this divide.  Not until the moment we and the object become one do we truly see our lives.  You don’t reach enlightenment.  It’s the absence of something.  You’re after something your entire life, some goal.  Enlightenment is giving it up.”

The Golden Temple, Kyoto, Japan

The Golden Temple, Kyoto, Japan

At the monastery, they get into the Zen Buddhist monks’ routine.  They wake every morning at 4.  They meditate and chant for hours.  They clean floors.  They clean windows. They sweep the ground outdoors.  They sit and contemplate nature.  Over and over, the routine is repeated day in and day out.  Finally, at the end of their stay, each of them goes to talk to a wise monk about their problems.

Uwe tells the monk about his hatred for his wife for leaving him.  The monk tells him: “See all other people as if they were you.  Just like you.  If you want to hate, then really hate.  Don’t eat.  Don’t sleep.  Hate, hate, hate.  The hate will go away by itself.  You will see that hate won’t get you anywhere.”

Gustav, who is continually messing up at the monastery, falling down while scrubbing floors or falling asleep during meditation, asks the monk about his fears of getting lost and of making mistakes.  The monk tells him: “Mistakes are a fact of life.  That can’t be changed.  Everyone makes them.  Your true nature is what counts.  Not the rest.  If you’re afraid of spilling a cup of tea, your fear keeps you from noticing how warm the cup feels in your hand and how good it smells.  Because you’re so busy trying not to spill it.”

****************

I love the messages in this movie. The movie is all about stripping down to the bare essentials, about learning what’s important.  I couldn’t help but think of myself when I went to Greece this summer and my suitcase was lost for 2 days.  At least I had money, my camera, and a place to sleep, but I was disappointed and irritated and worried.  I don’t know how I would have done had the suitcase never appeared, but I didn’t like the inconvenience one bit.  However, I didn’t sit in my hotel sulking; neither did I sit on the phone all day berating Egypt Air.  I went out to explore the streets of Athens and to see the Acropolis.  I enjoyed some heavenly meals accompanied by wine.  Neither did Gustav and Uwe like their situation, and many times one or the other of them threatened to give up, go the German embassy, and go home.  They continually reminded each other: “Never give up!”  And they didn’t.

Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan

Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan

In the year I lived in Korea, I lived in a small one room apartment, much like a dorm room with a small kitchen, after having lived in nice brick 2- or 3-story Colonials in Virgina for most of my life.  I had to pare down and lower my expectations considerably.  When I taught at the elementary school in Seongju, I had a 1 1/2 hour commute each way,which included walking for 20 minutes, riding two unheated buses and sitting in an unheated, filthy bus station for 20 minutes.  The school was not heated in winter or cooled in summer.  Many days in winter, I was cold all day, huddled in my winter coat next to a heat lamp I bought for my classroom.   As hard as it was, I kept telling myself, “This won’t last forever.  I just need to make it though.”  And I did.  However, it was difficult and I didn’t accept it easily.  Often I would have to remind myself to just let it go.  Sometimes I was successful; often I wasn’t.

I have other challenges in Oman, different from in Korea, but challenges nonetheless.  My dear friend Mario has told me in the past that he sees me as generally content.  My first year here, I WAS content, more so than this year, mainly because of the deterioration in my job.  But slowly, I have learned to be content when I’m outside of work, despite the heat, the lack of greenery, the ultra-traditional culture. I’m still working on the art of letting go.  Practice. Patience.

I have this strange recurring vision of myself, sometimes in dreams, sometimes in waking visions.  I see myself walking down a path, and when I look down at my feet, I see my feet moving steadily forward under a monk’s robes.  Strange.  Maybe I’m being called to spend some time in a monastery.   I know there is still a lot for me to learn.   I believe, if I keep practicing, I will find the way to let go.  Slowly.  Slowly.

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a morning at mutrah souq and lunch at the blue marlin

14 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Blue Marlin Restaurant, Marina Bandar al Rowdha, Middle East, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

Muscat, Oman, Travel

Thursday, March 14:  This morning I took a couple of my friends to Muscat to visit Mutrah Souq and then to have lunch at the Blue Marlin Restaurant at Marina Bandar al Rowdha.  Mona Lisa had never been to Mutrah Souq before; Char had been before, but only once.  Though I have sworn off spending money during my remaining months in Oman, I did break down and buy a couple of necklaces and a black Indian tunic.  Here are a couple of pictures from our day.

Mutrah Fort

Mutrah Fort

the view from Muttrah Corniche

the view from Muttrah Corniche

a dhow at the harbor

a dhow at the harbor

incense burning....

incense burning….

glass ornaments

glass ornaments

more Turkish lamps

more Turkish lamps

Turkish lamps at Mutrah Souq

Turkish lamps at Mutrah Souq

beaded lamps

beaded lamps

shoes at the souq

shoes at the souq

It wasn’t too hot to sit outside for lunch at the Blue Marlin Restaurant, so we did just that, overlooking the beautiful Marina Bandar al Rowdha.

Mona Lisa and Char at the Blue Marlin

Mona Lisa and Char at the Blue Marlin

Smoked salmon baguette at the Blue Marlin

Smoked salmon baguette at the Blue Marlin

Marina Bandar al Rowdha

Marina Bandar al Rowdha

traditional boat

traditional boat

me and Mona Lisa

me and Mona Lisa

boats in the marina

boats in the marina

Intissar at the Marina

Intisaar at the Marina

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three years of blogging :-)

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Blogging, Wordpress

≈ 31 Comments

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Blogging, Wordpress

Wednesday, March 13:  Today I got a message from WordPress congratulating me on three years of blogging.  I had lost track of the time I have been doing this, so it was nice to get this happy anniversary message. It’s been a grand adventure!!

Three years ago today, I was two weeks into my first year of living and working abroad in South Korea.  This was my first experience EVER of living and working abroad.  My friend Myrna, who arrived in Korea at the same time as I did, and who lived right across the hall from me in Daegu, told me she had just started a blog about her experience in Korea.  She introduced me to her blog: MURN IN KOREA.  I didn’t know anything about blogging, but after researching the blogging platforms a bit, I registered my first blog with WordPress.  I wrote my first post on March 14 on catbird in korea: Idiomatic Coffee-J.

my first blog: catbird in korea

my first blog: catbird in korea

I have to say I love blogging.  I never look at it as a chore or an obligation (except when I have a slow internet connection and I’m trying to upload photos! Arghh!).  For me, it’s more fun than watching TV or any number of other mindless pastimes I could engage in.  It has given me motivation to discover some shape and meaning to my life journey and all the lessons I’ve learned while living abroad.  I hope to someday write a book (or two) about my experiences, as there is a lot I post privately that would make for VERY interesting reading.

I now have 14 blogs.  Nine of them feature countries or regions where I have traveled.  I also have one blog devoted to photography, whatever a moon has always meant, and another for my short stories, land of make-believe.  My three most extensive blogs are this one, about my life in Oman, catbird in korea, about my year in Korea, and nomad, interrupted: catbird in america, about my life in America.  When I leave Oman at the end of June, I will move to my America blog, where I imagine I will stay for a long time.  That is, until I get restless again. 🙂

I have to thank all of my amazing and fascinating readers, many of whom are bloggers themselves, for all of their support and encouragement over these three years.  Thank you for making this a rich and magnificent journey.  I’ve loved sharing my life with all of you, and I’ve loved sharing in your lives as well.

With all love and gratitude.  ~ Cathy

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    • catbird in south asia
    • catbird in turkey
    • ride paddies and papayas
  • Europe
    • greek wanderings
    • in search of a thousand cafés
  • Middle East
    • a jaunt to jordan
    • catbird in cairo
    • United Arab Emirates
      • Abu Dhabi
  • photography
    • Sunday Post
    • Travel Theme Photo Challenge
    • Weekly Photo Challenge
    • whatever a moon has always meant
  • Fiction
    • land of make-believe

what happens when…

March 2013
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Blogs I Follow

Blog of the Year 2012

Kreativ Blogger Award

Genuine Blogger Award

Ligo Circle of Appreciation

Shine On Award

Oman Blogs

  • Adventures of an American ESL Instructor Teaching at an Omani University
  • Andy in Oman
  • Angry in Oman
  • Bethany Duffield
  • Desperate Housewife in Oman
  • Dhofari Gucci
  • English Girl in Oman
  • Hallucinations of a Kitten
  • How to live like an Omani Princess
  • Hunting the Lost Insurgency: Oman
  • Matthew Heines
  • Misadventures in HR
  • Mumoftheanimals's Blog
  • Muscat Confidential
  • Muscat Jet Driver
  • Muscat Mutterings
  • Oh Man…Oman is really nice!
  • Omani Book Mania
  • Omani Cuisine
  • Rural Route Runner
  • Samir's Home
  • Secret Salalah
  • Sleepless in Salalah
  • Sultanate Social
  • Susan Al Shahri
  • The Linoleum Surfer

Oman Information

  • Albahja Cinema
  • Background Note Oman: U.S. State Department
  • Bait Muzna Gallery
  • BBC News: Oman Country Profile
  • CIA World Factbook ~ Oman
  • City Cinema Shatti
  • Destination Oman
  • Embassy of the United States – Muscat, Oman
  • Lonely Planet Oman
  • Ministry of Information: Sultanate of Oman
  • Oman Daily Observer
  • Royal Opera House Muscat
  • Sultanate of Oman Tourism
  • Sultanate of Oman: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Travel Blogs

  • Dan & Jillian's International Teaching Adventures
  • Dude Travels to Go
  • The Cool Hunter: amazing places to experience around the globe
  • The Traveling Gypsy
  • Wildcard Travels

X-terraneous Stuff

  • CIA World Factbook ~ South Korea
  • Dawn King
  • Let me bite that.
  • Life in the Bogs
  • reinventing the event horizon

my photostream on flickr

Sunny but only 20 degrees today!uploaduploaduploadTaking a walk through the neighborhood#whpsentbymailNext door to port royal post officeNext store in port royalupload
More Photos

Goodreads

Top Posts & Pages

  • friday meditation: enlightenment guaranteed
  • in search of the persian steps from the top of jebel akhdar
  • Beautiful Oman Filmed in Sizzling Indian Song "Jiya" for the Movie "Gunday"
  • "ladies tailoring" ~ killing time at al bustan roundabout & a walk around al riyam park
  • searching for roses on jebel akhdar & a conversation about escaping the "tribe"
  • musandam: a hidden cove, acacia "forest" & a mountain drive
  • camping on the beach near fins
  • exploring an nakhur gorge & a hike from the old village of ghul to the ridge of the canyon

InterNations

Weekly Photo Challenge

PostaWeek2012

share your world

a-z photo challenge

52 Pick Up

Sunday Post

Six Word Saturday

No Comfort Zone Challenge

I pledge to read the Printed Word

things i write about

"Happiness" 52 Pick Up 2012 A-Z Photo Challenge Abu Dhabi Abu Nooh Building Africa Akrotírion Al-Areesh Camp Al-Batinah Region Al-Dakhiliyah Region Al-Dhahirah Region Al Aqr Al Ayn Al Hamra Al Musanaah Americas Asia As Sifah Beach Athens Bahla Balad Sayt Birkat Al Mouz Cambodia Cappadocia Crete Daegu Ethiopia Europe Falaj Daris Hotel Family Foundation Institute Friday Meditation Geoje-si GMC Terrain Greece India Intercontinental Hotel Jakesprinter Japan Jebel Akhdar Jebel Shams Jordan Kyoto Lake Langano Lalibela Life Matthieu Ricard Middle East misfat al abriyyin Musandam Muscat Muttrah Muttrah Souq Nakhal Fort Nepal Nizwa Nizwa souq Oia Oman Oman Dive Center Phnom Penh Photography Challenges Pokhara postaweek2012 postaweek2013 Rethymno Royal Opera House Sahab Hotel Saiq Plateau Salalah Santorini Seoul Share Your World Sharqiya Region Sharqiya Sands Six Word Saturday South Korea Spirituality Suncheon Bay Sunday Post Travel Travel Theme Photo Challenge Turkey United Arab Emirates United States of America University of Nizwa Virginia Wadi Bani Awf Wadi Bani Habib Wadi Bani Khalid Wadi Damm Wadi MIstal Wadi Muaydin Wadi Shab Wadi Tiwi Wednesday Song Title Interpretation Weekly Photo Challenge Wekan Western Hajar Mountains

oh say can you see?

Free counters!

Tag Cloud

#capturethecolour 7 Super Shots 52 Pick Up @travelsupermkt a-z photo challenge Abu Dhabi Al Amerat Architecture Art Balad Sayt Birthdays Blogging books Bucket List CBBH Photo Challenge Christmas Daydream Saturdays DPchallenge Egypt Empty Quarter Ethiopia GMC Terrain Greece Hyundai Sonata Ibri InterNations Japan Jebel Akhdar Jebel Shams karma's photography scavenger hunt Life middle east Misfat Al Abriyyin Muscat Nepal Nizwa Nizwa Souq No Comfort Zone Challenge Oman Omar Khairat Optimism Pessimism Phoneography Challenge Picture the World! postaweek2012 postaweek2013 Roses Royal Opera House Royal Opera House Muscat Saiq Plateau Salalah share your world Shine On Award Six Word Saturday South Korea Spain Spirituality Story Challenge Sunday Post Tibet Travel travel theme Turkey United Arab Emirates United States of America University of Nizwa Wadi Bani Awf Wadi Tiwi Wedding wednesday song title interpretation weekly photo challenge Western Hajar Mountains Wordpress WPLongform wwwp5k

Blogs I Follow

  • Fairfax County Emergency Information
  • ~ wander.essence ~
  • Living in Paradise...
  • SterVens' Tales
  • PIRAN CAFÉ
  • Word Wabbit
  • Cardinal Guzman
  • Pit's Fritztown News
  • Fumbling Through Italy
  • Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek
  • snowtoseas
  • Cornwall in Colours
  • Slovenian Girl Abroad
  • Let Me Bite That
  • Running Stories by Jerry Lewis
  • Finding NYC
  • The World according to Dina
  • Cornwall Photographic
  • snippetsandsnaps
  • SITTING PRETTY

Administrative Stuff…

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Creative Commons Attribution

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Categories

Blog at WordPress.com.

Fairfax County Emergency Information

Official Fairfax County Government Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Website

~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

~~~In Case You Didn't Know, I Talk 2 Myself~~~

PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

Cornwall in Colours

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

Notes on Seeing, Reading & Writing, Living & Loving in The North

Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

Fairfax County Emergency Information

Official Fairfax County Government Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Website

~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

~~~In Case You Didn't Know, I Talk 2 Myself~~~

PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

Cornwall in Colours

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

Notes on Seeing, Reading & Writing, Living & Loving in The North

Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

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