• home
  • About me
    • New Year’s Resolutions
    • Bucket List
    • Share Your World
    • Friday Meditation
  • Oman
    • Al-Batinah Region
    • Al-Dhahirah Region
    • Al-Dakhiliyah Region
      • Nizwa
    • Al-Wusta Region
    • Dhofar Region
    • Musandam
    • Muscat
    • Sharqiya Region
  • University of Nizwa
  • Africa
    • african meanderings {& musings}
  • Americas
    • nomad, interrupted: catbird in the united states of america
    • notes from north america
    • United States of America
      • Virginia
  • Asia
    • catbird in china
    • catbird in korea
    • catbird in kyoto
    • 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

a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Category Archives: Asia

friday meditation: i get up in the morning. i do my best. nothing else matters.

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Asia, Friday Meditation, Life, Middle East, Oman, South Korea, Spirituality, WPLongform

≈ 51 Comments

Tags

Friday Meditation, Life, Oman, South Korea, Spirituality, United States of America, WPLongform

Friday, June 28:  In the British movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Judi Dench plays Evelyn Greenslade, a newly widowed housewife whose house must be sold to pay off her husband’s debts.  She goes to India with a group of elderly British characters, whose motives for coming to India are as varied as their eccentric personalities.  They choose to spend their retirement years at Sonny’s Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a home for the “elderly and beautiful,” based on pictures on the hotel’s website.  Upon arrival, they find the hotel to be quite dilapidated and mismanaged.  Some of the characters embrace the experience, while others seem determined to be miserable.

While staying at the hotel, Evelyn keeps a blog of her activities. She narrates throughout, to her Day 51 moral at the end:

The only real failure is the failure to try.
The measure of success is how we cope with disappointment, as we always must.
We came here and we tried, all of us in our different ways.
Can we be blamed for feeling that we’re too old to change?
Too scared of disappointment to start it all again?
We get up in the morning.  We do our best.  Nothing else matters.
But it’s also true that the person who risks nothing does nothing.  Has nothing.
All we know about the future is that it will be different.  Perhaps what we fear is that it will be the same, so we must celebrate the changes.

Because as someone once said, “Everything will be all right in the end, and if it’s not all right, then trust me, it’s not yet the end.”

I know what Evelyn means about fearing that things will always be the same. I remember, as vividly as if it was yesterday, the last five years of my humdrum existence as a suburban housewife in northern Virginia.  I remember driving around in the traffic of Virginia, running the same errands I always ran, going through the same old routines and feeling increasingly depressed and restless.  I sat at stop lights in my car, listening to foreign music, thinking about my longtime dream of being a writer, and thinking that i would never have anything to write about.  My life was so boring, so mundane.  What would I ever have to say?  And I would think, over and over during those last five years: Is this all there is?  This is IT, for the rest of my life?

Something HAD to change, but at the time I didn’t know what.  And it did change. I CAN’T say about myself that my only real failure is a failure to try.  For I HAVE tried.  I have tried, and for better or worse, my life has changed.

I am now coming to the end of my third year living and teaching abroad.  Starting in March 2010, I spent one year in Korea, which I believed to be quite a hardship. I had a horrible 1 1/2 hour to 2 hour commute to work each way, in freezing cold or steamy hot weather, on dilapidated buses that seemed to have no discernible schedule. I shivered in my classroom during winter, huddled over a space heater in my winter coat, when the school refused to turn on the heat.  Or alternately, I sweated profusely when they refused to turn on the air conditioning.  I endured Korean food, which I never liked because of the grisly chunks of meat Koreans favor and the strong vinegar taste of kimchi that accompanied every meal.  I was older than almost every other teacher there, and the oldest of all my friends and acquaintances. I had no attraction for Korean men, and they none for me.  And I lived in what amounted to a college dormitory, a small room in which I could barely fit, much less entertain anyone.

me in Gyeongju, South Korea, April 2010

me in Gyeongju, South Korea, April 2010

Yet, while in Korea, I set out to explore a country that is quite isolated and not known for tourism.  I looked through my trusty Moon Handbook and plotted travels through the country several times a month. I set out to discover new places and new experiences, if not outside of Daegu, then within the city.  I enjoyed my friends Anna, Seth and Myrna, our small group of expats in a foreign land, as we spent evenings together either playing Ticket to Ride, watching movies, or eating dinner and singing in a Korean singing room called noraebang.

me in Gyeongju, May 2010

me in Gyeongju, May 2010

I learned not only to be alone, but to relish it. And I learned to be self-sufficient, independent, and adventurous.  I also learned that I don’t generally enjoy events with random large groups of people, and that certain things about a culture, which one may find endearing on a short holiday trip, can become annoying with constant exposure.  I found myself irritated by the Korean group mentality, and the inability of Koreans to accept individual differences in what is a truly conformist society.  I found everyone’s black hair annoying, because it was often dyed even into old age.  I remember being thrilled when I visited China and found old people with white hair. I found it frustrating that Koreans refused to try to speak English, even though they had been studying it for years, for fear of losing face.  I was put off by their criticisms of my appearance, such as the fact that I didn’t dye my hair or that I had fat arms or a big nose, and their constant offering of unsolicited advice.  I also found them extremely generous and giving of their time and their friendship.  I found them to be hard-working and diligent and well-organized. And many of them knew how to enjoy life, with their love of partying, drinking and singing.

me at Gatbawi near Daegu, South Korea, April 2010

me at Gatbawi near Daegu, South Korea, April 2010

In Korea, I tried, in my way.  It wasn’t everyone else’s way, as most other teachers were young and into partying and drinking into all hours of the night.  I had to cope with disappointment, and I was able to do it.  Things didn’t work out for me in relationships the way I would have liked.  I got up in the morning and slogged my way through my horrible commute.  I taught my students to sing “California Dreamin'” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” I made goofy faces to keep them laughing.  I organized team competitions of Jeopardy.   I did my best.  I didn’t know what the future would hold, but whatever it held I knew would be different than the life I had before.  It was most certainly different.

me with Korean ajuma at Boseong in October 2010

me with Korean ajuma at Boseong in October 2010

While in Korea, the only thing I could really think about was my desire to come to work in the Middle East.  It’s a long story, but after September 11, 2001 I became intrigued, almost obsessed, by Islam and the Arab world.  I wanted to understand this culture and I read every book I could get my hands on.  Since Korea was my first time teaching ESL, I looked at it as putting in my time, adding to my resume, just so I could come to the Middle East.

I completed my Master’s degree in International Commerce and Policy in May of 2008.  Most of my research was centered in analysis of economic and political issues in the broader Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan. One paper was titled Social Ramifications of U.S. Foreign Policy in Egypt. This was a collaborative effort with colleagues which also dealt with the political, economic, and the political-military consequences of U.S. policy in that country. My other research projects included Macroeconomic Prospects for Jordan and Free Trade in the Middle East: A Tool to Achieve Peace and Stability.  I wrote about Women’s Empowerment as a Key to Economic Development in Afghanistan. I also wrote papers focused in other areas of the world, including Mexican Judicial Reform and its Effect on the Political and Business Climate. I studied Arabic from 2005-2007 (and not again since, despite living in an Arab country for nearly two years now!). And after going to Egypt, which I adored, for the month of July in 2007, I was determined to work in the Middle East.

Nizwa souq

Nizwa souq

At Nizwa souq

At Nizwa souq

the rifle club (??) at Nizwa souq for their Friday morning meeting (??)

the rifle club (??) at Nizwa souq for their Friday morning meeting (??)

I came to Oman in September, 2011, ten years after the horrible terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers & the Pentagon.  It seemed my dream to come to the Middle East had come true.  But I found that the energy and chaos and liveliness I discovered, and loved, in Egypt is lacking in Oman.  The Sultan has done a great job of bringing Oman into the modern world, but somehow the country is missing vitality. It seems to lack a sense of humor and, as the French say, a joie de vivre (joy of living), a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. It wasn’t long before I became bored with the culture and irritated by its lack of respect for women, its acceptance of cheating and its lack of work ethic.  I found Omani citizens’ sense of entitlement annoying, along with its dependence on wasta to get ahead, and its attitude that things will get done, insha’allah, whenever they get done.  And then of course, there’s the weather.  I love four distinct seasons in Virginia, particularly the fall, winter and spring.  I’ve never been a fan of summer.  Of course, Oman has year-round summer, and heat like I’ve never experienced.  I hope I never experience it again.

me with my favorite student Habiba, Level 2 English, Fall semester 2011

me with my favorite student Habiba, Level 2 English, Fall semester 2011

I figured if I was going to be happy here, I would have to create happiness myself, and so I resorted to the thing I loved best in Korea, traveling with a camera in hand, and sharing my adventures on my blog.  When I met Mario, it seemed I had found a like-minded friend who would do these things with me; his companionship increased my enjoyment exponentially.  Again, as in Korea, my travels and explorations kept me sane, and less lonely.  Besides my travels within the country, I spent my free time reading novels, watching movies, and plotting other travels through the region.  While here in Oman, I have ventured to Jordan, Greece, Ethiopia, and Nepal.  Before I return home, I will spend a month in Spain and Portugal.

Tomb in Salalah - January 2012

Tomb in Salalah – January 2012

Alex, Adam and me in Salalah, Oman ~ January 2012

Alex, Adam and me in Salalah, Oman ~ January 2012

I have tried to get the most out of my experiences while living abroad these three years.  I discovered things about myself:  I love to travel, to go out into far-flung corners of a place and explore it, on my own, with a camera in hand, and a willingness to share my experience with words.  Like Evelyn from the Marigold Hotel, I thrive on the experience as much as possible, even though at times it can be a lonely existence and a physical and emotional struggle. I have found, disappointingly, that I can be quite intolerant of certain aspects of a culture, but then I guess I have always known that to some degree.  I think I hoped by coming to live in a different culture, I would become more tolerant, more accepting, but I’m afraid the opposite has happened.  I can’t understand why people set up restrictions in their society that hold them hostage, and under which they are bound to fail.  I really dislike hypocrisy, which I find runs rampant in this country. That being said, as in Korea, I have met some wonderful Omanis, especially my students, who haven’t hesitated to show their love for me.

me on Jebel Akhdar, my favorite place in Oman, Valentine's Day 2013

me on Jebel Akhdar, my favorite place in Oman, Valentine’s Day 2013

me with the Jebel Akhdar roses

me with the Jebel Akhdar roses

Jebel Akhdar roses

Jebel Akhdar roses

ruins at Wadi Bani Habib on Jebel Akhdar

ruins at Wadi Bani Habib on Jebel Akhdar

As far as work, I’ve realized certain requirements are of utmost importance.  Needless to say, I haven’t found these things here:  I want to be respected as a professional; I want autonomy to do my job using the experience I have accumulated.  I don’t want to be treated as a robot doing someone else’s bidding, especially when I don’t agree with it theoretically.  I want to be commended when I do a good job and appreciated for being dependable.  I want to be free to speak on any subject in the classroom or any other job environment.  I want to be able to use technology, which should be a given in this modern world.  And most of all, I want to work with managers who will listen and respect their workers’ complaints and pay attention when a mass exodus of employees occurs.

Once I decide I am through with a job, or a person, or a place, that’s it for me.  There is no turning back.  Just like I said I would never again return to Korea, I can now say with utmost certainty that I will never return to Oman.

the beautiful village of Balad Sayt

the beautiful village of Balad Sayt

I’m NOT one of those people who is unrealistically optimistic, seeing the world always as a rosy, fragrant and heady place.  I am realistic.  I see things as they are, and sometimes I don’t like what I see.  But often, I see a world full of beauty and kindness and adventure.  I strive to see things that way; it’s just that I don’t always succeed.  I can weigh both sides and put them on the scales so that they’re evenly balanced, the bad and the good. And I can take away an experience that changes me, even if it’s in an unexpected way.

me at New Year's Eve, December 31, 2011

me at New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2011

Finally, after living abroad, I think I’ve come full circle.  Now that fear I had that nothing would ever change has vanished in the haze. I know that I don’t have to feel stuck; I can change my life whenever I want.  That old familiar life has some appeal to me now and I find myself yearning for those familiar routines, those familiar faces.

Now, I feel like one of my favorite characters, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.  Standing in Oman with my eyes closed, clicking my heels together, saying: “There’s no place like home.  There’s no place like home.”

me with my three children at Christmas, two months before leaving for Korea.  In front, Alex, Sarah and Adam

me with my three children at Christmas, two months before leaving for Korea. In front, Alex, Sarah and Adam

me with my Dorothy doll in my grandmother's backyard

me with my Dorothy doll in my grandmother’s backyard

Once I return home to the USA, I will post some random thoughts periodically about my experience in Oman, but for the most part, this blog will be a closed book.  I will post about my trip to Spain and Portugal in in search of a thousand cafés.  When I return to America on July 25, you can find me at nomad, interrupted.  I hope you’ll join me there, because I plan to be there for a long, long time. 🙂

38.893151 -77.357877

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

travel theme: ripples

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Asia, Geoje-si, South Korea, Travel Theme Photo Challenge

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Oman, South Korea, travel theme

Monday, June 24:  Ailsa Where’s my backpack? of challenges us this week to come up with Ripples.  Here’s my first choice, from a pond on top of Jebel Akhdar, a pond full of croaking and mating frogs.

ripples in a frog-filled pond on Jebel Akhdar

ripples in a frog-filled pond on Jebel Akhdar

Wadi Arbiyyin is one of the most peaceful spots I have found in Oman.  I’m sorry I never got to swim in this gently-rippling pond.

ripples in Wadi Arbiyyin

ripples in Wadi Arbiyyin

And this was taken on an island in South Korea, Geoje-si, on a windy day at a place called Windy Hill.  I love what a breeze does to a body of water and ornamental grasses.  (Inspired by being mrscarmichael: Travel Theme (Ripples))

ripples of water and ornamental grasses in Geoje-si, South Korea (inspired by mrs. carmichael)

ripples of water and ornamental grasses in Geoje-si, South Korea (inspired by mrs. carmichael)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

cbbh photo challenge: knobs & knockers

30 Thursday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Bhaktapur, CBBH Photo Challenge, Middle East, Nepal, Oman

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

CBBH Photo Challenge, Nepal, Oman

Thursday, May 30: Marianne of East of Málaga …. and more! has given us a challenge for the month of May to find pictures of knobs and knockers.  She writes:

Forget bells and intercoms – this month’s CBBH Photo Challenge is all about decorative door furniture, to make an entrance look perfect.

Of course, the purpose of a door knocker is to let the householder know there is someone at the door, but at some point in history they took on shape and symbolic meaning. I’ve seen protective dogs and lions, honorary wreaths, severed hands, mythological references to Medusa and Cleopatra, as well as elegant and ornate displays of wealth in polished brass.

I’ve taken many pictures of Omani doors in the 20+ months I’ve been here, and I’ve noticed that most of them don’t have knockers at all.  It seems Omani doors are all about safety and security.  Instead of knobs and knockers, they all seem to have metal bars, locks, spikes, and chains.  I could hardly find a knob or knocker anywhere in my collection.  I feel this tells a lot about Omani culture, much like the watchtowers that adorn every hill throughout the country.  It’s all about protection, keeping things under lock and key, keeping intruders out.

metal bar and lock on a metal door in Yanqul, Oman

metal bar and lock on a metal door in Yanqul, Oman

knockers on a door in the Ibra ruins, Oman

knockers on a door in the Ibra ruins, Oman

a lock and chain on a door in the ruins of Ibra's old souq

a lock and chain on a door in the ruins of Ibra’s old souq

more locks and bars in Ibra

more locks and bars in Ibra

Lock, bar and spiky deterrents at Nakhal Fort, Oman

Lock, bar and spiky deterrents at Nakhal Fort, Oman

Lock, bar and spikes at Nakhal Fort, Oman

Lock, bar and spikes at Nakhal Fort, Oman

Surprisingly, I found the same kinds of bars and locks in Nepal.

locks and bars in Bhaktapur, Nepal

locks and bars in Bhaktapur, Nepal

Marianne asks that we introduce two bloggers in this challenge.  I’d like to introduce Heather of artist. hippie. cali chic.  Heather has a serious case of wanderlust.  She’s traveled a lot in the past, but is now trying to save money to pay off her student loans.  So instead of traveling now, she’s doing the responsible thing and saving money.  That doesn’t stop her from dreaming of travel.  She describes herself thus: I am an artist/graphic designer/huge Audrey Hepburn fan and self-proclaimed giant hippie with a hopeless case of wanderlust living in Southern California.

I’d also like to introduce Lynne of On the Go with Lynne and her husband, photographer Ron Mayhew, of Ron Mayhew’s Blog. (All right, I know that’s two more, but they’re a husband and wife, so I want to include them together!)

Lynne writes of herself:

Wherever I am, I have learned to appreciate the moment.
To draw inspiration from the experience.
To write about the journey and not just the destination.

And to have fun…while I can still bend over to pick up a shell
And to cast without tangling my line.

Ron describes himself thus: Having been a professional wood sculptor  for over twenty years he has developed an eye for composition.  It’s  this artistic  background which has helped Ron achieve recognition regionally and internationally in photo competitions.  His photography is beautiful.

I especially love reading about their joint trip to Havana, Cuba.  Ron’s photos and Lynne’s stories are fascinating and capture a culture that few Americans get to experience.

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

travel theme: pathways

26 Sunday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Cappadocia, Gongju, Japan, Jordan, Kyoto, Little Petra, Middle East, Nepal, Oman, Pathways, Pokhara, Sharqiya Region, South Korea, Suncheon Bay, Travel Theme Photo Challenge, Turkey, Wadi Bani Khalid

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Japan, Nepal, Oman, South Korea, travel theme, Turkey

Sunday, May 26:  Ailsa’s Travel Theme this week is Pathways.  I’ve seen many beautiful pathways in my travels around the world.

Path of Bamboo in Arashiyama, near Kyoto, Japan

Path of Bamboo in Arashiyama, near Kyoto, Japan

path through Ihlara Canyon in Cappadocia, Turkey

path through Ihlara Canyon in Cappadocia, Turkey

path through Suncheon Bay Ecological Park in South Korea

path through Suncheon Bay Ecological Park in South Korea

snow-covered path through Gongju, South Korea

snow-covered path through Gongju, South Korea

Many people use the aflaf in Oman as pathways to walk on.  This one is at Wadi Bani Khalid in Oman.

Many people use the aflaj in Oman as pathways. This one is at Wadi Bani Khalid in Oman.

Pathway of enlightenment ~ leading to a Buddhist temple in Pokhara, Nepal

Pathway of enlightenment ~ leading to a Buddhist temple in Pokhara, Nepal

a pathway along a farmer's field in Pokhara, Nepal

a pathway along a farmer’s field in Pokhara, Nepal

pathway through Little Petra in Jordan

pathway through Little Petra in Jordan

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

travel theme: the four elements

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Dana Nature Reserve, Europe, Greece, Jordan, Kathmandu, Middle East, Nepal, Oman, Santorini, Travel Theme Photo Challenge, Wadi Ghul

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

travel theme

Sunday, May 19: Ailsa of Where’s my backpack? challenges us this week to come up with “an homage to earth, air, water and fire.”

For earth, what else can I post but the mountains of Oman?  Because they’re usually vegetation-free, they’re considered a geologist’s heaven.  Here are the mountains that make up the sides of Wadi Ghul.

the rock-solid earth at Wadi Ghul

the rock-solid earth at Wadi Ghul

One evening, at Dana Nature Reserve in Jordan, the air looked quite unstable and threatening.

Air at Dana Nature Reserve in Jordan

Air at Dana Nature Reserve in Jordan

Water filled Santorini’s caldera after the volcano erupted some 3600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization.  This was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history.   Now it is one of the most peaceful and serene places you can imagine, except for the tourists.

water ~ the Mediterranean at Santorini's caldera

water ~ the Mediterranean at Santorini’s caldera

And fire has destructive power, but also provides much-needed warmth on a cold night in Kathmandu, Nepal.

fire at New Orleans Cafe in Kathmandu, Nepal

fire at New Orleans Cafe in Kathmandu, Nepal

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

sunday post: mother’s day

12 Sunday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Africa, Americas, Asia, Daegu, Delhi, Ethiopia, Family, India, Jakesprinter, Lalibela, South Korea, Sunday Post, United States of America, Virginia

≈ 43 Comments

Tags

Life, Sunday Post

Sunday, May 12:  Today is Mother’s Day in the USA, and Jake has given us a challenge to post something in honor of mothers everywhere (Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post: Mother’s Day).  He writes: Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May.

Here are some mothers I’ve encountered in my travels.

a mother and her son in Pokhara, Nepal

a mother and her son in Pokhara, Nepal

A mother bathes her child in Bhaktapur, Nepal

A mother bathes her child in Bhaktapur, Nepal

a mother and her children at the Lalibela Saturday market in Ethiopia

a mother and her children at the Lalibela Saturday market in Ethiopia

Indian mothers at the Lotus Temple in Delhi, India

Indian mothers at the Lotus Temple in Delhi, India

my Korean friend Julie and her two children

my Korean friend Julie and her two children

And finally, in honor of my mother, who died over 10 years ago: Happy Mother’s Day!

My father and mother and their four children (one was still to come!)

My father and mother and their four children (one was still to come!)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

travel theme: beaches

11 Saturday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Africa, Al Musanaah, Americas, As Sifah Beach, Asia, barr al jissah resort & spa, Beaches, Busan, Crete, Ethiopia, Europe, Greece, Jordan, Lake Langano, Middle East, Muscat, Oman, Plakias, Sangju, Sangju Silver Sand Beach, Shangri-La Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa, South Korea, The Dead Sea, Travel Theme Photo Challenge, United States of America, Virginia, York River, Yorktown, Yorktown Beach

≈ 64 Comments

Tags

travel theme

Saturday, May 11: Ailsa’s Travel Theme for this week is Beaches. Here are some beaches I’ve encountered in my travels.

Let’s start at the beginning.  Here is the beach of my childhood, on the York River in Yorktown, Virginia.  I spent many of my teenage years hanging out with my friends on this beach.

Yorktown Beach with the York River Bridge in the background.  This is my hometown.

Yorktown Beach with the York River Bridge in the background. This is my hometown.

In general, I prefer deserted, quiet, peaceful and unpopulated beaches, NOT beaches packed with people and umbrellas and chairs and tents and inner tubes like Guryongpo Beach near Pohang, South Korea or Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand.  Most beaches in South Korea are crowded, as Korea is a tiny country with a huge population of 48 million people.  Haeundae Beach in Busan is nice enough in early April, when this picture was taken, but it’s usually quite crowded.

the tacky, crowded Guryongpo Beach near Pohang, South Korea

the crowded Guryongpo Beach near Pohang, South Korea

another crowded and tacky beach in Phuket, Thailand

another crowded beach in Phuket, Thailand

Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea

Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea

It’s not so bad if the beach is set up with mostly EMPTY beach chairs and umbrellas, like this beach in Plakias, Crete, Greece.  At least it’s on the Mediterranean, and what could be better than that?

Plakias Beach, Crete, Greece

Plakias Beach, Crete, Greece

Plakias Beach in Crete, Greece

Plakias Beach in Crete, Greece

Sometimes it’s nice to hang out at a hotel beach, like this beach at Shangri-La Resort near Muscat, Oman. It has a huge pool and a lazy river, so you can dip in the fresh water and wash off the salt and sand from time to time.

Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman

Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman

Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman

Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman

Some beaches in Oman are quite deserted or are used mainly by fishermen.  Every time I’ve been to these beaches, they’ve been so extremely hot, I don’t find them enjoyable.  Some of the beaches are so deserted they’re used only by campers.

As Sifah Beach near Muscat, Oman

As Sifah Beach near Muscat, Oman

Omani fisherman at Al Musanaah Beach, Oman

Omani fisherman at Al Musanaah Beach, Oman

Seashells on the beach at Al Musanaah in Oman

Seashells on the beach at Al Musanaah in Oman

a deserted beach where people camp on the east coast of Oman

a deserted beach where people camp on the east coast of Oman

This beach on the Dead Sea in Jordan is quite small, and it’s really impossible to swim in the water because of the high salt content.  No matter what you do, you end up in a position like you are sitting in an armchair, with your arms, legs and head floating on the water’s surface.  Only your rear end sinks in the water.

beach at the Dead Sea in Jordan

beach at the Dead Sea in Jordan

Some beaches are just little strips of sand situated on a lake shore, like this beach at Lake Langano, Ethiopia.

a small beach at Lake Langano, Ethiopia

a small beach at Lake Langano, Ethiopia

Luckily, there are some picture-perfect beaches like Sangju “Silver Sand” Beach in South Korea.

Sangju "Silver Sand" Beach in South Korea

Sangju “Silver Sand” Beach in South Korea

Sangju "Silver Sand" Beach, South Korea

Sangju “Silver Sand” Beach, South Korea

To see more beaches, check out Where’s my backpack? Travel Theme: Beaches.

38.893151 -77.357877

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

weekly photo challenge: pattern

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Asia, Boseong, Emirates Palace, Maisan, Middle East, Muscat, Oman, postaweek2013, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque, South Korea, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Suncheon Bay, United Arab Emirates, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 78 Comments

Tags

Oman, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, weekly photo challenge

Friday, May 10:  This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is Pattern. Patterns are everywhere. Patterns are sometimes intentional and sometimes accidental. They can be decorative or merely a result of repetition, and often patterns can be in the eye of the beholder to discover them.

Sometimes man makes patterns out of nature, as in these tea farms in Boseong, South Korea.

Boseong Tea Plantations in South Korea

Boseong Tea Plantations in South Korea

And sometimes nature makes its own patterns, as in these wetlands in Suncheon Bay Ecological Park in South Korea.

Suncheon Bay Ecological Park in South Korea

Suncheon Bay Ecological Park in South Korea

At other times, man makes patterns to show reverence at places of worship, such as this Buddhist temple in Maisan, South Korea.

a temple in Maisan, South Korea

a temple in Maisan, South Korea

Or to show reverence to Allah, as in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE or the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman.

Mosque in Abu Dhabi

Mosque in Abu Dhabi

Mosaic at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman

Mosaic at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman

And sometimes, man makes patterns to show his own ability to create opulence, as at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi

Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi

dome at Emirates Palace

dome at Emirates Palace

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

weekly photo challenge: from above

04 Saturday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Cappadocia, Greece, hot air balloons, Jebel Akhdar, Jordan, Kalambaka, Khor an Najd, Meteora monasteries, Middle East, Musandam, Nagarkot, Nepal, Oman, Pokhara, postaweek2013, Turkey, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 64 Comments

Tags

Greece, Jebel Akhdar, Jordan, Nepal, Oman, weekly photo challenge

Saturday, May 4: This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is From Above: Change your perspective on something. Share a photo of a subject which you shot from directly above.

From above at the Monastery of St. Barbara, Meteroa, Greece

From above at the Monastery of St. Barbara, Meteora, Greece

Looking down at Kalambaka from the Monastery of St. Stephen at Meteora, Greece

Looking down at Kalambaka from the Monastery of St. Stephen at Meteora, Greece

from above: Nepalese Vegetarian food: basmati rice, black lentils, vegetable curry, spinach green curry, pickle, papad (some kind of mushroom curry?), salad and curd.

from above: Nepalese Vegetarian food: basmati rice, black lentils, vegetable curry, spinach green curry, pickle, papad (some kind of mushroom curry?), salad and curd.

the view from above at the Hotel View Point in Nagarkot, Nepal

the view from above at the Hotel View Point in Nagarkot, Nepal

From above: flowers at Pokhara, Nepal

From above: flowers at Pokhara, Nepal

the view from above at the ancient Crusader castle at Karnak, Jordan

the view from above at the ancient Crusader castle at Karak, Jordan

from above: the curving staircase at Eikan-do, Kyoto, Japan

from above: the curving staircase at Eikan-do, Kyoto, Japan

From above in a hot air balloon over Cappadocia, Turkey

From above in a hot air balloon over Cappadocia, Turkey

From above: the "fjords of Arabia" in Musandam, Oman

From above: the “fjords of Arabia” in Musandam, Oman

Omani children at Jebel Akhdar, from above

Omani children at Jebel Akhdar, from above

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

CBBH photo challenge: multi-colored

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Asia, CBBH Photo Challenge, Delhi, India, Kathmandu, Nepal, Oman, Pokhara

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

CBBH Photo Challenge, India, Muscat, Nepal, Oman

Tuesday, April 16:  Marianne of East of Malaga has a monthly photo challenge called the Conejo Blanco Blog Hop, or CBBH for short.  Her challenge for this month is: multi-colored.

According to this website: “Colour is a meaningful constant for sighted people and it’s a powerful psychological tool.  By using color psychology, you can send a positive or negative message, encourage sales, calm a crowd, or make an athlete pump iron harder.”

Talking of sales, Henry Ford famously declared that the Model-T buyer could choose “any colour, so long as it’s black.”   Thank goodness that these days, consumers are more discerning!

Here are some multi-colored photos from my travels around the world.

multi-colored boats in Pokhara, Nepal

multi-colored boats in Pokhara, Nepal

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

more multi-colored boats in Pokhara, Nepal

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

rowboats in Pokhara

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

a flower stall in Delhi, India

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

woolly multi-colored gloves in Kathmandu, Nepal

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

multi-colored flowers in front of the Sultan’s palace in Muscat, Oman

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

multi-colored trims for abayas sold at Mutrah Souq, Muscat, Oman

** One blogger I follow and love is Lynn Wohlers of bluebrightly.  Lynn blogs about “photography or philosophy, birds or flowers, zen, maps, psychology, travel… [her] mind roams.”  She takes stunning pictures of forests, leaves, flowers, and anything else in nature you can think of.  When I look at her photos, I want to jump into their magical worlds and stay there for a good long time.

**Another blogger I love is Roseanne of Wondering Rose.  Rosie works at an art museum in southern California and shares quirky and funny stories about her encounters at her cash register.  She always writes thought-provoking posts and comments.  I truly enjoy and appreciate her kindness and her insights.  Rosie had the life-altering experience of walking the Camino de Santiago.  I really hope to meet her if I can get to California this Christmas.

 

Related articles
  • Colours for two photo challenges.
  • CBBH Photo Challenge: Multi-Coloured
  • CBBH Photo Challenge: Multi Colored
  • A Multi-coloured Dream (for CBBH Challenge)
Enhanced by Zemanta

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,058 other followers

Blog Stats

  • 382,948 hits

Heading to Spain and Portugal!!

To Barcelona & beyond! :-)June 28, 2013
To Barcelona & beyond! :-)

Return home to the USA

Homecoming USA!July 26, 2013
I'm back in the USA!!

where are my readers from?

Locations of visitors to this page

Recent Posts

  • 2014 in review: wordpress sums it all up!
  • Beautiful Oman Filmed in Sizzling Indian Song “Jiya” for the Movie “Gunday”
  • 2013 in review
  • five hours at heathrow’s terminal 5
  • friday meditation: i get up in the morning. i do my best. nothing else matters.
  • our last dinner at the spicy village
  • travel theme: ripples
  • seeking the moonrise on a rocky hill in izki
  • in search of the perfect suitcase combo & dinner at shang thai
  • a sale of “stuff” & a farewell gathering
  • my itinerary for spain: here’s what i’ve got so far…
  • seeking “the essence of Muscat” on a steamy 42 degree day
  • weekly photo challenge: the sign says
  • the ruins and gardens of adam
  • cbbh photo challenge: knobs & knockers
  • caracalla dance theatre: “kan ya ma kan” at the royal opera house muscat
  • travel theme: pathways
  • weekly photo challenge: in the background
  • a stroll through al qasha on jebel akhdar & a farewell to old friends
  • friday meditation: my top ten happy memories in the sultanate
  • travel theme: the four elements
  • weekly photo challenge: escape
  • friday meditation: on choosing one memory to relive for all eternity
  • a fond farewell to the gardens of wekan
  • on preparing for spain & portugal: first steps
  • sunday post: mother’s day
  • travel theme: beaches
  • weekly photo challenge: pattern
  • getting my green fix in the gardens of misfat al abriyyen
  • weekly photo challenge: from above
  • friday meditation: flow
  • a sepia kind of day in nizwa: rain, rain, rain & a shifting weekend
  • travel theme: light
  • friday meditation: “addicted to a certain kind of sadness” ~ a playlist of bittersweet memories
  • happy birthday to sarah!
  • pay day at the lulu hypermarket in nizwa
  • Ma’a salama to my GMC Terrain {trials & tribulations of selling a car in Oman}
  • weekly photo challenge: up
  • friday meditation: a question of fate
  • CBBH photo challenge: multi-colored
  • weekly photo challenge: change
  • breakfast at the chedi
  • a trip to wadi bani kharous
  • weekly photo challenge: color
  • travel theme: pale
  • friday meditation: star-spangling our solitude
  • jebel akhdar: an afternoon of brits & roses, wine & bubbly
  • 2008 GMC Terrain for sale!
  • sunday post: entrance
  • weekly photo challenge: a day in my life

Archives

  • December 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (1)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • June 2013 (11)
  • May 2013 (18)
  • April 2013 (17)
  • March 2013 (19)
  • February 2013 (17)
  • January 2013 (20)
  • December 2012 (33)
  • November 2012 (27)
  • October 2012 (12)
  • September 2012 (44)
  • August 2012 (7)
  • July 2012 (37)
  • June 2012 (35)
  • May 2012 (38)
  • April 2012 (40)
  • March 2012 (29)
  • February 2012 (17)
  • January 2012 (21)
  • December 2011 (15)
  • November 2011 (14)
  • October 2011 (8)
  • September 2011 (4)
  • August 2011 (1)

Catbird in Oman Menu

  • home
  • About me
    • New Year’s Resolutions
    • Bucket List
    • Share Your World
    • Friday Meditation
  • Oman
    • Al-Batinah Region
    • Al-Dhahirah Region
    • Al-Dakhiliyah Region
      • Nizwa
    • Al-Wusta Region
    • Dhofar Region
    • Musandam
    • Muscat
    • Sharqiya Region
  • University of Nizwa
  • Africa
    • african meanderings {& musings}
  • Americas
    • nomad, interrupted: catbird in the united states of america
    • notes from north america
    • United States of America
      • Virginia
  • Asia
    • catbird in china
    • catbird in korea
    • catbird in kyoto
    • 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…

May 2022
S M T W T F S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Dec    

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

  • "ladies tailoring" ~ killing time at al bustan roundabout & a walk around al riyam park
  • bahla: the sultan qaboos mosque, bahla fort & old bahla
  • the nizwa cemetery
  • the dilemma of the feet in oman
  • the road to jebel harim: petroglyphs, mountain views & graveyards
  • abu dhabi heritage village, the marina mall and marina
  • a morning walk through al hamra & misfat al abriyyen

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

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • a nomad in the land of nizwa
    • Join 1,058 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • a nomad in the land of nizwa
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: