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a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Category Archives: 2012

RESOLVED 2012!!! ~ the year’s resolutions in review

31 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in 2012, New Year's Resolutions, Nizwa, Oman

≈ 26 Comments

December 31, 2012 (as the clock strikes midnight!): At the beginning of this year, I made a lot of ambitious resolutions, as many of us do. Here’s me a few minutes after midnight on January 1, feeling hopeful about all the things I planned to accomplish in 2012.

me in my thinking cap planning my 2012 :-)

me in my thinking cap planning my 2012 🙂

I believe in making myself accountable, so, before making a new set of highly breakable resolutions for 2013, I will review how I did with accomplishing my 2012 resolutions.  To see my original post on January 1, check out RESOLVED 2012!!!

My 2012 resolutions were these:

1) Finances:  PAY DOWN MY DEBTS substantially (…by 93%). (Saving will have to be next year’s goal… 😦 )  CURTAIL purchases of new items.  Yep, that means STOP SPENDING MONEY!!

— Didn’t do too well here.  I only reduced my debts by 32%. It’s better than nothing, but still falls well short of where I should be! 😦

2) Health & Fitness: Exercise 4x/week (Thur, Fri, Sun & Tue)!  Walk or do weights or ride the exercise bike at the Falaj Daris.  Bring healthy lunches to work instead of eating the horrible “Chicken cooked 1,000 ways” or the starchy and over-salted vegetables in the university cafeteria. DRINK WATER!!!  (I always forget to do this!)

— My achievements here were sporadic and inconsistent.  In May, June & July, I got really serious about this, joining myfitnesspal online and recording everything I ate.  I also exercised almost daily, either walking at the crack of dawn or exercising at the Falaj Daris “gym.”  During this period of intense dedication, I lost 10 pounds, just in time to go back to the USA and to Greece. Over the 6 weeks on holiday, I slipped back into my self-indulgent habits & managed to gain almost all that 10 pounds back.  Since I returned to Oman, I have barely managed to exercise at all.  Now I am back to where I started, with some additional pounds.  I still ALWAYS FORGET TO DRINK WATER!! (Why doesn’t my body signal me that I’m thirsty?)  The only positive thing I did here was to stop eating the lunches in the cafeteria and start bringing my lunch to work.

3) Writing: Continue to write my Oman blog.  Finish my Cairo blog (what I can remember from 4 1/2 years ago!). Revise my 480-page novel.  Begin writing my book tentatively titled: Seeking Myself on (& off) the Kimchi Trail… LOL… 🙂

— Writing my blog is one thing that comes easy for me.  It’s what I do to stay sane here.  It’s provided me endless hours of pleasure.  I wrote 332 posts on this blog in 2012.  I also wrote 45 posts on catbird in america, 8 posts on catbird in cairo (so I didn’t finish!), 62 posts on greek wanderings, and 28 posts on african meanderings {& musings}.  I also started a photography blog, whatever a moon has always meant, which I have to admit I’ve neglected in recent months.

my blog.... to be continued for 6 more months... :-)

my blog…. to be continued for 6 more months… 🙂

As for my novel, I didn’t revise it at all.  Before I could revise it, I needed to read it from cover to cover.  After all, I wrote it nearly 10 years ago and could barely remember the story!! Well.  I HATE reading on the computer, so I kept putting this off.  When I read, I like to be in a reclining position, on the sofa or in bed.  Finally, in November, I got the idea that I could put the novel on my Kindle.  And it worked!!  Once it was on my Kindle, it was the first thing I picked up to read every night.  I finished reading the 480-page story before Christmas, and I have to say I LOVED IT!! I’m most excited about revising this in the coming year and sending it out to publishers.  If it gets rejected, I will self-publish it; I think it’s that good.  I was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing and honestly, as I was reading it, I kept thinking to myself: I CAN’T BELIEVE I WROTE THIS!!

Of course, I never started my book about the Kimchi Trail.  I’m the kind of person who has to finish one project before I dive into another, so realistically, this won’t happen until I finish revising my novel.

4) Language and Knowledge Goals: Try to read a bit of the Quran each night to gain an understanding of Islamic culture.  Study Arabic: Complete Level One of the Rosetta Stone Arabic.  Review Chapters 1-12 in Al-Kitab.  Study 1/2 hour 5 nights/week.  I’m serious.  Really.

— Well, I guess you can tell how “serious” a person is by how much time they spend on something.  This is one thing that never happened.  I could kick myself for this.  Here I’ve been living in an Arab country for 1 1/4 years, and I still haven’t made any effort to improve upon my Arabic knowledge.  Nor did I read the Quran.  I’m really disappointed in myself on this one.

5) Travel goals: Go to Greece this summer for 2 weeks. Go to Virginia for one month. Go to Lebanon during the November National Holiday.  In Oman: Explore as many wadis and beaches and tourist destinations as possible.  Go to Sohar, Salalah, Musandam.  Read about Jordan, which I never did before I went in November.  Read about Greece & Lebanon before my travels: novels, non-fiction, travelogues. NOW THIS IS THE FUN STUFF THAT I CAN EASILY “ACCOMPLISH.”

— Okay, I admit this stuff is easy to accomplish because it’s fun!  Of course, it still takes dedication to save money, plan itineraries, and actually go.  I went to VIRGINIA for one month in August and to GREECE for two weeks in September (part of the reason I didn’t pay down my debts as planned!). I read a lot about Greece, enriching my experience, before I went: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Eleni, The Summer of My Greek Taverna, It’s all Greek to Me, Cafe Tempest, Little Infamies, Eurydice Street, Odyssey with the Goddess.

enjoying Oia in Santorini
enjoying Oia in Santorini
Alex, me and Adam at Deep Creek Lake
Alex, me and Adam at Deep Creek Lake

 

I changed my plans to go to LEBANON (the plan should have been to do so over the Eid, not the National Holiday) because of State Department warnings about the upheaval there; instead, I went to ETHIOPIA to visit my friend Ed who works at the embassy in Addis Ababa. Before going to Ethiopia, I read a history of the country in Lonely Planet Ethiopia & Eritrea.  I also read two fascinating books set in Ethiopia: Chameleon Days and Beneath the Lion’s Gaze.

I also went to ABU DHABI, UAE during the Islamic New Year.

In Oman, I’ve explored more places than many Omanis have.  Often, I tell my students I have gone somewhere in Oman, and they’re amazed because they’ve never been there themselves.  I went to SALALAH, SOHAR, AL MUSANAAH, JEBEL SHAMS, all around MUSCAT and the north coast, SUR and SHARQIYA SANDS, and even to MUSANDAM (basically from the north tip to the south tip of Oman). I have favorite places I’ve been to many times (WEKAN and WADI MISTAL, JEBEL AKHDAR, MISFAT AL ABRIYYEN, and over the HAJAR MOUNTAINS through BALAD SAYT).  I’ve definitely DONE Oman!!

6) Family goals: Have my two sons, Alex (20) and Adam (19), come to visit me in Oman and RUN THEM RAGGED UNTIL THEY KEEL OVER FROM SHEER EXHAUSTION. (They arrive January 10!)  Spend time with my daughter Sarah (27) when I return to the US in the summer.  Visit my father, my sisters and my brother. Try to talk online more regularly with the boys.

— DONE!! See my January archives for stories of my sons’ visit.  We had a great time.  They loved it so much, they are all coming again on January first, this time only for 11 days.  I loved seeing my daughter in August and my father and my sister Joan and her kids.  Sadly, I wasn’t able to see my brother Rob or my sister Stephanie.

Alex & Adam at Mutrah souq
Alex & Adam at Mutrah souq
Alex, Adam & I in Salalah
Alex, Adam & I in Salalah

 

7) Social: Cultivate new friendships in Oman and elsewhere. BE NICE TO PEOPLE!! 🙂 Or at least try. Talk to my close friends regularly.

— Here I have mixed reviews.  I developed a close friendship with Mario starting in March of 2012.  This amazing friendship has truly sustained me throughout the year.  I’ve also become close to Anna and Kathy.  I’m not a really social person and never have felt the need to be friends with EVERYONE; I choose to spend my time with a few choice people whose company I truly enjoy. I think that’s one thing that will never change about me.  I’m not sure I really want it to.

I’m not very good at keeping up with my friends back home, except my long-time friend Jayne in California.  We talk regularly online.  My closest high school friends and I keep in touch through Facebook, but we don’t talk online.  They are my tried-and-true friends; I know they will always be there for me when I return home.  And I’ve established connections with the wonderful community of bloggers who I follow regularly; these people are a truly supportive & wonderful group of cyber-friends!

8) Cultural: Visit Oman’s museums and the big mosque.  Go to 2 shows during the spring at the Royal Opera House; 1 show in the summer; and 2 in the fall.  Look for other cultural activities.  Try to get invited to an Omani wedding. 🙂

— I visited Bait Zubair, Bait Muzna, and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat.  At the Royal Opera House Muscat, I saw the Egyptian composer Omar Khairat on February 15 and The Jewels of India Presents Panchtatva on September 17 (thus only 1 in the spring and 1 in the fall, none in summer).  I also attended an art exhibit by Greek painter KIKO at the Crowne Plaza on December 9 and a Japanese concert at the Ministry of Education Auditorium on October 9.  And I experienced my first and only Omani wedding in Al Awabi on February 16.

9) Home sweet home: Move into a new flat in Nizwa and decorate it to the hilt without spending any money (SEE RESOLUTION #1).

— I moved into my new flat, and I decorated it, but sadly, to do that, I had to spend money.  I spent about $1,100, all of which went on my credit card.  Ouch.

10) Work: Try to be more organized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Continue to love my students, which comes easy.  This is one surefire successful resolution.  Keep my job at the university and stay in Oman for at least one more year.

— DONE!  I don’t know why I put this because generally I’m very well-organized.  I do continue to love my students although many of them frustrate me at times.  I’ve managed to keep my job at the university for over a year, but I just tendered my 6 month resignation effective June 26, 2013.  So I will not be there for two full years, but for 1 3/4 years.

11) Eliminate at least one bad habit: Hmmm…… Which one should I choose?  Maybe I’ll try to eliminate PROCRASTINATION, which should lead to the accomplishment of many of the above.  Or better yet, SPENDING MONEY.  Yeah.  That’s the one.

— I’m good about NOT procrastinating about many things, but I am the queen of procrastination when it comes to things like revising my novel, studying Arabic, and exercising.  As far as SPENDING MONEY, I’m getting better at prioritizing.  I am trying to focus on my goals of travel, writing, and photography, and keeping my expenses limited to those areas.  I’ve been really good in recent months about NOT BUYING clothes; this is generally a HUGE challenge for me! So on this one, mixed reviews.

12) Spirituality: Meditate and spend time in prayer.  Spend time in nature and talk often to God.

— Mixed reviews on this.  I really don’t spend the time in meditation and prayer that I want to.  I really want to focus on this next year. Thanks to Mario, who enjoys nature and walking and photography as much as I do, I have spent a lot of time outside communing with the natural world.  I feel this is often a spiritual experience.

In years past, I’ve read a lot of spiritual books, about Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, etc.  This year, I’ve become really interesting in the idea of pilgrimage as a sacred quest.  I read two books this year on this topic: Odyssey with the Goddess: A Spiritual Quest in Crete and The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred.  This will definitely be a big theme in my New Year’s Resolutions for 2013.

13) LOVE: Open up my heart.  Invite LOVE to find me…♥♥♥♥♥♥

— Sadly, I think I have closed myself off to love during this year.  I have become more jaded and less trusting of men in general.  It would take a lot for anyone to break into my heart now.  I would like reconciliation with my husband, and I’ve made those intentions clear to him, but it hasn’t happened this year.

I won’t berate myself too much for the things I didn’t accomplish this year.  I am really grateful for the things I did accomplish and for the great gifts and blessings that came my way.  My hope is that I will always be thankful for the rich and varied experiences that life tosses in my direction.

Happy New Year to all my readers!!

“When nothing is ahead of you, then you have come to an end. Where nothing is behind you, then ahead of you is a beginning.” ~ Carl Sandburg

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weekly photo challenge: my 2012 in pictures

28 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in 2012, Abu Dhabi, Africa, Ethiopia, Greece, Oman, Pennsylvania, postaweek2012, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Virginia, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 39 Comments

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postaweek2012, weekly photo challenge

Friday, December 28: Inspired by Robin at Life in the Bogs: Time in a bottle, and by the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge, I put together a collage of my life during 2012.  All in all, it was an amazing year.  It started with getting a new flat in Nizwa, at the Abu Nooh Building, in January.  Soon after, my sons came to visit me in Oman for nearly a month.  We explored from Muscat to Nizwa, and even to far-flung Salalah.  It was a great experience for them and helped us establish a special bond of shared experience.

Developing a close friendship with Mario was one of the highlights of my year.  We both love photography and exploring Oman, so we have spent countless weekend days gallivanting around the country.  We have driven through flooded wadis to Wadi Dam, through Wadi Mistal to Wekan, across the Hajar Mountains through Balad Sayt, to Muscat and other places along the coast.  We went on a botched trip to Masirah Island, and ended up in Sur instead.  And we’ve taken too many walks to count on our favorite Jebel Akhdar, ending with a shared bottle of wine at the Sahab.

In August, I went back to the USA for a month, and had a fabulous time reconnecting with my family and home in Virginia.  I spent precious time in Richmond with my daughter Sarah, and our family spent a week at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. I loved this time together and resolved that I need to be back home with my family.

I returned home to Oman for one day, repacked, and then spent two amazing weeks in Greece, exploring Athens, Crete, Santorini, Meteora, Delphi and Epidaurus (greek wanderings).  On my birthday, October 25, I flew for the Eid holiday to Ethiopia, where I spent a week visiting my friend Ed.  We explored Addis Ababa, Lalibela and Lake Langano (african meanderings {and musings}).  For the Islamic holiday weekend, I took a short trip to Abu Dhabi, about a 5 1/2 hour drive from Nizwa.

Click on any image below for a full-sized slide show.

one boy's grandfather and his sardine catch of the day in Al Musanah, Oman
one boy’s grandfather and his sardine catch of the day in Al Musanah, Oman
colorful fishing boats in Sur, Oman
colorful fishing boats in Sur, Oman
onions in Balad Sayt, Oman
onions in Balad Sayt, Oman
life vests and canoe paddles at our cabin at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
life vests and canoe paddles at our cabin at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece
my excellent student, Badr, on the left and his unknown friend driving near Birkat al Mouz, Oman
my excellent student, Badr, on the left and his unknown friend driving near Birkat al Mouz, Oman
my favorite "sport" ~ hiking anywhere scenic and gorgeous... :-) Juniper Tree, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
my favorite “sport” ~ hiking anywhere scenic and gorgeous… 🙂 Juniper Tree, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
Santorini, Greece
Santorini, Greece
the sheikh zayed bin sultan al-nahyan mosque in abu dhabi, uae
the sheikh zayed bin sultan al-nahyan mosque in abu dhabi, uae
a little ruined room in Birkat al Mouz, Oman
a little ruined room in Birkat al Mouz, Oman
Thuraya, Shayma, me, Badr and Saud in January, University of Nizwa, Oman
Thuraya, Shayma, me, Badr and Saud in January, University of Nizwa, Oman
asleep at work ~ Nizwa souq, Oman
asleep at work ~ Nizwa souq, Oman
Alx and Adam at Deep Creek Lake, MD
Alx and Adam at Deep Creek Lake, MD
the entrance to the University of Nizwa, Oman
the entrance to the University of Nizwa, Oman
the fisherman haul in the nets, Al Musanah, Oman
the fisherman haul in the nets, Al Musanah, Oman
boarding the dhow in Musandam, Oman
boarding the dhow in Musandam, Oman
Alex and Adam the intrepid explorers
Alex and Adam the intrepid explorers
the young man from Balad Sayt, Adam & Alex in Oman.
the young man from Balad Sayt, Adam & Alex in Oman.
Franciscan Monastery, Athens, Greece
Franciscan Monastery, Athens, Greece
following the endless steps to the top of Wekan's gardens in Oman
following the endless steps to the top of Wekan’s gardens in Oman
the Acropolis, Athens, Greece
the Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Me at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA
Me at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA
to infinity and beyond! Al Bustan Hotel in Muscat, Oman
to infinity and beyond! Al Bustan Hotel in Muscat, Oman
The village of Al Ayn on Jebel Akhdar
The village of Al Ayn on Jebel Akhdar
"The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare to let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure." ~ Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (Oman)
“The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare to let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure.” ~ Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (Oman)
pomegranate at Wekan, Oman
pomegranate at Wekan, Oman
stylized palm trees on a hill in Oman
stylized palm trees on a hill in Oman
the 21 Bronze Age tombs of Al Ayn with the jagged, comb-shaped Jebel Misht behind ~ Oman
the 21 Bronze Age tombs of Al Ayn with the jagged, comb-shaped Jebel Misht behind ~ Oman
my living room in the Abu Nooh Building, Nizwa, Oman
my living room in the Abu Nooh Building, Nizwa, Oman
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA
My two "Omani" boys at Mutrah Souq, Oman
My two “Omani” boys at Mutrah Souq, Oman
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece
painted walls in one of the ruined houses at Wadi Bani Habib, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
painted walls in one of the ruined houses at Wadi Bani Habib, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
Mario and our bottle of wine, Sahab Hotel, Oman
Mario and our bottle of wine, Sahab Hotel, Oman
swingin' in the trees at wadi darba, Salalah, Omant
swingin’ in the trees at wadi darba, Salalah, Omant
the rock-hewn masterpiece church of Bet Giyorgis in Lalibela, Ethiopia
the rock-hewn masterpiece church of Bet Giyorgis in Lalibela, Ethiopia
me at the Agora, Athens, Greece
me at the Agora, Athens, Greece
the village and the gardens of Balad Sayt in Oman
the village and the gardens of Balad Sayt in Oman
the Bahla Mosque with the gardens in front ~ Oman
the Bahla Mosque with the gardens in front ~ Oman
Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, UAE
an Omani boy at Nizwa souq
an Omani boy at Nizwa souq
Entoto Raguel & Elias Church in Addis Ababa
Entoto Raguel & Elias Church in Addis Ababa
Alex, Ahmed and Adam stand on the falaj going down to Wadi Tiwi in Oman
Alex, Ahmed and Adam stand on the falaj going down to Wadi Tiwi in Oman
fruits of labor in Birkat al Mouz, Oman
fruits of labor in Birkat al Mouz, Oman
Joanna Lumley and me at the Radisson Blu in Muscat, Oman
Joanna Lumley and me at the Radisson Blu in Muscat, Oman
I love the dramatic setting of this mosque in Salalah, Oman
I love the dramatic setting of this mosque in Salalah, Oman
Malcolm & Sandy at the Turkish restaurant in NIzwa, Oman
Malcolm & Sandy at the Turkish restaurant in NIzwa, Oman
the Acroplis, Athens, Greece
the Acroplis, Athens, Greece
Alex in front and Adam in back in the BIG boulder-strewn Wadi Tanuf, Oman
Alex in front and Adam in back in the BIG boulder-strewn Wadi Tanuf, Oman
near Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA (Alex, me and Adam)
near Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA (Alex, me and Adam)
Franciscan Monastery, Washington, DC
Franciscan Monastery, Washington, DC
the boys at the entrance to wadi bani khalid in oman
the boys at the entrance to wadi bani khalid in oman
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Kayaks at Deep Creek Lake, MD
Kayaks at Deep Creek Lake, MD
drinking coconut juice at a Salalah fruit stand ~ Oman
drinking coconut juice at a Salalah fruit stand ~ Oman
"Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher."~ William Wordsworth (Wadi Muyadin, Oman)
“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.”~ William Wordsworth (Wadi Muyadin, Oman)
Life is an enigma. Fira, Santorini, Greece
Life is an enigma. Fira, Santorini, Greece
a rainbow of flowers and the Sultan's palace, Muscat, Oman
a rainbow of flowers and the Sultan’s palace, Muscat, Oman
my sons chillin' at Ziyara in Muscat, Oman
my sons chillin’ at Ziyara in Muscat, Oman
Street scene in Athens, Greece
Street scene in Athens, Greece
part of the Door Series (?) by Abdul Majeed Karooh at Bait Muzna Gallery, Oman
part of the Door Series (?) by Abdul Majeed Karooh at Bait Muzna Gallery, Oman
Omani men at Nizwa souq in Oman
Omani men at Nizwa souq in Oman
St. George & the Dragon: the patron saint of Ethiopia
St. George & the Dragon: the patron saint of Ethiopia
FRUIT!!!! Salalah, Oman
FRUIT!!!! Salalah, Oman
Mohammed, Mario and Atrium Torres Merlot at the Sahab Hotel, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
Mohammed, Mario and Atrium Torres Merlot at the Sahab Hotel, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
a green garden at one of the Meteora monasteries in Greece
a green garden at one of the Meteora monasteries in Greece
more goodies at Mutrah souq in Muscat, Oman
more goodies at Mutrah souq in Muscat, Oman
the incense burner on the hill at al riyam park in Muscat, Oman
the incense burner on the hill at al riyam park in Muscat, Oman
Jebel Akhdar, Oman
Jebel Akhdar, Oman
Alex stands on the edge of a falaj in Wadi Shab
Alex stands on the edge of a falaj in Wadi Shab
happy times at the Sahab Hotel, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
happy times at the Sahab Hotel, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
rock-hewn church at Lalibela, Ethiopia
rock-hewn church at Lalibela, Ethiopia
passageways through old Bahla, Oman
passageways through old Bahla, Oman
Adam at Deep Creek Lake, MD
Adam at Deep Creek Lake, MD
Street scene in Athens, Greece
Street scene in Athens, Greece
up & up the steps through the garden at Wekan, Oman
up & up the steps through the garden at Wekan, Oman
some intrepid Omanis dare to cross the wadi of all wadis near Ibri, Oman
some intrepid Omanis dare to cross the wadi of all wadis near Ibri, Oman
Me on the edge of Bet Giyogis, Lalibela, Ethiopia
Me on the edge of Bet Giyogis, Lalibela, Ethiopia
a camel in Wadi Darbat, Salalah, Oman
a camel in Wadi Darbat, Salalah, Oman
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Sarah and me in Richmond, VA
Sarah and me in Richmond, VA
me on top of the ridge overlooking Khor an Najd in Musandam, Oman
me on top of the ridge overlooking Khor an Najd in Musandam, Oman
Bailey near Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA
Bailey near Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA
a chess game by the sea in Sohar, Oman
a chess game by the sea in Sohar, Oman
plantations at Birkat al Mouz, Oman
plantations at Birkat al Mouz, Oman
my wanna-be "garden room" with its fake plants (the one on the left is real)... :-) Nizwa, Oman
my wanna-be “garden room” with its fake plants (the one on the left is real)… 🙂 Nizwa, Oman
a hand reprimanding a goat in the Hajar Mountains, Oman
a hand reprimanding a goat in the Hajar Mountains, Oman
seashells by the seashore, Al Musanah, Oman
seashells by the seashore, Al Musanah, Oman
Royal Opera House Muscat
Royal Opera House Muscat
Adam & Alex in the Empty Quarter, Oman
Adam & Alex in the Empty Quarter, Oman
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece

Time in a Bottle ~ Jim Croce

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I’d save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I’ve looked around enough to know
That you’re the one I want to go
Through time with

Though I have no “you” that I can “go through time with,” no romance and no prospects of romance, there is still never enough time to do the things I want to do, once I find them.  I still like to save every day like a treasure, in my memory.  Though it’s been a solitary year, it hasn’t often been a lonely one.

I’ve learned to be content by myself, and though I want to reconcile with my husband, I don’t know if that will happen.  If not, I will keep my heart open for whatever the universe flings in my direction.  I know I will be returning home to Virginia in mid-summer of 2013.  So after this year, my living abroad days will be on hiatus, at least for some time.  What comes next in my life, I don’t know, but I’m ready for a new adventure.

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RESOLVED 2012!!!

01 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in 2012, New Year's Resolutions, Nizwa, Oman

≈ 11 Comments

January 1, 2012:

People who know me know that I’m a bit (ha!) of a Type A personality, a little compulsive and quite a dreamer.  I always love New Year’s Day because on this day, I set aside time to think about whether I accomplished my quite ambitious (& usually unrealistic) goals from the year before.  Then I write down what I aim to accomplish in the year ahead.

I usually keep all my goals to myself, because if they fall by the wayside or if I simply don’t have the self-discipline to achieve them, then no one knows about my failures but me.  This year, however, to make myself accountable to someone, my blog readers for one, I am going to spell out my resolutions for all the world to see.  Maybe, just maybe, this will force me to stick with my resolutions and actually accomplish something I set out to do.

RESOLVED!!!

I usually make goals for myself in numerous categories, including finances, health, creative pursuits, travel goals, and others.   So, for 2012, these are my resolutions:

1) Finances:  PAY DOWN MY DEBTS substantially (…by 93%). (Saving will have to be next year’s goal… 😦 )  CURTAIL purchases of new items.  Yep, that means STOP SPENDING MONEY!!

2) Health & Fitness: Exercise 4x/week (Thur, Fri, Sun & Tue)!  Walk or do weights or ride the exercise bike at the Falaj Daris.  Bring healthy lunches to work instead of eating the horrible “Chicken cooked 1,000 ways” or the starchy and over-salted vegetables in the university cafeteria. DRINK WATER!!!  (I always forget to do this!)

3) Writing: Continue to write my Oman blog.  Finish my Cairo blog (what I can remember from 4 1/2 years ago!). Revise my 480-page novel.  Begin writing my book tentatively titled: Seeking Myself on (& off) the Kimchi Trail… LOL… 🙂

4) Language and Knowledge Goals: Try to read a bit of the Quran each night to gain an understanding of Islamic culture.  Study Arabic: Complete Level One of the Rosetta Stone Arabic.  Review Chapters 1-12 in Al-Kitab.  Study 1/2 hour 5 nights/week.  I’m serious.  Really.

Learning about Islam & the Arab world....

Learning about Islam & the Arab world….

5) Travel goals: Go to Greece this summer for 2 weeks. Go to Virginia for one month. Go to Lebanon during the November National Holiday.  In Oman: Explore as many wadis and beaches and tourist destinations as possible.  Go to Sohar, Salalah, Musandam.  Read about Jordan, which I never did before I went in November.  Read about Greece & Lebanon before my travels: novels, non-fiction, travelogues. NOW THIS IS THE FUN STUFF THAT I CAN EASILY “ACCOMPLISH.”

6) Family goals: Have my two sons, Alex (20) and Adam (19), come to visit me in Oman and RUN THEM RAGGED UNTIL THEY KEEL OVER FROM SHEER EXHAUSTION. (They arrive January 10!)  Spend time with my daughter Sarah (27) when I return to the US in the summer.  Visit my father, my sisters and my brother. Try to talk online more regularly with the boys.

Adam and Alex will be here in January!!!

Adam and Alex will be here in January!!!

7) Social: Cultivate new friendships in Oman and elsewhere. BE NICE TO PEOPLE!! 🙂 Or at least try. Talk to my close friends regularly.

8) Cultural: Visit Oman’s museums and the big mosque.  Go to 2 shows during the spring season at the Royal Opera House; 1 show in the summer; and 2 in the fall.  Look for other cultural activities.  Try to get invited to an Omani wedding. 🙂

the Royal Opera House in Muscat

the Royal Opera House in Muscat

9) Home sweet home: Move into a new flat in Nizwa and decorate it to the hilt without spending any money (SEE RESOLUTION #1).

10) Work: Try to be more organized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Continue to love my students, which comes easy.  This is one surefire successful resolution.  Keep my job at the university and stay in Oman for at least one more year.

11) Eliminate at least one bad habit:  Hmmm…… Which one should I choose?  Maybe I’ll try to eliminate PROCRASTINATION, which should lead to the accomplishment of many of the above.  Or better yet, SPENDING MONEY.  Yeah.  That’s the one.

12) Spirituality: Meditate and spend time in prayer.  Spend time in nature and talk often to God.

13) LOVE: Open up my heart.  Invite LOVE to find me…♥♥♥♥♥♥

NOTE TO SELF:  You have the day ahead at your disposal.  Don’t think in terms too great.  Think about only what you can accomplish in a day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY BLOG READERS! 🙂

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happy new year: with a little help from my friends

01 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in 2012, Al-Dakhiliyah Region, Falaj Daris Hotel, Middle East, New Year's Eve, Nizwa, Oman

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Nizwa, Oman

Saturday, December 31:  On the eve of the new year, two thousand twelve, otherwise known as twenty twelve or 2012, I go out with some of my dearest friends from the university. I won’t mention names here, but let’s just say that, although New Year’s Eve is almost always, without fail, a disappointment for me, this celebration is an exception.  I feel that strange comfort that comes when I’m with people who accept me for I am, people who, surprisingly, may even LIKE me a little bit.  I feel at ease, my guard is down, my heart is open.  I like these kinds of gatherings, unforced, simple, but crazy fun and even a little wild.

the Hindi bar at the Falaj Daris hotel in Nizwa

the Hindi bar at the Falaj Daris hotel in Nizwa

I will tell it in a nutshell, and I will post some pictures, which will speak for themselves.  A night of happiness.  A rare thing, this, so I cherish it, and I must write it in my blog so I’ll remember it when I’m old and my memory is frail.

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. ~ Oprah Winfrey

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. ~ Oprah Winfrey

We gather at the Falaj Daris Hotel, the nicest hotel in Nizwa.  Now, there is at the Falaj, as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, the easy-going Western bar, which is really just a simple bar.  It has chairs and couches, a TV set hanging in a corner, and pool tables in a back room.  No music of any sort, live or DJ.  And the worst service imaginable.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.  ~ Bill Vaughan

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~ Bill Vaughan

In addition, actually attached to the Falaj Daris, but with a different entrance, is an Arab bar. Another entrance yet leads to a Hindi bar.  We meet this night at the Arab bar, so we can watch the “dancers” stand idly on stage in their skin-tight, shimmery floor-length dresses and twirl their hair.

Bored quickly with this, and having sampled one beverage each, we move on to the Hindi bar, which has a different kind of energy all together.  Think Bollywood movies and the ending scene of Slumdog Millionaire, with lively dancers and Bombay beats and beautifully costumed girls.

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. ~ Anonymous

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. ~ Anonymous

Of course the entire time there is that easy banter that comes among friends who don’t have to prove anything to each other.  Friends who just enjoy each others’ company and play gently off each others’ comments and jokes.

Later, because of the loudness at the Hindi bar, and the fact that we can’t huddle and talk because the customers are actually set up like an audience at a theater, in straight lines, we go to M’s house, where his wife S has set up an excellent little party with some kind of British crisps and salty butter spread and other snacks and beverages appropriate to the occasion.

“For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.” ~ T.S. Eliot

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” ~ T.S. Eliot

Happy New Year!  We have great fun, even though, somehow, we have to force ourselves up at the crack of dawn to teach school at the university, since New Year’s Day is not a holiday in Oman.

Best wishes for a wonderful 2012… 🙂

nice hat for the new year… 🙂

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~ wander.essence ~

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