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a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Tag Archives: United States of America

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

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weekly photo challenge: in the background

25 Saturday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Al-Dakhiliyah Region, Americas, Jebel Akhdar, Middle East, Oman, postaweek2013, Richmond, Sahab Hotel, United States of America, Virginia, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 42 Comments

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Oman, postaweek2013, United States of America, weekly photo challenge

Saturday, May 25:  Friday’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is In the Background: The places that we pass through day after day, or even once in a lifetime, leave in their small way, echoes and traces of themselves upon us. But so often when taking self portraits or pictures of friends, the places themselves become a soft blurred mush of indistinct semi-nothingness, the limelight stolen by our smiling faces. In today’s challenge, let’s turn the tables. Take a picture of yourself or someone else as a shadow, a reflection, or a lesser part of a scene, making the background, or — as in the example above — the foreground, the center of attention.

I’m not sure I really “get this” challenge, but here are a couple of attempts.  Adam, with his mouth watering, is the blurry background with the tofu sandwich as the center of attention.

there's Adam, all blurry in the background, mouth watering  over his vegan sandwich

there’s Adam, all blurry in the background, mouth watering over his vegan sandwich

In this one, taken at the Sahab Hotel on Jebel Akhdar, the blurry background of the Sahab is shown upside down and in the foreground, in the glass of wine.

The Sahab Hotel in the background, but again in the foreground, upside down in the wine glass

The Sahab Hotel in the background, and again in the foreground, upside down in the glass of beer

Alex is behind the glass, so covered completely, but you can see his face in the foreground in the wine glass

Alex is in the background, covered completely by the glass, but you can see his face in the foreground in the glass of beer

And finally, in this picture of a vintage shop window in Carytown, Richmond, Virginia, it’s hard to tell the background from the foreground.

Vintage Shop window in Richmond, Virginia

Vintage Shop window in Richmond, Virginia

And finally, in Dubai, UAE, the Burj al Arab in a mirror, though we’re still in the foreground!

Us in the mirror with the Burj Al Arab in the background

Us in the mirror with the Burj Al Arab in the background

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weekly photo challenge: escape

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, postaweek2013, United States of America, Weekly Photo Challenge

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Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, postaweek2013, United States of America, weekly photo challenge

Sunday, May 19: The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is Escape:  Depending on your current mood and headspace, or time in your life, this word can evoke different emotions and conjure a variety of images. Maybe the end of your semester is near, and you yearn for vacation and release: the desire to disappear and run away, the need to unplug and shut off. Or perhaps you imagine quite the opposite: Lost in a maze. Stuck in a room, feeling boxed in, with the worst company. Frustrated in your own thoughts, wondering what to do next.

This week is final exams and then the spring semester is over at the University of Nizwa.  I still have 39 days left until my last day of work, and I’m not sure what the university will give me to do to keep me busy.  All I know is that I’m waiting to escape my job here in Oman and return home to the USA for good.  On the way, I plan to make a month-long stop in Spain and Portugal.

Here are some pictures of the good old U.S.A., taken last summer at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.  We won’t be going to Deep Creek this summer, but it does represent the quintessential escape for me.  Lots of green, cool weather, a beautiful lake, boating, swimming and kayaking.  Hanging out with my family playing games and just general relaxing.  Oh, how I yearn to escape!

Life jackets and kayak paddles ready to go

Life jackets and kayak paddles ready to go

these feet are ready for an escape

these feet are ready for an escape

kayaks at Deep Creek Lake

kayaks at Deep Creek Lake

Deep Creek Lake

Deep Creek Lake

an escape into a nice relaxing hot tub on the deck of the cabin

an escape into a nice relaxing hot tub on the deck of the cabin

perfect escape, a drink, smoke and computer on the deck at Deep Creek Lake

perfect escape, a drink, smoke and computer on the deck at Deep Creek Lake

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happy birthday to sarah!

26 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Americas, Family, Life, United States of America, Virginia

≈ 26 Comments

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Life, United States of America, Virginia

Friday, April 26:  Today is my daughter Sarah’s 29th birthday!  I wish I could be there for this special day, but since I can’t, I will have to do a lot of making up for lost time when I return home.

Sarah works as a waitress at Joe’s Inn in Richmond, Virginia while also attending school at Virginia Commonwealth University.  She lives in a row house in Richmond’s Fan District with two close friends and her dog named Bagel.  She’s a wonderful writer and wants to write for a living one day.  She’s got a great sense of humor and a sharp wit.  In high school she loved drama and she played the part of Alice in Wonderland in a school production.  She also has run a half-marathon and a number of 10k runs.  She loves healthy food, wearing dresses, and collecting cute things for her house.  We enjoy going out together to eat at Richmond’s many great restaurants and going shopping at her favorite stores, including Target, anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. We also enjoy toasting each other with glasses of red wine. 🙂

Happy birthday to my little red-headed munchkin.  All my love goes to her on this special day.

Click on any of the pictures below for a full-sized slide show.

Sarah in 2009
Sarah in 2009
Sarah's high school graduation picture
Sarah’s high school graduation picture
Sarah at her Nana's house
Sarah at her Nana’s house
Sarah, Adam and Alex
Sarah, Adam and Alex
Sarah playing the part of Alice in Wonderland in high school
Sarah playing the part of Alice in Wonderland in high school
Sarah and her bubble lawnmower in Richmond, Virginia
Sarah and her bubble lawnmower in Richmond, Virginia
Sarah and her snowman
Sarah and her snowman
Sarah riding a fire engine??
Sarah riding a fire engine??
Me and Sarah drinking some wine in Richmond
Me and Sarah drinking some wine in Richmond
Me with Sarah in Richmond, Viriginia Around 1987
Me with Sarah in Richmond, Viriginia Around 1987
Sarah
Sarah
Sarah changes her name to "Sal" at summer camp
Sarah changes her name to “Sal” at summer camp
Sarah in Richmond 2011
Sarah in Richmond 2011
Sarah, Alex and Adam in Hilton Head, South Caroline
Sarah, Alex and Adam in Hilton Head, South Caroline
Mike gives Sarah flowers after finishing his triathlon
Mike gives Sarah flowers after finishing his triathlon
Sarah in Richmond 2011
Sarah in Richmond 2011
at her Nana's house at Christmas
at her Nana’s house at Christmas
Sarah gets flowers after her performance of Alice in Wonderland
Sarah gets flowers after her performance of Alice in Wonderland
having a picnic
having a picnic
Sarah in 2009
Sarah in 2009
Sarah in her Nana's garden
Sarah in her Nana’s garden
Alex, Sarah and Adam
Alex, Sarah and Adam
Me with Sarah at Christmas 2009
Me with Sarah at Christmas 2009
Sarah and Adam
Sarah and Adam
Sarah as flower girl at Mike's and my wedding
Sarah as flower girl at Mike’s and my wedding
Sarah as a baby
Sarah as a baby
Sarah at Christmas
Sarah at Christmas
Sarah rides a pink shoe
Sarah rides a pink shoe
Sarah in Richmond
Sarah in Richmond
Sarah plays dress up
Sarah plays dress up

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weekly photo challenge: change

14 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Americas, Photography Challenges, postaweek2013, United States of America, Virginia, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 45 Comments

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postaweek2013, United States of America, weekly photo challenge

Sunday, April 14: I have been struggling for three days now to come up with something for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Change.  I first thought I would post a picture of my children and how they have changed, but I realized that would take hundreds of pictures.  Then I thought of posting about how my life has changed since I decided to live and work abroad, and still, that would have taken too many pictures.  I thought of posting one photo of me in my graduation gown accepting my Master of Arts degree. Or at my first wedding.  Or my second.  Or, I could have posted pictures of the change of seasons, flowers growing, leaves dying, snow falling.  The possibilities were endless.

The problem, of course, is that EVERYTHING CHANGES.  Every minute of every day, change happens.

Finally, after spending hours looking through my archives for something that would inspire me, I decided to show something that is ALWAYS changing but NEVER changing.  This is my friendship with four women, Louise, Martha, Rosie and Charlene, that has spanned decades.  Four of us met in 6th grade, in 1966, when my family moved to Yorktown, Virginia and I attended Yorktown Elementary School for the first time.  I moved from the “big city” of Newport News to the rural Yorktown, and it was a rude awakening.  I arrived on the scene wearing a plaid dress with layers of crinoline, delicate lace-bordered ankle socks and patent leather shoes.  The girls I met at Yorktown Elementary wore A-line skirts, button-down shirts, athletic socks and tennis shoes.  My friend Louise always tells me she can never get that picture out of her mind of me arriving in that dress with those black shiny shoes.

Louise & Martha have been my friends since that time.  I was elected to be Vice-President of the SCA (Student Cooperative Association) in 6th grade, and Rosie was elected President.

I'm on the left as Vice- President of the SCA, and Rosie, second from the left, was President.

I’m on the left as Vice-President of the SCA, and Rosie, second from the left, was President.

When we merged with another elementary school in 7th grade, at Yorktown Intermediate School, we met Charlene.   Though I had known Rosie ever since I arrived in 6th grade, our friendship didn’t solidify until we were in 10th grade, at York High School.  Since then, the five of us have been good friends.

Yearbook staff at York High School: bottom row: Rosie, me, Martha, and Charlene standing back right.

Yearbook staff at York High School: bottom row: Louise, Rosie, me, Martha, and Charlene standing back, second from the right.

Rosie, Josh, and Charlene in 1973

Rosie, Josh, and Charlene in 1973

Rosie, Martha, me and Louise at a party in 1973

Rosie, Martha, me and Louise at a party in 1973

me, Rosie, Louise and Charlene at Lake Gaston, 1973

me, Rosie, Louise and Charlene at Lake Gaston, 1973

partying in 1974.  I'm the one with my mouth open and Rosie's standing beside me

partying in 1974. I’m the one with my mouth open. Rosie’s sitting beside me

Building pyramids at York High School, 1974

Building pyramids at York High School, 1974. Me top tier on right, Charlene and Louise middle tier on left.

Charlene, Mickey Mouse and Rosie at Disney World, Spring 1974

Charlene, Mickey Mouse and Rosie at Disney World, Spring 1974

me, Donald Duck and Louise at Disney World in Florida on our senior class trip

me, Donald Duck and Louise at Disney World in Florida on our senior class trip

Louise and Gary, me and Paul in 1974

Louise and Gary, me and Paul in 1974

We have each constantly changed: married, divorced, had children, had grandchildren (except me), and moved to different parts of the country and the world.

At Charlene's bachelorette party: Rosie, Louise, Charlene and me

At Charlene’s bachelorette party: Rosie, Louise, Charlene and me

me and Louise (and our mothers) at Charlene's wedding

me and Louise (and our mothers) at Charlene’s wedding

Our bodies have gotten older and chubbier.  Yet.  Despite all the changes we have gone through, one thing has remained constant: our friendship.  Despite 40 years, we are still best of friends.  Whenever we get together, it as if nothing has changed, even though, in reality, EVERYTHING has changed.

Louise, me and Charlene in New York City

Louise, me and Charlene in New York City

Rosie and Charlene in New York City

Rosie and Charlene in New York City

me, Rosie, Charlene and Louise in Yorktown, September 2007

me, Rosie, Charlene and Louise in Yorktown, September 2007

Louise, Charlene, me and Rosie in Yorktown in February 2009

Louise, Charlene, me and Rosie in Yorktown in February 2009

Rosie, Louise, Martha and me in Yorktown in April 2009

Rosie, Louise, Martha and me in Yorktown in April 2009

Charlene, Rosie and me in Yorktown in June 2009

Charlene, Rosie and me in Yorktown in June 2009

Rosie, me and Martha at Rosie's brother's house in August 2009

Rosie, me and Martha at Rosie’s brother’s house in August 2009

Charlene, me, Rosie and Martha in May 2011

Charlene, me, Rosie and Martha in May 2011

Louise, Rosie, me, Martha and Charlene in May 2011

Louise, Rosie, me, Martha and Charlene in May 2011

Martha, me and Rosie in front, May 2011

Martha, me and Rosie in front, May 2011 at a York High School reunion. (Standing in front of a port-a-potty, not the best choice for a photo!)

I know without a doubt that our friendship will be something we’ll have for the rest of our lives.  🙂

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happy birthday, alex!

10 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Americas, Family, United States of America, Virginia

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Birthdays, United States of America

Sunday, March 10:  Today is my oldest son Alex’s 22nd birthday.  He is a kind and gentle soul who loves bananas, difficult gymnastic moves, history and heavy metal. I wish I was home with him today to celebrate his birthday, but since I’m not I thought I would do a little photo collage to celebrate his big day.

Click on any of the images below to see a full-sized slide show.

Alex and Adam at Stribling Apple Orchard in Virginia
Alex and Adam at Stribling Apple Orchard in Virginia
Adam and Alex with long curly hair
Adam and Alex with long curly hair
Pebbles and BamBam, aka Elizabeth and Alex
Pebbles and BamBam, aka Elizabeth and Alex
Alex
Alex
Alex and his best friend Elizabeth
Alex and his best friend Elizabeth
Alex at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland
Alex at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland
Alex and I play Ticket to Ride in Daegu, South Korea
Alex and I play Ticket to Ride in Daegu, South Korea
Alex tries on hats at Home Plus in Daegu, South Korea
Alex tries on hats at Home Plus in Daegu, South Korea
Alex at the Boseong Tea Plantations in South Korea
Alex at the Boseong Tea Plantations in South Korea
Alex does a handstand at Swallowtail Falls in Maryland
Alex does a handstand at Swallowtail Falls in Maryland
Alex signs autographs in Chojeon Elementary School, South Korea
Alex signs autographs in Chojeon Elementary School, South Korea
Alex in Jeongju, South Korea
Alex in Jeongju, South Korea
Alex in Jeongju, South Korea
Alex in Jeongju, South Korea
Alex at Maisan, South Korea
Alex at Maisan, South Korea
Alex does a handstand at Al Alam Palace in Muscat
Alex does a handstand at Al Alam Palace in Muscat
Alex does one of his gymnastic move at Al Alam Palace
Alex does one of his gymnastic move at Al Alam Palace
Alex at the Silk Road in Muscat
Alex at the Silk Road in Muscat
Alex in Daegu, South Korea
Alex in Daegu, South Korea
Alex and me at Camp Al Areesh
Alex and me at Camp Al Areesh
Alex in Ibra
Alex in Ibra
Alex at Camp Al Areesh in Sharqiya
Alex at Camp Al Areesh in Sharqiya
Alex at Wadi Shab
Alex at Wadi Shab
Alex at Kargeen in Muscat
Alex at Kargeen in Muscat
Alex on the left, Adam on the right at Mutrah Souq
Alex on the left, Adam on the right at Mutrah Souq
Alex and his gymnastic bars in the backyard of our Oakton, VA house
Alex and his gymnastic bars in the backyard of our Oakton, VA house
Alex does his gymnastic moves
Alex does his gymnastic moves

Happy birthday, to my sweet darling Alex!  All my love ~ Mom ❤

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my son arrives in oman by priority mail ~ a strange little dream

04 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by nomad, interrupted in antrhopologie, Family, Nizwa, Oman, United States of America, Virginia

≈ 7 Comments

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Oman, United States of America

Friday, November 4:  The nights in Nizwa are beautiful nowadays, so in the last week I’ve slept with my windows open and a lovely breeze wafting through my bedroom.  Last night in particular this made for a serene sleep conducive to dreams.

my fun-loving and adventurous son Adam

my fun-loving and adventurous son Adam

In the last week, I have been expecting with great anticipation a package from my family in the USA. It will mainly consist of some Ecco hiking sandals, some books and DVDs I had to remove from my suitcases because they were over the weight limit, some clothes from my own wardrobe back home that I now know would be perfect here, plus some purchases I made online from my favorite store in the USA, anthropologie.  People who know me know that anthropologie is my dream store and even my being located on the other side of the planet will not keep me from purchasing clothes from this amazingly cool shop.

anthropologie: my favorite store in the USA

anthropologie: my favorite store in the USA

All week I have been expecting this package and going by the Birkat al Mouz post office to check and see if maybe it has arrived and they have forgotten to call me. I was really hoping to have it before I went to Jordan, especially for the Ecco hiking sandals.  But alas, Thursday was the last day of the week for the post office and it did not arrive.  I leave for Muscat later this morning (Friday) and fly out early Saturday to Jordan. So I will have to do without my long-awaited treasures.

adam and our border collie, bailey

adam and our border collie, bailey

Lately I have also been thinking a lot about the planned visit of my youngest son Adam to Oman.  I’m thinking that in January, when we have our semester break, the weather and all other conditions should be go for his visit.

SO. Put all that together and I guess my mind concocted this strange little dream.

Adam standing, Alex in the foreground

Adam standing, Alex in the foreground

In this dream, I am in my office at the university and suddenly, right before closing time, three Omani men wearing the dishdasha burst into my office with a good-size package.  I have given up hope on getting it, so I jump when they walk in and cry out, “Oh my god! It’s here!” The men in dishdasha leave as quickly as they came, and I hear a baby crying.  I suddenly remember that my son Adam was going to sneak into Oman in the package!  Why he would do this I have no idea as it is perfectly easy to get into Oman.  I open the package as quickly as possible, pulling out all the clothes and the Ecco sandals and more clothes and flinging them around my office.  I still hear the baby crying.  At the bottom of the box are the heavy books and the DVDs and I think, poor Adam, he’s probably crushed under all these books!  But there is nothing at the bottom.  I still hear the crying, so I turn over the package and there is a zipper pocket on the bottom of the box.  By this time the crying has stopped. I pull open the zipper carefully and see the baby version of Adam.  His face is all swollen and bruised.  As I pull the zipper to the bottom, suddenly Adam morphs into his 6’2″ 18-year-old self and says, “Never again!” I say, “Adam, why on earth did you do this?  Whose idea was this?  Your dad’s or yours?”  He says, “Mine, of course.  I thought it would be a cool adventure.”

Adam, me and Alex at Deep Creek Lake this summer.  Alex came to visit me in Korea last year.

Adam, me and Alex at Deep Creek Lake this summer. Alex came to visit me in Korea last year.

Insane.  This captures my son in a nutshell.  He is always game to try some crazy stunt just for the adventure of it.  Lately Adam’s dad tells me Adam and my other son, Alex, have been hiking up Old Rag in the Shenandoah Mountains in their bare feet. The Old Rag hike is a 6-7 hour hike, so to do it in their bare feet is, simply, crazy. When they get to the top, they spend a couple of hours scrambling around on the sheer rocks then hike back down in their bare feet.  This is Adam.  I know that these kinds of ideas are always his.  I really can’t wait for him to come to Oman because I’m sure he’ll want to try every kind of adventure available here.

me with all my children: Alex, Sarah and Adam down in front, me in back

me with all my children: Alex, Sarah and Adam down in front, me in back

It’s crazy how a person’s mind puts together all the things in one’s subconscious to write these strange dream stories. Dreams seem so fantastical, yet when you look at all the things happening in your life, there you see the dream as a mirror of your life.  Funny this.  And quite astounding, the human mind.

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Heading to Spain and Portugal!!

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

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~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

Thee Life, Thee Heart, Thee Tears

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

life at the edge

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

Storyshucker

A blog full of humorous and poignant observations.

~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

Thee Life, Thee Heart, Thee Tears

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

life at the edge

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

Storyshucker

A blog full of humorous and poignant observations.

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