so:
feeling a bit frustrated currently with technological issues...
our flat is outside any type of normal internet service for the moment, and the only internet cafes are opening sporadically and often without order.
the school here has computers for teachers, but they are in "the bowling alley." a long, narrow room with around 10 computers for 40 teachers. ill post pix when i can. its kinda quirky, and i bet the charm wears off pretty quickly.
otherwise, things are going well. i got a lot of nice comments about my ties over the last few days. i am one of the only people here who wears one, and i am debating whether i should continue.
it is hot! but more on that later...
d
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
impending ramadan
hmmm
we now have a rented toyota yaris and a nice flat. yesterday we got a lift into muscat from sue, our immediate superior and all around cool person, and went to the airport to collect our car. we HAVE to have a car and have to rent for the first couple months because we have no labour card (which will take - obviously - two months). its cool. ill post a pic because the decal on the side says "National Travel and Tourism" and there's an address and all that. its pretty weird as its from hertz and all, but hey ... im not complaining. except that its a stick and i still suck with that...
i put my arm in a ceiling fan and bruised it today. its not so bad, but weird. how many people put there arms in ceiling fans everyday across this wicked world? i should start some kind of union.
last note for today: the omani people i have thus far encountered are really sweet and kind. i have never been anywhere where i have been greeted so openly and warmly. id heard of this hospitality from many sources, but actually experiencing it is super.
alright. still no skype.
peace out...
we now have a rented toyota yaris and a nice flat. yesterday we got a lift into muscat from sue, our immediate superior and all around cool person, and went to the airport to collect our car. we HAVE to have a car and have to rent for the first couple months because we have no labour card (which will take - obviously - two months). its cool. ill post a pic because the decal on the side says "National Travel and Tourism" and there's an address and all that. its pretty weird as its from hertz and all, but hey ... im not complaining. except that its a stick and i still suck with that...
i put my arm in a ceiling fan and bruised it today. its not so bad, but weird. how many people put there arms in ceiling fans everyday across this wicked world? i should start some kind of union.
last note for today: the omani people i have thus far encountered are really sweet and kind. i have never been anywhere where i have been greeted so openly and warmly. id heard of this hospitality from many sources, but actually experiencing it is super.
alright. still no skype.
peace out...
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
another day
today we went to the school and met a bunch of colleagues, which was nice. we are now back at the hotel after a walk around the old market (or souq) and a swim. here are some pix. oh. and tomorrow we start to move into our new place. no skype anywhere, which sucks.
the last pic of us is in front of the hotel we have been staying at since we arrived.
the last pic of us is in front of the hotel we have been staying at since we arrived.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
and they are off
hello all:
first official post from "in country."
we arrived safely yesterday morning just shy of noon and slept until 8 pm-ish. the trip from london to toronto to abu dhabi to muscat to nizwa had us pretty tired and our eyes kept closing at quite unexpected moments.
we were picked up at the muscat airport by a kind gentleman named khalif (early disclaimer - excuse the spelling of peoples' names from me on this blog. they sound one way, are written another way and then are my interpretation of them!) who works in the human resources department at the university of nizwa. also with us was the kind dr. alyoob from india.
the journey between muscat and nizwa is about an hour long, very scenic (we didn't take pictures and the like as our eyes kept closing) and we will probably be doing it frequently.
i realized on the journey that mountains in the desert are more unique than forested ones. most forested ones you merely see trees and the like. in the desert you see the true shapes and scars from millions of years of growth. these are my opinions anyway...
the 3 star hotel we are staying at is quite modest and not quite what we had hoped for, but whatever. the beds are comfortable and there is an internet lounge in the basement (where i am writing you from) and a room with billiards, foozball tables, and an air hockey table as well. thats fun - isnt it?
dinner last night was a chicken shawarma with hommos and veggie salad. mmmmm
our computers need adapters and therefore are not working currently, but when they do i will post some pics and the like.
stay tuned for further adventures.
dll
first official post from "in country."
we arrived safely yesterday morning just shy of noon and slept until 8 pm-ish. the trip from london to toronto to abu dhabi to muscat to nizwa had us pretty tired and our eyes kept closing at quite unexpected moments.
we were picked up at the muscat airport by a kind gentleman named khalif (early disclaimer - excuse the spelling of peoples' names from me on this blog. they sound one way, are written another way and then are my interpretation of them!) who works in the human resources department at the university of nizwa. also with us was the kind dr. alyoob from india.
the journey between muscat and nizwa is about an hour long, very scenic (we didn't take pictures and the like as our eyes kept closing) and we will probably be doing it frequently.
i realized on the journey that mountains in the desert are more unique than forested ones. most forested ones you merely see trees and the like. in the desert you see the true shapes and scars from millions of years of growth. these are my opinions anyway...
the 3 star hotel we are staying at is quite modest and not quite what we had hoped for, but whatever. the beds are comfortable and there is an internet lounge in the basement (where i am writing you from) and a room with billiards, foozball tables, and an air hockey table as well. thats fun - isnt it?
dinner last night was a chicken shawarma with hommos and veggie salad. mmmmm
our computers need adapters and therefore are not working currently, but when they do i will post some pics and the like.
stay tuned for further adventures.
dll
Sunday, August 17, 2008
before we get too far here ...
hello all:
i am sitting in my mother's apartment in sarnia, ontario. we have just finished a game of cribbage which i lost by one point to my wife.
this is the blog where she and i will post updates about stuff happening in oman and in our lives over the next year (s).
we leave this coming saturday morning.
thanks for tuning in,
s & d
i am sitting in my mother's apartment in sarnia, ontario. we have just finished a game of cribbage which i lost by one point to my wife.
this is the blog where she and i will post updates about stuff happening in oman and in our lives over the next year (s).
we leave this coming saturday morning.
thanks for tuning in,
s & d
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