Carrier

A few weeks ago I had the great honor of going aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise.  It was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience.  Flying on and off the ship and experiencing the massive G force was a feeling not easy to describe.  No matter that you are strapped in tighter than a baby in a car seat, you are whiplashed around by the massive force.  It was such a shock that upon takeoff and landing I screamed and grabbed my seat mate.  Luckily he didn't really notice as he was completely incoherent himself, and no one could hear me given the intense noise of the engines and our helmets and ear protection. Of course after it was over, everyone felt like "let's do it again!"  The entire ship was a hive of activity, in every corner crew members were working hard to support the mission - in the midst of that they took time to welcome us and show us their beautiful ship.  I hope you enjoy the photos and short video below.

The flight deck

On the bridge with the crew members responsible for changing the ship's speed and direction

Hanging out with the crew

Planes with the fire crew at the ready

Getting ready for takeoff!

Posing with a Marine Corps fighter pilot

"The Garage" where the planes are maintained

Pilots just before take-off.

Just about to launch

The yellow controller gives the final OK to launch

Bringing the planes back to the carrier

Run, don't walk across the flight deck!

Coming in for landing - note tailhook that will "catch" the plane

The control tower and bridge -- look familiar? You saw it in Top Gun.

Commander of the Strike Group -- in charge of all the ships, not just the carrier.

"The Handler" and his team in charge of flight deck operations.

Below is a video with footage I took during my visit and produced by my "in-house" director, who has beautifully captured the amazing things going on everyday on the Enterprise.  Press the little 4-corner button on the bottom right of the video to view it in full screen mode.  You will here some of my "ooh!  aah!" commentary as well as information from the Captain who explained to us what was happening on the flight deck.  And, well, forgive the soundtrack, but it was just so perfect!

Hauling Fish

"What's that noise?"  Eddy asked.  It was faint and sounded like a motor.  We scanned the ocean from underneath our beach umbrella at the water's edge.  It appeared to be coming from a small fishing boat in the distance. It seemed to be hardly moving.  Over the next hour the boat got closer, eventually reaching the shore.  The whole time it's engine was revving at a very high speed.  It soon become clear that the reason it was moving slowly was because it was pulling something massive.  As the boat reached the shore, we decided to check it out.

Laura, Eddy, Peter, and I walked over to where the boat had landed.  When we got there, a group of local men were working hard, tying a rope that led from the water onto the front bumper of an old Toyota pick-up truck.  With the rope secured, the truck started to back up from the water's edge and onto the beach, pulling the rope with it.  When the driver stopped, the men ran up to the truck and untied the rope.  The driver then drove back to the water's edge and the men tied a new section of the rope to the bumper.  In this way, the driver was pulling the rope in from the water, about 10 meters at a time.  In the distance, about a mile out to sea, we could see several bouys floating in the water.  It quickly become clear to us that attached to the rope and those bouys was a giant fishing net that the truck was now hauling onto shore.   At the far end of the beach we could see another truck pulling in a line attached to the other end of the net.

Over the next hour and a half we watched the two trucks and the men slowly pull in the giant fishing net.  As they brought the net in, the two trucks zig-zagged across the beach, each pulling one end of the U-shaped net.  Eventually they met in the middle, closing off the fish catch in the middle.  When that point was reached, we got close to the net along with the fishermen and about a dozen onlookers.  Inside, there were hundreds of fish, mostly long, slender, and small (several inches).  There were also a number of bigger ones.  They were flapping and jumping and creating a huge stir within the net. It was a crazy scene!  The onlookers were amazed.  At one point, one of the fishermen reached into the net and pulled out a squid.  He showed it off to the onlookers who gazed with wide eyes at its tentacles and beak. 

On the backs of the pick-up trucks were giant coolers for storing the fish.   We left before they filled them.  I was later told that the fishermen work in a co-op that owns the trucks and nets.  They bring the catch to their neighborhood or village and then split it among the co-op members.  For us it was a fascinating experience and an interesting insight into the fishermen of Oman.

The pick-up truck pulling in the rope.

The boys moving away from the truck as it pulled in the net.

One of the fishermen and a boy (his son?) who was helping.

The boys with the fishing boat in the background.

As the net was pulled in, they strung it out along the beach to be rolled up after the catch was in.

Eddy with one of the bouys that was attached to the net behind him.

The fishermen closing in on the haul.

The fish in the net jumping and splashing.

The squid.

Two Omani onlookers.

The net being loaded back onto the boat.

One of several fish that slipped out.

First Day of School

How proud we are of our first grader!  He has nearly completed his first week of school and so far he has adjusted happily to all the new surroundings, new teachers and new classmates.  Even on the first day we said good-bye at the classroom door and he gave us a wave and smile as we left.  Well of course I was the one tearing up (though he did admit later he felt "a little sad" when we left, but then he said, "I got too busy").  Each day he has come home with positive comments about his class and what he does at school.   The school day is about 30 minutes longer than back home, so he gets plenty of "specials" 2 recess periods per day, PE three times a week, and visual art and music two times a week in addition to the standard stuff - reading, writing workshop, math, creative centers and science/social studies.  The day seems jam-packed but he will definitely not get bored.  He has 18 kids in his class, and we are getting to know their names slowly - it's a very diverse group of students from several different countries, only 3 Americans.  So, bravo to our little guy for a successful start of the school year!

The first day at school!

At the front door..

My new classroom and teacher in the background.

Finished the first day!

Letting off some steam at the playground after school.

Ball fields at school - making the desert green

Faces of Oman

Oman has a large mix of people.  It's population is predominantly Arab.  Over the past few decades, Oman has been modernizing and a large expatriate workforce has been brought over to help with this effort, especially in the capital, Muscat.  Many come from South Asia, mainly India and Pakistan, and there are also folks from Thailand and the Philippines.  In the early evenings, when the work day is over, people of all nationalities go to the beach to stroll, picnic, and play soccer on the sand.  It is a great place for people-watching.  Recently one evening, we took the boys to the shore to play.  The following photographs, taken on that day, show a small cross-section of Oman's population.  We so much enjoyed seeing the many "faces of Oman."

Kids playing in the sand.  In the background, a group of men have set up a soccer pitch.  Most evenings, you will see dozens of soccer games along the shore. 

Two ladies enjoying the ocean.  Some ladies wear colorful bathing attire that cover them from head to toe.  Others, such as these two women, just wear clothes in the water.

An Arab family.  The men often wear shorts and t-shirts to the beach while the women wear traditional dress.

Enjoying the local scene.

Woman wearing head scarf and raincoat  - more typical of urban women in Iran, maybe a tourist?

Omani girls are often seen wearing colorful dresses.

Omani family enjoying a picnic.

These women are probably from India or Pakistan.

Omani couple going for a stroll on the beach.