Let's Get Real

The last few posts of Musafareen have shown some of our weekend adventures, and indeed the whole blog does make our time in Oman look like one giant vacation. I remarked about this one day to my family and said I needed a picture of me at  my desk typing away, with my half eaten lunch, and last bit of the morning's coffee (now cold) sitting on the desk (never quite get a chance to finish it) because that is what a lot of my days look like!  And given the non-stop pace of work and some tough staffing gaps at my office, our last year here has been pretty challenging (ok, let's just say HARD) professionally.

One weekend we had an urgent project and we worked out of my boss' house, and voila, I got a picture of me actually working.  While it appears that the fine young Marine and I are consulting on the substance of my work, he is actually helping me figure out how to hack into the laptop because I couldn't get to Word (thus my grimace).  One of his buddies took the picture for me, and I think he said something like "Ok you two, try to look important!" before he snapped the photo. 
 So thank you U.S. Marines for helping me finally get my picture!

"So, is the password really "password?"

Cancer Awareness Walk

The whole family participated in fantastic event, the local Cancer Association's annual cancer walk, to raise public awareness of cancer.  Thousands of people came together to a beautiful city park to participate. Unfortunately cancer still has a lot of shame and stigma attached to it here, and people do not talk about, forgoing prevention and early treatment that could save lives.  The walk is one way the organizers of the event are trying to raise awareness and get people talking - they even had a mobile mammography unit on site to show folks it's not a big deal.  I am proud of the men in my life (big and small!) who also participated in this important event.

Carb refueling

Happy Halloween!

Even though we are several thousand miles from home, this did not stop us from putting on costumes, carving pumpkins and going trick-or-treating on Halloween night. I hope you are impressed with our jack-o-lantern.  The price was impressive too, $36!!! Yes, these were genuine carving pumpkins shipped from the USA for all the crazy foreigners like us who of course will pay these prices!  The thing is, because we are in this exotic land, it is the small things like carving the Halloween jack-o-lantern that are so important to keeping us, especially the boys, connected to our beloved traditions.

With Batman and ferocious tiger at my side, this butterfly will be alright!

Batman ready for action!

Trick or Treat!

Trick or treating with a parade of super heroes

 

 

 

 

 

Spooky!

Mountain of the Sun

Recently, we made our way to the top of Jebel Shams, Oman's highest mountain at around 3,000 meters (10,000 feet).  In Arabic, Jebel means "mountain" and Shams means "sun."   While the height of the mountain is impressive, more spectacular is the deep canyon that lies beside it.  This massive fissure cuts into the mountain and exposes vertical cliffs of 1,000 meters and more.  The upper rim is completely exposed and one can walk right up to the edge and look into the deep canyon below.

The road to the top took us through a series of sharp bends.  For the most part, the road was paved.  The last 5 miles, however, was graded track.  We were very happy to have our 4WD vehicle to drive over the rocks, dirt, and potholes of this part.

The top of the mountain is uninhabited.  There are, however, several mountain "camps" with permanent or semi-permanent structures where one can stay.  These include dining facilities as well. We choose to spend the night in a sturdy tent at one of these places.  It was nice place to come back to after hiking along the canyon rim.

On our second day on the mountain, we hiked through an ancient village that lies about halfway down the mountain.  The village is built into the mountainside on terraces that support stone houses and date plantations.  At certain points, the green vegetation of the banana trees, corn, and date trees made it feel like we were in a lush forest. 

We all thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors.  The cooler and drier weather was also a treat. The boys especially liked the endless expanses for hiking and climbing.  All-in-all, another great segment of our extended Omani adventure.  
 

Playing Fancy

Muscat is home to the Al-Bustan, one of the most exquisite hotels in the Middle East.  It is more like a palace than a hotel.  It sits in a secluded bay ringed by spectacular mountains.  Its indoor decor is Arabian-style while the gardens host palm trees, infinity pools and shady lawns.  A few days ago Laura was promoted and we decided the best way to celebrate was to have High Tea at the Al-Bustan.  We indulged in mini cakes, sandwiches, scones, cappuccinos and tea.  A perfect way to recognize Laura's move up the professional ladder!

Sawadi Island

Recently, we decided to head to a stretch of shoreline we had not visited yet.  About an hour north of Muscat lies Sawadi Beach.  It is known for an island located a short distance off the coast.  At low tide, it is possible to walk to the island.  On top, there is an old fortress and tower.  The beach is also popular for the large number of shells that wash ashore.  When we got there, the tide was high and we couldn't walk to the island.  Instead, we hired a local fisherman to take us around the island on his boat.  Afterwards, we went for a long walk, picking up seashells and enjoying the views.  

First Day of School!

Today was a really big day; the boys completed the first day of the school year.  For our littlest one it was his first EVER school experience.  Not surprising some tears were shed as Mom and Dad said good-bye, and then there was some, er - hovering in the hallway, followed by a peek into the classroom to REALLY say good-bye, which led to more tears - big mistake Mom!  Luckily, the pre-K teacher, the fabulous Ms. Liz won our little man over, and by the time we picked him up a few hours later, he was smiling and happy.  He's making the transition and we are very proud of him.

Our big second grader was a bundle of confidence. He had met his teacher, Ms. Kriefall, the day before at orientation and checked out his classroom, so on Day One he was ready to go, helping Ms. Kriefall prepare some things and barely turning around to say good-bye. It was wonderful to see that confidence and interest in just getting the day started.  After school,  the quote that made us laugh was, "I think second grade is easier than first grade." 
We look forward to a great year ahead!

Outside of school en route to to second grade and pre-K

This super hero is ready for the day!

With our new 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Kriefall

Starting the day with a smile.

First step of the day - hang up your book bag.

In the pre-K classroom.

 Ms. Liz knows how to bring on smiles

After school celebration at Baskin Robbins - we did it!

Well done Mom and Dad.