Happily Married to a Biker

The blog has moved!

2011-09-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting!

After receiving constant complaints about readers not being able to comment on the blog posts I have decided to move the blog to wordpress, below is the new address:

http://happilymarriedtoabiker.wordpress.com/

Please pay me a visit there :)

From now on all new posts will only be published there!

Capturing the moment

2011-09-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

I have the immense pleasure to introduce to you the work of a wonderful photographer (and a friend) who specializes in family sessions, maternity shoots and capturing little bundles of joy on camera! If you fit into any of the above scenarios do not hesitate to contact her and book your session immediately!

To familiarize yourself with her talent please visit the following Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/AnanastaseyaPhotography

With any questions or requests you can email her at: anastaseya@hotmail.com

And now…here is a gigantic dose of cuteness for you:

Baby shower, shower.

2011-09-04T01:09:00.000-07:00

I am very fond of the idea of having a baby shower. What could be better than to gather with your closest friends and enjoy an afternoon spend together indulging in appetizers, chit-chat and unwrapping gifts!

I would also much rather prefer to catch up with everyone before the baby is born instead of having dozens of people visit me at the hospital literally hours after I give birth- with all due respect, that’s exhausting.

My Cynthia is currently in charge of coordination all the baby shower arrangements which is still a long two months away (but it’s never too early to plan, right?). So this weekend we ventured into Mothercare hoping to get some information on their registration process. I was counting on a procedure that went something along the lines of: a give them a list of everything I need from the store and they share it with whoever shops for my baby shower. Pretty straight forward, right?

The ~~tragedy~~ conversation went something like this:

Me: Umm, excuse me.

(Both employees behind the counter continue pricing/unwrapping/picking their nose).

Me: Excuse me, hello?

(Employees turn around with totally blank expressions on their faces).

Cynthia: Do you do registrations for baby showers?

(Blank expressions continue…)

Cynthia: Baby showers? You know, like we want to hold a baby shower and we can register gifts so that the guests can chose from a list of items and bring them to the party?

(Here employees’ eyes widen but nevertheless the blank expressions prevail).

UselessEmployee1: We have this. (Hands us a Feedback and Comments Form)

Me: No, no. Well you know, for a baby shower, I can chose some items and people can give them to me during the baby shower.

(A light bulb appears above the head of one of the employees)

UselessEmployee1: Aaaa… (scratches head)

(Exchanges confused glances with UselessEmployee2)

UselessEmployee2: Baby Shower? Shower? Ohh shower? Ok!!!

(Both employees attempt to lead us to the shampoo/sponge/cotton balls/bath lotion section).

Me and Cynthia: Nooooooooo!

Cynthia: Not this shower, a BABY SHOWER!

Me: Cynthia stop saying shower! That’s what’s confusing them!

Cynthia: IS THERE A MANAGER WE CAN TALK TO?

Bow. Applause. Encore! Encore!

It IS like brain surgery!

2011-08-28T23:53:00.001-07:00

Miscarriage is still an extremely taboo subject in our society and age. Everyone seems to naively believe and convince themselves that it is not that big of a deal to have a baby. Whether planned or not…babies just “happen”. Well, I am here to burst your bubble people.

During the course of my pregnancy I learned of three different people who lost their babies during pregnancy. Over these short 20 weeks, 3 different people I know had heartbreaking, unsuccessful pregnancies. That is a scary a scary fact.

So I will probably unleash all my pregnancy hormones at the next person who tells me that pregnancy is not a sickness and having a baby isn’t exactly brain surgery. Coz it freaking is!

Within the span of the 40 weeks of pregnancy a woman can find herself facing all sorts of demons, from an ectopic pregnancy, to an infection or having a premature baby that doesn’t survive. So damn it, have a little more sensitively please! I’ve had people actually tell me “there is no reason you cannot do that, you are pregnant- not sick”.

Well, I hardly think that doing something while having the flue can mount up to carrying out the same task while your blood pressure is low, your lower back is screaming in agony, dizzy spells reoccur and you hyperventilate after walking for just 3 minutes!

I’ve had the most difficult time accepting that I am pregnant and allowing myself to be “happy” about it because I know that anything can happen along the way. When a friend with the exact same due date lost her baby at just 13 weeks, I was petrified. Alex kept telling me not to worry and that it will not happen to us, well I didn’t think my friends thought it would happen to them either?! It’s not something you even dare think about.

So dear insensitive bastards (you know who you are) show a little more compassion when you meet a pregnant lady. Offer to help her out, open a car door for her or even take over some tasks so that she can go and take a nap. If your mommy didn’t take care of herself and act like pregnancy IS a big deal…you probably wouldn’t be reading this now.

I am 170 years old

2011-08-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

This could turn out to be a raving/raging post (yet again) about hospitals in Oman but because I currently lack the energy to be angry…I shall refrain from typing in CAPS and cursing after every second word.

A disclaimer: a first-time expectant mother will worry about every little thing that doesn’t “feel right”. She does not necessarily need to be in agonizing pain or in a life threatening situation to be rushed to the hospital. Sometimes a light fever and consecutive dizzy spells are all that’s needed to seek medical attention.

So there I am (at work-that’s where) on Wednesday morning when all of a sudden I begin to feel a little feverish and simply “off”. I also had a few other symptoms that should solemnly remain between me and doctor so that half the world is not grossed out. After fighting the sinking feeling that maybe this isn’t simple fatigue I caved and called a fellow doctor- who in turn told me to go to the nearest clinic and get checked out “just to be on the safe side”.

I seriously told my superior I will be back in an hour because I am going for a quick check up. (I should have said Inshallah at this point.) Alex picked me up and we went to the nearest clinic as suggested, the closest one being Al Raffah where I am currently registered. On my way there I kept on calling the operator to make sure there is a gyno there I could see. No one picked up. I called about 8 different times. Yes I had the right number- they just didn’t pick up!

As we stormed the lobby of Al Raffah hospital we soon came to learn that there was no gyno on call and my doctor would not be available until 6pm. Because…you know…doctors work in shifts. Apparently it is perfectly acceptable not to have a doctor there for 6 hours at a time!!! They only had a GP- which would have helped if I had a bruise or maybe a sore throat…

Suppressing our anger we drove to the closest hospital from Al Raffah- Muscat Private Hospital. Again, I called them on the way there the operator picked up (Hooray??!!) but the line quickly died when she was transferring me to the “correct” department. Ugh.

I quickly felt like I was having the most surreal déjà vu of my life when we learned that they too did not have a gyno on call because “the entire department was attending a lecture and will only be back in a couple of hours”. Now, please note that both of the above hospitals have DELIVERY WARDS and possibly women going into labor that very instant- but who gives a monkey’s I guess?

I began to feel quite anxious as by that point in time all sorts of nasty scenarios regarding the baby’s health ran through my mind. We did the only thing we could think of. We drove to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. FIY (if you aren’t local) that hospital is 45 minutes away. Make that 1h and 25 minutes when you are driving there at 2:30pm just as about everybody in Muscat is leaving work and heading home.

Keeping a long story short- we finally found ourselves registering at the Accidents and we Emergencies department of SQUH and they quickly send me to get my blood pressure and temp measured (both were high!). The nurse (an attentive young man) was however very reassuring and told me that he marked my file as urgent so that the Emergency department makes me their priority. An hour and a half later we are still sitting there. Alex is dying for some water. I keep pacing the waiting area (which is divided into male and female sections). I “borrowed” the chair the security guard was using, by the door, and sat on it with Alex standing responsibly by my side. We seriously watched dozens of people come in and leave, leave and come in again…and we were still waiting. They reassured me that this was unusual and the emergency gyno department was having a rather hard day with 3 women coming in with bleedings and what-nots. Now, had I been in any serious pain or god-forbid bleeding, I am fairly certain they would have seen me sooner. About two hours into our waiting game we began to notice amusing details about the waiting room such as the “Welcome to the Accidents and Emergencies Department” poster- which Alex found hilarious and also the fact that my in-patient bracelet said that I am 170 years old. I thought about telling the doctor that my emergency is “old age” when she asks me what I am in there for.

But other than that when we were finally admitted the doctor was lovely, the nurses were lovely and their approach was absolutely relaxing. Although they did kick daddy out at some point as he was being overly anxious. They did a quick check up, a whole bunch of tests and a quick ultrasound to check the baby’s heartbeat and movements. Everything turned out to be ok at the end.

As we were leaving I received my registration card, neatly typed up to include my admission number, name and get this….”English People” in the nationality field. I laughed at this thinking that now I have a valid document to present to the British Embassy once I apply for my UK passport (because my hospital registration card says I am British- that’s why!). It wasn’t until we paid and received a receipt addressed to an Olga Mubarak (P.S that isn’t my actual last name) that I realized perhaps my dream of obtaining a UK passport might have to be abandoned due to my newly-acquired-obviously-Arab last name.

A little bit of humor can get you a long way.

USF Store now on Facebook!

2011-08-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Just type in USF Store in your search box and become a fan!
I plan to update constantly with new images, information, prices and upcoming milestones!
Here is a little preview of what is on the page:

Join us on Facebook today!

A stroke of genius!

2011-08-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

I’ve had a lot of time to think about how I want the first artwork of the USF store to look like. It was going to be sassy but modest, chique but also relevant and above all…it was going to stand out. Given the opportunity, I expected to have at least a week to plan it out and collaborate with an experienced designer. Instead I faced a deadline of about 24 hours, a complete lack of ideas and extreme pressure.

I love it when magazines feature “behind the scenes” shots. On one side of the page you see Eva Longoria in glamorous high heels and a breathtaking gown, with her hair tossed just-right and a glimmer in her eyes. On the other side of the page the trendy editor would let you sneak a peek into the making of the photo shoot with racks of messy clothes, dozens of busy-bees huffing and puffing over Eva’s hair and make-up and the stressed-out photographer who has already gone red in the face.

When I realized I needed to put together a photo shoot for the store in about 3 hours time I of course called my best friend to the rescue and yet again she saved my ass. Throughout the day I tossed around some ideas with Is This Serious, Yuliya and mom and we decided to recreate an image I found online earlier that day. It was simple, straight to the point and allowed the imagination to run wild. So, after a hard day at work I dragged by pregnant-self to the store and picked out a few outfits for Cynthia to wear during the shoot. Oh and the shoes. And the bags.

You see…I didn’t want a page that simply featured a bag and matching shoes. We have enough of these. But I also didn’t have the time and resources to create an image that would fully convey the uniqueness and the style of the store. I wanted it to portray sexiness without seeming vulgar. Most importantly I wanted the image to be focused on the stylish items sold at the store.

Two hours of trying on clothes, finding the correct shoe sizes, crawling on the floor trying-to-get-the-angle-right and two cans of Redbull later- we were stunned by the results. I shot over 100 pictures. They all turned out exactly how I wanted them. Not bad for a rookie huh?

I will let you judge:

We have received a lot of supportive comments and very positive feedback from friends and families regarding the final product. Personally, I am very happy with how it turned out, given the circumstances.

I will now begin working on a Facebook page for the store where I hope to feature more images from the photoshoot to help spread the word!

During Ramadan the shop is open from 10am to 1pm and then again from 7pm to 11pm! Happy Shopping!

Ladies, new store in town!!!

2011-08-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

So Eid is coming up which means this is the perfect opportunity to add a few new items for your ever expanding wardrobe!

And now I have just the place...

The USF store is now OPEN!

Looking for a fancy evening bag? Comfy shoes for the office? A summer dress or maybe a classy party piece? Look no further...

The store is located in Zakher Mall (home to Pan Furniture, Omantel, Body Shop) in Al Khuwair. Venture up to the second floor and the USF store will be just on your right. Opening times are from 10am to 1pm and then from 4pm to 8pm everyday! There is a lovely lady managing the store who will be more than happy to show you around and help you find just what you are looking for! The clothes/bags/shoes were all handpicked in Italy by my mom and I have personally been wearing one of the wedges from the shop for over 2 months now and they are super comfy!

Here are a few shots of what the store has to offer(excuse the quality, I was just very eager to get these to you as soooooon as possible!):

More images to come soon, meanwhile please visit the store as I am certain you will find something you will fall in love with!

I am busy being pregnant...

2011-08-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

...at least I wish I could say that I was away from the blog because I was busy buying tiny pink outfits or drawing ponies on the nursery walls. But that wouldn't be true. It feels like I have no time to be pregnant these days. No, I understand that I am pregnant and the ever growing tummy is a huge (no pun intended) reminder of that but I just don't have the time to embrace it these days. Perhaps the most "pregnant" thing I do during the day is take my vitamins. Now Alex on the other hand was ready to put the baby bed up about two weeks ago. (Don't worry, he didn't).

I am working full time and I think that is to blame for the fact that I sometimes "forget" that I am pregnant. Colleagues are constantly nudging me to stop carrying things or to walk slower and after I give them a puzzled look they say "because you are pregnant, remember?". Of course I remember! Especially since the almost-daily-deadly migraines have invited themselves into my life! But those are a whole different rant.

I know that I need to slow down and enjoy this time as it is going by so unbelievably fast. We are half way there...we are just half way away from having a little one join our family. It feels like the weeks are flying by. Especially since I am at work pretty much from 8 to 6 everyday and I cannot seem to catch a break when I am home because something always needs doing (like dinner...because people need to eat!!!). Work has taken fancy to evening shifts the last two weeks so I end up going home at 9:30pm for the majority of the working week and only have enough energy to drag myself to the shower and consequently to my pillow.

This is meant to the phase when the baby is able to distinguish voices and sounds so parents are encouraged to speak to the child and begin reading bed time stories and etc. It bothers me somewhat that I cannot seem to find the time (or the energy) to do this as I simply cannot bring myself to take half an hour to "rest"!!! And the truth is, I am very tired. Not in the same way that I was tired during the first trimester when any energy I had was drained out of me and I could physically not manage the simplest tasks. Oh no. The energy is back now and better than ever. I am just pressed for time and a little preoccupied with everything going on at work...so absolutely no time to stop and smell the roses.

I have days when I stop and think that I absolutely cannot do this anymore - juggle work, being pregnant and running the house. Times like these, I begin to feel very sorry for myself and consider taking a few weeks off work or even hiring a housemaid to help me around the house more frequently. I have not even began thinking about maternity leave at this point. Everyone keeps asking if I plan to return to work immediately after the baby is born and the truth is...I have no "plan" yet. I am one of those strange people who immensely enjoy their job on a daily basis so leaving it all behind would literally break my heart. By no means do I underestimate how difficult it is to have a newborn and work full time- I just hope I can find my way around that somehow.

We will just have to wait and see.

Ramadan and me.

2011-08-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

Last year I posted a modest explanation of how life changes around here in the holy month of Ramadan, please read it here. I thought it would be a good idea to shine some light on the traditional and cultural aspect of this month- especially for those reading this back home! This year is an altogether different story because I am pregnant, hormonal and hungry all the freaking time. So my routine has not really been effected by the fact that Muscat has succumbed to the sleepy, slow, quite days of fasting.

Luckily no one in my office fasts (well except one guy who is on his annual leave now) so I have not locked up my snack drawer that is filled with Oreos, almonds, waffles and crackers. I munch away the entire day. We haven't even moved the water cooler from the room because my Omani colleague said it does not phase him- even when he is fasting. So, we took his word for it.

I am however cautious not to eat or drink anything whilst I am outside (which actually isn't that often these days). This has proven to be difficult because my pregnant brain is always exploding with one stupid idea or the other, such as "Why don't you eat a tomatoe while driving from home to work?".

And as far as silly situations go, my oven ran out of gas while baking a few pizzas at home and had to resort to asking one of my neighbors if I could perhaps use his oven to finish dinner? Now if this happened in the afternoon I don't think my fasting/Egyptian neighbor would appreciate the smell of two gigantic pizzas bubbling away in his oven...and it would also be virtually impossible to get the gas service to deliver during the day in Ramadan.

Just this Friday me and Is This Serious were getting some much needed shopping therapy in City Center Seeb when we realized that we are frightfully thirsty. I also needed sugar. A chocolate of some kind. We ranted a little in one of the stores and an expat woman overheard us and offered her sympathy. Except we couldn't eat it anywhere! As a last resort we bought the goods and headed....to the bathroom. I sat on one of the sinks devouring my Bounty and gulping down my Ice Tea. Seriously, it was sad. I felt a little sorry for my pregnant self. That should teach me stay home till 6pm from now on!

On a more pleasant note I was thrilled to find out that Oman Dive Center still serves beverages and food (not sure about alcohol!?). Alex decided to try out diving this weekend and I was a little worried about him getting a heat stroke or collapsing from dehydration- you know, because there is no food anywhere!!!! It turned out to be fine.

Oh and after we were done with the shopping I sat in my car and ate a freshly baked baguette with some cheese...luckily no one was around. Either way that sandwich was absolutely worth going to jail for.

It's a....

2011-08-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks we have been anxiously awaiting our ultrasound appointment which was scheduled on the 3rd of August. This time around we changed hospitals in the hope of finding a doctor we were more comfortable with. Throughout the weeks I was unusually calm but as the appointment date drew closer I began to get nervous and excited. By then everyone around us was already convinced it's a girl, I don't think even heard anyone say "boy" out loud.

We headed for the ultrasound that Wednesday afternoon, with Alex taking a few hours off work to come with me as usual. Before we knew it I was lying on the ultrasound couch awaiting for the scan to begin. Now, here I must say that given that the baby was only 4cm long the last time we saw her- the ultrasound technicians must provide some sort of a warning, along the lines of " now a giant baby with appear on the monitor and it will look like nothing you have seen before'. Because I am telling you...I was not prepared for what was to come. Now, I dually youtubed " 15 weeks ultrasound scans " and watched dozens of babies do back flips on the monitor...but nothing could have prepared me for my own! From the second the baby appeared on the monitor Alex was absolutely glued to it with a giant grin on his face. All he could say was "It's really big, it's really big".

Our baby was lying face down, on her tummy with her legs and hands curled up under her, snoozing away. It worried me somewhat that she wasn't moving but the heartbeat was strong so perhaps she was indeed just taking a nap. Unlike the last time where all that was visible was a giant head, a long oval body and two little dots instead of the feet....we could now see a well formed human being! We could clearly distinguish all her features...her spine...her heart...her butt. The baby was however in an unfavorable position to determine sex so the doctor suggested I should cough a few times and this might get her moving. Um, no. We then took a ten minute break during which I walked around the hospital, went to the toilet and generally tried to move a little to get the baby to change position.

When we got back the baby has indeed flipped on it's back but the legs were still crossed protectively over the area that was of most interest to us. From what the doctor has seen so far she was saying "most probably a girl, yes most probably". At some point all we could see on the monitor were two little perfect feet and we could clearly make out every single baby toe. It was surreal. The baby became a little more active kicking around and lifting her arms over her head- although I still could not feel any of it.

In a moment she moved her legs out of the way and the doctor zoomed into what was " 99% a girl" . :) Oh and what a tall girl she is!!! Currently she is already 17 cm long from head to toe! Her feet already don't have room to stretch out so she keeping them bend at the knee and tucked in under her or just over her tummy.

Towards the end of the ultrasound she raised her right arm to wave at daddy or at least it looked like it. She was playing with her right ear and her arm kept on going up and down as though she was waving...a giant grin didn't come off Alex's face for an hour after that!

The doctor did advice us to come back in a month just to be 100% sure of the sex and to check up on the baby, but I am convinced because 99% is a pretty damn good chance and also the fact that everybody was guessing girl and last but not least...we could not come up with a boy's name all this time!

Our little princess on the other hand already has a beautiful name...Alice.

You’re at Joey’s!

2011-07-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Now if you haven’t seen that particular episode of Friends then this post will not make much sense to you but I will try to help you visualize it with the quotes below. Here goes nothing: at Joey’s it’s ok to eat pasta off the floor. It’s acceptable to be messy. It’s perfectly fine to be a blob.

Here's the scene:
[Scene: Joey's apartment, Joey and Rachel are eating spaghetti in the living room while watching TV and Rachel drops some on the floor.]
Rachel: Oh, Joey! Sorry!
Joey: No that’s all right. Don’t worry about it.
Rachel: Oh but look! That’s gonna leave a stain!
Joey: Rach! Hey! It’s fine! You’re at Joey’s!
Rachel: Really?
Joey: Yeah! Look! (He throws some of his spaghetti on the floor.)
Rachel: I’ve never lived like this before.
Joey: I know.
(Rachel throws some of hers down.)
Joey: All right, don’t waste it, I mean its still food. (He picks it up and eats it!)

And this is what the first three month of pregnancy have done to me. They turned me into a Joey.

Normally I am ~~(irrationally)~~ somewhat organized. I do the dishes. I cook everyday. I don’t let laundry pile up. I am a neat person. Now My Cynthia would dramatize and tell you that my house looks like a freaking museum and that I throw tantrums if the groceries are not placed in the right order at the check-out counter- but really, who would you believe me or her?

It would be fair to say that Cynthia was a little baffled ~~(freaked out)~~ when she visited us a few months ago- there was crap all over the place. You could not see the surface of the dining table. There were three day old dishes in the sink (!!!). This was my “the-kitchen-is-the-enemy” stage. Alex left for work to the desert for about 10 days and I am not sure if I ate anything during that time. He was shocked to come back and find the fridge (and all the contents) absolutely untouched (rotten but untouched). At that point (was that May or June, or both?) Alex did the dishes all by himself and was a little ~~(utterly)~~ surprised that they pile up so fast (basically every time after you eat). He must appreciate me a little more now. Back to the fungus. Have I mentioned the fungus yet? Cynthia rescued me from the filthy claws of the mess. Her boyfriend did my dishes. They literally came over to help me tackle the kitchen. They also later reported that something purple was growing on one of the plates and they are pretty sure they saw it move.

Perhaps a few months down the line I will be embarrassed that I let the house go so much. But back then (and pretty much still) I didn’t give a crap. Week 6-12 of pregnancy have been a nightmare of dizzy spells, nausea, headaches and sleep deprivation. So what if we ran out of mugs or clean forks? So what if I haven’t set foot in a supermarket for over two weeks and we were living entirely on instant noodles and French fries. (Not me, I had my constant supply of fruit-don’t worry).

My biggest priority back then (and pretty much still) was to take it an hour at a time. The notion of not being able to stay awake or even have enough energy to shower terrified me…trust me…dirty dishes or a few pieces of pasta on the floor just don’t measure up to Morning Sickness.

Letting go a little was actually beneficial for me. I now know that I can suck up my OCD and let Alex do the grocery shopping once in a while. And who cares if he gets whipped cream instead of sour cream. Boo ya. So what? Apparently once he gets bored of eating pasta three nights in a row Alex is also perfectly capable of cooking and actual meal…who would have though?

This baby is bringing out awesome qualities in my husband.

I am so proud already!

Prenatal and Postnatal care in Muscat

2011-07-18T00:50:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: The opinions stated below are those of an excessively worried, picky and downright demanding pregnant woman and may not reflect the experiences or thoughts of other (calmer) patients of the said health-care providers.

I have certain expectations when it comes to healthcare. I mean, apart from the hospital being credible, sterile and equipped for emergencies I also want it to provide a personal healthcare service and to genuinely “care”. Would it be too much to ask for of the doctor to remember my name (without looking at the file) and the reason for my visit (again without looking at the file)?

We are expecting our first child and obviously have a lot of questions and concerns. As any parents do, we want everything to go smoothly. We expect our doctor to take her sweet time doing our first (and any consecutive) ultrasounds, to listen to my concerns and to at least look at the reports concluded by other doctors. That’s why I am not so happy with Muscat Private Hospital.

We had our first scheduled appointment when I was 6 weeks (and 4 days) pregnant. My doctor asked if my home test was positive and a few other standard questions. We then proceeded to a small dark ultrasound room and heard our baby’s heart beat for the very first time. It was out of this world. Routinely, I was then prescribed folic acid and novidoxine (to ease the morning sickness) and we were sent on our way. Being in a slightly shocked and ecstatic state that morning all the questions I had completely flew out of my head. I wanted to ask her if I am allowed to have a back massage, if there are any foods I should I avoid eating and if I should perhaps give my cat away (toxoplasmosis). Looking back at the first appointment, I would say the vibe we got from the doctor pretty much summed up to “It’s only 6 weeks, come back when you are a little more pregnant”. Or to put it more bluntly “It’s still very early…anything can happen”.

I had slightly different expectations of what my first prenatal appointment would go like. I know for certain that the doctors back home would shower a pregnant woman with advice (Don’t lift anything heavy, drink plenty of milk, don’t change the cat litter). However, in Muscat Private Hospital the appointment felt more commercial than personal. Needless to say I threw myself into speaking to other expecting women and mothers to get a little insight into what kind of a treat I was in for. (And we gave away the cat…)

Fast forward exactly a month. It was extremely difficult for Alex to find the time and come to the next appointment with me because he was booked on a flight to Salalah exactly an hour after our appointment was due to start. However he was very excited to see the baby again and he knew that the Nuchal translucency (NT) scan we were about to do was extremely important so he did the best to reschedule his work trip (but his phone still rang every 15 minutes). First of all we had to wait for an hour for our doctor to find the time to see us. Second of all when we finally had her full attention she checked how far along I am (10 weeks and 4 days) and declared that it’s too early for the NT scan as it will not show until the baby is at least 12-13 weeks. I swear I could hear and see the smoke coming out of my husband ears. Why in the world would they set an appointment to specifically do the scan if it was too early? (It’s a rhetorical question, I know exactly why!).

She immediately saw that we were uncomfortable with her decision and Alex proceeded to calmly (ahem…) explain that an entire oil-drilling site in Salalah was stopped for a day because he could not get on the place because she said we would be doing the damn scan. In her defense the doctor said that she did not say we would be doing the scan but that we would during this appointment schedule another appointment to do the scan. (So let’s get this clear, I am paying 20 OMR for an appointment to just set another appointment???).

Seeing that Alex was literally turning red at this point she sent us down to the ultrasound ward where a pleasant woman reassured me that she would do her best to perform the scan (even though we were two weeks early, yada, yada). Ha! Little did they know that we are currently growing a very progressive and super-developed baby who in week 10 could show them exactly what it was “by the books” too early for them to see. So it is moments like these where I love that Alex is strong-willed, a little (ahem…) pushy and very convincing. Not only did the scan show that the baby is developing very well but we were also able to see it kick around and throw its arms over its head and bounce around in its little protective bubble. Mesmerizing.

What left me worried however is that my doctor did not even ask to see the report of the ultrasound and when we are back there in a few weeks time I doubt she will even remember that she sent us down for a scan.

I am seriously having second thoughts about Muscat Private Hospital now even though I know they are probably the best place to deliver a baby in Muscat, it’s the prenatal care that is leaving me feeling a little abandoned and “used”.

So please share any good/bad experiences you had at Muscat Private, regardless if it was for delivery related or not. What other hospitals provide excellent prenatal and postnatal services? If anyone has actually been with Muscat Private for their entire pregnancy and delivery please let me know! If you don’t want to share your private health stories publicly please email me at happilymarriedtoabiker@gmail.com. I would greatly appreciate any piece of advice at this point!

Almost famous

2011-07-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

Keeping my identity anonymous was never really considered as an option when I began writing this blog. I was then following just one blog that was dedicated to home management/financial savings and frugality and I still follow that blog to this day, find it here. I remain a dedicated reader because I am able to relate to this real family and it always helps to put a face to a blog. Then about a year and a half ago I was introduced to the blogosphere in Oman-where most of the bloggers prefer to remain anon. That is understandable since most of the topics often cover both political and national views of the bloggers- maybe they feel safer not disclosing their true identities. (Muscat Confidential, Linoleum Surfer, Muscat Mutterings, The Omani Brit, Is This Serious, Angry in Oman).

This blog is quite different. Since we have a lot of relatives and friends abroad, keeping a blog for them to follow made a lot of sense for us. It's a family affair really. That is why you will rarely be treated to my opinions on Omanization, the glorious ruling of HM or even to a discussion over religion. Now, keeping that in mind I must say that Alex is also a very private person and he often reminds me not to put anything too revealing on this blog. So, finding the balance is often hard to do.

I need to give this blog huge credit for helping me communicate to (what seemed to be the whole of Oman) the masses that our Honda XR was stolen earlier this year. Up to date we are still approached and asked if we have found the bike yet ( the answer is sadly, no).

Just last week we were attending a house party and were introduced to a crowd of expats we have never met when one of the men said "You are Alex aren't you? The one who's bike was stolen". Turns out he reads the blog and recognized Alex from one of the pictures. And this is not the first time this happens. More than once when being introduced to someone I am baffled to hear "Yes, I know, you are Olga, I read your blog". It's seriously flattering but catches me off guard everytime. The exposure this blog has seriously surprises me at times because even though I know it's out there for the world to read- I am still surprised that people actually do!

So here is my questions: Dear fellow bloggers who keep us guessing- why did you choose to operate anon?

On my mind...

2011-07-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post of an article I recently read, I hope you will enjoy it. It is Tina Fey’s Hilarious Prayer for Her Daughter. All those things are on my mind these days (and so are sushi, Mexican food and Italian pasta):

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her. When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.
And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.
“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.

Is it just my hormones or did this make you teary too?

Now I get it...(ugh!)

2011-07-02T02:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, during one of my lowest most physically challenging battles with breakfast I decided to ground my child. In all seriousness I told Alex that our kid is not allowed to go to prom (16 years from now) because that is the punishment one gets for making mommy so sick.

I have begged, pleaded, negotiated and downright bribed this child already- and he/she is not even born yet. You see, life is somewhat difficult at the moment. The other day I had to blow dry my hair while lying down in bed because I just did not have the energy to sit up. Here is a little overview of things I can no longer do (although sometimes I really want to):

- Have a burger (meat and chicken are currently the root of all evil)
-Sit next to someone who is having a cup of coffee (nothing smells more disgusting than coffee)
-Have the said coffee
-Go into the kitchen. I am beginning to forget what my faucets look like.
-Take a nice long shower. See exhaustion above.
-Go into a supermarket. All the smells! The smells!!!
-Fit into my jeans. (That just makes me sad).

And that my dear friends, is just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes I sit and wonder "what was I like before all the morning sickness?. Did I go out? I think so. Did I eat Burger King? Surely I did. Did I stay up past 9pm? Yes, I can recall that as well.

I have disappeared off the face of the planet for the last 6-7 weeks in particular. I kept on postponing coffee-dates with friends and politely refusing dinner invitations. Constantly saying "I am not feeling well" was getting too old. Now that my friends know they are a little more understanding of why I take more rain checks than there are days in the week.

So what happened to me? It is a scary thing-not being in control of your body. Pregnancy is so sugarcoated. "Oh it's marvelous, pregnant people glow". Ha! I am sure some sail through the first few months without as much as a zit or a wave of nausea. However, I am feeling the full impact of this "miracle".

But no matter how upset, sick or downright self-pitying I may sometimes get it helps to remind myself that it is all temporary and no amount of morning sickness is ever going to be "too much" because the outcome is just paramount.

I have gained newfound respect for mother everywhere. To go through these 9 months so completely selflessly whilst enduring all the ups and the downs and still being utterly in awe once the baby arrives.

That’s heroic if you ask me.

P.S Oh and please vote in the Boy/Girl poll. :)

Big blessings...

2011-06-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

...Come in very small packages...

We are beyond thrilled to announce that we are expecting our first baby.

This little miracle revealed itself on my birthday and I posted that I received the biggest gift I could ask for that day. Since then I have been on a rollercoaster both physically and emotionally. I reckon there is a reason women don't reveal their pregnancy before the first trimester is over- quite frankly few of them would have something positive to say about the experience. My body has been spinning out of control and I have not had an appetite for anything other than cherries, peaches and watermelon for the last 2 months. I can nap anytime and anywhere. I am still working full time and finding it a challenge to go through my daily routine as casually as possible whilst I am feeling nauseous and generally weak throughout the day. Did I mention the heat? It's not helping the tiniest bit. Another reason I have not posted about this earlier is that I was honestly in denial. I asked Alex if we should perhaps take the home pregnancy test once again after it revealed a big fat positive on the screen. I just couldn't believe it. We waited for a few more weeks to go to the doctor's and even then as my doctor browsed charts and gave me prescriptions- I could still not believe it. I didn't want to jinx it.

But it's here. And it's real.

The most recent ultrasound yesterday showed our little one kicking his/her legs out, stretching and waving its arms over its head. Life is a party. Alex is utterly smitten. He is in love with this tiny image on the screen which is sporting a healthy, incredibly fast heartbeat (167 beats per minute) and making our hearts beat a little fast in the process too. Alex is attentive and patient. I on the other hand am sick, difficult and somewhat exhausted-all the time.I catch myself thinking "why do I feel so dizzy" and then it comes to me...'oh right...the baby". I believe by nature mothers-to-be are somewhat stripped of "feeling" the whole intensity of the situation. To experience the full capacity of "love" towards this little beeing must be unbearable and that's why morning sickness exists. To make us a little numb to it. To keep us focused on folic acid, eating enough calcium, resting and making us capable of sleeping 12 hours a day. To keep us focused on our health. If I felt like my old self now (I remember I was once a fun and energetic person, I think) then I would be spending my whole time thinking and worrying. About every little detail. Instead while I have succumbed to feeling like a train ran over me twice-everyday- I have other people taking care of the details. My mom is constantly supplying us with meals (I gag everytime I step into the kitchen), Alex is doing everything around the house and takes frequent trips to the supermarket to buy-waterlons- and My Cynthia has already began shopping for the baby.

I expected to be worried. Worried about finances, the nursery, maternity clothes, gaining weight, maternity leave, baby names- but instead there is a residing calm in me. I have never been more sure of anything in my life- everything is going to work out just fine. As long as we are both healthy.

Everything else will fall into place...

A teaser

2011-06-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

Just a few more days to go...

All shall be releaved in the Thursday post.

Please stay tuned.

XOXO

How can we ignore you today?

2011-06-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

28/06/11 *** UPDATE

It happened again today morning. I called them to get a number from a landline, the girl greeted me and said all her rehearsed lines smoothly, then played the number...in Arabic! I took a deep breath and called back, got a different lady on the line and asked her kindly for the number and to please play it in English, so the machine went "The number you have requested is..." Then the line went dead. Seriously. I give up.

***

I know I promised not to write until a little later, but this reoccurring event is just getting to me and I feel like I need to get the word out.

1318.

The Omantel directory. The most pathetic excuse of helpful experts I have ever come across. They make my blood boil quite literally. A minute on the phone with this silly bunch and I reach the last straw. Uff. I am convinced they are actually monkeys that have been taught to answer the phone and sadly that is the chapter their training ended on. It was not always like that, no. A while back Omantel used actual people to answer the phones- but that must have been costly and/or unreliable so they have decided to hire jungle primates instead.

Every time I call them I get flashbacks of the movie “Planet of the Apes” and that makes me smile- right up until one of them speaks.

Maybe its just me. Maybe they are mocking me. Is it because I am woman? Or is it because I am an expat? I prefer to think that it’s only because they are actually chimpanzees.

My argument is simple- if real people worked at the 1318 phone directory, I would at least get the number I needed on the 4th or 5th attempt. Sounds quite reasonable, doesn’t it?

Their welcome line used to “Omantel Salam Aleikum” but now it pretty much amounts to “Omant…slmakm…”. I then proceed with my request for “City Cinema, Dhofar Insurance, Pizza Hut Delivery” or whatever the hell else. I am usually asked to repeat the name of the company at least 3 times until they find it in the system. This is where things get real interesting…

“Please write down the number and thank you for calling Omantel” they say. Then they play the number in any of the following variations:

-“24 05….line goes dead” (Am I supposed to guess the other digits?)

- Arabic equivalent of the number I requested. Seriously. Arabic.

-or they hang up on me

I often call back frustrated asking for the number of Company X again and begging and pleading for them to say the number back to me and not play it on the machine because I just cannot take the mockery anymore. Funny, yesterday I called them and got the number in Arabic again, so I called back thinking “Hey, maybe I sounded Arab to the nice man who picked up the phone”, but it happened again with a different guy. I called back and snapped. “Give me the number in ENGLISH not ARABIC I don’t speak ARABIC”. They have me close to tears half the time.

I dare you. Call them.

I am still here…

2011-06-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting here, chewing my lower lip nervously and staring at the "new post" window close to 20 minutes now. For the hundredth time this week.

It’s not that I don’t know what to write about- I have plenty of ideas bouncing around one better than the other. It’s just that none of them are as epic or seem as entertaining as the topic I have planned for a later post. ~~A much later post.~~ To avoid giving anything away just yet, let’s leave it at that.

Meanwhile, rest assured that I am still around and big things are happening as I type this. Huge things. Enormously gigantic things. Soon to come are a series of posts that will blow your mind and glue you to this excuse-of-a-blog for many moons to come. (A girl can hope right?)

I absolutely suck at surprises so I am going to keep this post short to avoid actually blabbing it all out now.

Drum roll please.

Are you all jittery and excited yet?

I am upset about…

2011-06-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

1. The heat. The mind numbing-brain-melting heat. The other day I thought about skipping lunch because the thought of walking from the office to my parked car was a little unbearable. I am possibly exaggerating a little but I think the fact that I CANT TOUCH THE WHEEL OF MY CAR during the day is a sure indicator of the sun overdoing it. I tried going to the beach. Eating three scoops of Baskin Robins. Yet I have come to conclusion that I would prefer to take a nap until October.

2. Two butt-ugly cats that my building has adopted. These skinny, vicious looking animals are lounging around all day long waiting for one of the neighbors to bring over a saucer of milk or grilled chicken breast for their satisfaction! My neighbors must be out of their minds because they have actually resorted to feeding these invaders! Now, now. I am all for “feeding homeless animals” but these two fiends look like something hell threw up. I have never been a fan of Omani cats. They are not lovable and they are not affectionate. Half the time they are missing an eye or a tail. They freak me out. Every time I walk past them I am under the impression that the tougher looking one will jolt up and sink his huge white fangs into my ankles. They growl. I am pretty sure they growl.

3. The neighbor who bullies us. We lived in the same apartment for about two years now. Since the bike was stolen we resorted to a second vehicle, which is a norm around here. When we moved in the building was half empty, so we took the liberty of spray painting our flat number on the relevant parking space to ensure that we always have a spot under the shade. Ha ha. This gesture was rudely ignored by every Dick (and Harry..or however the saying goes). So I learned to live with that and we only park in the shade on a first-come-first-served basis now. Only when we have both of our cars parked there a grumpy neighbor blocks Alex’s car off with his and then endures being woken up at 6:30am with a pissed off Alex to move his car the fuck awaaaaay. This petty man ensures us that the shaded parking space is for 1 member of the family only. This happened twice so far. We refuse to adhere to any “rules” this man made up, because 1. He is not the landlord and 2. The next time he does that I will call the police on his annoying ass.

4. Dunkin Donuts at the 18th November petrol station. Just this morning the thought of having a doughnut for breakfast helped me get out of bed. En route to work I stopped by the Oman Oil petrol station to pick up a few snacks and breakfast only to be cautioned “don’t buy those doughnuts madam, they are very old”. The salesman must have recently been elected employee of the month. So here is an idea Captain Duh, take them out of the little pink Dunkin Donuts fridge until new ones arrive, coz a strawberry/chocolate donut still looks good no matter how old it is. (Yes I did buy it, but no I didn’t eat it).

5. The fact that we have still not been able to find an Omani employee for my mom’s store. Hence the store remains closed for the public. Of course we have interviewed about a dozen girls who all promised to “Call back tomorrow” or “Start on Saturday at 9am sharp” but they were never heard from again. What is going on? What pisses me off the most if that when the tale is told everyone rolls their eyes and says “Oh well, Omanis! What do you expect?” Damn it that is not an excuse and no that is not an Omani thing to do!!!! That irritates me! Can someone please prove them wrong already? The timing seems to be perfect as everyone is yelling right left and center about a lack of career opportunities and attractive jobs in the market. Well here is one! Grab it!

I am done ranting. At least for today.

Job opportunity!

2011-06-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months my mom has been working very hard on establishing her own business. She is now the proud manager of a women’s clothing store located in Zahir Mall, in Khuwair. It is a very spacious, well lit, warm store that offers a range of bags, evening and casual shoes as well as dresses, pants and tops. The merchandise is from Italy, making it of a very high quality and certainly unique in Muscat- something we all welcome! It is a very well known fact that Muscat somewhat suffers when it comes to shopping extravaganza. So resist the urge to go to Mango/Zara/Gap the next time you are clothes hunting and visit the USF store instead! Only one little hic up there…the store is not open yet. Which brings me to my next point:

JOB VACANCY

A boutique is looking to recruit an Omani sales girl. Applicant must be hardworking and social. Previous experience in sales is a plus. Attractive salary and comfortable working hours. Salary on probation is 250OMR and will be increased once probation is successfully completed. CVs can be email to usfoman@yahoo.com

I am reaching out to you dear readers because so far the word of mouth I have spread amongst my peers has not been very successful, so if you happen to know anyone who may fit the profile described above- please encourage them to apply!

More on the opening of the USF store will be posted next week (Insha’lla). I will also be posting a link to the Facebook page of the store soon- featuring dozens of pictures of the merchendise!

Can we be friend?

2011-06-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

Apparently I look like someone who is in dire need of some good new friends. Not a week goes by that I don't find strange and somewhat disturbing messages in my Facebook inbox from men who seem to believe that they have what it takes to befriend me. Mind you now, I would understand if my Facebook picture was provocative or even the least bit sexy. Maybe if I was doing the spread eagle in a skimpy bikini "Lonely Wolf" might have reason enough to send across a friend request. Most of the time my Facebook profile picture is either or me and my husband in a warm embrace- but "SexyMan2012" still thinks its ok to seek my everlasting friendship. I do occasionally allow myself to pass judgement on girls who's profile picture is around 80% breasts and 20% face- now they have no right to reject "Lonely Wolf" when he comes calling for them. At the moment I am actually holding a puppy and hugging my brother on my profile picture- that could be my child for all these freaks know! So dear weird stalkers. Quit it. I am not going to have an epiphany when I read your request to be "long time friend" as I have plenty of real, well-intentioned and mentally stable friends. Thank you very much.

Here are some of the most recent proposals I have received and my proposed answers.(Don't kill yourself laughing):

1. Al Yak****
hello Olga
how are u?
we can be friend?
thanx alot dear
Oh dear honey munchik sugar pie Al Yak***. Ofcourse we can be friend. We can even watch Kung Fu Panda this coming weekend. Or better yet, why don't we skip the whole "friendship" charade and rent a room for the weekend? Thanks a lot dear.

2. Ali ***

Hope life treat u good,,
I'm half Omani man :-).. I lived most of my life outside Oman,,,,i'm back now 2 Muscat.. I love everything beautiful in this life, accepting life in all its glory and despair., Live for Love and die for it... I like to enjoy every second of my life and make it the best moment if i could.. i'm single and looking for a place for my heart :-).
I would like to know u and hope if we can be in touch..
Yours
Gentleman
Dear Gentleman, thank you for your heartfelt revelations. I feel like I have known you all my life. It is a wonder that you are single, seeing that you accept life in all its glory in despair- I used to think a lot of women out there do the same. Since you are back 2 Muscat why don't I show you around the city? I could probably take a few days leave off work and we could go on excursions and beautiful coastline cruises...oh how I can't wait to be "in touch" with you! Yours truly, Gentlewoman.

3. Massager
hello how r u ...i am massager from muscat ,,,u want good massage pls send mail .after i will give my number
Dear Massager from muscat, thank you for extending your services. The available 5 star signature spas and beauty salons are just not up to my expectations, you know? Sometimes I seek an edge or a thrill! And next time I do- I will be sure to give you a call and you can gove me a good massage! I look forward to our next close encounter dear massager and I just know your business will prosper in muscat!

Now these are just the crème of the pie (or the pick of the litter) as I could not possibly bother to dig any deeper. I don't actually ever reply to messages like that as I don't want to spend even a second of my day on these weird, desperate, delusional people.
I would be happy write to tell them to Fkcu Off and ignoring them works just as well. Weird. Freaks.

What happened to meeting girls the old fashioned way?

I am hybernating

2011-05-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

Once a very cheerful outgoing person I have now succumbed to the limitations of my sitting room and rely entirely on my husband and the internet to entertain me. I probably wouldn't even go outside if you paid me, not even at night. You see...it has become unbearably hot in Muscat over the last few weeks. To give you a better idea imagine yourself in a tight tracking suit, running a mere 5-7km with no water or refreshment and then entering a sauna where hot air blasts into your face chocking you with all its humidity and thickness. See what I mean?

The two minute walk from my apartment to the car leaves me gasping for breath and the fact that the AC in the car takes ages to cool down doesn't help me very much. Luckily I live only about 10 minutes away from my workplace and only have to put up with driving a "steam room on wheels" for a short while. I am contemplating giving up my lunch break all together, just so that I dont have to make the short journey home. Once I do get home, the husband and I pretty much flip a coin to determine who gets to do "outdoor" chores such as throwing the garbage or driving to the nearest store for groceries. Its pathetic.

The weather is pretty much all people talk about these days. "Did you see how hot it is?" No. Duh. I live under a rock and only crawl out in November when the temperature drops down to 25 degrees. Of course I know how hot it is. A well-wisher told me that his car thermometer showed 47 degrees during the day and only 41 in the evening. only.41.degrees.

Moreover I realize that this ridiculous weather pretty much sets my lifestyle for the summer. Probably up until late October. "Go to the beach and cool down" you must be thinking. Ha! The temperature of the water is 28 degrees! 28! I would rather swim in a bowl of soup-I am certain it will be colder than the sea water at this point.

When I was growing up here, it was mandatory to go on vacation for four long months while the weather caused excruciating pain to everyone who remained behind. Now that I am all grown up and must fulfill my work responsibilities I cannot possibly disappear off the map for an entire summer. I have made peace (ha!) with the fact that I must remain under the scorching sun throughout the next few months and hence I will probably resort to writing mind-numbing blog posts as I put my life on stand by and begin my routine summer hibernation.

Stay cool.

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-05-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I turned 23. It was definitely a day I will never forget, for more reasons than I can elaborate on right now. I was feeling the love. The Facebook messages poured in by the dozens, international phone calls completely killed my telephone battery and my family and friends were there to celebrate with me. There was cake and there was champagne as early on as 10am. What touched me the most is how much of an effort everyone made. Have you ever received a gift and thought "wow this person knows me so well"? Everything I received that day was deeply personal. The highlight of the day however was definitely being surrounded by people who took the time to enjoy the day with me. It’s true that the best things in life are not things at all.

Alex wished me a happy birthday as early as 6am, to make it a point that he was indeed the very first one to do so. I asked for my very own hard drive for my birthday and he got me an enormous one (apparently it has the memory capacity of 5 laptops) because I really need to get all my pictures organized as they are all over the shop now. So this week I am really looking forward to spending a few good hours with my laptop to do a much needed spring clean of the 4,000+ pictures that piled up and when I am done with that I will treat myself to one of the fantastic Spa gift vouchers that I received as gifts :) Oh, the good life.

On another note, I must absolutely rant about THE HEAT. It is unbearable. I live and work just a few meters from the beach so every day I am exposed to sticky, thick and hot air that blasts from all directions. I am sure the temperature must have reached 50 degrees one of these days. It doesn’t help that I need to spend an hour a day outside as per my work description- so it’s no surprise at all that I got a massive dizzy spell last week and almost hit the ground. Seriously, it’s hot. Worse still- it will stay like that until September. Due to these treacherous conditions, the hubby now only works till 1pm- that’s right, he is home for the good part of the day. Whilst I am happy for him I cannot help but succumb to outrageous jealousy over his “long hours”.

What career does one pursue if one enjoys the refreshing current of the AC and the occasional cooling cocktail during the day (oh and a dip in the pool would also be an added benefit)?

And the award goes to...

2011-05-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

It's been an odd week here in blogland with the bloggers taking their picks at blogs of note and reposting the ranking for others to see. Oman Collective Intelligence set off the rocket with their post on Top 15 most popular blogs in Oman, which was then reposted by Dhofar Gucci (who made it to #4 on the list-Congratulations!!!). The list was also linked on The Oman Brit's post and she went on to put together her own list of blogs she enjoys. I did a little shriek of happiness when I discovered Is This Serious on the 3rd position of The Oman Brit's favorite blogs! C's blog was made headlines! When C launched her blog some three months ago, I posted a link here calling it my anti-blog and recommending for everyone to check it out because it has zest and attitude! I believe Angry in Oman has inspired C to speak out and say it as it is; be it about getting followed, getting sued or even getting your eyebrows done in Oman! So dear C, thank you for the frustration that you have endured and are now willingly sharing with us for our amusement! We LOVE your blog!

Here a few of my favorite quotes from Is This Serious:

“As I was walking back home, grown ass men started barking at the dog, so I shouted MORE so everybody shuts up. Now I am known in the neighborhood as the crazy dog lady who screams at people.”

“Even if I told someone fuck fuck fuckidy fuck, why would they actually bother making that into an issue instead of catching REAL criminals, sex offenders, and thieves! It’s not like we don’t have enough issues to address!!”

“Groomer: Yes madam, no problem. Only hair, no head.

Me: YESSS head!!!!! NO BALLS. JUST DON’T SHAVE HIS BALLS. OK????”

So dear readers please pay Is This Serious a visit to find out what all the fuss is about.

Photography Competition “The Omani City”

2011-05-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

In March Muscat Mutterings posted about a competition held by Muriya Tourism in partnership with the Oman Photography Club. I must admit that I participated because photography has become somewhat of a hobby and I am always looking for new challenges. The subject of the competition was the Jabel Sifa project, located some 45 minz away from Muscat on the Sifa Beach. Participants were requested to provide 5 of their best images featuring the natural beauty of Sifa and the villas that Muriya is currently building there. The winners will be announced this Saturday, 14 May at The Oman Society of Fine Arts at 7:30pm.

Competition Awards:

Theme 1:
First prize: 1,000 OMR
Second prize: 750 OMR
Third prize: 500 OMR
Two appreciation prizes value of each prize is 100 OMR

Theme 2:
First prize: 1,000 OMR
Second prize: 750 OMR
Third prize: 500 OMR
Two appreciation prizes value of each prize is 100 OMR

So please keep your fingers crossed for me! Although I didn’t participate to win I cannot deny that the prizes look very tempting! I will in turn let you know how it goes on Saturday and will repost the images I submitted.

And Oman Photography Club must be on a roll this year because they have recently announced yet another competition:

The Sixth Contest of Photography on the occasion of Renaissance Day.

This year’s competition theme is “The Omani City”, which was chosen to focus on the aesthetics of the modern Omani cities, including the content of buildings, roads, gardens, illuminations, and the role of human life and movement in the city and other topics that highlight the city of Oman.
The General Conditions of the Competition:

1. The competition is open to all photographers residing in the Sultanate.
2. Submitted images must be printed in a size between (8 inches) minimum for the shortest side in the picture and size (16 inches) maximum for the longest side in the picture.
3. Photographs submitted to the competition must be new and never participated in competitions and exhibitions.
4. Each participant can submit a maximum of four photos for the contest accompanied with a CD that contains the photos and a personal photograph for the purposes of official use.
5. Each participant should complete the participation form and write his name and full address and telephone number on a paper behind each image.
6. Copyrights of the winning photos will revert to the Omani Society of Fine Arts.
7. Results of the competition will be announced during the opening ceremony of the exhibition that will be held during the month of July 2011.
8. Photographs should be submitted according to the conditions mentioned to the supervisor of the Photography Club in Azaiba or branches of the Omani Society for Fine Arts in the Governorate of Dhofar and Governorate of Al Buraimi not later than Wednesday, 1st June 2011 and will not accept any submissions after this date.

Competition Awards:
First Place: R.O 700
Second Place: R.O 500
Third Place R.O 300
5 Honorable Mention Awards of R.O 100 for the award each

For more information call one of the following:
Photography Club: (968) 24497662
The Omani Society for Fine Arts in the Governorate of Dhofar: (968) 23299691
The Omani Society for Fine Arts in the Governorate of Al Buraimi: (968) 25641444

Best of luck if you decide to participate!

How to lose an employee in ten days…

2011-05-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

We are all familiar with Conan Doyle’s masterpiece “How to make friends and influence people” and the spin offs that followed. The modern-day business sections of book stores are boasting with books promising to motivate, educate and retain the most effective employees. No one seems to write books titled “The jerk’s guide to business ethics” or “101 ways to insult your staff”. Well businessmen out there- do not fear! I have put together a rough guide that can be used to piss off and ultimately lose your most productive and valued employees.

(Disclaimer: All quotes and incidents presented below are non-fictional and have actually been used by an employer to drive away hard working and talented staff. )

The following phases must be said in an intimidating and inferior manner:

Late in the evening after hours of overtime:
• “Why are your eyes so blood shot, are you on drugs?”
• “If you leave work right now, you can never come back”
• “Your legs look good in this skirt”

In an official meeting where minutes are taken:
• “That color of nail polish doesn’t match your clothes”
• “Please send me a rough draft of your menstrual cycle”
• “That rash on your face looks like an STD, you should have it checked”
• “I am like a tree, my branches can bend anyway they want”
• “The women in the company can get a day off for PMS every month”
• “Please bring up my cookies and a glass of milk”
• “Make my meetings and travel dates flexible, my mother might pass away next week”

During a moment of truth:
• “If you don’t lose weight your boyfriend will not want to have sex with you”
• “But what are you going to do if your husband dies tomorrow?”
• “Do you know any Russian women I could meet?”
• “If your husband is travelling for business he is probably cheating on you”
• “Why do you look so tired, did you have a lot of fun with your boyfriend last night?”
• “In a company we are one family, sometimes we will need to go to my house to finish work”
• “Do you have any single friends who can come to the concert with me?”
• “You forget everything! It’s probably because you have young children”
• “Your butterfly tattoo is a symbol of prostitution, clearly”

To an Omani employee:
• “I forbid you to wear a black headscarf- its depressing, the orange one is just more cheerful…you know?”
• “You are fined for not showing up to work the day it rained and all the roads in Mawaleh flooded making it impossible to come to Muscat, it doesn’t matter that you actually live in Mawaleh”
• “You are not allowed to lock the door when you are praying in the kitchen, what if I need a glass of water?”
• “You should shape your eyebrows or no one will marry you”

Should the above phrases not provide immediate results, try the following:
• Ask your employees to pick up your lunch during their lunch break
• Ask for apples/cookies/sandwiches to be given to you at a very specific time everyday
• Sneak up on female employees and make animal sounds
• Call your female employees after 10pm and scold them for not picking up the phone fast enough
• Refer to employees in the company as “the black one, the ugly one or the fat one”
• Freak your employees out by googling things like “Single European women travelling alone”
• Rub your enormous stomach and ask in a sexy voice if you have lost weight this week.
• Insist that employees cannot have two days off because you get bored during the weekends
• Lock your female employee out on purpose while she is on her smocking break (out of good intentions of course! Maybe she will quit!)
• Go into the toilet as soon as your employee is done to make sure they put the toilet seat down

Voila. Do you think these are bizarre? They may be but you have my word for it…they actually work!

Now you are ready to verbally assault and consequently drive away even the most resilient team! Go figure!

The Boss of "Not Fun"

2011-05-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me personally or read this blog often know that I have a little brother who is just 7 years old. We have a 15 year difference between us which of course makes me the adult in this relationship-right? Consequently the latter also gives me the right to dictate, oppress and generally boss him around. Kids are supposed to behave. Adults are supposed to worry, obsess and calculate every possible risk that surrounds the child.

I firmly believe that my brother is utterly spoiled. He is not a brat by any means, he just always gets his way. He even has a shirt that says 'If mommy said no, ask daddy". Did I make my point? The kid owns an IPad for God's sake! Did I make my point now?

Now, I try to spend as much time as possible with him although my work schedule tends to get in the way of this. We go to the cinema, he sleeps over and we even take his dog to the beach sometimes (ok, we did that once, but we will do it again!). I like to think that we generally have fun! I even let him eat ice cream for dinner. I am a fun sister.

He begs to differ. It just so happened that our mom left on a business trip yesterday and she will be away for the next ten days! I took a stand, pointed my finger at that child and said "Listen Ilya, while mom is gone, I am the boss around here". To which he swiftly replied " Ya...the boss of NOT FUN". I was speechless I tell you. Am I really the boss of not fun? Ok, so maybe I did give him a hard time about having pancakes with jam for dinner, and ya I never let him do back flips in the pool and he is certainly not allowed to cycle without a helmet- but that just makes me a sensible adult, right?

I may be just a little obsessive compulsive but in the long run he will benefit from it. I just don't want him to grow up thinking that his sister is a bore...because I can be all sorts of fun!

A few months back the husband and I witnessed a scene that is forever burnt into my brain. We were standing at the counter of Oman Dive Center and a little baby who could not be more than 10 months old was crawling half naked on the floor behind the counter. This kid was everywhere. (She?) got hold of diving equipment, climbed into baskets, ate things off the floor and eventually crawled out of the reception area...right towards the pool. No one was watching this kid. She kept on crawling until she was at the very edge of the pool and that's when I could not take it any longer, I ran to her, picked her up and brought her back to the lady who I assumed was responsible for her. The woman thanked me and calmly said "Don't worry she almost always stops when she crawls to the edge of the pool". Seriously. I was petrified. The husband on the other hand applauded the fact that the child is growing up so freely and can explore and learn on her own and is not "wrapped in an overprotective bubble". Seriously? I cannot emphasize the extent to which I would freak out if our future kids ever get near a pool without proper swimming lessons or a life guard on watch. The fact that Alex applauds Tarzan-like upbringing worries me somewhat.

It also makes me quite certain that when we have kids I will have pictures similar to these to share:

Will I soon be promoted to Mayor of No Fun Land?

Just a little crazy

2011-04-26T01:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever questioned your mental state? Have you ever been utterly convinced that you may be headed for the loony bin? Have you ever felt neurotic or anxious? If you answered yes to any of these questions then maybe you can relate to what I am about to tell you.

A few days before we were due to leave to Dubai I realized I lost my driver’s license. I made plans to issue a new one with the ROP the next morning only to come home and find my license laying in another wallet- a wallet I haven’t used for over a month. I drove without a license for a month. Cursing myself for being a forgetful idiot, I put my license down on the dining table and ten minutes later I was looking for it again. I turned the house upside down and Alex was franticly helping me look for a license I had just a few minutes ago! I found it in the garbage bin. I threw it out together with some scrap paper and a telephone card wrapper when I was cleaning the dining table- except I don’t remember any of this. It was pure luck that I decided to check the dumpster and recover my driver’s license. Mumbling “I need a vacation” I shoved the license back into my wallet.

Fast-forward exactly 5 days.

Returning from our vacation rested and relaxed I went on with my days as usual. I went to work, came home, cooked dinner, watered the plans, watched TV, cleaned up the house and… threw out 100 rials (250USD). Into the garbage bin. Earlier that evening the money was safely enclosed in an envelope with good reason and apparently the envelope was in the way of what-ever-I-was-doing. The next morning all hell broke loose when I could not locate the money. Not bothering to check drawers, wallets or pockets I went straight for the garbage bin. And there it was under apple peels and cigarette buds-my cherished envelope. I would surely remember throwing out such a valuable item you say? Well, no I don’t remember any of it.

I told my parents, Alex and my closest friends about this incident. My mom told me to learn to put things away on the spot, my husband told me to NEVER EVER go near the garbage bin again and C told me to Google my illness. I must admit I now look twice at what I am throwing away but somehow I am convinced that I may require professional help and that this “feeding-the-garbage-bin-monster-my valuable-possessions” scheme are just the beginning of bigger things to come…

Any tips for the crazy lady?

UAE's best kept secrets (from me) revealed...

2011-04-18T03:34:00.000-07:00

1) Crossing through the Sharjah boarder costs only 10 OMR as opposed to the 20 OMR that the Dubai boarder charges. But, it’s not worth it because the total journey then takes close to 6 hours and your butt gets numb and your eyes begin to play tricks on you (especially if you drive after work at night).

2) Pizza can be delivered to your place at 1am and it will actually be hot and taste good! No one will get your order wrong, the delivery dude will not be rude to you and they will include all the toppings and not just those that they randomly selected from the counter.

3) UAE has beautiful people. In hot pants, with monkeys, with baby strollers, on rollerblades, with burgers, in abayas, with Chanel bags, with Chihuahuas or in kinky red shorts. UAE people are gorgeous. A colleague recently referred to it as “a candy store” and yes I know this is very sexist, but it is such a perfect description!

4) Crowds of people are not out there to get me. On the third day I was finally slipping into a mild acceptance of the fact that not everyone is a sexual predator/rapist/stalker (I get that feeling a lot in Oman). Crowds are good. Crowds are fun. Crowds don’t give a crap if you don’t have make up on, if you are standing under the rain and enjoying it, if your husband is feeding you sushi in the middle of the street or if you yell “OMG PEOPLE!” and point at the crowd. Crowd’s don’t give a flying…in the UAE you are average. You are part of the crown and no longer a piece of hot *** that the freaks will drool over.

5) Food tastes insatiably good on the other side of the boarder. I feel like I was under anesthesia up until I arrived to Dubai and had their pizza, burgers, tacos, sushi, noodle soup, Chinese food (Yes, we ate A LOT in Dubai). I could not get enough of the flavors, the variety, the spices and the availability of the palette. I discovered taste buds I never knew I had or perhaps they were dormant up until they were roused by 800 Pizza (cheese, ham, turkey bacon and meat on top of meat).

6) It is possible to spend 9 hours in a mall and you still wouldn’t see it all. Although I am not in particular a shopaholic I felt obliged to visit the BIGGEST MALL IN THE WORLD. It just also happens to have the biggest indoor waterfall and a fantastic aquarium complete with sting rays and sharks. Oh the thrill. Turns out that meeting a 80kg shark nose to nose is not as scary as National Geographic makes it seem.

7) Taxi drivers are not maniacs and can actually be responsible on the road. They will also find your building in the nick of time and use A METER to charge your journey. Seriously! It’s magical. How many of us got into a taxi in Oman having negotiated a price only to get out and pay double because the driver “ bad English no understand two rial”.

8) Their road radars are meanies. It’s not like Oman when you drive on the highway at 140 and think “is this thing on?” oh no. Their super radars are trained to hit your windshield like lightning as soon as you crawl over the 80 m/h limit on the fly over. :(

9) People go for walks. With their dogs. With their monkeys (I swear!). With their girlfriends. With babies. People just stroll around like no man’s business. I have blisters from all the walking. I hated walking with a passion by Saturday. No gym work out could ever measure up to the calories we burned by walking from our parked car to what seemed like another freaking country.

10) The UAE is going through a rapid baby boom. Or maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. There are babies of every age, shape and size on every corner of every street and in every shop of every mall in Dubai. There are even twins. I counted 5 sets of twins in the Emirates mall. Between 11 and 5 pm we encountered particularly cute well behaved cherubs that make me have butterflies in my tummy, but towards the evening every toddler we went past was screaming and kicking so the butterflies went away again. Are we missing a trend here in Oman?

I think we are missing about 100 trends here in Oman...and whilst I enjoy our blissful simple existence here, I cannot help but feel bummed to be back :(

On second thought...

2011-04-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Citizens of Pleasantville

2011-04-03T00:54:00.000-07:00

Today after work I suggest you abandon plans to head home and flop in front of the entertainment box and hurry instead to an art exhibition that showcases young local talants:

And whilst you are feeling uppity and inspirited also check out this funky photography exhibition...

The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do? ~Pablo Picasso

2nd of April- World Autism Awareness Day

2011-03-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

To tell you the truth, I don't know much about autism and I am a little ashamed of my own ignorance. That's why when I saw an advertisement for a walk to raise awareness of autism, I jumped at the opportunity to participate. Since the advertisement offered a limited amount of information I contacted the organizers and a few days later they were kind enough to get back to me with more details.

The walk will begin at Bareeq AlShatti at 4pm and will continue to Al Qurum Park. At the park the organizers plan to host a concert complete with activities for children, food will also be sold at the venue.

On the 2nd of April and exhibition will take place at City Center Qurum where paintings will be sold and fun activities conducted. The money we raise from selling the shirts, food, paintings..etc will go to the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disability which is in AL-Athaibah, as the organizers are trying to contribute in anyway to help them build a new centre.

Najla Al-Futaisi is one of the organizers of the event and she is looking to help many families with children with this disorder who are not aware of its existence.

We can all make-do with contributing to a worthy cause such as this one. Hope to see you join the walk on the 1st of April.

Solving life's mysteries one Snake Gorge at a time

2011-03-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Rocks so hot they burn your hands
Water so cold it makes your teeth chatter
Scenery so epic it takes your breath away

The Snake Gorge in Wadi Bani Awf - ideal for professional rock climbers, tough men and life-long tomboys, adventure seekers and adrenaline junkies. That doesn't sound like you? It doesn't sound like me either. Yet, I spent the entire Friday climbing/walking/crawling over the rocks at The Snake Gorge wondering if it was named so after the giant anacondas that dwelled in the caves. (Ok, so there are no anacondas and there are no caves).

The extravagant trip began at Tourist Village in Rustaq, a jewel we have discovered during one of our previous road trips. The campsite is located about 2 hours away from Muscat, en route to Rustaq and is impossible to miss thanks to a very worn-looking signboard alongside the main road. This lush, green resort comprises of a few huts, a swimming pool and a dining area that’s fantastic for a barbeque dinner. The rates are accessible at 25OMR per hut which is based on double occupancy. The owner of “the second home” Mr. Mohammed is a jolly old man who is pleased with his property and is very welcoming of visitors. The stay was very civilized; we had a table to eat at, a pool to swim in and comfortable beds to rest. Best not to forget that we were in the middle absolutely nowhere so yes there were mosquitoes, frogs, bugs and the whole whoo-ha. I was constantly picking leafs out of my wine and hair and ducking from wasps.

I made sure everyone came well prepared (you know how I love lists!) and for the rest of the evening I was referred to as “The Mom” because I just seemed to have the answers to everyone’s problems: nail files, salt, band aids, Strepsils, nasal spray…well you get the drift. The dinner the guys grilled up was delicious complete with snacks and a ridiculous amount of alcohol. We then spend the rest of the afternoon eating, swimming and chatting until the early hours of the morning.

If you consider a weekend getaway into the interiors, I strongly advise you to check this place out. It even comes with its own guard dog- Max :)

Do: bring your own music, mosquito repellent, food and drinks

Don’t: assume you are in a hotel, pick up your own litter and make your own bed!

The next morning we rose early to the annoying tweeting, no not of a bird- of my best friend’s boyfriend. You see…he is a morning person. But don’t worry he already regrets it. By 8 am he had already cleaned up the campsite, packed all our gear and would have even made the beds if we weren’t sleeping in them. Fighting epic hangovers, we scattered around organizing breakfast, hunted for coffee and finally left for Wadi Bani Awf.

To reach Snake Gorge all you have to do is turn right when leaving the Tourist Camp and keep going straight until you pretty much come to holt because there are two gigantic mountains in front of you. Ok, so I will try to get better directions…but for now, this is all I have :)

Luckily no one told me that the Snake Gorge Trek is about 2 hours long- one way!!! Knowing me, I would have probably not embarked on this treacherous journey if I knew that I had to climb over rocks as big as a Pathfinder. I am glad that we went though, because I have not seen scenery this beautiful anywhere else in Oman. The entire time we made our way in between two steep mountains, amidst fallen rocks and mossy creeks. We would occasionally stop for everyone to catch up, wash our faces in the running rivers as other trekkers walked past us.

I was very eager to find out what mysteries the end of the route held and I was also determined to push myself just a little more each time. Alex kept on telling me that he is very proud of me for walking all the way up, something I have always chickened out of previously! This trek is virtually impossible to do on your own, the entire time I was relying on helping hands to support me up a steep rock or secure me when I was jumping over a cavern. I must admit I was looking out for snakes the entire time but all I found was beetles, frogs, tadpoles and dragonflies (thankfully!).

As pictures are worth a thousand words, I will let you enjoy the rest of the Snake Gorge through these:

Lo and behold at the end of the Snake Gorge there is a pool of freezing cold water that is both murky and inviting. It is a deep pool, one you can even dive into so don’t assume you can walk through.

If you want to embark on this route:

Do: wear comfortable sandals/sneakers, bring your swim suite and sun screen, bring a camera and plenty of drinking water.

Don’t: bring a heavy bag, leave litter behind

Happy trekking!!!

A date for your calendar

2011-03-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

1st of April

For those who: care about the community and enjoy walking for a cause

What: Autism Awareness Walk

Where: Bareeq Al Shatti to Qurum Park

When: 1st of April, 4pm

Why: To support a worthy cause and raise awareness

Did you know ...

Autism now affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys
Autism prevalence figures are growing
More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
There is no medical detection or cure for autism

I strongly urge everyone to participate, bring your friends and families along and make a difference!

You say there is nothing to do in Muscat? I say boo-yaaa

2011-03-20T03:09:00.000-07:00

I am sick, sick, sick of people whining about the lack of entertainment in Muscat. And when I am not sick I am tired. I am sick and tired of the moans, groans, sights, blank expressions and of the whimpering. I would like to argue that the problem does not lie in the lack of activities but rather in the poor coverage and communication of these events to the general public. Look around you, open a newspaper, and check the Events section on Facebook or even call a friend! Every week there are concerts, shows, exhibitions, workshops, garage sales, classes and even educational wine evenings taking place!

I’ve had a culturally diverse couple of weeks. Let me rephrase that, I have been surviving on sugar sticks and red bull the entire month. I have been trotting around town, adoring paintings worth a fortune and even broadening my understanding of Baroque music.

It all started with my eagerness to visit the International Book Fair which was held in the Exhibition Center at the end of February. Rumor has it, we even got on National Television which showed myself, Alex and Cynthia scouting through volumes of Arabic literature in search for transcripts that looked familiar. Since the title of the fair raised my expectations to finding “International” books I was somewhat disappointed at the limited availability of English merchandise. I have nevertheless purchased a very cool book about dinosaurs (for my brother of course), a few Math/French Grade 2 workbooks (also for the little pest) and even treated myself to yet another Paulo Coelho masterpiece which I am enjoying very much. I found their merchandizing to be questionable after I located a “Cocktails 101” guide next to “Nursery Rhymes for Toddles”. But hey maybe that’s just me…

In the first week of March, the Russian Embassy in Oman organized a reception dedicated to International Women’s Day and invited members of the Russian community for a celebration. On this occasion Mrs. Edemskaya (wife to Ambassodor) has addressed her audience with best wishes of prosperity, peace and health. Coincidently this week also saw the commencement of “Maslenitsa” a traditional Russian holiday throughout which bliny (Russian pancakes) are made and offered to family and guests. Keeping in line with tradition the Embassy served Russian pancakes in abundance with a side of sour cream, jam and honey. Mrs. Pavlovna has stressed the importance of keeping native traditions and holidays alive far from home within the fast growing Russian community in Oman.

Just a few days later I found myself in a 45 minute queue to witness the wonder that is Jared Leto. Being the ~~fidgety hyperactive ball of restlessness~~ anxious person that I am, I managed to lose our tickets while waiting in line- thank god they were later returned to us by a very kind woman. Overall, I was generally impressed by magnitude of the event and the quality of the music and it turned out to be a good night (3 buckets of beer later). What was missing nevertheless, is the vibe and the drive you are notoriously supposed to experience at a rock concert- and for that I blame the crowd of 14 year olds who were yelling “Get off the stage, bring Snoop Dog instead”. I mean seriously, bedtime anyone?

On the 12th of March I had the honor of attending the inauguration of “‘Drip, Spill, Spray, and a Touch of Nostalgia’” by Anna Dudchenko. Held at The Hyatt, it was a beautiful event that saw the turnout of a very dedicated crowd. Anna rightfully mentioned that some of the guests have been turning up to every single one of her exhibitions since she first began showcasing her work over 7 years ago. The paintings were breathtaking, vibrant and hypnotizing, my personal favorites were the painting of the winter landscapes- I am guessing nostalgia kicked in.

And then… yesterday evening Mom invited me to join her at the Al Bustan for an Austrian concert. I called up my loyal partner in crime Cynt (her blog is here) and we dressed up in evening dresses and the whole deal. Now, I am not usually a fan of classical/orchestra/flute but I like to venture into the unknown every now and again. The troop was very impressive and the music- well unlike anything I have ever heard before! Ok, and maybe we did run down to the café for a glass (or 5) of wine at the interval- but we profoundly appreciated the opportunity to enrich our cultural spectrum during the concert. Classy event of the year? Tick.

I guess the point I am trying to make here is that there really is a lot going on in the capital. You just have to pick your battles. Do not fret, I will help you along the way and hopefully my next post will highlight upcoming events instead of bringing to your attention those that have already passed.

Empower women...or not. Whatever.

2011-03-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

To spotlight the much needed empowerment of women that The International Women's Day has triggered,I would like to share an article with you. Those of you who are familiar with ~~the hell~~ the experience I have gone through in my recent trip back to Uzbekistan, will not be shocked by the article below. However if you have not read my "I swear off prostitution" plea, please feel free to read it here. Although I have signed the below mentioned documents, at the point my feelings were those of urgency and I wanted nothing more than to get out of Uzbekistan and come back home to Oman. I was ready to sign any paper they put in front of me out of sheer desperation. Did I feel offended that I was forced to even commit to such claims on paper? I definetly did. Now that I read the fine print, I am furious and embarrased over these measures- surely there must be laws and ethics that are being violated here? Lo and behold the brillant measures Uzbekistan is currently taking to minimize prostitution. Apprarently "pinky promise" pretty much convinces the authorities!

Exports of prostitution from Uzbekistan, apparently got such momentum that the local authorities began to require all women aged 18-35 years intending to travel to countries with which the republic has set a visa regime, to give a written undertaking not to engage in prostitution abroad, and do not sell yourself into slavery. Told Fergana became known discouraged attendees from Tashkent OVIRov (service entry and exit, and registration of citizenship - VViOG, former visa department - a department of origin and registration. - Comm. Aut.).

Wanting to find out exactly how the document by the representative of authority, requiring such commitments, the conditions under which Uzbek women are now allowed to leave the sunny republic and that it is necessary to provide for permission to travel abroad, I appealed to the OVIR Yakkasaray district of Tashkent city, and visited the same regional division, where to go citizens of Uzbekistan who have permanent residence in the regions.
I was told that for women was the main is a special letter from her attorney, Kojima may be made by her husband or parents, who said that commit themselves to take and bring the citizen at home, and are also responsible for the appropriateness of its behavior for abroad.
"If a woman has no special invitation from relatives and friends of the country where it is going, and generally there are no invitations - for example, from a place of work, study, and so on - then it must be accompanied by a person. But all this is done formally, she did not have anybody pay for travel and forced to carry with them, they just take responsibility for it ", - explained the employee of the regional OVIR. - "Men and boys are not concerned, this measure only applies to women and girls and is associated with the fight against human trafficking and prostitution" - she added.
In the Local Police Department on a bulletin board where various pieces of legislation are posted, the corresponding decision or order is not, however, all preparing to exit the citizens were aware of this additional measure, introduced in early 2011. On my request to show the demanding obligations of the guarantors document service employee entry and exit have reacted very nervously, saying the order had been lowered from above, its author is unknown to them, and brought to their attention only verbal instructions manual. Perhaps, they suggest, the author is head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, since the document refers to the fight against prostitution.
Sneak employees OVIR understandable: such legislation if it really exists, violates the 28 th article of the Constitution of Uzbekistan, which provides citizens the right to freely enter and exit from the country, that is - does not depend on instructions and orders of any state official.
Meanwhile, it emerged that such a rigid requirement applies, for the most part, women who are not registered in the capital, and in the region. Apparently, the capital of girls and women trust more - are not required to give bail, it is enough to write the most commitment to the following lines: "I, Name, Citizen of Uzbekistan, 19 .. year of birth, apprised of the situation by selling people into slavery and prostitution. Leaving the limits of their state, I undertake not to engage in prostitution, not to sell people and themselves into slavery. "
"Cloudy decree! Did he somehow stop these people? That prostitutes come to its senses and stop selling your body? Such measures need to be addressed differently: to publish articles in the media, conduct interviews in schools, after all, employ women. What do you think they are of a good life to work as prostitutes go? "- Commented on the situation one of the visitors OVIR.
Among the pending passport with stickers permissive entry, allowing for two years to go abroad, I met a few athletes, fighters. They said that faced with a similar ban for several years: "A couple of years ago our female coaches to fight in Thailand in the competition went to work as Visa and Registration Department did not issue them visas. The reason is not officially explained, but hinted that Thailand - the country with the development of sex tourism, and, supposedly, no one is sure whether they go there with good intentions or plan to make money with your body ".
One of our interviewees - a student of the Tashkent University - said in January this year, tried to leave for Dubai on a tourist visa, but could not get permission to travel. "Too faced with these problems. Filed an application, but a refusal. It was necessary to an invitation from relatives or friends. I had to do so. They say that in Muslim countries is off limits: go out of our country, they say, go only to the young prostitutes, and canoes, filling your luggage TVs, computers and other technology "- shared the girl.
With regard to the penalties that will apply to these imaginary or "guide" in the case of foreign Fall women - they are still not reported. Probably, "guarantors, the accompanying" better just to pretend that they know nothing, though, because otherwise they themselves could be accused of pimping or involvement in the sale of sexual slavery.
Number of people going abroad of citizens of Uzbekistan as guest workers is growing every year. It has already become a tradition in which young people who have reached the legal age, go to work in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and other countries where heavy physical labor demand and, by Uzbek standards, well paid. Hopelessness break morale, and the women in the absence of social protection often go to great lengths to feed themselves and their families, some deliberately go to work in the country with a developed sex industry. Those of young women who decide alone or with a girlfriend to go there to relax and see the beauty from thence, upon returning home at risk of being maintainability oblique views and gossip.
The fact that prostitution among people in Uzbekistan in recent years has received an unprecedented scale, suggests carefully skryvaemayakriminalnaya statistics according to which the article for "pimping and brothel organization" (Article 131 of the Penal Code) in 2007 there were 1.202 cases of convictions, and in 2008 -m - 1.316, an increase of 9.5 percent. Is convicted under this heading is many times greater than, for example, for: "Forcing a woman to marry or obstruction of marriage" (Article 136) - 37 cases in 2007, 41 in 2008, " Rape (st.118) - 321 and 365, "sexual intercourse with a person under 16 years" (Article 128) - 197 and 214, respectively.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Staff members of airports in Uzbekistan regularly catch the young women who are serving alone or in little groups in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia. This is confirmed by our interviewee from Yakasarayskogo OVIR: "We have a police department on the first floor, often whole colonies of girls are brought straight from the airport. Track there somehow, catch, but whether this method of struggle - it is difficult to judge. "
I should add that, according to Central Bank of Russia, in 2010 in Uzbekistan only from the Russian Federation was transferred 993 million dollars, in 2009 it amounted to 669 million. Obviously, the country's economy largely rests on the money sent by Uzbek migrant workers. What part of them earn decently, but some - no, we can only guess

www.fergananews.com

I would just like to add:

One is not born a woman, one becomes one

2011-03-08T05:40:00.000-08:00

Happy International Women’s Day!
Celebrated over the last nine decades on the 8th of March, this day commemorates the arrival of Spring and the joy of womanhood.

Grandmothers, mothers, sisters, wives and daughters everywhere are noted for their tenderness, wisdom and unconditional love and forgiveness.

In Russia this holiday is celebrated with a bang- every woman receives flowers, chocolates, presents and cards. It is the one day when you can be blindly certain of a bed-n-breakfast, dinner cooked by yours truly and a bubbly celebration dedicated entirely to yourself.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the role models in my life, the female counterparts who are a constant source of inspiration, energy and wisdom. Women are afraid of mice and of murder, and of very little in between. ~Mignon McLaughlin

Dear Men,

We are over the top, neurotic, obnoxious, demanding and obsessive. We are also the ones you turn to for advice, for a cuddle, for a sympathy hug and for a band aid.

In all honesty, we need to be appreciated a little more. How hard is it to give us chocolate and say that we look pretty? We have so much on our shoulders. It is no coincidental musing that we always know where your car keys are, or where that brown shirt you wore last week can be found or that we remember the birthdays of your grandmother and best friend and even send those birthday cards on your behalf. So many little things go unnoticed and unappreciated. A little more credit please.

Praise us. Celebrate us.

Women really do rule the world. They just haven't figured it out yet. When they do, and they will, we're all in big big trouble. ~Doctor Leon

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

2011-03-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

If I didn’t scout the news headlines and browse local blogs, I would probably have no idea that history is being made in Oman right this moment. Out and about all is as usual, the weekend has come and gone and another working week is now upon us. Many are holding their breath, eager to see what the next few days will bring. Muscat has witnessed peaceful demonstrations throughout last week. A rally was held opposite Majlis Al Shura headquarters a few days ago and then again just yesterday. The demonstrations were noted in all corners of Oman, from Salalah to Sohar, the latest reported today morning in Ibri. Muscat Daily reports that the teachers of Seeb schools have gone on strike with the aim of bringing attention to the much needed reforms in the educational system of The Sultanate. Their demands also include shortening the school day for students, which currently ends at 1:45pm. The Ministry of Education has already met with many of the teachers on strike to attempt to establish better communication channels.

Sohar on the other hand has seen a pleasant turn of events, the city is now calm and peace prevails. The protestors arrested due to violent clashes earlier have now been released and no further outbreaks of hooliganism have occurred. I have seen very gruesome images of burning buildings, trucks and vandalized property- images that did not register with me those that could have occurred in Oman. On Tuesday the 1st of March I was also witness to numerous cars decorated with Omani flags and his Majesty’s images patrolling the Shatti area with their hazard lights on, honking as they made their way through the traffic.

Today morning Times of Oman carried an article that nicely outlines the main demands of the nations:

Protestors in Muscat are demanding:

-Political reforms
-Change in the constitution
-Greater transparency and accountability

Protestors in Sohar and other towns want:

More jobs
Higher Pay
Free housing for the poor
Marriage funds to help young people get married

Flipping through the local newspapers one can come across THOUSANDS of jobs being advertised. The Renaissance Group has announced vacancies for waiters, cleaners, laundry men and etc. Likewise, The Zubair Group has advertised 1,300 vacancies in various sections in response to His Majesty’s promise of establishing 50,000 jobs for job seekers in the Sultanate. ROP has announced jobs for 10,000 citizens, some will be trained prior to joining the forces whilst others will be allocated to the promised 15,000 vacancies within the private sector.

It seems as though the whole country is deeply moved by His Majesty’s assertiveness and the desire to fulfill the demands of his people. Never before have measures been taken so swiftly and effectively to unite a nation by their leader. I can only wish for others to follow in these footsteps.

Muscat caught in the whirlwind

2011-02-28T05:27:00.000-08:00

As of 4 pm this afternoon protestors have gathered in front of Majlis A Shura which is located in front of Muscat International Airport, just 15 minutes from the city center, and only 10 minutes from where I live. These are meant to be peaceful and are due to be in support for the government and against the protests that are happening in Sohar right this instant.

Bad news travels fast and the story has currently reached http://www.google.com/ig and CNN has also carried a very blunt report on the subject.

The highway to Sohar where demonstrations rage has been closed off making it impossible to get in or out by road. Dozens of cars and trucks remain trapped and as a result (see images below) are being violated. Earlier this morning we heard that Bank Muscat in Sohar has also been set on fire and ATM machines have been vandalized. I cannot confirm this right now, but the source is very trusted.

HM Sultan Qaboos is due to give a speech today at 7pm and we are all holding are breath for it. Local newspapers are reporting that up to 8 people have died in the clashes in Sohar and over 50 are currently injured.

Muscat Mutterings is constantly updating on the situation here.

However, I must stress that it remains peaceful in Muscat and we are safe.

A summary of events in Sohar

2011-02-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

Since rumors are circulating at large in Muscat it is somewhat difficult to get the facts straight. Some are saying that protests are due to begin in Muscat and in Nizwa today, others are reporting that the riots have already died down. To be on the safe side I convinced the husband to get some extra grocery shopping done yesterday, to stock up on water and other essentials. It bothers me that a supermarket in Sohar has been targeted so I am making it a point to be safe rather than sorry. Everyone I know has also filled up the tanks of their car as usually in times of a crisis the jams at the petrol stations are a few kilometers long. I must add that so far everything is calm, we are going about our day as usual. What is unusual however are the front page news today of Muscat Daily and Times of Oman, showing gruesome images of enraged crowds and black smoke rising from all directions. Muscat Daily reports that a spokesman of Oman Police confirmed that there were two dead and 35 injured during the day. There are over 56 trucks and dozens of other vehicles trapped at roundabouts unable to get through due to the demonstrations. Tear gas was used by the police in an attempt to break up the crowd who in turn retaliated with rocks.

The spokesman also added that two ROP cars were destroyed by the rioters, but the eyewitnesses place the numbers much higher. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has issued the following directives today:

Sayyid Ali bin Hamoud al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court to move to Sohar to meet the protesters and listen to their demands
The formation of a ministerial committee under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court to come up with suggestions to enhance the jurisdiction of the Shura Court
Steps to be taken to enhance the role of the State Financial Audit with the inclusion of State Council members to reveal malpractices if any, in the administrative apparatus
A monthly grant of RO150 each for Omani jobseekers registered with the Ministry of Manpower until they find jobs
A number of ministers are to be appointed from the Majlis A'Shura starting from the next term
50,000 Omani citizens to be given employment (ONA)

It is indeed a shame that what just recently were peaceful demonstrations have turned into ugly protests involving violence, destruction of private and public property and worst of all- death.My Omani colleagues are greatly bothered by the events taking place in the interiors as many have families located there and commute there frequently.

I sincerely hope that the steps the government is taking will be sufficient to calm the crowd. I must stress the point that no one is calling for HM to step down- his people love him extensively and support the measures he is taking to promote peace within the Sultanate.

For additional posts on these events please refer to Muscat Mutterings, Dhofar Gucci and Hallucinations of a Kitten.

***Updates:
-It appears that the Lulu Hypermarket near the Globe roundabout has been burnt down by protestors. Alongside numerous vehicles, the house of the governor, the police station and other properties. Ya, because nothing says "peaceful change" like a bonfire.
As of now, the Lulu Hypermarket in Muscat has been shut down since yesterday evening.

Pictures taken from a local forum.

Friends back home-please do not worry, we are all safe here in Muscat.

Demonstrations in Sohar

2011-02-27T04:58:00.000-08:00

Just as we have feared we are experiencing some turbulence that echoed back from the recent events of Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and Libya.

There are reports of gatherings and demonstrations in Sohar, which is about 2 hours away from Muscat. It is deeply innerving to be so information deprived as unfortunately the local newspapers have not covered these events extensively. For the time being we are safe. Work is going on as usual and so is life in the city. However everyone is showing great concern over what is happening in Sohar and jokes are being muttered around the office about “going home to pack”. Unfortunately it has been confirmed that at least 2 persons have been killed and about 12 heavily injured.

The mishaps have already been picked up by BBC, German media and Al Jazeera. Local updates can be found on the website of Muscat Mutterings, Dhofar Gucci and Muscat Daily.

Here are a few quotes picked out from various sources covering the events of the last two days:

“A crowd of 500 protesters, demanding democracy and jobs, gathered on Saturday outside a shopping mall in the city of Sohar, barricading vehicles and shoppers.” (Al Jazeera)

"They are at the Globe roundabout blocking traffic." (Al Jazeera)

“My relative are leaving near Sohar r/a & they have heard gunshots & helicopters petroling.

We have heard that some protesters have broken into lulu Hyper (Sohar) & steal some goods & broke the entrance.” (Oman Forum)

“Protesters demanding higher wages, more jobs and an end to corruption disrupted traffic in Salalah and Sohar on Saturday.In Salalah, protesters staged a ‘sitin’ in front of the Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar's Office, setting up three tents and covering the gates of the office with banners that had their demands on them.” (Muscat Daily)

Quite frankly I am a little freaked out and contemplating further means of action.

If you have any updates please feel free to share.

Picture this...

2011-02-22T02:20:00.000-08:00

The Nikon has been lying on the dresser for close to two weeks now, gathering dust and snickering. "Pick me up and go...just go, I know you want to". Its heavy presence nudged at my subconscious every single time I passed it by. Eventually I caved in hoping that it will help to fill the dark hollows. Somewhere deep down something was nudging and scratching with sharp little claws, insisting to be let out. Was that a muse? Have the events of this preposterous month left me drained and in dire need of inspiration? Of course they have and I am a hopeless inspiration junky.

An SOS message went out to the soul sister urging to organize a photo session. “You will lose me to the corporate world FOR-EVA” I said. I needed an outlet. Save me.

She has done so much more than simply let me take yet another profile picture for her. “We are going on a photography trip on Friday, come with us” she cheerfully exclaimed. Sometimes I just have to accept that she knows what is best for me. That is how we ended up in Rustaq, amidst the crowded touristic hot-spots and the peaceful silence the landmarks of that magnitude always seem to carry. I was feeding off all the details; the broken vases, the untamed flowers and even the cracks in the walls. A typical Omani fort, so alike the many others I have already seen, saved me that day.

I don’t think of myself as a photographer and I wouldn’t say I am particularly good at it. But I know that when I take those pictures I ease up. With every click of the camera and every captured image- I feel lighter. It feels like I was holding my breath for a while and I can finally breathe out. Breath. So what if we drove for 2 hours to take pictures of yet another fort. And it doesn’t matter that I almost slipped on a river bank and almost fell head first on a concrete corner. Please also disregard the weight of the camera and the hot day. The outcome is tremendously rewarding.

I will let you be the judge:

Because we all have moments like these:

2011-02-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

♥ I love you blah blah hearts and flowers yadda yadda cupid etc ♥

2011-02-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Although we are still in abundant disbelief to the theft of our Honda and are suffering an identity crisis of immense magnitude- we have each other this Valentine’s Day and it’s all that counts. I have mixed feelings towards Valentine’s Day and although I always pretend not to celebrate it, I end up making a big deal out of it every year.

This is the forth Valentine’s Day we are spending together as a couple and our second one in marriage. We have what I like to call “The love that moves the sun and other stars”. We have been through more challenges and fights than I can dare to count, moved mountains and crossed oceans (quite literally) to get to where are now. In the meantime we are constantly taking deep breaths and finding compromises. Being the proud and strong headed individuals that we are- agreeing on the smallest things is a daily challenge. Against all odds the bigger picture is turning out “picture-perfect” and I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have him as my husband.

So thank you for the small things like making my coffee this morning, taking me out for sushi although you can’t stand the sight of it, for understanding why I need 6 pairs of identical black shoes, for taking the cat to the vet when I was pre-occupied with work, for being patient with me after I come back cranky from a 12 hour shift, for tip toeing around me when you need to wake up at 6 am, for making my brother pancakes when he sleeps over, for helping me find and then figure out the remote control, for watching “Ghost Whisperer” with me and for acknowledging my love for “Lays Salt and Vinegar Chips” and never forgetting to buy them.

And thank you for the universal things that come naturally to you like the respect you show to me and my family, the responsibility that you carry on your shoulders daily, for the eagerness to turn our house into a home and start a family, for having a solid vision of what the future must hold for us, for following your dreams and entwining them with mine, for always putting our family first, for not being afraid of challenges, for reassuring me in times of uncertainty and for tolerating my frequent emotional outbreaks.

I love you and I am so thankful for having you in my life.

Huge support and strange coincidences

2011-02-05T02:42:00.000-08:00

First of all I would like to express my gratitude to Muscat Mutterings and English Girl in Oman for re-posting news about our stolen Honda. They have picked up the story exceptionally fast and hopefully with their help a lot more people will become aware of this barbarous deed.

Being the firm believer in Social Media that I am, I have created a group on Facebook called "Help Find The Stolen Honda XR 650", please feel free to join, support and spread the word.

Meanwhile, Muscat Daily is working on a story to shade some light unto this matter for the public to nibble on sometime this week. We are ever so grateful for their support.

This morning Alex went to the police station yet again and they have claimed that they will be actively searching for the vehicle. We are waiting to receive a copy of the report that they filed so that we can arrange all our insurance documentation.

Here is some food for thought...today morning a colleague showed me this site:

http://avb.s-oman.net/showthread.php?t=1052682

It features a stolen bike which to the untrained eye will appear to be our Honda. But since I know my bikes, I spotted that it was a different model. However, they are both off-road bikes of similar capacities. From what I understood this bike was stolen earlier this year from Mawaleh- why the sudden interest in motocross bikes? Does this only seem strange to me? It's too much of a coincidence. See below:

The bike stolen in Mawaleh earlier this year.

Our Honda XR 650 L

Let's play spot the differences.

No updates on the Honda (yet)

2011-02-04T05:15:00.000-08:00

Although we spend the entire morning at the police station yesterday, and the entire afternoon putting up notices around the area and in all Al Fair's and Sultan Center's of Muscat- we have not heard anything on the whereabouts of our bike yet.

I am trying to spread the word to local media, hopefully the likes of Muscat Daily and Y magazine will extend their support in publishing the story of the theft. I have also contacted the Women's Guild in Oman to see if they could include the notice in their daily newspaper that gets sent to about 1,000 people.

With the help of friends I translated the notice into Arabic and we spent yesterday evening driving around petrol stations and coffee shops in the area and handing out fliers. I must say that the locals have been very supportive, they seem embarresed and shocked at the happenings.

Alex is truly stunned, he is very detached and quite for the past 24hrs. We both agree that it has little to do with the loss as such, the bike is after all insured, but it is about the principal of someone barging into our lives and deciding that something we worked for so very hard- will now become theirs. It infuriates me to think that someone believes that they have the right to help them to other people's property.

If, or when the bike is found- we will make sure they get what they deserve. I may be naive, but I believe that ROP has what it takes to nail these f&!kers. Meanwhile, if anyone knows any places that might sell parts/used vehicles, please let me know- as we are quite eager to check every single option out. A friend suggested we try looking in Nizwa- but where exactly?

The funny thing is...you have to be an advanced technicial to start up this Honda without the key...makes one wonder how many low criminals have those kinds of abilities?

Keep us in your prayers....

MY HUSBANDS BIKE WAS STOLEN TODAY MORNING

2011-02-02T23:41:00.000-08:00

Honda XR 650 L

Plate number: 2842 L K Color: Red

Stolen from 18 November Street

On the 3rd of February 2011

Theft has been reported to the police.

If you have any information about the vehicle pictured above please call:

(968)99748968

(968) 99376399

Information leading to the finding of Honda XR will be rewarded.

Corruption, demolition and prostitution (or how I spent the winter holidays).

2011-02-02T04:23:00.000-08:00

I tried to write this post a few days back, but the words kept on appearing melancholy and somewhat disturbing. So I gave myself a little more time to attain a sense of cheerfulness in order to look back at what’s happened with a sense of humor.

I recently spent 16 long, cold days in Uzbekistan. This unplanned visit was largely to fault on my expiring exit visa which is compulsory for the passport to be a valid travelling document. Us, citizens of this wonderful country have the honor of coming back home-regardless of where on the planet we are, once every two years to obtain this document.
Although I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to see my family and friends, I cannot help feeling cheated and abused by “the system”. To cut a long story short, the paranoia that has spread deep into the roots of “the system” has caused them to take longer to process the documents and interrogate me extensively. To make matters worse, I was forced to write an explanatory letter along the lines of “I promise not to engage in acts of prostitution outside of Uzbekistan…” at which I had to giggle right into the fierce face of the highly authoritative gentleman who at that moment was deciding my fate. I mean, seriously- so as long as I do it in my native land- everyone is happy?

To bring some justice to the matter, I must say that the girls of the nation have immensely screwed up by actively practicing the oldest profession on earth in the UAE. The rest of us common folk, especially females between 16-40 years, now have to be reduced to ridicule by the officials when acquiring an exit visa. Kudos to “the system” for trying to save what little untainted reputation the country but measures taken appear a little extreme and frankly terrifying.

Never before had I felt so trapped and claustrophobic in Tashkent. Knowing that you do not have your documents and cannot travel at your own free will is a nerve wrecking experience. We must have grown accustomed to the freedom and security that living in the Sultanate provides- hey how about going to Qatar this weekend? I know a fantastic Sheesha place in Doha that we could check out.

Three days before I flew back it snowed. Waking up in the morning blinded by the immense white cover of everything in the streets is certainly reviving. I watched carefree children squealing with delight as they drag sledges behind into the blizzard. I put on two jumpers and a hooded winter jacket and went outside to snap away shots of fluffy snowflakes dancing in the air. Amidst the winter wonderland and the warmth of a house I grew up in- for the first time ever Uzbekistan didn’t feel like home.

I realized that I am no longer attached to anything materialistic in Uzbekistan- not the food that I used to love, not the city or the places I longed to visit. If I could I would tear away a handful of people and move them closer to me- ultimately they are the only reason I would ever come back there.

The entire vacation felt like a much needed visit to the dentist. You come in knowing what painful endeavors lay ahead. Occupying the most comfortable seat in the waiting room, you begin flipping through dentistry magazines and occasionally glance at Teletubbies on the TV. You check your watch a few dozen times, make frequent trips to the bathroom and come back to the magazine. Fully aware of the cold sweat breaking out on your forehead you bravely venture towards the excruciating torture once your name is called out, eager to get it over and done with.

-Yup, that’s exactly what my winter holidays felt like.

This time…everything in moderation

2011-01-04T00:45:00.000-08:00

In exactly 6 days time, I will be lying belly up on my grandmother’s sofa, indulging in pleasant nonsense of yet another novel and humming “ I am wicked and I am lazy”. That’s right folks. I am headed home. This isn’t however a vacation that has been carefully planned and budgeted for. (That doesn’t sound like me, does it?). About three weeks ago, it dawned on me that my external visa is expiring in January, and I urgently need to head back to Uzbekistan to have it renewed. Lo and behold, the irrational, inconvenient to say the least, bureaucratically bound laws of Uzbekistan. We, citizens of this humorous land must acquire permission to LEAVE the country. It’s a little nuisance of a sticker that is valid for two years and must get renewed consequently after. Otherwise as it says in big fat bold English (!!!) letters “the passport is not valid for visiting any country of the word”. I might also run into trouble when trying to enter the country with an expired external visa- hence it is just less hassle to go and sort it out immediately.

At first I did not love the thought of leaving for 10 days- it felt like I was being snatched from normality and thrown headfirst into a pile of icy cold surrealism. The idea has however grown on me and I am welcoming the opportunity to go back home and see the family yet again, this time under calmer circumstances. When we last visited in August 2010, the mere 16 days have turned into a remake of Lemony Snicket's : A Series of Unfortunate Events. It was the vacation that will forever be remembered as “ A family reunion, a wedding and a funeral” . This time around I would be most grateful for a dull, uninspiring, conservative visit back home. Nothing has to happen for all I care- I just want to be there. I look forward to going for long walks, visiting my university, having heartwarming conversations with my grandmother, seeing my closest friends and godson and indulging in national cuisine. As they say a traveler seeks adventures and welcomes thrills, a tourist merely goes sightseeing. Well, this time I am the tourist.

As long as I survive the flight back all else is expected to go smoothly. I tend to lose my patience with the local Uzbek airlines and I insist that if any of you ever travel to Uzbekistan- fly via Turkish airlines. That way you will not gain a negative impression of the country- before you even land. However, if arrogant stewardesses, questionable food and rattling planes are your piece of pie you are welcome onboard of Uzbekistan Airlines! (They should hire me as Marketing Director, don’t you reckon?)

Air stewardess: “Lunch?”

Husband: “Yes please, what are my choices?”

Air stewardess: “Well, we have chicken…and…chicken”

Here I must however mention that if it wasn’t for the convenience and the helpful lady working in the representative office in Dubai- I would be walking to Uzbekistan next week! An atrocious travel expectation aside all else looks promising in Cotton Land.

I have recruited an army of thermal clothing, purchased kick ass boots and a majestic amount of Omani dates to take back home. I plan to sleep, read, eat and do absolutely nothing else. At least, that is the initial plan…watch this space…

Dear 2011

2010-12-29T22:55:00.000-08:00

Before we meet I thought it best to give you a crystal clear idea of my expectations. Now, I am done blindly walking into others like you (2010, 2009, 2008…etc) hence from now on we are going to play by my rules. I may come off as ~~excessively~~ a little demanding, but trust me, that is only because I have a gut feeling about you.

I have let your predecessor disappoint me a little, and although we had a fantastic time overall, there were a few hiccups I would gladly do without. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for the fantastic new job, my healthy family or the chance to go back home this year. I am forever thankful for the blessings in disguise and eternally pissed off about the lows. You would agree that when it got bad it got worse wouldn’t you? Hence, I make it your primary responsibility to make sure that during your 12 months reign none of that shit happens again. Don’t look at me like that; you know perfectly well what I am talking about.

My humble demands are perfectly reasonable and I think it is only fair to approach you with a counter request since you know what you can expect from me while you are around. All my strength, weaknesses and ambitions are in the palm of your hand to do with as you see fit. I must admit New Year’s resolutions are as achievable as participating in a triathlon for me, but you have always known that. However for you I am going to make an exception because I trust you to make all the right decisions about the course of events. I am going to make you a deal. *Drumroll* for the first time ever I promise to stick to the resolutions I am about to make, I will bend over backwards to make it work. It will not be a piece of cake but I will do my utmost to uphold my end of the deal. I expect you to do the same shady 2011. Here goes nothing:

1. I resolve to be calmer and more adequate. I will count to ten and bite my tongue, then count to ten again- before replying to anything that makes my blood boil. (However if after counting to ten twice I still haven’t to tell them shove it, they full on deserve it, wouldn’t you agree?)

2. I will make amends with my non-friends and relatives that I ~~fantasize about killing~~ don’t particularly like, I will forgive their faults and accept them as they are with all their issues, flaws and limitations.

3. I resolve to make use of my gym membership, and not only because I like the fact that the treadmill has a funky little TV, I will do it because I care about my health.

4. I resolve to get over my fear of dentists and sort out the 4 wisdom teeth that have been KILLING ME in slow, deliberate, painful agony for the last 2 years (ahem…)

5. I will come around the finishing off the many projects that lie gathering dust in the bottom drawer, the wedding album, the scrap book, the ever growing family tree. I will shoo away procrastination for good (I am not saying that I will never speak to it again, but when it does approach me I will say “shoooo” then we will see how it goes…)

Listed above are issues that I have been avoiding like the plague the last few years, hence please appreciate what an enormous offering I am making here. In return, I don’t ask for the world. There won’t even be anything materialistic on my list (that’s my other list, I can’t publish that on the blog!) I simply want the following from you:

1. This is an important one. Stop taking people out of my life. You know perfectly well how irrationally sensitive I am to death. Wounds like that take decades to heal and your fellow 2010 has done enough damage to me to cause fatal complications. I know this is a little out of your league, but I know you have good connections- just pass the message on.

2. Send a few muses down to make the people in my life a little more appreciative and helpful. Inspire them to be more considerate and gentle. I have been feeling pretty damn unacknowledged this year, and I am seriously considering crossing a few sour individuals out of the party list. But now I can’t do that because of my Resolution # 2… so work something out, will ya?

3. Slow down the rollercoaster. You know I get queasy and shaky during the ride; adrenalin has never been a key ingredient in my dish. Give me a chance to stop and smell the roses. With 2010 it was roses, daffodils, tulips, buttercups, carnations; …really I am ok with just the roses. Give me some time to catch my breath.

4. Bring on hell or high water. Challenge me. Shower me with opportunities. Threaten me with difficulties and sit back and watch me cope. Send masked opportunities my way and trust me to recognize and conquer. Don’t hold anything back, I am a big tough girl- I can take it.

I won’t be greedy. That will be all for now. See, I told you I will ask for absolutely rational terms. Now 2011, put on your big boy pants and make it happen… don’t make me tell 2012 on you.

Best Wishes,

Olga

A belated Merry Christmas to you! (and you!)

2010-12-28T22:56:00.000-08:00

My Christmas tree was up in the first week of December. I had already bought, wrapped and gifted most presents by the 14th. Can you tell I was excited? Christmas is possibly my second favorite day in the year, the first being my birthday :) As an Orthodox Russian I have absolutely no relation to the Catholic Christmas celebrated on the 24th, but because my dad is Catholic, the whole family kind of goes with the flow- and we end up celebrating both Christmases. Fantasic isn't it?

Much like every other year, I have enjoyed causing myself tremendous exhaustion and stress by trying to organize a Christmas gatherings (all-except-turkey inclusive) for my closest friends Initially I planned to spend Christmas with my parents, but they have shamelessly pursued a vacation abroad leaving me and Alex in absolute solitude over ~~(my second most favorite day of the year)~~ Christmas. The warm jittery feeling that comes from spending the holidays surrounded by loved ones was under immediate threat, and I set out to amend the catastrophe by any means.

Luckily, I managed to persuade Yulya to come back to Oman and spend the holidays with us. Now, “persuade” might be a rather strong word, when all I did is ask “how much is the ticket from Kuwait?” A few hours later I had an overly-excited Yulya bombarding my Facebook with flight details, visa inquiries and holiday plans. I thought it was too good to be true. I have over the years trained myself to react mildly to “happiness” just in case it doesn’t last. Because her husband’s resident’s card was expiring and Kuwait has a general problem letting people out of the country- I did not believe they are coming until their plane took off and landed in Muscat on the 22^nd of December.

On this superb occasion I have organized a pre-Christmas/welcome-back-Yulya get together at our place. The simple gathering quickly grew out of proportion and turned into one of the best Christmas celebrations of our lives. There is nothing greater than being surrounded by genuine friends in your own home. However stressful the task of cooking/cleaning up/picking up Yulya at the airport and playing 1950’s perfectionist hostess (all within the span on an hour) was- we did a fantastic job! The table was groaning under numerous salads, pizzas, canapés, appetizers and sandwiches whilst the fridge was bulging with drinks eagerly cooling.

At 7:30pm I could hear her running up the stairs as I stirred yet another dish, she rang the doorbell anxiously and in seconds she was back home. Glowing with excitement, walking to and fro the kitchen- it was like she hasn’t even left. The cat was super excited to have her suitcases to explore, and her husband Dima clicked with Alex like they were good old friends. Friends were quickly arriving and I soon found my sitting room filled with 19 amazing personas, all content and basking in each other’s company. We grinned at each other all evening unable to believe that Christmas wishes do really come true.

Here is a little insight into the preparations of the pre-Christmas-Christmas.

I go a little overboard with Xmas decorations :)

Along the first stages of making deviled eggs for the Xmas table.

High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?

All I want for Christmas is you :)

Behold- my anti-blog

2010-12-27T23:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

Hi there.

I would like to bring to your attention that My Cynthia has started a blog of her own (do I hear Hallelujah?). I am proud to introduce http://www.is-this-serious.blogspot.com/ also known as Olga's anti-blog because of this phrase " If you are looking for motivational quotes, or some cooking tips, you are not in the right place."
It is perhaps the most sarcastic, passionate, angry blog there is about Oman. Now, if you are lucky enough to know Cynthia your current thoughts are "but she is such a sweetheart, how can she write something so angry". Well HA! The joke is on you people. Between the two of us, I am the one who candy-coats, coaxes and generalizes, Cynthia on the other hand will tell it like it is, wrap it in sarcasm and pour chocolate syrup on top just to make it more appealing. So if you are wondering what's there to hate about Oman- give it a read, it will have you laughing in fits with every sentence.

And the hardest part was letting go...(Pt 2)

2010-12-27T23:32:00.000-08:00

When Yulya is upset, she grows strangely quiet. It’s a heartbreaking uncomfortable silence that I had to behold during our long drive from the Marina back home. Thankfully, my parents invited us for lunch at The Turkish House to give Yulya a proper going away meal. Numerous fried Sultan Ibrahims, shrimps and calamari later Yulya came around, cheered up and her primary instinct kicked in- to smoke sheesha. We rolled (indeed the only way to describe it) out of the restaurant to find an odd looking café next to The Turkish House, which looked promising if one wanted to crawl into a dark corner and smoke away their misery. As this was exactly our agenda we headed to the café, found the loneliest table and established base. The entire dialogue during that half an hour consisted of the phrase “I don’t want to go to Kuwait” being repeated over and over again until it faded into the smoke of the sheesha and became nothing but a background noise.

With the plane leaving in just two hours we had to tear ourselves away from the sheer comfort of each other’s company, put on our big girl pants and go to the airport. Silence on the way home. Silence on the way to the airport. Tears at the check-in counter. Long hugs. Awkward glances from strangers. Promises and ambitions voiced over departure announcements. Airports are always heartbreaking. Especially so when you are saying goodbye to an unlikely friend, one in whom you have found a sister, a teacher, a companion and a soul mate- within the span of 5 short days.

Day 5 pt 1. The one with all the DE-NI-AL

2010-11-30T05:48:00.000-08:00

On the 18^th of November, Yulya’s day 4 in Oman she was eager to go to Zouk, unfortunately the rest of the country did not agree with her wish and protested with a 15 km long traffic jam in the Shatti area. One thing was clear, disappointed at not getting the chance to try the infamous “Flaming Lamborghini” in Zouk, Yulya is determined to come back and make up for it. We remained at Park Inn rooftop for rest of the evening, making our way home close to 1 a.m. We had an early night for a change, or maybe we didn’t…I forget. I vaguely remember another house party that lasted till 4 am, but maybe I had imagined that due to my selective amnesia caused by ABSOLUTELY NO SLEEP.

The following morning, on Yulya’s last day in Oman, we had a dolphin watching trip planned. We were feeling strangely energized, or maybe that was the final kick of adrenalin settling in because we knew we only have 10 hours left. We headed to Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, picking my 7 year old brother on the way, as well as a few other people. It so happened that during the National Day holidays, someone was always entertaining a relative or a friend. My Cynthia was escorting her cousin from Lebanon, a friend of mine had her mom come over for a visit, and I had the hot-crazy-mess that also goes by the name of Yulya in these posts. Hence, we all met on the boat. A man by the name of Ameen, endured my calls during the week “we need to add one more person, no sorry 3 more people, wait do you have space for 5?. He was able to get us all on board at a fantastic rate! All 8 of us (ratio of 5:3, Russian and Lebanese respectively) completely took over the spotlight on the yacht, whist calmer and better mannered tourists scattered in far away corners. From past experiences I expected to be violently sea sick on the boat, but I think a hangover and exhaustion was enough for my body to handle, and it decided not to include sea sickness on to the menu that morning.

I struggle to enjoy my time when I have a hyper, cheeky, fearless 7 year old running around the boat, leaning over the bars to “catch the waves”. I was glad when the boat came to a halt once the dolphins were spotted. We were in luck because according to the captain no dolphins were seen in the last 4 days, a fable used to insure the company against outraged tourists if the dolphins indeed decide to detour and not show face- in my opinion. Cruising around for half an hour along with other boats, we saw a team of dolphins race past our boat, playfully fueling our interest until they disappeared under the murky waters. This was our cue to head to a tranquil bay for an hour of snorkeling.

This was Yulya’s first time putting on a snorkeling mask and setting out to explore. I had both her and the 7 year old Nemo to look after, one minute he is there, the next he is gone. Being a fearless daredevil my brother was in the water within minutes, exploring the coral reef and pointing out fish as big as himself to other participants. Half heartedly jumping into the deep blue, I was surprised to find it warmer than I feared it would be, the water was turquoise and the marine life abundant right under my feet. However this was the first time we snorkeled at that specific location, and being quite careless I assumed the sea is a lot deeper than it actually was. Let’s just say that flippers are always a good idea when snorkeling. A few bumps and scrapes later, defeated I stumbled back on board leaving a blood trail all the way to the First Aid Box, I guess Yulya must have followed that trail because she was right behind me a few minutes later in queue for her share of iodine and a bandage.

Yulya was unusually quite during the trip, and no one from the entire party dared to mention her flight that was only 5 hours away. We were deep in denial about her having to go to Kuwait, because for the 4 days that she was in Oman every minute of it felt like it was exactly where she belonged. The girl was thrilled that she could wear knee-long shorts in public, do recreational activities without being stared at and just enjoy herself amongst close friends. If my Happy Place narrows down to Beach A in Sur, Yulya’s must extend to the entire Oman from the peak of Jabal Shams to the depths of the Gulf.

Day 4 pt. 2 The one with My Happy Place

2010-11-28T00:50:00.000-08:00

It seemed that every car in Sur was decorated in red, green and white- the colors of the national flag. Some cars had stripes going across, some had hundreds of stars plastered all over and others had portraits of His Majesty covering the entire back screen. Life in Sur was busy- people were out on the streets- a sight you don't come across often in Muscat. We could not go faster than 40 km/h for fear of yet another child zooming across the road fearlessly on his bike. Closer to Ras Al Hadd, the little villas are replaced by scenes of a bay harboring traditional wooden Dows. Ras Al Hadd is the exact spot where the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman meet. The sea there is very rough, cold and somewhat brutal- nevertheless it is the deepest blue you will ever see. It is also home to four species of nesting sea turtles; the endangered greed, loggerhead and the Olive Ridley turtle as well as the Hawksbill variety. Eager to share with Yulya the breathtaking experience of watching sea turtles nest and their youngsters crawl to the sea, I planned this day well in advance. A month before she arrived I called Ras Al Jinx resort (which provides guided tours at night), but they were already full, my second option was Ras Al Hadd, where I have previously stayed in April. Booking the last two double rooms at the resort, I had then called up every week or so to make sure they were still holding them for me. I have a prejudice distrust when it comes to hotels in the interiors, it is better to be safe than sorry. I also booked us for a tour in Ras Al Jinx, which is the exact location where the sea turtles come to nest.

Just before checking into the hotel, we could not resist stopping for a few shots, these were taken by Yulya:

Ras Al Hadd is a great 3 star property. It is value for money. When you enter the lobby they let you hold fragile little sea turtles in the palm of your hand. They are slimy, green and unbearably cute. The rooms are relatively fresh, always clean and provide the basic comforts. They are also all sea view, can you resist?

By the time we checked in we were starving, and quickly organized a spontaneous supper of potatoes, grilled chicken, fresh salad and sandwiches. Feeling refreshed and to Yulyas screams of "Hurry we are going to miss sunset!!!" we rushed out to the beach, which is a mere 10 minutes walk from the hotel. The moon was already up, and the sun was about to set- a genuine setting for an aspiring photographer. There were many visitors to the beach that eveing, mostly families with children who got too close to the 1 m high waves and had to be dragged back by their parents. With an attempt to shoot an oversized crab, I climbed too far up a rock and got splashed from head to toe by a wave that hit the cliff violentry. The water was freezing cold. We hastily made our way back to the hotel, after calling Ras Al Jinx about 20 times to find out when our tour is. That would probably be my only peeve during the entire trip-Ras Al Jinx is impossible to reach by the phone. It is in my opinion easier to drive the 400 km there and back- more chance of getting your questions answered. As we later found out, tours take place at 9 pm and then again at 3 am. Anxiously driving along the 9 km winding road to Ras Al Jinx, I could not supress the same panic I faced in April. There are absolutely no lights on that road. It is a 15 minute drive into pitch darkness, with the occasional 'Beware of Camels' signs, and foxes running across the road. As per the statistics, over 2,000 tourists flock to the area every month would it hurt them to make the roads a little safer?

Ras Al Jinx is a modern turtle conservation center. I have nothing but praise for their facilities and employees. The groups and tour guides are very organized, they dealt calmly and professionally with the 100 people that gathered in their hall that evening. People from all corners of the world pateienly waited for the tours to start and were divided into 5 separate groups to make their trip a little more enjoyable.

The reason Sur is my Happy Place lies solemnly in Ras Al Jinx Beach A. The 15 minute walk, under the full moon, on the cool sand is equivalent to a jar of Nutella Choccolate or 100 hours of Yoga- if that is how your get your kick. Every whisper echoes off the surrounding rugged mountains, and you cant help but settle down and you can literally feel your thoughts calming. See, I suffer from what Elizabeth Gilbert calls 'monkey mind' -the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit and howl." Hence when I manage to find a cure, to just for a minute or two get the monkeys to settle down and reflect- I am at my best. Sur is the only place that seems to do it for me, away from the noise, away from the errands- it is just me, the beach and the rolling waves. Never mind that there are 100 other people there- I don't feel them.

Once the tour guide comes to a sudden halt, he looks into the distance, flashing his infrared flashlight at his colleague further ahead. He waves him over and we quietly follow. A short wait later, he points out a black dot on the white sand. Some 50 meters ahead, a green sea turtle has emerged to nest- she is now slowly but surely making her way across the beach. The guide gestures for us to sit down, we circle him and watch as he draws on the sand a demonstration of how the turtles choose their nests. I faintly remember that it has something to do with the temperature and the humidity of the sand. He also says that over 30,000 turtles nest on this exact beach every year. However, only 1 or 2 out of thousand baby turtles ever make it to adulthood. At any given time, the mother turtle disposes of 200 eggs, and buries them a meter deep into the ground, digging another "fake nest" nearby to throw off the predators. It is enticing, the details and the processes that nature has so carefully arranged. No matter how saddened we are by the enormous fatalities amongst the sea turtles, the guide shakes his head and says "it is a circle. We must not intrude". He is hopeful to show us baby turtles that night, he takes a few steps into the distance and gestures for us to follow. Suddenly sitting down, he begins to carefully clear the sand away with his hand. Me and Yulya have front row seats. Sitting on our knees on the cold sand, we lean over right into the hole is clearing. I cannot believe my eyes when I see movement under the surface of the sand. A little head emerges, then the front flippers push the body to the surface. A second baby turle follows right after. "Experience" is what our guide refers to when asked how he found the nest to precisely. Somewhere in the crowd, people begin fidgeting. The guide goes over to them to make sense of the excitement. I cautiously stand over the two baby turtles that are still crawling out of their nest, I have an intense urge to pick them up and carry them to the sea but a rude tourist hisses at me when I stretch my arms to them. By the time I pull myself away from the two helpless wonders, everyone is already "ouuing" and " awwing" over the sight of hundrets of baby turtles and their dark silhouettes crawling towards the flashlight of the guide. He walks ahead, leaning the source of light on a rock, and we witness an incredible spectacle- little flippers working hard to make their way to the flashlight. They are silly like that. We are then forced to tear ourselves away from them and let them be. They will now use only their primary instincts to reach water, and not all of them will even get that far. Two hours later, it is already 11:30 pm and the guide urges us to head back, inspired and bewildered we make our way back to the hotel...my happy place has not failed me.

Day 4 part 1. The one before and after the speed bump

2010-11-27T05:59:00.000-08:00

As you can probably conclude the evening of day 3 has ended with "outrageous consumption of alcohol". I believe the party has exhausted itself around sunrise. Unlike them crazy people, I went to bed at a decent hour- just after 4 am. Common sense whispered in a defeated weak voice "must wake up for city tour at 8 am tomorrow" hence gathering what was left of my willpower I crawled out of bed at 7:15 am. We needed to make a move on, and be in Sur around 2 pm that very same day, and we still had the Grand Mosque tour to complete! From past experience of getting "horribly lost" in Sur, I knew that we needed to leave early if we wanted to make it. Around 11 we set out to pick up a friend who was joining us to Sur, lunch boxes packed and camera's charged- we set out on our adventure. I have an ongoing battle (which I am loosing) with the husband's smoking, so we had to stop every half an hour or so, otherwise he threatened to smoke in the car. It was just as well, because Yulya was able to get amazing shots of the views we drove past, such as Wadi Shaab below:

I was eager to make it to Sur before sundown. The four hours of driving ahead were nothing in comparison to slow Chinese torture. The road to Willayat Quriyat is a piece of cake, however it is once you get into the settlement and roundabouts spring up around you, that everything starts to look the same. Luckily, just one wrong turn later ( Yulya "Olga where are you going???") and 3 phone calls to Ras Al Jinx, we were on the right track. I am now like a fish in water when it comes to Sur. I can point out the Sur Beach Hotel, their Badr Samaa Hospital chain and even Al Aijah village- which is your hint if you are turning to Ras Al Hadd. The entire way I was exclaiming "we were here once at night, and so lost, so lost!!!" My favurite sign board in Sur is the one that says "Dear Visitors...there is a tiger ahead" this is particularly terrifying if you are driving there at night, you are as lost as a needle in a stack of hay and your only help is a GPS navigator that shows you driving into the Arabian Gulf. To clear the matter up, there is no tiger. Simply a drawing of a tiger on the side of the mountain. A consoling fact when you are...lost...oh so lost. Once we drove into Sur, I got distracted by a very pretty house on a hill (umm...ya...) and hit a speed bump full on at 100 km/h. I can tell you, the husband was not impressed. I was banned from driving the rest of the way, which was just as well as it gave me a chance to check out more pretty houses with no consequences. I did matter of factly point out a sign and quotes "Sur- 1642 km". Which, if it were true meant that we still had 11 hours of driving ahead of us. I was then banned from both driving and reading signs out loud. It was just not my day...On the brightside being the grounded passenger gave me a great chance to enjoy this:

Day 3. The one with the hangover from hell.

2010-11-27T00:49:00.000-08:00

It is not wise to drink like there is no tomorrow if tomorrow you have to drive 200km to Nizwa. I, the ever designated driver have knowingly abstained from mixing ~~wine-bacardi-baileys-tequila-beer~~ drinks, the same cannot be said for Yulya. "Don't play with someone who can play better" that is what the evening of day 2 has taught me! Raising bright an early, violently knocking on Yulya's door for about half an hour until her highness emerged growling "but we were supposed to wake up at 9", whilst clock said 8- Kuwait time. Making sure everyone was up and running, I dashed out to get some coffee, (see below-the best post-tequila breakfast) and made it back home within half an hour to kick butts out of the door. To grunts and whines, I loaded Alex and Yulya into the car, she sat there without as much as a sigh, quite the whole way. Occasionally she would stir, take our her beloved camera and shoot the scenery around. Then she would quickly succumb to the hangover and grow quite again. Driving to Nizwa is challenging enough without someone constantly remind you that they are going to barf. I was determined to make it to Golden Tulip Hotel, where Nina was waiting for us. Seeing the state we were in, she suggested taking her car instead and heading out to Nizwa Souq and Tanuf. To Yulya's exclamations of "i feel bad, so bad, so bad" we drove on to Nizwa Fort, to find the area deserted except for a few trucks selling goats. The smells of stalls that sold "fresh chicken" did not aid the hangover in the slightest bit. Luckily not all the stores were closed and we managed to sneak a peak at the renowned silverware, pottery and Omani handcrafts. She took some amazing shots for her Project 365- an act worthy of recognition considering how badly she was feeling.

The Nizwa Fort was obviously closed given the Eid Holidays, so we performed our usual routine of posing next to the shut gates and cannons that decorate the entrance. There were very few tourists around, and people in general seemed to be celebrating at home rather than filling the streets of Nizwa. By midday we were mighty hungry and oblivious to the fact that EVERYTHING IS CLOSED DURING EID. Giving up our quest for traditional Omani food, we made our way to the abandoned village of Tanuf, a site of ruins and historical sights. Even the faded mud houses were not a good enough cause for Yulya to get out of the car. We drove on to Tanuf, going off-road with the help of a 4x4 button on Nina's car. Herein my geographical challenge kicks in, and although I know there was a dam and a wadi- I cannot remember the name of the place. However, it was cool, refreshing and gorgeously adorned with greenery of all shapes and sizes. Trekking through the mountains for a mere 10 minutes was enough to realize that we simply cannot go on without food. By then it was already 1pm, our sick tourist was demanding a meal and pictures of mountains tired themselves out (Yulya: "wow, we don't have mountains that are this gorgeous in Kuwait"). Hunger forced us to head to Al Hoota Cave, we knew for certain that they have a decent buffet at just 5 OMR per person. Little did we know that the entire population of Muscat has decided to flock to Al Hoota Cave that day. It was after all an Eid Holiday, but we kept on forgetting that significant detail because we were on a holiday of our own. A plateful of kebab and spaghetti bolognaise later, we stretched out in the outdoor patio of the restaurant, overlooking a scenic mountainous landscape above which thunderstorm clouds gathered. Eager to get back home, but dreading the 2 hour drive we lazily made our way to the car and headed to Golden Tulip Hotel to pick up my companion- the Sunny. We hastily organized the smokers (Nina and Alex) to head back to Muscat in one car, while I had Yulya with me. We talked the whole way down to Muscat, which is a big deal for me- because I am not a talker. Her hangover seemed to be dissapearing by the hour, or maybe it just knew that regardless of it's presence we would still head to Left Bank for cosmopolitans later that evening.

Day 2. The one with all the rules.

2010-11-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

Waking up at 9 am and barging into Yulya's room screaming "its time, according to the schedule we need to start having fun in 20 minutes" was how my day began. The next morning she locked her door. Should I be offended? :) I dragged her sleepy, nevertheless excited, butt out of the house, and drove her straight to Starbucks which is always a good idea after you mix tequila with beer. Yulya was surprised to see "18th November" Street, and nagged me to stop and take pictures of all the "18th November" signboards. We drove through the Ministry Street (this white building is the ministry of this...and that is...umm..something else", through Khuwair and the cozy streets of MQ, driven by an animalistic urge for COFFEE and a brownie, we aimed straight for Starbucks, because you cannot sightsee without caffeine and a cookie. According to my "schedule" we headed out to the Hyatt, picking up another awesome girl on the way, where we lounged on the sunbeds, proud of the little vacation we have arranged for ourselves. Troubling clouds drifted past (Yulya: "We never have clouds in Kuwait" ), a cold breeze blew from the sea (Yulya: "Its much colder in Kuwait") but the water in the pool was pleasantly refreshing for those of us who got 5 hours of sleep. Completely oblivious to the presence of others at the pool, we chatted on, taking pictures to document our "compulsory fun" until an hour later an employee approached us and in a matter-of-fact tone informed us that it is prohibited to take pictures by the pool area. "Since when?" was my first reaction because I have been a member at The Hyatt for 12 years and have never heard anything so ridiculous. Apparently its a newly applied rule, that has been implimented over a month ago, after complaints received the guests in that area. I guess someone couldn't resist snapping a few shots of guests in their binikis- for personal entertainment. However, when you are on a vacation, especially one as short as Yulya's the last thing you want to be told is that you are not allowed to take pictures!

We swiftly made our way out, the Shatti beach was our next destination, we bumped into My Cynthia there and soaked in the sunshine and took pictures until we could take them no more! The rumbling in our stomachs reminded us that lunch is a must, and I took Yulya to my personal favorite- Darcy's. We were joined by Alex and another friend, and our girly lunch troupe quickly grew into a noisy, crowded get together. A club sandwich and a Greek salad later, Yulya began whining about the absolute absence of Sheesha in Muscat. Apparently in Kuwait Sheesha cafes are as ordinarily present as lampposts in Oman, and it is tragic that there is only a selection of places in Muscat that offer Sheesha. To amend this evil-doing we drove on to Tche Tche, where Yulya happily puffed away, bewildered by the scenic views of the Cornish. The girl was already head over heels with Muscat, it was love at first sight. Indulgence, sunshine and good company only added to the quickly growing infatuation.

For a little pampering I took Yulya to "Dr. Fish", a haven for a half hour get away from reality. With its murky light settings, Bryan Adams tunes and starvnig fishies that nibble at your heels- this spa is a must-experience. As three girls sat there, knee deep in an aquarium, giggling with delight- a crowd gathered around us. Various "evil looks" later, the receptionist got the hint and politely asked the viewers to leave us, giving us the must needed peace and quite after such a long and tiring day of "fun".

By 7 pm we were exhausted with doing nothing all day- a feeling that I welcome during a vacation. We carved out half an hour to go home and change, to later make our way into the night.... Unfortunately it was the beginning of Eid and dry spell fell over Muscat, the bars and pubs werent serving any alcohol....just our luck...

Thank god for house parties. Especially ones that have Sheesha.

Day 1. The one with all the tequila

2010-11-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

On the 14th of Nov we drove to the airport in anticipation to pick up Yulya, who was due to fly in from Kuwait for her compulsory Eid fun program. Little did I know that the 45 minutes spend waiting for her to come out of the “Arrivals” gates- were my last peaceful moments that week. Now, this is someone whom I have not seen in two years- at least that’s the excuse I adhered to for not recognizing her until my husband pointed her out to me! Her first acknowledged phrase when we stepped out of the airport was “Why is it so hot here?". And this is November...at 1 am! A few casual phases about weather and humidity, and we headed home. The short 15 minute drive back was evidently enough to win Yulya over. She was quite impressed with how green Muscat is, the holiday decorations running through the highways and the squeaky cleanliness of it all. I learned that Kuwait doesn’t have privatized petrol stations, and that Kuwait City can be driven through within the span of 20 minutes and that the water in the Gulf is smelly and polluted. I grinned with pride for The Sultanate upon hearing this. Once we got home, the husband took her luggage (!!!) up and I got the girl a beer. She immediately began rummaging through her suitcases looking for the presents she brought along. And oh do I like my presents :) Before we knew it, it was 4 am, the conversation was flowing and the beer has been long replaced with tequila. Although we weren’t previously close friends, we clicked and chatted away like schoolgirls during a sleep over. It was comforting to be able to share and immediately recognize that someone else is going through the exact same thing. Knowing someone else shares your joys or peeves is a strangely heartwarming experience. No wonder that friendship is formed when one person says to the other “what you too??? I thought I was the only one!!!”

Compulsory Eid Fun

2010-11-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

Having enjoyed a few consecutive weekends of random outings, get-togethers and partying into the dawn- I am seriously looking forward to the holidays. But not so that I can enjoy snoozing till 11, no on the contrary… I will at my busiest yet!

Luckily I have been able to make use of the PH and take a few days off work, a much needed arrangement as we are having a special guest visit us! A good friend of mine is travelling here from Kuwait- and is eager to explore the Sultanate. Hence from Monday to Friday I will implement the itinerary I have so eagerly worked on over the last week. It includes a fusion of pampering, fine dining, cultural exploring, natural wonders and of course- the best of what “night life” in Oman has to offer.

Being the controlling, obsessive, over the top organized person-that I tend to be in similar situations- I have literally put together an excel sheet of “activities” that we have planned for these 4 days. I call it my “compulsory fun” schedule. I have sent it over for my friend’s approval- she was seriously impressed (or at least made me believe so!). Now, this hectic adventure is going to include everything from Dr. Fish Spa, lounging by the pool at the Hyatt, doing tequila shots in Trader Vicks to gawping at the immense wonders that The Ras Al Had Turtle Resort has to offer. There is of course snorkeling, a trip to Nizwa and a city tour and shopping in the schedule too. Oh did I mention we have only 4 days to do all this?

The husband did not object to anything on the list (especially the dune bashing in Boashar) and did not question my “ability” to survive on the 5 hours of sleep that I have penciled into the excel sheet. Alex knows that I am capable of cramming a month worth of impressions, expressions and experiences into a few dozen hours of holidays. Knowledge gained from our recent annual leave back to Uzbekistan!

Nevertheless, she is arriving in about 36 hrs, and I am eager to make her stay special and unforgettable! I figured to really grasp the cultural essence of Muscat you need to see the following:

• The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (to enjoy a guided tour through the beautiful grounds into the Mosque itself, the only Mosque in Oman open to non-Muslims. The Mosque is also home to the largest Swarovski chandelier in the world.)

• Mutrah Souq- which offers a variety of bargains including frankincense, hand woven pashminas, antique silver jewelry and other gems at affordable prices.

• The Sultans Palace (do I need to explain this one?)

• The Mutrah Cornish (for the gorgeous sights of the port, rugged mountains and turquoise waters)

• Nizwa Fort and Silver Souq (because everyone who visits Oman goes to Nizwa at least once!)

• Ras Al Had Turtle beach ( I was awe struck at the majestic abilities of Mother Nature, and the stages that the gigantic green sea turtles go through to lay their tiny eggs- a must see!)

• Dolphin Watching and Snorkeling (who would miss a chance to see 50+ dolphins leap over 6 meters into the air, all around your yacht? Or swim with a sea turtle over coral reefs?)

Since Kuwait is infamously known to be strict on alcohol availability as well as places to enjoy the latter, one of the main aims of this visit is to catch up on the much needed essencial-20-something-entertainment. I know we all complain of the lack of “night-life” in Oman, we do only have only a handful of places to go to on the weekends- but serious- Kuwait has NOTHING! Dear Friends, let's not take for granted the Tika Puka Puka at Traders, or the Strawberry Mojito at Left Bank! These and many more are to be enjoyed when we are not eating Sushi, taking pictures of hatching baby turtles or when we are getting our toes devoured at Dr. Fish. It may seem that I have gone overboard with the planning, I will admit I have already stocked up on red bulls and chocolate to keep us going, but isn’t going overboard the decent thing to do when you are showing off a country you love to a person who deserves only the very best of what it has to offer?

To end this babble, here is a conversation from Friends (yet again) that I can absolutely relate to this week:

Monica: I need you at the rehearsal dinner tonight at 1800 hours.
Phoebe: Uh huh. Okay. What time is that?
Monica: You don't know military time?
Phoebe: Why, I must have been in missile training the day they taught that.
Monica: Just subtract twelve.
Phoebe: Okay, so... 1800 minus twelve is... one thousand, seven hundred and...
Monica: Six o'clock!

Tomorrow at 1200 hours I will be picking up Yulya at the airport…I hope she knows military time :)

Silence is not always golden

2010-10-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I marvel at some people's ability to ignore and outright suppress global issues such as violence, rape, abuse or bullying. The average citizen would not stand up for a victim, would not defend an elderly person and would think twice before running after a thief. You might exclaim that this is not the case, but I beg to differ. Why else would we call a person a "hero" when he pulls a child out of a burning house or simply helps a blind person cross the road. Isn't this something we would all have done? No, it isn't. It takes character, courage and a massive desire to carry out acts of kindness. Your average bloke wouldn't even let a car switch lanes in front of him.

I know a woman who would stand up to injustice any time of the day, she would voice her opinions and do her utmost to aid a person in need. She has recently sent Y Magazine an article in regards to an issue she felt very strongly about- the abuse of those who cannot stand up for themselves. Children in school buses were throwing stones at a helpless pedestrian, who has no way to voice her complaints and would not get any attention from the authorities. These "passengers" have already caught the attention of publications such as The Week, Muscat Daily and Observer newspaper due to their unsafe behavior in the school buses. However abusing pedestrians with stones- takes this issue to a whole different level. You can read Cynthia's full story and rants here on page 6. Thanks to Y Magazine and Paul for giving this matter the attention it deserves! We could do with more of such stories!

A tale of two cities...

2010-10-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Al Mar'a women's magazine in Oman, asked me to write a story for their feature "My City". I was greatly honored to participate in this project, and spend a few evening in solitude organizing my thoughts for this piece. My biggest challenge was fitting everything I was eager to express into merely 600 words. Well, it will be published at the end of the month- for now enjoy the "raw" cut...

“So where are you from?” is the second question I get asked, right after the new acquaintance finds out my name. “I am from Uzbekistan” I sheepishly reply, making a mental note to carefully pronounce every syllable so that it is not confused with Kazakhstan or Pakistan. A mixture of exclamations and “Oh, The Silk Route, Tashkent, Bukhara, Amir Timur” usually follows this revelation.

Uzbekistan is indeed a country with rich heritage, its ancient urban cultural centers of Bukhara, Chiwa and Samarkand. Although my roots extend deep into Russia and Ukraine, I proudly sport a sincere smile when I hear heartwarming comments about the people of Tashkent and the flourishing development of the country- which I consider home.

A country that is by some associated with the former USSR, the Aral Sea and continuous socio-economic setbacks- I remember with the fondest memories sewed together with gentle smiles, helping hands and delicious meals. Colorful flashbacks of a carefree childhood in the capital-Tashkent, float by in the shape of my grandmother’s house, Uzbek bread, cotton and icy snowflakes.

As a child, I acquired unconditional love for my hometown. I grew patriotic and appreciative of the busy city life in the capital of Uzbekistan; the crowded market places, the seasonal vegetables and fruits; the hotmess of it all. When I was 10 years old my family moved to Oman where I completed my education and remain to this day, eagerly returning to my home town every chance I get and hungrily savoring every moment of my presence there.

Although many parallels can be drawn between Oman and Uzbekistan- climate and nature are not amongst these. Perfectly balanced seasons, from chilly spring showers to snowy winters, and all the goodness in between can be found in Tashkent. Nature’s best is at your fingertips just outside the capital- majestic Tyan Shan Mountain ranges are an attractive base for campers, hikers, skiers and snow boarders from all around the globe. However one does not need to venture far for a glimpse of greenery as the capital is bursting with vibrant plantations, ancient oak trees and carefully land shafted lawns. Fountains and monuments are also found on every corner, designated areas are available for leisure, and parks are well maintained and equipped with rides and attractions for all ages. An evening in the capital never passes uneventfully; a simple walk through the city center will leave an everlasting impression of a modern city with history breathing through every brick and stone.

The sense of “life” in the capital is almost overwhelming and majestic in comparison to Muscat. Ever so modern, yet green and peaceful- Tashkent changes by the minute, eager to catch up with the world; supermarkets, business centers and malls are springing up like mushrooms after rain. During my most recent trip I had trouble recognizing streets and whole areas at a time due to drastic changes in infrastructure.

What has not changed is the atmosphere of utmost hospitability and sincerity. The citizens of Tashkent are still busily buzzing round around crowded streets, jamming sardine-like into busses and metro trains and joyously attending parades and festivals. The aromas of the profound national dish- Palov (similar to the beloved Biryani) continue to surround street cafes and the delicious barbeques of every variety are used to lure pedestrians.

The gentle simplicity of life in Uzbekistan is the key reason for my nostalgia. It remains pure, frugal and unchallenged by the hype of modernizations. Whether it is the lady selling homemade pastries just outside her house or the a group of 5^th graders building a tree house from scratch- life in Tashkent is perfect as it is; scaled down, random and simple in the most wonderful way.

Dating a biker… (before and after marriage)

2010-10-07T01:09:00.000-07:00

We have not gone on a date- in ages. Partially this is because we already spend all our free time together, either at home, or with our families. We grocery shop together, we hang out together, we go for lunch and dinner together- you get it…there is a lot of togetherness. Hence, there was never a real need to make time for some “alone” time. Except this week saw the 4 year milestone of our togetherness, and this called for a celebration of a different caliber. I decided to do something special for Alex on this occasion (or for me, I am not so sure anymore).

The first ever surprise date I ever took him (in 2007) on almost ended in disaster because the suspense that I’ve build up eventually turned into annoyance. He REALLY wanted to know where I am taking him. Luckily I had planned a dinner for us at a German restaurant, complete with a generous flow of house brewed beer, finger-licking dishes and dozens of varieties of meats and poultry. Gausthouse was complete with live tunes in the background, traditional Inn décor and customized waitresses. Let’s just say this place has been a favorite of his-ever since (it might have been those waitresses!). Turns out the wife, has pretty good taste after all . Here is a snap of us, from a few years back at Gausthouse.

In Muscat there remain very few places that we have not already tried and tested. I sincerely wanted to surprise him, take him to a place where he has never been before and get him to experience something new. I am not entirely sure how I have come to the conclusion to take him to a fish spa, but that is what we ended up doing.

Dr. Fish is a spa experience located on the first floor of Bareeq Al Shatti mall, walkable distance from the InterContinental hotel. It is nestled amidst a continuous line of shops, but is not hard to miss due to the massive blue doors with fish images.

I didn’t know what to expect from the evening, as there isn’t much information about the place- except that you get there, soak your feet in water and little fishies swim up to you to munch on your dead skin cells. Somehow, that sounded appealing to me. I thought Alex would it enjoy it too, since he is usually a big fan of all things weird. So throughout the week, I give him little hints like; there will be animals where we are going, no you can’t eat those animals, no we are not going to a pet shop on our date…and no it’s not a circus.

When we arrived for our appointment he was a little stunned, because he definitely did not expect a Spa treatment! He quickly grew fascinated with the aquariums and was the first one of us to soak his feet into a pool of hungry, hyper fish (not piranhas- as I assured him). I genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere at Dr. Fish, a room no bigger than your average sitting room, with sufficient space to place your shoes, bags, wash your feet prior to the treatment, and a staged deck surrounded by 6 separated aquariums. The lights are very dim with a bluish tint, soft gargling music plays in the background and very few customers- the perfect “private” date.

We snuggled on a cushion while soaking our feet, the little Garra Rufas nibbled at our toes, heels and other damaged areas, tickling us unbearably until we got used to the sensations. Although no extensive exfoliation was achieved, my feet did not feel any different than they did prior to the appointment- it is worth going there simply for the experience. There is a tank with slightly bigger fish for those more daring and/or bikers, where you can feel the pinches harder and the fish are more aggressive, especially if you have biker feet. Alex has about 20 fish vacuuming his one toe!!!

All in all, at least in the future we can say “and we went on a date to an all-you-can-eat-dead-skin-cells buffet for fish”, instead of just another dinner and a movie.

Just a thought...or two...

2010-10-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

Whether you blog on a daily basis, or once in a blue moon you undoubtedly find yourself lost for words at one moment or the other. It is during one of these “writer blocks” that I happened upon a website with an acute description of how to be a “successful” blogger. It described my sense of excitement at the birth of my blog, and my current state of floating in limbo not knowing in which direction to lead the. Did I ever set out to be a successful blogger? Not even the tiniest bit. I knew zilch about blogging when I wrote my first lines in 2008. I certainly never imaged that hundreds of people in 19 different countries would find it interesting. I set out to describe my life after marriage…to a biker. Mission accomplished I believe, since the blog gets hits on google though “living with a biker”, “being a bikers wife”, “marrying a biker” and etc. So don’t worry girls, I am a fine example of the fact that it CAN BE DONE (it’s a lot of fun too!).

I don’t aim to be successful neither do I have goals or a clear vision of where this blog is going. And maybe that isn’t such a bad thing. I am enjoying the free style, sharing bits and bobs of my life with all of you. I would love to do more posts on Oman-especially ones that involve the outdoors! I will continue to post pictures of project 365 because I am so damn proud of myself for sticking with it for 142 days now! The tiny amount of time I have I will spend visiting blog of my fellow bloggers in Muscat, they are so few and far in between, so I cling to every post! Hopefully, Happilymarriedtoabiker won’t lose its sense of purpose; you will still frequently receive insights into our chaotic, hilarious and sometimes challenging daily life.

I tremendously enjoy reading simple blogs that describe the ever-day, common occurrences. Blogs that don’t strive to prove a point, or criticize or convert the reader. At the moment I am dedicated to about 5 different blogs which I do my best to check on a daily basis, although I don’t leave comments as often as I should. I seldom feel like what I have to say would be of any interest to the author, although I am always beyond thrilled when friends comment on my posts. It is a huge motivational boost; those leaving the comment don’t have the slightest clue about the amount of encouragement that they convey with every word they leave. So thank you to those who comment, and to those who silently stalk my blog- please don’t be shy.

If you are blogger or are thinking of becoming one and capturing the attention of the world and make pretty millions in the process, do give this short but precise article a read. For others who are enjoying this blog, do let me know what you want to read about…because right now I am lost for words.

Putting together a petition for more hours in the day

2010-10-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been struggling with achieving…anything. I feel pressed for time, all the time. Work has piled up, it got more demanding, challenging but rewarding in the long run. The Eid holidays brought with themselves the beginning of ‘high season ‘at work which in turn means new mountains to climb and less time to climb them. Without nagging or whaling it is hard to explain what I am going through at the moment. I am not one to complain usually, but now I can honestly say that I am down in the dumps. The simple task of working 9 or 10 hour shifts, managing to cook a decent meal at home, keep the house looking like a home, cramming in gym routines and making enough time to see The Family and keeping up with Project 365 and the blog- is damn near impossible these days. Did you notice the absence of any social events on my ‘to do’ list? I did too. Coffee with My Cynthia is a luxury these days, not a casual friendly get together. As a result of my selfless dedication to everyone and everything that needs my attention these days, I have managed to exhaust myself and get THE FLUE that has taken over the entire office, hence for the past two days I have established solid base on the sofa from 7 pm to dozing off time, whilst the husband eats take-away and courts to my whiny flue-inspired needs. I am a horrible sick person, I am worse than a teething 6 months old. I need constant attention, snacks and for all the remote controls in the house to be within arm’s reach of me. My ~~nurse~~ husband is getting quite fed up with me, hence I may soon be left to my own vices, sniffing through my misery and making my own damn hot tea. My stuffy nose and scratchy throat drive me up the wall and the drowsiness and constant need to sleepsleepsleep is a virtue I find most upsetting when I have dinner to cook, a blog post to write and a closet to rearrange. Don’t get me wrong, I still go to work and have even driven myself to mom’s house and the pharmacy once…but I think I am pushing my luck. I have so many ideas and tasks at hand, and so little time to implement these to life that I am seriously considering cloning, or at least giving up sleep for a few days. While I am at it, I may as well download a few ‘project 365’ pictures for you to enjoy. Footnote here: this project commenced on the 20th of May and I have since take a picture a day to document my life for an entire year. Today I am on day 130 (yes I have thought about giving up the project about 89 times already)…

Trekking through Jabal Akhdar.

2010-09-25T03:52:00.000-07:00

In my feeble attempt to get some exercise done and get into the *outdoors* we have planned to a trekking trip to Jabal Akhdar- a gorgeous, popular touristic location of blissful 26 degree weather with cool westbound winds and green pastures. (I am trying not to break out into song here).

I packed a backpack for us complete with RedBull, band aids, caps, water, chips, sunscreen and was crazy excited for a chance to experience a change of scenery in Oman.

As we have recently acquired a kindhearted new friend (who also babysat my fluff ball whilst I was on vacation-bless her), we had an excellent guide and good company in one package. After gasping at the fact that I have not been to Jabal Akhdar during the 12 years that I have lived in Oman, Nina made it her sole mission to make sure that not only do I go there, but receive the ultimate christening of the trekking route- all 10 km of it.

After leaving Muscat at 10:30 in the morning, we made our way towards Nizwa and some 1 ½ hours later began seeking the “Birkat Al Mouz” road sign pointing us to bear right. Quite suddenly the road began to ascend; steep, rocky, mountains appeared from all directions. The promised police post soon immerged where the Suzuki we drove underwent some serious inspections until the authorities were convinced that it is indeed a four wheel drive. Charming her way through the post in perfectly pronounced Arabic, Nina soon sped off through sharp turns and blind bends to our destination.

Arriving at a picturesque lay by, Nina proudly informed us that this is where Princess Diana was known to make a stop and enjoy the view. She was absolutely right in doing so because the canyons and the green steps of Jabal Akhdar were breathtaking and righteously refreshing.

A 5 minute drive from Diana-point is the car park from which the trekking route begins. We were immediately stopped by the inhabitants of the village, and asked to cover our shoulders in order to proceed; purely out of respect for the families that live there. I had a decent t-shirt at hand and Nina covered with a scarf and we were quickly on our way through the village. Scattered on a slope, it is a total of about 15 houses; some made out of mud others of brick- most abandoned or used as barns. I kept asking if this was really the trekking route- because to me it felt like trespassing though somebody’s backyard.

The settlement quickly disappeared into rose gardens, scattered pomegranate trees and walnut orchards. Although the route is slightly overgrown with weeds and wild bushes, it is relative easy to follow. We followed a series of steep stone steps down the mountain making our way according to the flags drawn on the walls which are colorfully present every 30 meters or so. Alex made it a point to pick up every “poisonous” plant that Nina pointed out and examine the remains of a helicopter despite the “trespassers will be shot” signs.

Through the trek route 2 more villages emerged as well as gardens of pomegranates, corn, roses and other mastered agricultures. We did not encounter a lot of locals, mostly kids playing in the ruins and the occasional black cat scaring the crap out of us. The occasional falaj on our path made the jagged route somewhat bearable, the cool mountain water was blissful refreshment once we ran out of Redbull.

At the end of the route we found ourselves on an asphalted route where designated cars usually pick up trekkers. Only our car was at the start of the trek route, which meant another hour of walking alongside the road, a military base, numerous wadis and populated areas. I was hopeful that someone might actually stop and offer us a ride- seeing that it was 3 in the afternoon and we were in obvious need of transportation!

Exhausted but damn proud of ourselves we made it to our car, which was 5 km away from the end of the trekking route. Never has a car seat felt so soft and the AC been so refreshing! Gathering our last strength, we drove to Wadi Habib which Nina insisted we must absolutely see! Amidst a parking lot of tightly crammed vehicles and pomegranate stalls, descended a staircase leading straight to the abandoned village of Wadi Habib. On our next trip we promised ourselves we would journey down and explore- but enough heroic accomplishments for one day!

This was definitely a Friday well spent and I am looking forward to new trekking routes and longer weekends!

On a happier note…

2010-09-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

It is our 2nd Wedding Anniversary Today!

A worthy reason to return the blog which I have shamelessly abandoned since my last post (see below).

I needed a break, some time off but the most viable excuse I have is that I have just not been up for it. I have been drained by the events of the last 3 weeks, because…I went on holiday. We went back home to Uzbekistan and 9 hours later had to attend the funeral of one of my closest friends….but more about that later, because I have just glued back the pieces of myself together and I am not yet ready to pick them apart and Deal.With.It

Back to the anniversary. This day two years ago, we said our “I do’s” and we absolutely still DO! I woke up to an amazing flower bouquet on my night table and the day has just gotten better since! We are going out for a romantic candlelit dinner tonight (aka a date- it’s been a while!) and we are going to sit there, munch on our Mexican feast and enjoy each other’s company!

These two years have flown by in a wink of an eye. So much has happened and so much more has yet to happen. We have established ourselves, we got to know each other better and began to (!!!) compromise and cooperate on areas that were challenging in the past! Was it easy? Not even a little bit. It is challenging and takes a lot of hard work, but as long as you keep your eyes on the prize- it’s all absolutely worth it! Marriage is all about falling in love many times- and always with the same person.

This year, I have failed to get a present for the worst reason possible- work overload. It has been one of those weeks where the morning blends into evening and before I know it, its night and I have yet again failed to come up with a creative solution to the anniversary gift! I may just have to tie a bow around myself this evening… what better gift could there be?

Gone but never forgotten.

2010-08-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, Shavkat, who has struggled to regain his health and strength after the car accident, over 3 weeks ago- has unfortunately and sadly left us today. I have no words to describe the void inside my soul, I feel like I am physically in pain from grief. I have not stopped crying for the last 5-7 hours or so. Everytime I succeed at convincing myself that I am dreaming his brilliant smile floats into my mind- and I break down. I painfully realize that he is gone...forever. He was amazing. This was not someone people spoke gently about, just because he is no longer with us. No. Throughout his life with us, we always admired him and acknowledged it. We told him he was amazing, kind, generous, supportive, loyal and optimistic. He was our sunshine. He was the strongest and most kind person I have ever met. My time with him was short, 4 years of sitting through university lectures, parties, projects, birthdays and now...this. He is so missed and so loved.
I am hurting. I am crying. I am in denial. I want to wake up tomorrow, and I want this to be a bad dream. I feel guilty for enjoying life. I feel guilty for going shopping. For eating. For smiling. I want him to be able to do these things too. I want him back with us.
Everyone says Shavkat is in heaven. He is at peace.

God must have needed some help up there...since he took the best one amongst us so suddenly.

I will never forget you. No one will ever measure up. Rest in peace.

Day 62. Me myself and I

2010-08-18T02:51:00.000-07:00

Ross: What was Monica's nickname when she was a field-hockey goalie?

Joey: Big fat goalie!

Ross: Correct. Rachel claims this is her favorite movie.

Chandler: Dangerous Liaisons.

Ross: Correct. Her actual favorite movie is?

Joey: Weekend at Bernie's.

Ross: Correct. In what part of her body did Monica get a pencil stuck at age 14?

Chandler: Oh! (Whispers an answer in Ross's ear.)

Ross: Ew! No! Her ear!

Remember this episode of Friends? It’s hilarious. The reason I am forcing all of you into a deep nostalgia over the series, is because picture of the day is- Me. See below.

Now, I could never write a blog post about myself. I wouldn’t know what to say (or how to say it). I've been putting off this blog post for 3 days because I realized that describing me- would be pretty damn hard. I would not be honest, to put it frankly. This is where best friends and old Facebook notes come in handy. Have you ever been tagged in a silly game that made you write 25 random facts about yourself? Well I have. These are the answers from about a year ago and a half ago (laugh all you want):

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose up to 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's probably because I want to know more about you.

1) For a long time i hoped someone would finally tag me, and i would get to write 25 random things about myself :)

2) I recently found out that I spend four years of my life studying a subject i have absolutely no interest in-Marketing! Talk about wasting your time :)

3) I have a phenomenal fear of dead things birds/cats/dogs/people. I freak out, panic, freeze in shock... I couldn’t even deal with a pet bird when it died, I got Cynthia to bury it appropriately (throw it in the garbage) when it died.

4) I was a huge Winnie the Pooh fan at age 11. Clock, pillow, poster, book, pen, and calendar- i had everything!

5) I know the characteristics of every zodiac sign by heart. Comes in handy when meeting new people.

6) My mother is a physics teacher; needless to say I did not get any of her genes!

7) I am extremely technologically challenged, the most I can do is change the batteries in the remote.

8) I once fearlessly dissected a hamster, poked his insides and enjoyed it! (All this in biology class, don’t worry)

9) I cannot do mathematics. I got really bad grades in school, and my mom spend a good amount of time listening to Ms.Rosemarry complain about me! The same went on in uni, and I am still not trusted with finding out 20% from $10,000 at work!

10) I spend more than I earn.

11) I insist on watching a scary movie, then hide behind the couch all night, while others enjoy the thrill!

12) I wore braces and glasses when I was 12! It was ridiculous, but then my teeth got straight, I got laser surgery, and I am finally pretty now!

13) I always eat something sour followed by something sweet, and vise versa! I like a balanced diet :)

14) I read every Harry Potter book, about thrice :)

15)..and I am a huge fan of Ice age and Nemo. I know all the quotes and use them daily :)

16) Amongst the things I would never try are skydiving, diving, rollercoaster rides and bungee jumping.

17) WE still didn’t go on a honeymoon :)

18) I've got friends in almost every country of the world! That is the advantage of going to an international school :)

19) I learned French for 6 years and i still cannot say "I need directions"

20) I am secretly a hippy, I like recycling, reusing, saving the nature and etc. (Shame on you BP!)

21) I am not addicted to coffee, cigarettes, shopping or any other destructives pleasures of life

22) I worked as Merchandiser in Mango (the shop) and spend most of my salary on Mango clothes! No fair!

23)I have relatives in 8 different countries : Uzbekistan, Russia, Syria, Dubai, Malaysia, France, Canada, and Oman

24) I am an awesome cook :) It actually relaxes me when I am tired, now you all know why Alex married me :)

25) I have recently become the godmother of an adorable little boy!

P.S - some of the answers above don't apply anymore, the other 98% still do.

However Cynthia also put in her 2c in order to help with this post about me. Because who knows me better than Cynthia? We must have been sisters in a past life or something, seeing her feels like coming home. If we were sisters, or even twins, she was most definitely the evil one, because this is what she reveled about me:

Cynthia's revelations about Olga K:

1. Had every hair color in the book (including orange and peachy blonde)

2. Can eat pizza for breakfast any day

3. Is good at drawing

4. Knows French (I would not trust this one, see 19 above)

5. Used to get drunk off one beer (shame to all Russians)

6. Forgets to feed birds (PETA no worries, she doesn’t keep birds anymore) – see 3 above

7. Can burn off her lip by eating salt and vinegar chips nonstop in large quantities

8. Cannot stick to a detox diet for longer than a few hours

9. Considers salad a meal (wtf?)

10. Has friends all over the worlds and is in touch with them all- which proves she is a good friend

11. Once attempted to make a giant chocolate chip cookie. Note the “attempted part”. She didn’t realize it cannot be eaten as a whole

12. Doesn’t remember making that cookie because she has memory issues

13. Has a system for packing the groceries. God forbid anyone messes with that system

14. Claims she is a cat person, in reality she likes all pets

15. Talks in cartoon quotes. All.the.time “They do this every year!!!”

Now all my cards are out on the table.

If you never visit this blog AGAIN after reading this, I will understand...

Oh! The similaries

2010-08-15T01:14:00.000-07:00

Day 61/Project 365. Disclaimer-I am not stalking...this is research!

                                  Oman                              Uzbekistan

Population                   2,845,000                      27,606,007
Area                           309,550 km                      447,400 km
Religion                       Muslim                             Muslim
Language                 Arabic, English             Uzbek, Russian

The similarities may not just jump at you in the most obvious way possible, but I would like to argue that Oman and Uzbekistan are more alike than different. I am not going to compare histories, battles, rulers or statistics (who am I kidding?). I am simply going to say that the local people of both countries are made of the same mould. Take for example the house below:

This is a view from outside my sitting room window. Every morning as I am having my coffee, I hear their rattling engines and noisy footsteps. An Omani family of about 10-15 people lives there, most of them are children. Small, active, noisy children  Every Friday a bus (and I am not exaggerating) drives them off to visit relatives, or brings their extended family to their doorsteps. There is a grandfather who sits on the steps every afternoon with his cane an yells at the youngsters to be cautious with their football. There are women who scatter around the grounds with bundles of laundry, carpets and containers frequently leaving them outside to wash or to dry. There are proud mothers with their toddlers who come out every morning before the weather gets too hot, and rest the in the comforting shade gossiping away. During festivities the house is lit with lights, alive with crowds of men and filled with delicious aromas that sip into the street.

The given scenario is a déjà vous of a typical day in the life of an Uzbek family that lives in a big house with their extended family. It is also common for children to continue living with parents after they are married, which often results in 3-4 families living together. Women are also always busy with housework; they are friendly and closely knitted. Whole neighborhoods known as “mahallas” are supportive of one another both in festivities and in mourning. The cultures overlap not only due to a shared religion, but because of a general kindness that links these nations. I have time and time again heard that Oman has the most hospitable locals; funny how every expat would say the same thing about Uzbekistan…