Well, I've had my first run-in with the general hospital here in town....(can you guess? Batinah smallish town starting with R....former capital, like most medium sized Omani towns...) I must admit it was better than my experience at the polyclinic, however, surprise rectal exams at 2 AM are never a fun time.
Lots of interesting things go on in developing world hospitals...more to come on that in my book, but for the time being, I need some advice from any of you discerning hospital-goers.
I may have to have my appendix out this weekend (yet another bacteria wrecking havoc on my digestive system) and am wondering if anyone has heard anything particularly positive or negative about the general hospitals here in Oman. Our health insurance won't cover any hospital, but I'd like to know what I'm getting into before the ether kicks in....
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Student Art
After class today I noticed a picture on one of the girls's desks. A little bit of class doodling. It's a pretty good idea of what they aspire to look like...
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Book
Dear Oman Blogosphere and other readers,
I'm going to be posting less often now, (but I'll still be around) unlike our dear friend Muscat Confidential. I've been working on a book about my adventures and misadventures in the Middle East, particularly Oman, and the project is in full swing now. A lot of what I say in my blog I want to put in the book, and I don't want to double write. I'll still post now and then and of course keep reading yours!
I'm going to be posting less often now, (but I'll still be around) unlike our dear friend Muscat Confidential. I've been working on a book about my adventures and misadventures in the Middle East, particularly Oman, and the project is in full swing now. A lot of what I say in my blog I want to put in the book, and I don't want to double write. I'll still post now and then and of course keep reading yours!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Feeling Lost Too...
Everyone who's an expat knows that you feel a little lost now and then. Where do you belong? In your home country? In the last place you lived? Here?
Relationships are both destroyed and strengthened. I have lost touch with many people, but I am convinced that my relationship with my husband couldn't possibly have developed the same depth without extensive and challenging travel together.
So is it a good thing or a bad thing? Should you go home? Does it matter? Are you happy here?
There are so many questions that spin through my (and I would venture to say, most expats' heads) especially when you're feeling down.
ExpatMum got me thinking about these questions again morning over my coffee (as if I needed reminding!) Check out here post here: http://expatmumsilverjeweloman.blogspot.com/2009/11/lost.html
Relationships are both destroyed and strengthened. I have lost touch with many people, but I am convinced that my relationship with my husband couldn't possibly have developed the same depth without extensive and challenging travel together.
So is it a good thing or a bad thing? Should you go home? Does it matter? Are you happy here?
There are so many questions that spin through my (and I would venture to say, most expats' heads) especially when you're feeling down.
ExpatMum got me thinking about these questions again morning over my coffee (as if I needed reminding!) Check out here post here: http://expatmumsilverjeweloman.blogspot.com/2009/11/lost.html
Monday, November 2, 2009
Wrong and Wrong
I don't want to make any enemies here, but I feel compelled to comment on an article that I just read which was linked into "A Learning Muslimah"'s blog.
It praises the place of women in Islamic countries and speaks of the horrors of the life of a Western woman.
I titled this "Wrong and Wrong" because in my opinion, the author (an American Christian woman) is totally wrong about women here in the Arab world, and is also totally wrong about women in America.
She glamorizes, idealizes, paints almost a fantasy life of what she thinks really goes on here, while on the other side she describes an equal but opposite mis-representation of women in America.
There is always more than what meets the eyes. And besides, what is written is not even what meets the eye, if you've actually lived in both places.
Gotta look deeper, babe. That's all I can say.
Read it here:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=%201164545989052&pagename=Zone-English-Family/FYELayout
It praises the place of women in Islamic countries and speaks of the horrors of the life of a Western woman.
I titled this "Wrong and Wrong" because in my opinion, the author (an American Christian woman) is totally wrong about women here in the Arab world, and is also totally wrong about women in America.
She glamorizes, idealizes, paints almost a fantasy life of what she thinks really goes on here, while on the other side she describes an equal but opposite mis-representation of women in America.
There is always more than what meets the eyes. And besides, what is written is not even what meets the eye, if you've actually lived in both places.
Gotta look deeper, babe. That's all I can say.
Read it here:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=%201164545989052&pagename=Zone-English-Family/FYELayout
Sunday, November 1, 2009
10 Truths for the Day
This doesn't really have anything to do with Oman per se, but I think all these things are more important when you're an expat and in a difficult place to live.
1. Be nice to your officemates. Make them coffee. Bring in a treat now and then. It spreads good vibes and it's easy to do.
2. Get up early and at the same time every day. Routine is important. Just get your ass up even if your bed is super comfy.
3. Be pleasant to locals, but if you don't feel like it, politely decline coming over for coffee and Helwa.
4. Get enough sleep.
5. Learn to say "No" to everyone. Saying no politely can be an art. Develop it.
6. Don't feel bad about the little things that keep you sane. Even if it's watching Rachel Ray everyday (dear God...).
7. Eat lots of yogurt. This country does a serious number on your stomach.
8. Don't just sit at home and do nothing (if you live in the boonies I like me). It's hard but even just go for a walk. It helps.
9. Let yourself be miserable sometimes.
10. It's okay if you have to crawl under the covers, hide, and pretend you're in la-la land everyday. Just make sure you make a plan and get up.
1. Be nice to your officemates. Make them coffee. Bring in a treat now and then. It spreads good vibes and it's easy to do.
2. Get up early and at the same time every day. Routine is important. Just get your ass up even if your bed is super comfy.
3. Be pleasant to locals, but if you don't feel like it, politely decline coming over for coffee and Helwa.
4. Get enough sleep.
5. Learn to say "No" to everyone. Saying no politely can be an art. Develop it.
6. Don't feel bad about the little things that keep you sane. Even if it's watching Rachel Ray everyday (dear God...).
7. Eat lots of yogurt. This country does a serious number on your stomach.
8. Don't just sit at home and do nothing (if you live in the boonies I like me). It's hard but even just go for a walk. It helps.
9. Let yourself be miserable sometimes.
10. It's okay if you have to crawl under the covers, hide, and pretend you're in la-la land everyday. Just make sure you make a plan and get up.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Different Children
So we finally found the three miscreant boys who stole from me, and we told them to return it, or we will go to their house (another boy filled us in as to where they live), and if that doesn't work, then we will go to the police. Still trying grassroots up, but I'm seriously loosing interest.
Anyhow....
I had a different sort of interaction with some neighborhood girls yesterday. While we were waiting for the boys to come return the thing with their tails between their legs (which they didn't of course), the doorbell rang. This time it was 5 young girls, between 12 and 5 years old.
They formed a benign semi-circle around me and waited for me to say something. We exchanged the normal greetings...pause.
"What are your names?" I asked
They told me. ...Pause.
"So, how old are all of you?" I kept going.
They told me...Pause. I'm not really sure what to say at this point. I used to think I was really good with kids, but the children here seems to totally throw me off my game.
"Uh, so the weather is really nice now, huh?" I commented. The old default of the weather didn't enthrall them.
Pause... They are still just standing there looking at me, not offering any conversation items.
The call to prayer sounded from the local mosque.
"So, do you speak any English?"
"No," they said. I'm out of conversation topics at this point.
"So, I'm making dinner (a lie) so maybe later, ok?"
"That's fine," the older one said. "We are going to go pray now anyways."
"Do you pray??" piped up the middle girl.
Awkward...given that one, I'm not Muslim and two, that I'm not religious at all really.
"Well, not like you," I offered innocently. Hey, I grew up Catholic and I still think there's lots of great elements to Christianity.
They just look confused at my statement.
"Well, you see, I'm not Muslim," I continued. Am I just digging myself into a hole here? Probably, but I don't want them to think that everyone they like is by default a Muslim, because all good people must be Mulism, right? This is a very common train of thought here.
"You're not?" she asked sort of accusingly.
"No, but there are lots of Muslims in America. But most people there are Christian though," I explained. Note here that in areas like where I live, trying to explain atheism, agnosticism, or even the existence of another religion outside of the big three does not go over well.
"So you're Christian, then?" She asked.
"Yes."
With that they all did a synchronized hair-pin turn and went out the gate.
Oopps???
Oh well...what else do they know to do?
Anyhow....
I had a different sort of interaction with some neighborhood girls yesterday. While we were waiting for the boys to come return the thing with their tails between their legs (which they didn't of course), the doorbell rang. This time it was 5 young girls, between 12 and 5 years old.
They formed a benign semi-circle around me and waited for me to say something. We exchanged the normal greetings...pause.
"What are your names?" I asked
They told me. ...Pause.
"So, how old are all of you?" I kept going.
They told me...Pause. I'm not really sure what to say at this point. I used to think I was really good with kids, but the children here seems to totally throw me off my game.
"Uh, so the weather is really nice now, huh?" I commented. The old default of the weather didn't enthrall them.
Pause... They are still just standing there looking at me, not offering any conversation items.
The call to prayer sounded from the local mosque.
"So, do you speak any English?"
"No," they said. I'm out of conversation topics at this point.
"So, I'm making dinner (a lie) so maybe later, ok?"
"That's fine," the older one said. "We are going to go pray now anyways."
"Do you pray??" piped up the middle girl.
Awkward...given that one, I'm not Muslim and two, that I'm not religious at all really.
"Well, not like you," I offered innocently. Hey, I grew up Catholic and I still think there's lots of great elements to Christianity.
They just look confused at my statement.
"Well, you see, I'm not Muslim," I continued. Am I just digging myself into a hole here? Probably, but I don't want them to think that everyone they like is by default a Muslim, because all good people must be Mulism, right? This is a very common train of thought here.
"You're not?" she asked sort of accusingly.
"No, but there are lots of Muslims in America. But most people there are Christian though," I explained. Note here that in areas like where I live, trying to explain atheism, agnosticism, or even the existence of another religion outside of the big three does not go over well.
"So you're Christian, then?" She asked.
"Yes."
With that they all did a synchronized hair-pin turn and went out the gate.
Oopps???
Oh well...what else do they know to do?
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