So close....

I was almost on track for a new laptop earlier this morning! (She wishes...)

Mine was grinding along as it is prone to do now and it seemed to freeze a lot especially today. So the standard ctrl-alt-del came into play. Next thing I know my screen looks like this:

So I was going through the task manager holding the laptap like a large book, keypad on the left, screen on the right. Quite funny actually, as I had absolutely no idea how this happened. Hubby came in at the right time for me to show him the screen and for me to flash the puppy-dog eyes and plead for a new 'puter. We even got as far as talking about a Netbook.

So I do the 'switch-it-on-and-off-again' trick to no avail. I still had to look at it with my left ear on my left shoulder.

Then it occured to me; did I press anything along with 'ctrl-alt-del'? What's next to it - the left cursor arrow...so I press 'ctrl-alt-[right arrow]'...TA-DAAAAH!

Revelation: 'ctrl-alt-[arrow]' changes the orientation of the screen. WHY you would want to look at it upside-down, I just can't fathom out. But I did have a hilariously childish 5 minutes on the sofa this morning, going through all the direction arrows! Try it! Not sure if it works on Mac, I daren't try, based on my track record with That White Thing in The Corner...

Garden update mid-February

Has anyone grown Aloe Vera from seed?

Red Hibiscus: my favourite flower:

But the mealy bugs love it. I haven't had too many this year though:

It's the grey-white speck directly above my thumb nail.

Canna lilies are settling and new growth is there:



The plant in the pot to the left (Joseph's coat/Parrot Leaf???) in the picture above is spreading, a few leaves broke off and I planted them to see if they would take root. And they have! Yes, they are my Christmas Ponsettias in the pot on the right!)

Our Rosemary plant that we were so excited about seems to not be as happy as we are? Too much water? Too little water? Too hot? We've been using it lots though!

My first Omani rose bloom:

The Kumquats are changing colour on one plant and new flowers are appearing on the other:

Fresh growth on the Orange tree at last:

The fig tree is flourishing; no sign of new figs though :-(

A saunter up a hill, weekend camping, Toad-in-the-hole cake

A saunter up a hill

The Captain is off to Everest Base Camp in April with 3 other guys. So he's been training intensely the last few months. He's been walking and running up a few of the 'hills' nearby and for the first time I went walking with him. Not to his level or speed though! Just a nice husband-and-wife walk... I couldn't help get worried when he put his camel-back on, adjusted his walking boots, set his heart rate monitor and GPS and extended his walking poles...

This is where we were heading...the highest point of course!

Did I mention my neeeeeeeeeew Camera takes black and white photos?!

At the bottom of the steps that appeared randomly halfway up

It was so worth it in the end, the views are always beautiful. I'm glad they still take my breath away.

On the drive back I saw the ruined claybuild watch towers:

Last weekend camping at Sifah beach:

Hubby had made friends with the Omanis that camped next to us. Mohammed on the left of the picture is his new BFF! He gave us loads of fish from their catch and even called hubby on Friday evening asking if he wanted more!

They caught a huge sailfish...it's my favourite fish so I didn't really like to see it there in the boat. BUT this is worth at least 50 OMR to these guys AND it made a good picture.

Once a month I manage to cook a half-decent dinner; February's culinary amazement was Toad in the Hole.  I got a recipe online from Queen Nigella Lawson. She comes to the rescue again. I have never made a good Toad in the Hole...until now. Although it did start to look like a massive cake! Nigella needs to be made a Saint.

Passport Update - I HAVE an identity again!!

Oh, yes...I have a passport...

The service in all fairness was very efficient, in all it took exactly 21 days. It would have taken less time if it wasn't for my inability to read ambiguous questions.

Now to get the visa renewed. A niggling feeling (based on previous experiences) tells me that getting the visa may take longer than getting the passport...


 

Boot Camp - Days 13 - 18

I did wonder how the tone would change throughout these Boot Camp updates...now I see. The enthusiasm is still there...honest...but this and the last post have been summing up more than one day! To be honest it is really good fun and I've enjoyed it and seen the benefits of it. But the daily updates become a little bit difficult when the exercises and routine are the same, pretty much every session. No bad thing, just not great journal material! Although the heel pain was an issue and I'm very pleased to say that has been resolved thanks to these heel inserts.

So, day 13 to 17 much the same. Good fun, getting better results and heel pain diminishing.

Day 18

The unimaginable happened.

I...did...the...0530 session....

We were going camping as early as possible so for me to make all the sessions on the right days, this was the only option. And it wasn't as painful as I thought! It was actually quite refreshing to do something out of my normal and comfortable routine.

So I was up at 0430, left at 0500, arrived in the dark and could barely see where I was going. Whilst we were waiting I fell off the small step near the edge of the beach! How ironic it would be to severely injure myself on the last day and in such a benign way! 

And trying to stretch the thigh muscles in the warm-up was funny...trying to do this in the dark really plays havoc with your sense of balance! Go on, try it with your eyes closed!

I was expecting elite athletes but no, it was a normal, average, varied boot camp personnel. In actual fact it has most attendees than the other groups. We had to divide into 2 groups as a result.

The sun rose, the Fajr prayers were called in the background...it was actually a really enjoyable hour. Very peaceful and focussed. I may be tempted to do this session a few times on the next BC I do...but I really don't know how they do it for 18 sessions! Those that do aswell as the instructors are incredibly dedicated.

We did the week 6 test and I am so happy with my performance...reminding myself why I chose to do BC. It wasn't about losing weight but getting fit. My body measurements have barely changed actually (either no or minimal gain/loss; although I did lose 4cm off my hips!)but it's the fitness level that has definitely gone up:

Having done stats at school I will now present the improvement in percentages!

Beach run:           25% increase
Push up:              40% increase
Sit up:                  31.6 % increase
Burpees:              19% increase
Mountain climb: 55% increase

I'm down for the April boot camp...can't wait already!

Well, that was a first...

...and judging by my research, we have gotten away lightly since we have been here.

We've just got back from a lovely weekend away and were ready to settle down with a cup of tea. Next thing we know the front door opens and there is a Muslimah standing in the doorway!! Door bell NOT rung, door NOT knocked!

She talks to the Captain and he calls me to join in and figure out what is being said. I understand Allah Khareem, daughter and khamsa...the penny drops...especially when she says in clear English with the universal money sign of rubbing her fingers and thumb together, "I need money". Oh...cr*p. What do we do??

She was a very pretty young woman in a simple abaya and hijab, nothing to suggest she was needy and in need of charity...should have raised alarm bells...but then I look around the door and there is a gorgeous little girl, probably no older than 2 years old.

We were so stunned that someone had actually come to our door that we gave her some money. I had gone back in to the living room to call my neighbour to see what she had done...she hadn't reached that side of the square...and the lady on the porch called out to say thank-you to me. And left, got on her mobile and then carried on. I only saw her call on one other house.

What would have she done if we were still upstairs unpacking? Or I was bathing the kids?

Newspapers advise you not to give money to the beggars in the car park - easy to do when it's not your space and you are in a public place. But when it is my own home and a stranger actually comes through the door uninvited makes us feel very uncomfortable. I am annoyed that we were put in a situation in our own home, in which we felt pressured into giving over money. What will she do if we say no? What is she going to do now that we have said yes?  Is she going to tell her friends that the the naive expats in that house over there will give them money...?

I've asked hubby to talk to his Omani colleagues just to find out what is the done thing to do. Although I feel I know the answer as I've been on the internet this evening; I have never heard of door to door beggars and am rather shocked to read that it is a regular occurrence; everyone had a story to tell.

School Field Trip

The Captain and I helped out today on Bear's school field trip to Wadi Fanja. She's in year 2 (Grade 1) and it was a geology and fossil hunting trip. We were so excited! Geology and fossils are our thing in this family.  I had this vision of the teachers trying to keep the Mitchells in check as they wander off along the wadi or up the hill!

We had a group of 4 children each and went through the questions listed and talked about the formation and types of rocks evident in the area. It's a great thing to hear little children talk knowledgeable about igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.

It was also amazing to see the range of ability in this one class, from the kids who copy others work and really have no interest in what's around them to those who could articulate their answer and were writing in more than one full sentence in joined-up writing.

Hubby has limited patience when it comes to dealing with more than 2 children at a time so it was fun and quite lovely to see him keep his group in tow! (He would make a great teacher...apart from the patience!) Well, not so much the group but the one boy who absolutely needed to run off and get that 27th rock and put it in his backpack!

Quote of the day heard by the Captain: One of Bear's friends runs up to him and says " Look! Look what I've found! It's igneous rock!....Or it could be dog poo......"

We found nummulites in another location near Al Khoud.

I read that there are fossilised stromatolites near Al Khoud too as well as other parts of Oman.

'The earliest fossils known in Oman are of stromatolites from Mukhadba near Duqm (570 million years ago). Stromatolites are dome-shaped or pillar-like structures built by primitive single celled algae which secrete calcite and trap sedimentary particles.'

So that's my next plan to try and find these.
[when I've found or taken a picture of these, I'll post it!]

So well done Mrs. K. and Mrs. H - this was a brilliant trip (I'm a little biased admittedly, I love this subject)...what better way for them to learn and study than out there in the field.


Post-edit: here is a picture of Bear the evening after her field trip...reading the core text from my University days. Those of you who don't know her, she is  actually reading it properly! (She was reading at 4 years old...never ceases to amaze me...)