UK trip update

So we've been back in the UK for nearly two weeks!

One of the things that I notice being back here is the reaction of people when I ask them how they are. One of the Costa baristas responded and returned the question, most others look blankly at me and think I’m That Special Person that every town has. Ha ha, I don’t mind! It’s been rather nice to see the faces of the counter staff light up because someone has stopped and asked how they are before getting down to ordering a coffee or paying for the shopping. That’s one thing I’ve gained from Oman for sure.

I’m reading ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ by Mitch Albom at the moment which has prompted a few maybe not revelations, but contemplations certainly. Staying on the subject of a cheerful greeting, Albom writes when greeted by his old lecturer so happily every week, “how much better would people get along if their first encounter each day were like this – instead of a grumble from a waitress, bus driver or a boss?” referring to how Morrie would really greet someone and listen “as if you were the only person in the world”. I plan to carry on greeting like this…but I wonder how long it’ll take for me to resume my typically British manner and grumble a ‘hello’ if anything at all!

Weather- it has varied between rain, 14C and partly cloudy and 24C (relatively cool but it was humid!). I wonder how Mimi, (Shy Rebellious Arab Chick LINK, not my sister!) is getting on! I haven’t been on the internet for so long that I can’t even check in to see how she is faring in the UK (she is here from Oman).

EBC Day 10

PLAN: Chola Pass (elevation 5335 metres) and Dzongla (4843 metres); walk approximately 6-7 hours.

Another early start to take advantage of the stable early morning weather pattern in the Himalyas. It takes about 3-4 hours depending on the weather conditions to reach the saddle of the Pass. They'll have time on the trip here to stop and take everything in. The guide sees this point as a special highlight of the trip with the peaks rising above them.

"Words fail to describe the beauty of Nature and sense of achievement to be on the Pass"

EBC Day 2 + amendment

Flight to Lukla (2600 metres); trek to Phakding; walk approximately 3 hours.

It looks like an early start for the boys. They’ll head off to the STOL airport (short take off and landing – see the video link from yesterday!) of Lukla. It takes 45 minutes and is described as a thrilling mountain flight…I can think of a few more descriptive words! I’m not sure I’d take a breath for the last 10 minutes!

The airstrip at Lukla was built by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. It was renamed in 2008 to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in recognition for their efforts in reaching the summit of Everest and also for their assistance in building the airport. The pair was also involved in building schools and hospitals for the local Sherpa people. I’m surprised it wasn’t renamed this earlier on…

‘There are daily flights between Lukla and Kathmandu during daylight hours with good weather. Although the flying distance is short, it can easily be raining in Lukla while the sun is shining brightly in Kathmandu. High Winds, cloud cover and changing visibility often mean flights can be delayed or the airport closed completely.’

From Lukla, they will trek downhill towards the Dudh Koshi (milky river), a river that flows from the highest mountains. It is a fairly easy and well-marked route and passes through the potato and wheat fields. They’ll reach the vicinity of Phakding after passing through traditional villages, and then spend their first night stay at the Lodge.

On the way they’ll pass many ‘Mani Walls’, many stone tablets that all have the Buddhist chant on them; ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’. All the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum can not really be translated into a simple phrase or sentence but is considered generally to ‘mean’ Hail to the jewel on the lotus’.

POST EDIT: Update from Mrs. Kiwi: The trek took them 3.5 hours; they passed porters who were carrying 120kg bags of rice; most others carried 20kgs; the hotel was nicer than expected and they all seem very happy with everything!

Nepal, Country and Climate

(Info taken from visitnepal.com and bbc.co.uk/weather)

http://www.visitnepal.com/travelers_guide/when_to_come.php and http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/country_guides/newsid_9384000/9384185.stm

This small, landlocked, mountainous country lies on the southern side of the Himalayan Mountains between Tibet (an autonomous region of China) to the north, and India to the west, south, and east. It includes within, or along its northern border, some of the highest mountains in the world; Everest rises to 8,848 m/29,028 ft. The country is only between 160 km/100 mi and 240 km/150 mi wide from north to south, and in this distance the altitude decreases from the high Himalayan peaks to the lowlands of the Terai region of northern India. So in Nepal a range of climatic conditions from tropical forest or jungle to the permanent snowfields and glaciers of the Himalayas.

The weather and climate are controlled by the same general features as those described for India: the seasonal alternation of the monsoon winds. The main rainy season in Nepal is from late June to September. This is a period of warm to hot temperatures, much cloud, and frequent heavy rain. At this time sunshine averages only two to three hours a day. During the rest of the year the weather is much more settled and pleasant. The days are mild or even warm, except on the higher mountains, and sunshine averages from six to nine hours a day.
Apart from some danger of flooding during the heaviest rains, the climate of Nepal is rarely hazardous and for much of the year is very pleasant.
Seasons
Nepal has four climatic seasons.
Spring (between March – May): The temperature is mildly warm in low lands while moderate in higher altitudes with plenty of opportunities to have tryst with the mountain views. It is also the time for flowers to blossom and the colourful national flower of Nepal – rhododendron sweeps the mountainside.
Summer (between June – August): This is also the monsoon season in Nepal. The weather is hot and wet at times. It rains almost everyday with occasional thunderstorms in the evening. The rain spreads the pleasantness around with lush green vegetation.

Autumn (between September – November): This is the best tourist season in Nepal with the summer gone by and the winter to set in. The weather is highly pleasant so are the mountain views. This is the peak season for trekking as mountain views are guaranteed so better book your flight in advance. This is also the season of festivities as Nepal celebrates the biggest Hindu festivals Dashain followed by Tihar.

Winter (between December – February): The weather is cool and the sky is clear with occasional snowfalls at higher elevations. This season is good for trekking in lower elevations. The morning and night is cold and the days are warm when sunny.

Temperature & rainfall
Nepal is the country of extremes. The low-land plains of the Terai can have tropical temperatures and also the mosquitoes. The Himalayas can get to sub-zero temperatures, but the sun blaze can bring some warmth during the day, even in the mountains. The temperature of Kathmandu goes below 1 Degree Celsius (34 Degree Fahrenheit) in winter and rises to an average of 25 Degree Celsius (77 Degree Fahrenheit) in summer.


The average temperature in Kathmandu during the four seasons:


* Spring season ranges between 16-23 Degree Celsius (61-73 Degree Fahrenheit)
 * Summer season ranges between 23-25 Degree Celsius (73-77 Degree Fahrenheit)
* Autumn season ranges between 15-24 Degree Celsius (59-75 Degree Fahrenheit)
* Winter season ranges between 9-12 Degree Celsius (48-54 Degree Fahrenheit)


During the rainy monsoon season between June to August, it rains to an average between 200-375 millimeters in Kathmandu. There is occasional rainfall during the other seasons too. In an average, 1300 millimeters of rain falls in Kathmandu every year.


Travel Tips: Monsoon in Nepal is not the typical monsoon of Asia. Rains usually occur during the night-time leaving the sky clean and clear by the morning making the Himalayan view even more dramatic. Some parts of the Himalayas in Manang, Mustang and Dolpo are in rain-shadow areas; the mountains are high enough to block the clouds. Tibet's high travel season also corresponds to Nepal's monsoon.


As an aside, this is an interesting article, if you're interested in climate change:
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/01/04/nepal-has-11-hour-blackouts-as-climate-change-dries-up-its-rivers


Tomorrow is Day 3...now comes the hard work! A 5-6 hour trek to Namche Bazaar (3440 metre elevation).

Illness and weather....

It seems to have been a while since I wrote. It’s been a funny week or so…a wicked flu bug caught the Captain and it was Migraine Time for me. The worst one I’ve had for a few months. Quite a scary one actually, I couldn’t even think how to get the kids ready for school, let alone physically carry it out. I couldn’t focus on many things and definitely not the computer!

The trouble with not writing for a while is that I now have lots to write about. Which is no bad thing, I guess! I’ll just condense it in to a few sections so as to avoid you glazing over and skim-reading! :-p
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“There’s nothing quite like a summer’s day…

and today is nothing like a summer’s day!” That was always my favourite quote from my weather days!

So, I know I stated I would never write a topical blog as this was for the benefit of my friends and family…however, I couldn’t NOT comment a little on the peculiar goings on in the BBC Weather Centre at the moment.

It all started when I was forwarded a link to a job advertisement which happened to be for the job I used to do back in the day. So I joked that I would apply for it and maybe commute from Muscat to the UK! The Other Mrs. Mitchell told me not to and to just keep living the dream! I, of course, like this idea more!

I digress. On a serious side now, the job has become vacant due to one the presenters ‘being snapped up’ by national television. Good luck to her, it’s a super opportunity.

It seems that three of the BBC’s national weather presenters have been pushed to behind the scenes. All male. All excellent meteorologists and, just as important, all fantastic people. So of course, rumour is that glamour is the word – it’s going to be all about what they look like, not what they know. It could be that the future of weather on television (in the UK) will be made up of trained presenters, not specialists with the ability to understand the science and reasoning behind what they are talking about. I always thought that weather presenting was not an area of media presentation that can be scripted and it’s more than just telling a story. I think all this could have started with the ‘new’ graphics for instance, that were introduced back in 2005. Bulletins were pre-made and it was the presenter’s job to just add a few more charts and then tell the story. A former weather centre chief hits the nail on the head: “Whereas forecasters previously used their own experience to take information from the [scientific forecast] model, they now had to talk through what was on screen”. This will be easy for non-meteorologists. Probably cheaper too.

But if glamour is the key-word here, why have other national weather presenters, this time female, been moved aside? So this might explain the paring-down and the cost-cutting. And yet recruitment is taking place in my neck of the woods. Obviously budget reduction (if this is the case) does not have to be mirrored regionally. It’s all a bit odd...

BUT just to be seen as taking into account both sides, here’s the Met Office’s statement: “Our new contract requires us to deliver continued high standards of accuracy and consistency within revised affordability levels. To achieve this we have employed a fair and open process to change staff roles within the BBC weather centre.”

All that aside, these BBC weather presenters were re-interviewed for their broadcasting roles. However, they were told that would not be allowed back on air as their ‘team leadership' skills failed to impress. SO…..they will become 'weather duty managers'. Isn’t this team leadership? In my opinion and experience, if meteorology is their passion and what they have been doing for all this time, then being shoved behind the scenes in a production role seems to be quite a slap in the face… Then again, it’s a slap in the face also if being in front of a TV camera is their thing. Good luck to them, they will be missed I’m sure.

It might be of interest to someone....

I didn't think I had much to write about! But here I am again! Not bad when you put your mind to it! Off goes the televsion, music on (Mumford and Sons tonight) and there we go. I wonder how long this will last! This will probably be it for the week! I've got my neighbours worried I might divulge some of their antics! [snigger] You know who you are!

YAY!! Mama and Daddy Books are about to book to come and see us next year! Along with a couple of sets of friends coming over it's going to be a lovely spring! We decided that we were travelling so much 09/10, we really missed spending the best time of the year in Oman. But I guess it was the first full year we have been here so felt we needed to go back.

So we're in autumn now and I can start to see the weather is changing. The temperature is a little more comfortable (not by much though, humidity still gets me...and my hair) but you can really see the difference over the mountains. They're not set in a permanent dust haze, they're looking really clear and magnificent! They are the first impression I had of this country as we flew into Muscat International in November '08 so are really special. As much as I love being near the beach and the sea, there is something quite humbling driving through the mountains.

And as many of you know I like to think of weather/geography as my speciality. Although I seemed to have had most of my memory wiped by Motherhood...Husband probably knows more than I do, in fact, I'm sure he does. About everything. But hey, that doesn't stop a Spotter spotting, does it?!

So anybody want to get to know the climate here? Anyone interested? Oh, please don't go! COME BACK!!! OK, just humour me and it'll all be over in a few minutes!

Muscat, Oman

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Month	Average Sunlight (hours)	Temperature				Discomfort from heat and humidity	Relative humidity		Average Precipitation (mm)	Wet Days (+0.25 mm)
		Average		Record
		Min	Max	Min	Max		am	pm
Jan	9	19	25	11	31	Medium	72	71	28	2
Feb	10	19	25	12	32	Medium	73	73	18	1
March	9	22	28	17	42	Medium	71	70	10	1
April	11	26	32	19	41	High	64	68	10	1
May	12	30	37	24	44	Extreme	58	60	0	0
June	12	31	38	26	47	Dangerous	72	72	3	0
July	9	31	36	25	45	Extreme	77	77	0	0
Aug	10	29	33	24	42	Extreme	82	80	0	0
Sept	11	28	34	23	42	Extreme	75	77	0	0
Oct	10	27	34	21	41	Extreme	69	74	3	0
Nov	10	23	30	17	36	High	69	72	10	1
Dec	9	20	20	16	33	-	70	71	18	2

Note the 'Dangerous' level of discomfort from heat and humididty in June! So we're not being rude when we say don't visit during the summer! And although the record in the summer has been recorded at 47, this is probably the offical recording. Husband and I can vouch that it reached at least 50C last summer.

At this time and in the spring, we can never say what the weather will do day to day because it is usually a battle of the desert wind and the sea wind - think of the country's location and situation. So when the desert wind takes over, the temperature shoots up but it is a dry heat and is actually bearable. When the sea wind takes over the humidity increases as the water content in the air has increased. That's why you'd see more in the way of clouds on a humid day. Needless to say, it can feel very unpleasant.

The northern part of Oman consists of the Jebel Akhdar, a mountain range rising to just over 3,000 m/10,000 ft. The annual rainfall on the higher parts of the Jebel Akhdar probably exceeds 400 mm/20 in. In the rest of Oman the annual rainfall is below 125 mm/5 in except in the hills of Dhofar in the extreme south.

Along the south coast the cloudy rainy season is between June and September, but in the Jebel Akhdar and in the lowlands of the north rain may fall at any time of the year. Very occasionally a tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea brings a spell of very wet, windy weather to the coast of Oman and this may cause damage through wind and flood. Google Gonu and Phet!

Temperatures and humidity are high throughout the year on the coast and the period May to September is the hottest and most unpleasant season. Temperatures rise even higher inland towards the Rub' al Khali, but here humidity is lower so that the high temperatures are more tolerable and the nights are cooler.

The following bar chart for Muscat, Oman shows the years average weather condition readings covering rain, average maximum daily temperature and average minimum temperature.

All the above info is courtesy of the Beeb weather site. Although I wouldn't trust them. They have had all sorts working for that department ;-)

There you go! Painless, huh? HUH??? Am I really that boring...?

I've had my weather fix now, although I'm teaching year 3/4 weather around the world tomorrow in Geography! YES! They're doing a presentation on anabatic and katabatic winds next week. Joke.

Anyone have Arcade Fire's new album (probably several months old now....)?

Why have I not seen Glee until now???!! The College Football players dancing to Beyonce was just classic television. Loved it!

PS I would post this evening's sunset picture but my lens was filthy *slap wrist* so I'll sort it out and maybe post it tomorrow.

Take care, y'all.