A few tidbits

Hello, again. For those of you interested in education, see this article in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/science/25math.html?em&ex=1209355200&en=5c34fbde342262e9&ei=5087%0A&exprod=myyahoo

I've been 'feeling' this way about math education for some time now. In my roamings, I have seen MANY kids who can not handle new math situations and/or abstract math because they have not had enough time to practice using abstract math. I've been swimming upstream on this for some time now. My munchkins spend quite a bit of time doing abstract math bits here at home.

Also, I've tried to add some gadgets to my blog down at the bottom of the screen. Hopefully, you can view the world clocks. In addition, I have tried to add a weather feature. If you can only see NY weather and can not change it, please let me know. And....I've added a search feature for searching within my blog. These are new gadgets that blogger is offering, and I'm trying them out. As I get feedback on them, I'll fwd it on to the blogger folks.

Peace.

Not my words, but important thoughts

I think many of us living in or from Western countries take food for granted. And, the investments we make, the news we broadcast, tends to affect others in many places around the world. The quote below is from a piece of correspondence I received. It was written by a man very experienced in working in and with different countries, and he holds a PhD in, essentially, plant genetics. He works in food crops. I have left in any typos from the original email.

"As the man on the news tonight said, I havent seen anything like this since
the bread lines of WWII. This Feb I did a survey for Belize (what they call
"Food security Survey" )which was nothing more than calling 5 rice mills to ask
"How long will your rice supplies last at the present consumption." A couple
said they woould run out but 3 said they have plenty to cover those 2. Since
then they have seen world prices go up and have raised Belize price 2 times.
They say price has gone up in Mexico and people are coming across the border.
Now today, they say "With 1 month til harvest of the early crop, there will be a
shortage." We are having a meeting next week and I can guarantee it will be
about how to keep Belize rice in Belize. This when only 2 years ago there was a
large illegal influx to Belize. Also the news tonight showed 2 things. Our
Caribbean news showed food fights in Haiti and Jamaca, but this has been going
on for years. This together with the gov of 4 coountries talking about how to
produce more food for their own people in light of the shortage, CREATES the
image of worldwide famine when last year they were still bickering about how to
sell all the sugar, bananas and rice from Guyana. To top it all off, CBS
showed shoppers IN AMERICA, limited to 4-25# bags of rice from Sam"s club.
People in america dont eat 100# of rice in ONE YEAR. But to a forewigner who
lives on rice, this creates an image of impending famine even in America. They
even showed American "food banks" ---empty, saying "We dont get rice
donations anymore. God Help us, What are we going to do foreigners are
thinking. Now it so happens that rice futures went up the MAXIMUM allowable
of $1. in 3 of the last 5 days. From $18-23/hundred. I heard that no broker
worth his salt has their clients at least 10% into commodities and some are
going for 20%. Just the thing we did with housing, then oil and gold and now
food---Are we trying to start WWIII. Already the list of countries NOT allowing
exports is too long to remember. My latest US rice report says "Yes Texas rice
is gone but Miss River ports are holding back as the price is rising. Mid-SOuth
Texas rice harvest Starts end of May so the rice should be
GONE. I heard that gasoline supplies are at an all-time high but may become
depleted come rising demand for the summer. Sop why is the price up
NOW!!! I think the media and the markets HAVE CREATED instability to cash
in on the monitary gains. Maybe I should send this to ABC, CBS and NBC and see
what they reply."

Certainly, stuff to think about. Feel free to email questions to me. If I can, I will forward them on.

Busy again....

I can barely keep my eyes open at the moment. Just zonked out tired. The husband is currently in another mid-east country, but he's heading for 'home' as I type this. Munchkin #2 is spending the night at a friend's house (short school break). Munchkin #1 has been catching up on his reading (he read for over an hour tonight). I had to make him put down the book so he could have a shower and get ready for bed.

Challenge: See if you can see the little light colored fishes in the upper left corner of this snap. I adjusted the mid-tones of the photo hoping to 'bring them out' a bit.

Sleep well. Oh, and Happy Earth Week!

Wow, what a day.

Doesn't this fish in Oman look like he's swimming in soup? When I snapped this, the tide was rising and the bottom was really getting stirred up.

Well, today I felt stirred up a bit. A guy I work with called in sick today. So, naturally, I covered for him - no problem. Well, today was one of those days when if something could go crazy, it did. It wasn't a bad day, just a crazy day. I'm grateful that plans were in place so at least I didn't have to worry about the 'work' and I could concentrate on the 'fires'!

Munchkin #2 went to her sport of choice today, tomorrow I have a meeting (maybe), Tuesday I have meetings, and Wednesday I have meetings. Or at least I'm going to be asked to sit in on meetings. Munchkin #1 is supposed to have some activity stuff this week, but I don't yet know if it's been canceled for this week.

Well, hopefully none of you are swimming in the soup.

Peace.

It's the weekend

So far, it's been a lovely weekend. Munchkin #2 had a friend over to spend the night last night. Then, today, we all went to our favorite place of prayer. It may have been the first time Munchkin #2's friend had been to this type of prayer place. The little friend is originally from Amsterdam - a very sweet little girl. She and Munchkin #2 dressed alike for this morning. They looked like twins except one was blonde and my Munchkin is brunette.

Munchkin #1 just wanted to not have to deal with two girls in the house! So today when we all went swimming, the husband and I took turns playing with Munchkin #1 and the girls. That way, the boy and the girls could each do their own things. But, by the end of our time in the pool today, the husband was serving as a 'kidapult' (like a catapult) chucking kids quiet high in the air before they landed back in the pool with a tremendous splash! Great fun!

Now, about the snap above: we took this photo in Oman near Khasab. I have no idea what the name of the mostly yellow fish in the center is, but it was fabulous. The photo really doesn't do justice to its color. The fish in the top of the photo in the distance looked like a large version of what I'd call a 'Sargent Major.' The dark fish in the bottom of the photo has the same structure as the big yellow guy in the middle. Kinda make me wonder if they were a male/female mated pair? I have no clue; it's just interesting stuff to thing about.

Oh, oh. Munchkin #2 is now here needing attention for some bug bites. I'm very grateful we've been able to get some 'local' medications which are safe to use and that WORK on swelling bug bites.

Peace.

You can't see me!

This snap the husband or I (probably the husband, I didn't want to get too close) took at Khasab, Oman. We are pretty sure he was a poisonous fishy. Obviously, the fishy didn't think we could see him or we wouldn't have been able to get this shot. My cousin was swimming with us as well.

Today was a nice simple day. Really a normal kind of day. A non-remarkable kind of day. Not a bad thing once in a while.

Feeling less stress

Our dog here thinks the kayak is the best way to travel. Doesn't she look like the epitome of no stress? Actually, she's more like my parents' dog. She's living with my parents while I'm out of the country. I miss my poochie dog!!!!!

We have plane tickets to the home country for next Christmas. We need to pay for them, but looks like we've got slots. Thank goodness!

Munchkin #1 had a good day in his foreign language class. It's tough learning a new alphabet and reading in a new direction!

Munchkin #2 has been enjoying her friends and having a blast in general playing after school.

We had dinner tonight at our favorite pizza place. Tastes just like the one we went to as university students.

The husband doesn't have to travel after all this week on business to middle of no where in the desert. Thank goodness!

And, I almost caught a mouse at work today. He ran between my legs with a maintenance guy chasing him. The little critter missed my open jar by millimeters. Ah, well. Better luck next time! I think the maintenance guy was a touch surprised that I wasn't afraid of the little critter! Good fun!

Stress and De-Stress

The epitome of de-stressing: building a massive fort/tent out of blankets, the sofa and available chairs. Then, watch two kids stuff it with toys and laugh for hours of giggle fun.

The epitome of ex-pat stress: having on a minimal number of flights available to book on to get home for Winter Break. Having kids stressed over foreign language work in school. Driving in heavy dust with no A.C. Ok, maybe this stuff isn't the epitome of ex-pat stress, but I've felt a tad frustrated today.

Maybe I should go crawl in that fort/tent for a bit. Oh yeah, note the Arabic language writing pad on the rug.

Important Info

Quick note: certain websites are going to be 'blocked' soon. I have no clue what sites the list includes.
Peace.

The Road Home

In a few weeks, I'll be looking down this road (preferably on foot or with the little piece of farm equipment that is SO much fun to drive).

I just finished a massive email to family and friends about our summer 'home country' travel plans. If I have somehow missed sending it to someone who needs it (sorry), please send me an email, and I'll fwd it to you.

It's crazy. Here we are heading for 'home' for the summer, but it is like prepping to visit a foreign country. We have to get doctor stuff done before we go, we have to make lists, we have to think ahead. Sheesh...

The kids are ready. Munchkin #2 has a calendar up in her room and is counting days. I'm not sure where the count is right now.

I'm ready to go 'home' for a while. I'm glad the husband will make it as well for a few weeks, but I'm going to miss him while we're apart. While he's still here in the desert, he'll probably play with my vehicle of choice and gleefully pull parts off of it and add new ones.

At work, everyone can 'smell' summer coming. It's like rats swimming away from a sinking ship; everyone who is able flees to cooler weather for the summer. We even think that a good friend of mine and her daughters (one of whom is VERY good friends with Munchkin #2) may be on our same flight heading out of here. Business just really winds down for the summer.

Munchkin #1 got to get together with three friends today for swimming. Boy, did they have fun.
At least the weather is good for swimming! But the past few days, the sand was really blowing!

I'm looking forward to cool rain and cool breezes.

Peace.

Keep it peaceful

I see and hear things that make me feel as if I am surrounded by hate and violence - a spot on the news, a headline in the paper. How are we as human beings supposed to deal with this?

When people disagree on something we have two choices - as I see it. One: we can fight to get others to 'come over' to our point of view. Or two: we can agree to disagree. I believe it is better to agree to disagree. We can live a peaceful life doing our best to help our fellow humans and the world that we all share. We can show the ultimate love by treating others in a way that is respectful of their humanity. We should not use 'velvet coated daggers' so to speak.

Is it better to spew words, or is it better to live a life helping those around us?

Peace.

Pointless, mindless stuff

I wish designers could come up with a sandal that provides arch support and is appropriate for me to wear to work. I have a pair of Tevas which I should probably wear. But....the bosses would probably consider them to be "weekend shopping clothes." I've tried Birkenstocks; may need to try 'em again. Sigh...I've got three screws in my feet from some foot re-building work. Sigh.... I'm kinda tired of hot sweaty feet. Cool breezy dusty feet would be nice for a change. Wonder what would happen if I wore my fins to work? Hmmm....

Into the Great Wide Open

I was just re-reading the obituary for my grandpa who just passed into the next life. I'm not very old at all, but it seems to me that life passes so very quickly. I feel like I spend so much of my time worrying about petty little detail bits. I played with my husband and kids tonight in the pool. We swam, we made up silly ways to jump into the pool (the frog styles were the best tonight), we threw toys around; we really had fun together. I need to remember to stop, take a breath, re-focus and go for what's really important some days. Like, playing jumping frogs in a swimming pool with my family.

It's a big world, and life is not always easy breezy fun. But, I know I can face the great wide open with help from the ultimate source and the love of my family.

May you stay safe and happy.

Peace.

Omani Dress and Breaking Down Barriers

First of all, these are not real ladies. These are mannequins in a museum. But, I took this picture because I wanted to post a picture of the traditional veils worn by women in Oman (and some other Arab countries). Many times in shopping malls, I will see ladies wearing these, but they are made of gold or brass (not sure of the material, but definitely metal). To Western eyes, these probably seem strange, but.... For me after seeing many different veil styles, these actually appear to be the most comfortable and practical. They protect a woman's modesty while allowing her eyes to be clear and to keep a nice open space for her nose and mouth as well. I would NEVER post a photo (or take a picture) of a real woman from this region. It would be VERY disrespectful. Being a woman, I understand how a woman's space is her own and needs to be respected.

I have worn a head scarf many times, and I have found that the ones preferred by local young ladies are cool and comfortable. When I am out hiking, I actually prefer my head scarf to my 'farm hat' (the blue one I usually wear with the wide brim). For my favorite headscarf, I only paid about $3 U.S. In the West, I feel that people see a headscarf as being a barrier. But in the region where I currently roam, it has brought smiles from local women and broken through barriers. When a fully veiled lady from Saudi Arabia approached me (and my cousin's wife) one day, one of her questions was why my munchkin #2 was wearing a headscarf? (My munchkin #2 is young, but we were in a mosque. Not a requirement for a young girl, but a good idea). I explained I thought it was appropriate to the mosque we were visiting (we were in with a tour group for the mosque visit). The fact that this woman approached and spoke with us spoke volumes to me about how dress and headscarves are not barriers here. We were with a large group, but it was us this lady decided to approach. My cousin's wife (for those of you who know her) can tell you more about this experience.

The cushions/pillows you see in this picture are also traditional. They are very comfortable to lean against. In our home, we have a 'reading corner' with a traditional style floor covering and cushions from Pakistan and India. I picked one from India because I liked the embroidered animals on it. We set up our 'reading corner' since we prefer books to television, we had a strange shaped piece of room to fill, and we love this traditional way of enjoying a living space. My next piece for the 'reading corner' is going to be a long low shelf/cabinet to fill with books, games and puzzles. The reading corner has also become our favorite place for games and puzzles. Not to mention, it keeps the munchkin clutter out of the main living room space.

I hope no one finds this posting disrespectful. It is my hope that with reading this, I might be able to shed some light on what many people view as barriers. If you have questions, feel free to email me and I will attempt to answer them. But, I can only speak from my own personal experience.

Peace.

So where to next?

Well, I may not know where I'll be living in a few years, but my family is already thinking about the next vacation. I'm voting for a weekend at Dibba or Fujeriah (I may not have spelled this correctly) to do some more snorkeling. But, I want to get 'skins' for me and the munchkins (and the husband if he wants) in case we encounter more jellies!

We also are already talking about where to go for Eid this year. I'd love to go spend time roaming Northern Europe or get wet in the Maldives. Sigh, good stuff to dream about. And if we have to live far from family, at least we get to roam the world a bit.

Peace.

Looking ahead

When one signs an 'ex-pat' type contract, one knows (theoretically) how long one is going to be out of the home country. Well, I don't know. Two years, five years? We'll have to see. I just don't know where the road ahead is taking me. At least I'm not in charge. I leave that to higher powers.

The Road

I love these two snaps. The top one is of my cousin and husband looking at something on a trail in Oman, and if you zoom in, the pink in the distance is Munchkin #2 and even further down the trail is Munchkin #1. The bottom snap is of a really cool stretch of road through Oman.

It is such a wonderful gift to be able to travel. I'm so glad my cousin and his wife were able to come play here with us. As I type this, the husband is driving them to the airport. We hiked, we swam, we ate, we shopped, we explored....we spent wonderful priceless time together. We got out and explored the countryside, but then slept at a seriously nice place. No rough living this week. Hopefully, Grandpa and Grandma and my other grandpa, Al, would be pleased we're living life as fully as we can!

Take and enjoy every chance you have to travel new roads.