Laura of Oman

 I went out with some others for tea tonight to the Turkish Palace. It’s a popular casual restaurant that the school normally takes us to when we’re new and the country isn’t in lockdown. Unfortunately they weren’t taking sit ins even though they’re allowed to now, so we got a takeaway and went back to one of the villas where I met a fine cat called Rocco.

 This is most of what I saw. I might not have got the exact species but you get the general gist. The dory fish I actually followed for a while so it was like a scene from Finding Nemo. Unfortunately I did not see a slippery dick.

 This morning I went to Bandar Kahrain with a colleague to go kayaking and snorkelling. We had to leave at 4:45 to get there on time but then had an hour to spare because it was a particularly low tide so we had to wait. We took the opportunity to paddle on a beach in Sifah. I haven’t been on a kayak before - I remember going canoeing when I was little but I don’t think that counts. I assume my dad did most of the work. It was great, easier than I expected, until I had been doing it for 45 minutes then had to spend another 20 going against the current to get to the snorkelling spot. By that point I was cursing all things kayak but pretended I was fine because I don’t like to admit weakness! We snorkelled for about an hour. I saw parrot fish, pipe fish, a puffer fish and various others. I don’t have an underwater camera so obviously no photos but I’ll find them online and post them. Most excitingly were two turtles. I swam with them for a while - they are so beautiful and so gracefu...

 On Thursday I went out on my own to the City Centre Mall. They have O Taxi over here which is exactly the same as Uber so it’s really easy. I just got a few bits and bobs, most excitingly flippers! I plan to snorkel a fair bit so I used them in the swimming pool for practice. The mall is pretty much like a standard mall except much cleaner. It’s fairly quiet because of the current climate. Even though things are open it seems people are reluctant to go out, plus I have learnt that Omani people in general are not morning people, so things don’t get busy until later in the day. There are a couple of shops that sell the most beautiful abeyas so I will be getting one at some point. In November it is international day at school and we all have to wear traditional dress so I’m looking forward to that. I had a coffee at Tim Hortons which was one of the only places to eat open. They seem to have American sizes here so a regular coffee was huge. On the way out of the mall, there are taxi d...

 Now, I don’t want to make you jealous, but you know how you spend hundreds of pounds to swim in a beautiful sea a few days a year? Well this is on my doorstep. You can hate me if you like. You can have the same... it just takes leaving everyone you love. No big deal. Another thing I have learnt is that if you run a red light you have to spend 48 hours in jail. It happened to my colleague’s husband, but he didn’t mind so much because they gave him three hot meals a day.

 Here are my colleague’s cats, a mum and two kittens:

I am now officially a resident with my own resident card. I’ve had a medical for insurance and I’ve opened a bank account. On the way to the medical centre I saw a mosque: This is the entrance to the school: This is ‘the dome’ that was gifted by a parent, they do some extra curricular classes in it: This is a seating area the secondary students call the graveyard: Tomorrow I’m going here: Yesterday, I went to the City Centre mall for some general food shopping: And next weekend I’m going to Jebel Sifah:

 Today was the first day I was allowed out. I got taken to the ministry to get my fingerprints taken and have my resident card made. Then I got a tour of the school. It’s 220 acres: apparently the largest walled school in the world. It holds the record for the longest line of people saying pi, I don’t know how else to explain it, it’s over 1000 anyway. They’re constantly rebuilding- the Sultan’s brother came to visit recently and said he didn’t think the mosque was befitting the Sultan’s School so they tore it down and are building a new one. He was in the school today but I didn’t see them. Their son has recently graduated from the school. I went swimming this evening - it was glorious! I’m booked in tomorrow as well. The best bit about this social distancing is it’s only 3 to a humongous pool. Tomorrow I’m going to venture outside of the school’s gates and get a taxi to the local hyper market. I’m not sure HOW to get out of the campus so that will be the first task of the day.

Due to being in quarantine, I have very little to do. Therefore I am making a post about vegetables. I have learnt: 1. They call aubergines ‘eggplants’. 2. They have green aubergines (I refuse to take on an Americanism! 🇬🇧) 3. The word ‘big’ means something very different here, which could possibly lead to some disappointment.

This is what my morning looks like. I arranged all my knick knacks (may need to get some more!) and went through my I Spy book. I am yet to see anything! It’s a pity Helen put snake instead of lizard, because I did see one today just outside my living room window!

As I am writing this, I am lying in bed with the air con on, which will remain on indefinitely as I do not have to pay for electricity. The trip was uneventful; the best bit was getting to go to yo sushi and have wine after spending 7 hours in a terminal with nothing open. When I got here, the school picked me up at the airport, gave me a SIM card and 100 omr (£200) and took me back to my flat which to my delight is stocked with stuff I can eat. I started off ok, then had a breakdown when I thought I couldn’t get the internet for a few days after my data ran out, but then I figured out how to use the top up I was given so I stopped crying. I am so grateful to be able to talk to people face to face - I have spoken to my family on video call which made me feel like I’m not in a different world. It’s 10:50pm here; I’ve just woken up from a 3 hour nap but I reckon I’ll have no problem falling asleep again.