Travel Stories | Expat Life
Mark your calendars!
Flying into rainy Portland, Oregon on July 9th!
I’ve been hemming and hawing over travel plans this summer… but really, when it comes down to it… the only place I want to be is in the Pacific Northwest with my family and friends.
So get ready. There are adventures to be had.
Returning to Abu Dhabi August 19th with an undetermined excursion to happen between then and my report date of September 5th.
xo, jill
Damn!
This past weekend the same companions for my first Oman trip and I decided to cross the border for a second time. For this outing we had a specific purpose in mind: swimming!
Amazingly, we drove right to the trailhead for our destination, Wadi Damm. “Damm” translates to “hidden” in English and hidden is the perfect descriptor. Looking down into the wadi you have no idea what you’ll find after scrambling over boulders and hopping over cracks in the rock.
At one point in our hike it appears as if you can go no further. Which… you can’t… unless you use the dangling rope to hoist yourself up into a cave and out the other side. Epic!
After approximately an hour of trekking and searching for viable paths, we came to what our guide book described as “a little slice of heaven.” Cool water flows out of a wall of rock and down into a pool perfect for swimming.
We enjoyed the water, our lunch, and some napping on the rocks all to ourselves until a few young Omani men joined us. They impressed us with their jumping skills as they splashed and played in the water before literally scampering back out of the wadi. These boys did in minutes in bare feet and sandals what it took us an hour with proper foot gear!
That night we camped in an oasis under palm trees. We were having a relaxing chat under the stars until we heard some rustling in the palms above us. It’s just a little unsettling to watch rats running around directly above your head! The bats and the frogs I didn’t mind at all… but those skinny little tails dangling in the air… ugh.
The next morning we stopped at the beehive tombs in Al Ayn. These tombs, along with others in the area, were declared by UNESCO as “the most complete collection of settlements and necropolises of the 3rd millennium BC.” Impressive. Oh and have I mentioned they sit on a ridge pretty much in someone’s back yard? No big deal.
I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by what the little country of Oman has to offer. You have to look a bit harder to find it… but there’s a lot there.
xo, jill
Oh dear.
One of my sweetest, chattiest, High School Musical obsessed students proudly came into my classroom the other morning carrying not one, not two, but three love letters. For whom? For me! As I conjured up my flattered teacher voice (ok it wasn’t that difficult) I bent over to give her a hug (yep, we can hug here!). It’s always nice to receive little notes and pictures from students.
Then I began to read the largest piece aloud.
Luckily the topic quickly turned to… feminism!
At school I write my name, “Ms. Jill.” However, the distinction is completely lost because my students (and fellow teachers) pronounce it “Miss Jill.” I don’t really care too much because I keep my Ms-ness in my heart and overlook the naive connotations attributed to “Miss.” Consequently, I find myself being instructed that “Sister [says] ‘Ms. Jill’ no good! ‘Miss Jill!'”
In America I easily explain to students the distinction between Mrs., Ms., and Miss like so: “‘Mrs.” means ‘married’ … ‘Miss’ means ‘not married’… and ‘Ms.’ means ‘It’s none of your business if I’m married or not!'” Of course it’s really not quite so simple, but the message is delivered.
Standing at my whiteboard with my eager student looking up at me, I decided to give it a go. “In America… this [Mrs.] means husband… you know? Like mama and papa? Husband? This [Miss] means no husband… mafi… and this [Ms.] Mizzzzzz… means maybe husband, maybe no husband…” She was out the door by this point.
I tried.
xo, jill
Shauna!
Congrats to my dear friend Shauna… she won the Square Crisps GIVEAWAY!
I’ll be carefully stuffing as many packets as I can in a box and sending them her way shortly.
Today I sampled a new flavor… cheese and onion. Not bad… but no salt ‘n’ vinegar!
xo, jill
In the larger guest room.
Here I’m posting a few more photos of Jabrin Castle (or Fortress… depending on the sign) located just outside of Bahla, Oman. In addition to the floor plan, I was also impressed by just how thick the walls were. They helped to keep the inhabitants safe as well as cool in the hot prolonged summer of the region.
pssst! This is the bathroom.
I just might make it back over to Oman this coming weekend. Sometimes I can’t quite believe this new life of mine.
xo, jill
PS. Don’t forget about the GIVEAWAY!
7 months today.
Well I was planning on hosting a giveaway to celebrate surviving 6 months in Abu Dhabi… but well, 6 months sort of snuck up on me at a busy time. So 6+1 months it is!
I have been living in the United Arab Emirates for 7 months. In general, I like it. I’ve met people from all over the world, visited new places, tasted new foods, learned new words, and developed more patience and flexiblity than I ever dreamed possible. Regardless of my experience here [ups and downs], I know that overall I’m shaping a new weltanschauung. That’s exciting.
So to celebrate… One lucky winner will receive my all time favorite UAE novelty snack: Square Crisps!
I absolutely love this novelty snack and my mom will vouch for me. The crisps come in a variety of flavors including ready salted, curry, and salt ‘n’ vinegar to name a few. I think the cashiers at the gas station near my school and the market near my apartment probably know exactly what I’ll buy when I walk in the door. But really, they’re good!
How to enter:
1. Leave a comment anywhere on the blog
2. Tell me the longest length of time you’ve spent away from home
3. Mark your entry with the word “square” in brackets: [square]
4. Limit 3 entries
I will mail you as many packets of Square Crisps that I can fit in a priority mail box. Yum.
Giveaway ends Tuesday April 13th, 2:00pm UAE time.
Woot!
xo, jill
