Opera and Work!

Well this month saw the opening night at the Royal Opera House (for this season)  here in Oman and of course my first opera and I wanted to share it with everybody.  I have been to see the Barber of Seville (20 Rials for the ticket about £32) performed by the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples and how can I describe it??  Stupendous, brilliant, magical, funny, entertaining and more!.. From the overture (honest I didn't think of Bugs Bunny once....well perhaps once) through the first act I was mesmerized.  The thirty piece orchestra was exceptional and the music was so mellow, as if I could hear things that a sound system could not emulate. The singing from the baritones, through the tenor and up to the mezzo soprano was entrancing and the comic overtones were well acted throughout, so much so that the translation of the words was really superfluous and I am sure I would have still laughed in right places without it.  The intermission came almost as a shock and I was impatient for it to start again.  The second act did not disappoint and again I sat mesmerized until the curtain came down. I am so glad I went and I am looking forward to my next outing to the Royal Opera House to see La Traviata next month and then the second part of the Barber, The Marriage of Figaro in November.

Anyway things here are continuing as normal with swimming, Bar B Q's, social gatherings, oh and a little bit of work as well.  Actually it is really good at school and I am really enjoying my teaching.  This is the first time I have taught year 8 students (as I mostly teach the A level streams) but its really interesting and a bit of a challenge to stop myself from pushing them too hard, but I have a great bunch of kids so it really is great.  

A little bit of price news for all who are interested: Laundry!  I don’t wash and iron my shirts and trousers but send them to the laundry as it is so cheap.  There is different quality from your local small laundry to a chain like ‘Snowhite’ who are better for more expensive items.   So Shirts from the Local Laundry, 300 Baisas (about 30p) from Snowhite 430 Baisas (about 50p). I take my dress trousers to Snowhite price 880 Baisas (about £1.35)

I am teaching myself (or should I re teaching myself) to play the descant recorder and will be offering it as an activity to the kids at school, I am also catching up with my Clarinet which I haven't picked up for a couple of years so again having to re-learn.  The choir is good and very professional and I look forward to the Sunday night for our practice and we are preparing for 3/4 performances around Christmas.

I was going to go to Goa for our Eid Break (starting 10th Oct) but I have a friend who said they were coming out, although I have heard little from her in the last month, so it’s now too late to get a visa so no matter what happens I will be staying here, but on the up side I shall be house sitting in a large villa (with its own pool) for some friends.

Still trying to keep up with my exercises, I am on my last hole on my belt so will have to buy a smaller one soon (I Hope!) but I don't seem to be losing weight....just toning up!!.  

Well that’s all for now…will post again in a week or 2!

Well it’s been a while since I last updated the blog and it has been a very busy time with lots going on most of which I won’t bore you with.

I have kept up my swimming and can now cover a couple hundred yards without stopping because of cramp or tiredness and I must admit I am feeling a little bit healthier although I have not noticed much difference in my weight.  Been watching what I eat and have cut right down on my alcohol intake so will just have to keep going. Tried to weigh myself today but think my scales are broke as it said 152 lbs which is nowhere near accurate!!  Anyway been through the first week of school and have an interesting timetable which includes teaching a year 8 class for the first time ever! Looking forward to it, it will be both interesting and a challenge.

We had the rise of the new moon last week and it was a sight to behold.  I tried taking some pictures with my new camera but still need more time to get used to it but here they are anyway.  It is an exceptional thing to view from our roof top, with the rays of the moon shining over the mountain peaks before its stately rise into the night sky.  You really have to experience it to understand the full beauty of it.

Click this link to see the photographs  https://picasaweb.google.com/Lezmcg54/September72013

George was asked to organise a bit of a get together at the Dolphin Village and it was a great success.  I didn’t stay long that night as I was feeling pretty ill (one of them 24hour bug things) so I only have a few pictures (but I managed to get a few from George). https://picasaweb.google.com/Lezmcg54/September7201302

A week gone Thursday we had a Bar B Q on the roof for all new staff and anybody who wanted to come along.  Was a great success and went on till late although I went to bed around 10.30 because I was knackered (too much exercise??).

https://picasaweb.google.com/Lezmcg54/September7201303

The first week of school has been pretty good with very little confusion this year although we have had to say goodbye to the head of Maths as she needed to return to the UK for treatment.  All the best Katherine, our thoughts are with you x.

To seal the end of the first week a trip on a Dhow was organised.  We sailed from Bandar Al Rowdha down the coast passing the Al Bustan Hotel, past Quantab and  the Shangri-La , resort until we anchored is a cove for snorkelling /swimming.  Pictures where not too good but I will ask around and put any good ones up soon.

And to finish off the weekend we had an impromptu Bar B Q on Marjan Beach https://picasaweb.google.com/Lezmcg54/ImpromtuBarBQOnMarjanBeach

Hi all….it’s been nearly 2 weeks since I updated so here goes.

Been a busy time with new staff arriving and lots of planning and meetings at school.  I am a little lucky in that the ICT staff has not changed so most of our forward planning is already in place.  I really need to give a big thank you to the ICT staff as our results have improved again (for the 5^th year) with 100% pass for the IGCSE students including 4 A* & 10 A’s. 

Had trouble with my car so had to rely on George again to get me around.  By the way just to cheer you all up I found out the cost of petrol here…..ready for this??  Regular unleaded, 114 Baisas per litre (about 19 pence).  Anyway had to get a new radiator and I am now back mobile again.  If anybody has any questions about the cost of living here I will be pleased to hear from you and will try to get any answers for you.

Here are a few more general prices.

For my 2 bedroom flat (remember I live alone) my electricity bill is around 11/12 Rials a month (about £20) and my water bill is around 4/5 Rials (about £8.50).  This changes very little throughout the year.

Transport: It’s easy to hire a car here (with a British licence allowing a minimum of 6 weeks driving) and depending on what you want are available from about 9 Rials a day (about £16).  Lots of teachers hire a car on a monthly basis and will get something like a Toyota Yaris for 150 Rials a month (about £255). 

Taxis are freely available and quite inexpensive compared to the UK but you should set your fare before you start your journey as meters are not commonly used.  You can get to most places in Muscat for no more than 5 Rials (£8.50) but most journeys cost no more than 2 or 3 Rials.  For a cheaper (and a bit fun) option there are the ‘Baisa Busses’.  These are minibus taxis and will normally get you to your destination for around 200/300 biasas, but be aware they will often go the long way around as other people will be sharing the bus with you.  When I first arrived in the country I got on a baisa bus to go to the Seeb City Centre shopping mall…had an hour tour of the city before I got dropped off, it was brilliant!! And only cost 200 Baisas!!.

Have started my exercise regime by (trying) to swim every afternoon after school.  Must admit have missed a few days due to tiredness and being a little ill but getting back into the swing of things.  Have taken some pictures of the scenery on the way into my village and also some pictures taken from the roof of my apartment block.

Click on the link to have a look.  https://picasaweb.google.com/106587406877358873052/ViewsLeadingIntoTheVillageAndFromOurRoofTop?noredirect=1#5915171675853447154

 Temperature at 12 pm 40C (104F).

Well had a bit of a restless night but as I didn't have to get up it wasn't so bad. It's brill getting up and knowing that the day will be hot and sunny!! Took some photos of my accommodation as a few people have asked for them (had to do a quick tidy up first, yesterday was a lazy day) so just follow the link  https://picasaweb.google.com/Lezmcg54/BowsherApartment?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrI4dW9nbr4mQE

Been out and did a little more shopping.(Carrefour, Al Qurum) Indian Lamb Chops (Ribs) OMR 4.390 per KG (£7.00) New Zealand Rib Eye Steak OMR 6.890 per KG (£11.70). Feta Cheese OMR 1.590 per KG (£2.70). Pint of Heineken Extra Cold OMR 2.400 (about £4) in the Dolphin village.

Took a couple of pictures whilst I was there just to demonstrate the conditions I have to drink under!! (see link above). Bar B Q tonight so may have more photos tomorrow!

Temprature at 11am 36C (96F).

Ok so back in Muscat and thought I'd start entering some information into my blog. Been awhile since I updated it but have been asked by several people to add more to it and to also give an insight into everyday shopping costs etc.

At the moment the Rial is very strong and fluctuates between £1.65 and £1.70 so I will use £1.70 as the basis of my calculations.

I use 3 main supermarkets in Muscat; Lulu's, Carrefour and Al Fair, with Al Fair being the more expensive.
Lulu’s: A great supermarket with an exceptionally wide and varied stock. The one in Al Khuwair has everything under one roof from clothes, electricals, some furniture and of course food. I can recommend their cooked food which is mainly Chinese and Indian but absolutely gorgeous. Will put some prices on soon.

Carrefour,where I shopped today, also in Al Khuwair in the Muscat Grand Mall. Another multipurpose shopping store, although the one in Qurum (opposite my school) is much bigger and also has a much better selection.
Here is a list of some of the shopping I got today
Lemons 790 baisas per KG (about £1.36)
limes 490 baisas kg (£0.85)
carrots 750 baisas per kg (£1.25)
red cabbage 580 baisasper kg (£0.90)
Roasted Chicken 1.2 kg in weight OMR 1.490 (£2.45) Kleenex Toilet rolls (16 + 4free) OMR2.630 (£4.05) Philadelphia light 780 baisas (£1.35)
6 large Ciabatta bread 495 baisas (£0.85)
Mushrooms 250 grms 650 baisas (£1.10)
1Ltr Lowfat fresh Milk 530 baisas ( £0.85)

Al Fair has high quality provisions and you can also get pork at most of their stores (Be warned pork is very expensive here). A lot of the produce is the Waitrose make and their fruit and veg are excellent.

Going Back

Ok...going back for my 3rd year on Saturday. My son Steven and his fiancee (Candice) are joining me the following day for a holiday. Will try to add information every week as I have been roundly bollocked for not keeping it up! Got new camera as well so will be adding more photos and as my son has got an underwater camera shall be adding pictures from me diving (passed my advance a few months ago). So come on back and see what i write. If you have any questions please feel free to send them through the comments section. Look forward to hearing from you!

End of First Year!

Yes I know…I’ve been a bit slack but in my defense it has been exam time and as I have been the only ICT teacher left standing since we got back from our ‘Easter’ break you can see that I may have been very busy.

So let’s recap (in no particular order):
Mellissa came out to see me and we got around and seen quite a lot of Muscat. She arrived on the Tuesday evening (day before we broke up for Easter) just after it had been raining! In fact we had had some quite stormy weather for a few days previous. The temperature had gone right done to about 75F (23C) but that was during the night! Anyway got her settled in then we started touring, did the usual things, The Grand Mosque, Al Seefa Beach, Mutrah Souk and promenade, Muscat Old Town and Sultan’s palace, Shati Beach (which we went back to a few times as Mel liked it) Al Sawadi Beach, Nizwa Fort and souk, Rustaq Fort and the National Park etc,. Melissa took a few photos (about 2300) and you can see many of them on Facebook. Heat got to her after a couple of days so we slowed everything right down, must admit, think I needed to chill as well, was really tired. We also had a great morning out dolphin spotting. We had booked a boat to take us out and it turned out to be just me and Melissa on it. Was a really great day and Mel has started a ‘spot the dolphin’ game from all the pictures she took….was really hard to catch the dolphins as they surfaced/jumped etc.

What with the end of term/year exams and me being the only ICT teacher left standing, didn’t really get out and about for the next few weeks after Melissa left, too busy marking!

Anyway exams are over now and so I have managed to get a little R&R in. Five weeks ago I went to Wadi Bani Khalid, which for those of you who follow my blog will know is an oasis in the middle of barren mountains. This time I went swimming and swam the length of oasis (quite tiring as its fresh water) until I came to where it narrows and is blocked by boulders. Anyway tried to climb out but couldn’t make it but some Indian lads seen me struggling and came to give me a hand. I managed to get out and started up the rocks when I lost my footing! I bounced all the way down but at least the landing was soft, straight in the water! Hurt my elbow and back, didn’t want to try climbing out again so had to swim all the way back!. Needless to say I was in no fit state to go anywhere the next day….couldn’t sit down for long, couldn’t stand up for long, it hurt to walk and as for lying down…needed pain killers!

By the Monday though was feeling pretty well ok, just a little bruised so went to a musical recital at the PDO (Petroleum Development, Oman). We are quite cultured out here!

Temperature has soared here in the last month with the average daytime temp of about 46C, if you are in the sun round about lunchtime it really feels as if the sun is burning your skin! Spent the last couple of weekends on the beach (Oman Dive Centre and Marjan) just chillin out, but really didn’t spend much time in the sun…TOO HOT!

Year 12/13 students graduated with a presentation ceremony and then on to an Italian restaurant for a meal (paid for by the school).

About 2 weeks ago we took a drive up Jebel Shams, which is a mountain road near Nizwa just to see the scenery. Was quite spectacular but my car was struggling…and on the way back it broke down! 140 kilometers from Muscat….Friday (holy day here , so nothing open) and the temperature in the upper 40’s! Anyway got the AAA out and eventually got my car back to Muscat and had to do without for a week till it got fixed!

Choir has been going well and we have performed at the local churches and also for the prize giving at the British School of Muscat. We also gave a charity performance in aid of the Kachele Village (http://kachelevillage.org/) at the Intercontinental Hotel which was a great success.

Well it’s coming to the end of the year. Brian, Linda and Donald will not be coming back next year so the 4 Muscateers will have to disband. Over the year we’ve seen an awful lot of Oman and enjoyed each others company and it will be strange not to have them around. I have been offered ‘Head of Department’ and have decided to accept so will be returning for at least another year. We are getting a new school principal (Mr Michael Welland) and also a new head of secondary (TBA). Have approached Mr Welland about opening a Ju-Jitsu class here and he is in favour of doing it …so will just have to wait till I get back from holiday.

I am going to put a load of pictures on the web (in no particular order) and also here are some links to pictures Brian and Linda have taken.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Lezmcg54/FromMarchTillJuneVarious?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/Lezmcg54/NizwaAndDolphinWatchingApril7th?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/Moffat.linda26/PromMISJune2009

http://picasaweb.google.com/Moffat.linda26/GraduationMIS#

http://picasaweb.google.com/Moffat.linda26/CoastalSharqiyaTour#