Muscat, Day ?

Pinch me, I've lost count of the days since arrival which must mean I'm getting used to it here.

It was a big day for the following reasons:

1.  We found a school ('cool') for Lulu!  She will start tomorrow.  There is only space three days per week, but the director thinks there will likely be a five-day slot for her starting in April.  She seemed to like it; her selling point was the trampoline (enclosed, carefully supervised) and the sand and water tables in the garden.  I thought it was clean and happy and the teachers seemed to be the best of all I had seen before.  I will, of course, keep you posted.

2.  I drove by myself to the Mall.  This is an important destination as the Carrefour is there as well as a huge bank of ATMs.  You pay in Muscat almost always with cash, so you need quite a lot of it.  I am, for example, paying Lulu's school fees tomorrow in cash.  Luckily, it's quite safe here, so it's alright to walk around carrying a grand in your purse.

3.  I drove by myself to Tommy's school, leaving from the mall.  I was anxious, let me tell you, but I drove straight there despite having no clue how to get out of the parking garage.  One's confidence level in reaching the final destination has to be pretty low when one isn't sure how to get out of the parking garage, you know? But I did it, even with a little chatterbox in the backseat:  "Mommy? Mommy? MOMMY!  I saw a sea creature and it came out of the sea and then I ate chocolate and then I had a picnic and then ..."

4.  I have a date to go to the old Souk on Tuesday morning after I drop off Tommy.  (Funny:  This morning Eli said, "well, you can take Tommy and I can drop Lulu" and she said, "NO!"  and I said, "no honey, he means drive you to school" and then Eli and I started laughing.)  Lulu is coming too as she does not have school on Tuesdays.

I received some questions about beaches and my attire.  I will tell you that today I went to the beach in the complex/area we will live in, and there were multiple western women in bikinis.  But, there were also a couple of women in Abayas, and the rules posted at the beach say something about being culturally sensitive.  Eli thinks I will settle in and go to the beach in my bikini; I doubt it.  However, we can join a hotel club and go to the beach/pools and I will be able to wear a swimsuit.  Today I felt very daring at the beach because I took off my cardigan and wore a tank top and jeans.

And that's all from Muscat today.  Over and out.