DtoA: The time has come to find the horizon!

This is what I call my 'driveway' - the docks I walk every day to get to the boat!

We decided two days ago that it was time to leave. Everything was organized and we were ready to go. We had officially checked out of the country too. It was a bit of a rush and a hasty exit but soon we were motoring out of DOSC, leaving behind a small group of people waving us off. We literally were sailing towards the stars - it was beautiful. Our exit was short-lived however. Our autopilot stopped working along with some new electrical issues. So with heavy hearts we turned around and made our way back to Dubai. We arrived at 2am and all headed straight to bed. I think the excitement had turned to despair and had taken all our energy. 

The next morning we woke up and all had a mission - we were going to get this boat ready to leave the next day. When you arrive at a port, you are allowed a 48 hr window to restock your boat or fix any issues, without the requirement of a visa. Due to the fact that we had checked out, our arrival back to DOSC meant that we had now begun the 48 hr window. So we had two days and counting...

Straight away we got on the phone and organised for technicians to get down to the boat to get everything fixed asap. For the other crew members, it wasn't too much of a worry as they could check back into the country at a moment's notice due to their passports. I, having a South African passport, require a pre-arranged visa for Dubai. This can take anything from 2 - 4 days and I didn't have the time. Therefore, we had to get the issues fixed and then get a move on. 

All the technicians were absolute stars. Coming at a moment's notice, leaving other jobs to attend to ours. We had the Satellite system fixed and working again, within hours. The autopilot was done by the end of day one too. All that was left was to fix the hydraulic arm for the steering and the air-conditioning unit. These were to be completed by day two, which is today. All should be done and fitted by the early evening and then once again, we will set sail and hopefully not have to return. 

20th April 2017 - Day of Departure from Dubai, UAE to Sydney, Australia! (Hopefully!)

Whilst we have had the extra time here, I have had the chance to make friends with a gorgeous cat and found some interesting things on the boats. I have also met some amazing people who live on the boats full time. Fascinating and inspiring how people live so minimalistically. 

Meet Cat - gorgeous little cat at DOSC

This boat had the Turkish eye of protection on board - I like this idea and should I have a boat one day, then I am putting one on my boat! 

That is all for now! Hopefully the next time I blog, I will be sitting in Kochin, India.

DtoA: Final Preparations...

Early morning shot of the Dubai shores before sunrise

The day to set sail has been creeping ever so slowly forward... The longer we stay, the more we seem to find to fix or buy. Some of the things that were left to do, was the shopping. We broke this down into items that lasted a long time (long-life) and items that didn't. We have now stocked up on all the items like toilet paper (yup essential!), water (only a trolley load), batteries, medicine and other food items like crackers, which do not have a short lifespan.

One thing about shopping is actually surviving it. I really do not enjoy the painless task of winding up and down aisles asking "Shall we get this?" "OK, how many?" for each item on the list. Of course, however, we survive the process. Not sooner have we bought everything, there is the task of getting it to the boat and then packing it within the boat. That is a challenge as everyone thinks things should go where they think and then when you attempt to pack all 6 cans of beans into a cupboard, only 5 fit and you are tempted to serve beans for dinner or throw the whole lot overboard. But of course, this didn't only happen with beans. Not even the toilet rolls fitted in the cupboards and no-one likes a squashed toilet roll.

Once the packing was finally done and everything had a home (and sometimes a second home), we settled into the evening. The evenings in the Middle East are lovely. The air cools, there is a slight breeze and the sunsets are spectacular. Even more so when the sun sets behind the boats.

Sunset at DOSC

Walking back from the restaurant which is around a 200m walk, my slops (flip-flops) decided they were going to break. Beyond fixing. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have very small feet and I like to use one pair of slops at a time. With this pair breaking on me, this meant the rest of the walk was barefoot (not a problem) and of course the realization that I would need to shop for new ones. So off I go. I can't be without slops and we were leaving soon, so no time to waste. 

We decided to make an evening of it and have dinner at the Mall of Emirates. Once there, we made our way directly to the sport shops so I could look for a particular brand I liked. I am not a fan of plastic slops, as they never last. So I wanted a nice leather pair or something similar. After failing at a local shoe shop, we found Adidas. I walked straight in, found the shoes, tried a pair on and that was it. Before buying them however, I did do a quick check at Go Sports and they didn't have any slops to begin with. So back to Adidas, found my size, put them on there and then and I was very happy with my new slops. I can highly recommend the brand - Adidas Parley. They are very comfortable (and blue!) and I wear them every day.

We decided on curry for dinner and found this lovely Indian restaurant. A little expensive and so we made the most of it. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere and the people were very friendly. The curries themselves were incredible. Truly worth the extra pennies and certainly made us feel nice and full once we had eaten. On their menu, there was a saying which I loved. I will share it with you:

I found this saying a great way to begin a life-changing trip. All we ever really need in life are the simple things. And yet so many of us chase the big things. I hope that this is what this trip teaches me. To embrace the simple, the easy and the good. I look forward to where this journey will take me.

DtoA: Introduction to the journey Dubai to Australia

Each time that I think about writing a blog post, I am shocked by how long it has been since the last blog post. It leads to one conclusion, in that life goes so fast. Considering that it has been about a year since I last wrote, so much has happened. Memories have been made, laughs have been had, dreams and plans created and life has ticked on. But let's jump jump straight ahead to the latest adventure...

Realising a dream is nothing short of magical and I am starting my new experience now. Two years ago, my sister and I completed BST STCW '10 courses in Dubai with the aim to sail for a few months in between studies and work. Whilst doing the course we had the pleasure of staying on the boat, Sydney. My sister, a few weeks after the course, was able to join a boat and sail around Spain and even popped in to Ibiza. She enjoyed three months of blue water and loved it. At that stage, my potential opportunity fell through (gotta love visa issues) and I put sailing aside for a while. Then, two weeks ago we get given the opportunity of a lifetime. The owner of the boat that we stayed on when in Dubai had left the UAE and was settled in Australia, without his boat. This meant that he wanted his boat in Australia and was offering for my sister and I to be crew on the boat for the delivery. This meant for the whole trip: from Dubai to Sydney. As Lolly is busy with her degree she is unable to join but because I am in between studies and can't get work on land, I am taking the opportunity and going to work at sea.

After I arrived in Dubai, I came straight to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) and settled in to my new home. Being back at the boat brought back some great memories from the week spent at the boat before. I am the only one staying on the boat (until departure) and this has given me time to unpack and find my way around. There are many little compartments that require exploring as everything has it's place. Living on a boat teaches you to live minimalistically. You manage with the bare essentials and learn to conserve space. Whatever space you do have, you use it optimally to ensure that you aren't wasting. Space and 'big' items (such as excessive amounts of clothes) are luxuries. Organization is key to good boat living.

I have lots to learn but so far, everything is good. Doing the courses make a big difference as all the names and ways to do certain things comes back to you. On Tuesday, we are racing in the weekly race held at the club. This will give us an idea of how each of us works and thinks, but also getting a feel for the boat when it's performing at it's peak. For the sail to Sydney however, we won't be racing. We will make sure that we enjoy the time on the water and get the boat there safely. So to squeeze in a race is actually going to be fun. After the race, there is a social at the club and so this will be our 'farewell' although we aren't sure when exactly we are leaving yet. So far, our departure is set for Thursday. Everyone is invited to join us!

In terms of life on the boat, so far, I have been sleeping amazingly. The slight rock of the boat clearly does me well and even after only six hours, I feel refreshed and ready for the next day. Also, because the boat is not stocked with food, I find myself eating so well too. This suits me just fine as it's a chance to get healthy! I have made a friend in the form of a duck that waddles down the dock with me when I go to breakfast in the mornings. I have broken one pair of pants, four nails and had two blisters pop on my feet. This isn't so great but it is all worth it and nothing beats the feeling you get when, after a long day in the sun and organizing or cleaning the boat, you sit under the stars and listen to water move around you. You can hear gentle murmurs coming from people doing the same thing on their boats. One feels like it is a little village on water with everyone living peacefully and calmly. It has to be one of the most relaxing places to be.

Bringing back traditions...

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a house warming and a celebratory Chinese New Year party with some of my dearest lab friends.It was such a festive evening surrounded by people who have made me feel so at home here in Lausanne. 

However, with this lovely dinner I learnt something and also decided on a few things that I want for my future.  The first thing, is that it is so important to make time with your colleagues. To spend time getting to know them and their families, understanding what they are going through in their own lives, their dreams and aspirations. One might then be able to understand why they go through hard times and learn how to help them. A bonus to that is that you build a wonderful relationship with your colleagues who become friends and this raises the work environment from just work to actually having fun. 

Secondly, the dinner reminded me of the importance of dinner parties. I am not sure how often it happens with other people but with my family we host a lot of braais (barbeques) and have people around. But a dinner party, is different and equally important. Everyone sits at the table and shares a meal together. No phones and no distractions. Everyone shares a laugh and everyone gets involved in the cooking. A dinner party also gives one the opportunity to wear a slightly smarter outfit. And it is always fun wearing something a little more smart. 

Lastly, the whole experience has really made me realise how much I want a family of my own one day. To have a husband whom I can build a home with and then have beautiful children who will fill that home one day. The family who we shared the home with designed this house themselves, creating it to their ideals. That most certainly is a step in towards making a house, a home. 

An afternoon in Vevey...

Sometimes all we need are those spontaneous days - where you plan something and the complete opposite happens. Well today was a day like that. I had arranged to have dinner with a dear friend at a Sports Cafe which has become one of my favourite local hangouts. When I texted the manager to announce my arrival, he replied they had closed today. This forced us to find somewhere else to go and so we headed into Lausanne central for some food. Not exactly excited to be in the centre of Lausanne as we were quite keen to explore a bit, we managed to find a nice Turkish restaurant that served a really good burger. In Switzerland, a lot of the restaurants close on a Sunday (to promote family time at home) so finding a restaurant open is a challenge in itself. 

After lunch, my friend announced he was taking me for a drive into the vineyards, if I wanted. Of course, I wanted to see some more of Switzerland! So off we went. It was so beautiful and even though we had had rain that day, the scenery didn't fail to impress. Rolling hills with vines and the most exquisite little houses all along the lake allowed us to get lost in a little bit of the Swiss village feel. Once we had driven through some tiny alleyways and along the countryside, we headed into Vevey town centre where it is compulsory to have an afternoon coffee. This adventure is definitely a requirement for every season as the countryside bursts with colour as the seasons change. In my opinion, Vevey has a Tuscan feel with its small and winding roads. The houses have cute little coloured shutters and of course as the sun sets, there are lights everywhere making this little town magical.

Just a little entertainment between siblings...

When one lives in Switzerland, one needs to save money at every chance, as it is very expensive especially when on a student salary. I have taken some plastic spoons from the take away at work for my little room to make life a bit easier as people look at you funny when making coffee using a pen as a stirrer. A few nights ago, I used one of my trusty plastic spoons and the rest of the story between my supportive sister and I follows... 

(Just to put things into perspective - the kettle is located in the bar which is in the lobby of the hostel and it always has about 4/5 males present. I was trying to be invisible as to avoid conversation so I could get back to my room).

I have since been given a kettle. I love my kettle. 

Ever grateful for cereal

Today was a great day. I worked late on campus and got up to date with all the little notes etc. so that tomorrow brings less hassle and promising lab work. Leaving campus close to 10pm, you can't help but notice the beauty on campus when lit-up by scattered lights. It is breathtaking... Below are two pictures that I took leaving just after sunset last week. So blessed to be in such a beautiful learning environment. 

Back to my gratefulness of cereal... Rushing to the metro, I make it in good time. Then its a walk between the metro and the bus stop. Two stops on the bus and I am at my road to get home. Not tonight! Tonight the bus driver decided he wasn't stopping at my stop, even after I signaled him to stop. So we stop further down the road which wasn't just down the road but rather down the road, round the circle and up the hill. I get out, fearful he will merely carry on with us and his now 'Tour of Lausanne' bus ride. And so I begin my walk home. It takes me far longer than usual, obviously. By this time, the garage shops are closed and restaurants are empty and closing. 

To give you an indication of how far I walked (at 10pm in the snow) I will give you my stepper readings. There is a lovely app on my Samsung called S Health. And I have only recently been using it and believe it or not, I can easily do 6000 steps around the lab and getting to work and back home again. Well, today, my stepper count is at 9299. My feet have served me well today. 

I arrive at my room, very ready for a hot meal but at this stage everything is closed so no hot meal to be found. It is at this time that I peek into my kitchenette... And there, staring back at me, is my beloved box of Frosties. It is in this moment, that I am ever so grateful for my cereal as it can be enjoyed at anytime, anywhere. 

Favourite photo of the week!

This is my favourite photo of the week, taken off my personal Instagram account. I believe it captures the essence of Lake Geneva. The colours give it a cold look (winter blues!) and there are still some last remnants of autumn. Those boots have a lot of walking ahead yet!

Little adventures...

Week 2 complete, in Switzerland...

 

This is my hostel and the first evidence of snow in Lausanne

This week has brought many little adventures. And with adventures come some laughs, some tears and some victories. The first adventure started when I had to go shopping in the rain. I myself, am not a huge fan of shopping. But it is a necessity, especially when it comes to groceries. My story starts in the rain. After a long day in the lab, running to the small grocery store on campus to restock my miniscule kitchen. I didn't buy too much, but it was enough to fill an entire paper bag. Paper bag being the keyword here. I am not one to get embarrassed easily, however should my paper bag get wet and all my groceries fall all over the place, I think then, I might be. So the mission was to get home, with bag intact. This proved difficult as I did not know the word for rain in French and so attempted making 'rain' signals to people so they'd understand my need to stand under the shelter and not in the 'wet area'. I also could not put the bag on the floor because that would ensure that the bottom of the bag get wet and well, I would then have the bottom fall away and no doubt, end up chasing grapes around the Metro stop. So, I put up with the cramping hands and walked on home. I managed. In celebration I high-fived the packet, only to find that my ever-cherished paper bag, had a plastic-like finish...

A very exciting thing happened this week - it snowed! I went right into it and stood there, in the falling snow, to experience the little snowflakes fall on my face and on my eyelashes. What a treat. I don't think I could ever get bored of watching falling snow. 

As I am staying in a student hostel, one needs to book in time to do one's laundry. I did not know this and so ended up wearing non-matching items to work until laundry day. Nevertheless, laundry day came round. Ever so proud of myself that I had: 1. remembered it was laundry day and 2. organised my clothes into two loads worth, I wandered up to the laundry room to begin load 1. Well, I do not yet speak French nor German which is unfortunate as these are the only two languages my washing machine uses. Not a problem, hello Google Translate. There is however bad signal in the washing room and so everything just takes that little bit longer. I decide to wing it. Clothes in, little soap piece in, close the door, press a few buttons and GO! My washing begins! At a closer glance I realize the little soap piece has jumped out from being IN the clothes to being IN the door. I of course, do not know what 'open' is in either foreign language. I egg the soap on, to jump back in with the clothes or for one of the items of clothing to 'hook' the soap back in with them. It is not to be. So I leave my washing to go round and round and decide that at least they get a good rinse! Needless to say, my one load of washing took around 4 hours, therefore only one load of washing was done. My next washing day is tomorrow - this should go a lot better.

This week I had many realizations and will do my best to take them with me as life goes on. One of them we know so well and yet never implement. That is, to never rely on anyone else to give us our happiness. We need to create our own happiness because at the end of the day, that is all we have to get us through. If anyone else gives us happiness, then that needs to be taken as a bonus. I realized this, when there was a time I wasn't in communications with some of my favourite people. Life gets in the way and you get so busy that before you know it, its too late to talk, or work becomes our priority. I got frustrated that I wasn't happy because for that portion of time, they were not in my life. That is when I decided that I cannot depend on others to make me smile and to make me laugh. Sure, its great when it does happen, but I need to learn to do those things for myself. It is a real hard lesson, because all of us find ourselves living from one moment to the next with our favourite people. However, we can most definitely try to make it that we are happy within ourselves first. 

The first bit of sunshine deserved a selfie!

This thought led me to another. When we are experiencing hard times, we truly need to remember and live off the good times, good moments and good laughs. Its almost as if you need to have a little box of memories that you can call on at any time to get you through a hard day. I am working on building mine up. I started with exploring some of Lausanne today and having a walk around Lake Geneva. Some photos of my journey are below :) Today I found a bit of adventure for myself.

There will be many more pictures of Switzerland to follow as the adventures are just beginning - but these are a start! Have a lovely week and go find or make your own happiness!

A side thought...

Emotions are a funny thing. They rule our lives. They can change our day. They can make our day. It’s all down to how we feel. They change when we are alone and when we are in a crowd of people. They change whether we listen to music or whether we are surrounded by silence.

Often we know exactly what we should be feeling in a certain situation and we just cannot get there. For example, I am given this amazing opportunity and I know I should be feeling excited, inspired and ready. But even in writing that sentence, I feel overwhelmed, nervous and very much like a small fish. It’s harder when people look to you as their pillar of strength because you in actual fact do not feel strong at all.

The same happens in love. One day, you know you should pull back and guard your heart and yet, the next, you are throwing yourself into something you are not sure will work but don’t want to be faced with the questions, what if I tried harder or what if I never told him? It is a complete catch 22 or being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Another plaguing and terrifying thought, is when are we ready? When are we ready to make a commitment, to say yes and to allow yourself to openly fall head over heels in love with someone? We never truly know. So by pulling yourself back, are you denying yourself the chance at love or are you making a wise decision to save yourself the heartache. The biggest problem is that by the time one starts asking themselves these questions, you have already lost your heart to someone and now, merely trying to make yourself feel OK with how you feel. However, you may think you are in love, but it is only ‘in love’ when it is reciprocated. Then, I believe, you can totally and completely fall, head over heels, in love with someone. And when that happens, it is beautiful. Scary, because you are at your most vulnerable, but beautiful. And if you can find a person who can completely hold and nurture that love, then that is when we should go for it.

Finally, there is an art to words that I have learnt over time. Having been through long relationships, short relationships and adventures (if I may) I have learnt that people take the words ‘I am in love with you’ and ‘I adore you’ too lightly. One person can love many people. However, to be in love with a person is completely different. You can only be in love with one person, or so you should anyway. I can barely handle one person, I am not sure how people handle more than one. Then, when you are involved with a person, you need to adore them. Treat them like your better half. Take their interests and dreams seriously and nurture them. When they share their problems, take them gently as you may not think they are problems at all but for them, they may be. Never stop dating. I read a saying once, that if you treat a relationship the same way you did in the first 3 months, your relationship will never see an end. People like being wanted and even more so, needed.

When you find a person, who you think you may be in love with, remember that when you say those words, you are opening yourself up and showing them your most beautiful and vulnerable self. Be ready to accept them as you want them to accept you. May we all find a little bit of love this year. 

Bringing in the New Year!

First off, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year… It is 2016. Seeing as 16 is my favourite number, I have decided that this will be a year for me as much as I can make it so!

And so far, it has started off with a bang. I am in Switzerland! I left Oman and landed in Geneva on the 30^th December. Talk about climate change, my world has completely changed and my body has not quite adjusted. A light breeze, and I am shivering from tip to toe. I have found since that a walk in the cold air is only cold for the first few minutes and very soon after, you are feeling nice and toasty!

I am in Lausanne. What a city. There is French culture everywhere. On my first night I decided to indulge myself. The restaurants here are cosy and warm. This particular restaurant had red wine walls, wooden furniture and smelled like cheese. Real French cheese. I ordered a glass of red wine. Sounded Frenchy so I went for it.  It was quite yummy. I actually should have taken note of the name. Guess I will need to visit the restaurant again!

The later it got, I noticed less people on the street and more in the restaurant. The restaurant became festive and you could hear a hum, roll through the growing crowds. A few families, but mostly couples. Although, the best part, was there wasn’t one phone on the table. All couples seemed to be locked into each other and avidly enjoying their partners’ stories. They all seem to be sipping something out of a big white mug – clearly it is the done thing here and requires investigation.

The owners of the restaurant are so passionate. You can tell that their restaurant is their life. They are interested in their patrons and are keen to help and make your experience in their extended home a memorable one. Their guests are like family and greeted like old friends. Everyone appears to know everyone, so that you can’t help but feel like a foreigner. The owner speaks English thankfully, as I am only beginning to learn French, and tells me of how the snow is late this year and it should arrive end of January. That is something to look forward to.

After I had had an amazing pizza and finished my wine, I enjoyed a chocolate dessert. Thereafter, it was back into the cold air for a stroll back home. The culture here most certainly has a way of capturing you and in so many moments, I wish I wasn’t alone and that they could be shared moments with loved ones. I wish for you that you make some spectacular memories in 2016 and have many shared moments. Make this year count. 

Quite the trip - flights through Africa...

There is something truly inspiring about traveling. The constant flurry of meeting new people, new smells and new sites, is enough to excite anyone with a dose of the travel bug.

I write this out of Tanzania. Didn’t think I would ever get here and yet, here I sit in the Flamingo Cafeteria enjoying an orange flavoured beer called a Twist. Before you get too excited, I am only in the airport. However, you are still surrounded by locals who are speaking Swahili and sharing their smiles.

My September journey out of Muscat, Oman to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia started at 4h35 am this morning, or so it should have. I was sitting on the runway for an hour, only to leave at 5h40 – an hour late. With my connecting flight to Johannesburg, South Africa only having a 45 min leeway, I knew I would miss my flight. But optimism seems to follow me and so I willed the plane to race ahead, possibly being able to catch up the time so that I could make my flight. It was not to be.

On the way to the plane at Muscat International Airport, some of the travellers are also a part of this race. Lots of bumping and pushing and “Yes, that is my toe!” and “No thank you, I would actually like to keep all 10”. Everyone likes to get close and hold onto you when there are bumps in the road, sometimes so much that you have to retrieve your arm back. But otherwise, we got on the plane all toes and arms connected.

Landing in Addis Ababa, we were met by a very friendly Ethiopian man who was dressed in all his airport gear, tie and all, who said quite matter of frankly, “The flight has left already. We will put you in a hotel and you fly tomorrow.” My initial thought was this is exciting – a free hotel stay in a new country! However, with an appointment scheduled at an embassy in Pretoria, there was no way I could arrive a day later. And so I make my way to a transfer desk where they offer me some other options. At this point, I am debating whether to raise my voice and demand that I get on the plane. But I just can’t do that. In addition, the lady that assisted me with other options was incredibly sweet and very willing to help. So smile on, we discuss the options. Either I leave tomorrow, or I catch a flight to Dar Es Salaam (new place!) and then catch a 3^rd flight to Johannesburg. I would arrive 5 hours later than originally anticipated but I would arrive today. So decision made, I was issued with tickets to Dar Es Salaam and off I went. At this point, considering I would be traveling more than 12 hours, I was very grateful I blow dried my hair as to not deal with a curly mess traveling through Africa.

Through the entire process, I cannot fault Ethiopian Airlines, aside from the delayed flight. Everything after that, they have approached with a smile and with the attitude that anything is possible and how can we fix this. This trip has also sparked a massive desire to travel into Africa. Addis Ababa – now that I have seen it for the first time in the daylight – is gorgeous. It consists of rolling green fields and beautiful hills begging for some adventure. And this was only what I saw from the airport. The sites from the airport in Dar Es Salaam are a little different. A bit drier and you don’t see the rolling green fields, but this country holds Mount Kilimanjaro. And that, is an attraction enough.

Although my day hasn’t gone according to plan, I cannot help but feel alive and fulfilled. It’s incredible. Africa is truly an amazing place and I want to see more of it. Africans as well, are a delight – a nation that loves their lands and its people and only wishes to share that with everyone they can. Every person should at some stage in their lives, fly through Africa. Don’t be conventional and choose the normal airlines. Be different and give yourself a cultural experience albeit from an airport cafeteria.

I will leave this little heaven soon and make my way to Johannesburg. I will be greeted with smiles and a comfort of feeling like home. Then I will catch the Gautrain for the first time and make my way to Pretoria. So many firsts in one day – it’s addictive. Wonder what tomorrow will bring – definitely something great J

A sideline adventure - becoming a Rescue Diver!

At the beginning of the year, I found a post on Facebook that said we should try and do something big and new every month of the year. One of my ideas was to do my Rescue Divers course and become a qualified Rescue Diver.

Once the seed had been planted, it was only a matter of time before I was itching to get it done. After having done my Advanced Divers course in Durban, South Africa at the end of November '14, I was still very much in love with being underwater. I also had an amazing instructor, who just so happened to also relocate to Oman at the beginning of this year. After many discussions on when would be a good time to get to the dive school where he worked, we made plans; and, at the end of July I was off to Dubai, to get a lift to Dibba, a little town at the very top of Oman. It can get a little confusing to explain, so I have added a link in, so that you can see where the dive school is exactly, as it borders the UAE.

Nomad Ocean Adventures - Google Maps

The trip from Dubai to Dibba is 2 hours by car. Not too bad at all. The dive school is called Nomad Ocean Adventures. What a place! Check out their website: Nomad Ocean Adventures 

Its a beautiful spot that makes you feel at home instantly. Above is a picture of the view from the school (the sea is so close!) and of the pool in the distance and where all the kits get organised for the dives. More pictures on their website! The people behind the scenes as well as the dive instructors are the best I have dealt with. Extremely professional and knowledgeable in all their descriptions and explanations. They run all courses at their school, which is a PADI affiliated school. They serve amazing food for lunch and dinners, so meal times are always eagerly anticipated. And if you are lucky, one of the instructors may even put together something real special, from his chef days! Also, while you are there you get to meet other divers who will be sharing their experiences with you when you travel to the dive sites. Many a laugh was shared with people who share the same passions as you do!

The Rescue Divers course itself is quite the challenge. Nothing like what you learn as an Open Water or Advanced Diver. In this course you learn to take care of others in an emergency. Its a serious course that requires focus, attention, practice, patience and utmost respect. All of which, you learn as you spend your days with the instructors. I did all my theory work as an e-learning student. You buy your pack online and go through all the sections as you would normally do on other courses. Much nicer to do it this way as you can do it in your own time and redo sections should you want to. Its exceptionally easy to use and all sections have videos that you can watch any number of times. The practical side thereafter is run at a school of your choice, of which mine was Nomad. You run through a number of scenarios numerous times until you feel confident about performing tasks in a real-life situation. 

As for the actual diving offered in this area: the water is beautiful and 90% of the time, you have crystal clear waters in addition to many fish at your fingertips. Also, the Arabian Sea is home to 5 of the 7 turtle species as well as whale sharks and black tip reef sharks. Well worth the visit.

Needless to say, that if you are a diver already and you are debating to which level to train up to, go to Rescue. It instills a confidence in you like no other course. You can help in any situation and potentially save a persons life. It is an absolute no brainer. If you are in the Middle East and you want a holiday as well as a course, go to Nomad. If you can travel there from further away, it will be a great trip. Take the plunge! 

It has certainly been awhile since my last blog post… It’s amazing that when you have so much to tell and to share that your energy levels decrease!

Following on from my previous blog post, we had an amazing evening at the 2015 Canadian Stampede. An amazing party was hosted at an amazing venue! Everyone dressed up so beautifully and it truly felt like we were in the middle of a serious Canadian barn party. It also proved to be a good place to meet some great people – new friends were made and dance moves shared as we partied the night away! My favourite picture from the event of my sister and I follows :) 

Soon after the Canadian Stampede, we were due to leave for Thailand. Final preparations were done and we were leaving on the 18^th March….. FOR A MONTH! The excitement was unbelievable. Will share news of my Thailand travels in the next blog post!

Hello March!

March is going to be a very exciting month for us here – as we will be traveling! More on that later J

After a month in Oman, I have learnt many things about how things work here or don’t. For example: everyone answers yes to everything and you are lead to believe that people understand exactly what you saying and it is truly a great feeling to be understood. Until of course you go back on your achieved ‘Yes” only to find out the answer could never have been yes in the first place. This has come to play when buying clothes and asking if they can be exchanged. “Yes!” they say. Only to get the response “No, no change” a few days later because something is too big or too small.

Following on from the wonderfully positive attitude of yes to everything, locals park anywhere. And I mean anywhere. They can happily leave their cars parked anywhere they feel there is space and sit there for ages. Or better yet, they leave their cars running so the air con stays at full capacity as the heat grows here, with summer approaching and disappear into the shopping mall.

Air con is everywhere here and so most times the heat is bearable because it is disguised by the wonderful coolness of the air con. With everyone having air con everywhere (shopping malls, homes, gyms, street cafes, etc.) there are many maintenance issues. And just like the internet maintenance crew, the air con maintenance crew is equally difficult to get hold of. While you wait, you can live with anything from waterfalls out of your wall (makes for a lovely water feature) or warm air flooding your house instead of cold. Both unbearable after a time. After many phone calls, the maintenance crew arrives. Not in a panel van or bakkie a.k.a. pick-up, but in a fancy 4-door car, with no tools! Fortunately, my dad has an extensive tool collection which they happily used to fix the air con. I wonder how other households manage! Oh the life in Oman! Never a dull day J

A normal shopping experience is the same as anywhere else, with a few differences. Every single trolley goes every direction, but forward. So if you don’t want to go to gym, never fear! Go to a shopping mall and walk up and down with a trolley. You shall be doing sideways lunges and reverse steps and if you really want to give yourself a good workout, try pushing two at the same time for a complete arm workout. In addition to that, girls try use the bathroom at home or at the malls. Don’t stop at a garage. Because you will think the toilets have been stolen as there is only a hole in the ground. Yes, only a very fancy hole in the ground. I shall let you imagine how difficult it is to go through with the entire performance. If that is not bad enough, there is never toilet paper, only a mini shower object. Enough said.

Aside from those challenges, which keep us laughing when retelling the stories, there are some amazing restaurants here. We have been introduced to some delicious Indian food as well as some restaurants which although not Omani, give us insight into what other places in the world offer. I have never been to America but I know that some of the food there is incredible. Service in a restaurant can also be entertaining, purely because in most places there is no service to speak of. You are wonderfully invited into the restaurant and thereafter it becomes a game of who can display themselves the best to get the attention of the waiters. To onlookers on the outside, seeing people stand up and wave their arms could be seen as awkward displays of dance to an unknown rhythm.

The pictures below are from our trips to the restaurants: the mini burgers are from a place called Slider Station. Amazing little burgers of all flavours and you can choose which you like! A Passage to India is a hidden gem here and is well worth the visit. The plate in the picture is what they bring to you after your meal. I don’t know about the little herbs and candy-coated herbs but I tucked into the sugar crystals.

We had the privilege of hosting Ed Sheeran here in Muscat. In Oman, we rarely get artists visiting so any time you can, you make sure you get tickets. The concert was incredible. Any chance you get, do yourself a favour and go and see him perform. Truly a musical artist and no doubt some awesome music still to come. I shall be learning some of his music on guitar! We arrived at the concert with the radio host saying that it would rain that evening. Now, living near the desert (Oman is very mountainous compared to other Middle Eastern countries) we thought the radio host was telling stories. But, not 10 minutes after arriving and just before the concert began, the heavens opened and the rain came pouring down! In a few minutes hundreds of people were absolutely drenched.  It was a short-lived storm but it left its mark. After the rain, fortunately the concert continued without a hitch and we danced and sang the night away. We also got the privilege of seeing the opening act Ryan Keen play. He was very good! Below is a picture of my sister and I at the gig! Some more pictures from the concert follow.

This weekend there is a huge party, the biggest of the year it has been said, called the Canadian Stampede. Everyone dresses up as a cowboy or cowgirl and there is line dancing to add to the whole experience. My sister and I have a love for anything country and so we have been looking forward to this since we bought the tickets (all 300 tickets sold out in 5 hours). I will be updating you with pictures in the next blog post! Have a wonderful March J

So much for weekly updates…

Next door to our property, there is massive construction going on. In December, they managed to destroy our internet cables in their building process. This resulted in us having no wifi. Doing everything including image uploading is very challenging using a phone’s hotspot and so all blogging was put on hold. As we have discovered, nothing in Oman moves quickly and so it has taken two months to get technicians out and only 20 minutes for them to fix the problem. Wifi is back on!

In the meantime, much has been happening in Oman and in our lives. My first week in Oman was surprisingly busy. Mom had done a good job of telling interested friends that I can tutor and as my plans for this year are a little ‘unplanned’, I would require work to get me through the next few months. It took 2 days before I had my first tutoring position. He is a 15 year old young boy who requires extra help with chemistry, biology and physics. His marks are good but his Dad wants him to truly excel. A challenging case because I find I am expanding his knowledge and not reviewing it. These lessons are three times a week, an hour each.

Not long after this, we meet up with a friend who has a daughter who also requires some help with her school subjects and some general ‘big sister’ love and attention. I see her as often as I can, sometimes for anything from an hour to four hours, where we go through her work and make sure she understands every detail. We are aiming for her mock exams end of March – holding thumbs!

There are many Muscat sites on Facebook that you can join to find out general information and ask questions. After a week or so of my arrival, my sister came across a post asking for a South African tutor who would be interested in home-schooling her Grade 11 daughter as they are immigrating to Oman from SA. Lolly put my name forward and the lady and I met over coffee to discuss if this could work. I made her aware I have no professional teaching qualifications but many years of experience and she has decided that we should go for it and see how it goes. This will be my biggest challenge yet and will be a proper job for 6 months or so. This has many perks aside from the awesome experience that this offers. But in addition to that, it comes with a salary and I will get a work visa to stay in Oman. So it seems, killing many birds with one stone. We will start mid-April, on their arrival.

Once you are living here in Oman, you are meeting people all the time. This goes for anywhere in the Middle East. Here, it is not what you know, but who you know. So you want to know or be connected to everyone. These affiliations have brought about my English tutoring that I do once a week at an institute here with Omani children. I have a class of 20 between ages 6 to 12. And I know all their names! Not because I wanted to but because they are so naughty that if I cannot stop them mid movement, my class becomes very rowdy. Apparently I have ‘that class’ and everyone gives me sympathetic smiles each Thursday. My first lesson was nothing short of crazy. I had a soft toy thrown at me whilst writing on the board, two boys swapping names and I was introduced to twins whose parents named them the same. Yes, twins with the SAME name: Nasser and Naser. The slightest of slight difference in pronunciations and the naughtiest of boys. Each week I have been at the institute, I have to relearn which is which, based on their clothing for the lesson. But aside from naughties, I have some great kids. And it pays!

My first weekend in Oman, there was a rock concert called Sandstock that was happening at a secret location in the desert. It has been a few years running and apparently is quite the festival. So there was no way we were going to miss it, so off we went. Road tripping here in Muscat is lovely. You have mountains one side and the sea on the other with long straight roads. Unlike other Middle Eastern countries, you have to drive to find the desert. On arrival at the entry to the desert, I saw a baby camel. What a treat. They are quite fluffy and as we know, anything in baby form is adorable.

Arriving at Sandstock, we found a great campsite for the night. Not too far from the stage, but far enough that we wouldn’t have to worry about someone falling onto our tent. Lolly and I volunteered to be a part of the cleaning crew (meeting people!) and we got a free t-shirt! By the time the sun disappeared, there must have been a good 500 cars and over 3000 people. What a turnout for a concert that was organised without Facebook and by word of mouth with email. The music was great and many great bands played the classics for us as we danced the night away. Met some good people and recognised a few from previous encounters. For anyone who doesn’t know, the desert gets very cold at night. So cold, that you could need slops a.k.a. flip flops (I have learnt that slops is a South African term) and a decent jersey a.k.a. jumper. So cold, that I was very grateful to be sharing a tent with my sister as the one blanket we brought with just didn’t cut it.

The next morning, armed with our black bags, we went around picking up little bits of rubbish along with the other volunteers. One bag each was enough as most people were really good about keeping the desert clean. On our departure from the desert, everyone stops to inflate their tyres and stock up on snacks for the drive home. We also have a compulsory drink that we get. It is called Cardamom tea. And for everyone that visits, the moment you land, I will treat you. It is a delicious hot drink unlike anything you have tasted. The cups are very small however and so, often we end up buying two a person. Just like the Milo drinks – one is never enough.

As some of you may know, Ed Sheeran is performing in Muscat on the 27^th February and we are all going. It is an exciting time because not many artists come to Oman, with Dubai being next door as their first choice. So with his coming arrival, there have been auditions to be his opening act at a restaurant here in Muscat. I went along and auditioned two weeks in a row. What a thrill to be behind the microphone again! Not much is more exhilarating than standing behind a microphone demanding attention with just your voice. Albeit unsuccessful in the audition process, the journey has re-ignited a hidden passion for music that took a backseat whilst pursuing a scientific career. So my gorgeous blue guitar now lives next to my bed and I am starting to perfect some of my favourite songs with the aim of learning and writing many more. Yet another positive outcome is the meeting of people in the music industry here. Now friends, I have sung with them at their gigs with the promise of potentially getting more involved as time goes. Definitely adding to an all-round experience here in Muscat!

Every weekend there are events organised by fellow expats or locals with a couple events during the week. Last weekend, we were invited to go for a braai a.k.a. barbeque and a beach sleepover. We opted out of the beach sleepover as we had other arrangements but joined the gang (picture below) for a fun-filled beach day. Everyone meets at a point and off we go in convoy. Now, for Africans, you will know that there is something called ‘African time’ and I have been teased with ‘Tin time’ as often I arrive late and ‘in my own time’. Well, us Africans have nothing on the people here. There is a thing called ‘Omani time’ where some people arrived an hour and a half late to the meeting point. Everyone here is in no rush to get anywhere and everyone always smiles. So the best solution is to just go with the flow and drink Cardamom tea while you wait!

With this, we start another weekend here in Muscat. We have an Ed Sheeran concert to look forward to and some friendly get togethers. The Dusi Canoe Marathon 2016 count down officially begins and it’s a year to go before I tackle the 3-day race in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Training starts this next week as I have been fighting flu amongst all other things recently. Almost at the end of February and I hope that all of you reading this are on track to reach your goals and achieve your dreams for 2015.