The Grand Mosque - Muscat - Oman

Wave Pics

Well i guess its time for another post. I've been a bit slack on it lately. War of the Worlds was awesome and I even had a dip in the sea, which was freezing btw.

Now I am back in Oman and it is typically 45 - 50 degees during the day and 90% humidity. It's ugly! My sunglasses fog up when I go outside, and I can hardly see for the glare!

2 weeks to go on this rotation and I am now looking forward to summer holiday in northern Italy a week or so after I get back - yipee and I get to spend 4 weeks at home this time.

I came across these wave pics and thought you might also enjoy them....Enjoy!

Five go mad in Brighton!

Finally, a new post! Yes it's been a while. It's been a busy month, and I really didn't feel much like blogging anyway.

But now I do, totally excited to go see Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds on stage in Brighton this weekend. The plan was for 8, but now only 5 can come. But we'll have a great time anyway.

Check it out....

Going Private - Bulletin

Hey all. We have decided to make this blog private - i.e. not open to any man and his dog on the internet. We will send an invitation to all our friends and family which will give you access instructions to see this blog.

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TE HE HE HE - ROFLOL

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All organised for War of the Worlds - well semi

At the end of June we are going to see Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds on stage in Brighton, UK ... beam me to the web page . I finally booked the train tickets to London which was the last thing to do. Accomodation was booked in February for 8, I swear we got the last 4 rooms in Brighton.

We got 8 tickets last year in October when they went on sale, so we are going with Celine, Laurent, Clare, Clare's friend, and hopefully Ronaye and Glenn can make it all the way from NZ. Glenn has requested a flight (pilot for AirNZ) to London at that time which will see him with a few days in London, hopefully at the perfect time. Ronaye and I will finish our next rotation in Oman, almost together a week before the concert, so if it works out we might get to spend some good girlie time in Belgium that week - and it is her birthday that week too - so it could rock!

Only one slight snag.....the company that sold all the tickets has gone into recievership - but we have had official word another compnay will make all their best efforts to get the tickets out to the rightful owners before the concert - here's with fingers crossed.....otherwise we might just be having a hoolie on the town in Brighton that night - us and thousands of others that have planned to see the concert.

Some proof that I really do work in an oil field

Well I guess it is about time for a blog. The last three weeks were really busy and I didn't make much time to blog.

This time I spent 4 days at the field, which is about 600km south of Muscat in the middle of the desert. Here is a few photos of me and Ronaye getting down and dirty at the coal face.

It is getting up to 50 degrees at the peak of the day now in Mukhaizna, and about 39 in Muscat. Luckily the humidity has not started yet in Muscat, but it is on it's way. It's gonna be ugly when I get back next time.

Sonata Arctica Tallulah Music Video IA®

Another for your enjoyment.

Sonata Arctica - White Pearl, Black Oceans

It's the theatricallity of the mmusic that I like I think - warning it is 8 and a half minutes long...check out the animation in this video. It is amazing what they can do now.

Sonata Arctica- Shamandalie

A collegue introduced me to these guys and I have been maxing out on their albumn Reckoning Night.

These guys are total nutters - but make my life fun...

Two important traits for the Oil Field - Simplicity and Vulgarity

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)

Well apparently the world is going crazy about this? It does bring a tear to your eye.

Kitchen diaries

This guy is the best, he had me in stitches.

Becky from Dublin

This is brilliant. LMAO.

Evanescence - "My Immortal" Official Video

Hans Zimmer - Now We Are Free

A lovely spring day in the Flemish country side

Well, after much craziness finally I have had a chance to wind down today - and a beautiful spring day it was. Sorry for Mik who is still suffering a bit from the jetlag, and as I write he is in bed after the day at work - but back to me!.... this morning when we got up it was zero and minus 2 through the valley on the way to drop Mik off at work. The sun warmed it all up really quick and by 10am it was 4 degrees by the time I picked Mik up again it was 11 degrees - woohoo double figures!

But in between all that, I managed to have lunch with a good friend, who is not so happy as she is paying two motgages after buying a new apartment at the same time we bought and not being able to sell the other one due to the whole economic crash - and on top of it all worried about loosing her job. So we consoled each other with .... 'So long as we have our health and the ones we love close to us - then houses, and money and jobs can go by the by - so long as we can have some semblance of a roof over our heads.'

Also lately, thanks to my Scottish collegue, (whom I respect immensely for some things).... I have been enjoying the music of Hans Zimmer lately and managed to finally download a compilation of his works today. Here is a great piece above .....

On Green Day's Whatsername

I have been totally hoooked on Green Day lately, particularly their American Idiot album. Whatsername is one of my favourite and I think I listen to it, at least three times a day if not more.

This video is a bit lame, but it really does not need visuals there is plenty of colour in the music, and clever lyrics too.

"Thought I ran into you down on the street,
Then it turned out to only be a dream,
I made a point to burn all of the photographs,
She went away and then I took a different path,
I remember the face, but I can't recall the name,
Now I wonder how whatsername has been...

Seems that she disappeared without a trace,
Did she ever marry old whatshisface,
I made a point to burn all of the photographs,
She went away and then I took a different path,
I remember the face, but I can't recall the name,
Now I wonder how whatsername has been...

Remember, whatever,
It seems like forever ago!
Remember, whatever,
It seems like forever ago!
The regrets are useless,
In my mind,
She's in my head,
I must confess!
The regrets are useless,
In my mind,
She's in my head,
From so long ago!
(Go... go... go... go...)
(Go... go... go... go... go...)

And in the darkest night,
If my memory serves me right,
I'll never turn back time!
Forgetting you, but not the time!"

Green Day's Whatsername

The Chaser - Wanker Number Plates

One week to go...

Well, one week left to go and I get to be with my beloved boys again. Now is about the time I get a bit sick of restaraunt food and just need to comforts of my own space and junk around me. Although I am managing to gather some junk here - books mainly.

I have had some good experiences though this time. It has gotten to the point where I don't have to sit in my room night after night watching movies or reading books. I now have a social life! I can now sit by the pool in the evening and run into someone I know if I want to. Some stay also in the hotel, some I work with who come to drink at the bar and others who just come for the same reason, a chat or a drink or to sit by the pool and read their book or newspaper.

Oh yes and yesterday was an interesting thought. Mubarak, the Egyptian President and Prime Minister arrived in Muscat for a formal two day visit. They closed the roads off for the afternoon so we all got to leave the office early, to make it back to our homes before it got chaotic on the roads. There was major security alert as the guy is considered a terrorist target. Thoughts that go through my head on the way home from work yesterday....

"Hmmmmm, I am drving through a city where there is a major terrorits target arriving today.....now is probabaly a good thing that I am not staying at the Grand Hyatt this time as he probabably is. Thank you Radisson for not being flash enough for visiting dignatories.....now seems like a good time to soak up some that 32 degrees in the shade by the pool."

So I did.

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game (Live)

7 days down

So my warning was not far off, was it? But even still I have been working long hours as the pressure comes on a bit at work.

Mik is off to New Zealand tonight. So he is busy making sure all his i's are dotted and t's crossed. I am 7 days down and 14 to go, but my girlfriend comes back from the field today so we have 5 days together to spend some of our hard earned cash. Last time before I left I discovered a whole new wing of the mall that we never knew existed so I am looking forward to show her that. It is the designer shops....can't understand how come I had not sniffed it out before. Very excited.

Discovered Facebook

Well, now that I have discovered facebook, the blogs might get a bit less sorry. I am having a great time connecting with old friends and catching up on how their lives have changed in the last 20 years.

Sue goes back to work for another 21 days and Mik is off to NZ for a much needed holiday and catch up with family.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS Theme

A poetry day

I am having a real poetry day today. Mik bought me the complete works of John Keats for a birthday one year and he reminded me last night that I have never read it - but that is not quite true I have picked it up a couple of times and it not the sort of thing one reads from cover to cover, and quite honestly I find it quite hard work as the language is so old, one really has to study it rather than simply read it. So today I decided to make some time for poetry and inspired by Keats and some French friends of mine with a lust for life and each other I found this one...

Celine & Lorenzo dance on a Saturday night

Dancing twirling laughing nymphs
Lunging at life from up high on a plinth
Telling the world that they better take care
For Lorenzo and Celine are making it here
To take it all for what it is worth
And make revelry dance and be wild in the mirth
For life is for love and the world is the stage
And we make it all now for tomorrow we age

Mik, Celine and Laurent - aka Lorenzo dancing on a Saturday night.

A few days rest in Oman - the story

I thought I better give ayou a bit of a story to go with the pictures.

We had a wonderful couple of days rest in Oman and made sure it was not a wirl wind. Actually the day before Mik arrived the wind whipped up and there was quite a sand storm, but it settled by the afternoon of the first day and we managed to see some rays by the pool. That morning we went for a walk down the beach, and as you can see there was a bit of surf. It reminded me a lot of the North Taranaki coast, except the tide was a lot shorter. It was nice just to wander along the beach with our shoes off and jeans rolled up. We both realised how much we miss the sea. Still it is lovely here in the Flemish country side, but there is something special about the sea for those that grew up by it. A lot like that mountain of ours too ... for those who don't what I mean here he is...





Taranaki from Paul G's Yacht.








The next day we checked out and went for a drive to Muttrah and old Muscat and mananged some bargaining in the market place, which they call the souq. We found the silver and gold souq too, and were aghast at the beautiful jewlery, which I am totally going to have to introduce Ronaye to when we get back again - sorry Glenn...

It was a magic blue day and we were planning to also spend the afternoon by the pool but we got back to the hotel and they had closed the pool area for a special valentines day party, which one had to buy tickets for. So we crashed the Hyatt instead and sat by their pool for the afternoon and enjoyed the spa pool in the evening. The retaraunt by the pool turned into a Japanese restaraunt by night so we enjoyed an awesome meal - there we were, a couple of mad kiwis in the middle east eating sushi and sahimi and drinking New Zealand Sauvingnon Blanc.

A few days rest in Oman

Hundreds attend global warming protest

I learned something new today...which is always good for the soul

My taste in music is broadening ... it turns out Gorillaz is a virtual band - I never realized there was such a thing, and if you you tube/google 'Gorillaz live' you can see they perform live as animated characters also - but they haven't toured since 2002 by the looks. If you want to know more about Gorillaz click here, which is a Wikipedia site and then I read Amy MacDonald's blog today and she said she tried to correct Wikipedia's article on her and they told her to stuff off - how bizarre! click here to see her comments on the article about her on Wikipedia - oh dear wiki was always my first line of on line knowledge until know.

I do think she is doing some good stuff too - my faith in new music is restored... see http://www.amymacdonald.co.uk/ .

I also saw a very cool movie today - because I got sick again and this time quite terribly so I had to stay in my room all day - Mike knows all about it for sure, he listened to my whining for two days now - but the movie was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, adapted from a 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I enjoyed it. It is a saga but worth the time, if you have it... click here to see the tralier

Gorilaz - 19-2000

And this was the first one that attracted me.

Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

I have been really enjoying these guys lately. I really like the fact that they are always animated, and sometimes their pieces are about the poetry, sometimes about the rhythm and sometimes the melody. They never do just one formula - I like that - it's varied.

A trip to the field - Mukhaizna

Back again. Well another two weeks have gone by and it has a bit of a whirlwind this time.





I got ot the field this week for the first time and it was a different world. The field is massive - there is two and the whole complex is about 30 km by 10 km. I did take some photos, on a collegue's camera - I do not have them yet, but here are a few google images for your interest.

Living quarters

Beam Pump

Somewhere in the field

It was as flat and brown as the eye could see. It looked to me like the blue sky on the horizon was the sea but the further you drove the sea never appeared. The temperature range was large. About 5 degrees in the morning to the mid to late 30's during the day. That's winter - in summer the days are in the mid to late 40's.

You can read little bit more about the project if you click here.

On another subject - I have been quiet of late as I am in a different hotel this time and the "high Speed internet" is totally ridiculous. Thank god for all the movies I downloaded onto my laptop when I was at home, as I simply can not download anything with the speeds they have here. I can not even listen to a continous sample of music on i-tunes, and it takes about 10 minutes to download one song. At home we are getting a whole album in that time. So as you can tell I have been a little frustrated on the entertainment front. On advise from one's ITlearned husband, I did a speedtest and found I was getting just over 200 kb/s - dial up is faster than that!!!!



Anyway, 14 days down, 7 to go until my beloved comes and we can spend some time in the sun.

Hello again

Well, it seems like everyone is back into it, except me and Jo. But we could excuse Jo, as she is probably on summer holidays.

It's been a bloggy while, due to the fact that I couldn't possibly blog about the weather one more time, plus I have been working, and it seemed that it had been a relatively uneventful 10 days in our household. Buying a house seems to have put paid to all those fancy weekends away - but it is great having our own house again, even if it means digging up and unblocking drains in the cold rain on the weekends. We finally got the laundry out of the kitchen and into the garage, which is brillirant, so we can at least put in a dishwasher and then soon a brand new kitchen. Yay - priority number one next rotation out, to finalise ordering the new kitchen.

We did find a good source of latest movies too, to while away for hours while in Oman. Yip, back again to the Omani land on Thursday. Mike is coming to meet up with me at the end of this rotation in, so we can have some semblance of a summer holiday like those in the southern hemisphere. Long way to come for a long weekend, but it will be worth it. I have added a few extra days at the end with no work so we can do some touristy things and simply grab as much sun as we possibly can.

It was a great time at home this time. Sorry no photos of New Years Celebrations as it was pretty quiet here.

Neil Diamond - Be

We just dusted off Jonathon Livingstone Seagull tonight.

"Written by: neil diamond

Lost
On a painted sky
Where the clouds are hung
For the poets eye
You may find him
If you may find him

There
On a distant shore
By the wings of dreams
Through an open door
You may know him
If you may

Be
As a page that aches for words
Which speaks on a theme thats timeless
While the sun God will make for your day
Sing
As a song in search of a voice that is silent
And the one God will make for your way

And we dance
To a whispered voice
Overheard by the sould
Undertook by the heart
And you may know it
If you may know it

While the sand
Would become the stone
Which begat the spark
Turned to living bone
Holy, holy
Sanctus, sanctus

Be
As a page that aches for word
Which speaks on a theme that is timeless
While the sun God will make for your day
Sing
As a song in search of a voice that is silent
And the one God will make for your day"

Whiteout

Not a lot happening here if late. Sue and the doglets are housebound on account of the sub zero temperatures and snow that just will not go away, the doglets are going a little stir crazy I might add. Sue says lucky she has her work, as one can only watch so many classic movies in a day can't one!

I hear in the news that even Portugal is standing gobsmacked by sub zero conditions.

Wikipedia had this to say on the conditions of the day...ours was of the third variety.

"Whiteout (weather)

Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow and diffuse lighting from overcast clouds.

There are three different forms of a whiteout:

1. In blizzard conditions, the windblown snow in the air may make it too difficult to see very far.
2. In snowfall conditions, the volume of snow falling may obscure objects reducing visibility.
3. In clear air conditions, when there is no snow falling, diffuse lighting from overcast cloud may cause all surface definition to disappear.

It becomes impossible to tell how far away the snowy surface is. In polar regions this optical illusion can make whole snow-covered mountains invisible against the background white cloud, and the horizon cannot be identified, slopes cannot be judged for steepness, and snow surfaces cannot be seen. This effect is exacerbated by a smooth surface of fresh snow. It is only when a contrasting object is placed on a snowy surface that the surface can be detected.

In less extreme cases, it may suffice to break the snow surface by throwing a snowball ahead. This form is also known as flat light or sector whiteout.

Whiteout conditions pose threats to mountain climbers, skiers, aviation, and mobile ground traffic. Motorists, especially those on large high speed routes are also at risk. There have been many major multiple-vehicle collisions associated with whiteout conditions.


See also
Air New Zealand Flight 901, an air accident on Mount Erebus, Antarctica caused in part by whiteout conditions.

Climbing incidents on Mount Hood: all recent incidents have been caused by whiteouts."

Snow, Snow and more Snow in Huldenberg

Well, things took a dramatic turn last night, it had been snowing on and off the last couple of days, but last night saw the winter really show it's self with avengance. There is about 10 cm of snow out there now. It has been snowing all day today.

Saturday and Sunday saw us pottering around the yard testing the stormwater drains to see where the water was collecting and realising the storm water went out onto the road (yipee) and the system for collecting the kitchen waste was not doing it's job properly. Mike sorted out some drainage from the garage so we can now put the washing machine in the garage and lessen the load off the system for collecting the kitchen waste. Lucky he is a Mr Fixit- he also realised how much he enjoyed fitting again - or was it just fixing things - the later I presume.

What fun I hear you say? Sure was in freezing conditions, we had to go inside every few hours to let our toes thaw out again. Mike started digging a new sump and Sue moved a small old stack of fire wood, some inside and some to the larger stack and got a good tarp on it. Just in the nick of time, before the snow really set in.

Gosh we relly are country bumpkins now, sorting out waste tanks ... we even bought ourselves some gumboots last week.

Only just a tad jealous of Paula and Brett swanning around Brizzy on their boat.

Minus 5

We thought you might like to see what minus 5 looked like.

It certainly is a white new year! We took these pictures yesterday, while the frost was still on the trees, then it warmed up overnight - it was only minus 1.7 during the night and has been hanging around zero today. We decided to get out in the yard to clean up a few things things this morning and it started to snow! So now we have a nice wee white dusting - nothing too serious to screw up the roads.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE! All the best to one and all for an excellent 2009. I can feel this one is going to be a goodie. It got off to a good start with no hangovers - on account of getting into bed before 10pm last night. But we still saw in the new year as the neighbours fireworks woke us up on the dot of 00:00...mental note better get onto the new years message...

Little Britain - Anne Decorates For Christmas