Little Britain - Anne Decorates For Christmas

Christmas Day 2008

Well, today is the day after boxing day and we have had a wonderful couple of days with visitors galore. Who would have believed that we would be sitting in our own home in Belgium, and have both Vennik and Morch family for Christmas day lunch - lunch that went on for hours, actually...

We started with Froie Gras and Sauterne ...

and ended with Pavlova and a wonderful sponge cake that the Bussem Venniks had made to warm our home.

A gezelig day had by all...

Merry Chistmas

Well, it Christmas eve and it's been a busy day today, getting all those last minute things done. I decided to go to the supermarket first thing after dropping Mike off at work and it was still nuts. There were heaps of people that decided to do the same thing and within 10 minutes of opening it looks like a Saturday afternoon. Alas no hams in Belgium, so we have beef and Chicken.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY.

Zurich Airport

Yay! I am so 'connected' now. Sitting in Zurich airport with my new toy, surfing the internet with wifi - I love this world of mobile connectedness...

But the other night I was so frustrated becuase I had bought myself this new toy, and if I couldn't use skype then I was damn well going to just have a bit of a surf. It turned out that day the internet cable between Afirca and Italy had been severed and all traffic to and from the Middle East was affected. It was ridiculously slow or not working at all and I thought I had bought a lemon, but it turned out the next day there was same problems at work and then I found out the cause.

Now I am in Zurich airport and I am so connected! I thought it was an hour earlier, so rang my beloved to tell him I was almost ont the plane, and he was not pleased, as it was only 0730 - Sunday morning. I thought it was 0830 - and then found I had an hour to kill - so out came the laptop and I found out how to get connected, I am so proud of myself...

Now I have the next month at home, I am actually looking forward to the cold. Believe it or not it has actually been quite cold in Oman this last week. the Omani's are wandering around with scarves, still with sandals on their feet though - quite comical realy as it is still 20-25 during the day and when the sun is out it gets over 25 degrees C that is. It has been cloudy and was probabaly about 18 - 20 degrees the day I left. It also rained the night before - apparently December is when they get all their rain.

Well, off to get on the plane...ciao for now...

Band Aid

They are playing Christmas songs in Oman - it's kind of weird - this has to be one of my favourites - I have heard it a lot lately. I can not believe it was almost 25 years ago! Arrggghhhh!!!

Going home tomorrow

Yay, it has been a very long two weeks! The day I arrived, two of my collegues were coughing and spluttering and sure enough two days later I came down with the lurgi - and I have actually been quite sick since. But now seeing as one is working for one's self there is no sick leave anymore... So I struggled on and finally tomorrow I get to go home and relax for a bit.

I also bought myself a new toy yesterday - a laptop - so that I could download skype and be able to do video conferencing with my beloved's while I am away. But I knew that the Omani government has blocked skype - I thought I would try a work around somehow - lucky one has an IT versed husband. We'll see what we can do when I get home.

I also got to have a cultural experience. An Indian collegue of mine invited me and another collegue to his house for dinner. He has been promising us a genuine Indian meal and now that his wife has arrived from Delhi we were invited to sample some Indian cuisine. It was an interesting night. We drank red wine from Chile, in the company of a Kiwi, Scott and Englishman from Yorkshire, in the home of the hosts from India sampling Indian fine food. It was wonderful, and mighty spicy, even though they promised us they had made it mild especially for us.

Get back home on Sunday morning - just in time for Christmas. Have a month at home this time - thanks to Christmas time and some f=good negotation skills. Looking forward to hosting in our new home this year - Santa better bloody come this year otherwise I am going to be mighty miffed! He never did the last couple of years, and I am sure it was becuase he was a bit confused with the move - not at all to do with the fact that we might not have been good... Perhaps ...

Sisters

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration. Instead of, like markJ, who when uninspired blogs youtube music videos, as I often do, I decided this time to take some inspiration from the opening line of someone eles's blogg and ran with it.

And like all pairs of sisters, of mine
We understand the secrets together
We know the moments we have left behind
Keep us allied beyond forever

Because, we know, like all pairs of sisters
It does not matter if we share the same blood
Nor the same gender, as some would insist
It’s the unity we know that creates our own love

Creature Comforts

'Snovember

Well we got the snow that they predicted this weekend. The photos here show a nice light dusting on Saturday and then on Sunday we got several inches as it snowed most of the afternoon and evening. We had some friends for lunch and spent a nice warm afternoon inside watching it snow outside, by 3ish they decided to leave as the snow started to settle on the car, for fears of not getting home.

It has warmed up over night - to about 3 degrees so most of the snow melted overnight. Nice to have the prettiness on the weekend but no hassle for Mik to have to hit the road to work this morning.

Sue's Home

Back again from another tour in Oman. It has gotten a lot cooler there now. When I left the office round 6pm on my last day, the sun had gone down and it was noticeably cooler, funny how 25 degrees all of a sudden feels cool.

But then I got back to Brussel the next morning and it was about 8 degrees - brrrr - now that is cold! Luckily my beloved brought me a jacket, as I decided to leave it in the car when I left - to avoid havng to haul it to Oman and back again. But I like the cold, especially when you ahve a nice warm house or boots and a nice warm jacket. I have had a really nice week just pottering around and cooking and cleaning until my heart is content - now I need to get back into some work again.

Mispronouncers Anonymous

It's pretty grand here at The Grand Hyatt...

Had an interesting couple of days. For the last couple of days I had to go through security to get into the hotel, as apparently the Prime Minister of India is staying here also for a few days. Haven't got an invite to the ball though - they are obviously not aware that I am in country, other wise I am sure I would have recieved an invitation. No staying here in December though as the Sultan has booked it, and two other hotels up for a GCC Conference. So it is back to the Radisson. But the good news is I found a really good restaraunt that is walking distance from the Radisson - it is Turkish and I went there tonight with a bunch a peole from work. Beautiful food and cheap! It only cost about 5 Rials = 10 Euros for starters and a main. I had grilled Hamour fish - it was the whole fish and it was yummy.

7 more sleeps and I get to knuffle my three boys again...

A slice of Dubai

Back in Muscat today. For those of you whom I did not tell I was going to Dubai, I was there for work. Lot's of work and a little sightseeing, but there is so much to see, so I am sure I will have to go back again - definitely with my beloved one, when I have some time to see some more sights. I really only had one afternoon, so I did the bus tour round the city. It was worthwhile when you have little time, but it made me realise that there is so much to see and do. I made it to the the Palm Island Jumeira, which you can get a pretty good view of here...

Or if you in the real estate market you can click on this... that was seriously impressive.

What seriously impressed me was the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Muscat, when I first walked in. They do not do things by halves in the Arab world - that is for sure.

Another new city - Dubai

Well , here I am sitting in a hotel in Dubai now. What on earth? - well yes I am getting round a bit for sure. I tell you what Dubai - as Jo and Steve know - is amazing. It is like the 29th century has been plonked down in the middle of 19th century Middle East.

The city is fantasical at night - a bit like The Emerald City - I think - not that I have seen it, but as I had imagined it. I found out this morning, after drawing back the curtains that I have a great view of the skysrcaper -cityscape from my hotel window, with a dwarfed Mosque in front.

The photo speaks more words than I can!

I have to tell you of my latest cultural experience last week in Oman. A collegue of mine, who is Indian invited me and my other collegues to an Indian bar, where there was Indian dancing girls. Looking around, I said, "Are you sure we are allowed to be here?" - "Oh yes, no problem. I was here last week and I saw some white people here." - "No", says I, "I mean is this a male club?". "Oh yeah, but that is OK."... "OK", I said, "they are not going to take their clothes off are they?" No ... thank goodness they didn't, and I had a really wonderful evening admiring the beautiful silk dresses and way in which they moved. It was very respectfull, more than I can say about my cultural experience in China, several years ago. But then I can not tell that story - certainly not in the blogg - even though I do not work for that company anymore, and come to think of it - neither does anyone else that was there....interesting...

Fun in France

A Chateau we visited on Sunday morning - Mik caught the image in the lake also.
Wine tasting - after this one we totally filled up the car to the brim...

Our little home for the weekend - a sweet little cottage in a country village...

Picnicing at Versailles

Back ... in Oman

So why did I only blog twice in the last three weeks?

Because of previous posts one is likely to assume that the silence has been due to unhappiness – but au contraire mon ami – this time, it has been due to major busyness – and a bit of writers block really - normally it is evening time when I am able to write and well, wanted to spend every possible moment with mon cheri - haven't I? I have had, I think the most happiest 3 weeks in a long long time. It was a wonderful feeling to move into a house that we own again, and it really feels like home – we feel like part of the community now and Mik is in major fix it mode - kinda necessary really - another story for another blog. I even spoke Dutch by myself (without Mik for support) with the Fokers (dog breeders – they do not speak English), when I dropped off and picked up F&F last weekend. We went to Loire Valley in France for the weekend and I even dusted off, what little French I could muster too! The Fokers even complimented me how well I was speaking too – very proud!

We moved into our new house, with all the big furniture being moved on the 13th of this month and around either side of that we have been moving anything that could fit in the car ourselves. Tell you what it has been a mission – that and Mik putting up fencing to allow the doglets to roam around in safety and putting in a doglet door (one for large cats actually – that I am sure Picasso would not make it through) so they can come in and out during the day as they please. And the timing is impeccable as Mik tells me it is minus 1.5 degrees in Huldenberg this morning. Me? Yip made it back to Oman – day one today of my second rotation. Luckily it has cooled off – phew – it is only 30 degrees now when I go and come home from work – during the day it is only reaching 35. I got myself a car this time so I can roam a little bit further than office and hotel.

Speaking of roaming, today someone told me they found a good wine called Goats do Roam. I said “I think you mean Cote du Rhone sweetheart”. “No seriously,” he said “it is called Goats do Roam from Australia I think?”. “Aha’” says I, “surely, that is something the Aussies would do”. But tonight I find on the room service menu – there it is and it is from South Africa! Just a sec and I can let you know if it is any good ... a novelty wine I think! It’s a bit harsh – but then I have been a bit spoilt lately.

Photos soon to follow from weekend in Loire Valley – we went with our French friends who live in Leuven and we had a wonderful time – absolutely knaffed on Monday but would not trade it for nothing. Between us we brought back slightly over our limit per car load – 90 L of wine! Yip we had a great time!

Red State Update: Sarah Palin Picked As McCain's VP

Even though I promised myself that I was not going to blog anything political, I had to do this one. "Sarah Palin is gonna make a terruffic VP!"

Broadening the mind is healthy

Travel is fatal to bigotry, prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Broad wholesomeness and charitable views cannot be acquired by vegetating in one tiny corner of the globe.
Mark Twain.

Borrowed from Di at http://womanwandering.blogspot.com/

Muscat from the Hotel Window

I am now back home, day 2 of time at home. The last weeks was a wirlwind as my friend and collegue arrived and we spent time cathing up and seeing a little bit around. As we were both working we managed to visit some restaraunts, the mall, and the market (sooq) at the Muscat port. Belgium has really chilled off, the days are around 15 degrees and the autumn is here for sure. The leaves are changing colour - I am frozen after being in the desert for three weeks.



Sue & Ronaye at the sooq...