Sunday 31 July 2011
Friday 29 July 2011
Wednesday 27 July 2011
Medical
I did the last piece of hoop jumping (bureaucracy) yesterday - I took my medical to find out if I am fit enough to be able to do my job and well enough to stay in the country. Foreigners with AIDS are not allowed to stay in the country. I didn't have AIDS last time it was checked so I think I'll be alright.
I discovered I am 1.81m tall and weigh 93kg. The doctor told me to lose 5-6 kg as I am overweight and to get some exercise. I am going to buy a push bike to cycle to work every day. A bog standard bike costs 35 Rials (£50).
My blood pressure was high (a family trait) 160/100 the first time it was taken and 150/70 the second, so I have to go back on Monday. I am pleased to say that my heart-rate was 48, not as good as it used to be, but still very low.
The process was another demonstration of the lack of urgency in Oman. We were asked to get to the office at 7.30, we had 50 minutes of sitting around before we set off. Once we got to the medical centre we had 3 different lots of waiting around - once to see the doctor, once for the x-ray and once for the urine & blood sample. But - as I said when I worked for the civil service - I wouldn't like to organise an alternative system country wide.
The lack of urgency just has to be accepted as the way things are done here. It is frustrating at times, especially when it is your wages that aren't being paid on time. When I was at Sunderland I always maintained that the first rule of management is that "the workers get paid what they are owed when they are owed it". It is now 4 weeks since I left Blighty and I still haven't been paid yet. Though I have to say I am fortunate to be in a better financial position than a few of the other lads here.
I discovered I am 1.81m tall and weigh 93kg. The doctor told me to lose 5-6 kg as I am overweight and to get some exercise. I am going to buy a push bike to cycle to work every day. A bog standard bike costs 35 Rials (£50).
My blood pressure was high (a family trait) 160/100 the first time it was taken and 150/70 the second, so I have to go back on Monday. I am pleased to say that my heart-rate was 48, not as good as it used to be, but still very low.
The process was another demonstration of the lack of urgency in Oman. We were asked to get to the office at 7.30, we had 50 minutes of sitting around before we set off. Once we got to the medical centre we had 3 different lots of waiting around - once to see the doctor, once for the x-ray and once for the urine & blood sample. But - as I said when I worked for the civil service - I wouldn't like to organise an alternative system country wide.
The lack of urgency just has to be accepted as the way things are done here. It is frustrating at times, especially when it is your wages that aren't being paid on time. When I was at Sunderland I always maintained that the first rule of management is that "the workers get paid what they are owed when they are owed it". It is now 4 weeks since I left Blighty and I still haven't been paid yet. Though I have to say I am fortunate to be in a better financial position than a few of the other lads here.
Sunday 24 July 2011
Today's lesson
Today I learnt that it is best not to leave your trousers in the living room overnight. The air conditioning is not on in the living room overnight, and when you put your trousers on in the morning they are warm or hot depending on the weather.
I really want to stay cool as long as possible in the morning before the onslaught of the day's heat.
I really want to stay cool as long as possible in the morning before the onslaught of the day's heat.
Saturday 23 July 2011
Oman 2-0 Myanmar
We went to see a World Cup 2014 qualifier today. Oman took on Myanmar, which is the official name for Burma. It was free to get in. The match was at the Seeb Stadium which has a capacity of 12,000. Oman had Ali Al Habsi of Wigan Athletic in goal, who pulled off a spectacular save late in the second half. The quality of the football wasn't particularly good, but it wasn't spectacularly bad either - neither team are going to qualify for the finals in Brazil. All in all a good night out. A good turn out by us as 11 of us were there - Bruno, Craig, Dan, Dano, Donald, Mick, Seigfreid, Steve, Steve, Tim & Tom.
Friday 22 July 2011
New flat
Anna & I are lucky enough to have been invited to share a flat with Craig & Sayeh. It is in Qurum, which is less than a mile from work. The rooms are massive & the rent is only 500 OR a month, which means we are paying 125 OR a month each - bargain.
We won't move in until the beginning of August, so we have a week or so to find a bed, a television, curtains, pillows etc. Fortunately Craig & Sayeh have a lot of furniture and other household stuff. We really have been very lucky.
We won't move in until the beginning of August, so we have a week or so to find a bed, a television, curtains, pillows etc. Fortunately Craig & Sayeh have a lot of furniture and other household stuff. We really have been very lucky.
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Tuesday 19 July 2011
Doctor Fish
I let fish eat the dead skin off my feet today. Ooh it didn't half tickle, I've got very sensitive feet you know - I once kicked a nurse full in the face when she washed my feet during a bed bath. Anyway, the lovely fish gave me a pedicure and my feet are now nice and soft! It only took 15 minutes.
I had my first lesson on the automated flying system at work today. It's not exactly intuitive, but I seem to have picked up the basics. I had a little play on the system and moved a few bars up and down. All the bars are automated, so there's no counterweights to be loaded for the flying pieces, which is nice.
I had my first lesson on the automated flying system at work today. It's not exactly intuitive, but I seem to have picked up the basics. I had a little play on the system and moved a few bars up and down. All the bars are automated, so there's no counterweights to be loaded for the flying pieces, which is nice.
Monday 18 July 2011
Thursday 14 July 2011
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Sunday 10 July 2011
Transport
Some form of transport is necessary in Oman. The distance from the theatre to the bar and cafe is about a 5 minute walk and this is as far as you can walk without getting uncomfortable.
When we arrived Jon & Mike picked us up from the airport and - along with Jurgen - have done a lot of ferrying about since. This is very nice & convenient but a bit unfair on them.
Taxis need to be bartered, before getting into the taxi. The drivers see us as cash cows with unlimited oil money. You need to know how much the journey should cost so you have a base to barter from - rather difficult when you have just arrived.
Anna & I got a taxi from Lulu's (a massive supermarket here) and got chatting to the driver, a lovely Omani man called Ahmed. He gave me a USB stick for me to put some 'European music' on, and his phone number so we could contact him. Basically we now have our own driver now who refuses to accept money for the lifts he gives us.
Today we hired a car - it costs 150 OR (£240) a month including insurance, but at about 5 OR a day it is the cost of two short taxi rides a day. When we picked it up it was completely empty of fuel, so we filled it up for 4 OR (£6.40).
The car is automatic, I haven't driven an automatic for 30 years. Driving in Oman is an interesting experience, Omani drivers don't drive like UK divers, Omani roadsigns (although in both Arabic and Roman alphabets) are not positioned the same as UK roadsigns and Omani road markings are not the same as UK road markings. We managed not to have a crash today.
When we arrived Jon & Mike picked us up from the airport and - along with Jurgen - have done a lot of ferrying about since. This is very nice & convenient but a bit unfair on them.
Taxis need to be bartered, before getting into the taxi. The drivers see us as cash cows with unlimited oil money. You need to know how much the journey should cost so you have a base to barter from - rather difficult when you have just arrived.
Anna & I got a taxi from Lulu's (a massive supermarket here) and got chatting to the driver, a lovely Omani man called Ahmed. He gave me a USB stick for me to put some 'European music' on, and his phone number so we could contact him. Basically we now have our own driver now who refuses to accept money for the lifts he gives us.
Today we hired a car - it costs 150 OR (£240) a month including insurance, but at about 5 OR a day it is the cost of two short taxi rides a day. When we picked it up it was completely empty of fuel, so we filled it up for 4 OR (£6.40).
The car is automatic, I haven't driven an automatic for 30 years. Driving in Oman is an interesting experience, Omani drivers don't drive like UK divers, Omani roadsigns (although in both Arabic and Roman alphabets) are not positioned the same as UK roadsigns and Omani road markings are not the same as UK road markings. We managed not to have a crash today.
Saturday 9 July 2011
My first weekend in Oman
I was lucky enough to have the whole weekend off this week (weekends are Thursday & Friday in Oman). We got a flier on Wednesday afternoon so went straight to the Intercontinental Hotel - its only a 5 minute walk from the Opera House but that is as far as you can walk without melting - needless to say, being a Stabler, I won the "let's see how much we can sweat competition", but managed to cool down in the air-conditioned bar with a couple of pints of lager.
When we left we had to reject 5 taxis who all asked either 4 or 5 Rials before we found one that would give us a lift home for the correct price of 3 Rials (£4.80). At home we watched "The Fighter" - a great film in which Christian Bale gives a fantastic performance.
On Thursday we did the compulsory laundry - our apartment has semi-automatic washing machines (for 'semi-automatic' read 'manual'), had a severe haircut, something to eat, lazed about a bit, then eventually got round to going to the souk (market) in Muttra. I managed to get the driver down from 10 Rials to 5 Rials, but when we got there it was closed! We had checked it would be open on Thursdays but it shut for the afternoon just before we got there (we had been told this, but with the amount of information our brains had taken in over the week we had forgotten). Anyway, we had a look around Muttra, saw the Sultan's (massive) yacht, saw the Sultan's (massive) spare yacht and saw the Sultan's yacht that he uses for his vehicles when he is on one of the other 2 yachts. We could have stayed until the souk re-opened but as we had been invited to a barbeque we decided to leave early.
The barbeque was in Muscat's equivalent of Ramsey Street where all of the grown-ups (management) live. It was a great night - it was even only a little bit ridiculously hot. Yet again the management excelled with lifts, food, drink. music et al being provided. They really are making everybody feel welcome, at home and at ease. There were a few other people there I hadn't met before, including Craig - a Pars fan. Everyone seemed to have a good time although there was one case of dehydration. Arrangements were made to meet up & go to Dive Beach the following day.
Again the management excelled themselves with phone calls & lifts to get everyone to the beach. Entrance was 6 OR and the food and drink was expensive but the beach was excellent, the Arabian Sea was nicely warmed - it didn't take me the customary 10 minutes to get my shoulders in the water. I saw a school of fish that were diving out of the water in a synchronised swimming sort of way and a massive puffa fish that was getting on for the size of a football.
On the way home Jon took us through Ruwi, again giving us a running commentary - explaining that the main street used to be the runway of the airport, that it is an area where a high proportion of the residents are Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans, that there is a fantastic curry house there (I must remember to find out the name of it), an amazing tool shop and welding shop.
All in all a fantastic weekend, I only hope that all my weekends here can be as good.
When we left we had to reject 5 taxis who all asked either 4 or 5 Rials before we found one that would give us a lift home for the correct price of 3 Rials (£4.80). At home we watched "The Fighter" - a great film in which Christian Bale gives a fantastic performance.
On Thursday we did the compulsory laundry - our apartment has semi-automatic washing machines (for 'semi-automatic' read 'manual'), had a severe haircut, something to eat, lazed about a bit, then eventually got round to going to the souk (market) in Muttra. I managed to get the driver down from 10 Rials to 5 Rials, but when we got there it was closed! We had checked it would be open on Thursdays but it shut for the afternoon just before we got there (we had been told this, but with the amount of information our brains had taken in over the week we had forgotten). Anyway, we had a look around Muttra, saw the Sultan's (massive) yacht, saw the Sultan's (massive) spare yacht and saw the Sultan's yacht that he uses for his vehicles when he is on one of the other 2 yachts. We could have stayed until the souk re-opened but as we had been invited to a barbeque we decided to leave early.
The barbeque was in Muscat's equivalent of Ramsey Street where all of the grown-ups (management) live. It was a great night - it was even only a little bit ridiculously hot. Yet again the management excelled with lifts, food, drink. music et al being provided. They really are making everybody feel welcome, at home and at ease. There were a few other people there I hadn't met before, including Craig - a Pars fan. Everyone seemed to have a good time although there was one case of dehydration. Arrangements were made to meet up & go to Dive Beach the following day.
Again the management excelled themselves with phone calls & lifts to get everyone to the beach. Entrance was 6 OR and the food and drink was expensive but the beach was excellent, the Arabian Sea was nicely warmed - it didn't take me the customary 10 minutes to get my shoulders in the water. I saw a school of fish that were diving out of the water in a synchronised swimming sort of way and a massive puffa fish that was getting on for the size of a football.On the way home Jon took us through Ruwi, again giving us a running commentary - explaining that the main street used to be the runway of the airport, that it is an area where a high proportion of the residents are Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans, that there is a fantastic curry house there (I must remember to find out the name of it), an amazing tool shop and welding shop.
All in all a fantastic weekend, I only hope that all my weekends here can be as good.
Saturday 2 July 2011
Resident's card
I went to the police station today to get my residents card. With all the red tape I was expecting to be there all day, I armed myself with a book (Sid Wadell's Beer Bellies & Bullseyes) and expected the worst.
Salem (our driver for the first few days) gave us a lift to immigration and once we were there we were met by Samir (our fixer). We were told to queue jump whenever we could, which with the help of Samir we managed to do quite successfully. Obviously, the sexes were separated, which resulted in Anna getting done way before Mick and I, but we were fingerprinted, photographed and issued our cards within 2 hours - an absolute result. The funniest bit being when Mick was asked if "Theatre Director" was the correct job title - not wanting to upset the apple cart, and wanting to get through the process as quickly as possible, we just agreed that it was correct. I doubt he will get a pay rise to match though.
I am now alowed to live in Oman. Happy days!
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