Tomorrow is Saturday, which is to say that tomorrow is Monday. The weekends running on a Thursday-Friday schedule has put us into a tailspin of confusion, per this recent conversation with Tian:
Me: "Okay, so tomorrow you are getting up early because it is a school day."
Tian: "But it's Saturday! We don't do school on Saturdays!"
Me: "Yes, we do because it is really more like a Monday."
Tian: "But I thought you said it was Saturday! That would make it the weekend!"
Me: "No, Thursday and Friday are the weekend."
Tian: "No, Saturday-Sunday is!"
Me: "Where are you living right now?"
Tian: "Oh, yeah."
After taking a break from school for a week that spanned three continents, two oceans, two hotels, five visas, and thousands of miles, is it any wonder that Tian is baffled by the new schedule for the weekend, or has forgotten how to spell "story" or "happy"? (Neither one ends with "ie" for those who are wondering).
If these things have been forgotten, many more have been learned in their place. Instead of an automatic garage door opener we have a fancy iron gate that slides open and closed with the press of a button. We have learned to leave our gate open if we are hoping for visitors and to close it if we are not. We were desperate for company today so left it open all day and garnered the spoils--a jar of Omani honey, a bottle of cologne, two smiling boys, and two giggly little girls looking for a play date.
We learned all about the necessity of owning a car in Muscat. It is not a walker-friendly city so we have not been able to venture too far from our neighborhood, which is hemmed in by two causeways. However, today a kind American took pity on us, drove us about, and showed us what we have been missing: stunning beaches strewn with shells and colored rocks, marketplaces loaded with fresh produce and live poultry, and juice bars that sit anticipating beach goers.
We have learned the ins and outs of living in an enormous home. With three floors (tiled throughout), five bathrooms, four bedrooms, an HGTV kitchen with granite counter tops, and a marble staircase, we are all learning to mop and sweep, and then to scream to hear the echo bounce throughout the empty space.
We are learning but tomorrow begins the formal schooling upstairs in the maid's quarters turned school room. There are reportedly a handful of families who are homeschooling throughout the city. The next thing to learn will be their phone numbers.
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