What I Learned Over Eid Vacation

While the rest of Gulf States had to suffer the injustice of a truncated Eid this year, Oman is still on holiday, finishing up an epic 10-day country wide haitus from work, school, and other responsible activities. While truly faithful, wealthy, and/or forward thinking Muslims went and did the required hajj, and truly wealthy, childless, and/or forward thinking expats left the country for Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, the rest of the infidels/poor folk stayed here.

As we are infidel, rather short sighted, comparatively poor, and a long way from childless, we also stayed in Oman. And we learned a surprising amount during that time. Reflecting back upon the experience, I can safely say that our learnings fit neatly under a variety of school subject headings, delineated below for your reading pleasure:


Math
1 inch of rain in Oman=2 feet of snow in Virginia
Recall the chaos that ensued in Virginia last winter...and the winter before...and the winter before (?) when the snow just kept falling. That one snow storm knocked out all services and roads and generally acted as a kind of glue, uniting people in a common bond of natural disaster. Now imagine the snow as rain--not heavy rain, just nice gentle rain. Now imagine people reacting in the same panicked manner, running their cars into curbs, cautioning one another against going out, and stocking up in toilet paper. It has been a bit surreal.


Biology
Animals, once dead, decompose and do NOT readily float.
On Monday morning we got a respite from the rain. On Monday morning I also discovered a dead dog laying next to the dumpster across the street. It was a wadi dog, which means that it was a wild, pack-oriented, large-ish animal that enjoyed barking at 3 a.m. And it was very dead, laying on its side next to the dumpster with no indication as to how it had died, aside from a thin gray cord tied around its right rear foot. When I went to dump the morning's load of dust and debris from the daily driveway sweeping, the sun was already beating down and the dog was bloating up.


I idly wondered whether it would eventually split and burst, if the trash truck guys would be willing to pick it up and toss it into the truck, and whether or not the additional coming rains would be heavy enough to float it away through the night.

The answer--no bursting; yes, they were willing; and no, the rains did not float it away.


Language Arts
New word: faffing.

When friends showed up late for our party, they excused themselves by remarking that they had been faffing. This seemed highly inappropriate to share with a room full of people, some of whom were complete strangers to them and so a language lesson ensued.

Examples of usage: "Stop faffing around and do the dishes already!"
"If it weren't for all of your faffing, we would be at the party already!"

Definition: wasting time by mucking about


Home Economics
Lamingtons are a topic of hot debate, are most readily consumed at one's grandmother's house, and are delicious.
http://australianfood.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/r/Lamingtons.htm
"Lamingtons are a quintessential part of every Australian's childhood. The little sponge cake is dipped in chocolate icing and then rolled in desiccated coconut."

We have yet to actually taste or attempt to create our own lamingtons. However, we were made to endure quite a lengthy discussion/argument as to whether or not lamingtons are a originally a product of Australia or New Zealand, and whether lamingtons must be dipped in chocolate in order to truly be a lamington. Heavy stuff we contemplate herebouts.


Social Studies
We would all love to drive. I think.
Even though Eid was long over as of Wednesday, people were still out in droves enjoying the cool weather, cloudy skies, and their families. Invariably througout that day we would find a clutch of men, women and children with their cars parked on the beach in a chuckwagon style formation. The patriarch would be ensconced upon his beach chair throne, quietly observing his grandchildren, fully clothed, frolicking in the waves.


One woman broke away from her gaggle of family members to walk briefly up the beach with the kids and me. She bemoaned the fact that she had only two teenaged daughters and no son, admired Silas in all his maleness, and asked where Tony was. When I told her that he was at home she was shocked. "What?!? You are drive?" When I told her that women in America had to learn how to drive, she shook her head in wonder. "Some things change and are very different from old Oman. Some things must change for good. Some things are change and are bad. But you are drive!"


I think she thought that women driving is a good thing. I think. At any rate, it was nice that she was so easily impressed by something as mundane as me driving the kids to the beach.


We are back to school starting Saturday. I am afraid the week ahead will be fairly dull in comparison.