WOOO HOOO!
Ok so my husband got the job and next June we will sadly be leaving Oman. Home to Australia for a few weeks then to Singapore in August to start our new life there....
I am EXCITED BUT i think because it is soo long till we move that a little of the excitement is gone as the waiting has set in...
What can I do. Too early to pack or organise anything really. Go on living life like normal - but no. Every time I have been shopping the last couple of weeks I think NO shouldn't buy that or wouldn't the kids love that - NO - cause I HAVE to downsize.
So the camping stuff is pretty much sold. Did that today. Yesterday I sorted out under the stairs and now have a room with stuff to sell in it - lots of baby stuff etc that we don't need to take with us. Then only the stuff we intend to keep went back under the stairs.
Crazy you are probably thinking - BUT this time I figure if I do little by little it won't be such a burden to sell all the things we don't want to take with us at the end just before we send off our shipping. When we moved here from Germany I only had a couple of weeks and that was not fun.
Don't get me wrong though we are not living in a half packed up house for the next few months. All I am doing is getting rid of the excess (and we have way too much stuff that we don't use) so I don't have as much to sell at the last minute.
BUT next week we are off to Europe for a 3 wk holiday. A cold winter YEEES! Don't know how I feel about it yet but anyway... have pulled all our winter clothing out and bought heaps more for the 2 boys. My youngest has never experienced COLD and oldest who was born in Germany does not really remember what COLD is like either. So it is going to be an adventure. After a 45 degree + summer here it is going to be fun. My brother is also living in the UK now and will be great to visit him.
OH BUT I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS IN EUROPE - a white Christmas would really be nice!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
To go or stay!
Ok so this is probably a little bit of a follow on from (or perhaps reason why I wrote) the previous blog. But now I can actually talk about what's going on.
So my husband has an interview in Singapore on Friday! There were nearly 1000 applicants for around 20 jobs and at the time we thought he had absolutely no chance. We do have friends that work at this school and put in a good word - so this probably contributed a lot!
But after the initial excitement of going somewhere new and after it sank in and the reality that he wouldn't probably even get an interview, I had resigned myself to staying and was actually hoping he wouldn't get an interview. So typically after we had decided that it was a no go - the next day he gets the offer! So I had mixed feelings of course! BUT now I am actually quite happy to go. There are many benefits of living in Singapore.
1. We will be soo much closer to home - only 7 hr direct flight!!!
2. Huge diverse expat population.
3. Many activities and experiences for kids.
4. Great professional dev opportunities for my husband and myself.
5. I can continue to stay at home with the kids.
6. Still have a housemaid.
7. Great public transport.
8. Easy to travel to other countries.
9. I can continue silversmithing, beading, glass bead making etc
AND
10. Easier for family and friends to come to us!
There are lots more and I could go on and on...
So now here's hoping he has a successful interview and we can plan to move!!! But it won't be until June that we leave here and Aug that we move to Singapore
So my husband has an interview in Singapore on Friday! There were nearly 1000 applicants for around 20 jobs and at the time we thought he had absolutely no chance. We do have friends that work at this school and put in a good word - so this probably contributed a lot!
But after the initial excitement of going somewhere new and after it sank in and the reality that he wouldn't probably even get an interview, I had resigned myself to staying and was actually hoping he wouldn't get an interview. So typically after we had decided that it was a no go - the next day he gets the offer! So I had mixed feelings of course! BUT now I am actually quite happy to go. There are many benefits of living in Singapore.
1. We will be soo much closer to home - only 7 hr direct flight!!!
2. Huge diverse expat population.
3. Many activities and experiences for kids.
4. Great professional dev opportunities for my husband and myself.
5. I can continue to stay at home with the kids.
6. Still have a housemaid.
7. Great public transport.
8. Easy to travel to other countries.
9. I can continue silversmithing, beading, glass bead making etc
AND
10. Easier for family and friends to come to us!
There are lots more and I could go on and on...
So now here's hoping he has a successful interview and we can plan to move!!! But it won't be until June that we leave here and Aug that we move to Singapore
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
LOST!
Sometimes I do feel a bit lost in this world. Where do we fit in? Family so far away... friends come and go.
Being an expat isn't easy and being an expat for the last 6 years means that we have lost touch with a lot of our friends from our home country. We have many we are still in contact with and see when we visit Australia every year - BUT it isn't the same as being around them on a regular basis. I think a big aspect of it as well is that WE have changed. Our lives have significantly changed since moving overseas. We now not only have 2 children but we have experienced and seen things that we would never have had the opportunity to do or learn about had we stayed in Australia. We have less things in common with many of them.
A friend who had traveled a lot once gave me this piece of advice before we started traveling and it has stuck with me ever since-
Don't expect that people will want to see your photos or understand what you are talking about or your excitement. Carry around a few photos with you when you come back and only bother to show and talk about them to those who ask to see them. A lot of my friends sat through photos out of politeness and I soon learnt that people really weren't genuinely interested unless they asked me about my travels and wanted to see pics.
I found that my friend was soo right. I could see the glazed over look that people got when they had tuned out of listening to our adventures. So now I don't even carry photos around or even talk about it much - But I suppose I have facebook etc to thank for that now as it is the perfect way to make photos available to those who want to look at them and comment - and they can pick and choose (they don't have to sit through the whole 200+ photos!!).
Another aspect that impacts on expat friendships is the transient nature of the community. You make friends - they leave, you make friends - you leave! I left behind a great lot of friends in Frankfurt and I really miss that. They were supportive, non judgmental and jealousy did not exist. However Frankfurt has a large expat community.
I have found that living here the expat community is far more fish bowl in nature. Your friends are often your colleagues and you are "forced" into friendships that are superficial. Many of the people we become friends with we would never have mixed with had we been in Aus. That's not to say all are like this... or this is the norm - I just mean it is more prominent in a smaller expat community. I have really pushed myself to make friends out of our workplace. I do not like "fake" friendships or those that are only friends with you when it is convenient or they want something! I don't "need" to have friends that are in my pocket all the time - so I would rather have genuine friendships.
So that leads me back to where do we fit in... I really don't know - I suppose there is somewhere out there that we will feel like we really fit in... perhaps it's all a matter of timing.
But it has lead us to start asking questions like - Do we want to return home... not really. Move on to somewhere else... well yes in a way for some reasons. Or stay here... well yes I have made some great friends here and the lifestyle is great - so perhaps it's all about perseverance.
Being an expat isn't easy and being an expat for the last 6 years means that we have lost touch with a lot of our friends from our home country. We have many we are still in contact with and see when we visit Australia every year - BUT it isn't the same as being around them on a regular basis. I think a big aspect of it as well is that WE have changed. Our lives have significantly changed since moving overseas. We now not only have 2 children but we have experienced and seen things that we would never have had the opportunity to do or learn about had we stayed in Australia. We have less things in common with many of them.
A friend who had traveled a lot once gave me this piece of advice before we started traveling and it has stuck with me ever since-
Don't expect that people will want to see your photos or understand what you are talking about or your excitement. Carry around a few photos with you when you come back and only bother to show and talk about them to those who ask to see them. A lot of my friends sat through photos out of politeness and I soon learnt that people really weren't genuinely interested unless they asked me about my travels and wanted to see pics.
I found that my friend was soo right. I could see the glazed over look that people got when they had tuned out of listening to our adventures. So now I don't even carry photos around or even talk about it much - But I suppose I have facebook etc to thank for that now as it is the perfect way to make photos available to those who want to look at them and comment - and they can pick and choose (they don't have to sit through the whole 200+ photos!!).
Another aspect that impacts on expat friendships is the transient nature of the community. You make friends - they leave, you make friends - you leave! I left behind a great lot of friends in Frankfurt and I really miss that. They were supportive, non judgmental and jealousy did not exist. However Frankfurt has a large expat community.
I have found that living here the expat community is far more fish bowl in nature. Your friends are often your colleagues and you are "forced" into friendships that are superficial. Many of the people we become friends with we would never have mixed with had we been in Aus. That's not to say all are like this... or this is the norm - I just mean it is more prominent in a smaller expat community. I have really pushed myself to make friends out of our workplace. I do not like "fake" friendships or those that are only friends with you when it is convenient or they want something! I don't "need" to have friends that are in my pocket all the time - so I would rather have genuine friendships.
So that leads me back to where do we fit in... I really don't know - I suppose there is somewhere out there that we will feel like we really fit in... perhaps it's all a matter of timing.
But it has lead us to start asking questions like - Do we want to return home... not really. Move on to somewhere else... well yes in a way for some reasons. Or stay here... well yes I have made some great friends here and the lifestyle is great - so perhaps it's all about perseverance.
Friday, October 30, 2009
As the Weather Changes
The days are getting more bearable. Time to get all the outdoor stuff organised again. A few weeks ago we made a trip to dubai and bought a great new swing for 4yr old. So now 1yr old and 4yr old can swing at the same time. Makes life much easier. We made a great soccer (football) goal post out of pvc pipe and when we were on holidays in australia found some netting. Now to put the netting on and get the soccer ball out.
The garden is looking a little better as we got our old gardener back and he's cleaned the place up after the other gardener let it grow into a mess. Flowers are growing and grass is looking good again.
The pool is a nice temp now - not like hot bath water anymore and even feels a bit cool in the evening. But so nice to just walk out the back door and get into the pool! 1yr old looooves the water!
1yr old also looooves to be outside - sooo glad it is getting cooler, as his persistent going to the door and saying pa pa pa (play), often leading to crying is getting a little too much.
Don't want to complain as we have like the best house compared to what we could have here! But our next house definitely has to have a patio area where the kids can play safely, while I can still be sitting inside. Our townhouse has a fully enclosed small courtyard area leading directly out from the lounge room - would be soo convenient - BUT we can't live there... so I need to stop dreaming. On that matter we are still looking for tenants but hopefully this week.
Have a few silver custom orders to make - a ring, some tags, a few bangles so off to finish making them today. Preparing for my next sale and trying to get more glass beads made, not to mention trying out my kiln with clay which I still haven't got around to doing.
OH plus 1 unhappy child with 4 back teeth coming through all at once!
The garden is looking a little better as we got our old gardener back and he's cleaned the place up after the other gardener let it grow into a mess. Flowers are growing and grass is looking good again.
The pool is a nice temp now - not like hot bath water anymore and even feels a bit cool in the evening. But so nice to just walk out the back door and get into the pool! 1yr old looooves the water!
1yr old also looooves to be outside - sooo glad it is getting cooler, as his persistent going to the door and saying pa pa pa (play), often leading to crying is getting a little too much.
Don't want to complain as we have like the best house compared to what we could have here! But our next house definitely has to have a patio area where the kids can play safely, while I can still be sitting inside. Our townhouse has a fully enclosed small courtyard area leading directly out from the lounge room - would be soo convenient - BUT we can't live there... so I need to stop dreaming. On that matter we are still looking for tenants but hopefully this week.
Have a few silver custom orders to make - a ring, some tags, a few bangles so off to finish making them today. Preparing for my next sale and trying to get more glass beads made, not to mention trying out my kiln with clay which I still haven't got around to doing.
OH plus 1 unhappy child with 4 back teeth coming through all at once!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
MY KILN
So my Caldera Kiln from Paragon arrived last week and over the weekend I finally had the chance to use it. It is absolutely a great kiln. It works really well and is sooo easy to use with digital controls. I made a few glass beads and used the kiln to anneal them and it was perfect! Not that I can say that about the beads yet. I need more practice but I am getting there. They look good and the colours are such fun to play with. I get the feeling though that I am going to go through glass fast and need to buy more... only problem is I have to ship it to oman.
Another exciting purchase to add to my tools is a ring sizer. I found a great one in the souk the other night at a silversmith supply shop. I was going to eventually buy one online (BUT they are very heavy) and so was excited when I actually found one here AND it was only 33OR. HOWEVER it is made in India - not US or Italy so here's hoping it works just as well. I am still waiting for my silver order to come to test it out.
SLOW mail - it's so frustrating when I need something quick. Fire mountain gems use fed ex and it always gets here within 3-5 days. Some other purchases I ordered nearly 2 weeks ago still haven't come and since then I have got 2 orders from fire moutain.
Another exciting purchase to add to my tools is a ring sizer. I found a great one in the souk the other night at a silversmith supply shop. I was going to eventually buy one online (BUT they are very heavy) and so was excited when I actually found one here AND it was only 33OR. HOWEVER it is made in India - not US or Italy so here's hoping it works just as well. I am still waiting for my silver order to come to test it out.
SLOW mail - it's so frustrating when I need something quick. Fire mountain gems use fed ex and it always gets here within 3-5 days. Some other purchases I ordered nearly 2 weeks ago still haven't come and since then I have got 2 orders from fire moutain.
Friday, September 4, 2009
THE WAVE MUSCAT - OUR TOWNHOUSE
Our new townhouse is built and we are about 1 week away from getting the keys... Insha'Allah!
It has been a battle right from the first moment we decided to invest... everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Not with the building of it but of course with the bank! I won't go into details now I am too angry.
UNFORTUNATELY we will NOT get to live in it at this point...for 1 we have soo much stuff we wouldn't fit:-)
But because we had always intended on renting it out. Disappointing as it is sooo nice! So one lucky couple/family get to enjoy our brand new house!
FOR RENT
http://thewavemuscat.com/Properties/Townhouses.aspx
3 Bedroom / 4 bathroom Townhouse with OCEAN and MOUNTAIN views
Fully fitted kitchen with built in appliances
Double glazing throughout
Underground car parking
Washing machine and dryer
Large sun terrace and balconies
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Good to be home!
Well after spending the summer in Australia it is good to be home. We did have a great holiday and really enjoyed the beach house and an unusually warm winter. BUT it is nice to have the kids back home with their toys and settled into "normal" life once again.
Now I have lots of organising and sorting of all my goodies bought in Australia and Thailand. New beads and sooo many new ideas floating around in my head. Plus my kiln arrives next week - can't wait! Glass bead making here I come!
Over the summer I did a silversmith course and lampwork glass bead course to further my skills and can't wait to put them into action.
I am now thinking about what I can do on the teaching side of things - maybe offer a workshop pretty soon...
Now I have lots of organising and sorting of all my goodies bought in Australia and Thailand. New beads and sooo many new ideas floating around in my head. Plus my kiln arrives next week - can't wait! Glass bead making here I come!
Over the summer I did a silversmith course and lampwork glass bead course to further my skills and can't wait to put them into action.
I am now thinking about what I can do on the teaching side of things - maybe offer a workshop pretty soon...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
