Muscat, Oman,Thursday, 24th of May, 2007 (days 1,2 & 3 – all together make one long day)
3:36 your time plus 8 hours makes it almost midnight for us. I’m still up, mind going, going with the flow as it is our first day here in the Gulf region. It’s all new but just like I pictured it. I haven’t experienced such heat with humidity (youmidity, like Ronnie would say), but I had visions of what a world of sand, ocean, and Middle Eastern architecture would look like. However, it is more awesome than I’d imagined. The strength and presence of each building is a statement that all things made here must be substantial. No cutting corners, only quality and beauty. Okay, so this is just my first impression after getting the car tour of Muscat - the outside of the Sultan’s palace, mosques and homes. Some of the homes I might take for a mosque or the Sultan’s palace. I would have mentioned “malls” as being part of that car tour but I wouldn’t want to put it in the same sentence as “mosque.” To me it seems disrespectful. That’s my own opinion as I am not a passionate shopper. However, I have been told that shopping is the national past time here and even more so in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. And, yes, there are malls. They aren’t sprawling like in the States.
I must admit, that is what we did today – shop. So, besides the tour by our friend Ken, we shopped. I needed hair clips and barrettes and something more casual than the clothes I packed. Gus and I also needed a cell phone to be able to keep contact with schools that will give us interviews for work next year. Well, I found what I needed and more. Ken led me right to the Indian clothing in the Lulu’s department store. When I saw all the beautiful cloth and embroidery I said, “some other time Ken . . . it will take me too long to select something,” to which he said, “oh, we’ll give you time. You stay here and look it over, try a few things on and we’ll be back in 20 minutes.” In 10 minutes I selected 3 beautiful outfits to try on. Each outfit was on sale for $15 and included a tunic, loose pants and a scarf. So, I went gaga! They’re beautiful! I’m in heaven. If we move here I don’t know how I will keep from having a collection of 50 of these gorgeous pieces of art! I selected 2 out of the three pieces and went on to find a hair clip to go with the dressier of the two. (Did I hear myself say “sweat shop labor?”).
We went to the souk on our tour where there is store after store of Indian clothing, scarves, trinkets and cheap things made in China. We went off hours and found 2 or 3 stores open. Ken bought a mosque clock that calls you to prayer. I imagine it goes off 5 times a day. One can turn it down. I have heard the real call to prayer both in Abu Dhabi (A.D.) and here and find it hauntingly beautiful. Our friend in A.D. says it depends on the voice that is singing the call. She says there is one voice that is irritating and sounds angry.
Today is the first day of the weekend here – a Thursday. Ken refers to it as Saturday. Friday, of course, is Sunday. Understandable when you are used to one’s first day off as Saturday and the second day off as Sunday. We have tomorrow to recuperate more before we get out into the world of Muscat to interview for teaching jobs. This is good as our bodies are not in this time zone yet. We feel a bit floaty during the day here. The heat doesn’t help but I’m sure we’ll get used to it. To make matters a little more confusing, Dubai and Abu Dhabi take their weekend on Friday and Saturday.
Tonight we had a wonderful dinner of fresh fish, purslane salad, rice and a sautéed carrot and green bean dish. I made the salad and the carrots & green beans. We had an honored guest here tonight - a Brit who has lived and taught in countries throughout the Middle East. He is also a writer and has just published a book on Tagine and Masala recipes. I was truly honored that he had seconds of my salad – my first experience with purslane.
I am chomping at the bit to be able to communicate with family and friends back home but dear Ken is not wired for internet. We will have to go to Starbucks down the road and pay for connection, or go sneak into a hotel that has wireless. I am writing this babble off line for now and will send it when we can take the time to connect to the www.
Tomorrow (25th of May) our dear friend Angela, who teaches in Dubai, will join up with us for brunch. We haven’t seen her in 2 or 3 years. She is here with a Japanese friend who needs to get a visa renewed for her stay in Dubai. I presume she had to leave the Emirate in order to renew.
So, we’ve been in Muscat for 24 hours and in the region for 42 hours. The first 12 hours were spent in Abu Dhabi where we visited friends Jo and Bill. Angela, Jo and Bill are friends from the School for Int’l. Training where I did my Masters. They too did their Masters in Teaching second languages, specializing in English. All three are phenomenal teachers.
It is becoming more and more apparent to me that we are meant to be here. With 4 close friends in the region and quick connections with their friends and colleagues we will find the right program to work with and feel right at home. My dream is to be able to connect with our students and their families and to be able to relate to them on a real and whole level. There are major cultural differences and I want to feel what it’s like to see the world as they do.
Muscat, Oman, Friday, 25 May, 2007 – 9:43
Starbucks
Okay, so I’m a tourist going after that perfect cup of coffee. One can always count on Starbucks. Ah! but they don’t have half & half. I am amazed I can even get a huge cup of Colombian here. The native drink of java is cardamom with a bit of coffee. I have yet to try it here. Gus and I make it this way at home but our recipe is coffee with a bit of cardamom.
What really makes me a tourist is that I want that big starbucks coffee mug that has “Muscat, Oman” and a picture of an incense burner on it. In Philly and Doylestown I scoff at the starbucks mugs with “Doylestown” or “Philadelphia” on them. I wish I’d brought a couple to give as gifts. There are some Omani men sitting in the center of the cafe. One has an espresso cup and another has the giant mug. I wonder if there was Colombian in the large mug and if he enjoyed it.
I am still typing this message to you on a word document because I haven’t been able to connect to the internet. I’m disappointed it isn’t as easy as “1-2-3” or just “1 (one)”! In the Ashland, OR airport one just gets online as if she were in her own home with wireless. The whole city of Ashland has wireless for universal access. I guess that’s the way the citizens like to spend their taxes. Here there is enough money to provide access for all BUT there may be some issues of censorship or control. Not sure. To get on I must register and pay. I don’t think it’s expensive but to register we need a phone number. We are purchasing a cell phone here and prepaying our minutes. This takes time. We are still getting used to business hours here.
Ah, alas, whatever happened to traveling in distant lands with no way of communication except for snail mail. Those days took much more conscientious planning, yet one didn’t think twice about it. It was just the way it was. One didn’t moan and groan about the slowness of it. Now I get a little anxious when I can’t rush a message off to my mother or bosom buddy just to say, “We’ve arrived! More later.” I am always saying “if our internet access slows down like the days when we had to dial up, I’ll quit using it.” Could I quit? I am addicted to speedy communication and finding answers to questions.
Just a moment ago I thought of a word I wanted to look up. At home I’d google it. By the time I get on the internet here I will not remember what the word was. The “need” for information is lost in a second and I am just as well off as I was before I had the thought.
As I mentioned last night today is Oman’s “Sunday.” Ken took us on a tour of the embassies – Palestine, Pakistan, Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Emirates, France, Spain, England, US and more. The ugliest was, by far, the French Embassy and Egypt’s was run down. The US & Great Britain’s were off on their own with police on patrol and barriers to entering. They also had signs that said “No photographing.” Shameful empires. If you have to live in fear then you know you are doing something wrong, no?
Here at the Starbucks I am hearing many of my favorite singer songwriters – Amy Mann, Feist, Rufus Wainwright. Wild, huh?. In this city it is not easy to feel Omani life. Unless we begin to learn their language it will be difficult to see what Omani life is like. (Will we find a place where we can hear traditional music?) Mike (the man we had dinner with last night) knows Arabic from living in Tunisia at the age of 21. He knows enough Omani Arabic to make connections with locals. I’ve seen and met more Indians than I have Omanis. If we get jobs and live here for a year or two we will surely connect. Let’s see what this month’s stay brings us for any kind of understanding of the way things are done.
I just finished a book by Tahir Shah, “The Caliph’s House,” about his first year in Casablanca where he purchased and renovated an old home. It had belonged to the Caliph of that area generations before. Tahir had grown up and lived in London prior to moving his family (wife and two young children) to Casablanca. Their first year in Casablanca was a huge struggle. I don’t think I could have stuck it out with all the obstacles they had to having a peaceful life there. It took a year to begin to learn the ropes and understand how things got done in Morocco. They had to put up with the Jinns (Ginis) or people’s belief in the Jinns. In the end it seems Tahir was a believer himself.
They say there are Jinns here in Oman. I will have to find some writings on life in Oman – whether the writer is Indian, American or French, or, better yet, Omani. I believe Omani life is very private and the foreigner is not invited into their realm.
Saturday, 26 May 2007
Our weekend is over and now Gus and I can step into action. We are off to rent a car and continue our search for internet access so we can let our children, my mother and brothers know we are safe and thriving here in Muscat. One needs a car to get around Muscat and all of Oman. There is virtually no public transportation. There are taxis but, unfortunately, they are very expensive – or at least cost inhibitive. Great for an emergency but not for everyday. We will need to get around for interviews and the daily errands of life.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Fingerprints
As I was spring cleaning, this balmy day in February (32 degrees fahrenheit), I noticed finger prints on the kitchen ceiling and on the painted surface of the top of a doorway. The ones in the doorway are noticable from a certain angle in certain light. A vision popped into my head of one of my son's standing there in the doorway, talking to me with his hands splayed at the top of the doorway, as he leaned forward, stretching his upper arms back.
Some of my cleaning was inspired by this son, who, quite tall, can see the top of our refrigerator. Leave it to our children to keep us in the light, teach us through their full honesty, tellin' us like it is. Today I honor our children for mirroring back to us what it is we need to learn . . . when we are ready (sometimes ready or not!). I hope that my imprint on their life has given them all they need to keep learning and look at themselves from a distance to be able to see who they truly are. Amazing beams of light.
Some of my cleaning was inspired by this son, who, quite tall, can see the top of our refrigerator. Leave it to our children to keep us in the light, teach us through their full honesty, tellin' us like it is. Today I honor our children for mirroring back to us what it is we need to learn . . . when we are ready (sometimes ready or not!). I hope that my imprint on their life has given them all they need to keep learning and look at themselves from a distance to be able to see who they truly are. Amazing beams of light.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Why I Teach
I became a teacher believing it was Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture I wanted to share with my students. As I’ve developed as a teacher, I find that it wasn’t a choice. It was a gift.
The gift came from my intuition, from parents, who were both teachers, and from the positive learning experiences I have had.
Creating a safe learning environment has been my top priority. Without a feeling of safety and trust there can be no learning. With this in mind, it is the learner, or student, who takes top priority, not the subject being taught. With 15 – 30 students in a classroom it is therefore the learning community that takes priority.
I will do my best to facilitate all my students learning and guide them to success. It must be in a community spirit, established through my joy in learning and genuine interest in each person. This gift is about love of learning and caring for humanity and the earth. This gift comes from the heart.
The gift came from my intuition, from parents, who were both teachers, and from the positive learning experiences I have had.
Creating a safe learning environment has been my top priority. Without a feeling of safety and trust there can be no learning. With this in mind, it is the learner, or student, who takes top priority, not the subject being taught. With 15 – 30 students in a classroom it is therefore the learning community that takes priority.
I will do my best to facilitate all my students learning and guide them to success. It must be in a community spirit, established through my joy in learning and genuine interest in each person. This gift is about love of learning and caring for humanity and the earth. This gift comes from the heart.
Monday, January 1, 2007
Pray and Act for Peace
Fourth Grandmothers Council Gathering Dharamsala, India
(What I took away with me in writing and in my heart from a presentation given by Barbara Simmons & Jeannine Vannais, Sunday, December 10, 2006)
Yesterday I heard my dear friend, Barbara Simmons’ and her friend and assistant, Jeannine Vannais, talk about their trip to Dharamsala, India, to attend the International Council of Indigenous Women. Barbara was invited to interview the thirteen women who have been meeting twice a year for 2 years. These interviews will be the subject of a half hour program on Peacetalks Radio
The Thirteen Grandmothers include healers and shamans from the Arctic, Amazon, Gabon (a country in Africa), Nepal, Tibet, Cenral America, Mexico (Mayan), and North America (Lakota, Hopi, Cheyenne and Takilma). They came together after Jyoti, director of the Center for Sacred Studies, had a prophetic vision.
In another profound prophecy Grandmother Rita, as a child, was given by her grandmother 13 bundles of corn husks, each wrapped around a stone, and an eagle tail feather. She told Rita to save them for the day when she would be meeting with 12 other indigenous women at which time she was to pass these bundles out. Although sixteen women were invited to the first meeting in October, 2004, in Menlo Park, NY, only thirteen were able to come. Thirteen is a significant number. Grandmother Agnes, of Oregon, points out that “there are 13 planets in the heavens (in a year) and . . . 13 moons in the year.”
The Grandmother’s Council and Barbara believe that “It’s time for the female voice (to assume leadership). For many centuries leadership has been of the male voice (and) we have war. We are in the 11th hour.”
This meeting was extra special for Barbara to attend because the Grandmother’s Council met with the Dalai Llama in his residence in Dharamasala. Barbara said that meeting with him “was like being with your favorite grandfather.”
The Grandmothers held prayer ceremonies three times a day – morning, lunch and evening. Attendees of the council were asked to walk down to the Dalai Lama’s temple to learn about Buddhism from a nun or monk each day for 3 to 6 hours. Barbara, being a woman of action, could not sit still for 3 hours and would go out and find a way to help two people a day. She said that “India is the kind of place that cracks your heart open. . . It is a place of paradoxes.” Everywhere you go there is disease, poverty and homelessness. She couldn’t just sit and pray. She had to find a way to feed someone. She is an activist as well as a deeply spiritual human being.
The overwhelming message of the Grandmothers was to pray and act. The Earth needs our “prayer and action.” It “doesn’t matter where or how you pray. . . When the Grandmothers pray it is out of gratefulness.” One exclaims, “We have united as one, isn’t that a miracle?”
Three other messages I came away with were:
1. “The young people can be the legs of the action. . . . It’s not about us. It’s about ALL the grandmothers of the world. It includes grandfathers and young people.”
2. “Don’t be scared or overwhelmed. We have the tools – all we need is the voice and the will.”
3. “If we want to see the change we need to feel peace inside . . . then we need to be patient with those who haven’t arrived there yet.”
And a quote from Grandmother Bernadette of Gabon, part of which Barbara quoted during her presentation:
“I would favor an education about peace from the start, from the basis of life. I would see in the programs of preschool and school until the universities a different way of teaching and to give greater room to spirituality because, in fact, this is the basis. When we speak about love, it’s not to go wash your face, it’s in your heart, and there in your head. And so a Spiritual education really has its place and to apply this new educational methods about peace on the long term we are going to change the mentalities. And I would like on this occasion, to really talk to the toy makers, to stop teaching children violence from the beginning. We give to a 3 year old child a gun as a toy. The same child looks at television and has its toy. The child imitates very quickly what is bad. He learns hardly what is good and so manipulating these toys he learns by that the physical violence and the visual violence through the television. But if we are looking in to different ways to make the toys favoring love and tenderness and affection, the child will start from his young age with a different education, hoping that the films will be censored.”
Grandmother Bernadette’s quote is soooo perfect as the Peace Center, of Langhorne, PA, where Barbara worked as volunteer and executive director, has put on a Peaceful Toy Fair for many years, educating families about the importance of choosing toys wisely.
Barbara is a great teacher and mentor for me as were the Grandmothers for her. One learning experience she related which speaks deeply to me was when one evening she was interviewing Grandmother Margaret (Red Spider Woman). There was a storm brewing outside and Barbara found herself distracted and concerned about the storm. Grandmother Margaret continued talking. Suddenly the window blew in and broke into pieces all over the floor. Barbara became extremely anxious but Grandmother Margaret continued as if nothing had happened. Barbara learned something about focus, saying, “You can let what’s happening outside of you rattle you if you choose.” I am at a time in my life where I find it much easier to not react to what’s going on around me if it is out of my control. But to be able to completely focus on the task at hand no matter what is going on around me will take more practice and inner peace.
One more story I want to relay is that during a prayer ceremony with Grandmother Agnes, thirteen kites were swirling around above them. At the end of the ceremony a condor swooped down over them all making them duck down out of his reach. The story goes that when the Eagle and the Condor meet we will see the change that is needed to save the Earth. I recently heard this prophecy from a woman who had been to a Pachamama Alliance fundraising dinner in San Francisco -
If we want to see change we need to be a part of it. You know the saying – “Be the change you want to see.” And, “am I part of the problem or part of the solution?”
The four considerations we need to make are:
1. Mentor young people
2. Speak up!
3. Run for office
4. Support Grandmothers’ Council, Peacetalk Radio and/or the documentary
makers of "For the Next 7 Generations."
Go to their websites.
International Council of Indigenous Women – http://www.grandmotherscouncil.com
"For the Next 7 Generations." – http://www.forthenext7generations.com
Peacetalks Radio – http://www.peacetalksonline.org
Center for Sacred Studies – http://www.sacredstudies.org
Pachamama Alliance – http://www.pachamama.org
The reason I write this is really to internalize these messages and thoughts I want to keep with me as I take each step forward. It is so easy to forget and be numbed by the lifestyles we Westerners (Western Civilization) live. Lifestyles of materialism, abundance of food and drink, and the ability to fly anywhere, leaving our local community and home to continue in their alienation. Many on this earth are going through a dark time. I am included. Or, maybe I should speak for myself! I want to work for Peace. In order to know “how to act” or “what steps to take” I will have to pray, clear my head and my heart, to find clarity of action. And, Take Action.
I hope that all who read this and come in contact with the Grandmothers Council have been fed a little light and can join me on our journey to connect with the Earth and each other and through this, end war.
Peace in our Hearts
Peace in the World
(What I took away with me in writing and in my heart from a presentation given by Barbara Simmons & Jeannine Vannais, Sunday, December 10, 2006)
Yesterday I heard my dear friend, Barbara Simmons’ and her friend and assistant, Jeannine Vannais, talk about their trip to Dharamsala, India, to attend the International Council of Indigenous Women. Barbara was invited to interview the thirteen women who have been meeting twice a year for 2 years. These interviews will be the subject of a half hour program on Peacetalks Radio
The Thirteen Grandmothers include healers and shamans from the Arctic, Amazon, Gabon (a country in Africa), Nepal, Tibet, Cenral America, Mexico (Mayan), and North America (Lakota, Hopi, Cheyenne and Takilma). They came together after Jyoti, director of the Center for Sacred Studies, had a prophetic vision.
In another profound prophecy Grandmother Rita, as a child, was given by her grandmother 13 bundles of corn husks, each wrapped around a stone, and an eagle tail feather. She told Rita to save them for the day when she would be meeting with 12 other indigenous women at which time she was to pass these bundles out. Although sixteen women were invited to the first meeting in October, 2004, in Menlo Park, NY, only thirteen were able to come. Thirteen is a significant number. Grandmother Agnes, of Oregon, points out that “there are 13 planets in the heavens (in a year) and . . . 13 moons in the year.”
The Grandmother’s Council and Barbara believe that “It’s time for the female voice (to assume leadership). For many centuries leadership has been of the male voice (and) we have war. We are in the 11th hour.”
This meeting was extra special for Barbara to attend because the Grandmother’s Council met with the Dalai Llama in his residence in Dharamasala. Barbara said that meeting with him “was like being with your favorite grandfather.”
The Grandmothers held prayer ceremonies three times a day – morning, lunch and evening. Attendees of the council were asked to walk down to the Dalai Lama’s temple to learn about Buddhism from a nun or monk each day for 3 to 6 hours. Barbara, being a woman of action, could not sit still for 3 hours and would go out and find a way to help two people a day. She said that “India is the kind of place that cracks your heart open. . . It is a place of paradoxes.” Everywhere you go there is disease, poverty and homelessness. She couldn’t just sit and pray. She had to find a way to feed someone. She is an activist as well as a deeply spiritual human being.
The overwhelming message of the Grandmothers was to pray and act. The Earth needs our “prayer and action.” It “doesn’t matter where or how you pray. . . When the Grandmothers pray it is out of gratefulness.” One exclaims, “We have united as one, isn’t that a miracle?”
Three other messages I came away with were:
1. “The young people can be the legs of the action. . . . It’s not about us. It’s about ALL the grandmothers of the world. It includes grandfathers and young people.”
2. “Don’t be scared or overwhelmed. We have the tools – all we need is the voice and the will.”
3. “If we want to see the change we need to feel peace inside . . . then we need to be patient with those who haven’t arrived there yet.”
And a quote from Grandmother Bernadette of Gabon, part of which Barbara quoted during her presentation:
“I would favor an education about peace from the start, from the basis of life. I would see in the programs of preschool and school until the universities a different way of teaching and to give greater room to spirituality because, in fact, this is the basis. When we speak about love, it’s not to go wash your face, it’s in your heart, and there in your head. And so a Spiritual education really has its place and to apply this new educational methods about peace on the long term we are going to change the mentalities. And I would like on this occasion, to really talk to the toy makers, to stop teaching children violence from the beginning. We give to a 3 year old child a gun as a toy. The same child looks at television and has its toy. The child imitates very quickly what is bad. He learns hardly what is good and so manipulating these toys he learns by that the physical violence and the visual violence through the television. But if we are looking in to different ways to make the toys favoring love and tenderness and affection, the child will start from his young age with a different education, hoping that the films will be censored.”
Grandmother Bernadette’s quote is soooo perfect as the Peace Center, of Langhorne, PA, where Barbara worked as volunteer and executive director, has put on a Peaceful Toy Fair for many years, educating families about the importance of choosing toys wisely.
Barbara is a great teacher and mentor for me as were the Grandmothers for her. One learning experience she related which speaks deeply to me was when one evening she was interviewing Grandmother Margaret (Red Spider Woman). There was a storm brewing outside and Barbara found herself distracted and concerned about the storm. Grandmother Margaret continued talking. Suddenly the window blew in and broke into pieces all over the floor. Barbara became extremely anxious but Grandmother Margaret continued as if nothing had happened. Barbara learned something about focus, saying, “You can let what’s happening outside of you rattle you if you choose.” I am at a time in my life where I find it much easier to not react to what’s going on around me if it is out of my control. But to be able to completely focus on the task at hand no matter what is going on around me will take more practice and inner peace.
One more story I want to relay is that during a prayer ceremony with Grandmother Agnes, thirteen kites were swirling around above them. At the end of the ceremony a condor swooped down over them all making them duck down out of his reach. The story goes that when the Eagle and the Condor meet we will see the change that is needed to save the Earth. I recently heard this prophecy from a woman who had been to a Pachamama Alliance fundraising dinner in San Francisco -
If we want to see change we need to be a part of it. You know the saying – “Be the change you want to see.” And, “am I part of the problem or part of the solution?”
The four considerations we need to make are:
1. Mentor young people
2. Speak up!
3. Run for office
4. Support Grandmothers’ Council, Peacetalk Radio and/or the documentary
makers of "For the Next 7 Generations."
Go to their websites.
International Council of Indigenous Women – http://www.grandmotherscouncil.com
"For the Next 7 Generations." – http://www.forthenext7generations.com
Peacetalks Radio – http://www.peacetalksonline.org
Center for Sacred Studies – http://www.sacredstudies.org
Pachamama Alliance – http://www.pachamama.org
The reason I write this is really to internalize these messages and thoughts I want to keep with me as I take each step forward. It is so easy to forget and be numbed by the lifestyles we Westerners (Western Civilization) live. Lifestyles of materialism, abundance of food and drink, and the ability to fly anywhere, leaving our local community and home to continue in their alienation. Many on this earth are going through a dark time. I am included. Or, maybe I should speak for myself! I want to work for Peace. In order to know “how to act” or “what steps to take” I will have to pray, clear my head and my heart, to find clarity of action. And, Take Action.
I hope that all who read this and come in contact with the Grandmothers Council have been fed a little light and can join me on our journey to connect with the Earth and each other and through this, end war.
Peace in our Hearts
Peace in the World
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