Dhow Cruise in Dibba, Oman

During the work week it seems that time is crawling by; time moves so slowly sometimes that I feel like I'm in some kind of time warp where the weekend will never get here.  But I blink and it is indeed the end of another week and another month is over and we're that much closer to the next break...Spring Break!

A few weeks ago we went on a lovely Dhow cruise (basically a double decker boat) out of Oman with 4 other families that are good friends/neighbors.  There were 22 of us in all- 11 adults and 11 kids.  We left Al Ain early and drove caravan-style the two and a half hours or so through Sharjah and Fujairah (two other Emirates.)  The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and we enjoyed seeing more of the country.  We were even delayed briefly by a herd of goats on the road. Lol!

    

Stunning mountains on the way

This picture doesn't do it justice but this mosque in Dibba was beautiful

Before crossing the border to Oman we had to wait for the border crossing agent to decide he was ready to check our passports and information.  We've been in the country long enough to understand what "Inshallah" means.  Nothing happens quickly here and patience has a whole new meaning... especially when you've had 2 cups of coffee and no bathroom break!  An hour or two of waiting around (luckily we were right by a park where the kids could play) and we were finally checked and ready to cross the border and board the boat.

Waiting...

This is what our boat looked like.  Oman is known for its Dhow style ships, which throughout history have been used for trade, fishing, and pearl diving.

In the harbor we had to walk across several boats to get to ours.  Quite an adventure.

The trip included snorkeling, banana boat rides, a beach visit, deep sea fishing, and an Arabic lunch.  The sights were gorgeous with mountains plunging right into the clear, blue sea.

The beach we visited.  It was very rocky and hard on the feet.  

Sweet picture

Silly picture

Our Texas friends on the banana boat

The water was chilly but we got in to snorkel and swim around.

The kids had a great time playing with their friends

Deep sea fishing.  

Helping Daddy catch some fish

Our friend, Karsten, caught a barracuda!

And before we knew it the trip was over and it was time to head back to the harbor.

Amazing sunset on the drive back home to Al Ain.

You know you're an ex-pat when...

We're coming up on the 6 month mark of living abroad and man has it been an adventure.  Mark and I are constantly pointing things out that we do and say that make us feel like official ex-pats.  If you're unfamiliar with the term, Wikipedia says, "An ex-pat, short for expatriate, is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country or culture other than that of the person's upbringing."  So, we finally made a list.  

You know you're officially an ex-pat when:

1.  You don't even hesitate when referring to soccer as 'football' and football as 'American football.'

2.   Stop signs and turn signals mean nothing.  Roundabouts rule and if you run a stop light you go to jail.

3.  The parking lot is now called the 'car-park.'

4.  The labor camp outside your bedroom window is no longer an eyesore, but instead a conversation piece.

5.  You've started a sentence with, "Back in The States, we..."

6.  You've almost totally lost your accent.  People (even Americans) ask you where you are from and you can't believe they don't automatically know you're from the South, North, Midwest, etc.  Someone actually asked if I was from California (come on, y'all!)

7.  You actually understand the metric system and military time.

8.  You are so used to speaking broken English at work, government offices, and restaurants, that you find yourself speaking to your friends and family that way.  Then, you feel like an idiot.

9.  You can exchange the local currency automatically and not even have to think about it.

10.  You are now an expert at getting your American shows and movies on the Internet.

11.  You are totally spoiled because you haven't pumped your own gas or bagged/loaded your purchases in far too long.

12.  You can tell time by the call to prayer, "...hmm, must be about 3:30..."  

13.  You refer to gasoline as petrol.

14.  You no longer fear taxi rides.

15.  Going to Dubai for the day is no big deal.

16.  Your favorite foods are now 'local' foods (which also happen to be the cheapest.)

17.  You have trips planned to places you never dreamed you'd visit when you lived in the Western Hemisphere.

18.  You have friends literally from all over the world.

19.   Cold is 55 degrees Fahrenheit.  Hot is 110. 

20.  You are so happy in your new country that you can't imagine going back to the American (aka stressful) way of life!