Today is Thursday and I am really happy. As most of you know, it is virtual Saturday, and I have been doing absolutely nothing. Some days are just made for lying on the sofa watching detective series on television, and swtching off from the world. It has been one of those. I am also happy cause the Eid holidays have been declared and I have almost a whole week off from work. I show up on Saturday and Sunday, then our road trip starts on Monday. I am so excited. I spoke to Rashid of the desert camp and am determined to do the island, the turtle beach and the desert. As Joseph Campbell said, and as I have quoted here before, Follow your bliss!
I then have to show up for a couple of hours next Monday before flying to Germany with the students in the late evening.
So, it is almost Eid and time to make little surprise packets for the children. The Omanis call these "Eidia". Usually the children in the neighbourhood come ringing the doorbell on the morning of Eid, asking for 100 besa notes and sweets, but I prefer to make little packets for the children that I know. I persuaded the man to drive me to the famous Lulu this morning. This was a big favour, as every bedu and his wife from the interior is coming into town this weekend to do pre-Eid shopping. Luckily he needed some ingredients to make his yummy rusks, so was willing, although swearing most of the way. See "Driving out of the box" entry below!
I bought loads of sweeties and some packets of colored pencils and although we had to brave massive queues at the check-out tills, we escaped unscathed.
I enjoyed mixing the sweets and then made up the packets in small zip lock bags. Just as I was finishing, the loved one came out of the kitchen with his electronic scale. He painstakingly weighed all the goody bags one by one to make sure that each kiddy got their fair share, sometimes taking and sometimes adding. I really liked this, as I really couldn't be bothered about the details. For him the fairness and equality of this process was very important.
I have another little story to share today. I have been asking the universe for ages about ways to make a little extra cash. Up to very recently I would never have thought of sharing my house, it is my sanctuary and the centre of my universe and the energy in there is very important, like a sacred space.
I recently had Shefaa staying for a month which worked well, and I have been thinking about it seriously. I put the thought out there, deciding that if it was meant to be, it would come to me.
Recently I was catching up with a colleague of mine on the beach outside our university. We were sitting on the beach on some nets in one of the fishermen huts looking at the sea and watching the gulls play over the water. It was a little windy, the perfect temperature, and the waves were making tiny peaks, like mini meringues. It was a moment that felt frozen in time. She was telling me how her partner was looking to do some volunteer work, possibly leaving quite soon, and how she was looking for flat for the next academic year. It felt right and I asked her immediately if she would like to come live with me.
So, after some discussion and not too much thought, I will have a housemate from November to next June. I have liked her since the first time we met, a very gentle and sensible person with beautiful green eyes and a consistent integrity. She is coming over on Saturday to thrash out the details, but I think it will be GOOD.
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