Hey for all those people (my mother especially) click on this link and it will set up an e-mail to me. Miss you all...
henrick.borger@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Ramadan: One month of bad road, any way you take it
Well folks, the end of Ramadan is finally here, and none to soon. It was driving me buggy. For those who don’t quite understand what I mean, here it is: Ramadan is Islamic culture at its most restrictive, conservative and irate. Even though we Westerners are not expected to fast with the Islamic population, we are still confined to there rules. No eating, drinking, smoking or gum-chewing in public. Because of this most of the businesses are not open during the day, or at least until 9:00 P.M. (after the family meal which signifies the breaking of the fast). SO, we are roped into their lifestyle de-facto. We become nocturnal creatures, coming home after work and not being able to do much except sleep until the sun sets (Iftar). Even though there are normally places you can get a drink as a Westerner during the other 11 months here in Oman, these places are also shut down during Ramadan (this includes any place which has Western style pleasures like dance clubs, places for entertainment and so forth). It was a hard first month here, but this is about to come to an end. To morrow is the last day and then starts Eid (EId, the breaking of the fast holiday is a combination of Easter, Christmas and New-Years). Its pretty crazy and lasts for like a week. There’s another EId later in the year too, just as long. SO, I have off until next Sun. or Mon. or something. SO after this we will see what this region really has to offer the Westerner. There are so many things I would like to explore, I’m not sure what to partake in first. Over the past month, I have been trying to keep myself busy with work, and the daily doldrums of trying to get situated. I have been doing things like going to the beaches here, and climbing the local mountains around where I live. There are some photos attached to this post of the view from some of the lower peaks (I am not so adroit a climber and the mountains here are pretty intense. Some people come from all over the world just for the climbing. Many of my fellow teachers chose Oman to work because of this). Incidentally, I am at the last stages of finally becoming ‘legal’. I am awaiting my residency visa in the next week (right after Eid). Then I can do the cool stuff that I was not really allowed as a ‘guest’. So in the near future I expect to get cable, and internet in my home and my liquor permit so we can booze it up at my place if any of you get your ass into gear and get out here. For those of you who are wondering why I haven’t written a personal e-mail to you it is for this reason. When I venture out to my local internet café to run my virtual errands, I don’t exactly have time to write three or four dozen e-mails. Also, I love you all so much that I can’t decide who to e-mail first. But, if you send me an e-mail it won’t be a matter of favoritism and responding will be a matter of protocol…. So I won’t feel bad. By the way… I miss you all dearly and think of you al quite fondly and often. Well, ciao for now and I would love to know how things are going for you and others back in the states (how’re the sox doing?).
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Speeding to nowhere .... traffic and driving in the Gulf
Reader Warning: THis post is a hyperbole, do not try this at home/use only under parental supervision/ask your parents permission before calling/do not operate heavy machinery after reading this post/ the opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect those of blogspot/google/or bettty crocker
Ok, I‘ve been here about a two weeks. In this time I’ve traveled around by car quite a bit. First by taxi and chauffeur, and then by a rented car (which I and three other teachers split. We can’t actually buy one until we get our residency visas which are being processed). Today I took the car after work to Muscat, the capitol city, where I bought a new charger for my computer. This wild journey on the roads of the Middle East my ‘back broke’. I couldn’t take it any more. I must faithfully report to you the true cluster-fuck that is the driving experience in the Middle East. This is going to take a little explaining because there are many different factors at play here so try and keep up… First and foremost, driving around here is a harrowing experience, not for the faint of heart. This is due to several different reasons. It is truly an orchestra of madness and I am dashing around this cacophony like a lost grace note, trying to keep up in all the confusing mosh and discordance.
What you need to understand is first the logistics of this whole mess. The Middle East is a big place… really big and spread out. This being the case, there’s a lot of cars and a lot of driving. There is no public transportation system, so everyone basically needs a car. This is ‘OK’ due to the fact that lots of people have money, cars are relatively inexpensive here, and you can fill up a swimming pool with Gas for about the same price as a half a talk of petrol back in the States. Another thing you have to have a hold of is the concept of ‘public civility’ here. People are really nice, really polite and play by the rules of congeniality… all the time. Everything has to do with image and how you are supposed to act. So there’s a lot of pressure boiling on the inside of your average Arab. A pressure that often gets released when we are in our cars, in control, on the move, masters of our own roadway destiny. So, when people are walking about, they are bound by the laws of the society that they live in. They do not want to appear pushy or rude, even if they really want to be deep down inside. When they get into a car, this weird transformation occurs. The change into speed hungry, four-wheeled werewolves . Your average Arab driver is a dangerous motor-powered beast in the middle of mating season, foaming at the mouth with a blood-lust sparkling in their eye and an itch on the underside of their right foot that can only be scratched by stomping it to the floor. They drive aggressively and fast. Weaving in and out of cars for no other reason than to get in front of the person who is in between them and the horizon. There are also no cops around. Traffic is monitored by ‘speed cameras’, which don’t really ‘bust’ you unless you are doing 20 Kmph. over the speed limit (it seems like more of a suggestion, like the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, than an actual legal limit). This just encourages the indulging of their horrible roadway behavior. Though it makes sense, for people who, due to the social conventions and homogenizing effects of their outward observed behior which constrict thier actions to take this all out on the road. Seriously, these are the only group of people I have seen that make the Italians look like responsible and civilized motorists. I would rather drive with a half-drunk Milanese teenager without my seatbelt on than share the road with ‘Gulfies’. The Ironic part of all this is, is that according to reports of other teachers, friends and colleagues, Omanis are very relaxed compared to the drivers in other Gulf states. Steer clear gentle reader, of ‘highway fun’ in Saudi, Bahrain, or the Emirates!!!
Ok, I‘ve been here about a two weeks. In this time I’ve traveled around by car quite a bit. First by taxi and chauffeur, and then by a rented car (which I and three other teachers split. We can’t actually buy one until we get our residency visas which are being processed). Today I took the car after work to Muscat, the capitol city, where I bought a new charger for my computer. This wild journey on the roads of the Middle East my ‘back broke’. I couldn’t take it any more. I must faithfully report to you the true cluster-fuck that is the driving experience in the Middle East. This is going to take a little explaining because there are many different factors at play here so try and keep up… First and foremost, driving around here is a harrowing experience, not for the faint of heart. This is due to several different reasons. It is truly an orchestra of madness and I am dashing around this cacophony like a lost grace note, trying to keep up in all the confusing mosh and discordance.
What you need to understand is first the logistics of this whole mess. The Middle East is a big place… really big and spread out. This being the case, there’s a lot of cars and a lot of driving. There is no public transportation system, so everyone basically needs a car. This is ‘OK’ due to the fact that lots of people have money, cars are relatively inexpensive here, and you can fill up a swimming pool with Gas for about the same price as a half a talk of petrol back in the States. Another thing you have to have a hold of is the concept of ‘public civility’ here. People are really nice, really polite and play by the rules of congeniality… all the time. Everything has to do with image and how you are supposed to act. So there’s a lot of pressure boiling on the inside of your average Arab. A pressure that often gets released when we are in our cars, in control, on the move, masters of our own roadway destiny. So, when people are walking about, they are bound by the laws of the society that they live in. They do not want to appear pushy or rude, even if they really want to be deep down inside. When they get into a car, this weird transformation occurs. The change into speed hungry, four-wheeled werewolves . Your average Arab driver is a dangerous motor-powered beast in the middle of mating season, foaming at the mouth with a blood-lust sparkling in their eye and an itch on the underside of their right foot that can only be scratched by stomping it to the floor. They drive aggressively and fast. Weaving in and out of cars for no other reason than to get in front of the person who is in between them and the horizon. There are also no cops around. Traffic is monitored by ‘speed cameras’, which don’t really ‘bust’ you unless you are doing 20 Kmph. over the speed limit (it seems like more of a suggestion, like the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, than an actual legal limit). This just encourages the indulging of their horrible roadway behavior. Though it makes sense, for people who, due to the social conventions and homogenizing effects of their outward observed behior which constrict thier actions to take this all out on the road. Seriously, these are the only group of people I have seen that make the Italians look like responsible and civilized motorists. I would rather drive with a half-drunk Milanese teenager without my seatbelt on than share the road with ‘Gulfies’. The Ironic part of all this is, is that according to reports of other teachers, friends and colleagues, Omanis are very relaxed compared to the drivers in other Gulf states. Steer clear gentle reader, of ‘highway fun’ in Saudi, Bahrain, or the Emirates!!!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sunburn and Snorkling in the Gulf
Hello all, well a lot has happened and time has gone by. As some of you may have noticed, I have been relatively quiet as far as blogging goes for quite some time. This is for a number of reasons. First, because I left my charger at home and I could not blog. Second, because until I get my residency visa, I can’t sign any sort of contract, and the internet cafes here are not the place where I like to bare my soul and scrawl my virtual message on the virtual walls as it were. So I got a laptop from work (got dropped into my dept. at the college; more about that later. A couple of things I want to ‘spout’ about right now to kind of bring me up to date.
Oman is hot as balls right now. Good thing this is the absolute worst right now. In Oct. it will go down to the 80’s for the rest of the year. It’s supposed to be one of the nicest places in the middle to live. Other Arabs refer to it as ‘the pearl’. It’s totally georgeous !!! I’ve attached some photos of the mountains where I live and also the nearby (25 min) beach. The Al Suwadi (the beach) is toally cool. I went snorkling for the first time and it rocks. Oman is like in the top ten best places for snorkeling and diving (a lot of the other teachers I’m working with came here because of that). I was totally blown away, I’m soooo hooked. The water here is totally warm and I stayed in the water exploring the reef for about two and a half hours (which is uncommon so I was told, it usually gets too cold in most other places to stay in for that long). The guy I went with said I took right to it. I really did have an awesome time. I saw a large amount of fish that I had seen a few weeks ago at the New England Aquarium! I was so amazing, can’t wait to go again!!! The waters here are some of the best preserved and least impacted in the world!!! The beeches here are beautiful too (as you can see by the pictures). There’s wildlife practically everywhere here. There are goats, camels, wild dogs (and cats fucking everywhere!!!!), geckos, jackdaws run amok by the beach and many other things which I’m not too sure of yet. The Omani people are awesome!!!! They might be the warmest, sweetest, and most hospitable group of humans I have ever met. They are all curious about us (westerners), and always make ‘big eyes' when they find out where we are from. As my coleges tell me, they are known for their tolerance of other cultures and peoples, and even have their own brand of Islam, which is extremely tolerant and open. When you walk through the street people will say hello to you, they may even call you over just to talk. I was very glad to see that all of us (even us from the states) were very well received. Sometimes they want to talk politics, and make sure you understand that any one of them would kill our ‘executive idiot’ with their own teeth if given the chance. They do, however, make the distinction between a government and its people (a lot of times we do not), which is good, at least for me.
Its Ramadan tie here so everything is a little ‘backwards’. It’s a time of fasting, kind of in the same way the original Catholic holiday of lent was. From sun up to sundown the people do not take food, or water. At sun down there is a large meal (Iftar) and then you are allowed to do all the things you couldn’t do during the day. Even though we are not expected to fast, we are expected to do everything that is ‘forbidden’ away from the eyes of muslims and those fasting. This time of year seems to bring people and families together. It’s real interesting.
Well I’m gonna run. I’m going to make a real effort to try and post regularly. I would like to be able to save as many of these thoughts and memories as I have them and not ‘backtrack’ after long lapses of activity. Well until next time…
Monday, August 25, 2008
Oh man..... I'm in Oman!
Hellooooooooo! Well, I did it, after 14 hours of air travel I'm in the middle east. I have to keep this short because I pulled a 'Henrick' (I left my laptop charger in the states). So a couple of things; If you ever get the chance, fly Etihad airlines, do so at once! The flight, accommodations, and everything about it was was wonderful. I'm in a hotel tonight and everyone here is extremely helpful and nice. The food is very good!!! It tastes like a combination of Indian/Mediterranean food (their version of Hummus though is not as flavorful as the Mediterranean versions. Well, I totally miss my Dog!!!! leaving Anika was a heart-wrenching experience. Leaving was extremely stressful, and I almost chose to not fly and instead get thrown in jail for trying to kill the cab driver who was suposed to take me to the airport! I have some photos, nothing really to cool yet but whatever. The money here is very pretty. It hasn't sunk in yet what is exactly what so its like having dollars and monopoly money in my wallet at t he same time. Oh yeah its HOT here right now (height of the Summer)! The climate and terrain are not too far off from where I lived in AZ (though thank God it is nowhere near as hot as it was in Yuma [120 + all sumer]) so yeah... I will try and get a new power adapter and see what happens... tomorrow I get shown my place and get checked in to my new accommodations (which is said to be between 1200-1500 square fett!!!)... Well for all those concerned, I got here OK and for now, all is well. I love and miss you all... please send pictures (especially if you're hot, female and single [or two out of three will do].... till next time. Oh yeah the money all has the picture of 'this guy' on it (probably a talk show host or famous carnival barker!!!!) I'm calling him 'Sparky'! He's my new friend and I talk to him everytime I look in my wallet (there's always a bunch of him looking back at me with that lucid pacific smile, how relaxing). OH WELL, until next time..C"mon sparky, let's go to the BAR!!!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Here I am
Anybody who wonders, I got here in one price. Left at 11 am pm sun.
Spent 13 hours in the air and now I'm in Abu dhabi waiting for my
plane to take off to Muscat (Oman). From what I can make out, the UAE
is the balls talk to you all about it later, time to turn cells off
bye!!!
Sent from my iPhone
Spent 13 hours in the air and now I'm in Abu dhabi waiting for my
plane to take off to Muscat (Oman). From what I can make out, the UAE
is the balls talk to you all about it later, time to turn cells off
bye!!!
Sent from my iPhone
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Aquarium
 |
| New England Aquarium |
As explained in a prior post, yesterday I funally made it to the New England Aquarium. If you have not been there and like things of that sort, I highly recommend it. Its FUN! I've been trying to go and literally have made it as far as the front doors , but have never actually set foot inside. This has been going on for the last 4 years I have been in Boston. I am seriously indebted to my friend Jill for actually making it all happen. When we got there, there was a line. At this point I wanted to go home (we all know how impatient I can be and that I 'm a 'instant gratification' knid of a guy). I think she actually made me sit in the line (which was really long but only a twenty minute line at most). Needless to say, I (and I would say 'we') had a great time the exibits are cool and the main tank is a lot of fun and very enjoyable. Well I'm going to upload the photos from it now and link it up on Picasa. I hope everyone (even though I was convinced I had no readers (how did Jenn find out about my blog, I thought I didn't tell anyone!)) like the pics.
Gotta run and get on the whole 'packing, planning, and nervously pacing' thing.
Cheers!!!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Crazy last days in Boston
Hey all!! Well it's ties and there's a lot going on. Today I'm doing
something I'd threatened to do since I got to Boston 4 years ago! I'm
going to the aquarium!!!! Yeah!!!! I can't really take credit for it
though, my friend Jill is truly the impetus behind this. I managed to
not make it on a rolllercoaster though, well can't have it all I
guess. I'm leaving on Sat. The logistics of which are still not fully
worked out, but I'm sure that it will work itself out. Also have a
shit-ton of work left to do on the harvatd bringham womens project,
that's keeping me up at night, it's gonna takes little midnight oil
burning to get that out but whatever I'm sure it'll get done... I am
really psyched to be going back to ny next week and see all the
original cast of this crazy 'soap-opera' which I call my life. Bit
more about that some other time... Gotta run (train just pulled into
forest hills... Mobile blogging rules!!!)
something I'd threatened to do since I got to Boston 4 years ago! I'm
going to the aquarium!!!! Yeah!!!! I can't really take credit for it
though, my friend Jill is truly the impetus behind this. I managed to
not make it on a rolllercoaster though, well can't have it all I
guess. I'm leaving on Sat. The logistics of which are still not fully
worked out, but I'm sure that it will work itself out. Also have a
shit-ton of work left to do on the harvatd bringham womens project,
that's keeping me up at night, it's gonna takes little midnight oil
burning to get that out but whatever I'm sure it'll get done... I am
really psyched to be going back to ny next week and see all the
original cast of this crazy 'soap-opera' which I call my life. Bit
more about that some other time... Gotta run (train just pulled into
forest hills... Mobile blogging rules!!!)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sunday Morning Duldrums (pre-departure blues)
Hello, Though I am positive noone is reading this, I'm going to pretend as if I had an audience. It mkes t easier for me to write with an imaginary 'prototypical' reader, scanning the words as I write them. Well, nothing much to report. My foot is screwed with that infected burn, and I am the worlds lousiest patient. Keeping off of my feet is not condusive to my lifestyle, which is strangley active in the sense that I am always in motion (usually walking and wandering). But, I do have a couple of thoughts, that I want to air, mostly proffesional thoughts (can't manage to stop thinking about work).
Been trying out second life lately, and its a slow-going process. I'm not really into the 'social' end of it.... mainly just checking out how I can use it in my teaching/web component. Maybe its not good to approach it like this, maybe that's why I can't seem to get into it for more than ten minutes at a time. I'm bad at it anyway, and become easily frustrated. I'm still on the help/intro island and have no idea what the real 'virtual' world is like. I'm hoping I can find some places to meet up with others like me and explore the teaching options. Perhaps 'rent' a hall and do lectures, or have a room 'rented' to do some kind of a 'office ours' or one and one conversation/ I wonder what the other media/file options are in second life. Can you transfer 'real' data files to each other through 2l? For instance, if myself and another were 'talking' in 2L, is there any way to send a file from my computer to his via avatars? That would be seriously cool. But like I said, I have a lot of ideas and no real experience knowledge of 2 L (it took me 6 min. to figure out why I was flying)[apparently that's one of the ways to get around]). Oh! You can also teleport!)
Another thing that's been on my mind (actually as a result of my 2L experience, is getting a good headset for T to T communication (terminal to terminal). The microphone in my terminal gives horrible feedback when using 2L. Moreover, when I'm video chat I feel stupid talking 'at' my machine, like its some slim, anorexic, stylish android assistant (love my Mac). It just makes me feel weird. I also have intentions of using SKYPE actively after I leave. I haven't used it yet, not really anyway, and I'm sure that such a thing as a headset will make me feel more comfortable, as well as aiding in the actual talking/litening.
I also just starting for moving services for Anika. This is such a nerve-racking process. She's so important to me, I have so much more anxiety about her trip than I do mine. If anyone out there (I know there is no one) knows of a good, safe, reliable pet transport service, please don't feel shy, let me know.
Well, it comes time to do my chores and continue my 'Sunday Doldrums', hope you have a good weekend..... Ciao
Been trying out second life lately, and its a slow-going process. I'm not really into the 'social' end of it.... mainly just checking out how I can use it in my teaching/web component. Maybe its not good to approach it like this, maybe that's why I can't seem to get into it for more than ten minutes at a time. I'm bad at it anyway, and become easily frustrated. I'm still on the help/intro island and have no idea what the real 'virtual' world is like. I'm hoping I can find some places to meet up with others like me and explore the teaching options. Perhaps 'rent' a hall and do lectures, or have a room 'rented' to do some kind of a 'office ours' or one and one conversation/ I wonder what the other media/file options are in second life. Can you transfer 'real' data files to each other through 2l? For instance, if myself and another were 'talking' in 2L, is there any way to send a file from my computer to his via avatars? That would be seriously cool. But like I said, I have a lot of ideas and no real experience knowledge of 2 L (it took me 6 min. to figure out why I was flying)[apparently that's one of the ways to get around]). Oh! You can also teleport!)
Another thing that's been on my mind (actually as a result of my 2L experience, is getting a good headset for T to T communication (terminal to terminal). The microphone in my terminal gives horrible feedback when using 2L. Moreover, when I'm video chat I feel stupid talking 'at' my machine, like its some slim, anorexic, stylish android assistant (love my Mac). It just makes me feel weird. I also have intentions of using SKYPE actively after I leave. I haven't used it yet, not really anyway, and I'm sure that such a thing as a headset will make me feel more comfortable, as well as aiding in the actual talking/litening.
I also just starting for moving services for Anika. This is such a nerve-racking process. She's so important to me, I have so much more anxiety about her trip than I do mine. If anyone out there (I know there is no one) knows of a good, safe, reliable pet transport service, please don't feel shy, let me know.
Well, it comes time to do my chores and continue my 'Sunday Doldrums', hope you have a good weekend..... Ciao
Thursday, July 17, 2008
What's up? Well two posts in two days... Maybe I'll actually like doing this and make it a ritual.... anyway...39 days left. I'm pretty calm considering.... but its just a matter of time until my natural-born neurosis kicks in and I'm chomping at the bit.. so stay tuned. Its not fun to endure, but I hear that watching me go batshit is actually kinda amusing. THings I am stressing is getting Anika over there. I'm checking out pet-transport companies and hearing horror stories, and rave reviews often from the same company. I don't know, I;m in a quandry.... so if you know anything about international pet-travel, whether it be the companies you recomend or companies you should never go to, let me know. I'm also starting to miss my friends, Boston, and everything else Ive come to be accustomed to and quite fond of. Oh, well, that's to be expected I guess. Maybe we'll do a little good-bye thing, but if you know I'm not a fan of large gatherings (ecspecialy when I'm in the thick of it). So ends today's blog. When I find some more stuff to "cry about, I'll write again.
Cheers,
Cheers,
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Maiden Flight into the blog-o-sphere
Hey all! Well this is a blog dedicated to my trip to the middle east. Anyone who cares can keep track of my adventure via this site. In time, I have added a picasa account to visually document the entire thing. The address is below with the other contact information. That site will help visually document the experience.Anyone who wants to reach me can do so at the following address:
henrick.borger@gmail.com
I am also available at:
- henrck.borger@gmail.com (gtalk)
- henrick42 (AIM)
- henrick.borger (SKYPE)
- http://picasaweb.google.com/henrick.borger (Accompanying picture-site)
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