Heatstroke

It's that time of year, and the heat and humidity has arrived.  It came quickly and packed a punch.

We've had a lovely year, really.  The cooler fall/winter made this year much more enjoyable weather-wise, and we even found ourselves getting cold in our house or during certain times of the day outside.  Fabulous! Clothes that normally sit dormant for most of the year got much more wear this year.  We've also had a lot more rain, which made Muscat greener and covered in additional wildflowers and plants.

So, we can't complain much.  The heat was inevitable, we knew it, we just hoped it would stay away a bit longer.

Heat and humidity in Oman means:
-  Going through way more water bottles in your water cooler each month.
-  Watering your plants every day.
-  Your windows (the moisture is on the outside) looking like your shower door does at the end of a hot shower during the early mornings.
-  The water out of your tap never is cold, just tepid.  You turn your water to hot and it's like, burn your hands, don't touch it, hot.
-  The A/C being a on all the time.  You turn it off for 10 minutes and you'll need it back on, especially once your house has warmed up after all day in the sun.
-  You can feel the heat coming through your exterior walls.
-  Staying inside during the midday/afternoon because it's just too hot.  Summer here has the same effect as winter in the states . It's just not enjoyable to be outside very long.
-  Sweat and more sweat.
-  Feeling like you've stepped into a sauna when you leave for work in the morning.
-  Increased time at the school pool.
-  No shoes outside = burns on your feet
-  Trying to figure out how little clothing you can wear out in public to stay "cooler" without offending the local culture.

It also means bored and restless children.  Imagine how your kids get in the states during the winter when it's cold and/or rainy.  It gets stir-crazy!  Parents get grumpy, kids in turn get grumpy.  This is not enjoyable for anyone.  You feel like a bad parent when you are letting your kids watch more TV because your mind says "They should be outside, it's sunny!".  But obviously, it's miserable and hot, and that can't be an option.  You are searching for ideas for fun, which is hard.

So, we are doing our best.  Mornings and late afternoon/evening are outside times.  Luckily we get quite a bit of shade on our side of the unit during the mornings, so being outside is more tolerable.  We get out the pool and fill it with tepid water which the girls enjoy.  We also find that our pots filled with dirt (vegetables are done now) have been a source of great fun.

Here is some of the action from last weekend.  I hope you all back home are enjoying your cool spring although I suspect you are itching for sun :-)

 Happy play partners  (mommy and daddy sat in our chairs watching, 

desiring as little movement as possible to avoid breaking out in a sweat)

"I wonder...." 

(she never got on the way in, but we kept hoping she would!)

 "Cake anyone?"

 Filthy happy!

The Burden

One of the benefits, and at the same time, struggles about living overseas, is the increased awareness and exposure to human suffering and injustices around the world.   While I’ve never considered myself someone who keeps up with the news religiously, I have always checked in with the nightly news, glanced over the local papers, and checked out links and references through Facebook that people share.  So, I considered myself “informed”.

               

Boy, was I wrong.  And it makes me now realize how uninformed the majority of US is.   In comparison to what I see here in the newspapers and through Al Jazeera and BBC, it borders on ridiculous of how much is not reported in US news. 

               

 But as I mentioned in the first line, it’s a benefit and a struggle at the same time.

The benefit is that I am much more aware of the reality of the world, other countries, and the privilege we (as a generality about the US) have.  I am full aware that terrible things happen in the US too and there are struggles for many Americans.  It’s terrible, it is.  But the sheer amount of pain and suffering experienced by all the other countries in the world is way above what the US experiences.  If you are familiar with the joke about “first world problems”, this drives home the point how ridiculous those problems are. 

While the average American worries about their trivial “needs” and “worries” (and this discounts the real serious injustices and struggles that some Americans face), Muslims in North India and Africa are living in make-shift tent cities while being persecuted by Hindus and Christians.  Children are dying in Syrian camps daily due to the civil unrest.  Workers die in factory collapses and fires in Bangladesh making the cheap clothes we so desire in America.  People are poisoned drinking and fishing in water polluted by chemical dumps from factories in developing countries.  People are slaughtered in South Sudan.  Thousands are being affected by climate change from 1st world countries carbon footprint.  And on and on.  This is what I see reported daily in the papers and news here, as well as through Al Jazeera and BBC.

                

As a benefit, this exposure has dramatically shifted how I view my life, my hardships, and that of my family, as well of the hardships in the US.  It has made me ten-fold more grateful for what I have and “need”.  It has given me a healthy sense of guilt whenever I complain or sulk about my life problems.  And I am glad I can expose my children to that when they grow up, and keep them worldly, aware citizens.  It has also made me much more conscientious about what I buy.  If it says “Made in Bangladesh”, I have to think long and hard about it.  Unfortunately, that tag dominates the stores here.  It makes me ever more grateful for my safety, my access to food and water, and my access to health care.

The struggle?  Knowing.  Knowing the pain and suffering.   Imagining the hurt, sadness, and hopelessness these people feel and experience.   Imagining how I would feel if it was me, especially when it involves mothers and children.  Knowing that I can’t do anything to help most of these things going on.   Knowing that I will mostly likely never experience anything like millions of people around the world experience simply because of where I was born, the luck of the draw, and the privilege I was born in to by no ones fault.  And knowing that my way of life contributes to some of this pain, even when I try to be careful.  One cannot deny that when they buy a cell phone or other electronic device, they are contributing to the conflicts worldwide over the metals used and the human lives lost trying to mine them.

                 

The struggle is also extreme frustration with America.   Sometimes it makes me so frustrated to know that most Americans have no clue what is going on.  It’s not totally their fault.   How can you be aware when it’s not reported to you?  But on the other hand, it’s out there and accessible if one chooses to find it.  It’s a choice to expand your bubble of knowledge, or to not.   I know a lot of Americans think Al Jazeera is evil because they associate it with the Middle East and terrorism, but it’s the best news out there!  It reports on all areas of the world and posts news stories for what they are.  Not biased, not padded and fluffed.  Just news .  And when you actually read news like that, not only do you know what is going on, but you realize that your view of the world and other races/ethnicities might be wrong.  

                

 So where do I go from here?  Not back, that is for sure.  You can’t un-know things.  And do I want to un-know them?  Sometimes yes, but most of the time, I know it’s for the better.   It might cause me more anxiety, more sadness, and more stress, but at least I know how I should change my life, my mindset, and the things I do.

                 

What I can do is share what I know.  Try to make people more aware.  Do my best to not force it upon them, even though I want to.  There are times I am ready to shake people back home for their chosen ignorance and refusal to acknowledge the reality of the world.  I also want to shake them when they complain about ridiculous first world problems.  But I’ll do my best to restrain.  To be calm, and to share, and to hope, just hope, people will listen.   And maybe, just maybe, my life will be an example to others.  Maybe, just maybe.

Happy 1st Birthday, Emalyn!

1 year old!!!  How did this happen?  Overnight, it seems, sometimes.

Birthday events...

1.  Trip to Sifah Beach.  Well, this trip was due to the fact that our units were being sprayed for cockroaches (an annual event) and we needed to get out of the house for safety, but it was an excellent way to spend the day-before Em's birthday as a family.  This was her first real excursion to the beach.

 

 Getting lathered with sunblock. 

 

First encounter with the ocean.  We were lucky it was a calm day and the water was crystal clear.

 Wave jumping with Daddy.

 

Snack time.  Em's suit bottoms did not want to stay on.  It was pretty adorable to see her wandering around all day with half her cheeks showing.

 

Our other beach beauty.

2.  The next day was her actual birthday.  It was a pretty normal day but with a few perks.

 

Donut holes for breakfast!

 

A happy birthday girl.   

   

Opening presents from the family.

 

Em got a drum full of instruments.  Our new band!
 

Blueberry/blackberry cobbler with ice cream for a birthday dessert.

Em's little birthday party is this coming Thursday after school with a few families with other youngsters or good friends.  I'm sure she'll be thrilled just to have lots of kids around!

Happy 1st birthday big girl.  

This to this!