Goofing off in Sur, Oman

Shoot me, but I am freaking happy right now!

Sitting on the balcony of our kind host in Dubai, our 67th destination, in the 13th country for the year, I cannot help but be absolutely in awe of what 2011 has added to our lives.

I love this year. Love it. Love it. Love it.

It has been a buffet of experiences and emotions from which we have had just about everything – hardship, delight, fright and fight, freezing nights and sweat soaked ones, meeting the kindest to the unkindest people, soaking up various cultures and religions, filling our tummies with food from every corner of the World, mostly good, sometimes not… one thing is for sure, it has not been a boring or monotonous year.

No, I have no new year resolutions.  I feel full and accomplished. Looking back on the last 12 months I am left with simply a smile of contentment. I did not just exist, I lived.

At the eve of the new year, I want to wish you all the same. Not the same experiences or path, I want to wish you that which will bring you to this spot, whatever that might be. And if you are there, you don’t need me to tell you anything.

2012, you have a lot to live up to, darling. But we will try our best shot at it together.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Oman, Thoughts, UAE Post tags: new year, thoughts, travel

Snaps & Blabs

Battling our second bout of colds, we are spending two days in a somewhat comfortable guesthouse in Delhi, doing nothing much. This turns out to be well-composted with free-flowing boogers fertile soil for thoughts like this to flourish:

My butt has no gears for money making – in short, I suck at it.

This is not an opinion, this is a fact. A very hard and cold one. The evidence is clear. I have been a smart, capable, quick learning, creative, inventive, sharp-thinking female for at least two decades. I have had experiences in my life that others would have turned into gold. Yet, here I am in India, not happy about paying freaking $12 for dinner for my whole family of five!

The worst part of this is that I know what needs to be done, I am not stupid. I have a bloody Marketing and Business Management degree amongst other, hm, papers. All of which I can safely stuff in my gear-less butt, for all they matter.

Before we left, I was thinking how Mr.Blab and I would be able to make something out of this trip and at least get some of our money saved. Hey, its an amazing journey, desired by many, accomplished by few, people monetize a lot less than that. I should be able to do something out of that. Surely.

At the very least Mr.Blab said he would take on the job of emailing small guesthouses and homestays to offer them my photography services for their properties for a few days of free stay. Some of them would be interested. Surely.

Wrong.

None of this has come to fruition. The blog is still in a quiet corner of the web and Mr.Blab has sent not one of those emails.

Instead, browsing way more successful bloggers from time to time, I am reminded of my own idiocy and decapitated entrepreneurship.  People squeeze out of very little a lot. I do with quite a lot, well,  nothing. Then the other day I was watching one of those reality shows, real housewives or something, where one can clearly see that brains, skills and ability has very little to do with financial success, and I was slapped hard by the reality of capitalism.

None of this would really matter if money was inconsequential. They are obviously not enough of a motivator for me, which is not really a surprise, but they do matter, especially when one’s hobbies are traveling the world, playing with gadgets and savoring the  fine things in life, like time and creativity.

And I am getting worried about what we will do when we get back.  Yes, as usual I have ideas of these businesses I will start to keep me/us away from the 9 to 5 workforce. But who am I kidding? Not myself anymore. The music is in my face and it is deafeningly loud.

I am not extraordinary enough to rely on word of mouth and success falling into my lap and I am not pushy enough to make the best of what I have.

The moral of the story is that we cannot escape of our own selves, no matter how far we decide to go. Change comes from within (oh, how corny that sounds), no matter if its about the job we hate, the weight we avoid to see in the mirror or the healthy lifestyle one aspires to. There are no employer angels who visit from nowhere, magic pills for toned bodies or junk tasting but good for us food.

I need get my butt in gear, any gear. Right after my nose clears. Yes. Oh, and after I finish all those posts I have to write. Yup, cause that is important. And lets not forget all that other stuff that I use as excuse, because

I SUCK! And while I suck I will miss this opportunity. Its as simple as that.

This is one of my biggest flows that I would love to change. How about you?

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
General, India, Thoughts Post tags: blabs, blogging

Snaps & Blabs

_

We had just finished our sandwiches for dinner, lovingly prepared by me by spreading mustard with my finger and throwing a few ingredients on top. Not the most convenient dining option, but definitely cheaper than the sets sold on the Bangkok to Chiang Mai train. Sitting under our crudely made cubby house on the lower bunks with the kids asleep on top, Mr.Blab and I got to chatting.  Old stories of travels and experiences started floating in the air to the background music of the metal clunking underneath us and the rhythmic tick-tock of our small $2 clock sitting on the table overlooking the darkness outside. Warm under the blanket we had spread over us, listening to the memories that were bringing smiles to our faces, I realized that there is a certain similarity to them. Hardship.

Mr.Blab’s drive along the west coast of the US with a few friends and a plenitude of misfortunes, and my epic flight from South Africa to Australia with two suitcases and all of my belongings are vintage. What has become legendary on this trip has been horrible car rides, sleeping in a shack in Bali, walking in the melting heat to a turtle sanctuary that is “around the corner and a bit”, only not, just to save $10, and from tonight “finger mustard” has been coined and will undoubtedly stay with us for a long time.

Giggling and discussing my first car, the White Swan – a plexiglass covered motorbike on four wheels aka a Trabant – I knew that my thoughts are onto something. I have had a Mercedes, a lovely beast of a car with seat warmers and the most luxurious drive only beaten by the bite that  came in from pressing the gas and zooming through the streets of Cape Town. Yet, when I remember the old days, what brings a smile to my face is that ugly little car with a falling exhaust pipe I had to fix from time to time. It lacked heating, which meant that I didnt have any respite from the freezing European winters, but it was ok because I always had a plastic bag handy to put under my bum, so I could get to work without getting wet from the frost on the seat. Even now, just thinking about it, I am grinning.
_
Who is the real traveler? Backpackers or well-off tourists? Yes, apparently this is one of those topics.  A little while ago I read a blog post about it and found myself torn. I do not think that those who move around in comfort are not worthwhile travelers. On the other hand, I couldn’t quite agree that its all the same. It cant be. Eating wonton noodles in a porcelain bowl while resting on a plush chair with the breeze of the air-conditioning flying the very few unruly hairs of your do, has nothing to do with eating the same noodles prepared in front of you at a street cart on a dim street, tossed in a plastic bowl – washed earlier in the lined up buckets with water on the curb right there – which you can enjoy while sitting on a plastic chair, watching the bustle of the street from underneath your heavily sweaty brows.

Both are genuine experiences of a place, lets not kid ourselves, just from a different perspective. The important difference, I think, is in the value added extras. Dealing with some kind of hardship makes us feel strong and capable. Crossing lands with little money, finding ways around tourist traps and exercising your creative mind is hard. Some days it can be exhausting. But there is little doubt in my mind that the memories of it will forever bring a sense of pride and achievement. It delivers that hard to get shot of self-appreciation and awe. I made it!

Stepping on top of Everest from a helicopter ride (if possible) would let one experience the feeling of being there, but it can never compare with the feeling of accomplishment and pride that comes from getting there the hard way.

Hardship teaches us a lot about ourselves and our ability, often showing us of how much more we are capable of than what we give ourselves credit for. Most likely this is the reason why sitting in the darkness of our train, it was those stories that were filling the air – they just make us feel good about ourselves, as simple as that.

For today, on the cheap or with a bag of cash, travel is travel, moving from one place to another. But for the invisible extras and the moments in the future, when I am reminiscing about life that has past and telling stories from my well worn spot on the couch, shoe-string world explorations win hands down. Hold back the porcelain, throw at me that scratched up old plastic bowl, fill it up with noodles and lets go. And yes, I will have some finger mustard with that.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
General, Thoughts Post tags: budget travel, travel

Snaps & Blabs

A blarbla-ha–bla-haba…aaa…whatevashiva-diva

My fingers are heavy over the keyboard, my sulky face is reflecting in the monitor whose dark face is grinning back at me with expectation. Its not pretty. I am in a blogging depression state, no hiding from it. It has been convenient that the Internet is expensive hence I dont have much of it to use, thus I have a good excuse, but the truth is that I just don’t feel like writing. And its probably one of the first things on the How to Blog rule book, in fact, I am sure it would be on the first page of “Dont ever do these” Chapter, but I am obviously not doing that great as it is, so I doubt this will hurt my stagnation any.

The trip is great and I have lots of pictures ready and waiting, lots of thoughts brewing and stories to tell. There is no lack of that going. I hope the brick wall that awaits me here lifts soon, because I will be way behind, I am not even sure I can catch up as it is.

See, I am sitting here with head rested on my hand, trying to write. Or maybe its the question why that I cannot answer for myself…

Sorry for everyone that is awaiting glimpses of life from my end. You know who you are. I will be over this hump, it never takes me too long.

Cheers!

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Thoughts Post tags:

Snaps & Blabs

Uprooting the family, going off into the distance with very little plan and money, and…what? How is it going?

It is quite fitting that I am writing this post in Amed. From all the places where we have been in Bali this is the most suitable spot to pause and reflect – simple, quiet and far from the strangling tourist market.

Fun

Yes, there is fun. Most of it from being together and having to be creative in our own entertainment. We have not set eyes on a TV the whole time and, as the kids admitted yesterday, we have barely noticed that fact. Card games are popping out of distant memories in our heads, I remembered a few old card tricks from my own childhood that I thought Miss Fab this morning. Lots of exploring, laughing and giggles, at least for now.

Sleep

I have not slept that much for a long time. Not being able to spend my nights reading, browsing or watching something on the TV means that I am down with the children and up early. I am getting at least 8-9 solid hours of sleep! Amazingly, the bags under my eyes, I used to love blaming on my owl existence, have not improved. I may have to lay that guilt on genes now. Tick.

Problems

Yes, some things are hard. The worst so far has been food. I am used to good food, I like good food, I am a sucker for good food. I dont mean expensive fancy dishes, I mean good fresh meals. Instead we are often eating biscuits and juices, which the kids may be very happy about, but I am certainly not. And when we end up in a restaurant, there is little fresh in it.

This should improve a bit now, as we are staying at a place with a little kitchen and I am going to pick some stuff up on the way back from this cafe and cook up something nice. I cannot wait.

The kids found the initial close quarters a bit of a challenge as well, but have started to adjust nicely. This would have been even harder if they had not been used to us around so much – e.g. were going to school most of their days before the trip.

Internet access has to come under this heading. It has been work to keep connected. Either there is not Internet or the one that exists is slow and hard to work with.

Missing

Kitchen.

I cant think of much else that I have felt is not in our backpacks and I have even remembered or craved for. I think that even the stuff we have is probably too much and we can cull it even more. If they come up with a mobile, foldaway kitchen, I will be happy to travel just with that.

General

We have settled into this travel mode nicely. I am sure after awhile though, we will be ready to stop for a bit longer at a place and just chill. So far the plan is to do that in Malaysia, maybe Penang, unless I find a way to figure out another area. Its all about where we can find a longer term rent that is reasonable.

If any of you are curious(like me) and have some other questions, shoot them my way.

For now, greetings to all and enjoy your kitchens more

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Bali, Thoughts Post tags: Bali, reflections

Snaps & Blabs

The good news is that the end is near. The house is just about empty, most of the things fit in the small storage we have hired, thanks to Mr.Blabs long lost Tetrix skills that came to life when needed. A friend gave me a hand today and we cleaned up the windows, walls and whatnots of the living room and kitchen. I washed the outside of the house, as well as made a lovely muddy pool for some piggies kiddies to play in, unfortunately one of them was not mine, but its well known that kids in my house dont stay clean, so its at your own risk when you bring them over.

Washed the laundry room, more of the bathroom, finished the oven AND covered it, because if someone had even looked at it wrongly I would’ve had to dispose of them, so I wanted to be on the safe side, conscientious and all that I am.

Maybe its good that we are so busy, so burried in tasks and physical exhaustion, that we dont have time to think, to feel saddness or melancholy. Because no matter how wonderful and wanted this trip is, we are leaving behind a lovely bunch of people we have finally managed to meet and get to know. And exactly how lovely has been shown in the last few hairy days – so much, that if I had the time or strength to think about it, I will be definitely quite emotional for leaving them behind.

It is one of the big cons of moving and traveling and unfortunately it is quite familiar to us.

I guess one cant have it all…or else, this traveling group would be much, much…much bigger.

If by tomorrow we are not done with this stinky house, I will be pulling my tangly hair out. I am out now, good night.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Preparations, Thoughts Post tags: friends, mess, trip preparations

Snaps & Blabs

I had not gone on the bike for awhile, really, they had been mainly gathering small particles called dust in the garage and just wasting away into its darkness. Since I had been neglecting my fitness lately, I decided its time to actually do something about it, especially having in mind that I would be carrying around a big backpack and a big 2 year old in the near future. Its not something you just pick up and do.

One option was to get a quick membership at the gym and do the classes I used to do when pregnant. This option was not very appealing for various reasons, one of which was the fact that it cost money, money which can be better spent on something else, like a day away on a trip, or a really fancy meal.

Then I decided to use that bike of mine for good. It may not sound like serious stuff, but we live in a rather hilly area and even short rides will leave you gasping for air in no time. And I started.

A week into the daily bike rides I could feel my body catching up. I could climb the hills on higher gear, I could make it further, the pain would be less…I could make it up the big horror everest-of-a-climb  to the house without dying, coming to, and dying again, only to be awaken by the aching legs that barely could hold me and the irresistible urge to open my chest to get enough air in.

And the other day, pushing those pedals and feeling the breeze in my hair, I filled up with love for this body of mine. I have mostly loved it, appreciated it and treated it with respect, but this was different. This was a joyful, pure love. I felt the muscles stronger, responding to my request for them to be so; my heart beating dutifully supplying all the bits and pieces with what they needed, but calmer this day, unlike the frantic unsuspecting bashing that had been days before. I felt we are a team, it and I, a perfectly working team.

I may not be a pristine beauty, my body will not grace the covers of a scantly clad magazine, but its one hell of a great body when it comes down to the important things. I have done well in just about any sport I have tried, I have rarely been sick, I have no chronic conditions, I heal fast, I have gotten pregnant without a problem, carried babies effortlessly and birthed them better than any well oiled digitized machine. My body made milk that could have fed three babies at the same time, all coming from those tiny breasts of mine that had been a worry for me most of my youthful life. Silly life.

Yeah, I have stretch marks, my now not that tiny breasts are sagged, you can fill puddles in my cellulite, if you are so inclined (which will make you weird, by the way), I have a wonky tooth.. and I dont really care  to continue this crappy list, but this body, pedaling strongly down the path – cough, lets get back to the real world – works. Its responsive and trustworthy and I love it.

And I spent the rest of my ride, letting it know that with the smile on my face. That is until we reached the hell-of-a-hill up to the house, when I could think of nothing else but to focus not to die. We still have some way to go, my body and I, on this bike riding adventure, but I just want to remember that feeling, because it was…beautiful with wings.

Beautiful with wings.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Thoughts Post tags: fitness, health, moments

Snaps & Blabs

I will say it – I dont understand how any person not mentioned in the Wikileaks diplomatic cables can not be outraged at what is happening at the moment. Yes, certain things have to be kept secret by the Governments around the world, but how many? What actions, policies and relationships of the people we have elected to represent us, should we be unaware of?

Not many, I say. Hide the nuclear weapon codes. Hide the names of people that provide us with insider information from outlaw groups. Hide the location of whatever necessary military equipment we have to keep.

A lot of people object vocally to the cables, because they “are an attack on national security”. Bull****. Only a person that has not read them and kept abreast of the information that they reveal can stomp on that particular all-familiar soapbox.

I dont know anything about this politician, but I have to fully agree with this particular speech:

“Is there not a huge difference between releasing secret information to help the enemy in the time of a declared war — which is treason — and the releasing of information to expose our government lies that promote secret wars, death, and corruption?

“Was it not once considered patriotic to stand up to our Government when its wrong?”

Clearly not anymore. These days Governments seem to be seen by many as an infallible institution, which somehow does the best things and always in our interest. Americans have taken this to a new level, brandishing anyone who dares criticize it as traitor and follow with chest banging, flags on lawns and  “if you dont like it, go somewhere else”.  This is very strange especially put next to the apathy of most people in regards to politics, usually born out of distrust in the people who maneuver them.

And you know what, that is fine.  Those that feel pointing out things that could be improved is somehow detrimental to the running of a country, should refrain from it. They should, instead, organize their I Love My Government With All My Heart events and collect money for gifts to our elected officials, especially around now, Christmas is a great time to show ones appreciation for those that deserve it.

I, on the other hand, trust blindly just about nobody, let alone strangers in an office somewhere.  And many like me prefer to know if their representatives are doing illegal things around the world; supporting such acts; working with countries that are the main money source for terrorist organizations, just because its monetarily convenient (Saudi Arabia); working with big corporations to help them blackmail officials to  avoid their legal obligations towards children whom they used for research (Pfeiser) ; or Shell’s undue infiltration into the Nigerian government; providing insider party information to foreign governments, while the people that they should be representing have no clue what is happening; the Vatican pressuring Irish officials to be granted immunity from investigations around child abuse claims and refusing to answer any of the queries about it;  the US spying illegally on UN officials all the way to the top; or when when we are clearly lied to about fundamental policies; (good short account can be found in the Guardian, which has a very good coverage of the developments)

Why do I want to know if my Government is doing illegal and immoral things around the world or on home land? The answer is very simple – it is doing it on my behalf and with my money. You and I are funding these activities, which are performed by those we have elected. They represent us.

You bet I care! You bet I want to know!

And yet, I feel so helpless these days. I want to do something, to shout from somewhere that I am against any plugging of any truth that involves those that act on my behalf. Because it seems the only people that dont know whats going on are you and me. We are entertained by cheap Chinese trinkets and kept busy working for our mortgages while all the important things are happening and most of the money are spent.

I found out about a protest in the city and joined in. Not because this will make a difference, I am not that naive – 25,000 students couldnt be heard in UK – let alone measly 100 people in a quiet gathering. I went because I couldnt just sit and watch while powerful Governments try to pretend that the biggest problem here is the truth, not what they are doing behind our backs.

I signed whatever I could sign, sent some money at appropriate places and…here ends my ability to do anything.

I left the gathering when the local communist party leader took the stage. I am sure they have an idolized version of it, but as someone that has lived through a real communist regime, could not in clear conscience stand and listen to.

The city is beautiful at night, especially in summer, especially during the Christmas period.

Its unfortunate that a lot of the good things in life, those worth fighting for and aiming for, have become mostly tools in the hands of selling professionals; weapons against our resistance to spend, wallet lubricating slogans.

Those things are not bought or achieved in a store.

They happen by the way we treat each other; those that are close, those that are far; by us directly or by those that we elect to act on our behalf.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Thoughts Post tags: activism, freedom, ideals

Snaps & Blabs

So life is not fair.

At least not fair to each individual creature in it. It probably reaches a level of fairness over time, as a whole, on a grand scale of things, but you and I are pretty much nuts to expect that of it.

I am not sure what I want to say. My head is an ocean of thoughts whose waves are flushing the sides of my consciousness and I am not really sure where they are taking me. I can go all soap boxy on you, or I can just float around on a soft creative fluffy cloud. Actually, the soap box is just calling my name, but I dont want to step on it just yet. The waves need to carve a more defined cave before I do that.

So life is not fair. Are we shortchanging our children to believe that it is, that it can be? Its like making them believe they can fly and then leaving them at the top of the cliff.  Maybe they should know its steep, its dangerous and hilly, so they dont melt down at the first stumble.

As grown ups we lie to them constantly – if you study, you will have a good life; if you take drugs, you will be ruined; if you are good, you will succeed; if you this…this will happen. I wish life was that black and white, it will be so easy to maneuver it. Instead its more like a gray soup.

Expecting life to be fair, makes sure that kids will be disappointed and hurt as soon as they crash into it face-to-face without the parental seat belt. No, studying secures nothing; trying a few drugs will not ruin your life; good people suffer; bad people have the time of their lives; hard work does not equal success and hurting someone is not always bad.

Life is beautiful, but not in its fairness to each of us. Fair means predictable, and life is anything but that -  that is the best and worst of it, all in one. It brings highs and lows, laughter and cry, hardship and luck. We cannot tame it, its constantly changing and surprising us. We need to be flexible, with legs bent in the knees, ready for the next bump, which is always coming, I bet money on it.

My little darling, the paved road doesnt exist, watch for bumps, ride them out confidently in the knowledge that they are a normal part of the trip, and soak in the highs when they come.

The rest is a lot of baloney.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | Still a monologue | Add to del.icio.us
Thoughts Post tags: kids, life, thoughts

Snaps & Blabs

We have been welcoming random people in our house, absolute strangers, unknowns, foreigners, aliens – right in our house. We love it. The last few days we had a mom, her mom and two kids over, needless to say the children had a wonderful time. But they all left this afternoon and now its quiet around our house, and I want to melt into the furniture.

____

During the Commonwealth Games – which for those of you not in the know, are games in which only countries from the British Empire can attend, which means that we win all the medals and it should really be called The Australia Games – we spent a bunch of time watching Aussies kick some Commonwealth behinds. So, we are savoring some 10m diving, family time you see. We are cheering the Aussies, because Canadians just didnt want to give up and hand us the medals, which was highly inconsiderate. We decide to spook the other divers and say something just as they are jumping off the platform.  We quickly get something ready and as the divers toes lift off and we blurt something out, I cant remember exactly what, other than Little B’s enthusiastic contribution to the cause: I’m gonna poop in the pool ! Good try, my little one, but Canadians seem to not mind and win regardless of floaters. They are probably used to them, there in Canada, too cold to run to the loo, you see.

____

I made baklava. With pistachios. It was divine.

Sorry.

____

I am not quite sure how people find their way to this place, I dont advertise, promote, mingle, mangle, network or anything really. I am glad you do, but how, I am not really sure.

Some get here by searching and the terms that bring them here often amuse me. I thought you may get a kick of some of the latest searches  – provided in a picture format, because I dont want to encourage further traffic

Then there is this person:

Wrong blog, definitely the wrong blog, Google.

____

Last reminder to everyone that wanted to have fun with me on the photo project. I can feel the excitement, the buzzing creative juices and your unstoppable enthusiasm – I am barely keeping my mailbox from exploding from all the submissions. Yep. Two days left and then I give up on waiting. I will take an F in Inspiration and self-lynch under cold water. If you feel pity on me or want to save the water (it is drought here), play with me, submit something.

I will share my creations on Sunday.

____

~ Waves lazily with droopy eyes ~

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Thoughts Post tags:

Snaps & Blabs