Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Interesting
the Ritz Carlton Hotel, where the Iftar meal was served during Ramadan. The one we attended and never got a place to sit or silverware, so we left and went to Chili's and had a nice quiet meal. The hotel was decorated nicely though. Just didn't take any pictures since we didn't stay. What looks like the start of a building or something on the side of the road is what they are doing to hide things being built until it is finished. They put these up so the tackiness doesn't show at least while the games are on.We have been going places and taking pictures so I have lots to share with you guys. I will try to get it all on the blog asap.
Things here are going fine. We were having weather under 100 degrees for a while, but it is now back in the 100s. The humidity has come back this morning.
I got a printer so I can print some pictures and things now. It will make things easier when we need it for business too.
Jon just IMed me with business information. I hope we finally get everything on the move finished up some time soon. Just getting first bills so I have to get used to when they are due and all of those things. LOL! Jon is doing a good job for someone who has never done bills at all.
He has a kitten he is taking care of right now along with our own animals. He almost his this one on the way home from work so he has a new kitty till someone wants it. He is loving taking care of it. So if anyone needs a kitten I think he has one to give to someone. LOL!
All of the kids seem to be doing really well. Including our wonderful grandson. He is just too cute. He also has two new teeth now. He is working on crawling and walking at the same time. He pulls up on everything. I think he is just in a big hurry to do everything now. I have seen him online the last few days. He is growing like a bad weed.
His parents seem to be doing really well too.
Jay and Danielle are doing good too. They have been back to Lafayette a few times since they got back from their honeymoon. They are taking a business trip to San Antonio with Jay's job sometime soon. Nice. They will have lots of spare time so that will be really nice and fun.
Well, I guess I better get to work. Need to make some party bacon this morning and try to take some pictures of the birds eating on my windwo sill. They are so cute. It is a whole family. The Mom feeds the babies since they are starting to fly now they join the parents while they eat. Mom still feeds them though.
Ya'll have a great evening and day!
Debbie
Monday, October 30, 2006
Shopping update
Here is the picture of Penny at the spice store. On her left are nuts. All kinds some with salt, with curry, with all kinds of different things. Some don't have anything at all on them. Each nut is that way. We had a good time. Just thought I'd add the picture of her too since it got cut out of the other post. Have a great day!
Debbie
Shopping a little
and the guy who works or owns the spice shop in the souq. He was very proud to have his picture taken. Penny is definitely a picture taker. I always have my camera in my purse, so that is why we have pictures while she and I are out and about. We don't go places real often, but it is nice when we go. There all kinds of souqs and there are tons of different stores in each one. This was an area where there were lots of spices and thing like that. There was this one tall dried leafy thing we didn't know what it was and before smelling it we asked what it was and the man said it was tobacco. I have never seen a stalk of tobacco before. Smelled just like it. The store we were in for the pictures was spices and nuts of all sorts. Some candy too. You can try anything as much as you like before you buy it. Now this is the kind of store you want to go to when you are hungry. You don't have to wait for them to get if for you either. You can just pick something up and try it. That is the way it is here. Even in the malls and stuff. Anyway, we ran a few errands and went to these souqs for a little bit. We actually only went to one souq and we went to coffee and tea stores, kitchen stores, basket weavers, fishing net tools and things like that, toys, purses, rugs and all other kinds of things. We barely touched the surface of these stores. We had to get back to doing some other errands so we left. We will go back again for sure. Penny goes back to the states in 2 weeks to visit. She is getting totally excited. Maybe Mike and I will go back while she is gone.
Well, I better wind down on this small blog. I have loads more to write about but I will do that another day. I need to get the rest of the pictures on the computer first.
Hope everyone has a great Halloween!!!!
I have another picture with Penny in it but for some reason it didn't stay on here. I'll try harder next time.
Debbie
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Sohour Meal
Hello everyone! Ramadan is just about over. It had just about been a month now that the Muslims have been fasting. They eat nothing during the daylight hours. Nothing. No gum no water, nothing. They have a meal before daylight that is considered the last meal before fasting for the day. This meal is called the Sohour meal. The first meal of the night is called Iftar. This meal comes right after they have what I would call a snack right after sunset it is to break the fast. After that they prepare a huge meal or they go to one of the Ramadan tents that are everywhere in town and eat the Iftar meal. They eat and visit at these tents till around 2:00 or 3:00am. Then they go to bed for a few hours and start all over. They also go into work a little later than normal and get off work anywhere from noon till 2:00pm. That is their work day. They have a nap and then get ready for the evening ordeals. This first picture is of some of the people I have met since attending the SLB Spouses Association (SSA). Starting on the left is Bridget from
This next picture shows a few more people I have met. The first 3 are people that weren't in the last picture. They are
This next picture has is the veggie table. It was the only one I took an up close picture of. They display things so nicely. The next picture is of Penny, my neighbor, at the table they make the flat bread and put it on that dome looking cooker and then spread cheese with herbs in it on top. When it is ready they fold it in half and put it on your plate. The dome shaped cooker is to the far left of the picture. The next one is
This next picture is Penny and Bridget smoking the sheesha (sp). Penny ordered a fruit flavored tobacco for she and Bridget to share. It was Bridget's first time to smoke the sheesha and she wasn't too sure she cared for it. She said it was ok. She is too funny. I think you can tell by her face as to whether she liked it or not. LOL!
The next picture is of the length of the tent. We took this picture from our seats at the end we were on. We were at the edge of the tent and you can barely see the other end of the tent. You can see how they decorated the ceiling of the tent with material and see all of the tables set up from one side to the other.
Those are the most of the pictures from the evening. We had a great time. They wait on you hand and foot. If you are drinking water they bring you a bottle and they fill you glass. When they bring the sheesha out for you to smoke they put your tobacco in it where it goes and then they add the charcoal they use and fix it all up for you to use. They clear your dishes as soon as you are through with them. If they didn't ask you first sometimes they would take it away before you were through. Service here is actually really good no matter where you are eating unless it is a fast food place. They are quick with the meals but you don't get refills very fast. LOL!
I so wish Mike could have gone to this feast. I know he would have enjoyed trying all of the foods.
We went to the Iftar dinner a few days before, but we ended up not have a place to sit and then we never got any silverware or anything like that so we finally just left and went out to eat. The Iftar dinner was for everyone who worked for Slb and their families. There were so many people there it was crazy.
Sorry but I never have put so many pictures with an individual post, so one of the pictures is out of order. It is the first one. Other than that it is pretty much in order. Hope you enjoy the info. I will update again in a few days.
Debbie
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Caught up!
Well, we are just about caught up on the jet lag. It took me longer than it took Mike. Mike slept very well when we got back and I didn't. That was the main difference in our jet lag recovery. I even took naps and it didn't help, because I stayed pu too late at night. I have finally gotten on the right schedule now.
We have been having some windy days again. It wasn't too sandy in the house when we got back. I waited for the winds to slow down and then did a good thorough cleaning and dusted really well. I should say I washed everything off.
Mike and I had to go shopping fairly soon after we got back. We had no food in the house. Of course, after we went to get all of the major things we realized we needed some other things not on the list. We are just about caught up now on that too.
I got back just in time for the next monthly breakfast for the Schlumberger Spouse's Association (SSA). There are lots of things coming up that I hope to take part in. It was a nice breakfast. They have a huge assortment of things to eat from fruit to cereals,meats, eggs, hash browns, grilled veggies, juices, breads, jellies, juices, coffees, teas and soft drinks. It is always buffet style and you can get your eggs cooked fresh the way you want them. Of course, the bacon and sausages are not pork. They are beef. We mainly eat and visit. I ran a few errands with my neighbor, who gives me a ride. She is from Texas. She has family in Oklahoma. We went to a grocery store I never visited before. We also went to a bank for her to do some paper work for the SSA. She is the president of it for this year. While she ran in to the bank I sat in the car and kept it cool. It was only 3 days after we got back home that we did all of this and I nearly fell asleep while visiting at the table and then again when Penny was at the bank. I made it though. Never did fall asleep. When we got home I made sure I didn't lay down or read, because I would have fallen asleep.
We are going to the Sohour Dinner on the 17th. It is on the beach in a tent. SLB provides the meal. They say it is really fun. We will see. It is something for Ramadan, so who knows how it will be. Ramadan won't be over by then so we don't eat till 8:00pm. We will be having a snack before that is for sure. Mike will never make it. It is actually at a really nice hotel on the beach, but we will really be outside in a tent. We should have a great breeze and the temp should be nice. I sure hope so anyway.
Later on there is a dessert trip I am looking forward to. I can choose a half day or a whole day. It is for spouses only. It will be in a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I think that is scheduled for November. Sounds like fun to me though.
Now that I have caught up on the jet lag and have gotten used to climbing the stairs again. I have started a small workout. I need to get used to that before I start doing more. Right now I am just doing the treadmill. Today I am doing laundry, so I am getting an extra work out. Stairs many many times and the treadmill. I used to stay up on the second floor at least while I was doing the laundry, but I got tired of that a long time ago. I now make myself do all 3 flights each time.
When we got back there are all new shows on tv and that is interesting. Most of them are ones we don't care for, so we are glad we brought back some dvds of some tv shows and I think we brought back a movie or two we haven't seen yet. We are hoping they will change it back to a few of the other shows or something else as soon as Ramadan is over. They change a lot of things during Ramadan. I am glad I don't have to fast all day long and only eat during the dark hours. They don't even drink anything during the day. Of course, they go to work a little later of a morning and they stay up really late. The restuarants even stay open till 3am. Stores change their hours too. They are open during the day but there is hardly any business till after dark. They also get off work around noon or 2pm. Nice short day for them. Anyway, they don't come out till a while after dark. They eat dates and drink water I think. Then later on they eat a real meal.
Jon said the other day he has everything unpacked and has painted our dresser and night stand. Yellow wasn't his color. Michelle told me he did a good job and everything looks really nice. Michelle has helped a lot with the business end of the move. She is even going to have a garage sale some time soon. That is just great!
I am going to put a picture in of a neighbor of ours. The other day we were driving through the compound to get to our villa and he had his front door open. He was laying on a cot suntanning right in the doorway. It was too funny. People here do leave their front doors open a lot around here. No screen door or anything. The a/c just runs. You know it is too hot here to not have it on.
I'll have to take more pictures of the tower for the Asian games. That is the tower we have always used for a landmark when we were learning our way around town. It is just about done and the stadium that is next to it is done. It is finished and they have used it a time or two. It has lights from afar that look like a roller coaster. Lots of other things are getting finished up for the games too. I can't wait for the roads to be finished. They need to get those traffic lights going to or they may all kill themselves getting used to them during the games. They are going to need some practice times. They don't follow any traffic laws now as it is.
By the way, Pam H., Pam C., Mom and Lynn, I know we all love olives and let me tell you they have an abundance of them here. All kinds. They are sold in bulk and in the deli section of the stores. You can buy just how much you want. If you want 5 olives, then you can buy that many. If you want pounds of them well you can do that too.
