Conquering new terriories... again!

A bout of gale hit my area a couple of days ago. Although 40 or so lives were taken in France as a direct cause of the 150 kmph gusty winds. No casualties in Saint Maur and around, thank goodness. Just a few broken branches (large branches of our very mature pine trees) and a couple of displaced roof tiles!

I'm now more motivated to type! So, here goes. During my now regular hiatus from blogging, ideas came pouring in my head about what to blog about. Due to my very short-term memory, I am slapping myself now for not jotting them down. But alas, fear not, I have purchased a beautiful handy notebook to never again miss those impromptu moments when subject matters seem to spring into life.

What have I been doing since? I have been eBaying. I have been Amazon-ing. And most of all, I have been reading blogs about another country! We may indeed be making a move into a land far far away...

Where do I start? An inter-web of reasons have brought us here to this beautiful quiet life. But that has always been the underlying predicament, it is quiet, for all its intent and purpose. Too quiet for our young minds. If I could take a little bit of Paris, a little bit of KL and a little bit of LA, arrange it around our current home, and then throw in some English and sprinkle it with more warm sunny days, life would be bliss here. But that's just isn't so and an interweb of reasons is slowly ejecting us away from here.



About 2 months ago, my husband got struck with reality and concluded that the business is just ain't progressing at the speed he had hope it would, and went on a cyber-spree of job application across the globe. Since then, 3 looked very promising, out of which, one, from Abu Dhabi, gave a solid proposition. At the other end of the orient, namely Ho Chi Minh City was to be the jackpot should he be accepted. It is the first time he has ever put himself in the market and actually realise his market value (He has always insisted that his earnings is in the top 10% in France, even though I strongly feel that he is underpaid for his skills!)Hubby being the special man he is (oh, I love him enormously!), doesn't fancy these 2 and became strongly attracted to one being offered by a nobody, from a nobody firm, in what we thought to be a nobody country with a far from reasonable salary package. The country in question is Oman, and ever since this opportunity arised, we have been frantically researching literally everything about the place and its people. We were surprised and then the one week trip re-affirmed our amazement. It's nothing like the New York style cities of its neighbours. It is booming but town-planning are strongly controlled, resulting in beautiful structures respectful to the feel of the region - no building taller than 7-storeys, no v-shaped roof and colours, in harmony of the earth. Many aspects of its lifestyle conjures up life as I knew it back in KL. Fancy cars, fancy restaurants and fancy cafes. Ice-blended coffees aplenty! Which comes to the topic of weather. Right now it's about the end of their 'winter' season, which basically means that the daytime heat is bearable (we're still talking 30 degrees Celcius on average, less the humidity). The grind comes during their 'summer' (April - October) where temperatures soar ridiculously high (can be over 50 degrees!) and no one lingers around outside unncessarily. Goodbye to our habitual al-fresco lifestyle come the warm season in France... And back to living fully air-conditioned EVERYWHERE indoors, where stale air and germs go whoopeedoo. On the bright side, Muscat is by the sea, and we all know what sight and sound of gentle waves batting against sandy beaches does to our senses... Me like. Not only does proximity to the sea makes it alluring, two other aspects top my 'pro' list - they speak English over there and we will be able to afford a full-time maid!

Nevertheless, an unexpected feeling of sadness at the thought of leaving France and its many advantageous facets is quiet beguiling, if not strange. These years of abhorrence of anything French (that DOES sounds a bit harsh!) has finally reached its terminus. Patience and better understanding of La France and the very engine that drives her, has drawn me to appreciate it.

France, my darling, you win, hands down, I have been seduced by you. I'm now terribly heavyhearted to eventually have to bid you Adieu.

Although France will soon be miles away, encountering strange Frenchified phenomenons, I am certain, will STILL befall unto me! The recording shall thus continue!

A plus!