Sunny, 110
We don't have Benjamins here in Oman, we have coffee pot- and camel-currency. All the same, president's mug or cultural cameo, everyone is trying to hold on to as many as they can. Admittedly, I've never been highly skilled at cost-cutting and budget living, but I've learned a few things here and I'm ready to share these techniques for economic efficiency abroad.Housekeeping: Kitchen Gnomes
Just before we left, I was subjected to numerous vaccinations and examinations, some of which were accompanied by blood tests. One talkative phlebotomist, from Iran, assured me that I would love living abroad because, she said,
"You will have a maid."
"Oh, no," I assured her. "I will not have a maid. We are just students."
"Everyone has maids in the middle east. You will have a maid to clean your kitchen and your house. I love America, but when we came here, I do not have a maid anymore. Too bad. But you will
have a maid."
have a maid."I let it go. I wasn't going to win this one, so I put it out of my mind, assured I wouldn't have any more help in the kitchen than my wonderfully supportive and considerate husband who always does the dishes after dinner. I was wrong! Each night, and sometimes even during the day when they're really sneaky, we are visited by what Jacob and I have termed 'kitchen gnomes,' whose sole purpose is to "clean up" after us...and remove anything that is left behind. The only problem is, we're having trouble defining for them exactly what is left behind and what we'd like to hold onto (unopened foodstuffs, etc). Not only that, but we're encountering some boundary issues. For example, I found a kitchen gnome in our bedroom the other day. We're working on a solution.
Travel
If one person riding in a gas-guzzling SUV is the proverbial wrench in the gears of a transmission of tyrannically insistent evironmentalists and economists, carpooling is th
e properly disposed of and recycled motor oil - a virtual salve on our hearts, minds and wallets. Can you imagine driving down the freeway and spotting 9 adults crammed into a giant white van that doesn't have church lettering plastered on the side? Now can you imagine that scene here? What must all the Emiratis think as they speed by, lights flashing, horns blaring in their Porches and Mercedes and Range Rovers? They just may not understand how advanced we are (suckers). Well, forget anyone who is down on us. We're thinking of getting a van when we return to South Carolina (all of us Arabic-trackers and hangers-on). Aside from the money-saving side, we all truly think we might miss the haggling over destination, speed, route, car seat position, A/C, music and driver.
e properly disposed of and recycled motor oil - a virtual salve on our hearts, minds and wallets. Can you imagine driving down the freeway and spotting 9 adults crammed into a giant white van that doesn't have church lettering plastered on the side? Now can you imagine that scene here? What must all the Emiratis think as they speed by, lights flashing, horns blaring in their Porches and Mercedes and Range Rovers? They just may not understand how advanced we are (suckers). Well, forget anyone who is down on us. We're thinking of getting a van when we return to South Carolina (all of us Arabic-trackers and hangers-on). Aside from the money-saving side, we all truly think we might miss the haggling over destination, speed, route, car seat position, A/C, music and driver. Utilities 
How much do you pay a month for electricity? Gas? Well, aside from the A/C units that are on near round-the-clock operation schedules here, we are doing the responsible (and necessary) thing by cutting down on our water heater usage and electricity, especially while doing laundry and taking showers. Have you heard the ads for the never-be-without-hot-water-agai
n tanks? We can do you one better. We are never without hot water (especially from late March through September) because it's so hot outside that the (outdoor and indoor) pipes and tanks are constantly heated by mother nature's forboding, flickering flame of a tongue. We now use the hot water (in the holding tank inside the cooled house) for cool and the cold water for hot.
How much do you pay a month for electricity? Gas? Well, aside from the A/C units that are on near round-the-clock operation schedules here, we are doing the responsible (and necessary) thing by cutting down on our water heater usage and electricity, especially while doing laundry and taking showers. Have you heard the ads for the never-be-without-hot-water-agai
n tanks? We can do you one better. We are never without hot water (especially from late March through September) because it's so hot outside that the (outdoor and indoor) pipes and tanks are constantly heated by mother nature's forboding, flickering flame of a tongue. We now use the hot water (in the holding tank inside the cooled house) for cool and the cold water for hot. Laundry utilizes the same system, delivered to our modest (but automated!) washing machine via hose or bucket. All clothes and linens are line or rack-dried and, I guarantee you, the desert's drier is faster, and more efficient than any piece of machinery I've ever owned - even at night.
Attire
At home, waiting in about 15 meticulously-labeled, well-organized, cedar-outfitted boxes, are the remains of my fashionable life. A life full of stylish, trendy, accessorized, dry-clean-only clothes that will be out of style by the time I get back, I'm sure. I'm considering adopting the way of the abbaya. I mean, seriously, you buy one or two black sheaths and spend your extra dollars on decorated sheilas (veils) and you are assured to always have an array of affordable, appropriate attire options.
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