Work work work

Today I did seven hours of teaching which is a bit much. I'm new to the teaching world but I find it interesting how I am treated like I've been teaching for years. I'm not sure what to make of it. I feel maybe they are putting a lot of trust in the new teachers OR I am really supposed to know the ropes and just get on with it. Anyway its late now and I'm covering for a teacher who left the country without notice. I don't mind at all as it keeps me current before our long holiday and it gives me some extra $$ for the trip too. This Friday Alex's sister arrives from New Zealand to stay with us for a few days. So I have a very good reason to cut down my hours so I can show her around Muscat before we leave for Samoa.
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OK I really don't have time to blog but I just had to. On the week-end we went to a Ghanaian Ball here in Muscat to celebrate their 50th year of Independence. It was really nice mingling with people from all over Africa. We went with our Kenyan friends and had such a blast. It was a bow-tie and national wear affair. We decided to confuse people so went in our Samoan attire; I, in my Samoan puletasi and Alex in his Samoan printed shirt with his ie faitaga(men's wrap-around lavalava). So the Scotsman with his quilt finally had competition!
Interesting the different reactions to Alex's ie. Our Kenyan friend couldn't believe Alex was wearing what he thought was a skirt! The ladies kept asking if he was wearing anything under it and I said they could check for themselves to put their minds to rest:) No one had the courage to do it! hahaha! Another Ghanaian couple recognised the look as being from the Pacific and they came to tell us so, as they used to live in Papua New Guinea. I didn't have the heart to tell them that they were literally an ocean away from us hahaha! And then we met a local guy who said he had been to Tonga and Micronesia. Someone asked what in the world he was doing there and he replied that he wondered the same thing while he was there. It was funny. He was an intelligent and well-travelled man. And then of course he went on to mention that he knew a Samoan guy whom he met in New York years ago. He said the name and Samoa being the small place that it is, I do know of the guy mentioned, he worked for the Samoan consulate in New Zealand some years back.
The well-travelled Omani went on to talk about how he thought some of our Samoan rituals and traditions were so interesting and asked if I knew any. I said yeah which ones are you particularly interested in?
He said "how about the knife dances."
I said "yes I can do one of those with an ancient weapon(nifo oti) which is performed by both men and women."
He quickly replied with a cheeky expression "Did you lose any fingers from those dances." meanwhile all my ten fingers are in full view.
I said "No, but you could lose yours instead" heh heh! Anyway I thought it was funny and so did he at the time. It was interesting to meet people who actually had an idea of where our beloved country is.
Some of you who read this probably have no idea or cannot identify with this kind of incident. Telling people where you're from and them not having any idea where it is, that you might as well have said Mars.
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We also met the South African ambassador who gave a remarkable speech during the formalities. I also met the Sri Lankan deputy ambassador who was a lady while queuing for the buffet. It was an exhilirating evening especially such an affair of celebrating Ghana's Independence which was the first African nation to do so.