POWNALL CHRONICLES: December 2009

I last wrote here on the 5th December my farewell to Oman, so here's a quick catch up...

From Oman I went to Italy for a lightning visit to the flat, and then an overnight stop in Pompeii. On my other blog I wrote that it was too cold to sketch, if I'd only known what would greet me in England a week later - I guess the pic above is a very big clue. Anyway, I was a bit disappointed in the site as it's been "restored" in so many parts it had lost a lot of what made it special (there are whole new complexes built Pompeii viva, roofs added, etc). I wandered around for an hour & half then had to retreat to a cafe for a warming cup of hot chocolate. The modern town is nice, and had an impressive array of Christmas lights (see below). From Italy I then fly into UK.

Five days later, it started to snow, & snow, & snow... The next day I had to get to London for an interview, so after waiting for a bus that didn't come, then borrowing dad's car, I finally got to the train station where I was surprised to find the trains running late, but all right. I made my interview on time and waited 30 minutes for the interviewer to arrive, as he'd got stuck with the snow. Due to my intrepid journey in the snow (or madness) I was accepted to work for the chain of language schools. I was interviewed and accepted to work at their Turin school on Monday - an early Christmas present. Consequently, in the new year I will be blogging from Italy.

On the 22nd, mum & I braved the snow & icy conditions to go to London. Our first stop was the National Portrait Gallery off Trafalgar Square; one of my favourite London galleries. We viewed the exhibits from The Victorians up to date, which included a fabulous collection of the Bloomsbury set's paintings & drawings. Then we travelled up to North London to catch the matinee of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake - the contemporary version with the all male corps de ballet. It was fabulous!!! If you haven't seen it yet, GO!

Finally, although this year started full of hope with a wonderful man on holiday in South Africa, it turned into a very difficult year with that relationship ending, my dad's illness, the death of my uncle, and the difficult decision to leave my home, job & friends in Oman. However, I am finishing this year hopeful again, with my dad back to his normal cantankerous self, a new job and country a few weeks away, old friends keeping in touch and new friends to meet. Whatever 2009 brought you, I wish you health and happiness for the forthcoming year.

I was watching a silly movie the other week; having only free-to-view channels in the Middle East limits what you watch. The main character said this "Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's what happens in the middle that's important." This seemed appropriate to me now as I leave Oman and say goodbye to friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, and for that it is a sad time. However, with over four years in Oman I have many good memories. Here is a small selection of my friends and family highlights, in the order I thought of them...