Shopping .... and why it should be an Olympic sport

I really like shopping. It's not some much the buying but the looking that counts. The thing about the looking is also about having choices ... the 'to and fro', the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of discovery and the glee of the bargain found. All these and the exercise involved put it in the best of sports to be considered for Olympic competition.

My favourite arena for competition now is Lulu. That wonderful Indian owned hypermarket that is expanding into the outlying towns of Oman.

When I lived in London, Waitrose and Sainsbury's were up there but Lulu has defined for me the world of choice.

Leaving Australia I wondered how I would cope without Coles or Woolworths, my favourite delicatessen, the bakery, fresh fruit and veg from the green grocer, the list went on. Would I be able to get my favourite things to cook with?

Then I discovered Lulu. My first look was like a training run. I didn't come home with everything on my list. I felt a bit deflated. It was a huge arena to enter - aisles of goods, produce, homewares, but where were the things I needed?

Lulu is an adventure, a wonderland of delight with hidden secrets there for exploring. Every expedition now brings home another find, a treasure that makes the gold medals of success worth while. Once I had decoded the aisle system, sorted the layout, and the best path through - it is like a cross country race, to fit everything in by the time you get to the checkout.

Not only are there Middle Eastern favourites, there is an ethnic aisle that has goods from Australia, the US, UK and other european countries. A nifty section on Japanese household gidgy gadgy thingy's for hooks and holders. Amazing meats, cheeses, juices and sweets. This weeks find was Maldon Salt - it had probably been there all along but who knows the joy in finding it was immense! I can even score some Ben and Jerry's icecream for a treat. The prices are fantastic and a pleasure to see at the checkout and if you want to feed a hundred the huge bulk bags of staples are amazing to see stacked up and cruising out the door in shopping trolleys.

I also love going to the souq. The traditional market is a world away from Lulu but also an adventure. It's great to explore and go back to. A place to meet the people and practice my rudimentary arabic. I love getting help from the store owners about pronunciation and it makes me feel as if this wonderful country is becoming more and more my home.

On adolescence and the boy child...

Living in the Middle East away from the the boy child has its advantages ... no smelly adolescent clothes to wash and no adolescent rooms to clean. I'm so glad adolescence is in the past. Who would volunteer for all those hormones again?

It's been tough. The BC thing threw a spanner in his growing up. Changing schools, mum in and out of hospital, dad having to change jobs and then thanks to the GFC having to move here because of no work there. He's had to learn to adapt and adjust and deal with all those feelings. He loves his dad and misses him a lot, is it any wonder he was a tad cross about such a big change when both mum and dad moved away.

The girl child had her own hurdles to jump but is more resilient and knew her strengths.

Having said that though I feel I could write a book (not) on parenting an 18 year old boy from afar. Boys are so concrete. Remember the vision thing. He's had to step up to the plate. It's been interesting. My typing skills are improving some of my creations include: a step by step guide to cleaning the bathroom (illustrated); a grocery shopping list for a growing teenage boy; a timetable to fit cleaning, study, sleep and eating - (I know, hopeful aren't I?). All copies are available for any other hopeful mother.

How do you explain multi-tasking? How hard is it to put a load of washing on while you cook/eat dinner? How hard is it to squirt some cleaner on the shower glass while you have a shower? Well we won't even talk about the toilet.

He's getting there - he cleans his clothes, doesn't starve, manages his studies, a gruelling training program, doesn't do wild parties, doesn't smoke or drink or do drugs. I can't complain.

He's created a new word - a floordrobe. Why put your clothes away when the floor is there - empty?

The girl child has a chairdrobe.

He's finally forgiven us and decided to come and visit - yes another list of what to bring and what not to bring. Not forgetting that his chief instrument of physical torture (bike)has to be packed and brought with him because really (mum), he still needs to keep training.

The father is in fear. His gentle twice weekly rides have to be ramped up to meet the demands of the boy child's training. He loves riding with his dad.

Life will change for a month. They will have great bonding time.

At least I won't experience what I did when I went home for a flying visit recently. The boy child was racing away for the weekend. We shared a room - 2 single beds, 3 nights. This is something no mother should ever have to do with her 18 year old son. Ever.

Copies of lists, guides for the adolescent boy growing up and being independent can be emailed on request.

Looking for things ....

What is it with male vision? Really, how hard can it be to look for something in an assigned place and locate it. It's simple. What do they not understand about "it's in the drawer?".

But no. Somehow this translates to "if I open the drawer and it's not on top it's not there". How can that be? Blutack is what I wanted and it was in the desk drawer, I called from the top of the 22 stairs down to the living area where the desk was located. He was down there how hard was that?

The villa we live in here in the Middle East has lovely high ceilings, marble stairs and cool, cool floors to be a respite from the heat - serious airconditioning also helps. I was upstairs for the night but blutack is what I needed. We'd been shopping - one of the joys here is wonderful shopping hours into the evening - another heat advantage as who wants to go out in the middle of the day. I had a wobbly stand I'd bought (I think it was the tiles on the floor) and some blutack under the foot would solve the problem.

I know that the vision thing is a gender wide affliction. The boy child has it too. We now refer to "Mummy looks". If you can't find something a mummy look is required. How needed do I feel.

I also know that it is not just the males in my family it seems to be across the community. Am I right? My friends would seem to agree.

How do they manage me here - the children there in Australia. I'm a wanted woman or at least my eyes are.

And yes I had to do those 22 stairs, and yes it was in the drawer.