I love reading and can easily neglect chores to finish a book. The L&M reads after a fashion, only if he has nothing else to do. I am always listening to music (simply cannot do without it) or singing to myself. He does listen to music occasionally and does not sing. Besides, our tastes in books and music too differ vastly. He reads newspapers, I get my news online. I love going out and seeing places at an unhurried pace, without pressure of any sort, he thinks going out is for a purpose and we should get back home once that is done. And no, to all those (men) reading and smirking right now, because they cannot see beyond stupid sexist jokes, I am NOT talking of shopping.

I can sit for hours staring at the sky and clouds, trees, water, sea, immersed in my own thoughts, never getting bored. The L&M can sit too, for hours, but watching television or Youtube. So in a way I was glad I was out on my own (with my sis, of course) when I went to Qurum Park. I took my time, walking around the lake, stopping as long as I wished, whenever I wanted to, to click birds and flowers, and also the trees and the sky. Don’t get me wrong. He does take me to local places for birding and sightseeing, but I can always sense how after a while he gets restless, wanting to return. Soon eyebrows will rise just a fraction on hearing the click of the camera. Next will come the question, “Done?” But long before that my shots would start going awry. Sigh

A birder does not like to be rushed. The trademark of a birder is absolute patience. A good shot requires you to be totally relaxed. If you are also a nature-lover to boot, you hate being hurried from your favorite surroundings. Yesterday at the Qurum Park, which by the way is a paradise for the likes of me, it was just the sister and me. She walked, did her exercises, made friends with a couple of other people walking, while I did my own thing, happily watching for birds, clicking them, as also the pretty and colorful flowers and the scenery. When hunger and thirst struck, we got ourselves a packet of chips and some water, sat beneath the cool shade and just chilled.

If the sis did not need to come back home, I could have happily spent the whole day thus. I wouldn’t mind going back every day. I could take my kindle along and when the sun gets too hot to stare at birds, sit beneath a tree and read. But then I can always idle away hours doing absolutely nothing when I am in the company of trees. When I think that someone told me some months back that there was nothing much to see in Oman! They need to wake up from whatever slumber they are in and look around. or may be it is the difference in interests. So you know who I won’t be asking for opinions about places in the future ever! 😉

©Shail Mohan 2016