Top service in Oman

Settings: having drinks at the swanky new pool bar at the Chedi (one of the top and finest hotel establishments in town).

Me (to waiter): excuse me. Can we have the bill please? But only for the following drinks as we are going before the others who have just joined us: 2 beers, 1 Aperol spritz and a glass of wine.

Waiter: ok

A friend who's just joined our group intercepts the waiter in question and orders a drink.

Ale: oh-oh. You know this is going to create confusion..

I make a point to repeat the drinks we asked the bill for to the waiter.

He's off.

The waiter returns 15 minutes later... Maybe 20.

A tray on his hand carries the drinks we asked the bill for.

This is top service in Oman. Start again from the top...

*******

On a different day and in different circumstances:

I'm home. I go downstairs planning to read a book on the sofa. The maid is cleaning outside.
I hear a distinctive crackling noise coming from the window by the tv.

Here we go again: cleaning the windows means spraying water all over the place with a hosepipe... and the windows in this country are not watertight.

The noise is quite unusual. I gather that maybe it's not the sound of water being sprayed against the window. I draw the curtain to inspect the area. The little concert comes from the socket and plug right beneath the window: water is trickling onto the tv plug.
It doesn't sound or look good.
The maid totally unaware happily continues with her flooding mission outside.

My heart sinks: while on holiday this lady is going to look after our house and pets. I seriously wonder whether there will be a house to come back to.

The things you learn to live with.