Weekend Wonder

Has anyone noticed how pretty Salalah is looking these days? Indians are working hard planting pretty red flowers on the roundabouts and they are working tireless on putting up the new light posts. The lights in the back of the photo are soon to look like the one in the front. I heard a rumor that His Majesty may be coming for a visit, hence the decor?

I was way too lazy smart to walk in the scorching heat for World Health Day last Wednesday. They should have thought more about our health and made the walk in the winter. Poor girls had to walk in their abayas and burqas, while most guys wore shorts and t-shirts. I was sweating just looking at them as I drove by in my air conditioned car. Then I saw this adorable little kid and thought, if he could do it dressed like that (in a yellow abaya) then I should take my lazy cheeks out the car and at least dwaddle like the rest of the girls. So I walked alittle. Note to the organizers: If you give out free t-shirts, you might want to have more than the "one size fits all". I guess they were thinking most Dhofaris are "big" anyway.

How am I you ask? Busy as usual. I wish I had more time to write, more time to filter out. I have been reading the same novel for over 4 months now.  I can barely get through 4 solid pages at night before I crash into a deep sleep. Once upon a time, I could finish a morbidly obese novel like Anna Karenina over a weekend. I could easily devour a chubby novel in 1 night. But these days, there’s simply no time. You would think living in slow paced world would give you more time, but somehow it seems the days are literaly bleeding into each other.

Good news for me: I will be going "home" for the summer!!! I can't wait! I've decided to do all the "touristy" things here in Salalah so that I can bring back lots of photos and tell great stories. I know my Mama worries about me being so far away in such a "strange" part of the world. It has been too long since I've seen my Mama smile. I miss my brothers and sisters and the rest of my family so much that I'm starting to ache. I have to keep reminding myself why we're here....why are we here again?

Shout out to fellow blogger Dhofari Gucci

Dear Nadia,

In your coming post about female discrimination, could you please touch on...

• Female Circumcision (against the will of the mother for her daughter)
• Men on Haffa beach (how they chilax on the corniche, sippin' tea, gossiping and smoking shisha. Not to mention that they stay out way too late leaving their wives and family at home, and some being served by scantily clad female waitresses. God forbid a local woman is seen, she'll just kill the whole mood).
• No coffee shops for women, except at Browniz where the view is a graveyard.
• Distain for female drivers and harassment on the road (speeding in front etc.)
• The no Mosque entry for the five daily prayers (exception in Ramadan for the night prayer)
• The misappropriation of polygamy. The effects on entire families and the their tribes.

Theres more but I need another cup of coffee. Good luck on the post!

Mosque Rules: Please leave shoes and women at the door...thank you.

The intensity of my feelings have settled and I am now prepared to write about it…

The beautiful Grand Mosque has been up for quite some time, since August of 09. For the grand opening, Sam was one of the first on sight to perform the Jumuah (Friday) prayer (lucky him). I have been wanting to go see it since its opening and finally committed to go for a visit. Visiting hours are from 8AM until 11AM, as indicated on the sign propped out in the front. In the last couple of years my hobby to visit and photograph Mosques around the world has intensified, and I planed to add Salalah’s Grand Mosque to my scrapbook.

I load the offspring, snuggle my camera underneath the backseat, grab my to-go coffee mug and pop into the passengers seat. My adrenaline kicks in with the anticipation of walking into a vast open space decorated with elaborate details and intricate geometric shapes.

We make it to the Mosque at 8:57. Kids still in tow, Sam goes to the men’s section to inform the guard that we would like to come in for a tour. I watch them from the car window, Sams hand motions to our car, and then as the guard speaks, Sam places his hands on his waist. I can already tell that he is carrying bad news before he approaches the car. Our conversation goes something like this

Sam: “He said women aren’t allowed to visit the men’s section” (eyebrows raised)

Me: “What? Whatdoyoumean?”

Sam: “Women can’t go in there…”

Me: “Did he tell you why not?"

Sam: “No.."

Me: “Is anyone inside? Are people praying?…. Why can‘t I go in?”

Sam: “No, No, its completely empty, you just can’t go in, women aren‘t allowed in the men‘s section…."

Steam literally shooting out of my Darth Vader ensemble. I flip my burqa up, inhale unfiltered air, wipe the steam from my beneath my eyes, and say, (bottom lip quivering)

Me: “Are you freakin’ serious????! I can’t go in? (pause) cause’ I’m a woman??!”

Sam knows I’m on the verge of an explosion, so he interrupts before my fuse blows.

Sam: “Want me to take some photos for you, I can go in and take some shots for you…Ill do a good job this time?”

Me: “No!, I don’t want you to take photos for me!!, Why can’t I go in myself? Is he afraid I’ll seduce him? Does he think ill make the place dirty by being in there? So you’re saying I can’t go in JUST because I’m a woman???!! But I’m covered from head to toe, and I only want to take photos???! This is such BS man, such BS!"

Burqa gets flapped down again. I‘m so done with trying to figure out why.

Sam: “Why don’t you at least check out the women’s side and take some photos of the outside too. I’ll take photos of men‘s side…come on…” he pleads.

Me: No answer. Just more steam blowing out through the burqa.

I get out the car, slam the door, take the offspring out and head to the men’s section. I pull out my camera and start snapping as many shots as I can. I am deliberate in my movement and obviously taking photos of the guard who I’ve decided to take out my rage. At the moment I don’t care if he is just the messenger or not, maybe its his rule, maybe its not. I don’t know, don’t care. The more shots I take the calmer I get. The surrounding area is very beautiful and I am able to capture some really nice shots. My nerves settle and I make my way to the Women’s section of the Mosque. The sign clearly says “no children“, I open the door and usher the offspring into the Mosque, yes defiantly. I hold my breath, the door opens and the room is….disappointing, nothing grand at all. Its small. Very little décor and the carpet is unimpressive, almost tacky. I take photos anyway, mostly of the kids running around in this cool, soft floored playground. We leave the Mosque, sit on the steps and admire the outside. I give Sam my camera to take photos of the inside of the “forbidden zone". Twenty minutes later, we are back in the car, heading home. I take a look at the photos he’s taken, not bad at all. My head is swirling though, with all kinds of ideas.

I realize that my feelings aren’t just built on anger, but that I am hurt, disappointed and I feel discriminated against, yes discriminated against. Upon further reflection I see that the issue is so much more than not being able to enter and photograph the men’s section of the Mosque. It is this constant second-class citizen feeling that I get here, in Salalah. It takes on subtle forms, but the conscious, those who reflect, can clearly see through these subtleties. The Mosque was built for worship, I know, but anyone should be allowed in, to admire, ponder, maybe even supplicate, it was visiting hours for goodness sakes!. What should it matter whether you are male or female? To add insult to injury, the Mosque was EMPTY, not a man on sight (except the Indian care-takers and the oh so gracious guard). I am not a feminist, whatever that means. But I believe women should have equal opportunity as men. Separate but EQUAL is fine. I started thinking………. some more…

Every day, nearly without fail, Sam goes to our local Mosque to pray…FIVE TIMES. As soon as the adhan (call to prayer) goes off, he drops whatever he is doing, starts getting ready and poof he’s gone. I’m left, with the offspring, either cooking, cleaning, changing a diaper, wiping a nose, scrubbing crayon off the floor, writing a post… and before you know it, the prayer time has gone out. Guess who missed out on praying on time? MOI. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy and seriously grateful that Sam is able to pray at the Mosque, it’s a blessing no doubt to live in a place where you can do that so easily. But, what about me?? How great would it be if I could just, throw on my Abaya, walk outside, bump into a neighbor along the way, and get that 10 minute high of praying in congregation, that peace of mind that comes with connecting to the Creator. Why am I not given that opportunity? The women’s section of the mosques are locked, inaccessible. It seems society has conveniently created a world of solitude for women. We come out only at night, when the moon casts its light upon us, leaving us to look like mere shadows.

So we have been given permission to pass our time by shopping… at the few shops available; Thobe Alley, Abaya Street, Center Point and Max. Fine. I have thobes, I have Abayas, I have lingerie and I have my workout sweats. What's next?  I want to go to the Mosque and pray whenever my heart is inclined, can someone please remind me why I can't?.

Salalah News

Just a quickie

• Book Fair in Salalah is going on now! The Ministry of Heritage and Culture is hosting the annual Book Fair. They have a pretty impressive collection of books in Arabic  and English. I was really surprised and grateful to find so many wonderful books right here in Salalah. The prices are fantastic too. If you have children don't miss out on grabing some great resources. The Book Fair will be on until April 10th I believe? Go check it out!

• Center Point is still having its 10 day "sale". Its the only place to really get shoes for little ones.  I went last night and couldn't find parking. I waited nearly 15 minutes for someone to pull out and attempted to buy some shoes for the boys. A stampede of pious women clad in black, nearly killed me. I got jumped maybe three times at the check-out counter, I walked out without the shoes. Don't go too late in the evening its a madhouse.

• Max is having sale too. Parking is RIDICULOUS. People are parking on the highway, leaving their children waiting in the car. But during the day its totally desolate.

• Ladies!! I hear a new gym opened up in Sa'ada. Word is that it is better than any other gym in town. There is a weight room, aerobics studio, a child-minding area where you can drop your tot while you sweat, a full spa, and a theatre! I was told that AVATAR was playing on the big screen! If anyone gets a look, please let me know. I might be tempted to drive out to Sa'ada and check it out myself.

Thats all for now folks. I'll be checking out the Grand Mosque for the first time tomorrow. I'm excited =)
Happy First Day of the Week

Happy Jumuah (Friday)

Its Friday night, and as usual I’m awake, sleepless. Now that the day is near its end, and the house is still and quiet, my heart is slightly heavy, having to bid farewell to my favorite day of the week. Yes, despite the fact that tomorrow is the beginning of the week, Friday is my most treasured day.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said "The best day during which the sun has risen, is Friday. It is the Day Adam (peace be upon him) was created. It is the day when Adam (peace be upon him) entered paradise and also when he was taken out from it. It is also the day on which the day of judgment takes place."

See...?, lots of amazing things have/ and will take place on Friday.

But on a smaller scale, Friday in Salalah has its own glory for those willing to see beyond the fact that its the end of the weekend and that things shut down too early in the afternoon.

This morning I woke up to three, nearly simultaneous, text messages from friends wishing me and my family a blessed Jumuah (Friday). I rarely get to see these friends, but once a week without fail, I get a little message from them. Its a nice way to start the day.

Sometimes you forget how life used to be when blessings replace hardships. Since being here, our family has finally had the opportunity to make Friday a sacred day. Back home, Sam struggled to get time off from work or used his lunch hour to go for the obligatory Jumuah (Friday) prayer and the kids spent the day like any other.

Now, our Fridays always begin with a light breakfast, followed by some chaos getting ready to get out of the house on time and then some quiet time for me...(praise the Lawd!). Friday here, has given the guys an opportunity to really bond. Granted, they pray together all the time, but Friday is a day when the guys can enjoy quality time with their dad and the men of the community. Back home, the sense of community is so impersonal and men don’t really have the opportunity to take their sons to a gathering where nearly all the men of the society are expected to show up.

I like watching them prepare themselves to go. Its only on Friday that the boys “perfume” themselves and wear ironed disdash's. Today, one little person asked me to brush his hair and part it to the side! I nearly burst with joy. I had to hold myself from squeezing him to bits and instead very casually replied “sure, no problem” while parting his hair to the right. Later his kumma would destroy the look, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Once the boys are gone, I sit out on our terrace usually enjoying a second cup of coffee (like today) and spy street watch.  Little boys and their fathers pile up in cars, neighbors walking to the Mosque are picked up and given a lift and through my eyes everyone seems...jovial?.

Typically in Salalah, this day is reserved for families to get together and eat lunch or dinner with one another. We get together with Sam’s family and the kids enjoy the day with, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I end up getting a day off from cooking and have the pleasure of eating my favorite Omani dishes not made by me =)  How do you spend your Fridays?

Dubai never lets me down...

Steamy text messages lands couple in Dubai jail 

Jailed for Kissing

I thought Police had better things to do with their time, apparently not.

A British woman was "caught" kissing her boyfriend in a restaurant. A local Emirati saw it, called the police and voila, the two have been arrested and face one month imprionment. With all the scandalous things that are going on in playland Dubai, this makes headlines.

Oman Air

Yeah, I'd say I had a pretty good weekend. I really like the friends we have in Muscat and so our business trips always end up more pleasurable. But with every flight from Muscat to Salalah I am prepared for the inevitable chaos that will surely ensue. This time however, Oman Air really annoyed me.


My entire family were given seats all over the aircraft. I told the ticketing agent that my five year old will not sit with strangers…trust me. He gave us a sympathetic smile and assured us the flight attendants would be able to rectify the problem. The flight was completely full and we boarded first (one advantage of having small children). The flight attendant was helpful and told us to sit together in one row and that she would sort things out. Things only got worse.

If you’ve ever flown the MCT to SLL flight you’re aware that Dhofari women don’t like to be seated by men. So we play Musical Chairs until everyone is happily or not so happily seated. This one guy got moved three times and finally blew when he yelled at the flight attendant “I’m not moving one more f-ing time!” He took his things out of the overhead bin yet again… and red-faced moved to a seat with two other men. He shot us a not so pleasant look since we were the culprit of his first time move. Women huddled together peering through their burqas letting the flight attendants know they were not about to sit next to any strange men. I watched the flight attendants’ patience wear thin, even getting a little feisty with their co-flight attendants when their seating arrangements didn’t pan out. Sam kindly switched seats with the last woman standing and he sat between two rather large men, I couldn’t help but chuckle seeing him squeeze between them. On a more serious note, they really need to get it together.

1. No matter how you splice it, Dhofari women are not comfortable with sitting next to strange men and will continue to request being seated with each other.

2. Most expats don’t care where they are seated (next to men, women, or both) but feel being moved around three times is a huge inconvenience and annoying.

3.Oman Air experiences this person-shuffling every single (MCT-SLL) flight, so why not try to resolve the issue for their own sanity as well as for the passengers.

So I decided to write a little suggestion letter. Why not have the plane split in three??. Men’s section, women’s section and family section? The airline already knows the gender of the passenger prior to boarding so just put the passenger in the appropriate section. If you are part of a family, don’t put little kids in a seat all alone, far away from their parents. Easy no? Maybe easier said than done, but I think on this particular flight Oman Air should pay special attention to needs of the passengers considering this has become a big problem for all those involved on the flight.

Salalah ramble:


Although nearly two weeks in, I just noticed that summer has crept in on us. I accidentally leaned on the glass door this morning and nearly burned my forearm and part of my bum. Its blazin’!

The reconstruction of Al-Istikrars parking lot is taking too long. Cars are parked all over the place and it’s a hassle to shop. What are they doing anyway? Putting new pavement?


I really enjoy discussing the topic of Globalization/Americanization of the world, its both scary and intriguing.


Lastly, I need more motivation to drag myself to the gym. Last weeks motivation was to check out the rumored prostitute who works out five days a week. I want to muster enough courage to flat out ask her if she is one. I’ll just play the dumb expat asking an innocent question and who has no idea what ayb (shame) means.

Happy first day of the week!

Drive By

What's up with all these "Northern guys" and their not so shy behavior??? While in the car yesterday with some friends, we were stared at, smiled at, spoken about, motioned to and maybe even winked at? A bunch of guys in their car (clearly not Dhofari) were committing a drive by flirt. At first I was confused, so I stared back, thinking that something was wrong with the car or that the guys were trying to tell us something. Then my Dhofari girlfriend said "DONT STARE BACK, IGNORE THEM, THEIR NORTHERN GUYS!!!"

Ok...so what the heck does that mean? Apparently, Northern guys have poor adab (etiquette) when it comes to women. They purposefully try to flirt by trying to get girls attention?

If they only knew, two of us are married WITH children and only one is single...and not looking.

Write on sista!

So we had a long talk. I decided to keep writing. Go me!


I'll be going to Muscat this weekend. Not looking forward to it, its not my favorite place. That's right. Its not. I hate the traffic, the wannabe Omani's, the arrogant expats. I don't like sipping my coffee at Costa and feeling like I'm in California. But business must go on, which brings me to...

The latest in Salalah

Buildings are coming up left and right. I don't even recognize my neighborhood. One day a building looks abandoned, the next day that same building is adorned with a brand new sign advertising a new business. Things are changing too quickly for me. I remember first getting here and thinking "What a deserted piece of place!!!". Then I started to get used to the quietness, the open spaces, the random new change. I'd get a rush after discovering a brand new place and found solace in the fact that Salalah has remained true to herself in not succumbing to all the commercialization of her in-law Muscat. But all that seems to be changing now. Her face isn't as natural as it used to be. Don't get me wrong, a lot of great things are happening to her. She's moving forward in a sense. She’s more aware of the world around her, and her people are making break-through alhamdulilah

I guess I am just afraid of how much she will change. Muscat is starting to resemble Dubai. I hope Salalah can remain unique and true to herself.

*disclaimer: not all Omanis are wannabes and not all expats are arrogant*

Silence in Salalah

Alive...

I have been silenced....at least temporarily.

Apparently one of Sams dear co-workers asked him if I was the Rania behind Sleepless (He read the recent article from Times of Oman on bloggers in Oman and has taken an interest, so I was told).  Sam initially denied it of course and has firmly, but polietly asked me to "please rethink writing the blog so closely to our real life."

My initial reaction was "I really don't give a who if Mr.S knows who I am" and I've proven this by todays entry. I am sensitive about how Sam feels and for that reason alone I am still "rethinking". Who knew old Dhofari men had time for Sleepless?

Valentines in Salalah

Like Nadia, I thought Valentines day in Salalah would go unnoticed. No such luck? Upstairs from Al Istikrar, (Hypermarket) I saw this….

At least six girls stood in front of the stand browsing through all the red shaped hearts. I have to admit it amused me. Its such a paradox. I waited nearly 10 minutes for them to dwadle away to get this shot, I hope you all enjoy :)

So Salalah has now opened its first “Authentic" Chinese Restaurant, Zen in the Hamdan Plaza. Nothing authentic about it except the beautiful dragon hanging from the ceiling. The food was on the bland side and I just can’t get used to eating Basmati Fried Rice. Its just not right. The “Chinese” tea was simply Lipton red tea with no sugar to give the bitter effect?. I’m sure they can find at least Green tea as a better substitute, I left the suggestion with the waiter. Without completely trashing the place they do try to make it fancy-ish. The décor is very classy, its certainly a step up for Salalah dining, I enjoyed the atmosphere most. The garnish on most entree’s are impressive. Your cucumber takes a nice shape along with your pine-tree shaped carrots. We ordered several dishes considering the price is not too bad. Nothing really over 5 OR. We ordered the Dragon Chicken, Spring Rolls, Zen Chicken and Prawns in Garlic sauce (pretty decent). Fried Rice of course and Dessert. If you’re looking for change of atmosphere, its a good option. If you’re really hungry, you’re better off at Chinese Cascade.

Facebook: I recently realized that putting up personal photos in facebook is a no-no. Any one of your "friends" can simply right click, and save your image, having a permanent moment in your life in their private possession. I have deleted all albums and I encourage my friends to do the same. For the longest time I had a landscape photo as my profile pic. I decided to give my facebook a "facelift" and put in a new profile pic to update my friends (particularly those back home) with a recent photo since they haven’t seen me in so long. It has been a mere two weeks since the facelift and I have accumulated 6 friend requests, all from boys, all Dhofari. I'm so clueless as to how they find me and how bold they are to add me, back to landscape?.

Generally I am a curious person. I tend to ask a lot of questions and I enjoy learning. But I have my limits when it comes to prodding or being downright nosy. This evening when we got back from dinner, a few neighbors were outside huddled in the dark near their gate. After the usual greeting, one of them asked me where we were coming from so late at night. I simply answered "dinner". I hurried the farewell so that I wouldn't have to share more. Some of my neighbors are especially nosy. They ask questions like "what do you cook for dinner", "where do you go on Monday and Wednesday night", "who is that friend of yours in the blue car"....

Since the birth of this blog, I have had some strange emails. For one, I have received two emails from the same person claiming they know exactly who I am. Suuure you do Mr/Mrs Anonymous. I also get emails asking me very, very personal questions about who I am, who is my husband, what tribe is he from, when and why did we marry, am I American, Canadian or British, am I really Muslim, how many children do I have etc. Its annoying. I share what I want, period. The intention behind this blog was initially to share what’s happening around me in this strange place, now home and not so strange...

Its not an autobiography. Goodnight Salalah.

Filipina Women

I am trying to figure this out on my own, but I'm stumped. Perhaps, someone, somewhere out there, can help me "get it"?

-Shes Filipina...
-Shes usually somewhat young...
-Shes visibly the "maid" (holding an Omani child in her arms while the mother shops...) Heres where I get confused...
-She wears somewhat of a uniform...(Extra tight jeans, a very fitted top and.................hijab???).

Why is it that so many filipina women here have this uniform? Is it by choice? Is this "uniform" a request from their sponsor? Whats the deal?. Every restaurant or retail store, with or without hijab they typically wear the same kind of clothes. Last night we were parked in front of Browniz and I just sat in the car blown away. One waitress was wearing skin tight jeans and her shirt was tucked in, she served a group of Omani men who openly stared at her up and down and continued staring as she walked away, all with sheepish smiles. 

If its by choice, why do the women choose to stand out and contrast so sharply against black abayas and obvious societal conservatism? If its not by choice, why are they required to dress as so? Is it to humiliate them? Is it to entice male customers?.

This is not an issue of Islamic vs. Non-Islamic. The expats here in Salalah are very respectful and conscious of their attire, they don't typically stand out because of what they choose to wear.

Help me out people, I'm confused!!!. Its the most perplexing image these days

Traditional Omani Food

Last night I was supposed to be at the gym, working out, burning fat, dodging pom-poms. Instead on the way to the gym I get text from Nadia, "Look in your rearview?". I look up, there she is, driving behind me, shades on her head (jk).

Next thing I know my gym bag and sneakers are haphazardly thrown against a wall and I'm sitting cross-legged with a few friends in front of this...

We ended up at Bin Ateeq (For Traditional Omani Food) for dinner. None of us had eaten lunch and I needed any excuse to not go to the gym. The food was delicious. For the first time I tried Habsha Maqlee (Fried INTESTINE), once my gag reflex passed it was actually quite tasty, I promise. We also ordered fried calamari, yum, Dijaj Khasoosi (small fried chicken pieces with fried onion, tomato etc.) I also tried Qarass which is bread boiled with sugar, cardamom and fresh cow ghee, soooo delicious! We ended our meal with

A'seedha of course, which is like a jello made with wheat flour topped with ghee. Also very delicious!

I really enjoyed myself with great company and delicious food. We talked about the different foods in Dhofar and that in Muscat. I am not used to eating any of those foods so its taken a little getting used to. I do however, appreciate and enjoy it every now and then. Salalah is unique and very fortunate not to be bombarded with fast-food restaurants yet so often we still choose food that isnt good for us. Its not just Salalah of course, its everywhere. We keep putting crap in our bodies and the effects are evident.

A few weeks ago my family was invited to lunch at a friends house, we ate a huge plate of food (mostly carbs) and after eating more than her share, my host became so drowsy. She could barely keep a conversation and politely excused herself for her habitual afternoon nap. I ended up playing with the children and her 18 year old daughter mustered enough energy to stay awake and keep me company. I know its common to take naps, even healthy, but not when its the effect of a large meal.

My 32 year old neighbor who has extremely high cholesterol and has been complaining of chest pains. She is a beautiful young woman who is alarmingly overweight. I stopped by for a hello just the other day and she served me tea (loaded with sugar), cookies and dates stuffed with butter, which she also generously participated in. I tried to kindly, lovingly suggest that she try to stay away from these things because the result can be lethal. I lost count of how many times I've seen 2 year olds with a can of Dew and a bag of junk roaming the streets. All that ketchup, hot sauce, soda, ghee, and sweets are a huge contributing factor to the diabetes problems. Not to mention the lack of exercise (particularly women).

We are blessed to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables and meat.

A friend and I have I been thinking of doing a free seminar for Dhofaris on how to eat healthy (myself included).

Salalah Sugar Shortage

I don't know all the logistics of whats going on with the sugar, but its true, and Nadia is right...its hard to come by. Last night we had a family friend over and I used up the remaining sugar we had for tea and cookies. Sam went out this morning to Al Istikrar to grab some more for my ritual, obligatory, absolutely necessary morning coffee....NO SUGAR to be found at our local market.

Bravely, he came home empty handed. Without my "medicine" its hard to think straight. I demanded (with pouting lips) could he please go on a search for sugar. Three supermarkets later he found some at Al Mashoor in Sa'ada, ALHAMDULILAH!! Ive had  my dose and now I need to figure out if I'll have to ration what we have.

Desert Camping

I have never been so busy in my life! Who knew that you could get so caught up in sleepy Salalah? To be honest, I'm not sure the ride is over. The good news is....I've been having a blast and I am eager to share my adventures!!!  I am sincerely touched by all the emails asking if I am okay and sending words of encouragement to keep writing, it means a lot. If I haven't responded to your email yet, please know that its coming...


This past weekend I had a SPECTACULAR time camping in the middle of the desert. If you live in Salalah, the gulf or remotely close to a desert its a must-do! I am saddened by how few locals have ever experienced what its like.

We drove nearly two hours deep passed Thamreet before we found "our spot". We were fortunate to have a clear blue sky and with Asr approaching the air was cool and breezy. We camped amidst these amazing sand dunes that appeared to be untouched in perfect unison with its Creator. The right atmosphere can easily change ones mood and for a moment my imagination took flight and I envisioned myself as an Arabian Queen atop her hawdah as she reviewed a grand caravan of camels and men laden with treasures before they embarked into the sands. I looked around tempted to find a random camel and climb its back ha!

Instead we spent the rest of the day slipping and sliding on the dunes, racing each other up and down, creating sand angels and writing all sorts of things in the sugar-like sand. Fascinated by how the wind could make it dance, the kids couldn't stop taking hand full’s of sand and letting it slip through their fingers. Yes, it was magical.

We watched the first stars appear before Maghreb (sunset). I couldn't believe just how many stars poked through the sky despite the Sun's persistence. We decided to pray on the pure sand instead of using a sajadah (my idea). I thought it would be nice to "connect" with the earth being that we are created from it. It was more romantic than practical. Sam had sand stuck to his forehead most of the night and the grains left my forehead sore, alhamdulilah.

Dinner was simple, plain rice and vegetable sauce, salad and hot tea. The sun disappeared before we could finish eating and making a fire in total darkness was a bit of a challenge, but we did it! We sat in a Bedouin style tent around our fire and sipped tea. We told stories and jokes and between the silences we'd look up and marvel at the magnificent stars. It was as if, every single star, ever made, appeared that night to send Salaams (salutations) and remind us of the Creator. Our mood quietly shifted and became serious as we sat under this blanket of stars in contemplation, SubhanAllah (Glory to Allah). I swear I have never seen so many shooting stars. I lost count. Although cliche, the silence was utterly deafening. My ears became full with the humm in the air.

Whether you look out into the Ocean, or up at the Stars or down from the Mountains something unexplainable, but very real, stirs beneath your skin. All your "problems" melt away, like ice left in the sun and then somehow you feel free. The feeling is euphoric and satisfying but short lived. Just as your mind is about to rest, the hairs on your body stand and the realization of how small you are hit you like a ton of bricks. Your heart sees something the eyes cannot and you can't help but wonder "what is my purpose?", "why am I here?" What is it about the earth, nature, environment that makes you ask yourself the tough questions?

Its times like this, when I want to express/translate what I feel into words, that I realize how limited language can be. I can only say that the night spent in the desert will never be forgotton. I slept beneath a zillion bright stars in complete and total silence of the earth and for a moment, although fleeting, I connected with something.

 

 

* It is important to mention that travelling in the desert can be dangerous and that you should go with someone experienced.   

Three Good Friends

What a crazy, busy weekend! On Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of attending a concert in Al Marooj Theatre with one of my closest friends. It was better than I expected. The singer Naziha Meftah had such a lovely voice and watching the emotion in her face as she sang added to the experience. I just wish I understood the words! I took some snapshots of her and her amazing dress along with the talented orchestra. I was surprised to see so many Omani men relaxed and enjoying themselves, I guess Salalah is slowly chipping away at its conservatism? My hubby stayed home with the dumplings.

I was especially dazzled by her beautiful emerald dress layered in gold lace.  While aiming my camera and adjusting the lens, I noticed that all the women seated around me were using their cell phones as cameras. At one point I counted 12 cell phones in the air all taking shots. Its strange the way cell phones here are an essential item for everyone; male, female, young, and old.

On Thursday afternoon I had lunch with a friend who shared really sad news with me. One of her "western" friends told her that a colleague of hers passed away (alone) the night before.  I'm not one to relay gossip and perhaps the story has been twisted along the way, but I was told that an elderly woman passed away in her apartment and was discovered by her dear friend who came to simply check up on her. After hearing this I couldn't help but feel sad myself. Imagine being in a foreign country and dying alone in your apartment?. I can't even begin to think about the devastation of the friend who found the body. The trauma. My heart and prayers go out to her. I don't know what I would do if I found my friend dead. My friend ended the story with "Praise be to God".

This morning I spent nearly two hours on the "phone/computer" talking with a friend who is deeply offended by Frances inclination towards banning the face veil. She is a French-American convert living in France who wears the face veil... by choice. She asked my opinion, what should she do if the law is passed, should she take it off, why are they doing this to women, and of course, what will happen if she doesn't remove it? I don't have all the answers of course, but I am affected nonetheless as a woman who chooses to wear the face veil in a place where its common-place. I've become so used to it that I might feel violated if I was forced to take it off.

For those out of the loop; In 2005, France declared that any and all conspicuous religious symbols would be banned from all French public schools. While its true, Christian crosses and Jewish kippas also fell under this category, it was obvious that this ban would primarily affect the hijab, which it has, considering France has the largest European Muslim population. Now, things are moving quickly and women seem to bearing the brunt of it. Its only a matter of time for hijab to be banned period in France, no?

Just last November the Swiss voted "no" to minarets in their country despite the fact that there are only 4 in the entire country. I still don't understand that. It happens in doses all over the place the push for secularism in the name of democracy.

My Christian friend sent me the photo above. We both had a good laugh and I appreciated her sharing and joked that Nuns wore Abayas first. Sometimes when you're "in" something, your perception is skewed, limited. I remember my non-hijab days and how I perceived the women who covered, I always admired them, maybe I'm just weird like that?. I would be so curious to know how people really feel about the women who wear hijab/niqab today.

The Road Less Traveled

When do you know if you should just bite the bullet, have faith, take a risk or as Nike says "just do it"?

I have been battling with a personal dilemma for months now. I have to decide whether to take a huge chance and pursue a "dream" or pass up the opportunity and remain "safe". If I "just do it" there is so much I am putting at risk, everything and everyone around me will be affected in some way or another. There's a part of me that says I must fulfill this dream at all costs and that in the end it will benefit myself and my family.

Then there’s the other side. The side that tells me I am being selfish, too much is at risk, and that the risk isn't worth the cost. The potential for it to all crumble down and be a mistake weighs heavy on my shoulders.
Yes of course I have prayed on it, talked endlessly with myself about it, chewed my mothers ear off about it, even dreamt about it, and still after all that I am unsure.

Help please, when do you know when/if you should "just do it"!

The Perfect Stranger

Have you ever been so shocked and touched by an act of kindness from a complete and total stranger? One that left you to reflect on your own kindness and question whether you’ve been selfless enough? Well, its happened to me many times, but for some reason here in Salalah, its been happening almost…often? Someone, usually a stranger, does something entirely selfless for me.

We were being really adventuress this past weekend. We packed up our igloo on thursday night and when the sun rose we set off into the desert. It was beautiful. Romantic. The mountains, the trees, the sand and the beaches all seemed more perfect than the day before. Two hours into our drive, our eyes caught a glimpse of a distant a part of beach that was simply too gorgeous not to venture to. The only thing separating us and the beach was …..SAND of course (soft sand).

Without a thought we swerved to the right off the paved road and cut through into the beautiful sand. The exhiliration lasted 4 seconds, our tires never experienced it. The car wouldn’t move. The tires spun in the sand digging us deeper in. Reverse, nada, Drive, nada, Neutral, nada. Not a person in sight, no sign of civilization and we were stuck. Of course being a woman, a million thoughts ran through my head. "We’re gonna die here, there’s no cell phone reception, well at least we have water, ok so we’ll ration our sandwiches and worse come to worse we can walk to the beach and find fish until help comes?"

So, we got out of the car, and being rookies in the desert we tried to dig ourselves loose. Of course that didn’t work. Then we tried to push our car, our huge car. It didn’t budge, barely shook. Darn this brand new defiant car!. After 45 minutes and no more ideas we resigned to eat lunch... in the car. I thought to myself, but dared not say aloud "You call yourself Omani and can't get us out of the sand?" lol. Before I could finish my rationed sandwich, we heard another car. Hubby jumped out of the car to wave our saviour down. The car was going so fast, so furious, I thought for sure the guy in it didn't even see us! His car zigzagged through, passed us in seconds, practically skipping in the sand.  I could almost swear, I heard it whistle it was so happy. My mouth agape I thought “How the HECK can that, old beat up car go through the sand soooo easily and our brand new defiant car wont even crawl????!

By Gods Mercy, the car zigzags over to us, the driver rolls his window down to talk to Sam. A minute later the guy gets out of his car so excited, opens our door and shakes Sams hand smiling from ear to ear praising God and swears to help (at least that’s what I could make out). He skips away in his car and we’re left in the sand again. I wonder to myself if the guy will ever come back. I ask hubby to translate what the guy said. "He's gonna come back with a rope". I roll my eyes thinking "yeah right, where is he going to get a rope in the middle of nowehere?" Well, a little over 30 minutes later, yes, skipping of course (and whistling), he comes back with a rope and in minutes we are rescued. This perfect stranger drove out all the way to his home, got a rope, drove back to us and then insisted we come to his families home for tea!!!. We were truly touched. We very politely declined and kept thanking him for his help, I even convinced Sam to offer money(total insult I learned). But you should know, you can’t say “no” to an Omani.

We were so graciously served hot tea and were with wonderful company. I tried my best to communicate in broken Arabic. By the end of our visit we were sad to say goodbye. I wont ever forget them. They also convinced me to try camping in the desert during winter. I think I'll take their advice, maybe next weekend?

And about the skipping car, Khalid (our saviour) advised us; “New cars no good. Old, much better.”

Have you ever been touched with selfless kindness by a total stranger?

Ghostbusters

It's been stuck in my head all morning! "If theres something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?? Ghostbusters!!"

Too many things are happening all at once and I just can't get a hold of time! The new year creeped up without any sign or signal, no decorations, bright lights or fireworks in my neck of the woods.
If it weren't for the bright big full moon that magically appeared on New Years Eve I would have never suspected something strange on the horizon. At exactly 12:00 AM I was woken up by a generic "Happy New Year" text message from a friend. I don't like my sleep to be interrupted and as far as I was concerned the new year was sleeping too. I haven't even contemplated any resolutions, and I don't think I will. In fact, I don't think anyone really follows through. Every day is a new beginning, another chance to make things better.

I'm not superstitious at all, but this particular full moon seems a bit peculiar to me. It's like an overt warning that things are preparing to unfold, good or bad who knows. I'm seriously praying that great and good things happen this year and I am trying extra hard to ignore those itching pessimistic feelings warning me of great world change.

So the Burj Dubai has been renamed, Burj Khalifa after it's saviour...interesting. The fireworks made up for the years of missed fireworks due to living in Salalah . Now that the Burj Khalifa has made its debut, has prophesy been fulfilled?? Do we now believe the hadith?


The weather has declared war on my sinuses. My throat is so scratchy and dry that I sound like a drag Queen when I speak.  I've been reading instead of talking, thus my hubby is pleased :)

Im so glad its Wednesday! I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend somewhere in the desert.

I have drafted 3 posts today and couldn't decide which one I should post first, so I figured it best to simply let you all know that I am still alive, breathing in the dust, and overmedicating myself with benedryl.

The sureal moon accompanied by the new Burj are making me uneasy. I humbly ask "Please God, make this year better than last!"