Notables about Oman

So, there are a few things I have noted about Oman over the past several days that might help paint a better picture of what day-to-day life is like here (not necessarily in order of importance):
1. Pastries -
Whether it's the influence of other cultures or not, people aren't afraid to stuff things in delicious, crispy, warm pastries here. You name it, you can get it in pastry - fruit, nuts, meat and beans, and, my fave to date, spinach and goat cheese.
2. Coffee -
The coffee here is delicious. It is a far cry from anything we had in Honduras. People mostly drink espressos and cappuccinos (which come dusted with a light bit of chocolate -mmmm). And, unless you go to Starbucks or another chain, it is not common for coffee to come in a "to go" cup. This is because people typically sit around with their friends and enjoy their coffee (rather than running off with it) - often along with a cigarette or a smoke from the shisha. (A shisha is a hookah that Omanis smoke fruit flavors or tobacco out of). A lot of times people enjoy coffee and a smoke during their lunch break, which can be quite long. Omani companies (not the ones Brian and I are working for) often work what they call a "split shift," which means they work for 5 hours in the morning, take a 3 hour lunch break, and return for 3 or more hours in the evening. How awesome is that?!? I think we need to adopt this schedule back home. Think of all we could do in 3 hours...workout, walk the dog, take a nap, knit, whatever. That would be pretty nice.
3. Breakfast -
Anything goes. Hummus and olives, cereal, eggs, pastries...all served with a delicious cup of coffee, of course.
4. Holidays -
There are several public holidays that are celebrated on the same date each year. However, some holidays are based on the sighting of the moon, rather than fixed dates; therefore, some holidays may be confirmed less than 24 hours in advance…kind of like a surprise holiday!
5. Dress Code –
Most Omanis wear traditional dress during work/social times. Men wear ankle length gowns with long sleeves, typically in white (called a dishdasha) and a brimless embroidered hat (kumah) or a square of cotton wrapped around the head (muzzar). Women wear colorful loose trousers and tunics and a “lihaf” that covers the head and shoulders. In public, women often cover their normal clothes with a full-length, flowy, black cloak dress (abaya). Expats can wear whatever they want; however, out of respect for the local culture, people may dress more conservatively than they do at home. For example, women may wear shorts to the knee cap and t-shirts. However, when we visited beaches last weekend, people were in bikinis and speedos all over the place.
6. Food –
Every kind of cuisine can be found in Oman. Turkish, greek, and Omani food is delicious and we have also found decent Mexican and Italian food in the past week. All kinds of worldly spices are sold in the souqs at great prices, including cloves, pungent curry, and beautiful saffron.
7. Religion –
Because Oman is an Islamic country, you can often hear the calls to prayer while going about your daily activities. It’s amazing because you will be in the middle of this large, busy city and hear these beautiful melodic tones emanating from the mosques. It’s amazingly calming and wonderful. Expats can also find and attend other churches as they please.

All that said, these are observations made from several jaunts around the city and to local towns while being based out of a hotel. We are looking forward to getting into our own place and sharing more experiences after we are settled in Oman!

Oman-tage

Well Bree finally made it so the Oman adventure can truly begin. Within hours of her arrival, we have looked at houses to live in, been transported through a wormhole in a suq (big, crazy, maze-like market), and taken a boat down the beautiful Omani coast.

First, a few pictures from around Muscat:

The Grand Mosque.

Fast food: America’s gift to the world.

This is a picture of us after we got out of the suq. A suq is an Omani market where you can find everything from saffron to watches to plastic trinkets to burkas. Bree was particularly popular, with shop owners imploring her to take a look at their jewelry, watches, whatever. I wish we’d taken pictures in the suq because its hard to adequately describe with words. Alley upon alley of shops are packed to the gills with people shopping and others hawking their wares. Somehow, we made it out of the maze all the way on the other side of the city. It seemed like we were in there for 15 minutes only to realize it was more like an hour. Good times.

 

Today we paid a guy 20 Rials to take us up and down the coast for a few hours. The coast here is unbelievably beautiful, and the water is so clear you can see the bottom in 10+ feet of water some places. Here are a few pictures:

And then we cooled off after a hot (115 degree) day in the sun. At least it’s a dry heat…..

Day 3

Ok... so its my third full day here and I am starting to get acclimated. Surprisingly enough, Oman is pretty similar to the US in alot of ways. People here love fast food, shopping malls, and starbucks. Getting around is pretty easy too, as almost all of the signs are conveniently in both arabic and english, and most people speak english. The people are incredibly nice and willing to help without even being asked. Complete strangers will see the look of "I have know idea what is going on here" on your face and offer help, its great. One bad side effect of having to work is that I haven't gotten to explore much, but hopefully this weekend (Thursday and Friday) that will change, and I hope to have some pictures worth posting soon....

O man

After 28 hours, 3 flights, and alot of movies on the plane, I have finally arrived in Muscat, Oman. Maybe its predictible, but my first observation was that its really REALLY hot here. 101 degrees at 11 o'clock last night. That's hot. Maybe after I get over this jet lag I'll have some more thoughtful insights, but probably not.