Showing posts with label personal thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal thoughts. Show all posts
WHY I WANNA LIVE LIKE AN OMANI PRINCESS: a thing she forgot
It seems we forgot something universal from our list of why we love living it up in Oman. We love that we can wear flip flops to the most formal of business meetings (or State Occasions, nudge nudge Sultan Qaboos;D) and no one ever breathes a word about closed-toes or stockings.
Ahhhhhh.
C'est la vie.
Why I wanna live like an Omani Princess ;)
I love Oman. I have so many reasons why, and this post is just to remind myself why my life is so much better here (since lately, I have been focussing on the things I hate about Omani culture;p). Now, onto why I love living like an Omani princess in Oman xoxo -OPNO
Safety and Religious Freedom: As an expat many years ago, before I embraced Islam, I was impressed by how no Omani woman [or man for that matter] insulted me or was insulted by my Western clothing, and lack of a headcovering. I remembered that. How as Christians, my family was safe and welcomed in Oman, a Muslim country unique in the Gulf, for my experiences in the UAE were not quite the same, despite UAE and other Gulf states being toted as modern and safe for expats and tourists.
My Western home country is actually one of the most famous countries in the world for tolerance and freedom, and yet, sadly, when I became a Muslim, I had difficulty in continuing in my profession (in fact, I was practically reduced to poverty and I am more fortunate than many) , and in fact, sadly, and due to a very small portion of the population, did not feel safe to just live my life as my non-Muslim neighbors did. I could not walk down the street everyday without being hated and insulted for no reason. Most people were good. But the ones that were not sapped me of my strength to keep on fighting for justice and equality. I just wanted to live.
Here in Oman, all praise be to God, I have the blessing to be able to just walk down the street without having to tell my life story and geneology to justify my way of dressing, and I can get a job regardless if I cover my face or hair or body or not if I am capable at it.
This is the most Islamic GCC country to me, and I have finally found peace here, and place to build my life up from:) 
My Omani Husband: because he's my love and this is his home. And he'd be prettymiffed if he didn't find himself #2 on this list;p.
I loved Oman long before I ever loved him despite popular opinion, but my love for him helps me continue to love Oman when things in its culture get me down. Why? Because MOP is all that is the best in his culture, and has the patience to deal with all that is the worst in both of our nationalities, while I, well, don't anymore. As I am constantly raging at him about Omani village mentalities "I converted to Islam, not HIS-lam!" he has the patience to find a way around things or to explain things to those more ignorant, and I do not. Allah bless him, ameen.
Shopping: Khaleeji designer abayas. I came here to shop right? Now this may be something totally mysterious and untranslatable to a non-Muslim audience, but for a girl from the West, Oman is SHOPPING HEAVEN! We have a choice in abaya styles, cuts, and embellishments, as well as an array of headscarfs. Which totally takes away the toil (and expense) of trying to convert/tailor regular American and European clothing into something that meets the Islamic requirements of loose, not see through, covering all the right body parts, ect. And still have individual style whereas in other Gulf states that is a no no? Hell yes! And you know what? There is no law in Oman saying you HAVE TO WEAR abaya, so you get all this, + the option of wearing whatever else you want. Which I do, CONTRARY to village mentalities remaining in Oman.
Omani women, you have NO IDEA how lucky you are that you can do what you do and keep up your beliefs. Don't let that go, or let men or people dictate how you believe you should be able to dress. A right that is not taken, is taken away.
Omani hospitality: it's part of the culture. In Oman, people are always inviting you for Qhawa [Omani coffee] and dates (plus a huge lump of meat on a stack of rice on a giant plate!). And if you are a traveller in trouble (and boy, have I been!) people go waaaaay out of their way to rescue you.
Shout out to KH and AH who saved us from a hellish nightmare in UAE and wouldn't take a dime for anything!
My backyard: What Muslim girl or housewife doesn't daydream of having a courtyard to let her hair out (and her arms) in the nice sunshine?
My backyard: What Muslim girl or housewife doesn't daydream of having a courtyard to let her hair out (and her arms) in the nice sunshine? I love my yard, and that pic? The archtecture genuinely resembles the little villa where I live;D Alhamdulilah, mashaAllah right?
Omani history & Culture equal the best weekend road trips!: Oman has a rich heritage and history, which accounts for differing regional customs and dress, and as well as a pantheon of forts and castles and splendours of natural beauty to explore, all on a 1-2 day weekend.
Camping: Oman has some of the most amazing nature you'll ever see. From the green tropic foliage of Khareef in Salalah, to the serene sands of Wahiba, to the Wadis in Sahrqiya, to the world's second largest Canyon of Jebel Shams mountain, and fishing on the Qurayat coast, camping in Oman is one of my favourite things in the entire world to do. This is what I do when I have a vacation.
Decorating with Omani handicrafts and archtiecture: I love Omani traditional building methods (as do all the OPNO girls) and it is my goal to mix my traditional English easthetic with Omani peices from my travels in my home.
Omani history & Culture equal the best weekend road trips!: Oman has a rich heritage and history, which accounts for differing regional customs and dress, and as well as a pantheon of forts and castles and splendours of natural beauty to explore, all on a 1-2 day weekend.Camping: Oman has some of the most amazing nature you'll ever see. From the green tropic foliage of Khareef in Salalah, to the serene sands of Wahiba, to the Wadis in Sahrqiya, to the world's second largest Canyon of Jebel Shams mountain, and fishing on the Qurayat coast, camping in Oman is one of my favourite things in the entire world to do. This is what I do when I have a vacation.
Where I live: it's a plantation farm with mango and banana groves, and I love walking in the dappled sunshine. The road to our house is lined with date palms, and I love to sip tea on the swing and watch the workers in the feilds.
People, when they think of Oman, think of desert, and are very much disapointed to see how green Muscat is, so no, I don't live in Salalah;p. Western friends are always surprised that I seem to live like Scarlet O'Hara, lol.
At sunset, the physical beauty of the place is breathtaking, and I have to thank God that I was born, and that I am here. And it is so surreal to wak up to the sounds of parrots singing!
Horses: Oman has some of the finest stock of Arabian horses and some of the most skilled riders you will ever find.
I love spending the morning running on the beach watching riders work out their horses, or ride myself in the surf on a hot day.
I am so thankful that Sultan Qaboos is enlightened enough to allow [what men should have to allow what God himself already ordained good for womenkind?] Omani women to do sports like riding.
Thank God I can ride down the beach without some man going "haraam, she's a whore for making a show of herself like that" or parents going to their young daughters "oh she'll break her hymen."
Alhamdulilah Oman has bigger minds than those for the most part!
Tourists: Now I know this is a personal one of mine, since no one in my village is as thrilled by them as I am, but I love showing english-speaking expats around the country and explaining the culture. I guess I just want them to see the Oman that I know and love, not just the stops on tour bus route;D
Omani children: and Omani babies. Another personal bias but I think Omani babies are just about the cutest in the world and little kids walking around with khanjars and kohl in their eyes make me smile.
No destructive nationalism [for the most part, we have to keep an eye on this one]: Omanis are indeed Patriotic, but not in the "local are better than thou" attitude I am seen and experienced in other GCC countries. Omanis are generally welcoming and respectful, and this can still be improved!!!!!
Tourists: Now I know this is a personal one of mine, since no one in my village is as thrilled by them as I am, but I love showing english-speaking expats around the country and explaining the culture. I guess I just want them to see the Oman that I know and love, not just the stops on tour bus route;DOmani children: and Omani babies. Another personal bias but I think Omani babies are just about the cutest in the world and little kids walking around with khanjars and kohl in their eyes make me smile.No destructive nationalism [for the most part, we have to keep an eye on this one]: Omanis are indeed Patriotic, but not in the "local are better than thou" attitude I am seen and experienced in other GCC countries. Omanis are generally welcoming and respectful, and this can still be improved!!!!!I love what the mix of cultures in oman lets me experience, from how to tie a sari lesson from my friend Z, to an Emirati traditional weddding invite from friends from Buraimi.
Decorating with Omani handicrafts and archtiecture: I love Omani traditional building methods (as do all the OPNO girls) and it is my goal to mix my traditional English easthetic with Omani peices from my travels in my home.The weather: which will make most Omanis and expats laugh. But I LOVE the sun. I am sick of cold and rain and had too much of both as a child. Once I adapted to the climate of Oman, I was never able to aclimatize back for my home country. I love living in a tropic forever-beach setting.
The juice: I love that I am sipping cocktails of fresh mango juice when my little sis is stuck with apple concentrate. And that I am eating exotic fare like Arabic, thai, Indian, ect, when she is stuck with Turkey dinner. Don't worry Little Sis. When you come, you'll get your fix;pWell, that's my list, on why I am in Oman and not going anywhere else without a good fight.
Why do you love living here?
Cultural Observances: from the inside of Omani daily life
I remember my Omani homegirl R saying, and I quote: "You'd love Omani culture less if you were actually Omani."
And classic KH: "Trade passports? You love my country, take it. I want out."
It has always GREATLY amused my Omani friends that I love things from Omani culture that they are slowly rejecting, such as regional dress, certain handicrafts, Omani history, Omani stories, ect... and I had always thought it was very foolish of friends like R & KH to reject their culture for my highly commercialized, melting pot one. Well, not mine familially (as I have a very colourful family who have never quite been amalgomated into their society), but mine nationally anyways, just to add for clarification.
But now, from within the culture, I begin to understand why R favours jeans over sirwaal, and rejects niqab [the face veil], and why KH is so disatisfied with his role in society and longs for the advantages of freedom depite having to do barely nothing to subsist in Omani culture.
From within the culture, that I still love, I know all the things of the culture, good and bad, that cannot be so easily rejected and set aside. KH & R cannot do anything other than what is the norm in their famillies. They wear Western clothes, eat Western food, don't know alot about Oman, and the good things about it, and I hate this.
But I begin to understand the act of rejection as a means to protest the things that they wish they were able to reject.
Dhofari girls that happen to write about rejecting the niqab (face veil) don't really reject the niqab as the Islamic message it represents. They represent their lack of choice with the niqab of the symbol of their ignorant or uneducated relatives. This confuses expats, causes controversy in the Muslim Ummah, but at least, now I get it.
KH wishes to abstain from the wasta system. He longs for an Islamic (not Omani) marriage.
R also longs for an Islamic marriage. She longs for the time when an Omani woman doing something not sinful and even good for herself even if it goes contrary to the norm in the family will not be considered a crime in the society worse than adultery and murder. R admits if she murdered someone, her family would probably forgive her and support her, but if she chose to marry someone of the wrong tribe name, she'd be out in the cold and called "siflah" an arabic swearword similiar to "b*&^" but meaning "one who has gone out". The same thing would happen to her is she supported another family member doing the same.
Now that I am within the bounds of Omani society, and fall subject to the laws and traditions of MOP's tribe (apparently, if I drive a Mustang, I'll be a "bad girl" lol :XD same goes for a sporty jeep or wearing a colourful headscarf in certain village places) I find my powers to reject things to be limited in some cases (not by MOP himself) so I fight for things that are NOT important.
I never really desired to wear open style abayas at all. Not really my fave style. But I found myself fighting for the right to wear them even though it was not important to me.
Or hearing an ignorant Omani saying "9/11 was the Jews, and I hate America" and only able to give "Palestine" as a reason for that when I ask them why.
Not aware, apparently, that the Turkish Caliphate allying itself with Hitler not being half the reason, or that the Cheks armed Israel in its early days, not the USA, ect, ect, ect.
Read Bernard's "The Crisis of Islam" to understand better. Decent book, though he misuses the term "Wahabi" quite extensively. He means "Saudi jurisprudence" not exactly "Wahabi". Anyways.
I have realized, that fighting for things that are not important to me is hypocritical. Just as hypocritical as my friends, who I had judged as foolish for rejecting the worthy things in their culture and societies, who do not rebell against the true causes of their discontent state in life.
So while I will continue to fight, embracing everything in Omani culture that is not unislamic, I will not fight just to prove I have fight in me. No success or change or even satisfaction can come from that, just exhaustion.
And classic KH: "Trade passports? You love my country, take it. I want out."
It has always GREATLY amused my Omani friends that I love things from Omani culture that they are slowly rejecting, such as regional dress, certain handicrafts, Omani history, Omani stories, ect... and I had always thought it was very foolish of friends like R & KH to reject their culture for my highly commercialized, melting pot one. Well, not mine familially (as I have a very colourful family who have never quite been amalgomated into their society), but mine nationally anyways, just to add for clarification.
But now, from within the culture, I begin to understand why R favours jeans over sirwaal, and rejects niqab [the face veil], and why KH is so disatisfied with his role in society and longs for the advantages of freedom depite having to do barely nothing to subsist in Omani culture.
From within the culture, that I still love, I know all the things of the culture, good and bad, that cannot be so easily rejected and set aside. KH & R cannot do anything other than what is the norm in their famillies. They wear Western clothes, eat Western food, don't know alot about Oman, and the good things about it, and I hate this.
But I begin to understand the act of rejection as a means to protest the things that they wish they were able to reject.
Dhofari girls that happen to write about rejecting the niqab (face veil) don't really reject the niqab as the Islamic message it represents. They represent their lack of choice with the niqab of the symbol of their ignorant or uneducated relatives. This confuses expats, causes controversy in the Muslim Ummah, but at least, now I get it.
KH wishes to abstain from the wasta system. He longs for an Islamic (not Omani) marriage.
R also longs for an Islamic marriage. She longs for the time when an Omani woman doing something not sinful and even good for herself even if it goes contrary to the norm in the family will not be considered a crime in the society worse than adultery and murder. R admits if she murdered someone, her family would probably forgive her and support her, but if she chose to marry someone of the wrong tribe name, she'd be out in the cold and called "siflah" an arabic swearword similiar to "b*&^" but meaning "one who has gone out". The same thing would happen to her is she supported another family member doing the same.
Now that I am within the bounds of Omani society, and fall subject to the laws and traditions of MOP's tribe (apparently, if I drive a Mustang, I'll be a "bad girl" lol :XD same goes for a sporty jeep or wearing a colourful headscarf in certain village places) I find my powers to reject things to be limited in some cases (not by MOP himself) so I fight for things that are NOT important.
I never really desired to wear open style abayas at all. Not really my fave style. But I found myself fighting for the right to wear them even though it was not important to me.
Or hearing an ignorant Omani saying "9/11 was the Jews, and I hate America" and only able to give "Palestine" as a reason for that when I ask them why.
Not aware, apparently, that the Turkish Caliphate allying itself with Hitler not being half the reason, or that the Cheks armed Israel in its early days, not the USA, ect, ect, ect.
Read Bernard's "The Crisis of Islam" to understand better. Decent book, though he misuses the term "Wahabi" quite extensively. He means "Saudi jurisprudence" not exactly "Wahabi". Anyways.
I have realized, that fighting for things that are not important to me is hypocritical. Just as hypocritical as my friends, who I had judged as foolish for rejecting the worthy things in their culture and societies, who do not rebell against the true causes of their discontent state in life.
So while I will continue to fight, embracing everything in Omani culture that is not unislamic, I will not fight just to prove I have fight in me. No success or change or even satisfaction can come from that, just exhaustion.
A Honeymoon in Paris for OPNO????
OPNO might be going to..... France.
What? And leave beautiful Oman? I thought you said you'd honeymoon here. Afterall, you talked your good friends into it.
Well, part of my family is from France. And the honeymoon in France wasn't my idea, it was MOP's. I told him my history, and he wants to Chateaus and trees and things. He's been to Europe before, and enjoyed. And he has friends there. And he thinks that I can translate, which I, well, cannot. London was more my dream holiday.
So I haven't confirmed, but he wants to go. When I amass enough coporate hours to deserve some vactions ones. Which is tentative.
I wish I could upload some wonderful eye candy photos of French style, and foods.
It'll be my excuse to get some lovely trendy colorful abayas made, and to by a capelet coat, and gloves. You simply cannot go to Paris without living the dream of "la vie en rose" can you not?
Anyways, until then, I will content myself with dreams of petit fours, and buying faux Louis Vuitton for my little sis in Bajha.
What? And leave beautiful Oman? I thought you said you'd honeymoon here. Afterall, you talked your good friends into it.
Well, part of my family is from France. And the honeymoon in France wasn't my idea, it was MOP's. I told him my history, and he wants to Chateaus and trees and things. He's been to Europe before, and enjoyed. And he has friends there. And he thinks that I can translate, which I, well, cannot. London was more my dream holiday.
So I haven't confirmed, but he wants to go. When I amass enough coporate hours to deserve some vactions ones. Which is tentative.
I wish I could upload some wonderful eye candy photos of French style, and foods.
It'll be my excuse to get some lovely trendy colorful abayas made, and to by a capelet coat, and gloves. You simply cannot go to Paris without living the dream of "la vie en rose" can you not?
Anyways, until then, I will content myself with dreams of petit fours, and buying faux Louis Vuitton for my little sis in Bajha.
Fond Childhood Memories of Christmas in Oman and This Holiday
Yay! Another holiday approaches, and I STILL can't take off the anti-image software I've got on my computer:'( so no glam pics.
Most of you expats from my end of the world will probably be celebrating Christmas. Which, I have fond memories of from my days before I was Muslim in Oman.
Let us reminisce together.
First, there was Mum 'f'ing' off the Christmas tree because the strands of small pearl lights were one-strand only, so when one minscule light burnt out, the whole lot of 'em went off, and she had to UN-decorate the whole bloomin' tree to find the culprit. So I think the tree was decorated and undecorated and re-strung with lights at least four or five times before Christmas day.
Inviting the houseboy to Christmas dinner because Mum thought he was a Christian.... Well.... he was Budhist, and our tales of Santa Clause and Frosty the Snow man scared the crap out of him. Apparently a giant cold hunk of ice jumping around and alive and an old man who watches you while you are sleeping, judging you, is a scary notion.
Go figure! lol.
Also, because alot of our friends in Oman weren't used to sitting at the dining table with forks and knives and spoons, we got to eat Christmas turkey WITH OUR HANDS:D!!!!!! Oh, you bet I loved it, though Grandma would have died of shock.
Mum getting frusterated that she could get an abaya embroidered but not X-mas stockings. Not that we HAD a fireplace.
So we drove off to Nakhl:) best DAY eveRRRRRRRRRRR! in Oman, courtesy the old Toyota pick-up truck.
On to this holiday: as a Muslim I will not be celebrating alas. It's just another day in the year for me. But I will be doing some shopping in Mutrah if my pay is on time, so keep an eye out for me there;)
Most of you expats from my end of the world will probably be celebrating Christmas. Which, I have fond memories of from my days before I was Muslim in Oman.
Let us reminisce together.
First, there was Mum 'f'ing' off the Christmas tree because the strands of small pearl lights were one-strand only, so when one minscule light burnt out, the whole lot of 'em went off, and she had to UN-decorate the whole bloomin' tree to find the culprit. So I think the tree was decorated and undecorated and re-strung with lights at least four or five times before Christmas day.
Inviting the houseboy to Christmas dinner because Mum thought he was a Christian.... Well.... he was Budhist, and our tales of Santa Clause and Frosty the Snow man scared the crap out of him. Apparently a giant cold hunk of ice jumping around and alive and an old man who watches you while you are sleeping, judging you, is a scary notion.
Go figure! lol.
Also, because alot of our friends in Oman weren't used to sitting at the dining table with forks and knives and spoons, we got to eat Christmas turkey WITH OUR HANDS:D!!!!!! Oh, you bet I loved it, though Grandma would have died of shock.
Mum getting frusterated that she could get an abaya embroidered but not X-mas stockings. Not that we HAD a fireplace.
So we drove off to Nakhl:) best DAY eveRRRRRRRRRRR! in Oman, courtesy the old Toyota pick-up truck.
On to this holiday: as a Muslim I will not be celebrating alas. It's just another day in the year for me. But I will be doing some shopping in Mutrah if my pay is on time, so keep an eye out for me there;)
TALES FROM CANADA: The Saudis and the Trees
My little sis is one of those teenagers who'd rather play video games than go dune bashing or see an old fort. And she is one of those people who say the most random of things and doesn't judge a social situation well and leaves everyone in the room to look at her like "WTH????!!!"
But she is honestly one of the funniest people I know... when she isn't trying to make anyone laugh.
You know, when she is bored out of her mind, and just says whatever is there with no point in mind.
Back on a vacation in Canada she once [was forced] by our father to go on a tour of an ancient old growth forest. You know, the kind that has trees so big that cars can drive through them? [If you are Omani, probably not]. Anyways...
Well on this tour, there were alot of Japanese, and Arab exchange students, including a group that my father NOW can identify as Saudis. [Sorry, there are no Omanis in this tale, alas]. Well the tour guide was telling them exactly how old the trees were, that the dated back before Jesus (Isa, alahi salaam) and the tour guide was saying to the Saudis, who were OBVIOUSLY impressed by the sheer size and age of the these trees:
"Imagine what these trees would tell us about the world if they could talk!" [Tour guide operator, in awe]
OPNO's little sis [totally NOT impressed with arms folded over her chest, and bored out of her]: "NOT very MUCH, I'd imagine. Since they've been sitting in one spot for all that time. WHYYYYYYYYYY didn't we go to the movies, Dad, INSTEAD!"
The faces of all the exchange students were struck by her simple, albeit spoiled brat logic.
OPNOLILSIS: "Ooooooooooooh look! I am a tree! I saw a stupid pinecone fall! And alot of squirrels!
SAME DAMN thing WE saw today! Only that poor tree had to see it for thousands of years! He'd tell us, 'go to the mall' or 'go out for dinner' 'Do SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIVES!' 'At least you are not a boring-stuck-in-one-spot tree like me.'
The tour operator honestly did not know what to say.
I wonder if she ruined the experience for the Saudi exchange students, lol.
But she is honestly one of the funniest people I know... when she isn't trying to make anyone laugh.
You know, when she is bored out of her mind, and just says whatever is there with no point in mind.
Back on a vacation in Canada she once [was forced] by our father to go on a tour of an ancient old growth forest. You know, the kind that has trees so big that cars can drive through them? [If you are Omani, probably not]. Anyways...
Well on this tour, there were alot of Japanese, and Arab exchange students, including a group that my father NOW can identify as Saudis. [Sorry, there are no Omanis in this tale, alas]. Well the tour guide was telling them exactly how old the trees were, that the dated back before Jesus (Isa, alahi salaam) and the tour guide was saying to the Saudis, who were OBVIOUSLY impressed by the sheer size and age of the these trees:
"Imagine what these trees would tell us about the world if they could talk!" [Tour guide operator, in awe]
OPNO's little sis [totally NOT impressed with arms folded over her chest, and bored out of her]: "NOT very MUCH, I'd imagine. Since they've been sitting in one spot for all that time. WHYYYYYYYYYY didn't we go to the movies, Dad, INSTEAD!"
The faces of all the exchange students were struck by her simple, albeit spoiled brat logic.
OPNOLILSIS: "Ooooooooooooh look! I am a tree! I saw a stupid pinecone fall! And alot of squirrels!
SAME DAMN thing WE saw today! Only that poor tree had to see it for thousands of years! He'd tell us, 'go to the mall' or 'go out for dinner' 'Do SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIVES!' 'At least you are not a boring-stuck-in-one-spot tree like me.'
The tour operator honestly did not know what to say.
I wonder if she ruined the experience for the Saudi exchange students, lol.
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