|
|
Oman |
|
|
Pages |
Click here to see all the pictures in the Muscat photo gallery.
I'm sure for the Muslims in the area the prayer call was just part of life, and the non-Muslim expats grew to ignore it, but for us it was part of the charm of being in Oman. The dominant Islamic sect in Oman is Ibadhi, practiced little throughout the rest of the Muslim world. From more than one source, we heard that one of the primary attributes of Ibadhi is its tolerance of others, and based on our experience, we have no reason to disagree. Our hosts were gracious, a large part of the pleasure of this trip, and they had plans for us. The very next day, we were on our way to Salalah.
It was a nice relaxing afternoon, which was good, because the next day started early and went late. Peter J. Ochs II, better known as Peachy, author of the Mavericks Guide to Oman, was our guide, and since we gave him only one day, he wanted to show us as much as possible. Our first stop, after a couple hour drive from Muscat through Wadi Sumail (the Sumail Gap) was Birkit Al Mawz.
After our long...long...long day with Peachy, the next day
started slowly. Late in the day, the ladies and the gentlemen split
up, with the gentlemen having dinner at Fudruckers (even in Oman,
the evils of Western society). The ladies went to have henna done in Muscat and then
met some Omani women, friends and coworkers of our hosts, at a local
restaurant for dinner. He Being able to refer to an Omani woman with the phrase "going out to dinner with a friend and coworker" is a reflection of Omani society. It is still Islamic, but less restrictive on women than in other Islamic countries. Both women and men dress traditionally. But, especially in the urban areas, it is normal that a woman's face is not covered. Women hold jobs, drive cars, and go to school and even a university (albeit a separate one from the men).
Our l The ladies and gentlemen split up again at this point, with the ladies having dinner out, this time at an Omani home. The hosts were expat women, friends of friends, who had married Omani men. Dinner was wonderful, and inside the home, the host women discarded the burka worn in public and wore beautiful, colorful clothes. However, my wife thought it was interesting that these women, not born in an Islamic culture, were seemingly more traditional than the native Omani women she had had dinner with the night before. My wife was met at the door by the lady of the house, and even though her husband was home, he was never seen. And when the husband of one of the other ladies came to pick her up, he called first and she went out to meet him. On our last day in Oman, we visited the Amouage perfumery. Amouage was a new perfume business based on frankincense, with the intent of helping to regenerate demand for Omani frankincense. The two perfume lines were the signature line Amouage, "The most valuable perfume in the world," and Ubar. We again managed to contribute to the local economy, even ringing up our own sale. In Oman, a typical work day is from early morning, maybe 8:00 until around 1:00. Then there is a 3 hour break for lunch and the Omani version of a siesta. Business starts again around 4:00 and continues until 7:00. We went to check out at the perfumery shortly after 1:00. The staff was gone, leaving only a couple of managers who did not know how to accept a credit card payment. My wife stepped behind the counter, processed the payment, and we left as the perfumery closed for the afternoon. Click here to see all the pictures in the Muscat photo gallery.
|
الصفحات |
