More Developments

Well, I've returned from Nizwa, and had a few days to do laundry and settle in Muscat. Coming back was difficult... the change in lifestyle and trying to get back into the original flow. The contrast between rural and metropolitan is so apparent. But, I have talked to my host family in Nizwa, and I am going to return for a week to stay with them and do some work for my independent project. (Which is rapidly approaching, eeeek!)

And now, I am in Doha, Qatar. The change is already such a culture shock. For the first time in 2 months, I've seen a skyscraper. And I don't have to cover... though we are all finding ourselves more comfortable if we do. Seeing tourists along side locals is quite a trip, but that is shocking in Oman too. I am able to walk down the busy street from the hotel to the internet cafe alone... something I definitely could not do in Nizwa, and is always a little awkward in Muscat.

Tomorrow we are going to Al-Jazeera to see a component of media in the Middle East... I cannot wait- what a special opportunity!

In shaa allah, in a week I will update you all on the trips planned for this week- more of Doha, Abu Dhabi, and the famed Dubai! The experiences SIT is providing is outstanding and the personal encounters I'm blessed to have are far beyond what I was anticipating. I already know that coming home will be a little stressful... the changes.. the misconceptions... the realization of things I learned and am learning here.... I already know this has changed many aspects of how I think about.... well... everything.

Nizwa... you stole my heart

I spent the last week in Nizwa, Oman.. living with a new family, who turned out to be more amazing than I could ever imagine. We spent the week learning Arabic, traveling the mountains, visiting schools, dressing up, getting henna, eating the "true" traditional Omani way, learning about Islam, and even slaughtering a goat. All truly amazing... I already know I am going back before I leave in December. I can't leave the loving people and laid back character of this interior city without a longer goodbye.

The view on Jebal Shams

Still on Jebel Shams... overlooking "the Grand Canyon of Oman"

At Nizwa Technical College

Getting henna again at my Nizwa home. They are fabulous!

My Nizwa mom and aunt dressed me up in traditional Omani clothing

Walking along the falaj system in Jebal Akdar

Sunset at a farm in Nizwa

My little brothers (and sister in the background) holding a baby goat at the farm

Clouds, glorious clouds

My sisters in Nizwa- adorable and so funny

The older brothers in Nizwa.. preparing chicken for the big bbq on my last night

My little sister.... and the goat we just slaughtered. If you want to see how they slaughter a goat... I've got a video. Of the entire thing. Its crazy. But you know you want to watch too.

A Bit of Eid and Sur Trip

Well, the computer crashed at the internet cafe during my uploading of pictures... so this was all I was able to upload from my trip to Sur...

The sunset at Aseer Desert Camp. We sat out on the sand dunes to watch the sun set around 5:30pm. The sky was so clear and the sands a surprising red.

Jessica, a fellow SIT student, and I at the beach party following Eid. Stayed at the beach all day, with the families cooking, everyone eating, and a bit of swimming.

(Left to right) Me, Nihad, my mother, Ifaat, and Ahlam on the first day of Eid.

In the desert in our 4x4. Annelle, our driver, and Erick with our car on the top of a sand dune. Usually we flew over these dunes (quite literally flying), but we stepped out to sink ourselves in the sand for once.

Sur is famous for its dhow boats. Caught this photo driving past the port one evening.

More camels... I know. We took a rest at a camel "farm" to release the air pressure in the 4x4s' tires so we could go dune bashing. Spent some up close and personal time with a lot of camels!

Met these women at a more "touristy" spot while our group at Omani coffee and dates at their home. I bought one of those lovely tapestries from them, and almost bought a burka mask... but I think I would have fulfilled their dreams... I was told a story about a British woman who looked like me, came to this area of the desert, converted to Islam, and lived here. Though they were very sweet, didn't want to give any false hopes... But I talked to them about Bedu lifestyle, eventually ending in a long conversation and demonstration about eyeliner. These women are so strong, hilarious, and bascially shatter all stereotypes about women who look the way they do. Go them, I say.

The Ups and Downs of Eid

Well, Eid began last Saturday in Oman. So on Friday, my sisters and I went to get our henna done. An aunt took us to a woman she knows and we got henna done at her house. I was able to watch 3 women get their feet and hands done before my turn. I only got the design on my hands... which was perfectly enough to amaze me. The daughter who did my henna was near my age and had some stellar talent. She took the henna and just began doodling all over my hands... almost like decorating a cake. Once she was finished, I had to sit there to let it dry and turn a light green... then I was able to flake it off. Henna is very orange at first, but I coated them in vaseline for the next 8 hours to make it turn a dark brown- so gorgeous! A little smelly, but the design was amazing.

Eid in a nutshell went somewhat like this...
- the night before, my sisters and I cleaned our room, did all the necessary beauty treatments to look stunning, and hung out with the family in the sitting room. Fatima decided she'd break out the moves. It was adorable.
- Visitors started to arrive at the house around 9:30am (btw, we've been up since 6). We used the formal sitting room, providing little candies and coffee for everyone. The nearer it became to lunchtime, the crowd of people had grown quite a bit. All the aunts, uncles, kids, and some friends (maybe a few strangers thrown in there) crowded around the floor mats we set up to eat Chicken Biryani and salad. Ice cream and sodas were tossed around- quite literally by some of the little ones- and hundreds of conversations. One of the aunts told me I needed to improve my begging skills, as it is tradition to receive money from family during Eid, and I needed to really beg for it. I felt totally awkward.
-THe afternoon was our quiet time.. most of us napped.. or at least those of us who could sleep through the kids being hooligans did. Parenting skills are quite different here... somedays a little stressful.
- Around 7, my family went to my mother's ex's house (also the family of my olders sister AND where another SIT student is) to have a BBQ. My SIT pal and I sat around for awhile watching the Action TV channel, and then I went outside to meet some of the relatives. I sat with 2 girls around my age, talking about Oman, studies, and just randomness. Was really nice to have such good conversations while eating kebabs with potatoes and soup.
-Well, it was good anyway until.... I developed a terrible reaction. I spent the next 2 days of Eid in bed.
-And the clinic had its own set of funness. Getting dropped off alone at the front desk. Couldn't understand the doctor's Indian accent. I just wanted to say "Just FIX me!!".. but instead we reverted to him writing down what he was trying to say. I finally got to a bed, and for the first time in my life, had to have an IV line. All that, with the fear of air bubbles in the tube, and the fact that a fly had decided I was so depressing that it would fly around me like I was a dead person... was retched. But, a couple hours later, I could at least eat and drink again, collapsing on my bed at home.

Thus, Eid ended.

Daily Life in Oman.... not too much different, really

This week was a fast one. Classes flew by and the weekend doubly so. Thursday afternoon Ahlam, Nihad, and I went to City Center to do MORE Eid shopping. They needed to buy clothes to wear in the mornings. Despite being there from 5pm to 1am... it was rather fun. We broke our fast at the food court, which was a really bizarre way to break it after having in the family setting for so long. Even more bizarre that I broke it with Subway (which PS is really cheap here). I think we looked at every shirt, dress, shoe, and bag in the entire mall. And you would think that I already would have seen it all, considering how oftern we go... but no. Ramadan is crazy. They put out new merchandise every day, and change the window decorations twice a day. I thought Christmas was intense!

Yesterday was my slow day. Really nice in contra to being on my feet the night before. Did all my laundry and finished my Ludlum book- though simple tasks, felt amazing. Dinner was once again delicious, and I got to share the time with the whole extended family.

Classes are half day today... just 3 hours of Arabic. But today, a longgggg 3 hours of Arabic. So I will head home via taxi soon... help cook some things for iftar, watch my sisters' favorite Dubai soap opera (which I understand nothing.. except the men are always plotting and the women are always crying... not too different from US soaps), and hang out with my family.

The Most Interesting Day BY FAR

Yesterday when I came home, I was reminded that it was the day of my sister's (Nihad) formal engagement. The guy's (Sa'id) family comes to propose a union with Nihad's family.. We spent 2 hours after iftar preparing the food, rearranging the furniture, and getting pretty/clean for our guests.

All of the aunts I've met came over- as they are sisters of my host mother. They are so sweet and it is always fun to talk to them. Ahlam, Nihad, Ifaat, the kids, and I waited in our bedroom until we were called on. The men and women are separated in two rooms. The men of Sa'id's family were talking to my host father/grandfather/brothers about technicalities of the proposal in the formal sitting room. The women all sat in the foyer which we filled with couches. After they all ate some food, we were summoned to be introduced to the aunts and mother of Sa'id. Walked around the room, kissing the 4 aunts and mom of the groom on the cheeks and swapping "hello's" and "how are you's" in Arabic. Sa'id's mother was a much older, Zanzibari woman who held my hand for what felt like forever and was impressed at me trying to respond to her in a very limited Arabic. Ahlam later told me we probably shared the same level of Arabic, because she seemed to only really know Swahili. They all conversed for a bit longer and I didn't feel so out of place since Fatima sat on my lap and distracted me from all the Swahili I didn't understand by ordering me to sing Barney.. and her new favorite, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. But it was so sweet watching Nihad sit next to Sa'id's mother, holding her hand, becoming acquainted with her new family.

Once the family left, giving my family the 3 day waiting period to think the proposal over, we all dug into the huge spread of food we prepared. Ahlam and I joked that we had enough to feed a banquet for the Sultan. There was a ton of fruit- grapes, watermelon, plums, pineapple, melon- chicken cutlass, chicken wontons, kaymati (dough balls filled with honey), and the best Omani cheesecake ever. (The cake is credit to Nihad- who put together crackers, jello, pudding, pineapple, and cream cheese to make the most amazing cake)

I took on role as dishwasher, and helped put away the dozens of plates and platters. I did learn about the next wedding events from my father. The dowry presentation will take place sometime while I am here- and I cannot wait to see that. The money goes to pay for her veil as well as bags, shoes, etc. The malka, or technical wedding, will happen 10 days after I leave, and the wedding is on January 25th. I am so bummed about missing them, and my family thinks I should just extend my stay. haha

And I thought Day 1 Couldn't Be Topped

So, day two in Salalah was even better than day 1. We:

• Went to the tomb of Bin Ali and saw a local graveyard. If I didn't know it was one, I wouldn't really have noticed anything but a bunch of stones. There were hardly any markers... still, the arrangement of 3 stones for women and 2 for men was apparent at a closer look.
• Met a fisherman who caught 4 tiger sharks. They smelled.
• Walked around the ruins of Khor Roi, or the House of the Queen of Sheeba. It was a little unmarked and hardly any protection for the remaining ruins... but the view of the river/lagoon/shoreline was breathtaking.
• Defied gravity. There is a point on a sloped road that when you put the car in neutral, it will roll UP the hill. Pretty funny.
• Saw umbrella trees and 400 year old trees that are native to Africa, that have somehow thrived in the desert like mountains.
• Ate a picnic lunch surrounded by waterfalls. The Dirbat Wadi was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.... blue water falling all around lusch green. Lets just say I took a lot of photos.
• Stopped for our guide to pray at another part of the Dirbat Wadi. Had a zen moment sitting on the bank of the river with Kristin (from SIT) with green mountains shooting upwards on both sides, birds chirping, and a bright sky. I never wanted to leave.
• Pretended to be cliff divers (since we are forbidden) and watched for dolphins- and we found some!
• Ate dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the beach at sunset. Good food and a GREAT view
• Smoked some hookah at a cafe next to our hotel with all the students for Rebecca's 30th birthday. Shes fab, shes from Dallas, no more explanation necessary.

This morning, Kristin and I woke up at 8 to get to the souk one last time. I bought 2 new head scarves and a plethora of frankincense before we caught the plane home this afternoon. I can't believe how fantastic this weekend was- but I'm can't believe how much I missed my host family too. Darn it, I'm a sucker for my little niece... and my mom's cooking. Can't stay away!

Salalah-lah-lah-lah

The 3 hours of Arabic a day I think are paying off! I already know about half of the alphabet by heart, and the second I learned today.. So I can start sounding out and reading almost anything in Arabic script. We are learning so many new vocabulary words a day, its hard to keep up and use them so I can remember them. But my family is helping me so much.

Today was our last day of class for the week- tomorrow morning we are flying to Salalah in the south of Oman. Will be interesting to read about the trade, see the House of the Queen of Shebah, and try to piece info about the historical conflicts there. Plus it will be cooler. Yipee!

However, it will be hard to leave my family for the weekend- they are so fun! Last night we went to the beach at a club here in Muscat. We broke fast sitting on the sand of the beach and watching the sun set... it felt so postcard-y, and was so gorgeous. Some other students went as well, and we all swam a bit, walked along the beach, enjoyed the darkness, and gathered some impressive seashells. Was coated in sand once we left, but every grain was worth it.

Peace be with you

Peace be with you... I've said about a million times these last few days, and a million more to come. Of course, I say it in Arabic, but I dont know how to type it.



On Wednesday I got to meet my host family! After all of us waited around like little puppies waiting to be adopted, we finally all found our new homes. My mother and father came to pick me up, we went shopping for some pillows, ate some Indian food, and came home to meet the family. I cant even keep track of all of them... but there are some older brothers, who think they are regular gansters, a younger brother who wants to be just like them, grandparents, some older children who live outside the home, cousins, nephews, nieces, and a girl my age named Ahlam who I room with. Their family is from Zanzibar, so they mostly speak Swahili at home... so I'll hopefully come back with some Swahili AND Arabic. Really interesting to see all the family roles... not so sure where mine is yet.. as its only the second day, but its a little difficult to conform to the more woman does the cleaning and housework role. We'll see how thatll go haha



Yesterday they took me on a boating trip, departing from Mutrah and along the coast. A-MAZING. Really hot, but was nice to see the sea. We stopped in a little cove where the water was calm and a tropical green to eat lunch with the family and friends that came along. Talked to some of the aunts and uncles about the US... somehow a big discussion was Oprah! One woman was interested in what I thought about an episode of a Saudi woman being beaten.... and she was upset that Oprah talked about Muslim women being slaves. (Which of course is ridiculous) But it was very interesting to hear her opinion.



Tomorrow is my first day of classes (as the weekend ends on Friday) and I am excited to hear about other people's homestay experiences. And will be nice to learn some more Arabic to use in the home.



Glad to hear from all of y'all- makes being away from home so much easier! Mannn I miss being able to go to a restaurant or coffee shop by myself... sacrifices, sacrifices! haha



Some interesting meals of the week (for you mom ;) )

-Butter chicken and rice

-Chicken Biryani

-Chicken Kadai

-Beef liver, potato wedges

-Rice with salt fish, chicken, and rice

-Chicken schwarma