Over the weekend we took a camping trip to Barziman, one of the parts of the Wahiba Sands Desert. Yet, the weekend was much more eventful than just the camping trip.
Early in the morning on Thursday, Sami, a local friend of ours, just comes into the house and asks everyone what their blood type is. Supposedly, one of Sami's friend's sister is in the hospital needing blood urgently except the blood bank is completely out. In the end, two guys and myself went to the hospital to donate blood. When we arrived there we found out that this particular woman needed specific type of blood that was a perfect blood match. None of us were compatible. This weird story was interesting for two reasons- why was there no blood in the blood bank, and the hospital. It was interesting to find out that the blood bank here is commonly empty and that there is always a shortage of blood. As an American, I would assume that such dire needs for blood would be reported on the news or written about in the newspaper. This definitely was not the case. When we arrived at the hospital it was eerily empty. A large, modern hospital with a lack of patients, a lack of people and staff. Why was a hospital built if there is obviously no need for it right now. I guess this is one of those things about Oman. The Sultan does a lot of good things and he has improved the economy by leaps and bounds, but sometimes I wonder about his priorities. Currently, he is building a classical music theater, but the roads are not well built or thought out. It is good that he is looking at the future, and realizing that more people will be coming into the country, but it is also like he is neglecting some of the urgent needs now.
Anyways, I ended up not donating blood since I wasn't a match and it was a bad idea to donate blood before being outside in the scorchign desert. We ended up going and having a traditional Omani lunch and then heading out. Upon arrival, we met up with a local bedouin, Hamden, who was a personal friend of Jihad's. We saw some racing camels that were going to be racing tomorrow morning and then headed to Hamden's family house. The house is actually a combination of two main houses surrounded by a gate. One of the houses is where people live, while the other is solely a majillis, a place where you host visitors. The majilis was nice and large and we had a good time chatting and eating delicious local fruits. I got to eat some really good pomegranates and a banana just plucked from a tree (it tasted slightly different than the usual one bought in a grocery store.) Hamden is a bedouin, but he was able to go to school and ended up going to university in Muscat. He speaks English well, but much worse than an Omani in Muscat. He got a degree in some type of business and now works back in the bedouin village raising racing camels. The camels can cost up to 1million OMR (2.6 million USD) although on average it seemed like they cost 200 thousand OMR. Still a pretty penny. Also, the girls were invited to go to the main house to meet the women of the family. We met an assortment of female relatives of Hamden. The most interesting thing that happened was that one of the women had just given birth to a baby. She introduced the baby and let us hold it, and then she took it. She started talking to us through Hamden (the only one of them that knows significant amounts of English), and midway she sticks out her boob and gives it to the baby. Right in front of us, the guy, and all the other girls.
Afterwards we chose a goat to slaughter for dinner, and tried a bit of completely fresh goat's milk. It was yummy although slightly fatty and had a gritty taste. We drove to the area which was chosen for us to camp at. The goat was slaughtered halal, and then skinned and cleaned and put into a large pot with water and rice. After 2 hours or so it was done. The meat was very good, although greasy and oily. It was interesting to eat something that had just been alive 3 hours ago or so. We had the option of either sleeping outside with sand blowing in the wind or cuddling up with people in small tents. I ended up sharing a tent with Katy and her bf Houssem. Surprisingly it was actually cool outside, and felt very nice compared to the blistering heat just couple of hours before.
After 3 hours of sleep or so we were woken up and we headed to the camel races. They were interesting and fun. The camels are lined up and then slapped with remote controlled whips that are attached to their backs. They start running and are kept on encouraging to run by cars that keep on screaming and honking their horn from either side of the track. They run really funny. Definitely cool to watch. We were also able to try some "extra-fresh" camel milk. It was mild and almost tasted like simple 1% milk except had an interesting aftertaste. Then we went and started to catch our lunch- local omani lizards. These lizards live in holes in the ground and you come up to the hole and insert a pipe of CO2 (attached to the exhaust of the car) and kinda smoke them out. They were small disgusting things that had extremely sharp tails and fluid bellies.
That was pretty much the highlights of the day in a way. The small highlights along the way were driving related usually. The total number of people that went on this trip was 15. A HUGE number, and definitely too many for us to try to attempt to find 4WDs for. So, we had one car that was 4WD and the rest were crappy Yaris's and one Corolla. These cars were definitely not meant for off-roading. It was scary to feel the rocks hit the bottom of the car as we were driving, and then some fo the cars would end up getting stuck in teh sand. We would just have to lift the cheap car out but it still took up a lot of time.
In the end, I fully realized how much I hate taking trips with large groups. The inefficiencies were really starting to get to me towards teh end. I had a good time, but never again will i go on a trip with so many people. Most of this trip was waiting for people to gather or getting cars out of the sand. If anything, I was able to finally get time with the rockin MC.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Wadi Shaab and Wadi Beni Khalid
Wadis are the ultimately amazingly beautiful places to visit in Oman. The term wadi just refers to a dried up river bed. In reality, these simple dried up river beds have amazingly high cliffs that surround you from the side, and you hike and climb towards the center of where the river would have been. There are many Wadis, although the best ones have freshwater waterfalls and streams that you somehow find your way to.
The first wadi that I went to was Wadi Shab, a cool wadi that is fairly civilized. It has a footpath to get towards the water and is a long but pretty easy hike. There are places where you have to jump from rock to rock but overall it is easy and nice. The scenary is beautiful because you look towards the right and left and you see these huge cliff of reds and oranges surrounding you. In the middle where you are walking, you see a river and even palm trees. It looks and feels like an oasis from somewhere in your imagination. After hiking a while, you end up finding a good spot to jump into the semi-cool freshwater. The water is extremely clear and beautiful, and definitely drinkable. Wadi Shab has an interesting part where you go and swim between two extremely close boulders (so close that the only part that fits above water is your head- and snuggly at that). When you get inside, it's a small cave with a water fall and natural formations that you can sit and relax on. It was amazingly beautiful.
The second wadi within Oman that I went to was Wadi Beni Khalid. This wadi is extremely famous, except what many people don't know is that there are two ways to approach the wadi. One side is an extremely easy walk, while the other is definitely more challenging. My group, of course, took the challenging side. The challenging side feels like this is the way it has always been, almost like it has not been altered by mankind. There are huge boulders to climb and rocks to jump from one to the other from. It was extremely scary for me. I was with three guys, and as the only female I felt like i shoudl be brave. Although, I was dead afraid and there were probably 3 or 4 times where I was almost preparing myself for death. When we go to the water the only way to get in was to jump off the cliff. It was amazingly fun and exhilerating. We were soon joined in the small freshwater lake by local boys. These boys really seemed like they were injected with spiderman juice. They would jump from one rock to another and easily climb up and up. They were absolutely amazing. On the way back we were helped by the local boys, and it was greatly appreciated. Yet, when we got to the city we had a choice of either walking right in the heat and sun or walking through the village in the shade. We ended up getting lost in the village. The tiny town was extremely cool. From it we were able to see how the Omanis really lived traditionally. There were small streams that were being controlled through clay fellajes (way of controlling the water for agricultural purposes). It was cool to see it in authentic action. Also, there were some places where you walked and just saw a couple of wooden planks raised up to form a platform that had small mats where men prayed throughout the day. In my mind, this is the way that religion should be practiced. A place where you are one with nature and yourself. It's extremely peaceful and you don't need someone to guide you in prayer, it is just you and whatever god or gods you pray to. Something about the village was extremely calming and nice. :)
The first wadi that I went to was Wadi Shab, a cool wadi that is fairly civilized. It has a footpath to get towards the water and is a long but pretty easy hike. There are places where you have to jump from rock to rock but overall it is easy and nice. The scenary is beautiful because you look towards the right and left and you see these huge cliff of reds and oranges surrounding you. In the middle where you are walking, you see a river and even palm trees. It looks and feels like an oasis from somewhere in your imagination. After hiking a while, you end up finding a good spot to jump into the semi-cool freshwater. The water is extremely clear and beautiful, and definitely drinkable. Wadi Shab has an interesting part where you go and swim between two extremely close boulders (so close that the only part that fits above water is your head- and snuggly at that). When you get inside, it's a small cave with a water fall and natural formations that you can sit and relax on. It was amazingly beautiful.
The second wadi within Oman that I went to was Wadi Beni Khalid. This wadi is extremely famous, except what many people don't know is that there are two ways to approach the wadi. One side is an extremely easy walk, while the other is definitely more challenging. My group, of course, took the challenging side. The challenging side feels like this is the way it has always been, almost like it has not been altered by mankind. There are huge boulders to climb and rocks to jump from one to the other from. It was extremely scary for me. I was with three guys, and as the only female I felt like i shoudl be brave. Although, I was dead afraid and there were probably 3 or 4 times where I was almost preparing myself for death. When we go to the water the only way to get in was to jump off the cliff. It was amazingly fun and exhilerating. We were soon joined in the small freshwater lake by local boys. These boys really seemed like they were injected with spiderman juice. They would jump from one rock to another and easily climb up and up. They were absolutely amazing. On the way back we were helped by the local boys, and it was greatly appreciated. Yet, when we got to the city we had a choice of either walking right in the heat and sun or walking through the village in the shade. We ended up getting lost in the village. The tiny town was extremely cool. From it we were able to see how the Omanis really lived traditionally. There were small streams that were being controlled through clay fellajes (way of controlling the water for agricultural purposes). It was cool to see it in authentic action. Also, there were some places where you walked and just saw a couple of wooden planks raised up to form a platform that had small mats where men prayed throughout the day. In my mind, this is the way that religion should be practiced. A place where you are one with nature and yourself. It's extremely peaceful and you don't need someone to guide you in prayer, it is just you and whatever god or gods you pray to. Something about the village was extremely calming and nice. :)
Cars in Oman
Cars here are interesting. I guess I never really paid much attention to cars just because overall I view them as nice ways of getting from point A to point B. Here I've paid more attention to them. We currently drive a Yaris, a nice car considering we're on a tight budget. Except we also have a corolla and another Yaris. The cars have no power and are unable to brake well. The Corolla also doesn't have anti-lock brakes which has proven to be an issue in bad times. Yet, the Yaris's are pretty new, probably only 1-2 years old or so. Overall, in Oman you will never see old cars. It's a weird phenomena to be constantly surruonded by new cars. Also, most of the cars here are nice. There are many models, like Lumina, that they have here that most Americans have never heard of. Yet, these models are mostly from well-known American and Japanese brands.
Talking about Japanese cars, Toyota owns this town. The Bahwan Group (2 brothers) own one of the largest Toyota dealerships in the world, and the largest Toyota service center in the world. It really is that Toyota owns this town.
These cars though have rules to maintain their integrity. It is not allowed to drive a dirty car, and you will be fined by police if your car is dirty. The police here are both male and female, something I did not expect. To get your car washed by someone during work hours is only 1 riyal or so, very cheap. Something else that is cheap here is gas. We fill up the car on only 4 rials. This is the equivalent of 10 USD. VERY CHEAP! The cheap gas also means that there are many people here that drive 4WDs and SUVs. Except, unlike in the US many people actually do offroad with these cars. Or if you're an Omani, and you rent a car (even a Yaris) you still take them off roading. Most of the used rental cars have major damage from people just trying to off road with cars that were not meant for it.
The cars here also have specific license plates. The license plates are a way that people use their disposable income. License plates here have numbers and letters separate. The numbers range from 1 to 6 digit numbers. When you get a new car you get a license plate with probably 6 numbers. Yet, you can pay and get a "prettier" number. A number that has less digits is considered better. Also, the smaller the number is the more expensive it is. This has its exception though, people will also pay more for a number that looks good. This would mean something like 454 would be more expensive than 452 just because the first number looks better. Also the number affects the price of the license plate. A license with an A or AA would be better than other letters. It is ridiculous how expensive these license plates can be. Something like a 2 A might cost several hundred thousand rials (times 2.5 for USD). Also, the best way to show your wealth is to have an expensive license plate on a cheap car. This implies that you have better cars waiting for you in the garage. It's a weird world over here.
Talking about Japanese cars, Toyota owns this town. The Bahwan Group (2 brothers) own one of the largest Toyota dealerships in the world, and the largest Toyota service center in the world. It really is that Toyota owns this town.
These cars though have rules to maintain their integrity. It is not allowed to drive a dirty car, and you will be fined by police if your car is dirty. The police here are both male and female, something I did not expect. To get your car washed by someone during work hours is only 1 riyal or so, very cheap. Something else that is cheap here is gas. We fill up the car on only 4 rials. This is the equivalent of 10 USD. VERY CHEAP! The cheap gas also means that there are many people here that drive 4WDs and SUVs. Except, unlike in the US many people actually do offroad with these cars. Or if you're an Omani, and you rent a car (even a Yaris) you still take them off roading. Most of the used rental cars have major damage from people just trying to off road with cars that were not meant for it.
The cars here also have specific license plates. The license plates are a way that people use their disposable income. License plates here have numbers and letters separate. The numbers range from 1 to 6 digit numbers. When you get a new car you get a license plate with probably 6 numbers. Yet, you can pay and get a "prettier" number. A number that has less digits is considered better. Also, the smaller the number is the more expensive it is. This has its exception though, people will also pay more for a number that looks good. This would mean something like 454 would be more expensive than 452 just because the first number looks better. Also the number affects the price of the license plate. A license with an A or AA would be better than other letters. It is ridiculous how expensive these license plates can be. Something like a 2 A might cost several hundred thousand rials (times 2.5 for USD). Also, the best way to show your wealth is to have an expensive license plate on a cheap car. This implies that you have better cars waiting for you in the garage. It's a weird world over here.
Dubai
Ok so this is my overdue Dubai post. Or as how the locals pronounce is, Dubei.
We left for Dubai late in the afternoon on Thursday. To get there it was a 5.5 hour drive. We didn't have much issues at border control but we weren't driving that fast which made the drive longer than necessary. Also, we had to stop many times for restrooms. In Dubai we were staying at a very nice and new Holiday Inn Express. Felt weird to stay in such an "American" place. Anyways, we had 2 rooms with 4 people to a room. In the morning we woke up and decided to tour around the historic part of town. We parked the car in a central location and walked around the different souqs. A souq is pretty much a market, with some of them tailoring to a specific good. We initially went to a textile souq...it was filled with mostly small shops selling large quantities of fabric. There were a couple of shops selling overpriced, bad quality pashminas. It was disappointing to see how commercialized and touristy it had become. It was interesting to note that most of the stores had their signs in three languages: Arabic, English, and Russian. Who would have thunk that Russian would have been the third language. We toured the souq and then went to the Dubai Museum. A cool new museum that is housed half underground and half in the oldest building in Dubai, a fort. It showed how the people used to live and how different areas of the UAE differ in their living conditions. Overall it was interesting and gave a perspective of the history of the country. Only in 1948 was the first bank in Dubai opened. In 60 years it has become such a hotspot for money.
We took an arba boat to the other side of the river to see the other souqs that were available. An arba boat is a small fisherman's boat that has a car seat for the driver and then everyone sits all around. They were cool and it was nice to be in a boat for a change. The other side had the spice souq and the gold souq. Both of them were interesting. Of course, I was more interested in the spice souq and nearly bought a couple of things that I would have never been able to get through border control in the US. By this time it was nearly 3pm and the street shops were mostly closed with the locals finding any flat surface they could to take a nap. It was hot and a nap would have definitely been a good idea. Within the gold souq I saw some amazing jewelry, such a glistening palace. Sadly, the wonders of the souq were interrupted by guys coming up to us and saying "Gucci, Prada, Fendi, fake watches we have them all." They wouldn't go away either and as one gave up the next one came up. I ended up getting so tired of them that I just started talking Russian to one, and to my surprise that didn't help cause he knew Russian also. I should have known.
The historic part of town was nice. Yes, it was touristy already but you could somehow see how it would have been several decades ago. The next part of the day was mostly taken up by everyone getting ready to go out. I agreed to go to a place to meet up with Cliff and also to eat dinner. We went to Wafi Mall, one of the many malls within Dubai. The mall itself is made out in the style of an Egyptian tomb. Definitely one of a kind. It had so many expensive stores and had tons of great restaurants. As we parked in the underground parking we were just surrounded by expensive cars like lambourghini and maseratis. It was absolutely crazy. The restaurant we went to was a tapas bar that had good yet expensive food. I think it was the first time since I've gotten to the Gulf that i had pork. Can't say that I miss it that much though. The atmosphere was very nice yet to me it was disappointing to be surrounded by all westerners. The group broke up and I went with Cliff, Muff, and Hijo to a shisha bar and just relaxed while the others hit the clubs. It was nice catching up with Cliff and just relaxing. There I realized that it was already weird for me to see mostly westerners, yet within Dubai I hadn't seen many Emirates. Interesting how a city so close could be so different. We drove Cliff back to his hotel and were able to see the huge amounts of construction that was going around in the center. So many huge buildings yet the horrible roads make you wonder if the infrastructure would ever be able to support the numbers of people that they want to move into these huge high rises.
In the morning we woke up to go to the Jumeirah beach and just relax. The water was amazing as always and it was a fun time. Cliff joined up and a good time was had by all. After the beach I changed in the car on teh way to the Mall of Emirates. The mall was the first time I experienced the horrendous traffic that everyone always complains of when talking about Dubai. We had to drive around the parking lot for a good 45 mins to find a place. And this was with the signs that showed how many free parking spaces were available in each lane. We parked and John, Muff, and I raced over to the Ski Dubai area. The mall was incredible with synchronized swimmers performing for the enjoyment of the crowd. The mall had around 3-4 levels adn was beautiful. At Ski Dubai we geared up and went out. The hill is pretty small but very amusing. The snow was icy, but considering it was my second time out downhilll skiing I wasn't about to complain. In the middle there is a small TGIFridays so that you can relax with hot chocate if you get cold from skiing. I went down several times but ended up getting bored. I would usually have fun going down only to not be able to stop and end up falling down. It was cool. Definitely a memorable experience. I left earlier than my alloted time and was able to walk around the crowded mall. The mall was the first and only place where I really saw a good amount of Emirates. The mall has really become the social gathering place for people. After the mall we all joined up and went to a club. It was fun to get out and enjoy the night. In the morning John, Hijo and I woke up early and drove back down to Oman. The trip probably took under 4 hours and was a good time. We barely stopped and sped along to make good time. We arrived, changed, and then went to the CEO's house. My last remark about Dubai is that it's a great city with a lot of things to do. Yet, it lacks personality or flavor. It seems so fake and such an artificial city. I guess I can't fully appreciate it because I think my tastes are not rich enough to fully enjoy the city.
The CEO's house was great. It was a gathering in honor of how well my department has performed lately. Food, alcohol, drinks, and good conversation. I liked getting to know my coworkers better.
We left for Dubai late in the afternoon on Thursday. To get there it was a 5.5 hour drive. We didn't have much issues at border control but we weren't driving that fast which made the drive longer than necessary. Also, we had to stop many times for restrooms. In Dubai we were staying at a very nice and new Holiday Inn Express. Felt weird to stay in such an "American" place. Anyways, we had 2 rooms with 4 people to a room. In the morning we woke up and decided to tour around the historic part of town. We parked the car in a central location and walked around the different souqs. A souq is pretty much a market, with some of them tailoring to a specific good. We initially went to a textile souq...it was filled with mostly small shops selling large quantities of fabric. There were a couple of shops selling overpriced, bad quality pashminas. It was disappointing to see how commercialized and touristy it had become. It was interesting to note that most of the stores had their signs in three languages: Arabic, English, and Russian. Who would have thunk that Russian would have been the third language. We toured the souq and then went to the Dubai Museum. A cool new museum that is housed half underground and half in the oldest building in Dubai, a fort. It showed how the people used to live and how different areas of the UAE differ in their living conditions. Overall it was interesting and gave a perspective of the history of the country. Only in 1948 was the first bank in Dubai opened. In 60 years it has become such a hotspot for money.
We took an arba boat to the other side of the river to see the other souqs that were available. An arba boat is a small fisherman's boat that has a car seat for the driver and then everyone sits all around. They were cool and it was nice to be in a boat for a change. The other side had the spice souq and the gold souq. Both of them were interesting. Of course, I was more interested in the spice souq and nearly bought a couple of things that I would have never been able to get through border control in the US. By this time it was nearly 3pm and the street shops were mostly closed with the locals finding any flat surface they could to take a nap. It was hot and a nap would have definitely been a good idea. Within the gold souq I saw some amazing jewelry, such a glistening palace. Sadly, the wonders of the souq were interrupted by guys coming up to us and saying "Gucci, Prada, Fendi, fake watches we have them all." They wouldn't go away either and as one gave up the next one came up. I ended up getting so tired of them that I just started talking Russian to one, and to my surprise that didn't help cause he knew Russian also. I should have known.
The historic part of town was nice. Yes, it was touristy already but you could somehow see how it would have been several decades ago. The next part of the day was mostly taken up by everyone getting ready to go out. I agreed to go to a place to meet up with Cliff and also to eat dinner. We went to Wafi Mall, one of the many malls within Dubai. The mall itself is made out in the style of an Egyptian tomb. Definitely one of a kind. It had so many expensive stores and had tons of great restaurants. As we parked in the underground parking we were just surrounded by expensive cars like lambourghini and maseratis. It was absolutely crazy. The restaurant we went to was a tapas bar that had good yet expensive food. I think it was the first time since I've gotten to the Gulf that i had pork. Can't say that I miss it that much though. The atmosphere was very nice yet to me it was disappointing to be surrounded by all westerners. The group broke up and I went with Cliff, Muff, and Hijo to a shisha bar and just relaxed while the others hit the clubs. It was nice catching up with Cliff and just relaxing. There I realized that it was already weird for me to see mostly westerners, yet within Dubai I hadn't seen many Emirates. Interesting how a city so close could be so different. We drove Cliff back to his hotel and were able to see the huge amounts of construction that was going around in the center. So many huge buildings yet the horrible roads make you wonder if the infrastructure would ever be able to support the numbers of people that they want to move into these huge high rises.
In the morning we woke up to go to the Jumeirah beach and just relax. The water was amazing as always and it was a fun time. Cliff joined up and a good time was had by all. After the beach I changed in the car on teh way to the Mall of Emirates. The mall was the first time I experienced the horrendous traffic that everyone always complains of when talking about Dubai. We had to drive around the parking lot for a good 45 mins to find a place. And this was with the signs that showed how many free parking spaces were available in each lane. We parked and John, Muff, and I raced over to the Ski Dubai area. The mall was incredible with synchronized swimmers performing for the enjoyment of the crowd. The mall had around 3-4 levels adn was beautiful. At Ski Dubai we geared up and went out. The hill is pretty small but very amusing. The snow was icy, but considering it was my second time out downhilll skiing I wasn't about to complain. In the middle there is a small TGIFridays so that you can relax with hot chocate if you get cold from skiing. I went down several times but ended up getting bored. I would usually have fun going down only to not be able to stop and end up falling down. It was cool. Definitely a memorable experience. I left earlier than my alloted time and was able to walk around the crowded mall. The mall was the first and only place where I really saw a good amount of Emirates. The mall has really become the social gathering place for people. After the mall we all joined up and went to a club. It was fun to get out and enjoy the night. In the morning John, Hijo and I woke up early and drove back down to Oman. The trip probably took under 4 hours and was a good time. We barely stopped and sped along to make good time. We arrived, changed, and then went to the CEO's house. My last remark about Dubai is that it's a great city with a lot of things to do. Yet, it lacks personality or flavor. It seems so fake and such an artificial city. I guess I can't fully appreciate it because I think my tastes are not rich enough to fully enjoy the city.
The CEO's house was great. It was a gathering in honor of how well my department has performed lately. Food, alcohol, drinks, and good conversation. I liked getting to know my coworkers better.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Beach
Today we went to the beach...it was my first time so far in Oman.
Well, the day started with a breakfast at a crepe restaurant with Nura, Shamsa, and her fiance Adil. It was sooo nice. Just sitting there chatting over delicious crepes. Yummo.
I then changed and we went close to the marina in the historic part of town. There we met up with some Omanis that are friends of the AIESECers here. They took us to a small fishing village only 20 mins or so away from the historic town center. There were only a couple of houses, a mosque, and a marina. We took a small fishing boat that was only meant for probably a max of 7 people, yet there were probably 15 of us plus food and bags. The scenery was gorgeous! and then we arrived at the beach and it was a small nook surrounded by high cliffs and the bluest water you've ever seen. The sun was amazing and i'm really surprised that i was probably the only one that did not burn.
Anyways, there were two highlights for me.
1) The water was incredibly warm and I ended up swimming out to snorkel. The water was incredibly clear and the fish were cute. There was a small cave that I swam into...it was sooo cool. I really need to get a camera that is water proof. Also, I dove down and touched the bottom of the sea floor. I ended up really hurting my ears though. I guess it was all worth it in the end. Just incredibly beautiful.
2) Along with the typical group of AIESECers there were 4 others that came along. One of them was the fisherman guy that was in charge of the ghetto boat. Other than that was Hasan, a guy that works at HSBC and is a good friend of the organization, Hussein, Hasan's brother, and Chris, an American who has been working in Oman for the past year. Chris ended up being a really cool guy. He's in real estate development and has just started a 250 Million USD fund. He was just a really chill and nice guy. And then I also had a great chat with Hasan. I like being surrounded by nice yet also successful people.
Well, the day started with a breakfast at a crepe restaurant with Nura, Shamsa, and her fiance Adil. It was sooo nice. Just sitting there chatting over delicious crepes. Yummo.
I then changed and we went close to the marina in the historic part of town. There we met up with some Omanis that are friends of the AIESECers here. They took us to a small fishing village only 20 mins or so away from the historic town center. There were only a couple of houses, a mosque, and a marina. We took a small fishing boat that was only meant for probably a max of 7 people, yet there were probably 15 of us plus food and bags. The scenery was gorgeous! and then we arrived at the beach and it was a small nook surrounded by high cliffs and the bluest water you've ever seen. The sun was amazing and i'm really surprised that i was probably the only one that did not burn.
Anyways, there were two highlights for me.
1) The water was incredibly warm and I ended up swimming out to snorkel. The water was incredibly clear and the fish were cute. There was a small cave that I swam into...it was sooo cool. I really need to get a camera that is water proof. Also, I dove down and touched the bottom of the sea floor. I ended up really hurting my ears though. I guess it was all worth it in the end. Just incredibly beautiful.
2) Along with the typical group of AIESECers there were 4 others that came along. One of them was the fisherman guy that was in charge of the ghetto boat. Other than that was Hasan, a guy that works at HSBC and is a good friend of the organization, Hussein, Hasan's brother, and Chris, an American who has been working in Oman for the past year. Chris ended up being a really cool guy. He's in real estate development and has just started a 250 Million USD fund. He was just a really chill and nice guy. And then I also had a great chat with Hasan. I like being surrounded by nice yet also successful people.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Appreciative
I had a frustrating day today, but Raji and Asma made everything better. I left work being really appreciative of all the people that have taken me under their wing and have ensured that I enjoy my time in Oman. I have never seen this level of kindness and generosity anywhere else in the world.
Nura has been amazing at making me part of her group of friends. There is nothign better than chitchatting with a bunch of gals after football practice or a night out at the club. Through her I met Ahlam, a fiesty girl with whom I get into pinch fights with. Also, she's the one with whom I ride around town with, windows rolled down, singing Mariah Carey or Beyonce at the top of our lungs. Weird glances towards our car are a guarantee.
Also, at work there is Raji and Asma who allow me to vent and are always there for an encouraging hug. Also, they have been the key for helping me progress at work. Who knew that in a work environment dominated by guys in high powered positions, it would be two females that have the true power of getting things done.
Finally, I must comment on Ghassan, my lebanese friend who has too much Arabic generosity. The happy smiley guy that is always there for me no matter what. Also, his Egyptian friend Adham who knows the best and most exclusive places around town. Somehow I have the best conversations with these guys. The nicest guys you'll ever meet.
These are the key people in my life in Oman right now. I know this group will change, correction be added on to, but for now these are the people that are making my stay in Oman amazing!
Nura has been amazing at making me part of her group of friends. There is nothign better than chitchatting with a bunch of gals after football practice or a night out at the club. Through her I met Ahlam, a fiesty girl with whom I get into pinch fights with. Also, she's the one with whom I ride around town with, windows rolled down, singing Mariah Carey or Beyonce at the top of our lungs. Weird glances towards our car are a guarantee.
Also, at work there is Raji and Asma who allow me to vent and are always there for an encouraging hug. Also, they have been the key for helping me progress at work. Who knew that in a work environment dominated by guys in high powered positions, it would be two females that have the true power of getting things done.
Finally, I must comment on Ghassan, my lebanese friend who has too much Arabic generosity. The happy smiley guy that is always there for me no matter what. Also, his Egyptian friend Adham who knows the best and most exclusive places around town. Somehow I have the best conversations with these guys. The nicest guys you'll ever meet.
These are the key people in my life in Oman right now. I know this group will change, correction be added on to, but for now these are the people that are making my stay in Oman amazing!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Soccer
This Saturday we went and watched a football match. The match was Oman vs Japan and was held in one of the stadiums around town. We arrived at the match without tickets and with no expectations. We were asked to go from one entrance to the next until finally we got to a gate where they didn't even charge for the seats. Everyone just sits outside in an uncovered stadium. Water and drinks as well as snacks are free and everyone is encouraged to take. The overall atmosphere started off as very positive and spirited. The team started off very good, scoring a goal within the first 30 mins. During half-time the police band played, and it all seemed very western. There were local chants and a traditional band playing during the game.
After half-time, the Omani team fell apart. There was no energy and no effort. The guys would get a small hit and ask for the paramedic to take them away. There were probably 5 guys that were taken off the field. It was frustrating and annoying that the team was playing at such a low level. I enjoyed my time at the field but I am not sure that I'm going to go watch another game.
After half-time, the Omani team fell apart. There was no energy and no effort. The guys would get a small hit and ask for the paramedic to take them away. There were probably 5 guys that were taken off the field. It was frustrating and annoying that the team was playing at such a low level. I enjoyed my time at the field but I am not sure that I'm going to go watch another game.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Nizwa
So on Friday we somehow all managed to wake up at 5:30 so as to leave for Nizwa at 6 am. It's a historic city 2 hours away that is known for 2 things- the morning souq (market) and a fort. The morning souq is renowned for the goat auction. We arrived into the city at 8:30am just in time to see the market in full bloom. While the city is only 2 hours away in the interior, it is really a small world away. While Muscat is international and diverse, Nizwa is much more "Omani". There are more people that are in traditional dress and you can really see the agricultural aspect of the culture. The center of the market has an auction of goats and cows...which literally entails a man walking a goat around a circle and people bidding on it. Then some of the animals are taken into the main part of the souq where they can be slaughtered in small primitive butcher shops. Also, there are small farmers that sell their produce and fish being literally slaughtered in the street. The most interesting part for me were the craft shops. Here the locals stack up on everything from pottery, to knives, jewelry, and the essential rifles. There were walls and walls of different guns and rifles with decorative bullet holders. Interesting how the guns were hung right by the live amunition. Overall, the souq was interesting but the craft and handicraft area got a tiny bit touristy. I ended up buying a souvenir, although I know I got ripped off...eventhough the price is better than one that I would have gotten in Muscat. The morning souq closes at 10 am for prayer and only reopens at 4pm. It was interesting how trusting people are in Nizwa and in Oman overall. Many of the stall keepers just lcosed down their shop but left some of their wares unlocked and still out on display. The souq was abandoned within 5 mins of it turning 10am, and in any other country it would be a thief's paradise.
The next stop on our tour of the city was the Nizwa Fort, a historic landmark as one of the most secure forts in Oman. The most interesting aspect of it were the historic ways of the people to kill any invaders. They used everything from honey to hot water to traps and hidden doors.
For lunch we found a place that was actually open and had some good Omani food. The owner of the restaurant brought out our food with forks and spoons, somethign that Omani's don't use. We quickly corrected him and asked him to take all the utensils away. Along with our normal AIESEC group, Ghassan also joined us. I was able to chat with him during the trip, which was nice. I definitely learn much more about talking with Omanis and non-Omanis that have lived in Oman for a long time. I got his take on the date scene and life for him.
On the way back we were in a small accident. Everyone is fine and the car will need repair but it has insurance. The reaction of the other car and the police. Everyone was incredibly friendly and nice and apologized about how this accident might ruin our impression of the country.
The next stop on our tour of the city was the Nizwa Fort, a historic landmark as one of the most secure forts in Oman. The most interesting aspect of it were the historic ways of the people to kill any invaders. They used everything from honey to hot water to traps and hidden doors.
For lunch we found a place that was actually open and had some good Omani food. The owner of the restaurant brought out our food with forks and spoons, somethign that Omani's don't use. We quickly corrected him and asked him to take all the utensils away. Along with our normal AIESEC group, Ghassan also joined us. I was able to chat with him during the trip, which was nice. I definitely learn much more about talking with Omanis and non-Omanis that have lived in Oman for a long time. I got his take on the date scene and life for him.
On the way back we were in a small accident. Everyone is fine and the car will need repair but it has insurance. The reaction of the other car and the police. Everyone was incredibly friendly and nice and apologized about how this accident might ruin our impression of the country.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Copacabana
Copacabana is one of the most expensive and exclusive clubs in Muscat. With cover charges going up to 20OMR (55USD) per person. Inside, it's like a small inkling of Rio de Janero with Carnival and Brazilian inspired decor. Yet, for one time per week the club is invaded by abayas and men are not allowed. Under the shadow of their abayas and the night, girls come into copacabana to break loose and have fun. "Just for girls" time is 8-11pm on Thursdays, no cover charge, and one free drink. Definitely unique and different from all the other nights at the club. The girls come in wearing abayas and being completely covered, yet as they get into the club they throw their abayas on the tables to reveal the true clothes they're wearing. This is usually very revealing, almost to the point where it's skimpier than something that would be found in an American or European club. The DJ (his booth being hidden by a white sheet), plays only the best music with hip hop and R&B beats.
The club probably has 40 girls all sporting their own unique style. There are some girls that opt to wear more conservative clothes or those that go with their personality and let it all show. Some were skimpy clad, some in jeans and t-shirt, and some that were just butch. I think there was a couple there (danced the entire night very intimately) while the rest of the girls were either single or married. One of the best dancers was Sauda who had an amazingly curvaceous body and knew how to work with it. She gave the best lap dances and knew how to grind like no other. All of the girls bust a move on the dance floor, which left me wondering where they learned all their amazing moves. Going to the all girls night at the club was an experience. Constantly being surrounded by abayas you start to wonder about their personalities and their true styles of fashion. I guess I learned all of this last night when the abayas came off and revealed that deep down the Omani girls are like normal Western girls just wanting to have fun. Except here they have deep restrictions and fears that prohibit them from doing it openly. So for now they let loose and have fun once a week for 3 hours and then go back to their abayas and traditions.
The club probably has 40 girls all sporting their own unique style. There are some girls that opt to wear more conservative clothes or those that go with their personality and let it all show. Some were skimpy clad, some in jeans and t-shirt, and some that were just butch. I think there was a couple there (danced the entire night very intimately) while the rest of the girls were either single or married. One of the best dancers was Sauda who had an amazingly curvaceous body and knew how to work with it. She gave the best lap dances and knew how to grind like no other. All of the girls bust a move on the dance floor, which left me wondering where they learned all their amazing moves. Going to the all girls night at the club was an experience. Constantly being surrounded by abayas you start to wonder about their personalities and their true styles of fashion. I guess I learned all of this last night when the abayas came off and revealed that deep down the Omani girls are like normal Western girls just wanting to have fun. Except here they have deep restrictions and fears that prohibit them from doing it openly. So for now they let loose and have fun once a week for 3 hours and then go back to their abayas and traditions.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Being a Woman
Warning: This will be a long post!
Early in the week we received our fourth trainee, Mikael from Finland. To honor the fact that there are now a total of four trainees we got a large group of people together to go to a traditional Omani restaurant (although we opted for the Yemenese food). The group ended up being the 9 AIESECers and trainees as well as member of the local AIESEC committee and their friends. The group was around 20 people at end count. We all sat on the floor swallowing the delicious soup, hummus, honey bread, and all the other dishes that were set before us. The main course was served on 3 enormous plates, piled high with rice, chicken, lamb, and beef. The main task of the meal was to accomplish eating the pile of food with only your right hand. I somehow managed to get part of the technique down after it was taught to me. At the end of the meal your hands are sticky, dirty, and disgusting. Naturally everyone slowly made their way to the bathroom area with large communal sinks standing outside of the bathrooms so as to wash hands. I went alone to the bathroom and had an employee point to me the stairs that I had to take so as to get to the female bathroom. I walked up to see a tiny bathroom where the water wasn't working. I came back down and decided to just wash my hands next to the other guys. What was the big deal, we all had different sinks and we were just standing next together. Aparantely I was wrong, and ended up having a guy from the dinner stand next to me so as to imply that we are together. Had he not been there, I would have been highly discouraged from using the sink and probably had gone completely against the cultural norms. All of this started to make me think about women here in Oman. I sat back and drank my sumptuous clove and mint tea and thought...
Coming to Oman I expected there to be many restrictions and rules placed on women. I thought that I would have to wear an abaya and somehow manage being treated like a second class citizen. When I arrived I was impressed at how Westernized and modern the treatment of females is. Not only are they allowed everywhere and allowed to do everything, but they can also sometimes choose not to wear an abaya. Now that I've been here for two weeks I feel like I'm starting to slowly see the truth. The westernized treatment of females is a reality for westerners but just a facade for the Omani women. Behind everything there are still firm traditions and rules that govern the land. This past week I had the opportunity to explore the city with two local guys, play on a female soccer team, and go to a female night club.
Ghassan and his friend, Adham, invited John and I to see their favorite parts of Muscat this past Friday. They drove us around showing the best cliffs to dive from, the most expensive houses, and the luxurious hotels. It was interesting though that in the mall is where I had the largest cultural experience. Within the mall there are benches for people to sit. I accidently sat on one while waiting for the guys, and noticed that the other males just slowly stood up and walked away. Then later I realized that I was not sitting on a "Ladies Only" bench. I was in breach of the male personal space and they had to move away. Interesting how two identical benches have different standards as to who should sit there.
Also, I have recently been hanging out with Nura, an Omani girl that works in my office. She is spunky, fun, and funny. We definitely get along and always leave each other's company with a belly ache from the laughing. She invited me to go play soccer with her. I arrived at a fairly barren field where the girls (Brits, Japanese, Egyptian, and Omani) were coached by a former national team player to have fun and play soccer. It was amazing to play with girls here, some of whom were crazy and still had their head covering on and had their elbows and knees covered. Yet, we sadly had to leave the practice early due to the fact that the guys wanted to use the field and they had priority. On one hand I was greatly impressed that the government set out to allow girls to play for free while being trained by a coach (he gets paid by gov't), yet also why did we have to leave if we are the ones that are always on the field between 6-8.
Then today, the club...
Early in the week we received our fourth trainee, Mikael from Finland. To honor the fact that there are now a total of four trainees we got a large group of people together to go to a traditional Omani restaurant (although we opted for the Yemenese food). The group ended up being the 9 AIESECers and trainees as well as member of the local AIESEC committee and their friends. The group was around 20 people at end count. We all sat on the floor swallowing the delicious soup, hummus, honey bread, and all the other dishes that were set before us. The main course was served on 3 enormous plates, piled high with rice, chicken, lamb, and beef. The main task of the meal was to accomplish eating the pile of food with only your right hand. I somehow managed to get part of the technique down after it was taught to me. At the end of the meal your hands are sticky, dirty, and disgusting. Naturally everyone slowly made their way to the bathroom area with large communal sinks standing outside of the bathrooms so as to wash hands. I went alone to the bathroom and had an employee point to me the stairs that I had to take so as to get to the female bathroom. I walked up to see a tiny bathroom where the water wasn't working. I came back down and decided to just wash my hands next to the other guys. What was the big deal, we all had different sinks and we were just standing next together. Aparantely I was wrong, and ended up having a guy from the dinner stand next to me so as to imply that we are together. Had he not been there, I would have been highly discouraged from using the sink and probably had gone completely against the cultural norms. All of this started to make me think about women here in Oman. I sat back and drank my sumptuous clove and mint tea and thought...
Coming to Oman I expected there to be many restrictions and rules placed on women. I thought that I would have to wear an abaya and somehow manage being treated like a second class citizen. When I arrived I was impressed at how Westernized and modern the treatment of females is. Not only are they allowed everywhere and allowed to do everything, but they can also sometimes choose not to wear an abaya. Now that I've been here for two weeks I feel like I'm starting to slowly see the truth. The westernized treatment of females is a reality for westerners but just a facade for the Omani women. Behind everything there are still firm traditions and rules that govern the land. This past week I had the opportunity to explore the city with two local guys, play on a female soccer team, and go to a female night club.
Ghassan and his friend, Adham, invited John and I to see their favorite parts of Muscat this past Friday. They drove us around showing the best cliffs to dive from, the most expensive houses, and the luxurious hotels. It was interesting though that in the mall is where I had the largest cultural experience. Within the mall there are benches for people to sit. I accidently sat on one while waiting for the guys, and noticed that the other males just slowly stood up and walked away. Then later I realized that I was not sitting on a "Ladies Only" bench. I was in breach of the male personal space and they had to move away. Interesting how two identical benches have different standards as to who should sit there.
Also, I have recently been hanging out with Nura, an Omani girl that works in my office. She is spunky, fun, and funny. We definitely get along and always leave each other's company with a belly ache from the laughing. She invited me to go play soccer with her. I arrived at a fairly barren field where the girls (Brits, Japanese, Egyptian, and Omani) were coached by a former national team player to have fun and play soccer. It was amazing to play with girls here, some of whom were crazy and still had their head covering on and had their elbows and knees covered. Yet, we sadly had to leave the practice early due to the fact that the guys wanted to use the field and they had priority. On one hand I was greatly impressed that the government set out to allow girls to play for free while being trained by a coach (he gets paid by gov't), yet also why did we have to leave if we are the ones that are always on the field between 6-8.
Then today, the club...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Havin Fun the Muscat Way
So last night we went out to celebrate John's 20th birthday. Fun was had by all...
We started off at Rock Bottom which had expensive drinks, no one dancing, and mostly older guys, although it did have a decent band (playing sweet home alabama). We quickly left there to go to the Intercontinental Hotel...the major American hotel here. We started at Trader Vic's for huge mixed rum drinks. I loved the decor and environment of the place, with salsa music and dancing, except there was horrible smoke. After that place we headed to the club Gazelle inside the main part of the hotel. The club wasn't that bad, with pool tables and people actually dancing on the dance floor. The music playing was mostly techno with a bit of hip hop thrown in sometimes. While the dancing was fun, the most enjoyable part was watching the people on the dance floor. There were 3 REALLY gay guys dancing hilariously, an Omani getting jiggy with it in full dishdasha, and several drunk guys spasming on the floor. Somehow I was able to attract the attention of the Omani, who asked for my name and relationship status. I just ran away while a nice British guy took care of him. On the way home, John was giving Celeste a backrub in the car...possible hookup between them?
We slept for 2 hours and then I woke up to drive Celeste and John to work. I met up with Suzy and Katy and headed to McD's for lunch and then to the old part of town. We walked around the boardwalk and then headed to a souq (market). The souq was sadly mostly closed but we'll come back later. Then we stopped by and took pics in front of the Sultan's palace. WOW it's amazing. I'm def lookign forward to actually going into the souq while it's busy and getting to visit the inside of the Sultan's palace. Then sadly I had to cut the day short cause I had to get to a fair where HSBC had a table set up. Representing HSBC was slightly dull, but outside they had a traditional national Omani band playing to attract people to the fair. The band was so weird. It was a mix of Scottish, African, and Native American. There was a bagpipe playing with African sounding beats and words. Yet, the dancing and costumes were kinda like the Native Americans. I enjoyed, and it was def better than the fair itself. I like Rest Days :)
Also, for those that have read up to here and went to high school with me. Scott is a guy that works in HSBC who is amazingly cool and went to my high school, Walton High class of '99. How cool is that?
We started off at Rock Bottom which had expensive drinks, no one dancing, and mostly older guys, although it did have a decent band (playing sweet home alabama). We quickly left there to go to the Intercontinental Hotel...the major American hotel here. We started at Trader Vic's for huge mixed rum drinks. I loved the decor and environment of the place, with salsa music and dancing, except there was horrible smoke. After that place we headed to the club Gazelle inside the main part of the hotel. The club wasn't that bad, with pool tables and people actually dancing on the dance floor. The music playing was mostly techno with a bit of hip hop thrown in sometimes. While the dancing was fun, the most enjoyable part was watching the people on the dance floor. There were 3 REALLY gay guys dancing hilariously, an Omani getting jiggy with it in full dishdasha, and several drunk guys spasming on the floor. Somehow I was able to attract the attention of the Omani, who asked for my name and relationship status. I just ran away while a nice British guy took care of him. On the way home, John was giving Celeste a backrub in the car...possible hookup between them?
We slept for 2 hours and then I woke up to drive Celeste and John to work. I met up with Suzy and Katy and headed to McD's for lunch and then to the old part of town. We walked around the boardwalk and then headed to a souq (market). The souq was sadly mostly closed but we'll come back later. Then we stopped by and took pics in front of the Sultan's palace. WOW it's amazing. I'm def lookign forward to actually going into the souq while it's busy and getting to visit the inside of the Sultan's palace. Then sadly I had to cut the day short cause I had to get to a fair where HSBC had a table set up. Representing HSBC was slightly dull, but outside they had a traditional national Omani band playing to attract people to the fair. The band was so weird. It was a mix of Scottish, African, and Native American. There was a bagpipe playing with African sounding beats and words. Yet, the dancing and costumes were kinda like the Native Americans. I enjoyed, and it was def better than the fair itself. I like Rest Days :)
Also, for those that have read up to here and went to high school with me. Scott is a guy that works in HSBC who is amazingly cool and went to my high school, Walton High class of '99. How cool is that?
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
annoyed
Just plainly annoyed. Really missing someone I can vent to, so for now I'll have to just keep it in and hope that someone doesn't set me off. ARGH! For now I'll try to just vent through going to the store or park....maybe i'll just jog there...
I've realized that this is my second post that is semi-negative in tone. So here is an explanation. I really like the lifestyle, people, and overall environment of Muscat. I like the food and the way of life in general. I just have an issue with my specific position within HSBC. I really feel like I'm not being utilized because I am probably overqualified for the department that I am in. They would be better off with someone that is in Marketing or Organization. My department is Business Banking, except everything that involves mathematical thinking is automated or outsourced to a different division. They are currently expanding and are increasing the number of PR events and promotions that they are doing. Somehow they passed over the parts in my resume that emphasize the quantitative skills and kinda used their imagination in putting in my love of planning events. So, when I came into the department the boss sat down with me to go over my projects and was completely unprepared to be dealing with someone who has no interest at all in planning and organizing. So he has given me bitch work to do that is tedious and boring. I've realized that as a generalization, Omanis don't like to do work so they take forever workign on things. I can't stand not being busy at work so, I'm planning on just finishing my projects sometime early next week (my weekend is thursday and friday). And just handing them in and nicely demanding to be transferred to a different department while I await going into Global Securities early June. So wait for the drama to ensue.
I've realized that this is my second post that is semi-negative in tone. So here is an explanation. I really like the lifestyle, people, and overall environment of Muscat. I like the food and the way of life in general. I just have an issue with my specific position within HSBC. I really feel like I'm not being utilized because I am probably overqualified for the department that I am in. They would be better off with someone that is in Marketing or Organization. My department is Business Banking, except everything that involves mathematical thinking is automated or outsourced to a different division. They are currently expanding and are increasing the number of PR events and promotions that they are doing. Somehow they passed over the parts in my resume that emphasize the quantitative skills and kinda used their imagination in putting in my love of planning events. So, when I came into the department the boss sat down with me to go over my projects and was completely unprepared to be dealing with someone who has no interest at all in planning and organizing. So he has given me bitch work to do that is tedious and boring. I've realized that as a generalization, Omanis don't like to do work so they take forever workign on things. I can't stand not being busy at work so, I'm planning on just finishing my projects sometime early next week (my weekend is thursday and friday). And just handing them in and nicely demanding to be transferred to a different department while I await going into Global Securities early June. So wait for the drama to ensue.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Frustrating Day
Today was one of those frustrating days that you eagerly await the end of. This morning started with waking up, after coming home at midnight, to realize that the electricity and water has been shut off. I had to use bottled water to brush teeth and wash my face. Thankfully earlier in the week I went to Lulu (a huge supermarket that looks like a casino in the evening) and got huge bottles of water that you usually with office water coolers.
I was excited for work today because there is a new product that UK's HSBC wants us to start, and they have put me in charge of working on it. It was supposed to take me a while because it would involve initial market research and then quantifying the possible revenues and costs that it would involve. I started doing the market research although there was limited information about small businesses within Oman. I went to have a conference with UK and other countries to talk about questions and concerns that we have with it. The conference started smoothly and then one of the participants put the call on hold and loud elevator music started blasting into the phone. The meeting will have to be rescheduled. Except, as I further got into the research I realized how unprepared the market is for this product, which was further confirmed by my boss. I currently have 4 other projects that I'm supposed to be workign on. One is a credit review and analysis, where I have already been waiting 2 days to get the needed financial statements to finish this. A project where I need to prepare the monthly results and trends of performance for the department except I have to wait until the month ends to get the data on the month. Also, a fellow trainee is going to be leaving in a week or so and he has to pass me the project he is working on. The issue is that he doesn't know excel (format of the project) and he has to reformat it so that I can do analysis on the work. Finally, i went and spoke to the boss talling him about my issues with not having work to do. He decided to give me two projects that he thinks will take 3 weeks to finish...i am 40% finished on both after working on it 2 hours. In conclusion there are 2 main frustrating things about HSBC Oman...1) everything takes forever to receive and finalize 2) the network usually goes bonkers and decides to freeze for 30 mins at least once a day... so everyone just chats and goes on coffee breaks.
Yesterday I drove by myself around Oman for the first time and also received my first Omani parking ticket. Oman has a huge issue with road infrastructure...where as there are no real street names, not enough streets, streets not wide enough, and not enough parking. For work everyday we park parrallel to the street in a non-existant parking lot. Many people park on the side walk or in an expensive parkign lot that only houses around 30 cars. I guess one of the few parking attendants saw our car blocking one side of the street and gave us a warning (no penalty to pay).
I found out today that Priyanka, another intern in my department, lives literally 5 doors away from me. It should be nice to have someone close. The house itslef is interesting. It has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 1 living room, a large office, and a room for the maid. The rooms are REALLY large and have REALLY high ceilings. The only downside of this place is that it has construction everyday and that it has mold. Gonu, a large cyclone, hit last year causing massive damage and even deaths. The house we're living in now had the first floor flooded and the second floor had to be taken down. We live on the first floor while the second floor is currently being built. I would assume the house wasn't completely dried because all of the rooms have at least some mold. Usually it's in the curtains although there is one bedroom that reeks of mold. The bedroom that I will be moving to doesn't smell of mold but supposedly has some in curtains. It should also be interesting in how the room situation will work out. There are four bedrooms, with one bedroom having two beds within it. Once the AIESEC staff moves out there will be only trainees living in the house. Except during this summer we are anticipating 3 more people. If you do the math right...we will be missing a bed for one of the interns.
Everyone that is currently here is super cool.
Brett & Suzy- The cute dating couple that are uber-duper cute together. With Suzy being a cute Colombian who is currently doing a traineeship here. Brett is in charge of incoming exchange and looks Arabic or Middle Eastern but is a plain American. It's always amusing to see how everyone just assumes that he's from somewhere close by when his ancestors are Eastern Europeans.
David- Curry chaser to the extreme. His love of Indian movies and actors is intense. Also, known for his zombie stares that he gets when he's tired.
Katy- a hot chicka who has a hottie of a bf coming to visit from Tunisia.
Lynn- A chill and relaxed guy who has the easiest time meeting new people. At a grocery store I looked away for a second only to come back to him chatting with an Omani, for 30 mins.
And the trainees- John (an incredibly tall guy who loves to talk about politics and should be avoided when he gets angry while he's driving), Celeste (a social butterfly who spends as much time as possible outside).
I was excited for work today because there is a new product that UK's HSBC wants us to start, and they have put me in charge of working on it. It was supposed to take me a while because it would involve initial market research and then quantifying the possible revenues and costs that it would involve. I started doing the market research although there was limited information about small businesses within Oman. I went to have a conference with UK and other countries to talk about questions and concerns that we have with it. The conference started smoothly and then one of the participants put the call on hold and loud elevator music started blasting into the phone. The meeting will have to be rescheduled. Except, as I further got into the research I realized how unprepared the market is for this product, which was further confirmed by my boss. I currently have 4 other projects that I'm supposed to be workign on. One is a credit review and analysis, where I have already been waiting 2 days to get the needed financial statements to finish this. A project where I need to prepare the monthly results and trends of performance for the department except I have to wait until the month ends to get the data on the month. Also, a fellow trainee is going to be leaving in a week or so and he has to pass me the project he is working on. The issue is that he doesn't know excel (format of the project) and he has to reformat it so that I can do analysis on the work. Finally, i went and spoke to the boss talling him about my issues with not having work to do. He decided to give me two projects that he thinks will take 3 weeks to finish...i am 40% finished on both after working on it 2 hours. In conclusion there are 2 main frustrating things about HSBC Oman...1) everything takes forever to receive and finalize 2) the network usually goes bonkers and decides to freeze for 30 mins at least once a day... so everyone just chats and goes on coffee breaks.
Yesterday I drove by myself around Oman for the first time and also received my first Omani parking ticket. Oman has a huge issue with road infrastructure...where as there are no real street names, not enough streets, streets not wide enough, and not enough parking. For work everyday we park parrallel to the street in a non-existant parking lot. Many people park on the side walk or in an expensive parkign lot that only houses around 30 cars. I guess one of the few parking attendants saw our car blocking one side of the street and gave us a warning (no penalty to pay).
I found out today that Priyanka, another intern in my department, lives literally 5 doors away from me. It should be nice to have someone close. The house itslef is interesting. It has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 1 living room, a large office, and a room for the maid. The rooms are REALLY large and have REALLY high ceilings. The only downside of this place is that it has construction everyday and that it has mold. Gonu, a large cyclone, hit last year causing massive damage and even deaths. The house we're living in now had the first floor flooded and the second floor had to be taken down. We live on the first floor while the second floor is currently being built. I would assume the house wasn't completely dried because all of the rooms have at least some mold. Usually it's in the curtains although there is one bedroom that reeks of mold. The bedroom that I will be moving to doesn't smell of mold but supposedly has some in curtains. It should also be interesting in how the room situation will work out. There are four bedrooms, with one bedroom having two beds within it. Once the AIESEC staff moves out there will be only trainees living in the house. Except during this summer we are anticipating 3 more people. If you do the math right...we will be missing a bed for one of the interns.
Everyone that is currently here is super cool.
Brett & Suzy- The cute dating couple that are uber-duper cute together. With Suzy being a cute Colombian who is currently doing a traineeship here. Brett is in charge of incoming exchange and looks Arabic or Middle Eastern but is a plain American. It's always amusing to see how everyone just assumes that he's from somewhere close by when his ancestors are Eastern Europeans.
David- Curry chaser to the extreme. His love of Indian movies and actors is intense. Also, known for his zombie stares that he gets when he's tired.
Katy- a hot chicka who has a hottie of a bf coming to visit from Tunisia.
Lynn- A chill and relaxed guy who has the easiest time meeting new people. At a grocery store I looked away for a second only to come back to him chatting with an Omani, for 30 mins.
And the trainees- John (an incredibly tall guy who loves to talk about politics and should be avoided when he gets angry while he's driving), Celeste (a social butterfly who spends as much time as possible outside).
Monday, May 26, 2008
Long overdue post
So, sadly this is my 4th day in Oman but only my first post.
To begin, if you haven't gotten the message...I'm doing my internship in Oman. I work with HSBC Oman in their Business Banking division and will be soon transferring to their Global Securities Trading Division.
The trip to Oman was ridiculously long with two layovers- London and Bahrain. When I finally arrived, I was greeted by all of the AIESECers which was incredibly nice. Within the first day I went to the largest indoor mall in Oman, City Center, and then to the Indian part of town, Ruwi. The mall, was interesting because it was pretty much a replica of an American mall except with occasional Arabic words next to the names of the stores and people walking around in traditional wear. Also, I was surprised by the stores that they had there. I would have expected the Omanis to be fairly concervative with their stores, but there were probably 2 or 3 lingerie stores showing off the thongs and bras in the store window. Ruwi, the Indian part of town was chaotic, with too many people crowding the streets. There I got my first taste of Omani and Indian men and their "happy" behaviour. Men here hold hands while walking with each other, and sometimes will even give shoulder massages as one is sitting. Very peculiar.
The Arabic men are not as scary as the Indian guys as Arabic men might look or quickly glance at you since you are a female that is not in the traditional abayas. Indian men look and stare at you from top to bottom. I guess that is it for my initial impressions of Oman. More later as now it is time for me to go to a park with a co-worker.
To begin, if you haven't gotten the message...I'm doing my internship in Oman. I work with HSBC Oman in their Business Banking division and will be soon transferring to their Global Securities Trading Division.
The trip to Oman was ridiculously long with two layovers- London and Bahrain. When I finally arrived, I was greeted by all of the AIESECers which was incredibly nice. Within the first day I went to the largest indoor mall in Oman, City Center, and then to the Indian part of town, Ruwi. The mall, was interesting because it was pretty much a replica of an American mall except with occasional Arabic words next to the names of the stores and people walking around in traditional wear. Also, I was surprised by the stores that they had there. I would have expected the Omanis to be fairly concervative with their stores, but there were probably 2 or 3 lingerie stores showing off the thongs and bras in the store window. Ruwi, the Indian part of town was chaotic, with too many people crowding the streets. There I got my first taste of Omani and Indian men and their "happy" behaviour. Men here hold hands while walking with each other, and sometimes will even give shoulder massages as one is sitting. Very peculiar.
The Arabic men are not as scary as the Indian guys as Arabic men might look or quickly glance at you since you are a female that is not in the traditional abayas. Indian men look and stare at you from top to bottom. I guess that is it for my initial impressions of Oman. More later as now it is time for me to go to a park with a co-worker.
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