One Month Left!
annieovt asked: Do young men and women "date" like they do in the US?
Hello Annie! Thank you for your question; it is a good thing to mention on the blog. I will express a more personal opinion on the whole thing when I get home…
Dating isn’t as common, but it certainly does happen. Even so, young men and women do not date like they do in the US. In most cases, couples date in secret and do not share it with their families.
I do not know what else to say at the moment (for the blog), but I will have more to tell you later on.
What Do Omanis Wear?
The official national dresses in Oman are dishdashas for men and abayas for women. Most Omanis do choose to wear this, but wearing other clothing is acceptable as well, (especially with the younger generations). You can read about Omani national dress here.
What Do You Wear Out of the House?
When going out of the house my pants are never higher than just above my ankles. My sleeves are almost always long and rolled up to my elbows. I wear a lot of pants with long shirts that cover from behind. Having cardigans and scarves to wear as shawls have also been pretty helpful. I often see expats wearing skirts and capris just below their knees and small t-shirts — it can really vary. As a not-so-random side-note, Omani females always manage to look extremely put together and stylish. I remember reading this article before coming to Oman, and have definitely made similar observations.
What Do You Wear to School?
With the mandatory uniform, dressing for school is easy. At the beginning of the year, school uniforms are tailored. The only thing we had to supply on our own were white, collared, long-sleeve shirts. Even though it is Oman, the weather can get cool in the winter and the air conditioners are always on. At my school, we were allowed to wear white, grey, or black sweaters over our uniform. I am glad I packed cardigans because I am often cold at school.
What Do You Wear at Home?
At home I usually wear a house jelabia or dierra. They are basically very long and loose nightgowns that come with a scarf. I also wear longer t-shirts and long yoga pants. I never wear shorts or tank tops.
When going out the weekends however, more though is obviously put into the matter. I packed a lot of Jeans and pants that come to above my ankles. I wear tops that do not have an exposing neck line and are long,long in the back… I often wear a scarf around my neck and shoulders.
When going to class I usually wear yoga pants and a t-shirt. It is also acceptable to wear leggings or tight jeans with a dress over.
Do You Ever Have to Wear a Hijab/Lahaf/Scarf?
I am not expected nor am I encouraged to wear a scarf. Muscat is a progressive and multicultural city. When I wear an abaya however, I prefer to wear the scarf with it rather than without.
Anonymous asked: What advice do you have to next year's YES finalists? To Oman and otherwise!
Hello! Thank you for your question, and I am sorry that it has taken me quite a while to get back.
My best advice would be to practice the language you will speak in your host country as much as possible and learn as much as you can about your host country’s history and culture. Don’t think too much about leaving your friends and family or about the uncertainties lying ahead. If you know your host family ahead of time, get to know them and learn their names! I discovered who my host family was in the airport on the way to Oman and I really wish I had known earlier. Make sure you pack smart and bring good suitcases that won’t be a pain. With packing, speak with students from the year before about what they brought, what they wished they’d left behind, ect. I know I have a long lists of things I’d brought, left home, and things I’ve found useful. I will make a post about making your year abroad soon, (though it will be more specific to Oman).
While you are in your host country, make the most of your year. Time passes so quickly, it’s unbelievable… Practice your host country’s language diligently, get to know your host family, and stay busy. Finding things to do at times can be tough, but every YES country is different. Definitely enjoy all of the food that you can while you are abroad. You will certainly gain weight, but that is alright : ) Hmm what else… Keep a positive and optimistic attitude! You are bound to feel just a tad homesick or down at times, but just keep reminding yourself of how lucky you are to be living abroad on a full-scholarship, living with an awesome family, getting incredible exposure to culture, and experiencing something very unique and special.
Anonymous asked: What kind of camera do you use? Your pictures are really nice.
Thank You! I use a Nikon D3100. It is pretty inconvenient to carry around, but it takes nice photos.
A Weekend Out of Muscat
Spending about 24 hours with complete immersion in the the Arabic language is something that is nearly impossible to do in the diverse, developing, and progressive city of Muscat. This past weekend however, I undertook this challenge while staying with a weekend host family in the city of Sohar. Sohar—about two hours north of Muscat—is a smaller and more traditional city with a population of about 105,000. On thursday morning, the six os us YES Abroad students drove up to Sohar to spend time with about twelve female Omani students. These motivated students are on a micro-scholarship program called Access which allows students to take English classes two to three times per week. Like the Kennedy-Lugar YES Program, Access is also funded by the U.S. Department of State.
In Sohar we met up with the Omani girls and did some ice-breaking activities to get to know one another. The activities were followed by presentations we gave to one another about cultural aspects unique to our countries. After a large lunch and a session of group bowling, the YES students each went home separately to different Omani homes.
I went home with a girl from the Access class named Ibtihaj Al-Farsi. I was warmly welcomed by her mother who I just referred to as Khalti (My Aunt) and her two sweet younger sisters. After settling in, a snack, and some relaxation, we left to go to a family friends wedding. As usual, I felt extremely underdressed. Women go all out at weddings. ( For an Arabian wedding think Prom x 1000 + more sparky + extreme hair updos + dramatic Arabian make *Minus* - the presence of men. I will do a more in depth blog post on marriage and weddings later on.) Hmm where was I … So, after the wedding the four of us went to the beach, took photos, went to their grandparents house, ate, and chatted. We got to talking about henna and about five minutes later, a relative was applying henna on my pale hands.
This weekend was special because of the connection I was able to develop with a family outside of Muscat. In a brief 24 hours I felt very comfortable with my weekend family and was a sad to go. I have been invited to a wedding in the family which is to be held next week, but unfortunately will not be able to make it (Sohar is out of my travel range). The weekend was also significant because it was an incredible opportunity for me to practice Arabic. With so much English here is Muscat, there is never full language immersion. This has been both a relief and topic of frustration that has made picking up Arabic more difficult. I was able to communicate well with my family and am thankful that my Arabic skills have progressed over time. Way of life outside of Muscat also varies. Families are more traditional and customs and religion are more firmly held on to. The trips and excursions we take outside of Muscat are incredibly crucial for our (the students) understanding of Oman’s history, beliefs, geography, and culture as a whole.
Moza Khamis
—MIyan 2lby Mlyan
OMANI MUSIC?
Yes, all of my classmates and cousins may be more interested in American Top 40, but Omani songs do exist. This one in particular is specific to Salalah—A southern area in Oman.
My (I Have a lot) To-Do List:
It is crazy to think about how quickly time has past, and there is still so much I would love to do in these two months I have left. Last week in Arabic class we did an activity that was pretty repetitive and slightly boring about making goals. In the end though, it did get me thinking about some important, extremely random, and personal things I would love to do in Oman. I have a habit of constantly making lists …
Host Family
I live in Khoudth, about half an hour away from the central areas of Muscat. Although sometimes I feel isolated here, I have come to love this lively and diverse area where I reside with my host family. The family name is Al-Shidhani and as is similar in much of the Arab world, I have a large (and close) extended host family. I live in a house with eight other people including my host sister Miad (22), brother Khalid (18), older host brother Mohamed (20s), another older host brother and his wife (Hilal and Zainab), my host parents (Said and Shamsa), and the house help Obse. I have one other host brother as well who is out of the house, married, and with children. We see the four of them quite often. I am extremely settled in with my direct host family and feel lucky to be with them.
Saudi guys on KEEK are pretty popular at the moment… As is this song.
From Ashley’s Blog!
(Another night in Morocco)
fromtexastomuscat:
Last Wednesday, April 3rd, the six of us sat in at a showing of “An Evening in Morocco” at the Royal Muscat Opera House.
Dunes, Wahiba, and More.
Sur, Turtles, Wahiba, and Wadis
This past weekend the YES Abroad students and I went on an eventful weekend excursion that included sea turtles, white sand beaches, teal blue swimming holes, desert dunes, and more. We began the weekend by meeting up bright and early (7:30 AM), at the AMIDEAST offices. We were locked out, but proceeded to fill out ginourmous mid-year study abroad reflection packets and discuss our experiences thus far. (Unfortunately, we still have a ways to go with those.)
About an hour later, we began out lengthly car-ride. Fortunately,we stopped at plenty of interesting places along the way including Wadi Al Arbaeen, the Bimmah Sinkhole, a beach near Finns, and Sur on the way to the Raz Al Jinz Turtle Reserve.
In the evening, sea turtles emerged from the water and began to lay their eggs. Around 9PM, a guide led our large group to the beach where we witnessed giant “Green Sea Turtles” digging nests in the sand with their flippers, laying their golfball-sized eggs, covering their nests, and more. We even got to see the adorable newly-born turtles make their way into the sea. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to bring cameras.
Early Friday morning, Claire, Ashley, Hannah, and I decided to spend time on the beach and watch the sunrise. We walked to the beach and kind of wandered off into our own areas to sit in peace.
On the way home we did some rock/cliff-jumping at Wadi Bin Khalid, “Dune-Bashing” in Wahiba Sands, and Camel riding. For lunch we stopped and ate at a Beduoin’s home in Wahiba Sands.
Another mentionable observation from this weekend’s excursion, was how many tourists we saw at sight-seeing stops. As a student going to an Omani International school and living with an Omani family far from Muscat’s prominent tourist attractions, I do not usually see tourists. Seeing foreigners traveling in Oman is both exciting and unsettling at times. Many tourists are either not aware or have no sensitivity to the Islamic culture here. Seeing women (and men) exposing so much skin was a bit shocking at times…
Leaving the city of Muscat has been beneficial for me and has expanded my knowledge on the country of Oman. Life is definitely different outside of the capital city—something I often forget to think about. Each time I enjoy spending time with the other students, Fatin, seeing new things, and learning more about Oman’s nature, people, culture, and customs.
