How To Live Like an Omani Princess

It is a well known fact that the Minstry of Housing in Oman is one of the most corrupt of our Omani Ministries. I say this on good authority, being that alot of our family friends and relatives work there, and many admit to the corruption. But on the hush hush.

Before I continue, for those who do not know, the Ministry of Housing in Oman is that great bastion of free lands for Omanis [though not quite free, nearly free]. Depending on what requirements one meets, an Omani citizen, male or female, may apply for land, either residential or commercial [though commercial has stricter requirements these days they do say at the 'ole Ministry]. Usually residential land is meted out according to tribal heritage. I.e. this is where your tribe is from, this is where your land is from. But if your family has not lived in the tribal area ect... for a reasonable ammount of time and such land would not be practical for you, you may apply to change lands for another area. This area SHOULD, and this is the key factor in the corruption nowadays, SHOULD BE OF EQUAL value to the land that you had earlier. But that may not be practical when people are exchanging a middle-of-nowhere location for Muscat.

On to the allegations of corruption. A recent story was posted on the Arabic sabla [Omani online forum] (which was taken down immediately, but not before Omanis managed to take the story and repost it all over the whatsappp phone message boards). The story allegated that through a string of Moroccan prostitutes who would take a commission in order to get lands equivelent in value to 60, 0000 Omani rials or more sexual favours would be exchanged for land papers. Photos and names were posted by someone claiming this deal was offered to him after waiting nearly a decade to recieve his rightful land.

Now whether this rumour was true or not, I wouldn't deign to say. I myself will not be part of another Omani-Moroccan Chicks are baaaaaad smear campaign.

What I can say, is my Ministry sources do say that they themselves were never aware of Moroccan girls coming in and out of the Ministry ever or regularily.

Which is different than the sabla story. Suspicious but possibly slanderous reasoning could still assume such deals took place beyond Housing Minstry offices and rooftop but there are no eyewitness accounts beyond the man who added the online story to back-up the "blame the Moroccans" account.

But one particular family member who is perhaps a more reliable source since he quit his own position in the Ministry because he was tired of everyone in our tribe and family expecting him to do favours to finish lands for a more humble position therein, can relate that he has known cases of Omani girls [not professional prostitutes] that did sexual errr, stuff, in order to finish their family's papers. That was the price of wasta someone at the Minstry [who I won't name because neither my source nor I are willing to get into any legalalities over this] to get the paper.

I know Omanis will find that fact overly disgusting, and not to say that it isn't. But many families I know personally may find that disgusting but are okay to use the influence of a friend to exchange a 6,000 OMR peice of land for a 22, 000 OMR peice of land, or get a commercial land that they do not have the requirements to be entitled to.

My family and firends included. Some of them really nice people, but I mean, haraam [arabic word meaning 'sinful' or 'not allowed'].

No offense Minstry of Housing, but it IS KIND OBVIOUS that corruption is the norm therein, when an employee that makes only 300 OMR and never had a baiza to his name before he got his job within the Ministry, now drives a car more expensive than any doctor [and even a couple of Ministers whose tastes run more humble] I have ever known and has lands in areas of Shatti and Al Qurum that folks that hail from Shatti and Al Qurum don't have enough wasta to get, and all his family finish their papers in a day, while it takes eight years for others to do the same in areas "where available lands are limited". Um, yeah, and Shatti and Al Qurum don't have that problem, yeah hummm, yeah right.

But I'm sure, as a person, Mr. 300 OMR a month is really such a swell guy, that everyone and himself, just had to help him out. That has to be it.

That's how it always is.

I know it is much easier to blame some dudes who are pervs and a string of Moroccan prostitutes for the corruption, but it really is our own faults as Omanis, when people say, well, if our son/father/nephew/cousin/neice/daughter in the Minstry didn't do that than others would do it anyways and all the lands would even up taken illegally anyways, and I mean, at least they didn't trade sexual favours for anything.

Everyone sighs a sigh of relief when their own family member (who does use wasta at said Ministry) doesn't appear in the list of names in the Housing Ministry Sex Scandal on sabla, LOL.

But it isn't funny.

Next up on my rants on tribalism/wasta/corruption: The dude at the Minstry of the Interior [passport, immigration, ect] who offered to get me my Omani passport in six months if I bought him a new Galaxy type phone.

I don't know alot of DIYers [Do-It-Yourself] in Oman. Maybe because labour is so cheap and people can always find a couple of Pakistani dudes on the road willing to do heavy lifting and all (and haphazard construction). But I like to do things myself.

No.1 with an Omani husband it gets done alot faster since husband is always oh Gooooooooooooooooooood noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! Wife can sooooooooooooooooo not be alone in house for any deliveries or construction because the workers are....

Nevermind that I am perfectly capable of locking myself in any given room in the house and all our doors are the same as our front door in strength so...

Anyways. Yeah, so if they didn't paint the house before we moved in, I either have to go on vacation until it gets done, or it never gets done. And it never gets done.

No. 2 it always get done better. This last weekend we bought two used old bedroom sets that needed a little repair and after moving needed to be reconstructed because they are massive and thus need to be taken apart to be moved through any given door.

I am absolutely sure even for 30-60 OMR no Indian or Pakistani or even [most certainly] Omani dude is going to drill it and hammer it and fill gaps as well as the actual owners of said furniture. With the state our stuff was in, I am sure they would have just told us it couldn't be done. But we did it. After 12 hours of hard work and alittle elbow grease, we successfully guessed which unlabelled peices went with what, how to repair the things we couldn't buy parts for, and the stuff looked good and ready for the makeover I intend to give one of the sets (an Arabic faux-European style set in a light colour like the one above, needs a little updating and styling for me to find it acceptable in my home since it reallly, really is not either my classic anglo-style orr my rustic GCC style).

No. 3 it totally saves you money. If you want an entire bedroom set that looks like it belongs in a nice home for under 100 OMR then you are going to have to master the art of DIY.

No. 4 Women AND men find it totally sexy when someone can get things done around the house without needing alot of help. Hear that boys? Lean how to hang your own curtains, ladies, know how to sew them ect if you are not up to hanging them.

Anyways, if you are going to be a DIYer in Oman I recommend you buy the following tools (they save you alot of cash and hassle) first:

THE DRILL

I own a small Black and Decker drill (I am pretty faithful to brandnames when it comes to power tools) with a cord. I bought it for 16 OMR at Carrefour. It works for hanging curtains, mirrors, through cement, metal, and wood (though not for attaching sattelite dishes apprently). It came with its own set of drill bits and have been all that I have ever needed as far as DIY work in the house. For around 35 OMR one can get a really really useful cordless drill of more strength and better grip than my little baby [pictured below]:.

THE SCREW DRIVER

Now, since scredrivers come with different headtypes, it is useful to have more than one in the house and to match the screw driver with the screw. The Standard [also known as "slotted"], Philips [also known as "star"], and Robertson [also known as square] tend to be the most common types but products from China often use the "toryx and "hex" and European products occasionally mystify with the "Pozidrive". If the screws won't fix into freshly drilly surface (common with cement walls) then little rubber or plastic "anchors" solve that little conundrum so commonly encountered in Muscat (and are available in Carrefour and Rameez):

THE HAMMER

A classic tool. It is used to pound nails into wood (not so good generally with cement). I tend to use a small and medium size hammer in home improvement projects rather than a large carpenter's hammer.

THE LADDER

I honestly believe EVERY home should have a ladder the reaches at least one's ceiling. Because everyone should be able to change their own lightbulbs and if you are going to dust properly, let alone paint your own walls, you are going to need one. Often if you rent your landlord may already have one you can borrow. If not, invest in a good stainless steel one it will be safe for your to store outside.
THE WRENCH

If you are buying just one kind, get an adjustable kind. It is used for holding things and turning objects that the human arm doesn't have the strength or ability to do easily.

Anyways, if you don't buy my speal about DIY work being better than professional [hahaha a loosely used term in Oman ANYWAYS] work, see this blog http://www.centsationalgirl.com/ for some inspiration of what you TOO are capable of with a little know-how:

'Tis the season for me to buy those pretty glass bulbs I like to fill up my glass lanterns with for Eid decorations, stock up on sale candycanes and mandarin oranges, and a more exotic array of french foods. Like foi gras, cheeses, and mushrooms that only seem to be around for the Christmas season.

Whatever the day means for you (me, nothing much but my family it is their biggest gathering of the year and also the day they volunteer to feed the sick, elderly, homeless and miskeen after a month of getting together collections) wish it be one filled with God/Allah's peace for all.

Beautiful and stylish, Omani fashion blogger, Shurooq Al Haremi demonstrating that to be modest is not always boring and certainly not unattractive. She is wearing an outfit here, that my own in-laws would probably be okay with allowing a guest to wear into their homes (albeit they'd prefer some semblance of a scarf on the head however little it covers). Her blog: http://hershoolathots.blogspot.com/

I have noticed a new trend here in Oman that diverges from when I was a non-Muslim teen growing up here in Muscat----more and more expats seem to be seemingly totally void of common sense in terms of what the majority of the population will or will not take offense to in terms of dress. Now I, as a Western and a Muslim woman, don't care if anyone decides to go around even in a bikini or a burka [though that chic who decided just to wear a pashmina for a swim at Qantab and flashed me her every secret crevice was not my fondest memory]. But I have to say, not every Omani will respect you if you don't respect them. Same goes likewise, of course. That doesn't mean you have to wear an abaya or cover every inch, but make sure you are wearing moderately loose covering clothing if mixing with the local population in more conservative areas. There IS moderately loose covering clothing in Western brands.

I swear, this is how I remember all the expat "grownups" who knew better dressing for a trip to the grocery store or mall in Muscat when I was a kid. Either that or knee length skirts and sundresses with cardigans from Marks and Spencers.

I mean, how it is okay to dress at Qantab is not okay to wear at a grocery store or City Center mall. How it is okay to dress even by modest standards in Muscat is not going to get you invited into Omani households in the interior of Oman. The same thing can be said about life in the West. Where I am from, dressing like a day of surfing at the mall WILL get you the evil eye or called a 'ho by some less well mannered girls than I. Or dressing as stylishly as in the city will make you stand out in some where more country. All the world is the same when you've seen enough of it. Respect is just shown in different ways in different places.

I will give you an example of my own "more country" Omani inlaws. In a house that has more than one family living together, women in the house wear floor length long sleeved loose floral printed gowns with matching shawls on head (not necessarily but almost always covering every single strand of hair and the neck). Most men see only their closest inlaws like this. Outside the home black abayas are worn on top of these dresses and ankles aren't seen as women wear tight pants underneath their skirts and dresses. So yeah, men who are from here and haven't travelled will invariably find ankles sexy and tight fitting clothes.

When I became a Muslim in the West I adapted many Muslim peices of clothing to my culture. I usually didn't wear the black veil. I wore coloured ones with big pretty flower broaches/pins attached to it so that Westerners wouldn't find my ultra conservative mode of dress as scary. Usually the colour of the veil started a conversation. "Muslim women are allowed to wear colours?" Yes, of course we are. We often choose not to, or culture insists we don't but the religion totally promotes colours. I also wore abayas, but more stylishly cut and embellished ones than you are likely to find in a remote interior Omani village.

Zubaida Jacobs, a Dubai-based fashion blogger, wearing an outfit totally cute and modest enough for Muscat even with a fitted waist and more fitted t-shirt top. Not what my inlaws prefer but nothing out of the ordinary for the capital. Her blog: http://www.butterhotshoes.com/

But anyways, when I first became a Muslim I made the number one mistake culturally concsious (those expats who care what Omanis think of them) person(s) seem to make. I thought skin totally covered WAS modest. But I forgot the loose and see-through factors. So I do see alot of expats in tight pants and long sleeve fitted t-shirts which just doesn't cut it for my Omani inlaws. Or skirts that are loose and flowy but see-through and blow up to show ankles and even thighs ect....

1.) The difference is absolutley huge in what impact one can get from the culture. For example, a famous Lebanese TV host visited our village in a mini skirt and tank top to interview the head of the village. He out and out walked away and ignored her. Which might make Omanis come across as rude.

2.) A pair of South African girls in attempts at modest dress {skirt blowing up, pants and t-shirt too tight} came to our village and none of the women from the village offered to give them a tour and everyone even the men hid from their camera lenses. Which might make it seem that Omani women and men are secretive unsocial creatures.

3.) Two women, both Swedish journalists, came to do a story on our village for the Eid. They wore loose trousers with loose knee length tunics on top and fitted long sleeve pajama t-shirts poking out. Very "the English Patient" chic still. They draped scarves loosely (not tied) over their hair. We could still se emost of their hair but my own mother-in-law took it as a sign of respect and the women of the family invited them to join in on the festivities in our house. A limited number of photos were permitted to be taken of the women (albeit only detail shots not of faces).

4.) A Japanese non-Muslim tourist dressed head-to-toe in black abaya and black head scarf came to tour the village. Every single woman came to greet her, invite her to their homes for food and visiting, and alot fo women allowed her to take their full-body face-shot included photographs.

As you might note, the experiences people had of the Interior of Oman where my in-laws are from can totally change depending on how they dressed and where they go (off the road from more tourist-ridden cities like Nizwa ect;)). I want to end this post by adding, I don't really care how other people dress but add that alot of Omanis do;). So if you want to truly experience Oman you have to understand that. Peace!

Art by Narjooosa on Deviant Art.

I personally only attended a school with a uniform for two months and that was in my class 12 year of highschool. Until my chemistry teacher admitted that he had fallen in love with me and I consequently dropped the class which was the only one I was taking from that particular school because my regular school didn't offer chemistry during that particular time slot and I needed my English litt., and other courses. The uniform was alot different than the Omani ones but since I wasn't formally enrolled in the school they gave me a month more to start wearing it. It was pretty damn cold out that month and unlike the other students I didn't live in the area so trecking across the city in a flimsy blouse and skirt was not my preference for January.

I never completed chemistry and my vast experience in school uniform's is thus limited to the short skirts and sweatshirts of our non-uniform wearing highschool's feild hockey team and the booty shorts and sports bras of our high school cheer squad (which I was kicked out of for not being positive enough and refusing to wear booty shorts and besides that I hated holding bakes sales). No big loss.

My opinion of school uniforms is that I think they create a ruling class in schools, and put other schools over other schools, which defies the purpose to which pro-uniform people propose them to perform, which is to create an evironment of equality among students so that the sole focus of school is school.

You can agree to disagree but no form of dress will stop people from puting others over themselves or themselves above other. The uniform just stresses the financial and creative girls over others. The latest designer handbags, shoes, and accessories are the standouts. And limiting creative expression even to that small extent makes me sad. I enjoy people expressing themselves even though the results can be some girls are the "rich girls" and others "the artists" and the rest are "the other girls at the school".

Plus, in Oman, you have alot of private schools, so some people rate kids in one school uniform as being superior than other school uniforms based on the expense of attending the schools.

Omani government school is based on a military-like approach. The uniform for boys is dishdasha and short cropper hair. The girls uniform is a maroon or navy blue tunic dress over white trousers and shirt with a white headscarf.

My daughter is going to attend Omani government school. I want her to see the Oman most Omanis live because she will otherwise grow up a little different from them. I know the teaching and funding of these schools isn't the best (any teacher that gives 2 hours of homework everyday of the week isn't doing their job). Does anyone know what restrictions are further placed on the girls' uniforms? Like are they not allowed to wear headbands or pins on the scarves, or different coloured shoes, ect?

I remember when I first saw this darling little floral chiffon Valentino number floating it's way to the Venice film festival. I though to myself, with the slightest trace of a pashmina or silk scarf tossed on head, my own very traditional Omani mother-in-law would welcome this form of dress which relates very closely to the looser waisted and unbelted but still floral Omani version.

Valentino 2013 resort collection: rated perfect for a trip to the Interior of Oman

Valentino 2013 resort collection: with slightly sheer sleeves and bright colours this frock still rocks for visiting more conservative families in Muscat. Pair with studded flats.

While the fabric of this Oscar de la Renta 2013 collection set of seperates is a bit formal, similar silloughtettes are available in City Center shops like forever 21, Mango, H&M, and Zara in more relaxed prints and colours. Loose shirt tucked into loose light trousers (maybe belted) is sooooo in-style right now it makes Muscat modest dressing easy. To make the same outfit interior worthy I suggest getting a few long sleeve cotton pajama tops. Why pajama? The fabric is light that a regular t-shirt top for layering under other fabrics so you won't boil while covering all your skin!

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, loosely draping a scarf over her hair while still wearing clearly Western-clothing for not-Islamic-purposes. This is the kind of respect that the women from my more conservative region of Oman respect in other women from other cultures. They don't like women to be around the men of their family while not covering their hair (or at least making a gesture towards that). I know alot of girls from the U.S. here in Oman who don loose fitting clothes and scarves on their hair (albeit not tied into hijab) to be more approachable to more conservative or cultural Omani women here in the capital. While it isn't required, I do recommend it if visiting a more conservative village for Eid celebrations ect... It is more likely to get you invited into a home or able to photograph the local populace.

I know alot of women get offened by religious connotation ect, or women are suppressed yada yada, but I personally loved the excuse to dress up like a Princess diplomat as a teen, I don't know about you.

No one will harm your safety, call you names, ect.. if you choose to wear shorts and a tank top or fitted jeans instead. I mean, Oman is very tolerant. But different Islamic sects, like Ibadhi, recommend puting a distance between a practing Muslim and anything contrary to practiced Islam (even and expecially with other Muslims), so that's why alot of Omanis get a reputation for being xenophobic I guess, which isn't true to my own experience of Oman.

Modest outfits composed of pieces from Zara, H&M, and Forever 21:

All imediately below photos are from www.pennypincherfashion.com

I think she's just so adorable.

Australian street style:

Paris steet style:

So onto my tips for modest non-Muslim dressing (tips vary depending on region, Muscat or Interior) :

1.) Match the colour of your scarf (for your head) if you choose to don one, to one of the colours in your outfit. Looks chicer that way.
2.) If you are going to have your outfit fitted, choose that it be fitted in only one place. Tight isn't right in public dress for conservative Omanis. A fitted waist or bust-line but not both, or wholly loose on top with slightly fitted mid-calf downwards is best. Thighs and butts and no-nos outside of Muscat if those are your preferred tight spots. Some fabrics, like jersey, and stretchy knits, will always fit themselves to your body in places so you have to watch for that in otherwisely loose designs.

3.) Knee length is the best length for skirts, dresses, and shorts...

...and shorts in Muscat, and loose is better if you are going short in public. Ankle length is HIGHLY highly recomended for the interior region of Oman and other more conservatives towns or villages. Actually some Muslim women (not all) think it is a sin even for women to show the skin of thigh area or anything below the collar bone or even for a woman to look at another woman dressed thusly so keep this in mind when choosing cuts.
4.) Accessories make an outfit when it comes ot modest dressing. Rings, belts, braceltets, cuffs, purses and shoes. The abaya set already know this.
5.) If you aren't keen on a headscarf, why not try a hat? I always wore floppy sun hats and bucket style hats when I was a kid here in Oman and Omanis seemed to find that to be a respectful alternative.
6.) Long sleeved pajama shirts are usually lighter to wear if layering under other clothes.
7.) Shorter dresses make great t-shirts by Muslim standards:)
8.) Invest in light and quality button up shirts and blazers which flatter almost all body types and change otherwise less modest outfits instantly.
9.) I love loose cut trouser pants and jeans and tunic vests worn over them. Very modest and still practical enough for hiking.

If I think of any more I will add them.

Dear Ministry of Education,

I know you always have to tell me watsa doesn't come exist when I come in and you have to explain why overqualified so-and-so comes in for training that her region recommended her for as she was the only one from there who knew anything about the subject and then someone who STILL knows nothing (even after their free scholarship to Australia) gets the training slot JUST BECAUSE they know so and so and asked for it.

But can you explain to me why that Religion teacher who was always coming drunk to work and was teaching hadith as Qu'ran and Qu'ran as hadith [because he was smashed out of his mind] and was well known to other teachers and families in Al Wusta as going out with his female teenage students and comitting "zina" was somehow awarded a position in that region's directorate?

Because I can't understand it.

With all those letters in the Ministry of Education explaining the reasons for wasta-awards for scholarships floating around in the Arabic Whats-app groups after they've been taken of the Omani Sabla online forum you'd think someone would be more careful. Just because someone's mother "worked hard for the Minstry" is no excuse to be awarding scholarships and positions to people who are the very lowest form of low in Oman or to rich kids whose families can afford more than an education for their kids.

I mean, does nobody's else's mother work hard?

And for that boss who promoted his tight-fitted abaya office girl over the Omania who worked overtime without pay all the time in hopes of getting that same promotion, now everyone knows just how "fair" you are. I don't think you'll find anyone else left on your entire floor to do your extra work now. But maybe you can always ask "over-tailored-dummy". Afterall, you know just how smart and qualified SHE IS.

Peace out.

-OPNOxoxo

New Year's Resolutions? I am constantly making goals for myself through out the year and never set aside one day a year to start over and do anything different. Whenever people say happy new year I kinda laugh silently to myself because who knows what happiness is to be in it or not?

While that can sound a bit negative, negative about bettering myself and the world around me I am not. I think goals towards these things are a wonderful thing.

So do I have any goals?

I always have decoration/renovation goals for my home. Too many.

Since I had my daughter I haven't cared too much about enhancing my wardrobe but that should change this year. I am going to be more social. I will go to all the parties and events I am invited to (inshaAllah). I will not take it as too much work. I will be organized with my time. I will baby-proof my little black (actually, it is orange) book.

Work-wise, I think my current work is pretty important (not to me) but to the world at large, so I better care about every little thing that I do. (Which it gets hard to when it comes down to the grind and to boring nuances).

People say I should make a goal to be less angry, more patient, and more flexible. I say, well, I won't accomplish that in one year sooooo people better be more clear by way of example if they want ME to change.

Spiritually, I think I need the social environment. The Mosques are all in Arabic, so I need to find the English religious set around here (which are a minority or kind of pseudo-religious and more hypocritical than righteous). I miss the sisters I knew back NA and Europe. I can say that my Qu'ranic Arabic has deteriorated since moving to Oman. Which is not the effect I expected. I know there's like-minded people out there in Oman suffering the same as I am. We should meet.

Creatively, I should produce something in the written word that is complete, whereas I tend to start a million projects and then give them to other writers to make a book out of it. I want to be the artist, not the muse for once.

I should also contact people outside Oman more. I am bad at that.

That's my goals for what time and space I have in this life at the moment.

I recently read a shocking (in terms of horrific unprofessionalism but not quite shocking in that it happened) rudeness in this review by one of my favourite Muscat-based expat bloggers:

Muscat Mutterings: Having a baby at Starcare Hospital – a review

who also wrote the following posts on maternity facts in Oman:

Muscat Mutterings: Giving birth in Oman

Muscat Mutterings: Muscat Private Hospital, and others

I have worked as a healthcare researcher in Oman for my previous employer. I looked at private and government care through out the entire Sultanate of Oman. After my own research, I concluded that I would never ever have my own baby in a private hospital in Oman, though my research did find Al Raffah to be the best, and Muscat private only good for very difficult cases.

[I personally hate Muscat private due to the fact that their negligence actually cause the death of my own father. Their rudeness was to tell him he was wrong about his condition. The arrogance of doctors to ignore his pleas for a different test...Turns out, he was right, when he was finally admitted to the government Royal Hospital. He would have been easy to save if something was done about his condition when he first started contradicting his Muscat Private cardiologist. But of course, that isn't maternity.]

Since I have a very primal grudge against the institution that ignored my father and mother's pleas for something to be done before it was too late....I can't review something I never put myself through, except to say statistically Al Raffah hospital out of all the private hositals had the least incidence reports concerning maternity. Though the fertility section of Muscat private (not maternity) is the best in Oman [not even I can contradict that].

My own review: I was probably the worst prepared mother in the history of Oman. The government, unable to decide if I was Omani or expat left me hanging as to where I would or would not be allowed to deliver. Was my care free or not ect? We kept being told, my care would be able to be had through government clinics but this was not the case, so we actually ended up going to Badr Al Sama to get our scans and test work done.

By luck, I suppose, I found a very capable, respectful, and clear in explainations gynecologist (an Indian) and ultra-sound woman (an Iraqi doctor) through the Barka location of Badr Al Sama. Yes, to me it WAS worth it to me, to drive all the way to see them. Through-out the course of my pregnancy I saw many others through other hospitals. They were THE BEST. Though, I usually would take my prescriptions, explainations and scans through the Barka Badr Al Sama, I would end up going to the Al Khoud Badr Al Sama for any bloodwork testing to be done simply because their nurses for needles knew how to inject the needles painlessly whereas the Barka location this remained an issue (and I DID kick a starecare nurse, and Barka Badr Al Sama nurse). But thankfully, one can take a prescription from any Badr al Sama location to any other Badr Al Sama, so it worked for us.

As for timings, I never purchased a care package from Badr Al Sama. I paid for each of my tests and scans individually as a walk in basis as required. It turned out to cost waaaaay less that any usual package. I never had to wait more than 30 minutes to see my doctors in Barka Badr Al Sama without an appointment, although I did have to wait a good while to get any kind of bloodwork done as Al Khoud location is much busier (still worth it for the nurses who are better with needles).

I had a pretty healthy pregnancy beyond the fact that I am anemic and this causes a little difficulty, and I had a little blood spotting and had to be admitted. Unfortunately, Barka Badr Al Sama DOES not have an emergancy ward so we ended up driving to Al Khoud. There, it was far to early in the a.m. for the doctors to be there, so nurses phoned for my diagnonsis. I guess they neglected to tell the doctor about my anemia, because I was given a medecine to stop early labour that unfortunately, nearly killed me. The medcine instructed I eat before taking, which I did, but it also said somewhere in the fine print, not to take if one has dangerously low iron levels. Which I did. So my blood pressure dropped dangerously, and I passed out literally trying to tell a nurse what was wrong on top of her. I woke up hooked up to oxygen and all, and baby Princess and I were all right, alhamdulilah. But that was scary. I don't suggest ever leaving one's care to the nurses at Badr Al Sama without a seeing a doc . first.

I may be the worst mother in the history of mothers who don't plan but I never scheduled a delivery doctor. And I never planned on exactly which hospital to go to. As I was not on my husband's card, who is Omani, I am not technically able to go to the Royal or SQU hospital so we always planned to show up as an emergancy case with my baby's green card filled out. I knwo they don't turn away emergancies like labour with a valid green card.

The green card is issued by Omani clinics or through packages at private hospitals. One DOES need this little card to be able to deliver at SQU hospital. The dr's need to know you aren't going to bleed to death or have aids before the agree to deliver your baby. The green card legally proves your health status.

I was admitted with no issues even though it was unclear if I would or the government pay for the procedures. I was praying c-sections wouldn't be needed as a non-Omani going government hospital in Oman, the cost is alot more than through private.

The Drs. told me they never want to do a c-section and so did everything they could to avoid one. My first nurse ( I was in labour for two days) was South African Canadian and she was a little tough but listened to me when I was tough back. I didn't want any pain meds, through I was educated about my various options while I was there. I have to say, I took just the gas they give you for the first 24 hours and it worked fine.

My labour was slow to induce so they had to induce it. I have another nurse at that point who I really liked, despite the fact that I swore at her, kicked her in the face, and called her useless pretty much for 12 hours straight.

The Omani doctor was great. She resisted my please for a c-section despite the fact that I attemped to take the IV out of my arm and crawl into the hallway in search of a knife to cut my own baby out. I called her many wretched names, and she was still calm and smiling, and telling me the right things to do.

She let me have a needle for pain when it was confirmed that my baby was strong enough even though it was late in the game for that. Alahmdulilah my baby was a fighter, because usually pain meds at that point effect a baby's heart. After two days in that state I was exhausted so it gave me a rest.

When it came to the pushing they did have to make a small cut but I didn't feel it at all. The baby was delivered fast at that point and they stitched down there fast and I was pretty much out of it but they let me eat.

I was cleaned up and taken to after op care and I only stayed a day before going home. the doctors and nurses were very good at helping me feed and teaching me to wash my baby girl, although she absolutely did struggle with eating.

I have to rate SQUH as the best, because all my friends have worse stories than me from any other hospital. I am a nasty mean patient, and staff were all great and efficient, respectful but firm when I was crazy.

The only point that was rated bad was by friends who assisted in the delivery room (the South African nurse elbowed her out of the way and she didn't like it).

I recently got the following comment from a sweet lady married to an Omani and new to Oman:

Hi, omani princess..
I am very glad I found your blog to guide expats in terms of clothing. I just arrived here few days ago with my omani husband which is my first time as well. Seriously, I am having problems in clothing, none of my western cloth fit in here according to my in-laws, and I was not covering my hair in front of my sister in law's husband which made her really upset even though I did apologize, and my father-in-law just told me yesterday to cover up myself totally. Before we came, my husband promised that Oman is very tolerant, I have my choice to cover or not; somehow, everything turned out differently. My in laws tell me they are really worried that the families will not accept me. Why?? What have I done ? I have cried out my eyes...Please, tell me how did you fit yourself in this place?

And wanted to reply in more than just the space in the comments section.

I too ocasionally have problems fitting in with my Omani inlaws. Where I am from, women and men do not sit together unless the women are wearing abayas and all their hair is covered, and no excess jewelry is on display, and no makeup is allowed. Pretty much ever. Even alot of my preferred abayas (those black robes) are too stylish in cut or decoration to suit my inlaws. They never wear Western clothing, ever. Omani traditional dress (i.e.a long sleeved and floor length floral printed dress with a matching shawl) is all that is suitable for visiting other women, and this without makeup. I also have to avoid wearing my hair too high as to avoid having the appearence of wearing those flower pouf claw hair clips girls stuff the scarves with to get more volume, as this is considered sinful in my inlaws interpretation of Islam. Also mine too, so no biggie for me, that one at least, not wearing Shambassa aka Gamboo3a, but trying to avoid a bun or top knot? Veeeerrrry difficult for someone who prefers not to spend more than 5 minutes doing her hair in the mornings. Even for weddings, where women are just with women, too much makeup is frowned upon, usually women just wear Omani kohl (eyeliner) and that's it. The dress style never goes shorter than below the knee, and I've never seen anyone's arms but my own, and brides.

It is a little too strict for me, not how I follow Islam (and I am Muslim) and it can be difficult at times. Not just for a Western woman, but for Omani women as well. I have an Omani sister-in-law who has a more difficult time fitting in with our family than I do. Because I like to cover my hair (and even my face) the way the Qu'ran tells Muslim women too, so even if I am too flashy at times for them, they can't say I am doing anything against the hijab. She doesn't like to cover her hair entirely or her chets with her scarf, so they take issue with her being stylish.

Since I am Muslim, and was before I married, I am not your typical Western woman. I love abaya (those black robes) and I just wear cool Western clothing underneath of them. There's no other way to get away with tank tops and shorts in Muscat without stares. I also wear the headscarf so that all of my hair and neck are covered. I love a stylish abaya. I have been known to waste alot of money getting the latest cut in them.

So I am fully covered. If you are Muslim, well, you should do this too (not abaya necessarily, but loose, not see-through clothing and hair and chest covered by a scarf). but if you are not Muslim:

So here is my advice to women married to Omanis:

In Oman, when an Omani woman marries, be into into another tribe, or another region of the country, she is expected to become the same as her husband's family. That means, my neice who is from Sharqiyah, the Eastern region of Oman, where they wear knee length tunic and pants as their traditional dress among other Omani women, is expected to dress in the floor length dresses of her husband's family here in Dakhliyia. If she doesn't, they'll talk about her behind her back, and probably to her face, telling her to change. And this is fully covering Omani women, not to get into anyone not covering. It is about style and fitting in for them. They are culturally bound and prefer to be that way for the most part with a few exceptions [like one of my sister-in-laws].

Culturally, Omanis expect you to dress like you are from the village if you are in the village. If you are in Muscat, you allowed to dress like you are from Muscat. If you are married to an Omani or living in an Omani household, they expect you to dress like an Omani from their family.

Which is, pretty much fully covered. Hair covered, dress loose and all skin covered.

The other dress guide I wrote is for Western Expats living the expatriate life, not those living the Omani life. Sure, Oman is tolerant to outsiders, but Omanis when judging themselves, are not. I constantly have to tell my inlaws that my daughter's nanny, does not have to cover her hair, I don't mind if her dress shows her ankle (she's pretty darn modest anyways) as she's not a Muslim. But if I leave her alone with women from the village, they'll tell her how to dress anyways.

She's a pretty smart cookie, and wants them to like her, so she drapes a scarf on her head and wears the same floral length dresses they wear. When she's with me, or my more modern Muscat Omani friends, she wears Western clothes, or her own traditional dress. And since I don't have a dresscode as an employer [I make an exception for when my mother-in-law visits] anyone she doesn't care what they think of her [like rude Omanis] she dresses as she likes, and I defend her if they complain. I know the Islamic rules for interacting with non-Muslims, and requirements of a Muslim woman's dress better than they do, so I usually win all arguments, but they go away, preferring their culture anyways. They all pretty much require anyone living as an employee in their homes to cover, the exception being, one of our cousins and myself.

Islam doesn't require non-Muslims to cover. Oman doesn't have laws for either non-Muslim or non-Muslims to dress one way or the other. Omanis [in majority] do require though, anyone who is consdiered family or under their protection to do that though, including housemaids, and non-Muslim in laws. They may additionally insist upon one covering like they do in a certain style, and not just simply covering.

I generally do. When in Rome, as they saying goes. I leave my preferred more stylish abayas (still loose but more decorated or colourfully trimmed) abayas for Muscat and wear a boring old comfy one for the mountains in Oman. I wrap my long floral print length shawl like the village women do in the village and forgoe makeup. Which I hate. I often keep my abaya on though, so I don't have to wear the floral floor length dress that I have less love for. I still feel more stylish in abaya.

How do I remain myself and happy? I have a life away from anything I disagree with. I am friends with everyone from the village, but they have their culture and I have mine. I like to visit their culture, and I respect it, but I am not my husband ect... just because I married him.

My advice is, if you care what they think, make the appearence of dressing as they do. If you don't, then do as you like. Sometimes, I wear makeup even though my MIL hates it. I like makeup. I don't care what anybody thinks. My husband likes it too;). And even if he didn't, I'd still do it. Sometimes I just do what I want anyways, regardless of who is around. But most of the time, especially big family occasions, I do my best to be part of the team. Small minds can't be changed in a day.

Part of being married in a cross-cultural marriage is knowing which things about yourself you can give up, i.e. they are not what you enjoy too much to be part of who you are. I have learnt to try to give the appearence of being toned down on occasion, even if that has very little effect on what I feel correct dressing IS in Oman;). But never give up anything that will take away from your belief of right and wrong and true peace and happiness, just for marriage. That's the best advice I can give. I usually give that to girls BEFORE they marry out of their culture though.

I just picked up my pass for Muscat Fashion Week. I am very excited about some of the international designers that are showcasing their designs this year. Ask my husband. I have pulled my closet apart 2-3 times already, scouring what I have for the perfect pair of shoes, the cutest little handbag, and an abaya up to the occasion.

"What about this one?" My husband asked me adorably the other day. Trying to be helpful he was holding up an Abayaat Al Shamkha design that I bought for National Day... four years ago!... alongside a pair of red leather pumps that matched the piping and crystals of the abaya's sleeves.

He's an Omani man from a traditional village. Really, I mean, it was more help than I expected that he managed to choose my only pair of shoes left with a discernable heel intact, and a boutique-brand-abaya over a souq-tailor-made one, and colour-courdinate. I am sure I HAD worn that exact abaya with that exact shoe at least once... four years ago.

"I can't wear that! What if I run into Hind or Reem from DAS at the exhibition at the Opera Galleria? They'll KNOOOOOOWWWWWWW that's like the oldest thing I own."

Immediately I knew alot of borrowing was in order. Omani girlfriends all had some gorgeous handbags. My SIL and 1 friend have the exact same shoe size as me. And maybe someone who remembers when I used to work in fashion would lend me some real jewels to wear. Though that was stretching it.

I'd already had one fairy god-mother moment this week, when a beautiful enchanted fairy from a PR firm in Dubai graciously bestowed upon me my fashion week pass, so asking for someone to wave a magic wand give me the collection of designer handbags and shoes I left back in Canada was a bit of a stretch. A pair of Emerald drop earrings, my dear readers, if you are willing to lend, are always welcome;).

So I sat there before a six door wardrobe with nothing worthy inside it, on the trunk at the foot of my bed (also stuffed full of clothes) realizing that my Shatti friends were right. I'd gone village. I had a lot of lendlis, and jalabiyias, but no abayas of note.

Sure, I had plenty of designer Omani traditional dress and evening gowns [to wear to woman-only weddings that no non-deyouth (Arabic word for 'has no balls' but literally means 'man who is not jealous') Omani husband would be ok with their wife wearing in public] but had nothing that isn't no-comment work-wear, since I've avoided going to anything public but stylish in the last year. Work doesn't count.

I don't know, I've just been recluse beyond going back to work after my baby. I also haven't invested alot in my wardrobe since I did that barefoot and pregnent in the kitchen thing. Just nice things to wear to be cute at home you know;). It is bizarre to those who know me back 10 years or more. I was the girl who used to own a Birken [i.e a very expensive handbag that my husband didn't believe me cost more than a car until I went to sell it], but I'd traded that for a family vacation and a princess bedroom crammed with toys for my little Oman princess instead [having sworn to myself I will buy my baby daughter her own Hermes when she turns sixteen like my grandmother did for me]. I didn't care about Birkens when I was two. I wanted My-Little-Ponies, a race horse, a pet poodle and a pirate's parrot. ~~Dollar~~ Baiza store plastic dinosaurs were more fabulous than Baby Dior I remember.

Finally, after alot of digging, I found it. A designer abaya that cost way too much money but WAS made of a beautiful fabric and had a unique cut. Despite this, I took an insane risk, and slashed at it with scissors.

I had bought it to meet some Prince my work wanted me to impress at my old job, and found it a bit much to move around in due to the copious ammounts of fabric in the sleeves. Consequently, it had been neglected to the corner of the wardrobe, on an ugly wire hanger. [Only the stuff I regularily wear deserves wooden hangers].

[OPNO FASHION TIP: P.S. Princes cannot tell a designer abaya that cost 200 OMR from a 60 rial tailor-made copy. It is the Princesses and Sheikhas that you have to worry about;)].

I couldn't have worn it as it was, but with a little bit of couture workmanship (i.e a home DIY job) it now looks pretty fabulous and flutters like a butterfly. It has been changed as much to me, as the corsetry undone by Coco Chanel.

If you wonder why I don't become an abaya designer myself, know this, know that I have NOOOOO ambition or follow-through whatsoever. I prefer to edit.

And that on a part-time basis.

Now I just need to find four other outfits for the rest of the fashion week days:(. Now I guess I should get on to writing ABOUT fashion week, which is the original intent of this post, not to bore anyone with my own closet dilemna.

So here goes:

Now, before you become one of those people who judge me to be an airhead focussed on superfluous dressings, who say that designer abayas are overpriced or that fashion is superficial, know this: fashion is the first form of art that predicts social change, and never has that been more obvious than through the revolution the GCC woman's uniform of the black abaya.

If you want to know where the Arab woman is going, look to what she is wearing, if past social indicators of social reform as studied through more respected feilds than fashion design such as anthropolgoy and history reflect.

And what is she wearing today?

ABAYAS
If she is somebody in United Arab Emirates or into the MiddleEastern fashion-abaya business, she is wearing DAS Collection.

I have always loved this international-but-Emirates-based abaya brand that will be showcasing its latest collection on the Riyam Park runaway in just a ~~few~~ two short days. The 'waterfall' cut of their design from three years ago changed the abaya into fashion itself. No longer was the abaya merely attaching to itself through decalls, beads and studs, the hallmarks of high fashion. It had become fashion through that intrinsic cut. The likes of London-It-Girl, Olivia Palermo; Executive Director of the Dubai-Ladies-Club, Muna Bin Kalli; and always-fashionable Emirati bloggeress, Latifa Al Shamsi, have all been snapped iconically in DAS designs.

I am finding DAS to be the most modest-but-modern of the abaya designers out there these days, which is saying something as a Muslim woman. Alot of designers have taken fashion too far, and yes, they have made us beautiful culturally-respectful clothes to wear, but the abaya runs a thin line between becoming just another black evening dress, or keeping its original purpose, which is to maintain an air of modesty and mystery. I think DAS has been thinking out of the box but staying within the lines that drive the modern GCC woman to desire to don the abaya.

Another international collection of interest to be paraded down the Muscat Fashion Week runway is Mauzan . I know recently aforementioned abaya-expert Latifa Al Shamsi was snapped http://latifalshamsi.com/2012/12/07/ wearing a look supposedly inspired by Sultan Qaboos, says Mauzan's creative team. Which should be interesting to see, what other Omani influences are in store for the show. That's my main interest in the last day of runway shows.

Endemage | Facebook is another Omani collection of interest. I love their abayas. One of my SIL's has a big collection and they are always very unique and trendy. They also have very intricately cut caftanas/jalabiyias.

Kanzi [their site:www.kanziboutique.com] is another UAE brand, showing on the 2nd day of fashion week. I don't think I can attend as it is the birthday of one of the BFF's as well, but I usually enjoy their caftans/jalabiyias, and I know they have some abayas for the catwalk.

OMANI TRADITIONAL DRESS DESIGNERS
Everyone [who reads this blog at least] knows that I have an interest in Omani traditional regional dress forms. I think Omani traditional dress is unique in the GCC, and Nawal Al Hooti [her website: http://www.nawalalhooti.com/index.html] is usually my personal favourite for weddings [my own wedding dress was by Nawal]. For my own wedding I decided to go traditional Omani and there was no whisper of a white western wedding gown to be found.

I love the colours but traditional structure of Nawal's creations. I also love that she has tried to keep the form but make it more comfortable. Omani dress is often very heavy to wear, and she's lightened it up. Believe me, when sitting in the dress and headdress for over 8 hours, that counts for something. I really hope this year I'll get a chance to talk to Nawal, and I hope to see the actual regional dress on the runway this year, not just Western-style clothing with Omani influences like last fashion week. I am alot about the traditional dress.

I've gone village remember;).

And Muscat Fashion week regular Dibaj OMAN will likely have some fabulously draped velvet creations for us to wonder at.

ARABIAN DESIGNERS
I'm always a fool for Moroccan caftans so I'll be runway side for :: Zhor :: Defiles.

Tatiana Aceeva usually shows Jordanian/Lebanese style [modern not trad.] evening wear so I'll take that in also. What woman in the GCC ISN'T in CONSTANT need of something to wear to a wedding ballroom afterall?

~~For some reason I am still unable to upload photos via blogger.~~

Beyond that, I suppose I can look at it from the bright side, it is forcing me to write.

Last night was the opening night of Muscat Fashion Week. This involved very badly following the directions on the map of our fashion week invite. My husband, being Omani, absolutely insisted that there was no parking after Riyam Park (despite ME INSISTING that the map said there would be) so we followed a train of BMWs to the back side of Riyam up the hill, so at least I felt reassured that we would not be the only ones late.

Finally, after driving down a lonely curving hill in the night, we got back onto the main road, and lo and behold, a side for parking near the old entrance was opened. Through out the year it is closed but for the event, Muscat Municipality opened it.

Photo taken from Muscat Fashion week's facebook page. Because my photos suck.

We drove up to the entrance, passed two Omani Armed forces guards, male, and then two Omani armed forces guards, female (or maybe they were ROP---whatever, they were wearing blue camo). I was following behind a gaggle of girls, and it was the first time in Muscat I've seen the trademark red sole of a Louboutin shoe. The Shatti girls are all Manolo addicts.

Photo taken from Muscat Fashion Week's facebook page.

The abayas were shoulder-padded with studs, or trimmed with corded rope-style Moroccan embroidery. I saw a few last season DAS abayaat, one turquoise trimmed with a belt, and another emerald green with floral embroidery from the shoulder to the wrist. The Dior lady bag was carried in "black" by many a hand, and all of the Birkens seemed to be tan leather.

I saw a very tall and striking woman stalking magnificently across the pink-lit domed pre-show waiting area, with leopards pouncing from the padded shoulders of her jacket, and there was never a moment you would think she could slip in her precarious stilletos, so strong her personality seemed to me, a stranger.

As I followed behind in their Louboutin-encased-footsteps, not a soul asked to anyone's invites, and we were left to mingle in the pink air. I looked for Omani fashion-blogger Shurooq Al Haremi, but didn't find her.

What the Riyam Park site looks like before night descends, note the minimal white and silver colour-scheme. Photo taken from Muscat Fashion week's facebook page.

The Muscat Fashion week pre-show consists of mingling, and appetizers. I took a glass of fresh watermelon juice off a tray, and began searching the sea of faces for those familiar, wandering across the room minimally clad with silver and white cushions pressed against white everything else and bathed in tones of rose and fuschia.

I am not one of those people who minds being alone. It allows me to think and observe.

Despite this, a very exotic looking woman with almond eyes and blue trousers, smiled at me enigmatically as if I were free to join in with her crowd's conversations. I drifted away despite, and sat in the corner of the room, to watch the photographer's setting up at the foot of the catwalk.

I always find photographers to be fascinating people. How they see the world and are able to capture a moment of it is a skill that defies me personally. There's a glamour in that.

Sitting in the corner of a room is something I absolutely recommend if one is trying to take in the fashion pre-show. Two non-abaya clad girls stand out in my mind. One was wearing a cartoon t-shirt with a floor-length skirt and a beautiful necklace, another looked cute in a navy blazer and pink jeans beside a Gucci tote.

Dior's lady bag was the bag of the night. Tan Birkens are apparently perpetually popular. It was from there, trying to just sit and take it all in, that I accidentally made friends with a group of lovely Omani girls from Sur. Maybe it did change how I photographed the actual runway show, but since they were so kind as ask me to sit with them during the show, I somehow couldn't say no, even though I had planned to sit somewhere else entirely.

Because I was late, it was a very short pre-show, ~~and since I can't upload my photos yet~~, you'll have to stay tuned for the actual event through my eyes.

Abayas in the DAS show finale. All photos are credited to either MuscatFashionWeek's facebook page or Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE. If they are not otherwise credited, that means that they are my own, and you must suffer through them;)

Muscat Fashion week opened with the collection of Omani designer Nawal Al-Hooti. The pieces began with Omani-influenced touches on non-traditional separates, such as Omani embroidery on the hem of a skirt or tunic top...

...to local embroidery on the legs of a simple pair of leggings. Below pictured is my favourite look from the collection:

Photo taken from the Muscat Fashion week facebook page, as I did not master the settings on my new camera in time to capture this particular look. Photo originally taken by where it is likely credited to Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE.

Also featured, beyond Omani handiwork, were textiles associated with Oman, as apparent in the tunic-top below:

...and Omani silver touches on the belting:

Honestly, as an Omani girl per say, I was a bit disappointed that I did not see any actual regional dress, just the influences of such in the overall collection. If anything could have made up for that fact, it was Nawal's jalabiyia/caftan in muted silvers and golds, and shades of vivid green and a poignant baby-blue.:

The floor-length Arabic styles had a very soft flow to them as the models rushed past, their hair brilliant in coiled coifs.

Photo taken from Muscat Fashion week's facebook page, where it is likely credited to Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE..

The only piece of the collection that I'd be likely to purchase was the baby blue number above. I still love Nawal, and I love the red dress she wore herself to fashion week [and I was surprised how much she looks like one of my SILs], but I personally would like to see more Omani dress on the runway.

Between shows we saw a presentation of gold jewelry by Jawahir I believe? I don't know. The girls where I was sitting were distracted by the wadi dog up on the hill where the Muscat Fashion week lights were spotted that was running back and forth chasing the lights, as well as the fruit bats, also confounded by the show's lights. The bats were winging above, as models swooped past below with wings just as black... but a touch more glamorous. I don't like bats myself, but could always do with a pair of wings;).

DAS collection storyboard, backstage. Photo taken from Muscat Fashion Week's facebook page.

The next collection up was DAS. ***I also had the opportunity to see the collection up-close at the Opera Galleria***. The opening outfit was mercury-fluid in the DAS trademark cut, which was represented in fabrics as varied as silk chiffon...to green metallic brocade.

My 2nd favourite look of the collection was the golden-rod-to nigh mandarin coloured waterfall-cut chiffon caftan/jalabiyia covered in totality with tiny white pearl beads:

Arabic calligraphy via embroidery was featured very artistically in the collection. I thought it was most lovely when paired with lilac inserts. I could definitely see myself wearing the mauve skirt and blouse paired piece, and the show-stopper piece displayed at the opera galleria bore all the trademarks [except a capelet] of the current DAS collection: waterfall cut, Arabic calligraphy embroidery, and small beads spaced evenly through-out the design.

Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE.

As I continued to watch the show, I grew bored because I was waiting for the abayas. DAS is all about the abayas.

Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE.

Thankfully, my boredom [I have a very short attention-span] was momentarily alleviated when a modest gown with a beaded and embroidered capelet trounced down the catwalk. You could tell the model, too, was invigorated from wearing it, as I was from seeing it, because of the delightful lipstick red shade of the garment. Miss Model swept the stage in crimson blushing slashes. I will repeat. I was delighted. More so, when I had a chance to examine the detailing of the capelet up close.

Finally, the abayas arrived, and then they abounded, surrounded, and were so fast and so many I couldn't get a single good shot. I will blame the models, instead of my inability to change the settings on my camera or hold it still.

Shoulder detailing is a big trend in abayas in general. Nothing new there, but the fabric inserts along the sides of this particular piece give it its DAS character.

The asymmetrical layering and fabulous handwork marked this DAS abaya to be a crowd favourite.

Similarly, the side pleated drape from the waist of an abaya embroidered and beaded in the same manner wowed the majorly abaya-clad crowd.

Designing new drapes and cuts is what the DAS brand relies on more than finishing touches, which has allowed them to be a leader in the designer abaya business, but a velvet bow at the waist never hurt anyone.

Lace inserted panels and smocking has been big in terms of abaya trends in general, but DAS had a lovely lace capelet style abaya that I personally found charming and fully in line with the rest of their collection, in terms of the collection being well thought-out as a whole. It also was a good transition piece from their last collection modeled by the Angelina Jolie look-alike;).

Pleating at the bottom hem of an abaya featuring black Moroccan-style embroidery on top, is very in line with current abaya trends in general as well.

Photo taken from Muscat Fashion Week's facebook page.

Some very classic designs along with a few technically difficult cuts made to appear simple. Of all the collections I was interested in, this one's designer was sitting alone, seemingly bored and playing with her phone, but I did not approach her. I was too shy. What a loser, I know;).

The next designer up to show her creations was Jordanian designer Tatyana Aceeva. There were a few pretty pastel and nude toned party frocks and citron hues remained another overall Muscat Fashion week staple. If you want to read more about this particular show, I suggest you read someone else's blog because only the second dress I have pictured below was to my own taste.

The last designer for opening night was Morocco's Zhor Rais. I had the chance to interview her daughter at Muscat's Opera galleria about the construction and textiles for the garments. None of that mattered during the actual show of course, when a series of fairy-tale worthy Moroccan dejellaba and takchita [otherwise known as caftans] streamed down the Riyam park runway, serenaded by nigh mystical and haunting traditional music that I had to resist swaying back and forth to. It was my favorite show.

Caftans of the utmost simplicity in snowy white, and the occasional winter fabric opened the show.

Mauve, succulent but tart citron hues, and darker shades of green seemed to be part and par for all of the collections that evening.

My favourite piece of the Zhor Rais collection happened to be a timeless little 'sea-foam' coloured number though, that being just a personal matter of taste:

From sweet white innocence the caftans featured evolved quickly to extravagance in thick teal and yellow velvet, brocades hand-woven in Morocco, and through silk chiffons and satins sourced from Europe.

The yellow velvet dress pictured below [photo taken by Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE] was the crowd favourite after the finale's show-stopper [all detail shots are my own]:

The rich tones of the velvet seemed so suitable to the near chilled air [at least, for any of us locals] of Riyam that night. Maybe that's why red capelets, or velvet were so bewitching?

Honestly, almost any Moroccan caftan seduces me so I can't be a good critic, but the collection (and it's soundtrack) did convince me that I have to visit that country later on this year. I need a chance to escape, where it is ok to wear a red cape. Also, any Zhor Rais piece takes anywhere from around 2-3 months to complete, and every design is only made once. So I am thinking, if you are craving individuality, a trip to the Casablanca [I believe] workshop of this particular designer might be in order?

Photo credited to Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE

I heard women in the crowd catching their breath when the Zhor Rais finale piece sought the end of the catwalk.

Beyond the high impact of the red cape [I personally wasn't a fan of the fabric when examined up close] against the white of the dress, the detailing on the takchita is exquisite if you are to witness it in person. Apparently there is just one old man left in Morocco who still makes the all the traditional fastenings in the traditional way [how true that is I have no idea] and I love how the piece came with a pair of princess-perfect slippers.

As for this being the first Muscat Fashion Week I have personally attended, I have to say that I really enjoyed myself. I think I enjoyed even more the opportunity to see the workmanship that goes into the clothes up close, and speak to the designers about their methods, inspiration(s), and aspirations for their respective brands. I don't know about my readers, but I have been perfectly content about life in Muscat, since the first fashion week was announced;). I intend to follow the event every year, even if I am unable to attend the runway shows myself. I love the recognition it gets for our young Omani designers, and I love how it shines the spotlight on Arabic region fashions and trends.

Please stay tuned for my thoughts on the collections of Dibaj, Endemage, Jizdaani, and Mauzan, as seen at Muscat Fashion Week.

DAS abaya rack, abayas not shown on the MFW13 runway. The sleeves say "Love" in Arabic calligraphy. P.S. All photos unless otherwise credited are my own. and this photo was taken on the second day of MFW13, not the last;p

Mauzan's very friendly and knowledgable design team related to OPNO that the inspirations for the MF/13 catwalk collection ranged from Medieval tapestries... to the volume of layered cotton-prairie skirts, along with all the other obvious abaya trends, like netted lace overlay, emphasis on the shoulders, with something slightly rock or sporty chic thrown in.

The star of the collection, the one I would likely buy myself, is this piece, with a peplum back. I love peplum. Always have, not just since it became a big trend.

The beautifully embroidered (and often pearl strewn) floral panels found themselves bestowed in an array of cuts, from the bountiful to the slim, and were often constructed with the thought to be unique, or to allow for individual styling, such as a detachable drape that could be affixed in more than one manner. One particular abaya reminded me of a vintage 1930s Chinese dressing-gown.

Perhaps my favourite piece(s) were the abayas layered with coloured eye-lit cotton that resembled the volume of a prairie skirt when tied close. I hadn't seen this particular fabric successfully used by an abaya designer thus far, and I can see this design being successful as a casual piece, because what woman doesn't remember wearing one of those with love as a little girl?

While it isn't a new idea for abayas right now, laser cutting was beautifully done in an Arabesque pattern to allow the dress worn underneath to be seen. This seems to be the trend right now in Muscat, to have see-through panels affixed to the bottom of the abaya hem to the knees, and at the wrists. While not particularly on the glimspse-the-garment-underneath trend, I was particularly impressed with the laser-cut leather at the wrist of this abaya. Zhor Rais also featured leather roses on of her pieces, as Leather was done by abaya brand 'Arabesque' for last season and I am really feeling the leather trend right now. Not in an equestrian-Gucci-sporty way, but more like a tough-but-feminine Valentino. I really like how feminine leather roses seem. As close as I could ever see myself getting to leather and spikes is this abaya, white lace gloves, and Valentino's studded sandals. Beyond the laser-cut Arabesque design, there was a much more punky slashed design, I could see catching on fast in Kuwait, and with some of my bolder and more cutting-edge friends. I was a classics girl way before Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl trounced along.

Mauzan featured a very beautifully-cut design (which they should definitely market as the Mauzan-cut because their label seems to have popularized it first) with classically lovely (while not individual at the moment) lace overlay [which I did not photograph] that was one of my favourite pieces from the collection. The same cut of abaya covered with pieces of mirror inspired by the latest collection by shoe designer Christian Louboutin [in case you ladies want to match your red-sole to your abaya]. I don't care if it is on trend or not. I always love mirrors.

Other key international fashion trends like the trench-coat, and boyfriend shirt, were interpretted in abaya-form by the Mauzan-team. The trench-coat was lovely in a sheer organza with a hint of plum, very much in line with Burberry's actual collection but with an abaya edge. I wasn't a fan of the boyfriend-cut. It could go very early 1980s bad-Jordanian-jilbab very quickly.

Design-team for Mauzan backstage. Photo taken from Muscat Fashion Week's Facebook page.

Being that this is the first time the Emirati [Al-Ain based] label has showcased in Oman, when asked what they thought about Muscat fashion week the Mauzan design team told OPNO that Omani women seemed very fashionable, and very interested in fashion. So perhaps we will be seeing more of Mauzan in Muscat in the future?

Photo by Latifa Al Shamsi for www.latifalshamsi.com

I also had to ask, because I couldn't resist, where the inspiration for the 'Sultan Qaboos' abaya design came from. I had seen Emirati fashion blogger Latifa Al Shamsi in it, and for the life of me couldn't reckon the exact Omani influence. The secret will here be revealed: the colours from the Said Mussayr (turban worn by Sultan Qaboos and his ancestors). The moment I asked, there emerged from the Opera Galleria escalator, the exact design in question, with a pair of colour-courdinated Louboutin shoes, and Hermes bag.

Omani women interested in fashion?: enough said. [While I was under-cover in a floral-printed village "leso" and 9 rial Seeb exhibition abaya;p].

It was here that we ran into my [via my husband] nephew's wife shopping the collections with a friend.

New to me (but apparently not to relatives) is Omani label "Endemage" which means, 'a merge' to signify the blend of Omani culture with international fashion. The label began with a collection of unique abayas sold from the UAE but the designer, Lubna Al Zakwani, has always been Omani.

Helle Moos for FASHION EXCLUSIVE

This was immediately apparent to me when I noted the sheer gauze and wide-sleeved construction of an evening abaya. "This is based on a Sharqiyah [Eastern-Omani] Suri [style of regional dress]!" Which got me quite excited. I also noted the use of Omani textiles, such as the striped suri silk of Eastern Oman, as trim for an abaya sleeve, and in some of the skirts and trousers.

I had the chance to meet with the sister, Nadia Al Zakwani, of the designer who explained to me a little about the history of this relatively new brand and where their fabrics were sourced from.

At the moment the collection is available though "Arab Fashions" boutique in Al Qurum, Muscat Governate of Oman. It has been around in UAE for a few years already, but with Muscat Fashion Week the two sisters behind Endemage are ready to take center stage in Oman. Endemage started as an abaya brand but they have added another element to their repertoire, making their customer aware of their other capabilities.

"We purchase our fabrics here in Oman from local shops," sister Nadia related to OPNO. "What we do is we customize them. This top here, you will see, was a sheer fabric which we have beaded ourselves." Laser cutting also seems to be a big part of the collection, along with an almost 1930s Wallis Simpson style silhouette.

Lubna wore the same dress as shown on the Muscat Fashion week flyers to the opening night of MFW13

I personally loved the 1930s shape to designer Lubna's dress worn for the opening night of Muscat Fashion Week. The white buttons on each slim cuff, white lace at the back, and a side fishtail braid, she was one of the most stylish women in the audience, that's for certain. I also remember taking in her sister Nadia's abaya, with gold sequined shoulders, another one of my favourites for the night. I can't pull off sequins myself so admire anyone who can quite jealously, and Nadia wore it so well she was glowing.

The vivid teal colour---and unabashed volume---of the the show-stopper reminds of an Arabesque version of a Dior debutante rebel.

Photo taken from Muscat Fashion Week's facebook page.

I have to say, even though I didn't catch the runway show myself... due to an overload of parties and weddings, this had to be, surprisingly, my favourite collection so far. My standout: the abayas worn by Lubna an Nadia for the finale of their show. I guess I really do need to get working on getting a little Endemage into my closet.

I also liked this Jizdaani clutch:

I've always known about The Jizdaani brand but never ventured into the hotel gift stores where it was previously sold. It was nice to talk to the designer about the inspiration she found in Omani traditional silver and textiles. I also loved the blue handbag featured below, as it was shown on the runway, in a nude pink.

For more information on any of these brands see their facebook pages:
Mauzan: https://www.facebook.com/Mauzancollections
Endemage: https://www.facebook.com/Endemage
Jizdaani: www.jizdaani.com (I will try to get the FB link later as the website is quite outdated and the designer said she dealt with most of her orders through the facebook page).

"Ubhar" is the mythical lost city this particular Bareeq Al Shatti restaurant is named after. Nothing here is lost though. The decor, the atmosphere, the menu, all are those little things that make me love living in Oman. We come here when we are not very hungry. Because the food makes you hungry. I mean, not that it doesn't satisfy, but if you start with just one appetizer it will leave you craving more.

I will post a few food photos later. We did eat. I had the Sultan Salad with Tandoori chicken and Marrakesh harira soup to start. I was craving Moroccan from the outset of our restaurant hunt and this was a good compromise. MOP had shrimp and the dried lime tea. The tea was so simple and yet so delish.

Anyone who knows me knows that I survive purely on drinking Omani cardamon spiced "qahwa" which I am heavily addicted to. At Ubhar, it is complimentary.

We thought (mainly myself) to have Frankinsence icecream, knowing MOP would actually like icercream if it was date-flavoured and topped with dried apricot and crushed nuts and a splash of espresso. But then, I was sick from a cold and destined to walk along the beach in Al Shatti, [which was soooooooooooooooo cold that was cut short] so another shot [aka finjan---those Arabic porcelain coffee cups] was all we had before parting. Perfect night.

If you are Omani (and even if you're not) you've probably heard about the minimum wage increase [Omanis only of course] from 200 to 325 OMR. That is roughly 840 USD a month [converted for my non-Omani readers since most people are up on their USD to other currency ratios---not because I am American]. Honestly, this pay increase does not make sense to me. I think it will only result in the increase of the cost of living.

It has often been suggested that there should be a Ministry of Logic. Since there is not, here is my 325 OMR on the matter.

Some Omanis definately do deserve 325 in the private sector. Others do not. Like that fool whose reading my blog when he's got a phone at that Ministry to answer but is ignoring it or that Omani chick who is googling deisgner abayas and finds this blog while painting her nails and having qahwa with the girls in her office on someone else's time and rial.

Let me just compare, from my country or origin. In Canada, most people in minimum wage jobs [and even other professional jobs such as nursing] do not work on salary. They get paid by hour. The legal limit for how many hours someone can be forced or asked to work in a day for normal wage is 7 hours five days a week. The average working day is timed from 9-5 with a 1 hour lunch and a fifteen-30 minute coffee break in between. The minimum wage in Canada when I was there was 8 dollars which is roughly 3.100 OMR per hour. 3.100 OMR x 7hours x 5days x4weeks=434 OMR a month. Plus we get taxed on that. And our cost of living is more than here in housing and transportation. And we often don't have alot of family backing. So I just don't get the logic behind the Omani government's move. From an economic perspective is doesn't make sense. At All.

I see it is as purely political move that is bad one. On the chessboard of a country's economy it is one that has only a very short-term advantage and longterm consequences. It heals nothing, just makes us numb for a little while, while the real medecine hurts but would work.

There is no way everyone making this pay raise can deserve it by the output of their work unless they are forced to work unnaturally long hours OR their position requires a skill level that was previously undervalued. Since many Omani already actually DO work slave hours or whose positions are undervalued this could be seen as the benefit of such a huge pay increase, but I will argue it does nothing but a temporary balm for a badly bandaged mortally wounded system.

Now I know Omani nurses don't make minimum wage but I will use them for my example. Omanis I know love proverbial examples whenever trying to get their point across. I guess I am Omani in that, because I do too.

In case you didn't know it, Oman has a horribly BAD nurse-retention rate. Which is bizarre, considering the majority Omani nurses don't move away from the Sultanate to find jobs elsewhere, and the government encourages them and pays for them to become highly specialized. They also have abnoramlly high unsubstantiated sickleaves which is the result of an entire population working on salary with fixed hours which offer no flexibility. As no one gets paid by hour, they are not offered the flexibility to choose their own hours and there is no incentive to accept more stressful hours and days ect, like night shifts.

In western countries, the incentives for working longer than legal hours is financial. You work more you get more. In Oman, nope. I can sit at my desk all day on blogger or facebook (like alot of my collegues) and get paid the same as if I actually did my work. It is hard to fire anyone who does the bare minimum. Only a moral person will work to the best of their ability in Oman usually, and that's a fact made real by experience on the pace of the workplace in Muscat, obvious to anyone from outside the country.

In Canada if your company asks you to work over the 7 hours a day 5 days a week limit any hour you work over that you pay per hour is doubled. And if this ovettime happens on a time that the work is more difficult or stressful, some places have been asked by the government to pay what is called "time and a half" which is double salary plus half in evry place I have worked. The hard workers, or those in need of the money, always volunteer for these shifts because the benfits are obvious.

In my country, some people do work on salary. Their incentives are also financial or educational. They will get paid a bonus if they made a deadline, and meet very high standards or corporate goals, or be sent for specialization or training to get promoted ect...This is usually managers and CEOs or employees that do alot more than their job requirements and go above and beyond to improve their work and companies. I made salary. But if I did not get sales, or if my designs didn't increase sales, I didn't get a bonus. And if usually if people repeatedly didn't exceed the standards, they'd get replaced by someone with more ambition or a greater skill level who could.

No one on minimum wage gets salary in my country. They are paid by hour. If Oman paid by hour I would be okay with a pay increase. If people worked hours they'd deserve more. But this system has to be applied across the board. It can't be based on nationality. Until pay-by-passport is eliminated you will never ever have maximum Omanization.

Sure, training and specialization treatment should be given to Omanis over expats, every time, hands down. As Omanis, we need to run our own country. But people should be paid by the work they do, not otherwise.

So my suggestion: GIVE OMANIS THE INCREASED SKILL LEVEL AND RIASE THEIR SALARY BUT PAY BY HOUR FOR THAT not an illogical pay increase across the board

If this was applied, for sure, you would see Omanis taking over more skilled or strenuous positions. I would, for one, love to see the entire construction and development system taken over by Omanis. That is alot of jobs. It also makes sense for a lot of young men who just can't seem to fit into a college career. They need to be able to support their families with just highschool but flipping burgers for illogical sums of rials just doesn't make sense. In Oman the average consturction worker is Indian or Pakistani. They make about 60 OMR a month. If you say that they work fair hours (which they don't) that works out to 0.429 baiza per/hr x 7hrs per day x 5 day per week x 4 weeks a month. If the Omani government demanded that Omani men of a highschool education be paid per hour and no non-Omani could hold a construction job and they increased the Omani minimum wage just to the Canadian norm for beginner road-workers [15 dollars per hour] (5.000 OMR) you'd have alot of better highways built and a lot of Omani men being useful and supporting their families. No need to hurt smaller businesses and increase the cost of living for the rest of the Sultanate's population.

Of course, I am sure, the owners of those big construction projects wouldn't like this. Millions of rials would be lost to them [that they don't deserve in the first place for the quality and speed of work produced]. Easier just to make everyone else's cost of living go up. Because when you are using nigh slave labour who don't get a say in their hours you can definately afford to pay 10 OMR for a big MAC at McDonal's when the average Omani on minimum wage begins to realize he/she can't afford normal household goods anymore because the price of everything went up along with his/her irrational salary.

I urge Omanis on mimimum salary who are content with their new raise to realize what it means to them and their country in the long run. And to urge their government for the changes that really need to take place to make a last difference on a sick system.

All photos, unless otherwise credited, are my own.

There is something magical about the light in Wadi Shab. If you haven't been to this quiet little As Sharqiyah region wadi that is just a little more [or short, depending which crazy you're driving with] 2 hours outside of Muscat, then you haven't really seen Oman, and that is just my humble opinion. This is the cutest little desert oasis, and cutest little fishing village on the map that one doesn't need to go for an entire weekend with canteens and a 4x4 to see. Though you should park at the top of the road if you have a low-rider, am just saying, and THEN walk down to the wadi, unlike some idiots I used to know who got us stranded here;). Not such a bad thing though, to be stranded in paradise.

The drive itself down the coat is pretty beautiful. We went this route via the Al Amerat road to Qurayat, passed Qurayat, and passed the first couple of signs that said "Wadi Shab" and waited until we got to the sign that said "Wadi Tiwi" and went left passing under the highway, where we came to 2 signs, one for Wadi Tiwi and one for Wadi Shab. We went right, even though some really helpful people seemed to want to guide us to Wadi Tiwi. There's a lot of things to see on this route. Wadi Tiwi, Fins Beach, the Sinkhole, yada, yada. Been there, done that, but there's just something about Wadi Shab that reminds me of Wadi Bani Khalid before the ministry of Tourism ruined it. Sorry, just another one of my opinions. Wadi people don't care about picnics. Yeah, they like bathrooms that function that aren't hole-in-the-grounders, and they love when 4x4s aren't always required, but they don't like ugly man-madeconcrete monstrousities obscuring the natural splendour. Sorry. Wadi people are nature people.

The village itself that you drive through to get to the wadi is actually one of the most charming villages on the coast. Alot of the women still wear the regional Omani traditional dress and not the black abaya, and alot of the homes have kept their older traditional wood carved doors. If you are an Omani-door photographer then this is village for you. I especially love the pirate's house with its black door [that I didn't photograph despite the fact that I am insisting on talking about it] [and I didn't ask the locals the EXACT story behind why it is called the pirate's house so if any one reading this blog is from here, let me know if this "Pirate's House" is a nickname entirely made up by tour guides or what not]. Otherwise, goat's abound, and there is the convenience of a coffee shop and grocery store are just on top of the road next to a Barber's shop before driving down the very steep descent to the wadi itself.

I especially ADOOOOOORED all of the older-style homes perched precariously off of the sea cliffs. If I hadn't been so excited to show my 1 year old the wadi [yes, that's right people, I am raising her to be Omani AND wadi-people] then I would have had more photos to show you. Sadly, I was far too excited [and high on caffiene induced by a Red Bull binge that only former-OPNO girls would understand, having accompanied me for last minute Sharqiyah trips in the past]. [Dear LB, I sorely tried to photograph my Red Bull can on the dashboard along with the Qurayat sign in loving memory of our craziness but alas, I was also trying to download a Dixie Chick's song for absolutely no reason and I kept missing the signs switching back and forth from the download-to-camera functions].

Down at the base of the wadi [which is under a bridge currently graffitied lovingly to a former non-Arab millitary personality...]

...There is a charming little watchtower above, tourism-built bathrooms I always avoid because the women's side is always painfully baaaaaaaaaaad for tourists, and boats that cost around .800 baiza to take one across to the other side. I recommend you plurge the whole .800 baiza on this. It's worth it;).

There were no lifejackets for my 1 year old which was the only thing that freaked me out. But it was worth it to get to the other side because the grass really WAS greener over there;).

It is here that the spell of Wadi Shab descended on both my husband and my baby. Both started wandering around in the sunlight and shadows, chasing sunbeams like they were chasing pixies or faires or something near that astounding aquamarine body of water.

Looks like paradise right? Nothing but palm trees, sand, and cool water.

Every minute or so the light changes in Wadi Shab. I don't know if it the exact angle of the hills, or all the greenery, but it is something special worth driving 2 hours for. Magical. That's the only way to properly decribe Wadi Shab.

Walking up the wadi a short distance (carrying a 1 year old that kept screaming the Arabic word for 'water' and attempting to dive into any mass or puddle of water she could possibly ascertain) we found another set of small pools, clear and clean and lovely.

Being partially Omani, as you all know, we also stopped for a picnic. Being also partially Canadian, and my Omani husband would add, practicing Muslims, I am proud to say we carried our rubbish out with us.

It was pretty quiet except for two Omani families [picnicing of course] and a group of very blonde tourists with very expensive cameras who also seemed to be pretty enchanted by the setting their found themselves in.

We then bid Wadi Shab a fond farewell, and determined it would, inshaAllah, not be our last visit.

Goodbye goats of Wadi Shab! And below, the road back to Muscat...

LOL, LB, it's my friend's the "Jinn" donkies, looooolx100!!!!

I don't know if this applies to me. I really don't see how it could but maybe someone has read my blogging about loving Oman in the wrong way? Or mixing the girls who write this blog all together? But someone from back home was complaining about the Muslim women bloggers married to GCC nationals living in the GCC bragging about their Gulf-lifestyles and thinking they are better than women married to Arab nationals from non-GCC places. Don't get me wrong. I love Oman, and feel privellaged to live here and get to do some of the things that I get to do. Be a local in a very conservative---nigh secretive tribal society---with an ancient history.... Kind of cool, def. has its drawbacks as well. Get to go do special things like Muscat Fashion Week, totally cool, but that's because it is a long term interest for me, and I think I deserve to go to things that I like. Having Mosques, and Bedouin, and a beatiful landscape to explore and people to get to know... I think if I was married to a guy from Morocco or Jordan ect... I'd have the same, so it is about making the best of everything. I'd like to think that I do that. And don't forget, I spent part of my childhood in Oman. This is where I belong.

But I guess, someone out there misunderstands having brand name abayas and housemaids and big villas and all that, not understanding life or the culture here AT ALL. It isn't bragging. It can be, for some women life, and the culture, and I have never thought of myself as better than anyone else. So I hope the person who was saying that kind of wus-wus didn't mean me or anyone else that I think they could have meant. Because trust me, we are sooooooooooooooo not like that. To show you, I will document an average day in my life:

Any old average day in my life begins at home. No, I am not always camped out in the desert under the stars swapping stories with Bedouin, or the like. I live in a Muscat villa very similar to the one pictured here where my family takes up one floor of 3 [it is split into 3 sections as Omanis often share homes]. It is STILL bigger than we need unless we have guests [which is always for Omanis] and then, well, it seems overly small. We also would, it would seem, have more bathrooms than people, but two of the bathrooms have never worked since we moved in, and despite all our efforts, still do not work, so what we have is actually just enough. That is life in the Capital of Oman. Like the photo above, my home is also a sunny creamy yellow. Although I am a tragically bad gardener so you can imagine... And just to note, the first 2 years of my marriage I lived in a rural 1 bedroom home in a slightly impoverished Omani lifestyle. Marrying an Omani did not make me rich. I actually pay for my Muscat villa out of own salary, and work very hard to do that. When I had my baby I decided I didn't want to live dealing with lizards and sometimes-functioning electricity and leaking roof ect... so I don't think my husband is superior to anyone else's by history or profession ect... Nationality does not guarantee ANYTHING. I also think that money in marriage means very little to me, as I have almost always supported myself financially and like that. But it is nice to know my husband can manage the basics if I ever decide, hey I don't want to. To get back onto my average day {which is probably similar to your own}:

Every single day begins by me hating my alarm clock and ignoring it as long as possible by hiding under the sheets. I would stay in pajamas all day if life would allow. Since I am also a Muslim [and was long long ago before I married] that means my alarm goes off before the sun comes up. Yes, we wake up every single day before the sun goes up. Most Omanis I know go back to sleep after this time. Sadly, or tragically, I do not. I am not able to. As a result in the mornings I am very grouchy until I stumble to the kitchen to go and boil some coffee. My kitchen is similar to the kitchen pictured below, although my oven sucks, and I need a new one.

The kitchen is where I spend the first part of my morning while everyone else is sleeping. Yes, technically I DO have a housemaid, but actually, I don't like her to do the work that most Omani families make their housemaids to do. I like to think of her as a tradtional "nanny". I hired her to watch my daughter while I am at work or when I have to go out for chores ect... and that's all I need her to do. When she's not doing that, and I have spare time, usually we hang out and watch TV together and she explains her traditional Ethiopian dances and cultural stuff and translates her favourite channel or gets me to translate her other favourite channel that features wrestling and mixed martial arts. Anyways, being that she is Christian and not a Muslim, she doesn't wake up as early as me, so usually I make breakfast or coffee for myself. My Omani husband does the same. As I like to say, Allah gave him hands, sooooo. {And he is also forbidden to bother the housemaid for anything as, it's not her job}. But sometimes I am nice and amke an actual Western-style breakfast myself:).

On my Omani-husband's ideal day, we'd both be eating breakfast in bed on trays like this. Which is not to say that it never happens, but only that, usually, not so much. I DO make an effort on the weekends though. Mostly.

But usally I am lazy, and breakfast is more like this:

And this...

...Only more bouncy. Because by this time my 1 year-old is awake and wants out of her bed. So I release her and sick her on her sleeping father to jump and bounce on him until he wakes up to drink his coffee while I get dressed for work Which means:

Sitting at my vanity, brushing my hair into a quick up-do, doing my make-up, accessorizing, puting on the Western style shorts and t-shirt I usually wear under my Muslim hijab, and trying to remember to cram my flashdrive and phone and/or lap-stop+day-planner into the handbag du-jour...

...Then I head over to my closet whose contents majorly resembles the above. If it is a work-day I grab 1/25 abayas I have hanging. Because my work is pretty formal and I visit government offices, boardrooms, ect., my abayas are fancier than when I was a stay-at-home preggo wife. Which then, my abayas were derided by even my village sister-in-laws as having holes in them. I am always up to date on fashion but that doesn't mean I am a slave to it;p. If it is a weekend day where we visit/have guests, I grab a colourful dress with beads or bright florals and that's it. I wrap my scarf in a hurry, sticking in more pins than it probably needs, and stumble down to the car for the drive to work with coffee, lap-top, and handbag in hand. By this time my daughter's nanny has just woken up and my husband and I have just left the house.

On the way to work we enjoy a lovely Muscat sunrise while I sip burning hot coffee from a thermos/flask.

At work, it depends on the day, but I may either be reading reports, writing reports, rushing around to meetings, on the phone, or running around trying to sort out some inane bureaucracy effecting something that should be very simple but becomes somewhat complex in Oman.

My job is somewhat flexible, as in, the boss cares that the work gets done, not that I follow a non-sensical schedule of being in the office doing nothing much. So sometimes my hours are from 6 am to 12 in the afternoon which is nice. Start early, finish the job, go home when you like after that. But since my job is rated on output, I can also be doing some serrious over-time, like starting work at 6:30 am and finishing at 7pm and working all the weekend as well. It goes like that. Alhamdulilah my Omani husband accepts that, even though, I know he isn't a fan if it effects the time we have to work on our relationship. Overtime results on my ingesting even more coffee and me speaking a mile-a-minute. Which I do even when I am not on a caffeine-high, so to my co-workers, I am sorry.

On an average day though, there is no crazy-over-work so let's say the average work days ends at 2:30 pm. I get picked up by my husband and driven home, where on an average day, I honestly don't make lunch. Unless it is indomei or a sandwhich or leftovers from dinner Which is not lunch to an Omani. But if my husband seems really sad that traditional cultural Omani lunch is not being served I make what is pictured below [which is honestly the crappiest thing about being married to a non-Western guy if you aren't a big kitchen fan like myself]:

If my daughter is still asleep [she naps] we spend this short quiet time in the living room watching TV or talking:

Or maybe we are just exhuasted from work and we nap. Omanis nap. Took me forever to get used to but if I work myself into a frenzy all morning at work then I can manage a good GCC-style siesta:

After nap, if there is no work to do at home, it is family time. Play with daughter. Go for a stroll in the park, or the Corniche. On the way home we grocery shop. NOTHING too exciting I assure you. Dinner, tv, reading, playing with daughter some more. The average weekend in Oman is quite another thing. Oman has alot of culture.

My Omani-inlaws are as traditional as you can get so we can always visit, or go explore different places in the country that are possible to drive to in day-trips. We do this alot. Either that or we stay home an relax. Unless I am invited to somethign super chic or glamorous. Which isn't every day;p. Husband minds the munchkin while I do laundry and cleaning. Housemaid usually mops floors and washes her own laundry and cooks her own food if I don't make for everyone, so those are her only duties besides baby-sitting while I am at work. I feel I do need to make excuses and be apologetic for having live-in help because people in this region abuse it ALLLLLLLLLLL the time. Because it is normal doesn't make it RIGHT. I don't think I AM an average employer in the Gulf because our wonderful nanny insists on mopping the whole house on a daily basis and sneaking in baking breads and pastries for everyone even though I have forbid her to. I don't really need a housemaiud but daycare was serriously scary. SO I gave up after abandoning 4 daycares. I'd rather have someone I see and trust as a friend watch my little baby, and her nany is that. When my husband isn't with us [due to Islamic reasons if he is home she stays in her section of the house and doesn't really come out to ours] she eats with me, if I host a party she is my guest. I see her as my friend, and while she works for me, her life is her own outside of work. That's how it should be, hint hint GCC.

But then, she's a good person, and I trust her alone with my baby more than I trust my own husband with his flesh-and-blood. Since he is rather absentminded given a long enough period of time alone with a toddler. The evening ends up back home with us being all relaxed and getting ready for bed and ideally with either hot chocolate or icecream. If that is too decadent or superior you must forgive me;D. That's just Oman.

Hello dear readers, how is your weekend going? Mine is going not so glamorously, with OPNO busy reading through boring econmoically-based reports on Oman [yipee] and listening through hours of recorded meetings [some of which are unintelligable because the recorder was left near a pile of devices that makes the recorder make shreiking sounds instead of recording]. So, as a treat for myself and my readers, a break, with some decadent eye-candy and a few lovely links from other Omani bloggers to help you do something this evening while I sit at home with my computer and boring papers:

And a few lovely links:
1.) http://theomanibrit.blogspot.com/2013/02/justin-bieber-chris-tucker-and-some.html
2.) http://mademoiselle-shosho.blogspot.com/2013/02/70-sale-at-boutique-muscat.html
3.) And just because she is so cute and this post made my husband and I laugh especially about googling to make friends because, yeah, some places in Oman, it happens lol http://theduncanadventures.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-make-friends-in-muscat-expat.html
4.) And if you wanted to learn a little about the languages spoken in Oman {no I am not talking just Arabic and Hindi] but the actual historical languages before expats http://susanalshahri.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-language-crisis.html

S'aaf سعف is an Arabic word, meaning palm leave/palm frond. It also the Omani lifestyle brand created by Omani National, Ruqaiyah Al Harthy. Located in the Al Khoud district of the Sultante's capital, Muscat, and tucked away on the 7th Floor of the Al-Ahli Bank Building in Flat 74 is the brand's flagship boutique. Entering inside, the Omani influence is clear, from Omani yarn tasseled "wael" fabrics trimming abaya sleeves, Garanksho [Omani children's holiday] goodie bags, oudh perfume, men's dishdasha with their signature Omani "farkha" tassel, and mussayr fabric [Oman men's turban's woven and embroidered in Kashmir] abounding.

Abayas trimmined with 'musayr' fabric in the Boutique.

Like the majority of female GCC-based deisgners, Ms. Ruqaiyah began by designing abayas for close family and friends. Lately though, she has been focussed more on Omani men's national dress, having been quoted as to say that the abaya is intrinsic to the whole GCC region, while the disdasha is more noticeably a signature of Oman, having a unique cut that distinguishes itself out from other thobes and kandouras and robes of the Arab world.

I personally, would love to see some Omani women's regional dresses updated in a modern way but still keeping the actual traditional construct. I'd like to see that from ANY young Omani designer though.

Eco-friendly packaging, so chic;)

Cute gift ideas from the boutique below:

The brand's own blog: http://saafoman.blogspot.com/2013/01/blog-post_5.html

And facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DaarSaafOman

Another brand by a young Omani designer is "Harayer Al Khaleej" حراير الخليـج . This brand also features some cute Omani influences, and I love the creative use of textiles and GCC fabrics on select abayas in the collection I veiwed through their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harayer-Al-Khaleej#!/pages/Harayer-Al-Khaleej-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%80%D8%AC/156335267761329?fref=ts. I don't know much about the brand beyond the fact that the designer is named Amna Al Sabri and is just 19 years old, but I really will have to visit the boutique myself.

The boutique itself offers more than just abayas, and from the FB photos looks quite chic:

Hours for the Harayer al Khaleej store and location:

Phone: +96824604151

Mobile:+96892534245

Email: harayer.alkhaleej@gmail.com

Location: Sarooj complex (Alfair) 2nd floor, Shatti AlQurum, Muscat, Oman

Working Hours: Sat-Thu 8:00-13-00, 16:00-20:00 So until next time, happy shopping. xoxo-OPNO

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