In a Land Far away...
I have been in Muscat, Oman for seven days now. I arrived on the late night of Thursday, April 3rd, 2008.
Yesterday was another one of those days I got to go out of the house after my dad came from work. I've been having the house to myself everyday now, whenever my dad goes to work during the day. Yesterday after coming home from work, my dad said he was going to run. Now when he says he's going to run and I tag along and stay in one place while he runs off, we park at Muscat Intercontinental hotel and he runs while I stay behind at al Qurm beach by the shops and other commercial centres.
On my flight from Bangkok to Muscat last December was the last time I thought I would ever speak to someone from Syria. As fate would have it though, my trip to Muscat seems to keep giving me encounters with someone from the Arab country.
There I was, walking at the beach, feeling the incoming waves on my feet. I had my alone moment at the beach. Finally. Nature meets solitude and serenity. So I was walking down the shore, transported to my own world, content with the peaceful time I had to myself. When my moment was destroyed. Some dude who was topless and wearing only shorts ran up to me and stayed at my side. I was stunned by this sudden appearance of company and when I looked at his face, I wondered whether he was someone I was supposed to know. But no, he couldn't be the half-African pilot I'd become friends with because he was too fair-skinned. He only smiled at me and we just stared at each other for a few moments. You can say it was his winning smile that kept me from ignoring him and walking away like I normally would've done. His smile gave me the impression that he was harmless. He started talking to me and I begun to establish that he was Arabic-speaking and knew very little English. I was thinking, "Great! Language barrier. He'll go walk away now." But no, he didn't. He stayed at my side and walked with me at the beach even though there were brief moments we couldn't understand each other. Perhaps what made him so endearing was how he didn't appear to be an arrogant, stuck-up individual (the kind I hate) and instead looked like a helpless human creature (because he didn't know much English). Our walk together didn't last long as soon after he met up with his friend (also from Syria) who joined us, I said I had to go. (Yes! I was making my exit!) But as if my entertaining him at the beach were not enough, he even went to such great length as to ask for my number.
Funnily enough, while I was walking by myself at that beach, I had my earphones on and I think the song "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" was playing when the guy from Syria approached me. Was I being matched with a male from Syria exactly my age? Oh, dear. I'd say the answer is no. I'm gonna be stuck in this country for a little while. I might as well start making friends.
The surprises you get when you stay at Oman.
P.S. I love the birds and the yoghurt here!
P.P.S. And I finally got to have my taste of Turkish coffee! I've had it twice now. They serve it in a very small cup, much like the shot cup of an espresso. It's very strong and I read that even if you drink black coffee, you'd have to have it with sugar. I was brave enough to ask for my first Turkish coffee without sugar. And yes, I really did like it. Turkish coffee is my new love. <333
Yesterday was another one of those days I got to go out of the house after my dad came from work. I've been having the house to myself everyday now, whenever my dad goes to work during the day. Yesterday after coming home from work, my dad said he was going to run. Now when he says he's going to run and I tag along and stay in one place while he runs off, we park at Muscat Intercontinental hotel and he runs while I stay behind at al Qurm beach by the shops and other commercial centres.
On my flight from Bangkok to Muscat last December was the last time I thought I would ever speak to someone from Syria. As fate would have it though, my trip to Muscat seems to keep giving me encounters with someone from the Arab country.
There I was, walking at the beach, feeling the incoming waves on my feet. I had my alone moment at the beach. Finally. Nature meets solitude and serenity. So I was walking down the shore, transported to my own world, content with the peaceful time I had to myself. When my moment was destroyed. Some dude who was topless and wearing only shorts ran up to me and stayed at my side. I was stunned by this sudden appearance of company and when I looked at his face, I wondered whether he was someone I was supposed to know. But no, he couldn't be the half-African pilot I'd become friends with because he was too fair-skinned. He only smiled at me and we just stared at each other for a few moments. You can say it was his winning smile that kept me from ignoring him and walking away like I normally would've done. His smile gave me the impression that he was harmless. He started talking to me and I begun to establish that he was Arabic-speaking and knew very little English. I was thinking, "Great! Language barrier. He'll go walk away now." But no, he didn't. He stayed at my side and walked with me at the beach even though there were brief moments we couldn't understand each other. Perhaps what made him so endearing was how he didn't appear to be an arrogant, stuck-up individual (the kind I hate) and instead looked like a helpless human creature (because he didn't know much English). Our walk together didn't last long as soon after he met up with his friend (also from Syria) who joined us, I said I had to go. (Yes! I was making my exit!) But as if my entertaining him at the beach were not enough, he even went to such great length as to ask for my number.
Funnily enough, while I was walking by myself at that beach, I had my earphones on and I think the song "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" was playing when the guy from Syria approached me. Was I being matched with a male from Syria exactly my age? Oh, dear. I'd say the answer is no. I'm gonna be stuck in this country for a little while. I might as well start making friends.
The surprises you get when you stay at Oman.
P.S. I love the birds and the yoghurt here!
P.P.S. And I finally got to have my taste of Turkish coffee! I've had it twice now. They serve it in a very small cup, much like the shot cup of an espresso. It's very strong and I read that even if you drink black coffee, you'd have to have it with sugar. I was brave enough to ask for my first Turkish coffee without sugar. And yes, I really did like it. Turkish coffee is my new love. <333