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a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Monthly Archives: October 2012

lake langano in ethiopia

30 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Africa, Bishangari Lodge, Ethiopia, Lake Langano

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ethiopia, Travel

Tuesday, October 30:  Since I’m not reblogging my posts about Ethiopia onto this blog, I invite you to come along on my visit to Lake Langano, about 3 hours south of Addis Ababa.  Click on any of the links below to read about my time at Bishangari Lodge.

pelicans and cormorants along the shores of lake langano in ethiopia

pelicans and cormorants along the shores of lake langano in ethiopia

a drive to lake langano in ethiopia

the bishangari eco-lodge at lake langano, ethiopia

the dry pumice stone eco-zone at lake langano

the beach at bishangari lodge

fine feathered friends along lake langano’s shores {Sunday}

a dawn birdwatching expedition at lake langano

massages & creature encounters at lake langano

a hippo-spotting walk in the blue light… {…but where are the hippos?}

hobnobbing with the shorebirds at lake langano

I hope you’ll come along on my journey and enjoy some spectacular sights through my eyes. 🙂

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Lalibela, Ethiopia

27 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Africa, Ethiopia, Lalibela

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Saturday, October 27:  I decided not to reblog my posts from my trip to Ethiopia on to this blog.  However, if any of you are interested in reading about my time in Lalibela, here are the links to my posts.

arrival in the land of lalibela

legends of lalibela & bet medhane alem {northern group of churches}

bet maryam {& the small chapels of bet meskel & bet danaghel}

bet mikael, bet golgotha, bet uraiel & the tomb of adam {northern lalibela churches}

the tukuls of lalibela. {hadish adi.}

the wonder of lalibela: bet giyorgis

lalibela’s southeastern churches

evening in lalibela

the lalibela saturday market

Man heading to market in Lalibela
Man heading to market in Lalibela
Worshipers leaving Bet Mikael in Lalibela
Worshipers leaving Bet Mikael in Lalibela
Me on the edge of Bet Giyogis, Lalibela, Ethiopia
Me on the edge of Bet Giyogis, Lalibela, Ethiopia
the magnificent Bet Giyorgis
the magnificent Bet Giyorgis
the valley near Lalibela
the valley near Lalibela

I hope you enjoy my Lalibela experience. 🙂

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eid al-adha & a birthday escape to ethiopia

24 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Addis Ababa, Africa, Bishangari Lodge, Ethiopia, Lake Langano, Lalibela, Mountain View Hotel Lalibela

≈ 34 Comments

Wednesday, October 24: Tomorrow, October 25, is my birthday!  At my age, this shouldn’t be anything to celebrate.  After all, who wants to be a year older?  Yet.  I always believe in celebrating my birthday (hey, at least I’m still alive!) and I love to have people celebrate with me. In addition to it being my birthday, it is also Eid al-Adha in the Arab world, and so luckily my birthday coincides with a 9 day holiday in Oman.  Lucky me!

Eid al-Adha is the “Festival of Sacrifice” celebrated by Muslims the world over to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael in obedience to God.  Lucky for Abraham, God intervened and provided his faithful servant with a ram to sacrifice instead of his son.  The actual Eid al-Adha holiday is Friday, October 26, but the government grants a week off, as does the university.

Soon after the clock strikes midnight on this 57th birthday of mine, around 1:00 a.m., I will hop in my car, suitcase in hand, and head to Seeb International Airport in Muscat for a 4:50 a.m. flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  I dread the early hour of this flight, but I’m excited about my trip.  As all of you know, I LOVE to travel!!  I’m happiest when I’m thrown into a foreign culture and left to my own devices.

I came across this quote today on Facebook: “There are seven days in the week and someday isn’t one of them.”  It gives me food for thought.  I am thankful that in the last six years of my life, I have been able to do things that I used to say I would do “someday.” I am still trying to do this, as much as I possibly can, despite the fact that often I have to sacrifice a lot in this life journey of mine.

My long-time friend, who works in the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, will be my travel companion and guide.  He has been in Ethiopia for a year already, so I’m lucky to have someone who knows Ethiopia.  He has planned some fun excursions, and I’m happy to have him work out the logistics.  I can’t wait!!

So far, here’s what he has planned.  Aware of the fact that I will arrive without having had any sleep, he hasn’t planned much for my first day, even though I arrive at 7:30 a.m.  I told him not to worry, I will be too excited to sleep anyway.  He says we can go celebrate my birthday at an Ethiopian restaurant within walking distance of his house.

Early the morning of the 26th, we have a domestic flight and private tour of the 13th and 14th century rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, where we will stay overnight in the Mountain View Hotel Lalibela.  The next morning, we will go to Lalibela town’s weekly open market and then fly back to Addis that afternoon.

The morning of the 28th, we will drive 3 hours outside of Addis Ababa to Lake Langano, where we will stay two nights at an eco-lodge called Bishangari Lodge.  According to the lodge’s website: Imagine a natural retreat of outstanding beauty that combines five unique ecological zones, a secluded setting that is host to over 400 bird species, a diverse range of wildlife, spectacular array of plant life and un-spoilt biodiversity. Bishangari Lodge is less than 250 km South of Addis Ababa, situated on the shores of Lake Langano, Bishangari’s secret has been safe thanks to its inaccessibility.

The lodge has been designed on sound environmental principles utilizing solar power and biogas for energy. The lodges have been constructed using natural materials and traditional techniques, without compromising on the quality and luxury of the accommodation. It is a natural retreat of outstanding beauty that combines five ecological zones;- wetlands, beach and lake, the forest, the dry pumice rocks and the acacia shrub.

The rest of our time, we will spend exploring Addis Ababa and all the city has to offer.

According to Visit 2 Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is the capital of modern Ethiopia and gateway for most tourists, as well as the political and commercial heart of the country.  Now a city of around 4 million people, it was founded by Emperor Menelik the second in 1877.

The name Addis Ababa means “new flower.” This big, sprawling, hospitable city is more than 2,200 meters high in the foothills of Entoto Mountain. Addis Ababa is one of the third capital cities in the world with high altitude after Katmandu and La Paz. Modern buildings and wide-open boulevards stand side by side with historic churches, palaces and monuments, as well as simple country-style huts. The air is filled with the scent of flowers and eucalyptus trees, and the rich vibrancy of a city that is home to so many cultures.

Modern Addis Ababa also plays a vital role in hosting many international organizations, including the AU, ECA (the Economic Commission for Africa), and other multi-national organizations, who all have their headquarters here. Addis Ababa is as well one of the most crowded diplomatic cities of the world.

If you’d like to come along on my journey to Ethiopia, please visit african meanderings {& musings}.

I’ll see you all when I return home on Friday, November 2!

38.893151 -77.357877

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sunday post: city

21 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Beijing, China, Daegu, Greece, Hanoi, India, Jakesprinter, Jakesprinter Sunday Post, Kalambaka, South Korea, Sunday Post, Varanasi, Vietnam

≈ 34 Comments

Tags

Sunday Post

Sunday, October 21: Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post challenge for this week is City.  He writes: A city is a large center of population organized as a community. The word city is derived from the Latin word civitas, which denotes a community that administers its own affairs. In ancient Greece such an independent community was called a city-state; it consisted of a chief town and its immediate neighborhood.

Here are some cities from different parts of the world.

Kalambaka, at the foot of the Meteora monasteries in Thessaly, Greece

Daegu, South Korea, near Keimyung University

modern Beijing, China

Hanoi, Vietnam

Varanasi, India

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weekly photo challenge: silhouette

19 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in postaweek2012, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 32 Comments

Tags

postaweek2012, weekly photo challenge

Friday, October 19: The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is SILHOUETTE. The proper definition of a silhouette is “the outline of a body viewed as circumscribing a mass.” In photography, often we achieve that effect by putting light behind the object whose silhouette we want to capture, effectively darkening out the features of the subject instead of highlighting them.

Share a picture of a Silhouette with everyone!

silhouette in western Maryland, USA

a traditional boat at sunset near Oia, Santorini, Greece

a silhouette at the Dead Sea in Jordan

 

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Līgo Circle of Appreciation

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Līgo Circle of Appreciation

≈ 19 Comments

Wednesday, October 17: This week I was invited to join the Līgo Circle of Appreciation by Esenga’s Voice.  She noted that I am “a nomad sharing the beauty of the world.” Thank you, Esenga!  I try to share the beauty; sometimes I share the frustrations, the adventures, the excitement and the sorrows as well.  I try to be as true as I can be, within this world where I live.

The yearly Līgo celebration happens every summer solstice in Latvia.
At this time we adorn our heads with Līgos of flowers, oak leaves,
grasses and plants. We join circles around bonfires and celebrate life,
and our appreciation of each other.

Here’s our
Līgo Circle of Appreciation
among fellow bloggers.

For duration of 22 days, starting on 1st October 2012, we will be inviting
2 bloggers per day
to join the Līgo Circle of Appreciation.

PLEASE NOTE: This is an Appreciation, NOT an Award.

To fully participate in the Līgo Circle of Appreciation:
~
* Complete this sentence about blogging: ”A great blog is…”
* Refer back to the blogger who invited you
* Invite 2 bloggers to join the Līgo Circle of Appreciation on a post
~

A great blog is a little oasis where we can find a sliver of a life: a life full of joys, sorrows, adventures, frustrations, hopes & dreams.

Two bloggers who I would love to invite to the Līgo Circle of Appreciation are:

Shelby Bracken of bones, mugs & harmony: she takes beautiful photographs of everyday people, who she introduces with miniature stories rich with concrete and yet whimsical details.  I love to visit her posts and read about the people she encounters,  to have a peek into their lives. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Jen of lattes and leggings describes herself as “a southern girl cooking in the big apple.”  She creates fabulous and colorful recipes and tells a story to go along with each one.  I’ve already tried some of her concoctions and I plan to try many more!

There are of course many more bloggers I would love to invite, but I will reserve them for other nominations & other invitations… 🙂

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absolutely fabulous: a surprise encounter with patsy stone :-)

15 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Absolutely Fabulous, InterNations, Joanna Lumley, Muscat, Oman, Patsy Stone, Radisson Blu Hotel

≈ 23 Comments

Monday, October 15: This evening I go with my friend Neziha to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Muscat for an InterNations gathering.  We arrive really early because we drove directly from work, and since the gathering doesn’t begin until 7:00, we have fruit drinks in the lobby to kill time.

When we walk outside to the pool area next to the Lazy Lizard Lounge, where the gathering will be held, I see a thin blond woman sitting at a table with three laid-back looking friends.  Immediately, I am taken aback.   I say to Neziha, “I know that woman!! She’s a T.V. star!!”

“Who is she?  What does she star in?” asks Neziha, who has never seen the woman before.

I am not good with actors’/actresses’ names, or T.V. show names, or even T.V. character names, so it takes me a few minutes to connect all the dots.  “Uhhh, the show is…. it’s…. uh… Oh, I know it, give me a minute, it will come to me!”

Many minutes pass as my mind goes through its obstacles and convoluted paths like a ball in a pinball machine.  Finally, I yell: “Absolutely Fabulous!  It’s Absolutely Fabulous!  It’s a British sitcom.  Hilarious!  It’s about these two partying drunken women.”

Neziha asks me what the woman’s name is.  Again, I have to search in my memory archives.  Finally, after many more long minutes it comes to me: “Patty, no, no, it’s Patsy!”

Joanna Lumley and me at the Radisson Blu

As if it’s not enough that I have remembered the show, of which I have watched many, many episodes, and the character, who I should certainly know after watching so many episodes, but now Neziha wants to know the name of the actress.

To that I answer, “I don’t know!”

Later, we take a seat at an adjacent table to this actress’s table, not to eavesdrop but because there are not that many tables. During this time I am busy convincing myself that no, that cannot be Patsy.  Why on earth would she be in Oman?  And why at the Radisson Blu and not one of the more upscale hotels in Muscat? And the people she is with look so cool and down to earth, not how you would expect TV types to look.  No, it cannot be her.

Meanwhile one of Neziha’s friends joins, and we go through the same conversation.  He and Neziha want to approach her and just ask if it is her.  He has a smart phone and he looks up Absolutely Fabulous and tells me the actress’s name is Joanna Lumley. He passes around her picture on the phone and everyone thinks it must be her.

We then digress into a number of unrelated conversations, one of which is the story of a Palestinian guy who drops in on our table and tells us of how he was arrested by the Palestinian authority on account of “looking suspicious” and was tortured.  We talk about this horrible situation, the current problems with the situation in Palestine, and his personal story for quite some time.

We are not sitting close enough to hear the conversation at the actress’s table (if she is in fact the actress), but I can hear snippets of her voice and again, I become convinced that it is in fact Joanna Lumley, aka Patsy Stone.  Her voice sounds like Patsy, and her profile looks like Patsy, and the signature way she holds her cigarette and wine glass looks most definitely like Patsy.

Finally, I think Neziha cannot take all this guessing and wavering back and forth as to whether I think it is her or not, and she convinces me that we should just approach her and ask.  After getting up my courage, we both go over to their table, which feels awkward and intrusive.  I say, “Excuse me.  I hate to interrupt you, but I have to ask you, are you Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous?”  She says, smiling, “Actually, yes I am.”  I say, probably sounding like an infatuated teenager, “I thought it was you the minute I saw you, but then I thought, what on earth would she be doing in Oman?”  And she answers, “Actually, I’m on holiday.”  “Oh, well it’s so nice to meet you.  Thanks so much!”  She is very kind, but I feel so awkward I practically run away in embarrassment!

Neziha, Joanna Lumley and me at the Radisson Blu in Muscat

Later we sit and talk at our table some more, and then I think it might be nice to invite her to the InterNations gathering.   However, before I do that, I decide to run over to the InterNations check-in table and ask them if she can get in free if I invite her. The Irish woman at the check-in table, who has never watched Absolutely Fabulous and doesn’t know who I’m talking about, says, “Everyone has to pay.  Of course she would have to pay.”

Well. THAT is embarrassing, if I invite her and then she has to pay 5 rials to get in!  I think, wouldn’t it be gracious for InterNations to invite an actress, who many of the British members would certainly love to meet, and let her in for free?  I find this really irritating and ridiculous, to be honest, and decide that I’ll invite her anyway and if she wants to come, I will pay!

Neziha is determined that we should ask the actress if we can take a picture with her, and despite my hesitation to interrupt her again, I finally agree.  We apologize profusely again for our intrusion, but she is incredibly gracious and hops right up from the table to pose for pictures!!  I invite her to the InterNations gathering, telling her I’m sure there will be many Brits there who would love to meet her.  She politely declines, saying she has to catch a flight home at 3:30 a.m.

What a fun night!! Meeting Joanna Lumley is the highlight of the evening, and the only saving grace about the hot and sweltering outdoor InterNations gathering is talking to Neziha and an Omani woman who lived in the USA for 17 years.  Also, I meet a really nice Greek man who is working on the huge new Muscat International Airport.  It is lovely to meet a Greek man so soon after my trip to his country.

——————————-

For those of you who don’t know Joanna Lumley, here is her biography from her Facebook page, which is actually taken from Wikipedia.

Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her role in the British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon’s best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel and Sensitive Skin. Her distinctive voice has been supplied for animated characters, film narration and AOL‘s “You have email” notification in the UK. She has spoken out as a human rights activist for Survival International and the Gurkha Justice Campaign and is now considered a “national treasure” of Nepal because of her support. She is an advocate for a number of charities and animal welfare groups such as Compassion in World Farming and Vegetarians’ International Voice for Animals She has won three BAFTA awards and a British Comedy Award (Wikipedia: Joanna Lumley).

———————

And, about the British sitcom: Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character.

Edina “Eddy” Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) are a pair of high-powered career women on the London fashion scene. Eddy runs her own PR firm and spends her time chasing bizarre fads in a desperate attempt to stay young and “hip.” Patsy holds a figurehead position at a top British fashion magazine. The two women use their considerable financial resources to indulge in alcohol, recreational drugs, and chasing the latest fads in an attempt to maintain their youth and recapture their glory days as Mods in Swinging London. In 2011, they are still chain-smokers. The partnership is largely driven by Patsy, who is both co-dependent and enabler to Eddy. Their lifestyle inevitably leads to a variety of personal crises, which are invariably resolved by Eddy’s daughter, Saffron Monsoon (Julia Sawalha), who has become bitter and cynical. (Wikipedia: Absolutely Fabulous)

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weekly photo challenge: big

12 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Andong, Nonsan, Oman, postaweek2012, Seoul, South Korea, Wadi Tanuf, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 33 Comments

Tags

postaweek2012, weekly photo challenge

Friday, October 12: The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is BIG. It’s larger than life, it’s unexpected, it’s the protagonist in a scene. It’s big. It often helps to have some normal object as part of the scene so people can understand the scale.

Share a picture which means BIG to you!

my son Alex in Seoul, South Korea with a BIG mushroom

the Jebiwon Buddha in Andong, South Korea

Gwanchok-sa temple in Nonsan has Korea’s largest free-standing stone Buddha image, Unjin Mireuk Buddha. The Buddha dominates the temple compound and looks out serenely at us. The statue is from the early Goryeo Dynasty and supposedly took 38 years to complete.

And finally, some BIG boulders at Wadi Tanuf in Oman.

Alex in front and Adam in back in the BIG boulder-strewn Wadi Tanuf

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an asian night in muscat: the japanese music project ~ arabian tour ~

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Chinese Palace FastFood, Japanese Music Project ~ Arabian Tour, Ministry of Education Auditorium, Muscat, Oman

≈ 5 Comments

Monday, October 9: Tonight, Anna and I drive to Muscat to attend the Japanese Music Project ~ Arabian Tour at the Ministry of Education auditorium in Wattayah.  We leave Nizwa at 5:00 to arrive at Wattayah by 7:30.  Believe it or not, we barely make it by 7:30 (2 1/2 hours later!) because of horrible traffic between Qurum and Ruwi.  We think there must have been a car accident, because on that stretch of road, we move as if we’re stars of some slow motion film.  At one point, Anna turns on Muscat’s classical music station and the dramatic music sets the mood as we crawl slowly up the hill to the summit!  So climactic! We have a good laugh at this juxtaposition of the dramatic musical score with the excruciating slowness of our progression.

the Ministry of Education Auditorium

Anna

me at the Japanese Music Project concert

We arrive and take a seat in the lovely Ministry of Education auditorium, where neither of us have ever been before.  The Japanese ambassador introduces the project and then we sit back to enjoy the show.

the Japanese ambassador to Oman introduces the program

First, each of three musicians, Yas-Kaz the percussionist, Toshiko Kuto the koto player, and Akikazu Nakamura the shakuhachi player, each entertain us with a piece.  Then all three of them play together a jazzy tune.

the first three musicians come together for a jazzy piece: Toshiko Kuto, Yas-Kaz, and Akikazu Nakamura

In the next half, we hear, in turn, Yuji Tsunemi the oud player, Koto, the bamboo flautist, and Yoshio Ueno the otsuzumi (big hand drum) player.  They each play a piece individually, then they all three come together to play an unusual song.

the next three artists come together for an ensemble piece: Yuji Tsunemi the oud player, Koto, the bamboo flautist, and Yoshio Ueno the otsuzumi player

Anna and I are quite amused, as are many others in the audience, by Yoshio Ueno, who plays the big hand drum.  He makes very dramatic gestures, putting his hands into his oversized pockets, then taking them out grandly, placing the drum very dramatically on his lap, and then making expansive hand gestures as he slaps his drum.  He also uses his voice to make sounds as if he is trying to prod a donkey up a steep hill.  These are very strange sounds we hear from this man!  When he combines his performance, first with the other two musicians, and then at the end with all five musicians, it creates a concert of very odd sounds.

Yoshio Ueno

According to David Soloman of the Oman Tribune (Bridging Cultures with Music), and the program for the tour (Japanese Music Project ~ Arabian Tour ~), Yas-Kaz, percussionist and composer, is the director of the music troupe.

Toshiko Kuto plays the koto, a stringed instrument that is about 1,300 years old.  The koto is played by plucking strings with special picks that are worn on the fingers.

Toshiko Kuto in a beautiful kimono, playing the koto

Koto plays the bamboo flute and is dressed in a special costume, ‘the Wabaya’, which is a fusion of the Japanese Kimono and the Arabian Abaya. “A friend of mine, who has travelled all over the world and is familiar with the culture of this region, has specially designed this dress for me for our Arabian tour concert”.

Koto, wearing the “Wabaya,” plays the bamboo flute

Yuji Tsunemi (oud player) was born in 1960 in Tokyo, Japan. He is one of the very few players of the musical instrument, oud, in Japan. He has been deeply fascinated and touched by Arabian music since he was a boy. He started learning Arabian music while attending the Ethnic Music Centre Japan (directed by Tadahiro Wakabayashi) and began to play the oud under Hamza El Din, a Sudanese oud player. He has participated in various music festivals and concerts in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE and Kuwait. This is his first visit to Oman.

Yuji Tsunemi plays the oud, an Arabian instrument

Akikazu Nakamura (composer, shakuhachi) plays the ‘Shakuhachi’, the larger version of the bamboo flute.  Nakamura is one of the first shakuhachi players to make use of the circular breathing technique which enables him to breathe in as he plays the instrument, thus ensuring a continuous sound.

Akikazu Nakamura and his bamboo flute

Yoshio Ueno plays the otsuzumi – Big hand drum. “It is a traditional Japanese instrument that is over 600 years old.

the stage setup

For the culminating piece, all six musicians come together to perform. It’s quite interesting, especially with the guttural sounds and sharp hard slaps on the big hand drum by Yoshio Ueno. We enjoy the concert immensely.

all six musicians play a grand finale

________________________

Afterwards, we go for a delicious dinner at the charming Chinese Palace FastFood at Sabco Center in Qurum.

As soon as we walk in, I pull out my camera to take some pictures, and as I’m taking the following picture of Anna, my bag knocks a glass off the table, shattering it all over the floor.  Ouch.

Anna at Chinese Palace FastFood

charming Chinese Palace FastFood

paintings on the walls

cool painting on the wall

Won Ton Soup

Szechuan Prawns

Chinese sautéed vegetables…

The food is delicious, the company fun.  Our whole Asian night is a great “travel” experience right here in Oman!

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a glimpse at what teachers wear to the university of nizwa. {fall 2012}

07 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Foundation Institute, Oman, University of Nizwa

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

Life, Nizwa, Oman, University of Nizwa

Sunday, October 7: Often, people who are considering coming to work at the University of Nizwa write to me through my blog to ask various questions about life at the university.  One question people ask me is what people wear to work.  In order to avoid having to answer these questions on an individual basis, I decided to write a post about how teachers dress.

Long skirt, long-sleeve shirt and shayla (headscarf)

Short-sleeve blouse and skirt below the knee

button down shirt and long khaki pants

Saudi dress? I’m not sure here….

For the women, the general rule is that women should be modest, cover their shoulders and wear pants or skirts that fall below the knee.  Some of the women teachers are Muslim and cover their hair.  Others are not, and they do not cover.   Some women are Muslim and don’t cover.  It is an individual choice.  It is not required.

Short sleeve long top with long pants

A variety of dress. Left to right: button down shirt and long pants; Omani dishdasha and mussar; short sleeve collared knit shirt and long pants, long skirt and 3/4 sleeve blouse with scarf.

1) Me with long skirt, 3/4 length sleeves and scarf; 2) nice jeans and polo shirt; 3) long balloon pants and long tunic

long-sleeve button-down shirt, long khaki pants, and cap

The men generally wear collared shirts, or long tunics, or dishdashas if they are Omani.  Some men even go so far as to wear ties.  Shorts, frayed jeans or sloppy T-shirts are generally not acceptable.

women teachers at the university, with long skirts, scarves, long or mid-sleeve tops

short sleeve button-down shirt and long pants

a long sleeve shirt, tie, and long khaki pants

long tunic and long pants

This is just a sampling of different teachers and what they wear, as I cannot put pictures of every single teacher on my blog.  Teachers generally keep the heat in mind when they dress, sticking to lightweight cotton fabrics.  Many people wear sandals year round here, although many people wear close-toed shoes as well.

Indian cotton top with colorful scarf and long pants

long sleeve cardigan and blouse, long pants and headscarf

polo shirt and long khaki pants

long Indian tunic and long loose-fitting pants, cardigan over blouse and capri-length pants, and polo shirt with long pants

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Heading to Spain and Portugal!!

To Barcelona & beyond! :-)June 28, 2013
To Barcelona & beyond! :-)

Return home to the USA

Homecoming USA!July 26, 2013
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Recent Posts

  • 2014 in review: wordpress sums it all up!
  • Beautiful Oman Filmed in Sizzling Indian Song “Jiya” for the Movie “Gunday”
  • 2013 in review
  • five hours at heathrow’s terminal 5
  • friday meditation: i get up in the morning. i do my best. nothing else matters.
  • our last dinner at the spicy village
  • travel theme: ripples
  • seeking the moonrise on a rocky hill in izki
  • in search of the perfect suitcase combo & dinner at shang thai
  • a sale of “stuff” & a farewell gathering
  • my itinerary for spain: here’s what i’ve got so far…
  • seeking “the essence of Muscat” on a steamy 42 degree day
  • weekly photo challenge: the sign says
  • the ruins and gardens of adam
  • cbbh photo challenge: knobs & knockers
  • caracalla dance theatre: “kan ya ma kan” at the royal opera house muscat
  • travel theme: pathways
  • weekly photo challenge: in the background
  • a stroll through al qasha on jebel akhdar & a farewell to old friends
  • friday meditation: my top ten happy memories in the sultanate
  • travel theme: the four elements
  • weekly photo challenge: escape
  • friday meditation: on choosing one memory to relive for all eternity
  • a fond farewell to the gardens of wekan
  • on preparing for spain & portugal: first steps
  • sunday post: mother’s day
  • travel theme: beaches
  • weekly photo challenge: pattern
  • getting my green fix in the gardens of misfat al abriyyen
  • weekly photo challenge: from above
  • friday meditation: flow
  • a sepia kind of day in nizwa: rain, rain, rain & a shifting weekend
  • travel theme: light
  • friday meditation: “addicted to a certain kind of sadness” ~ a playlist of bittersweet memories
  • happy birthday to sarah!
  • pay day at the lulu hypermarket in nizwa
  • Ma’a salama to my GMC Terrain {trials & tribulations of selling a car in Oman}
  • weekly photo challenge: up
  • friday meditation: a question of fate
  • CBBH photo challenge: multi-colored
  • weekly photo challenge: change
  • breakfast at the chedi
  • a trip to wadi bani kharous
  • weekly photo challenge: color
  • travel theme: pale
  • friday meditation: star-spangling our solitude
  • jebel akhdar: an afternoon of brits & roses, wine & bubbly
  • 2008 GMC Terrain for sale!
  • sunday post: entrance
  • weekly photo challenge: a day in my life

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Catbird in Oman Menu

  • home
  • About me
    • New Year’s Resolutions
    • Bucket List
    • Share Your World
    • Friday Meditation
  • Oman
    • Al-Batinah Region
    • Al-Dhahirah Region
    • Al-Dakhiliyah Region
      • Nizwa
    • Al-Wusta Region
    • Dhofar Region
    • Musandam
    • Muscat
    • Sharqiya Region
  • University of Nizwa
  • Africa
    • african meanderings {& musings}
  • Americas
    • nomad, interrupted: catbird in the united states of america
    • notes from north america
    • United States of America
      • Virginia
  • Asia
    • catbird in china
    • catbird in korea
    • catbird in kyoto
    • catbird in south asia
    • catbird in turkey
    • ride paddies and papayas
  • Europe
    • greek wanderings
    • in search of a thousand cafés
  • Middle East
    • a jaunt to jordan
    • catbird in cairo
    • United Arab Emirates
      • Abu Dhabi
  • photography
    • Sunday Post
    • Travel Theme Photo Challenge
    • Weekly Photo Challenge
    • whatever a moon has always meant
  • Fiction
    • land of make-believe

what happens when…

October 2012
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Blogs I Follow

Blog of the Year 2012

Kreativ Blogger Award

Genuine Blogger Award

Ligo Circle of Appreciation

Shine On Award

Oman Blogs

  • Adventures of an American ESL Instructor Teaching at an Omani University
  • Andy in Oman
  • Angry in Oman
  • Bethany Duffield
  • Desperate Housewife in Oman
  • Dhofari Gucci
  • English Girl in Oman
  • Hallucinations of a Kitten
  • How to live like an Omani Princess
  • Hunting the Lost Insurgency: Oman
  • Matthew Heines
  • Misadventures in HR
  • Mumoftheanimals's Blog
  • Muscat Confidential
  • Muscat Jet Driver
  • Muscat Mutterings
  • Oh Man…Oman is really nice!
  • Omani Book Mania
  • Omani Cuisine
  • Rural Route Runner
  • Samir's Home
  • Secret Salalah
  • Sleepless in Salalah
  • Sultanate Social
  • Susan Al Shahri
  • The Linoleum Surfer

Oman Information

  • Albahja Cinema
  • Background Note Oman: U.S. State Department
  • Bait Muzna Gallery
  • BBC News: Oman Country Profile
  • CIA World Factbook ~ Oman
  • City Cinema Shatti
  • Destination Oman
  • Embassy of the United States – Muscat, Oman
  • Lonely Planet Oman
  • Ministry of Information: Sultanate of Oman
  • Oman Daily Observer
  • Royal Opera House Muscat
  • Sultanate of Oman Tourism
  • Sultanate of Oman: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Travel Blogs

  • Dan & Jillian's International Teaching Adventures
  • Dude Travels to Go
  • The Cool Hunter: amazing places to experience around the globe
  • The Traveling Gypsy
  • Wildcard Travels

X-terraneous Stuff

  • CIA World Factbook ~ South Korea
  • Dawn King
  • Let me bite that.
  • Life in the Bogs
  • reinventing the event horizon

my photostream on flickr

Sunny but only 20 degrees today!uploaduploaduploadTaking a walk through the neighborhood#whpsentbymailNext door to port royal post officeNext store in port royalupload
More Photos

Goodreads

Top Posts & Pages

  • "ladies tailoring" ~ killing time at al bustan roundabout & a walk around al riyam park
  • bahla: the sultan qaboos mosque, bahla fort & old bahla
  • the nizwa cemetery
  • the dilemma of the feet in oman
  • the road to jebel harim: petroglyphs, mountain views & graveyards
  • abu dhabi heritage village, the marina mall and marina
  • a morning walk through al hamra & misfat al abriyyen

InterNations

Weekly Photo Challenge

PostaWeek2012

share your world

a-z photo challenge

52 Pick Up

Sunday Post

Six Word Saturday

No Comfort Zone Challenge

I pledge to read the Printed Word

things i write about

"Happiness" 52 Pick Up 2012 A-Z Photo Challenge Abu Dhabi Abu Nooh Building Africa Akrotírion Al-Areesh Camp Al-Batinah Region Al-Dakhiliyah Region Al-Dhahirah Region Al Aqr Al Ayn Al Hamra Al Musanaah Americas Asia As Sifah Beach Athens Bahla Balad Sayt Birkat Al Mouz Cambodia Cappadocia Crete Daegu Ethiopia Europe Falaj Daris Hotel Family Foundation Institute Friday Meditation Geoje-si GMC Terrain Greece India Intercontinental Hotel Jakesprinter Japan Jebel Akhdar Jebel Shams Jordan Kyoto Lake Langano Lalibela Life Matthieu Ricard Middle East misfat al abriyyin Musandam Muscat Muttrah Muttrah Souq Nakhal Fort Nepal Nizwa Nizwa souq Oia Oman Oman Dive Center Phnom Penh Photography Challenges Pokhara postaweek2012 postaweek2013 Rethymno Royal Opera House Sahab Hotel Saiq Plateau Salalah Santorini Seoul Share Your World Sharqiya Region Sharqiya Sands Six Word Saturday South Korea Spirituality Suncheon Bay Sunday Post Travel Travel Theme Photo Challenge Turkey United Arab Emirates United States of America University of Nizwa Virginia Wadi Bani Awf Wadi Bani Habib Wadi Bani Khalid Wadi Damm Wadi MIstal Wadi Muaydin Wadi Shab Wadi Tiwi Wednesday Song Title Interpretation Weekly Photo Challenge Wekan Western Hajar Mountains

oh say can you see?

Free counters!

Tag Cloud

#capturethecolour 7 Super Shots 52 Pick Up @travelsupermkt a-z photo challenge Abu Dhabi Al Amerat Architecture Art Balad Sayt Birthdays Blogging books Bucket List CBBH Photo Challenge Christmas Daydream Saturdays DPchallenge Egypt Empty Quarter Ethiopia GMC Terrain Greece Hyundai Sonata Ibri InterNations Japan Jebel Akhdar Jebel Shams karma's photography scavenger hunt Life middle east Misfat Al Abriyyin Muscat Nepal Nizwa Nizwa Souq No Comfort Zone Challenge Oman Omar Khairat Optimism Pessimism Phoneography Challenge Picture the World! postaweek2012 postaweek2013 Roses Royal Opera House Royal Opera House Muscat Saiq Plateau Salalah share your world Shine On Award Six Word Saturday South Korea Spain Spirituality Story Challenge Sunday Post Tibet Travel travel theme Turkey United Arab Emirates United States of America University of Nizwa Wadi Bani Awf Wadi Tiwi Wedding wednesday song title interpretation weekly photo challenge Western Hajar Mountains Wordpress WPLongform wwwp5k

Blogs I Follow

  • Fairfax County Emergency Information
  • ~ wander.essence ~
  • Living in Paradise...
  • SterVens' Tales
  • PIRAN CAFÉ
  • Word Wabbit
  • Cardinal Guzman
  • Pit's Fritztown News
  • Fumbling Through Italy
  • Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek
  • snowtoseas
  • Cornwall in Colours
  • Slovenian Girl Abroad
  • Let Me Bite That
  • Running Stories by Jerry Lewis
  • Finding NYC
  • The World according to Dina
  • Cornwall Photographic
  • snippetsandsnaps
  • SITTING PRETTY

Administrative Stuff…

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Creative Commons Attribution

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Categories

Blog at WordPress.com.

Fairfax County Emergency Information

Official Fairfax County Government Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Website

~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

~~~In Case You Didn't Know, I Talk 2 Myself~~~

PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

Cornwall in Colours

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

Notes on Seeing, Reading & Writing, Living & Loving in The North

Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

Fairfax County Emergency Information

Official Fairfax County Government Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Website

~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

~~~In Case You Didn't Know, I Talk 2 Myself~~~

PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

Cornwall in Colours

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

Notes on Seeing, Reading & Writing, Living & Loving in The North

Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

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