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a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Category Archives: Muttrah Souq

a morning at mutrah souq and lunch at the blue marlin

14 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Blue Marlin Restaurant, Marina Bandar al Rowdha, Middle East, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman

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Muscat, Oman, Travel

Thursday, March 14:  This morning I took a couple of my friends to Muscat to visit Mutrah Souq and then to have lunch at the Blue Marlin Restaurant at Marina Bandar al Rowdha.  Mona Lisa had never been to Mutrah Souq before; Char had been before, but only once.  Though I have sworn off spending money during my remaining months in Oman, I did break down and buy a couple of necklaces and a black Indian tunic.  Here are a couple of pictures from our day.

Mutrah Fort

Mutrah Fort

the view from Muttrah Corniche

the view from Muttrah Corniche

a dhow at the harbor

a dhow at the harbor

incense burning....

incense burning….

glass ornaments

glass ornaments

more Turkish lamps

more Turkish lamps

Turkish lamps at Mutrah Souq

Turkish lamps at Mutrah Souq

beaded lamps

beaded lamps

shoes at the souq

shoes at the souq

It wasn’t too hot to sit outside for lunch at the Blue Marlin Restaurant, so we did just that, overlooking the beautiful Marina Bandar al Rowdha.

Mona Lisa and Char at the Blue Marlin

Mona Lisa and Char at the Blue Marlin

Smoked salmon baguette at the Blue Marlin

Smoked salmon baguette at the Blue Marlin

Marina Bandar al Rowdha

Marina Bandar al Rowdha

traditional boat

traditional boat

me and Mona Lisa

me and Mona Lisa

boats in the marina

boats in the marina

Intissar at the Marina

Intisaar at the Marina

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an evening in muscat: al alam palace, mutrah souq & the silk route

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Al Alam Palace, Medinat Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman, Silk Route

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Oman, Travel

Sunday, January 6:  Al Alam Palace (“Flag Palace”) in Muscat is one of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos‘s six royal residences in Oman, and apparently the most important.

Al Alam Palace

Al Alam Palace

We walk up the long pedestrian boulevard between two arcaded colonnades, and the boys find themselves with the urge to do handstands in front of the palace.

Adam does a handstand in front of Al Alam Palace
Adam does a handstand in front of Al Alam Palace
Alex does a handstand in front of Al Alam Palace
Alex does a handstand in front of Al Alam Palace

The palace was built in 1972 and is a flashy example of modern Islamic design, with two wings attached to a central cube-like building with a flat roof, supported by blue and gold flared columns.

Al Alam Palace behind its iron gates

Al Alam Palace behind its iron gates

The palace isn’t open to the public, but it’s fun to come here at different times of year to see the colorful palace with its rotating flower gardens in the foreground. Last time I came here, yellow, red and pink marigolds framed the entry to the palace; this time terraces of lavender, pink, violet and white impatiens are in bloom.

impatiens in bloom in front of the palace
impatiens in bloom in front of the palace
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Adam & Alex in front of Al Alam Palace
Adam & Alex in front of Al Alam Palace
Adam, Mike and Alex
Adam, Mike and Alex
Alex in the colonnaded arcade
Alex in the colonnaded arcade
Adam in the arcade
Adam in the arcade

We walk around the grounds where we see a large complex of white government buildings.  On a stony hill to the right are the original city walls snaking up the hill, punctuated with three watchtowers glowing in the waning light.

the old city walls

the old city walls

On our way out, we pass by a pretty mosque with colorful stained glass windows.

a mosque with pretty stained glass windows

a mosque with pretty stained glass windows

We head to Mutrah, where we wander along the corniche and then into the alleyways of the souq.  None of us are really looking to buy anything, but Mike does buy a small incense burning kit.  We just enjoy watching the people and looking at all the enticing things for sale.

along Mutrah corniche
along Mutrah corniche
the harbor viewed from Mutrah corniche
the harbor viewed from Mutrah corniche
entering Mutrah Souq
entering Mutrah Souq
pretty trinkets
pretty trinkets
incense burners
incense burners
Aladdin's lamps?
Aladdin’s lamps?

After our wanderings, we head to Medinat Sultan Qaboos to The Silk Route for dinner.  The Silk Route is a pan-Asian restaurant, and we are surprised when they bring out an iPad menu for each of us.  We can scroll through the menu, enlarge the photos of the food, and then add our order to a shopping cart.  We are certainly impressed by this nice touch, and we enjoy playing around for quite some time with these fun menus.  After we order, the waiter comes by to double-check our order, and then we have a fabulous meal of Shrimp Pad Thai, vegetable noodles, basil cauliflower and sweet & sour vegetables.

Adam checks out the iPad menu at The Silk Route
Adam checks out the iPad menu at The Silk Route
Mike & Adam at The Silk Route
Mike & Adam at The Silk Route
Alex and his iPad menu
Alex and his iPad menu
Alex and me :-)
Alex and me 🙂

After dinner, I sadly have to drive back to Nizwa, while the boys spend the night at Safeer Suites.  They plan to go to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque tomorrow, but as I’ve been there already, I won’t go with them. Some of us have to work, after all. 🙂

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weekly photo challenge: purple

27 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Nizwa, Nizwa souq, Oman, postaweek2012, Weekly Photo Challenge

≈ 47 Comments

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postaweek2012, weekly photo challenge

Friday, July 27:  Purple. Another color post!  Subtle, waning purple of a sunset; vibrant purple of grapes or eggplant – what kind of purple caught your photographic eye?

Share a picture that means PURPLE to you!

Omani costumes for sale at Muttrah Souq

eggplants for sale at Nizwa Souq

a purple flower, Allium, from my mother-in-law’s garden

and some pansies….

 

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sunday post: collectibles

22 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in incense burners, Jakesprinter, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Nizwa, Nizwa souq, Oman, Sunday Post

≈ 14 Comments

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Sunday Post

Sunday, July 22:  Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post this week is collectibles.  He writes:  Collectibles and collecting: groups of items of a similar type that are acquired and saved as a hobby. Millions of people all over the world enjoy the activity of collecting. Just about anything can be a collectible, from children’s toys to car hubcaps to matchbooks. Some collectibles can sell for a few dollars at a yard sale, others for thousands of dollars in specialty stores or at auctions. Although there are many recognized areas of collecting that have their own publications and organized groups of collectors, the world of collectibles is ultimately limited only by the imagination and desire of the collector.

Here are some collectibles in Oman: incense burners.

incense burners at Muttrah Souq

colorful incense burners at nizwa souq

pottery incense burners at nizwa souq

more incense burners in nizwa

turret-shaped incense burners in nizwa

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sunday post: valuable

01 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Jakesprinter, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman, Sunday Post

≈ 12 Comments

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Sunday Post

Sunday, July 1:  Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post for this week is valuable.  He writes: Precious, expensive, costly, priceless, important, dear, having considerable monetary worth, costing or bringing a high price like a valuable painting or a valuable crop; having qualities worthy of respect, admiration, or esteem: a valuable friend. A considerable use, service, or importance: valuable information. These are a few words to define valuable.

When I think of valuable, the first thing that comes to mind are my children and life experiences.  Putting the two of these together, I think the most valuable thing for me this year was when both of my sons came to Oman to visit me in January for over 3 weeks.  That experience was a valuable one for them in that it showed them how it is to live in another culture.  It showed them how their mother is living a daily existence in this foreign world. It enabled them to see and understand my life here in Oman. And it was a valuable experience of sharing my life with my children.  I have lots of pictures from our time together here in Oman, but this one I find particularly endearing.

Alex and Adam dressing the part at Mutrah Souq

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a-z archive: s! challenge (shoes at the souq)

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in A-Z Photo Challenge, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman

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a-z photo challenge

Tuesday, May 8: This week’s topic for Frizztext’s A-Z Archive Tuesday’s photo challenge is the letter “S”: introduce one photo of your own archive with a “S” keyword for example SAILSHIP or swords, shades or sunflowers, stealth bombers or saxophones, seagulls or skateboards, spare-ribs or stairways, storks or seals, siesta or sadness, silence or snow patrols etc.

My entry for this week is: shoes at the souq.  Last weekend I visited Mutrah souq in Muscat and found the most adorable shoes.

“Age shouldn’t affect you. It’s just like the size of your shoes – they don’t determine how you live your life! You’re either marvellous or you’re boring, regardless of your age.” ~ Steven Morrissey

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a morning at mutrah souq & close encounters of the bullying kind

04 Friday May 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Lawatiya Mosque, Middle East, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman

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Muscat, Oman, Travel

Friday, May 4:  This morning I take a walk down from the Corniche Hotel along the Mutrah corniche toward Mutrah Souq. I go for the sole purpose of taking pictures of the colorful souq, but of course I can never visit the souq without being tempted to buy something…. 🙂

walking toward Mutrah souq and the corniche

It is already hot and muggy even at 9 a.m.  Muscat is notoriously more humid than Nizwa.  My little hometown of Nizwa is actually quite dry; the heat is more bearable than in Muscat, which lies on the coast of the Sea of Oman.

The Lawatiya Mosque in Mutrah

I come across the Al Lawatiya Mosque, with its beautiful teal blue and gold minaret and dome and its blue calligraphy-covered sign over the door. Word has it this mosque is the place of worship for the Lawati community who migrated from India more than 300 years ago.

I continue down toward the souq and then into its dark alleyways into an explosion of color & scent: irresistible textiles, frankincense, saffron, silver, shoes, vases, khanjars, treasure chests and camel bone vases.

explosion of color

I meander through the souq, snapping pictures and fending off the offers for pashmina shawls from the Indian vendors.  I always say the same thing: “It’s too warm in Oman for pashminas!”  I guess for tourists who will return home to cooler climes, pashminas are great, but for someone living in Oman, it’s just too darn hot to wear wool!  The only place it would be possible to wear these beautiful scarves would be in the Royal Opera House, where it’s possible to encounter Arctic temperatures!

kummars for sale! (the men’s traditional hat worn with dishdasha)…

At one point, I buy a purple flowered lightweight cotton scarf that I can actually wear in Oman.  I also buy an Indian wall-hanging with a “jolly-looking elephant” on it (these are my friend James’s words when he sees the wall-hanging later).

the “Tradtiional Art Palace”

I happen upon a shopkeeper more interested in sending texts on his mobile than selling his Frankincense….

the modern with the traditional

rich little bags

I make the mistake of going into the following shop, stuffed to the brim with silver, textiles, canes, pottery.  You name it they have it.

the altercation shop

I take my camera inside, where I find these cool beaded yarn strands, harking back to the hippie days of the 1960s.  I ask the Indian salesman how much they are.  He tells me 4 rials (~ $11).  I say, “4 rials!! For one??” He says yes.  I say, “Wow! That’s expensive!  It would cost me a fortune if I wanted to buy a whole set of the strands to hang across a window or something!”  He says, “Yes, but they’re all handmade.”  “Yes, I can see that,” say I.  “They’re really beautiful.  But what can I do with only one or two?”  I continue around the shop, taking a few more pictures, and I ask a price about something else.  The guy tells me it is 10 rials.  I say, “10 rials?? That’s expensive!!”

camel bone vases and canes

Now I have to say I don’t usually drive a hard bargain at the souq, but it seems to me that, for the items this guy is selling, the prices are exorbitant.

incense burners at another shop

I say, “Well, I live in Nizwa, so….”   I’m going to say, as I always do when I come to the souq, that since I live here and am not a tourist, they might consider giving me a better deal.  Since I live here I can become a repeat customer.  But before I can even get that statement out of my mouth, the Omani man sitting at the counter interrupts, very rudely, “If you’re from Nizwa, go on back to Nizwa!  Don’t you ask any more prices in here.  If you take any more pictures I will break your camera.”  By then he has come over to me and is grabbing for my camera!  I pull it out of his reach and say, “Don’t you dare!!” He tells me to leave the shop and on the way out I say, for the benefit of the tourists, “That guy is a weirdo!”  I can’t help myself…I am so angry!! I don’t like people who try to bully me and I refuse to be bullied.  I won’t stand down!

more goodies at the souq

I don’t see why a shopkeeper should get angry at me for taking a picture in a shop. It’s not like I am taking the item itself with me!  It’s just a picture!! What can I do with a picture?  I can’t use it as a curtain, I can’t wear it, I can’t use it to hold flowers!!  I can’t use it to carry things, nor can I use it to burn incense.  And I certainly can’t make any money off of it!  As a matter of fact, by taking a picture, and posting it on my blog, I may inspire someone to visit the souq and spend money!  Novel idea!!

mutrah souq

And why should someone be angry if a customer protests about a shop’s prices? I’m sure customers do it all the time.  Is it just because I say I am from Nizwa??  Is he thinking I’m comparing prices with the Nizwa souq?  Is he angry because I am a foreigner living in Oman?  I honestly don’t get it!!

Lime mint soda under an umbrella outside the souq

I leave, shaking that place and its bully proprietor off of me, and continue through the souq, where no other shopkeepers seem to have any problem with me taking pictures of their goods.  Finally, after I have bought a brown and turquoise flowered tunic, the aforementioned “jolly elephant” wall-hanging, and the purple scarf, I head outdoors to sit at a table under an umbrella.  I order a lime mint soda which is incredibly refreshing.  I look up at the bank’s temperature sign and it says 45 C degrees (113 Fahrenheit)!!

a hot sultry 45C… 😦

I am hot and tired and irritable, but I try to enjoy sitting and drinking the lime mint.  Sweet relief…. 🙂

After relaxing a bit, a German tour group decides to invade my table, where I had been sitting happily alone, so I leave and walk back along the corniche.  I can see across the harbor to the huge incense burner on a hilltop in Riyam Park, where I will visit next.

Mutrah Harbor with the incense burner at Riyam Park in the background

Finally, at the end of the corniche, I pass by the Fish Roundabout, a famous landmark in Mutrah.

the famous Fish Roundabout at Mutrah Souq

I enjoy my morning at the souq, but now I’m happy to get in my air-conditioned car and take a drive. A very long ~ and cool ~ drive.

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a-z archive: k! challenge (khanjar)

13 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in A-Z Photo Challenge, khanjar, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman

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a-z photo challenge

Tuesday, March 13:  The khanjar is the traditional dagger of Oman, curved and sharpened on both edges.  It’s a symbolic weapon usually worn by men after puberty and is carried in a silver-decorated sheath attached to a silver-filigreed belt.  I have seen the groom in a wedding wearing one; it is part of the formal dress code in the country.  The khanjar also appears on the Omani flag as part of the national emblem of Oman.

the Omani khanjar

I’m sorry this picture isn’t all that interesting, but at least it shows something unusual that originates in Oman for the letter “k.”

  The sheath for the khanjar has a right angle bend and is a symbol of manhood, courage and tradition.  Omani men won’t attend a formal function without it.

Here’s a photo of a shop at Mutrah Souq with a wall full of khanjars (that’s not really the plural in Arabic, but I’ll use it for these purposes!).

a wall of khanjars at a shop at Mutrah Souq in Muscat

Don’t leave home without one… 🙂

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alex & adam go to muscat

12 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Kargeen, Middle East, Muscat, Muttrah Souq, Oman, Oman Dive Center

≈ 5 Comments

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Muscat, Oman, Travel

Thursday, January 12:  I take the boys to Muscat on Wednesday evening and we go straight to the Carrefour at Qurum City Center to stock up on some camping gear.  This despite protests of their hunger and exhaustion.  At this point the jet lag is starting to seriously dampen their adventurous spirits.  I promise them a good dinner if they’ll put up with the trip to Carrefour, so we head straight for dinner at Kargeen Caffé, a cool outdoor Omani garden restaurant at Medinat Sultan Qaboos. “Kargeen” is an old Omani word for a little wooden cottage, and it definitely has a cottage feel. In the courtyard, beautiful trees with white sparkly lights surround us, creating a Midsummer Night’s Dream-type ambiance. We sit on wooden benches lined with colorful pillows at tables with glass tops.  Under the glass are shadow boxes of children’s traditional Omani clothing.  Atmospheric to the hilt, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Muscat. This is one place that will make my boys love Muscat.

the menu at Kargeen Caffe

the menu at Kargeen Caffe

Kargeen Caffé

My boys love to order fancy drinks every time they go to a restaurant, so they order coconut drinks in their shells. I get a lemon soda with mint.  Alcoholic beverages are not served here.

Alex with a coconut drink in a coconut shell

Alex with a coconut drink in a coconut shell

For dinner, the guys, who are both vegetarians, order falafel sandwiches and pasta.  I order some spinach and chickpea soup.  The waiter brings us a “special” bread, sort of like a pizza, stuffed with vegetables and olives.  Though the food isn’t stellar, it is tasty.  Atmosphere is what we come here for, and there is more than enough of that to go around.

Adam at Kargeen Caffé

Adam at Kargeen Caffé

Alex and I at Kargeen

Alex and I at Kargeen

a lantern at Kargeen

a lantern at Kargeen

After dinner, we check in to the Safeer Suites at Medinat Sultan Qaboos.  I’m surprised we get quite a nice room for 3 people.  Most rooms are for two people, so I’m happy to find a place with 3 beds.

In the morning, we eat the buffet breakfast at the hotel, which is quite a spread.  At this point, the boys are happy with everything.  I can’t help but wonder how long it will take before their enthusiasm wears off.

my go-to hotel in Muscat

my go-to hotel in Muscat

We head to Mutrah Souq, where we wander the maze-like aisles, with textiles and frankincense stalls on either side of us.  All the Indian shopkeepers beckon with their Pashminas, but I can never understand why they pick the ugliest colors to present.  Even if I were interested in a pashmina, which I never am because it’s simply too hot in Oman to wear one, I would never choose the colors of the ones they’re trying to sell.

The boys, being vegetarians, are looking especially for a fruit and vegetable market, but I have never seen one at Mutrah Souq.  We wander through the corridors and never come upon one.  I have never seen fruits and vegetables sold here.  They are disappointed, although they love the feel of the souq.

Alex & Adam at Mutrah Souq

Eventually they are cornered by an enthusiastic salesman who grabs Alex and puts a kumma, the Omani cap, on his head. He then takes a checkered scarf and wraps it around the kumma.

My two "Omani" boys at Mutrah Souq, Oman

My two “Omani” boys at Mutrah Souq, Oman

The next thing I know both boys are decked out in dishdashas and kummas, with scarves wrapped around their heads.  The shopkeeper then wraps another scarf jauntily around their necks.  I snap pictures of my handsome boys.  Alex especially looks like an Arab with his beard and long thin face.  I love it!  They come away buying the kummas and scarves.  No dishdashas for them.  Both boys buy some white cotton pants that look like pajama bottoms, loose and comfortable.  I buy a purple Indian wall hanging, some scarves to add to my already huge collection, and one purple pashmina (yes, I succumb to the pashmina fervor!) to wear with a flowered low-cut silk dress when I next go to the opera.

Alex & Adam at the corniche in Mutra

Alex & Adam at the corniche in Mutrah

Mutrah Harbor

Mutrah Harbor

Mutrah Harbor

Mutrah Harbor

Adam & Alex at the Oman Dive Center

Adam & Alex at the Oman Dive Center

After the souq, we go to the Oman Dive Center where we sit outdoors on the patio and eat lunch. The boys have mozzarella and tomato sandwiches, while I have a big juicy hamburger.  Adam and I have carafes of red wine and Alex has a beer.  They love being able to drink in Oman when they would be underage in the USA.

We all enjoy the ambiance of this place, sitting outdoors in a warm breeze, the blue lagoon framed by tropical greenery before us.  It’s so pleasant that none of us really want to leave here.

me & Alex toasting to Oman in the Dive Center

me & Alex toasting to Oman in the Dive Center

We finally tear ourselves away from the pleasant Dive Center and head down the coast to Wadi Tiwi and Wadi Shab, planning to spend the night in Sur.

So far, the boys love the pleasant atmosphere, the warm weather, and the scenery of the places we’ve experienced in Oman.  I know they will really love the great outdoors, the mountains, wadis and seashores, that this country has to offer.

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a shopping spree for “new digs” decor

30 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Abu Nooh Building, Home Centre, Middle East, Muscat, Muscat City Center, Muttrah Souq, Nizwa, Oman, Seeb, Zara

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Muscat, Oman

Friday, December 30:  After going around and around with the university housing department about the shortfalls of my “villa” for months, I could see that no resolution was in sight.  The landlord of the villa adamantly refused to fix the problems there, including grimy walls and ratty carpet, a shared electric & water meter with the Indian family upstairs, and a dumpster outside my front door that smelled like a sewer and was swarming with scores of mangy cats. I finally accepted that nothing would ever be done to fix the problems, so I put out the word to Issa, our housing guy at the university, that I wanted to move to a new place.

heading for the mutrah souq to buy some home decor!

heading for the mutrah souq to buy some home decor!

I finally got wind of an available flat in a building in Nizwa. This building houses some of my close friends at the university, including James, Malcolm, Stephen and David.  Before Christmas, I went to a party at David’s flat, and on New Year’s I also was able to see James’s and Malcolm’s flats.  During this time I heard from Malcolm’s wife Sandy about a flat available in this building with the same layout as the other flats. With my sons both arriving on January 10, I pressed Issa to let me vacate the villa and move to the new digs as soon as possible.  He relented and we agreed on a move date of January 4.

Indian wall hangings at Mutrah Souq

Indian wall hangings at Mutrah Souq

On this final Friday of 2011, the last weekend day before my move, I go on a shopping spree in Muscat with my friend Christian, who just recently moved into a new villa himself.  Fun times!  I am finally excited to spend a little money to make my house a home.

Christian shopping in the souq

Christian shopping in the souq

We go to Mutrah Souq and then to Home Centre and Zara at Muscat City Center.  At Zara, I buy a beautiful turquoise and purple paisley duvet cover, lavender sheets and square throw pillows. I buy lamps and pictures for my walls.  At the souq, I purchase a wall hanging with turquoises and purples, to match with the duvet cover.  We have a great time shopping together as we both love decorating.

Christian, withdrawing money for our shopping spree

We pile all our goods into the back of the Terrain.  When I get home to my villa, I unload all my stuff into the living room, a temporary holding spot.  I will move into my new flat in just 5 days.  Hallelujah!

all our goods loaded in the back of the Terrain 🙂

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Heading to Spain and Portugal!!

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  • 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

Archives

  • December 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (1)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • June 2013 (11)
  • May 2013 (18)
  • April 2013 (17)
  • March 2013 (19)
  • February 2013 (17)
  • January 2013 (20)
  • December 2012 (33)
  • November 2012 (27)
  • October 2012 (12)
  • September 2012 (44)
  • August 2012 (7)
  • July 2012 (37)
  • June 2012 (35)
  • May 2012 (38)
  • April 2012 (40)
  • March 2012 (29)
  • February 2012 (17)
  • January 2012 (21)
  • December 2011 (15)
  • November 2011 (14)
  • October 2011 (8)
  • September 2011 (4)
  • August 2011 (1)

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…

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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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