Never Alone

I barely had time to think about the end of CLS. The emotions were definitely there, getting off the plane as most of the others headed back to the comforts of home. It was unfortunately quick, as I said to myself - get your stuff, don't whack anyone with the tripod, go back and get your wallet that you left in the plane seat (this is not a good start), run out as the Lufthansa ladies begin to raise their voices, pray silently, and eventually aloud, that your bags with thousands of dollars of equipment is at the baggage claim, don't see it and try not to panic, speak some form of ameeya that you don't recognize to find your bags, praise God for their arrival and say Ramadan Kareem to everyone that helped you, find a cab to take you to the bus station, "yes I'm married," argue over tipping (I'm a poor student never works), consider yourself lucky to have gotten to the bus station an made it on a tiny bus that has no set time of leaving for Dubai, exchange Omani dates instead of paying the extra charge for all of your luggage, "no I'm not moving to Dubai I just have a lot of stuff," make friends with sweet Filipino lady Joy, get dropped off on the median of the 10 lane interstate, get sick upon getting bags to the hotel room,and wow, you're locked out of the bathroom, it's ok to pout because you didn't have sahoor, and finally give it all up because you are in a place you've always dreamed of going and thank God for always providing... now, reach a sense of calm because in however impersonal a city or strange a place - You are never alone.

Some Omanis say protests a result of 'Arab Spring': Why a historically peaceful state is witnessing outbreaks

Compared to other Arab nations, the Sultanate of Oman flies relatively under the radar.

It could be because a seemingly isolated tradition of peace exists in the Omani culture, between religious sects and multitudes of etnicities.  But really, development has been the only news in Oman for the past 40 years, all under the reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

There's no arguing with government-incentivized development, especially when there are essentially no taxes, healthcare is free, and land is given to every citizen.

Yet, within the past six months, a spark of small protests continue to break out across the country, the most recent concentrated in the port city of Sohar, about 125 miles north of the Omani capital of Muscat.

Friday a demonstration erupted after prayers at Shaikh Khalifa mosque in the Tareef area of Sohar. The estimated size of the protest varies among sources, ranging from a reported three dozen to 150 demonstrators total.

Protestors demanded the release of activists arrested in February for protesting or staging sit-ins in Muscat, Salalah, Sur and Sohar, according to Gulf News. They chanted slogans saying that their jailed colleagues did not deserve to go to prison for making genuine demands, and later handed over a letter of demands to officials.

In February, those 25 colleagues were charged with vandalism, rioting and throwing handmade bombs at security forces, according to Reuters.

Police refrained from intervening last Friday.

Protestors were also quoted demanding higher wages, more employment opportunities, and political reform, according to The Times of Oman.

These demonstrations continue despite Sultan Qaboos promising a $2.6 billion spending package and government creation of 50,000 public sector jobs, according to Reuters. The Sultan also recently introduced an unemployment service of 150 rials, or $390 per month for the jobless. Unemployment in Oman was last estimated at 15 percent in 2004, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Yet, the fact that a protest even occured shocked some Omanis. Some just shook their heads in amusemest, stating the protests 'weren't important,' and the only people that care to protest are 'those without jobs.'
But, what has been revealed as a result of the protests could be part of a much more serious concern in Omani government and society.

My Omani Colloqial Dialect teacher, who wishes to remain unnamed, shared her thoughts on the start of the protests and the reasons for them.

Personal Notes:
-I apologize for not having the ability to edit video on my computer.
-Not from my own experience, but from what I've heard in Oman, the south part of Oman, closest to Yemen, seems to be traditionally more conservative than the north.
-Take from her thoughts your own conclusions on what is really going on :)

Surely people don't think America is really like that...

Before traveling, I am typically reminded by authorities, sponsors, teachers, whomever, to be mindful that the rest of the world thinks America is just like what makes the news and the movies, mostly so that I am careful not to reaffirm those assumptions.

We typically don't think twice about Hollywood. Movies and television shows often depict ridiculously exaggerated scenes, whether it be sex, relationships, wealth, etc. We just chalk it up to it 'being in the movies,' therefore, it probably wouldn't happen in real life.

For example, The Hangover - this is obviously an account of a bachelor party on the extreme end of the spectrum (or at least I hope). It's so far fetched that it's funny. From what I understand, bachelor parties can get pretty crazy, but I assume most of the attendants don't end up with a random infant, a missing tooth, or an Asian enemy.

Another example, The Bachelor/Bachelorette - in reality, one person doesn't always get to date multiple astonishingly good-looking, over-dramatic, self-absorbed people at one time, all while living in some incredible corner of the world where the dates are more extravagant than a lot of couples' honeymoons.

Also, we all know that all news is bad news. Good news just doesn't usually make the cut. I can definitely justify this as a journalist, because it's typically the most important. It's great if thousands of dollars get donated to a local charity, but a local shooting is more likely to directly affect your daily life; therefore, when it comes to newsgathering and editorial selection, I'm going to report on the shooting. This shooting, though, is also a rare occurrence, and Americans know to understand this type of circumstance as something that differs from the norm. Let's be honest, everyday life in Oxford can be, well, quite boring.

Given these examples, I think, 'there's no way people think America is really like that.' It's just...not possible.

Well, I might never know the extent to which the rest of the world believes America is like these examples, but I can guarantee movies and news contribute to the overall perception of American culture, and especially distort the reality of American everyday life.

Just like the Bollywood movie I watched last night made me question whether or not random groups of people in spandex break out in dance in India, whether love triangles between extremely attractive people are standard, and whether unmarried women and men get as close in public, or private as they were in the film.

That's when I caught myself. I knew the movie was somewhat of an exaggeration, but I began to think, there has to be some basis for this male teen character going back and forth between beautiful, skinny girls, getting to second base with them - this must actually happen in India, or else it wouldn't be portrayed in the film.

There's the connection. Planted in the viewers' minds then is some murky shape of an idea of what young adult relationships are like in India. But, sometimes that glimpse into the culture becomes enough for some people to make a value judgement.

That's exactly how people form their perceptions of America.

But, they haven't seen just one movie, like I've seen half of a Bollywood film (finishing it tonight - they are notoriously long). They've seen hundreds of examples of American culture, and so reinforced is the perception. Every major movie that you can think of has probably showed in a place you haven't heard of, that crazy story you found this morning from whichever news source you use is also being read halfway around the world, and the scandalous perfume ad you saw the other day is also on a billboard or flyer somewhere where perfume can't even be purchased.

Here are the results of the formed perceptions:

If I wear skinny jeans, I could also be into an alternative lifestyle. If I'm blonde, I am most likely from California. Or, if I'm Christian, I might want to burn the Quran.

So, not only am I careful now, I'm also active. I'm active in breaking whatever solidification of a perception comes my way.

I get the feeling it will be this way for awhile.

Five (Of My Favorite) Ways CLS Students Would Recommend to Learn Arabic

1- For practice writing Arabic, translate English pop songs into Arabic (for starters, TikTok by Kesha is a pretty fun one).

2- To speed up your reading and comprehension, read the Arabic crawl at the bottom of the screen on Al Jazeera news channel (this also encourages people to actually pay attention to television journalism!).

3- For listening practice, listen to Arabic movies. An anecdote: Arab movies are quite possibly the most dramatic, but funny movies. The story lines aren't always believable, and the actors aren't necessarily good looking either. Guaranteed entertainment.

4- To perfect your pronunciation, take private singing lessons! Naturally. Singing in classical Arabic is a lot of fun, and most singers use intonation.

5- To improve your Arabic overall, just be as sarcastic as possible. Arabs might not understand you, but it really tests your knowledge of the true meaning of words.

Through the Eyes of a 20-year-old American Accustomed to the College Way of Dating

I am now into my third week of classes, so I feel I can explain a little more on the Omani culture, which I've been dying to share with y'all.

First of all, I came into Oman having one basis for comparison: Cairo.

I should have thrown that out of the window the first day.

In American terms, Cairo is the equivalent of New York -- restaurants around every corner, everything within walking distance. Muscat is about like Dallas, wonderful, clean, but very spreadout. Cairo is a giant ball of energy; there is always someone yelling beside you, a bike zooming past you, or a guy whistling at you hoping to make eye contact (this is not to say that I miss that). In Muscat, people are very polite, calm, and easy-going. There's nothing to be angry about here. The economy is good, your neighbors are nice, and the terms Sunni and Shi'a are virtually irrelevant (most are Ibadi anyway).

I came to Muscat after being in New York for 9 days. Not long, but enough to light a fire under me and speed up my pace. That being said, my first impression of Oman was not all that great. Many of the women here are very conservative in their actions. This may seem obvious, but for me it was a little more of an adjustment. For example, it's not all that common for women to go out at night. And, if a woman is by herself at all, this is very strange. Smoking sheesha (hooka) is pretty widely prohibited in conservative families, and personal interaction between genders is not common. Women don't shake men's hands unless approached by the man first. And, as I figured out the hard way, it's not appropriate to ask a man his age, because it makes you seem interested (I can see that happening in American culture as well).

So, that's the facade at least. A little exploration has led to a world of questions. There is an obvious difference between youth that has studied in Western cultures, like the UK or America, and their purely Omani counterparts, that have not left the country for school. I'm lucky to have made a few friends in both situations. A guy friend that studied in the UK will open up about typical college pressures and the dating scene in Oman, which is something I'm dying to know more about.

Our teachers or more conservative peer facilitators tell us that the father of the family chooses a suitor for his daughter, and she either accepts or rejects the guy (in theory). What happens more often is that rejection is not too common, and the daughter must try to remain close to her father growing up so that he chooses an acceptable suitor. The two families will usually have outings together so the young ones will (hopefully) get to know each other and like each other.

My guy friend, on the other hand, took us to dinner one night at a cafe on Sharea'a Al Hob, which literally means 'love street.' He joked and said, "This is where you bring dates." I don't know if too many 'dates' occur there, but its definitely a hot spot for young adults at night.

*Side note: The gulf/Emirates' way of showing of money is in ridiculous cars. Oman doesn't even have a public transportation system, but does have Aston Martin and Porshe dealerships.*

So, the young males zoom down this straight road, which is actually a bridge over some marshland leading into the gulf, revving their Lamborghinis, Range Rovers, Jaguars, and Rolls Royces (no joke).  Lexuses and BMWs are also common, but only the extremely tricked-out kind. This is all very funny to watch, because the ultimate contradiction is personified: the technology behind cars and BBM contrasted with the traditional dress of the dishdasha (white nightie) and kumma (little hand-woven cap) or turban.

And, following their gender roles, the girls go out in groups in beautifully Swarovski-Crystal embellished abiyas (the black cloak) and matching hijabs (scarf around the head). Their make up reminds me slightly of Lady Gaga... bright pink matte lipstick, thick black eyeliner winged to the sides of their cheeks, and mean but perfectly trimmed and defined brows that could kill someone.

And, that's about it. No interaction, no body language. No small talk, no pick-up lines. No sharing sheesha, no giggling.

It baffles me.

I'm still waiting to figure out exactly what an Omani date is, if they even occur.

Bless their hearts, Omanis and their hospitality

You might never guess, but one part of Omani culture really reminds me of the South - the hospitality and their treatment of guests (Alhamdulillah).

My Omani colloquial dialect teacher Rehma is the epitome of ettiquette. I think she opens up a little more to my class, because it's just five girls, but boy is she sassy. I was very thankful when she went through the polite way to greet, introduce, and gather in an Omani's home. If you are invited to an Omani's home, you bring always bring a small happy, usually sweets or Omani Haluwa (their own sweet desert, basically gelatin made from dates, a lot of sugar, and nuts). You leave it at the door, as not to be noticed. You also take off your shoes, wait to be invited in, shown where to sit. There is traditionally a men's sitting room and women's sitting room in Omani houses. Pretty nice way of keeping bro-time and girl talk separated.

But, here's where it gets oddly comparable. The typical afternoon hello, as compared to the South:

Oman: The Omani family greets you, asks about everything in your life, then offers you coffee and dates. You say 'no, thank you' for the first couple of times.

the South: You're stop by a friend's in the afternoon. You're offered a coke, or if they start early, a drink. You're really thirsty from it being so hot out, but you don't want to impose.

Oman: The third time they ask, they insist, because otherwise 'they have to finish it all.' So then, you begin to eat. You can't refuse at this point. Then they'll offer you seconds. Once again, you NEVER refuse. Then comes thirds. And so on. Basically, even if you're full, there is no getting out of it. Just keeping eating.

the South: They offer you a drink again. You say, "Well, are you sure?" And right away they shuffle off to whip something up, and come out with a cheese and cracker tray along with your drink. Then you sit down and begin to catch up, and as soon as your drink is low, you're filled right back up.

Also, I have paid for an Omani's meal maybe once. As long as I am an American in Oman, 'I am a guest,' and I am completely taken care of.  Men will often pay for the whole table's meal, and we've even had Iranians from a completely different table offer to pay for our meal at a very nice restaurant, all because we were guests.

How I Uncovered the Secret Behind the Veil

Caution: Some blanket statements.

Americans, Westerners alike are enthralled with, bewildered by, and abhorred at Middle Eastern Muslim women's conservative dress. Why would someone ever want to cover their hair, face, entire body from sight? From daylight even?

Westerners argue that women lose identity, lose the freedom of expression by being (indirectly) forced into wearing what has become a cultural icon, synonymous (to Westerners) with the oppression of women and simultaneous death to any entertainment of sensual thoughts - the veil, hijab, or one of its various names.

Quick interjection: I don't actually have anything against a veil or hijab, I sometimes even prefer to wear it in Oman. We'll save that explanation for a rainy day.

I think what really gets us is the mystery behind the veil. Americans love transparency, openness, and information. A veil represents, or even acts as, the polar opposite. We think that behind the veil a Muslim woman might have something to hide. We're curious - what does her hair really look like? Does she have a pretty smile? Her hair must be very thick, long, and luscious to fill out that scarf! How does she eat when her mouth is covered?

Well, I can now answer one of those questions. In Oman, I have especially noticed the size of women's heads underneath the hijab. The hijabs here are intricately decorated and so, so beautiful; I would almost call some of them a headdress. The proportion of the head and (assumed) bun underneath are grand compared to the petite women under the cloak. It makes for a very feminine silhouette.

Back to the bun. All along, I have just (in my head) been thinking, 'the women just must have really thick, big hair -- kind of like Texans'. Completely normal comparison, especially after admiring Kalee Bodey's hair for three years now. I mean, their hair must be shampoo-commercial gorgeous underneath there. I picture the Lebanese movie stars, or Egyptian pop singers.

Well, today I unveiled one of the best kept secrets of the Muslim world. The sky-high crown is not actually their own! Like the God-forsaken Americans that ordered "Bump Its," Muslim women attach a hair piece, much like a bath loofa, to their buns, and then wrap their heads, creating the headdress.

....And I thought we were high maintenance.

As a wise man, Damian from Mean Girls, once said:
"That's why her hair is so big, it's full of secrets!"

More secrets to come, Insha'Allah.