In several ways life in the Middle East is similar to life in Africa. Inshala means ‘in time’ or ‘God (Allah) willing’. So if it does not happen today it may happen tomorrow, or it may happen in time…
Adjusting to the acceptance of this lifestyle is suggested for an easier stay. Road rage would not make any worthwhile gains either, pushing in is just how you drive here.
The TV program ‘Don’t drive here!’ is welcome to take up the challenge. It is everyone for himself and look out for the drifters. These are not riff-raff hiking next to the road, but very real younger folk, often in their early twenties drifting their cars, sometimes in traffic.
So in a sense it is life as usual. The most amazing and extremely positive difference, except for the intense palpable higher temperature, is the strength of the currency.
One Omani Riyal trades between approximately R25-R27 and counting. One OR buys nearly 1.5 Pounds Sterling. What!? It feels like the 70s when one Rand bought you two pounds! (I’m giving my age away here.)
To buy a cooked chicken at OR1.7 is normal. It does however deceive one to spend more than you bargained for. In SA you would expect to pay double digits for some items where here it is super singular digits – until you convert it.
Yet life is cheaper here and to eat at about OR1 per day is achievable with a bit of self-discipline, especially when a slab of chocolates trades at OR1 as well…
Ice cream on the other hand seems to be a luxury fit for a sheik or a king. Without checking the price, I put a 500ml tub of caramel heaven in my shopping basket and later paid OR2.5 at the till for it! And it wasn’t even Haagen Das. An ice cream cone can easily lift you 900 baisa, an equivalent of about R25 per scoop.
Maybe that is because the shop is inside Carrefour – the SA equivalent of Pick and Pay meets Game with goods ranging from electronics to ‘food stuffs’ (I kid you not) for sale.
Food stuffs seems to be a general word here and several shops and general supermarkets which you find along the road sells it. I must still find out what it is.
But I am running ahead of myself. We flew from Jhb to Qatar and took our connecting flight to Muscat, Oman at about 2am to arrive at 5am. Arriving is Visa time and if yours is not ready it sets you back OR20 – about R500. And they don’t take Rands. Nowhere in the Middle East. Change them before you come.
From here it was a two and a half hour bus ride to Sohar as the sun rose. Sohar reminded me of Taiwan because there seems to be no clearly delineated town borders – everything flowed into one.
The town did not end and here you have farms or natural vegetation. So from Muscat to Oman there was no section where one could see the surrounding landscape. Even in a town ‘farms’ are set aside. This is more like a plot, a very small plot perhaps measuring 100m by 50m. Often they are walled with several Palm Trees or Date Trees peeking over the barrier.
Even later in Dubai the same ‘delineation’ was experienced with Burj Khalifa (the world’s highest building at 828m) ‘town center’ being separate from another suburb a few kilometres down the road.
Coming to think of it, perhaps it is like Jhb city centre’s skyscrapers and a little way down the highway we find the suburb of Sandton also with several finger-like towers pointing to the big blue yonder.
Sohar is like Durban +10°C for humidity and good measure. The beach has soft sand, which although it is pristine looks dirty due to the dark brown colour. The shore is healthy with several shells along the regularly visited beaches. Although littering is a common problem.
Sohar, the town is modern and within the last 40+ years of the Sultanate’s reign tar roads have been built to criss-cross the country. At night the highway from Muscat to Shinas in the north is lit up and visible from the aeroplanes overhead.
Apparently this is also the case to the south of the country to Salala. (Go and see ‘Captain Philips’ for a 2.5 second clip, this is the port he departs from.) Here Oman borders Yemen (Yes, I know wars etc.) but it is the greenest and most sought after part of the country. The Omani coastline is about 1700km, roughly equivalent to SA.
In Sohar the highway is under construction adding to the traffic mayhem at all the roundabouts. There are apparently only two robots in town – and from Dubai experience, I know why, their cycles last longer than the average washing machine. By the time the robot has changed, you have to shave again.
The people are very friendly but language is a difficult barrier. I must admit I am lazy to learn Arabic too. It is purported to be the most difficult language in the world.
Anything that beats French must be difficult, very difficult. ‘Par le vouz, Francais?’ You see what I mean? I have managed one Arabic word – ‘Shukran’, thank you. It is also a card at a local outlet, so if you forget the word, pop out the card and Bob’s your uncle (but only in Oz. Especially if Sheila is your aunt, Mate.) Come to think of it, the language cannot be that difficult, the other day I even heard a three year old speak it. Problem solved.
A smile seems to be universal and can crack up even the most formidable government employees’ face. And believe me the older blighters are tough! Well it is so hot here if your teeth are hot too, show them.
The temperature is indicated as actual temperature and palpable temperature which includes humidity and other factors (not wind-chill factors, we don’t have that, yet). Apparently monsoon or rainy season is something to look forward to – the wadis (rivers) come down in full strength – and schools are closed. I can’t wait!
Temperatures of 40°C are ‘normal’ for this time of year. All cars have ‘sun visors’ – the movable kind you put between the dashboard and the windscreen. Even so, if you get in and there was direct sunlight on your steering wheel, don’t touch it, for fear of third degree burns. Turn the car on (the air conditioners is always automatically turned full blast) get out and wait for the cool air to chill any blisters on the wheel. Homes are all blissfully fitted with aircon too and often stay on all day long.
Unless you watch the electricity bill. Swimming in a pool is a waste – it’s as warm as urine. So is the shower water. I have yet to turn the geyser on (and I must find out where to do that before winter.) Winter may have temperatures of 20°C and I am told kids arrive at school with parkas. Well maybe I will too, after the temperature has fallen from the 40s…
The week is a bit different than what we are used to down south; Sunday is the first day of the week (as is should be) while Thursday is our ‘Friday’. It takes a bit of getting used to but once you’re in the swing of things, and not talking to people in SA, it gets easier and ‘normal’.
Another great boon for this country is there is NO income tax! The revenue generated (partly from oil) is used for roads, construction and maintenance. Wow! There is no sales tax either. What you see on the label is what you pay – no need to take your calculator shopping with you.
Another general feeling is one of safety. One does not feel threatened in any way. It is like a long vacation. Some girls have seen guys stalking them, but I think it should be seen in a child-like manner of you are so unusual from the women we usually see. Should the girls feel uncomfortable a security guard will put up a good chase.
Going on hear-say, apparently last year there were some cars stolen in Oman, 75% of them were idling while the owner was away. Well that is normal, you have to keep the engine running for the aircon to cool the car down. Duh!
I am slowly getting bold enough to leave one door unlocked at a time, just to experience that feeling of freedom – where no-one will take your things or invade your space.
It is yours and it is respected. Like the classic American movies, maybe one day I shall be brave enough to leave the car unlocked altogether, and even leave the keys in the ignition… Then I shall leave the flat unlocked… Who knows what’s next? Total freedom!
One last story before I go; Cornel, a teacher from Dubai relates how a one Dirham (the UAE currency) was found in her class and she gave it to a child at the end of the day, thinking it was his.
The mother was most upset and came to see her the next day about where the money came from. Cornel explained and soon realised, the mom was most upset that the child TOOK the money which was not his! You do not take anything that is not yours… We still need to gain a few steps in this direction in SA.
See you in December – there never is snow in the desert.
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