Al-Alam Palace, Old Muscat

 The Sultan's palace is next to the Ministry of Finance in Old Muscat. The facade you see in the photo was built in 1972, two years after Sultan Qaboos came to power. I am told the Sultan does not actually spend that much time there, but it is used for ceremonies and state visits. The palace reminds me of the entrance to some kind of elaborate and glamorous 1970s New York nightclub at the height of disco. It is the kind of building you either love or hate. I find it beautiful...in its own way.

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The Grand Mosque, Oman

Jokingly described by some Omanis as a "tourist attraction, not a masjid" or by those less cynical as "a dawah tool for outsiders" the Grand Mosque is undoubtedly the single most impressive structure in Oman and probably the most beautiful masjid I have ever set foot in, outside of Sultan Hasan in Cairo, and Sheikh Zayed mosque in Abu Dhabi (I have yet to travel to Mecca and Medina).

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Chicago-Muscat-Pemba

Chicago is the nickname of a once notorious neighborhood over the mountains in Amrat. It's official name is Medinat al-Nahda, but it acquired the name Chicago after an ambitious and rich city planner moved thousands of Omanis (many of them newer arrivals from East Africa) from al-Ghubra where they lived in makeshift dwellings (often tents) to government tenements over the mountain in the wilayat of Amrat. "The New City" became a center for drugs, crime and thuggery, although it is hard to discern that anything ever happened there now. In fact it is quite a lovely area. I drove there at night, from Wadi Adai, passing to pick up my friend's son and his friends. We drove past donkeys grazing on the roadside, and everything was quiet, dark and still. It seemed sleepy and very remote. We reached my friend's house; I could smell BBQ. I had been invited for mishkak, the Omani version of a BBQ, and a favorite weekend activity in Muscat. I sat with S. at a long table in the front part of the courtyard, with women around the fire further back, and S's uncle in the back BBQ-ing. A group of parrots chirped and sang in their green cage next to the table; in another green cage a group of small chickens pecked at each other. Kids ran around playing with each other. The atmosphere was totally peaceful and a pleasing and cool breeze came off the mountains as we talked. S's brother walked in and joined our conversation, with me talking broken Swahili, mixed with Arabic and English. Older children brought us lemongrass tea and Omani halwa. S and I talked of his childhood in Pemba, of his father's decision to leave Pemba, of life in Pemba after the revolution. I found myself thinking of his house as an extension of the kind of life in Pemba he had grown up with. Then the mishkak was brought, and they served me long skewers of tender meat on beds of greens. I dipped the meat in honey and wolfed it down. Afterwards we took a tour of the garden of trees and plants, that again evoked the distinct flavor of a Pemban shamba--jasmine bushes, cassava trees, lemon trees, frankincense trees, cardamon, and the "mti wa arobain", so called because it cures 40 different types of diseases.

I left that night with Zanzibar on my mind, and as I drove down the mountain, I thought of the heroic efforts of the Zanzibari diaspora to recreate home in Oman. The Swahili have a proverb, "You always return to where your umbilical cord is buried." Though some may never be able to go back, or don't wish to, they enact their own kinds of metaphorical return through organization of space and place.

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Getting Around in Muscat

On my fourth visit to Oman, I am starting to catch the hang of this taxi thing. And until I get a car, that is a very important thing. You see, Muscat has public transportation and it comes in three basic forms:

 1) Public bus, run by the Oman National Transport Company I have only ever taken these between cities (like Dubai to Muscat, for example), but ONTC does run in Muscat, albeit with very spotty service and only at certain designated spots. Other than that, my experience (perhaps in ignorance) is that it is basically useless for getting to points around the city quickly and efficiently. If you have an hour (or two) to wait, then I think it is decent alternative.

 2) Bus/Van These run on many of the large roads in Muscat, and are incredibly cheap. 200-300 baisa. You wait (overpasses are often the best spot), board, and pay. You bang the roof or get the driver's attention when you want to stop. The busses are often crowded (typically with South Asian expats), you are liable to be subject to some pretty awful music choices (usually of the shab3ab variety), and if speeds over 120 kilometers per hour are not your thing, then I recommend another means. Nevertheless, they will get you cheaply and efficiently to most destinations along the main road, including al-Hail, al-Athaibah, as-Seeb, al-Khuwair (not inside), Mutrah, and Ruwi.

 3) Taxis The average taxi is orange and white with a light on the top. My experiences with taxi drivers in Muscat have generally been positive. Drivers are generally professional, courteous and helpful. It helps to speak some Arabic (and they generally get very curious if you do), although many speak passable English. If you share a taxi, the price will go down; but drivers typically want you (especially if you are a white expatriate) to "engage", that is, to rent the whole taxi out from your pickup to your destination. This generally means the price will go up, but for out of the way places (such as Sultan Qaboos University) it is the only way to get them to take you. If you are new, ask the price beforehand, if not, they may ask you to pay an outrageous price at the end of the ride. I have found it is better to guesstimate the price, give them what you think is fair, and if they think it is unfair, they will tell you.

Here are some typical (fair) prices, based on my own experience.
from al-Mabailah to al-Khuwair: 3 Omani riyals
from al-Khuwair (Safeer Continental) to Grand Mall: 1.5-2 riyals
short distances within a neighborhood: 300-500 baisa (1/2 riyal)
from al-Hail to Sultan Qaboos University: 1.5 riyals

 Your experience may vary, but these are some generally agreed upon prices. As a rule of thumb, if you are staying in the neighborhood for the ride, you should not pay over 1 riyal. The exception is leaving malls. This is a class issue. The drivers assume that since you have enough disposable income to be shopping at the mall, you have enough to pay them quite generously. I have been charged upwards of 5 riyals to leave Grand Mall and go to my apartment in al-Khuwair. If you don't mind walking through some parking lots to the main road, you can get a much cheaper price.

 And that, my friends, is transportation in Muscat. A subway or train system would be a welcome addition. I wonder if the government is planning to install one? A train running from Mubailah to Mutrah (or even from Sohar to Muscat), would be an amazing and welcome addition to public transport options in this beautiful city.

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Back in Muscat (Nimerudi Muscat) رجعت مسقط

Dear Azanian Sea Readers, I apologize for the long time away. I have been very busy writing exams, defending my dissertation prospectus, passing my language proficiency in Arabic (reading at least), and preparing for my Fulbright Fellowship. I will be in Muscat, Oman from 2012-2013, under the aegis of the Fulbright Fellowship. The Fulbright Program sponsors students and professors from the United States to conduct research and also teach abroad. It also sponsors foreigners to study in the US (more on that later). I am very grateful to the Fulbright Program for this wonderful opportunity. I will be conducting dissertation research on the Swahili-speaking Omanis (euphemistically known as "Zanzibaris" in Oman). I will essentially be creating an oral archive of stories of migration from East Africa and return to Oman, since their stories have never been told. I am very excited for this journey to begin, just as soon as I get some details out of the way--like student visa, resident ID card, apartment, and car.

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Divorce Rate Falls in Oman as more men take second wives

Divorce Rate Falls in Oman

MUSCAT // The rate of divorce in Oman has fallen as a result of a trend in which men are increasingly taking second wives while keeping their first to prevent the break-up of their families, marriage counsellors say.

According to statistics from the ministry of religious affairs, the divorce rate in Oman dropped by 12 per cent in 2008 from the previous year. At the same time, the number of men taking second wives increased by more than 20 per cent.

“It is a way of making compromises… between men and their first wives,” Fatma Fallahy, a 74-year-old marriage counsellor, said. “Men say: ‘I will keep the first family as a dutiful husband, but I need to marry a second wife to keep my libido up’.”

In Islam, men can have up to four wives, provided they can afford to treat them equally, both emotionally and financially.

But when men decide to marry again, their first wives’ emotional well-being is usually the last of their concerns. “It is good that there are fewer divorces now; that prevents family break-up, but women still don’t understand why their husbands would want to add another wife when things are going well at home,” Ms Fallahy said.

For Aisha Suleimany, a 46-year-old bank supervisor, her married life does not have the same meaning now that she shares her husband of 24 years with a much younger woman. Her 51-year-old husband married a 22-year-old woman six months ago.

“What did I do wrong? I slaved in the house and at the same time go out to earn a second living and what do I get? Some woman to share my marriage and the fortune I helped to provide for our children. Half of it now goes to the new wife who came in with just a bag of clothes,” Ms Suleimany said.

Ms Suleimany said she and her husband took a joint bank loan before he married again to build a second home.

“The second home that he now lives in with his second wife is partly my effort,” Ms Suleimany added. “I understand Islam allows men to have two wives, but it is hard for most women to accept that when the only reason is just to get a younger model.”

Other marriage counsellors have little sympathy for first wives. “In my opinion, women have only themselves to blame for letting themselves go. They need to look after themselves and stay attractive,” Safiya Suleiman, a 58-year-old marriage counsellor, said.

Ms Suleiman said men in their 40s and 50s are more likely to marry second wives than any other age group.

“They want to revive their youth and stay young, and a very young second wife is just the thing for them,” Ms Suleiman said.

But many ask why young women would accept a marriage proposal by married men twice their age.

“Middle-aged men are usually well-off financially. Some young women don’t want to struggle with men of their own age. Another reason is that it is difficult in our society for women to land a husband after the age of 25. They become a prime target for middle-aged, wealthy men,” Ms Fallahy said.

But Ms Suleimany dismissed Ms Suleiman’s suggestion. “That is stupid advice and I am surprised that, as a woman, she would say that. It is biologically impossible to retain one’s youthfulness as one ages. Besides, women look beyond wrinkles, can’t men do the same?” she said.

Nasser Kindy, a 56-year-old businessman who took a second wife two years ago, refuted the popular belief that men who take second wives simply want to boost their libidos.

“Far from the truth… most men with two wives do that because their first one turned the house into sheer hell,” Mr Kindy said. “At my age, I want peace of mind and not constant nagging all day long. The home of my second wife is an escape route when the first wife starts to blow the roof.”

But Mr Kindy conceded that polygamy is not always an enviable lifestyle.

“Children from the first wife can be rebellious, causing constant friction… And your two families can never be close, virtually becoming lifelong enemies,” Mr Kindy said.

Clerics say the practice often leads to disputes over inheritance.

“Usually, the children of the first wife, being much older than the second wife’s children, tend to take more than their share after their father’s death, resulting in bitter court lawsuits,” Sheikh Salim al Amry, imam of a mosque in Muscat, said.

Many second wives also say they often have contentious relationships with their co-wives. “We are called ‘husband snatchers’ by first wives. If anything, it is their fault for not satisfying their husbands,” Khadija Marhoon, 33, the second wife of an army officer, said. “Yes, there are problems… I personally don’t care as long as I get what I need.”

salshaibany@thenational.ae

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Divine Intervention in Muscat (KishorCariappa.com)

Great find from KishorCariappa.com:

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Mutrah, Muscat, Sidab, and the Sultan's Palace

Walking and driving in downtown Muscat.

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