A Walk By The Beach - Discovering The New Me

The Beach in Al Khuwair North, Muscat

One day during my regular morning walk, I decided to take a different route. My neighbours would often tell me how they went walking up to a beach, which was hardly a kilometre from our homes. I had never been to this beach that was so close by. So, I headed straight away. The route was not known to me but in this age of gadgets, it was not difficult to find the road; I traced my route using the 'Maps' application on my mobile. As I strolled along, I passed by some important Ministry and Embassy Buildings. I couldn't stop myself from taking the snaps of the buildings - after all they were examples of Modern and Impressive Architecture in Oman. And then out of the blue passed a large black colored SUV and as it slowed down, a gentleman slid down the window pane and gestured me not to take snaps. I didn't want to offend anyone, and didn't want to breach the lines too. So, I quietly proceeded with my walk reminding myself that I was out there in search of a beach. Finally, I discovered the path that lead to the beach.

The route from Al Wizarat R/A to the Beach, Muscat

Slowly as I reached there, the beautiful pristine beach just took by breath away. At that time of the day, I could spot only a few people taking a walk there. The beach was absolutely clean and the sand was marked with trail of footsteps and vehicle tyres. I spotted a police car that was parked nearby and a uniformed policeman was patrolling the beach. The beach was not allowed for public access and most of the stretch was bordered by important Ministry and Embassy buildings.

The path leading to the beach

View from the beach towards the mountains;
Sand marked with the trail of vehicle tyres

The Pristine Beach;
Sand marked with a few footprints

The weather was a very pleasant one with the soft breeze blowing, and it was just a perfect day for a walk by the beach. As I continued my walk, I noticed the grainy texture of the sand and the innumerable colorful but small pebbles lying scattered on the sand. I immediately recollected my daughter's love for pebbles; so I started collecting them one by one, selecting one of each color and size, removing sand from each of its surface and stuffing them in my pockets. From far away, I could feel the policeman watching me. He was probably thinking that a crazy woman is out there picking up pebbles early in the morning. But then, crazy I was...so I continued what I was doing.

Note the grainy texture of the sand

Colorful pebbles on the sand

Back home after the walk, I emptied my pockets and waited for my daughter to return from her school. In the afternoon, when she came back from her school, she immediately spotted those colorful stones piled up on her table. She was very happy seeing the collection and the big smile on her face told me that I had indeed presented her with a treasure. Sometimes, simple things in life give you more pleasure and happiness than all the treasures of the world, and that holds true especially for children. They don't want expensive toys and gifts, instead they need our love, care, and attention. My 6-year old daughter was happy that I had remembered her during my walk, she was happy that I had got something for her - and that was enough to cheer her up and light her face.

The Pebble Collection 

With this walk, another realization dawned on me; the safety of women. Could I ever dream of walking like this, all by myself, unescorted and fearless, in any of the streets in India? In India, whichever city you reside in, we women have to be either escorted by our brothers, father or husband. There is always a fear lurking at the back of our minds whether we are out for a walk or boarding the public transport or when we go out to some grocery store just at a stone's throw away from our house. We are mindful of even a slight touch and instantly get alert with a slight brush.To dream of our country as a safe haven for women will probably remain a dream only!

I have mentioned in my earlier posts too, regarding the safety of women in Muscat. Here, I have seen women going out for walks all alone, in the mornings and even in the evenings. Women, here are out for shopping and carrying out their daily errands, board taxis or other public transport all alone, and carry out many other activities unescorted by the male members of their families, and more importantly they are dauntless here. I too reciprocate the same feeling of fearlessness and freely wander around the city, but when I am back in my own country I get cowed down and hesitate to step out of my own house without a male escort. Each day as I read and hear about the heinous crimes being perpetrated towards women in our country, I get more and more petrified. I often wonder, when will we, women, be allowed to roam in the streets of our own country without any fear? Perhaps when all the men are eliminated, or perhaps when they become respectful towards women or perhaps when they change the laws or what? I don't have an answer to my own question but on the lighter side, can we truly imagine a world without men. The quotes by the cartoonist Nicole Hollander truly fits in here - "Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy, fat women."

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A thousand lines have been written about a beach. And why not, the crystal clear water, the soft sands, the fresh breeze, is certainly refreshing to any soul. 

So, here are a few lines from my pondering pen, inspired by walking on the beach.

Discovering The New Me

It was a beautiful morning,

As I walked by the beach,

The blue waters were calm,

The sun shimmered on the waves,

I gulped a waft of fresh breeze,

Felt the soft sands under my feet,
The birds twittered out from their nests,

The pebbles glimmered on the sand,
My soul was simply refreshed.

I walked as far as my feet carried me,
My eyes engulfed the vastness of the sea,

With every step, I neared freedom.
My mind was free from fear,

Heart deluged with sublime contentment,

I had discovered a new me.

Discovering The New Me

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Muscat Festival 2015 - A Dizzy Dazzle Show

Muscat Festival 2015 - At Naseem Garden, Muscat

It was the end of Valentine week, the last day of Muscat Festival 2015 and a weekend too. My daughter was complaining about us not taking her to any of the Muscat Festival venues, and that all her friends had already visited them and blah, blah....So with the little time we had in hand, we decided to fulfill her wishes and take her to one of the locations.

Muscat Festival is an annual event celebrated to showcase all aspects of Oman's culture including its handicrafts, folklore, heritage, and history. This Festival began in Muscat since 1998, and it has been successful in portraying the past and present development of Oman and at the same time promoting tourism. It is a month long event, held at a couple of outdoor locations in Muscat and attracts millions of visitors every year. Organized by the Muscat Municipality, it receives financial aid and contributions from various sponsors who in return look forward to this event for their marketing and promotional opportunities. This event is organized every year in two different locations viz. Amerat Park (around 25kms from Muscat city) and Naseem Park (around 45kms from Muscat city). 

This year the theme for the Festival was 'Oman Fascinates' focused to attract family and children alike. It was a month-long celebration from 15th of Jan to 14th of Feb. Getting reviews from our family friends, we made up our mind to visit Naseem park. Also, we'd already visited Amerat park last year, so this time we decided to explore the other venue. 

Roadmap: Muscat city to Naseem Park

A short drive for around 30-35 minutes and we were almost there. The garden had many entrances and special parking arrangements were made during the Festival to cope up with the excess parking especially during weekends. However, since it was the Valentine's day and also the last day of the Festival, the parking ground was fully occupied. It took us about 25-30 minutes to find an empty space for our vehicle. Thereafter, a quick stop for the tickets and we started our exploration. Entry to Amerat park is free while at Naseem park there's a fee of 200 Baisa for an adult and 100 Baisa for kids. I sort of liked the golden embossed designs on the tickets and took a quick snap of them before handing them over to the security at the entrance of the garden. 

Entry tickets to Naseem Park

We knew that it was a big park but what we didn't know was the amazing strength of our daughter who eagerly walked with us without any complaints to cover the entire stretch just waiting to discover the dinosaurs that she had heard about from her friends. Naseem garden is built on the models of Arabic and Japanese style of landscaping and it sprawls over an area of around 75,000 sq m.

A Japanese style stone lantern, Naseem Garden

At the entrance, we found a map showing the arrangements made for the festival in different locations. The script was in Arabic, but we could guess what's where from the pictures made on the map. Also, there were brightly lit sign boards all around the park in English (thankfully) indicating the locations.

Naseem Garden - Map showing the Festival arrangements

So, as we walked we passed by some refreshments stalls, and finally reached our most awaited destination - the Dinosaur village. What we saw would keep us enthralled for many more days to come. And as I write this, I can still picture them around me. There were around 14 life-size Dinosaur model from the Jurassic park movie. From Brachiosaurus to Velociraptors, these Dinosaurs even moved their giant tails and their huge jaws open and closed. The overall animated effect combined with lights made the dinosaurs look real indeed. We were happy to see the wide grin on our daughter's face that made our visit priceless. And here's the conversation that took place between the two of us as we watched the dinosaurs.
She said: "Mom, the dinosaurs are so cute, Can we take them home?"
My reply: "What? for dinner?...they'll have you for dinner instead!"
She snapped back: "No, we'll have dinner with them." and without waiting for my reply, she spoke to them (as if they were alive): "Dinosaurs please come home with me." 
I smiled and just wondered at the innocence of a child. Dinner with a Dinosaur! As adults, we are always scared and afraid of a million things in life. It is indeed this very innocence of a child that lets you enjoy truly without any fear and inhibitions. When being with a child, be a child yourself, I thought and enjoyed our trip.

The Dinosaur village at Naseem Garden

Thereafter we proceeded to explore the other activity areas too. Immediately we spotted a fort-like structure enclosing a souk (marketplace). Outside the enclosure, we saw an Omani dance being performed by a group of locals dressed in black. They performed beautifully, in tandem with the drum beats. We also spotted a stall wherein there was a live demonstration of making of the Omani halwa and many locals were purchasing it too.

Left Inset: Omani dance performance by the locals
Right Inset: The making of Omani Halwa

Inside the souk, there were various objects for sale viz, abayas, spices, perfumes, winter wear, blankets, bags and accessories, and much more. The souk was bustling with people who were mostly locals, a few Indians and few more from other nations.

Left Inset: Entrance to the souk
Middle Inset: Omani spices on display
Right Inset: Packages of Omani spices

Display of Abayas, Perfumes, and Jewellery

We just came out from the souk and we were greeted with balloon sellers who were selling balloons at ridiculously high prices. One seller offered to sell a balloon at 2.0 OMR while another one at 2.5 OMR. Imagine the disappointing look on my daughter's face when we refused to buy one at such a price. Luckily for us the fireworks began and captured all her and our attention too. The sky was lit with dazzling fireworks and people around us stopped all their activities and simply enjoyed the breathtaking view. This beautiful firework lasted for nearly 5 minutes. All the while, I was so dazzled by the fireworks, I didn't realize that I'd spoken out loud that 'they are over' and somebody screamed back from the crowd 'not yet'. Truly, there was another round of the dazzling show and with that I simply smiled as I realized that like me, everyone else wanted to see more and more of the dazzling show.

Fireworks at Naseem Garden

We were a little tired by now, so we proceeded to the refreshment area. We settled down on the green lawns with some refreshments in hand and enjoyed watching the performance of child acrobatics on the large LED-lit stage. 

It was already late, but we were ready to explore more and so we were back on our feet. We started in the direction that said family area. And to my daughter's delight it turned out to be the section designated for rides. This time we couldn't refuse and we had to buy tickets to experience one of the rides. We selected a train ride, thinking it to be less risky for our 6-year old, as well as for us who weren't much of adventure seekers at this age. Well, we were in for a surprise. The ride started slowly at first and then the train surged ahead at a high speed and it twirled around the central axis that made us all dizzy, it slowed and then twirled in a reverse direction around the central axis; all three of us felt so sick after this ride that we pledged not to sit in a similar one ever again. We found one cute ride though - a teapot with tea-cups rotating around it. But then one ride was enough for that day. There were other activities too for the kids like horse rides, tattoo painting etc. We also found a stall where one old gentleman was painstakingly making live portraits. 

Different rides in Naseem Garden for Muscat Festival 2015

Finally, it was time to get back home. We returned home with heads - dizzy from the ride and eyes - dazzled from the firework show. Gratefully, we had a peaceful dinner remembering the dinosaurs. So, there I was thinking that this Valentine's day I would just end up dating the dates, but my husband turned up home on the weekend and we ended up with a dizzy and a dazzling date with the dinosaurs. Apart from the dizzy dazzle show, Muscat Festival 2015 will be remembered by us for its beautiful location, various activities highlighting the Omani heritage and culture, and the spirit of celebration that brought joy and excitement to the minds of children and adults alike.

Muscat Festival 2015 at Naseem Garden 

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Dating The Dates This Valentine's Day

In India, Valentine's day finds a mixed reaction; Many people are still reluctant to celebrate this day considering it as a threat to traditional Indian values. However, it holds the favorite place in the heart of the youths who heartily welcome it every year. While, the married couples - some newly married ones or those who are more romantically inclined would definitely celebrate this day in various ways possible: by going out for dinners, movie outings, shopping gifts for loved ones and so on. I remember the malls in the cities decorated with heart-shaped balloons and lovely flowers. Many stores offer discounts on gift items - especially targeting the youth and jewelry stores offer discounts on diamonds targeting couples. And yes during my college days, it used to be a day filled with fun - beginning with the exchange of cards and flowers amongst the students and sometimes even the teachers and professors, proposals to pretty girls, chocolates to girlfriends, cards to sweethearts, heartbreaks for some, and so on. The day ended with love, emotions, and high drama, where some gain while some lose. Probably, the ones who make the most on this day, are gift stores selling cards, flowers and other gift items and jewelry shops offering special discounts on jewelry items.

Luckily for me, my marriage anniversary falls during the Valentine week. With my husband stationed for his job elsewhere, we were unable to celebrate our anniversary day together but he will be there on the Valentine's Day. So, as all the couples gear up for the Valentine's day, here I am dating the dates.

Last weekend during my grocery shopping, I was greeted by a beautiful sight at the entrance of the Hypermarket. It was a display of all Omani products that ranged from cooking oil to cookies, deodorants to detergents and more. What caught my attention though were the dates of Oman. After finishing my grocery shopping, I visited the dates counter - a corner which I used to never ever give a second look except for perhaps buying the date syrup once in a while. However, this time I had this in the back of my mind that we shall be leaving Oman soon and so I made up my mind to try and taste them. I stopped at the counter and asked the seller to give me a sample of all the dates that were locally available in Oman.

Promotion of Omani products at the Hypermarket

'Harmony Dates' -  A Counter selling Dates and its Products

The counter had dates from UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. He gave me small sample packets of dates viz. Bunaringa, Handhal, Fardh, and Khalas. I was expecting more date varieties, but he said he was out of stock currently, and that most of the varieties will be found during the Ramadan season when there is high demand for dates. Knowing that I would soon confuse the names I asked him to label each packet and he gladly obliged. I learned from the seller that these dates were named after the region they were grown in and these dried dates had a shelf life of up to a year. The price of the Omani dates varied as per season and ranges from 1.5 OMR/kg to 2.0 OMR/kg. During Ramadan, the demand for dates is high as the traditionally the Muslims break their daylong fast with this fruit, hence the prices of dates during that time of the year is at the peak.

The date counter was lined up with lot of other products made from dates: date syrup, date paste with dry fruits, date halwa, dates with chocolate, dates with almond, dates with cashews, dry dates, etc.

Range of date products at the counter

Back at home with my grocery shopping, I couldn't find the time to savor them at all. Lying in front of me were these tiny brown dried fruits ready to be devoured. Finally, I couldn't resist just waiting and watching and decided to have a bite of each. Each variety had a slightly different texture, had a little size variation with Bunaringa being smallest in size and were in different shades of brown with Khalas being of light golden brown in color. In terms of taste, they varied in sweetness. Of these, I liked the sticky, dark brown and sweetest of them all - the Fardh.

My bowl of dates - Fardh, Bunaringa, Handhal, Khalas

Dates are found all over the world with top producers being Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Oman is ranked 7th among the top ten date producers in the world. 75% of the land of Oman is dedicated to date farming, and it produces more than 200 indigenous varieties of dates out of which 20 varieties have commercial value. Some of the 20 kinds of best dates of Oman: Abu daan, Abu naranjah, baql, barni, barshi, bunaringa, fardh, hilal, handhal, jabri, Khasab, khalas, khunaizi, madluki, masli, minawi, nagal, qass, qashkantarah, sallani, sahal, suwaih, tabaq, xalas, xasab, xinezi, zabd. Now these names were like tongue twisters! Khalas and Khunaizi are a popular variety among the Omanis and these two varieties form almost 50% of date cultivation among the other varieties, while Fardh is a common variety to be exported all over the world.

Health Benefits of Dates

Researching further, I was amazed to find that this small dark colored fruit has so many health benefits. It can boost the energy level of a person within half an hour of consuming it and is a good source of sugar, fibers, various vitamins and minerals, and carbohydrates.

• It prevents abdominal cancer
• Promotes healthy bowel movements 
• Strengthens the bones
• It provides energy for anemic patients
• Reduces allergic reactions
• Boosts the nervous system
• Reduces the risk of stroke
• Lowers night blindness
• Helps maintain a healthy weight. 

The American Cancer Society states that consuming one date a day will help maintain your eye health all your life. Now what more do you want from a fruit!

A popular magazine for the youth here states that dates are like traditional life insurance. The Omanis have been following a tradition that when a son is born they plant a shoot of the date palm too. It grows along with the child providing the many benefits to him. Below is a picture I had captured a few months ago at Qurum Centre in Muscat which is of much relevance in this post. This mural on the outer walls of the mall depicts a farm laborer collecting dates from the fully laden date palm. It also highlights the importance of date cultivation in Oman. An interesting find was that no birds or bees are attracted to the flowers of the date palm, which implies that the date palm growers have to pollinate the flowers by hand.

A Mural on the wall of Qurum Centre, Muscat

The importance of date palm as an ornamental tree is highlighted by the fact that all around Muscat, the roads and avenues, are adorned with date palms.

A road in Muscat lined up with date palms

Talking about us Bengalis and 'Khejur Gur' 

Most of us have a sweet tooth and no festival or puja is celebrated without sweets in our homes. I remember my mother making them with so much verve and enthusiasm and she still does so, and we consumed them within a few hours of her having made them. I remember my mother making patishapta (rice pancakes in milk flavored with palm jaggery), payesh (rice pudding in palm jaggery), sandesh (cottage cheese with palm jaggery), naru (coconut laddo with palm jaggery) and many more. In all of these desserts, palm jaggery (Khejur Gur in Bengali) was the prime ingredient that gave it a distinct taste. Now this traditional jaggery was not found in all parts of India. It is extracted from palm trees cultivated in West Bengal and Bangladesh (on the eastern side of the country). So, for us Probashi Bengalis, residing in the western part of the country, palm jaggery was a rare commodity. We requested our friends and relatives visiting Bengal, to bring palm jaggery for us on their next visit. So this is how we sourced our palm jaggery all the way from Bengal. I don't have any pictures of those delectable sweets and savories prepared by my mother, but the taste of those mouthwatering sweets vividly lingers in my memory.

Here in Muscat, some Bangladeshi stores do keep a stock of palm jaggery sourced from Bangladesh. I often use palm jaggery in simple preparations like tomato date chutney, date flavored milkshakes, payesh (rice pudding), chocolate and date cakes, etc. And no, I am not going to write any recipes here, for cooking is not my forte.

A Date Palm in Muscat

Sharing with you all, some beautiful quotes (my favorite ones) for this Valentine week:

"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses." - Ann Landers

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M Schulz.

"If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love." - Maya Angelou

"They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything." - Bil Keane

"We are most alive when we're in love." - John Updike

Petunia Blossoms under the palm

And finally, just seven lines from my pondering pen for our seventh marriage anniversary dedicated to just us:

He and I

He laughs when I lament,

He criticizes when I comment,

He hugs when I am hurt,

He forgives when I forget,

He tolerates while I torment,

He abstains while I argue,

He loves me while I laud him.

An afterthought: In India, it is believed that marriage is a pious bond not just for this life but extends over for seven ages. So, while the Valentine's week lasts for seven days only, true love lasts forever. So here's wishing all of you a very Happy Valentine's Week - Celebrate this eternal feeling of love with your loved ones. Cheers.

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On our next visit to the same Hypermarket on the Valentine's day, we were greeted with a pleasant sight in the vegetable section. Though this one has nothing to do with the dates, it certainly has a link with the Valentine's day. So here, I am adding the new pics I clicked there.

Left Inset: Tomatoes with garlics in the background
Right Inset: Strawberries with garlics in the background

sources referred:
nizwa.net
organicfacts,net
omancoast.blogspot.com
omantours.com
timesofoman.com
wikipedia.org
y-oman.com

Just a Pedestrian on the Street

Just a Pedestrian on the Street

Do you ever go out for a walk on the streets of your city and eventually feel too exhausted to even put one step forward and wish there is a bench to relax nearby, or wish that a bollard or two would be better to light up your way during an evening walk? Or wished there were proper signage identifying each street so that you didn't get lost in the labyrinth of identical streets or that the bus-stop was just nearby instead of a couple of blocks away!

The bench, bollards, sign board, bus-stop...does that ring a bell? What I am talking about here, are the so-called street furnitures, which are an essential element of any cityscape.

So what does a Street furniture constitute?
Street furniture includes benches, traffic barriers, bollards, flower beds, post boxes, phone boxes, street lamps, memorials, traffic lights, traffic signs, bus stops, taxi stands, public sculptures, fountains, information kiosks, trash bins and such small objects or equipment installed on the street for the public. Street furniture, are as important as buildings, that render a character to the city. 

A sidewalk in Muscat:
 With flowerbeds & lawns, line of palm trees, a bus-stop, entry to the subway

Compared to Dubai, (I always tend to make comparisons with the city of Dubai since it is a global city boasting of excellent Infrastructure and Architecture, in the Gulf region especially, and I have experienced the many advantages of living in the city) which has faced rapid urbanisation due to ambitious development strategies of its government, the pace of urban development in Muscat is slow. The result of slow urbanization is reflected in its urbanscape through its built forms and streetscapes. Though many buildings here are excellent examples of Modern Architecture and Quality Construction, and the roads reflect good quality infrastructure that is exemplified by the roads even in the remote mountainous regions, it will probably take several years more to develop its urbanscape further at par with the world's best.

Out for a walk on the street of Muscat, many a times I have noticed these street furnitures, which have captured my attention because of its apt location, crisp and simple design, and neatness. These are some inanimate objects bearing the brunt of nature and man both. They stand as a testimony to the city's changing history and architecture. Many are a work of art designed specifically by architects and designers. Here, in Muscat, each of them have been integrated into the cityscape thoughtfully and has indeed enhanced the quality of living for its citizens.

Signage:
Talking about signage...now that's a big disappointment. The spellings on the road signage are a pain even to the residents here since they are spelled differently in various signboards. For example, you will find a signage that will sometimes spell the residential area of 'Athaiba' as Udhaiba, Adhaiba, Azaiba and more. These multi-spellings simply annoyed us in the beginning when we arrived new in the city as we thought they were different locations and found it difficult to adjust the GPS on our car. The signage on the road are simple, with directions in both Arabic and English, and the fonts are clearly visible from the required distance. But the lanes are not clearly identified, and many a times are without any signage.

Left Inset: Road signage indicating directions
Right Inset: Stop sign and lane no. 

Walking through the streets, I found an Arabic signage in front of an important Ministry building, that kept me guessing what it was all about. Lesson for me: Need to learn Arabic soon! On the same street, I discovered another board of signage of important Ministry buildings again, topped on one another, and hidden behind a large tree. Now why install the signage at all if it has to be hidden behind the trees? Another signage by the walkway, installed on a short pole, indicated a bus to slow down for there was a deer park ahead, installed at two places some few meters apart. I guess that the Municipality forgot to remove those signage for all I know is that there is a museum in the locality but no deer park. Either way, the signage is too insignificant and a bus driver driving at speed on that road will be unable to gather even a faint glimpse of that signage.

Left Inset: A signage in front of a Ministry building
Middle Inset: Signage hidden behind large trees
Right Inset: Signage indicating a bus to slow down ahead

Pedestrian Subway:
One fine day I walked into a pedestrian subway, curious to see what laid beneath, and to my dismay, I found the subway clean and absolutely safe. There were other people too using it unfazed. Being from India, this was surprising indeed. In India, a woman, walking on the streets all alone would not be safe at all and to think of her walking all alone into a subway is just unimaginable! Here, I find expat women from different countries taking a walk on the streets unfalteringly during any time of the day, without any fear or concern. In India, how many cities can boast of so much of safety or freedom for women?

Left Inset - Signage near a subway entry, a litter bin next to the signage

Right Inset - Stairway leading to the pedestrian subway

Street Lights:
The street lights here, are simply beautiful and blend with the rich historic character of the city and its lanes, rendering the city an antique look. The black metal lamp posts have beautiful ornamental base - some installed over concrete bases while some have a stone base, and the lampshades are in varying shapes and sizes. I have noticed similar metal lamps in public parks too.

From L to R
Inset 1: Metal lights on the road divider
Inset 2: A lamp post in a boulevard laid amidst flowers
Inset 3: A lamp post in a public park on a stone base
Inset 4: Series of lamp posts on a beach-side walkway

A picture, captured once during my walk, shows a decorative base - on observing it closely found some words that indicated the fixture's origin from India. 

Base of a metal lamp post that reads:
'Dwarka Mart Indore'

While writing this just a thought crossed my mind. Oman depends on oil and gas for producing electricity despite being located in the sun belt. But these being non-renewable sources of energy they won't last long. Other countries in the Gulf region, like the UAE and Qatar, aim to generate at least 20% of their electricity using renewable sources of energy by 2024. This makes me wonder why Oman is behind them despite having the solar advantage!

Sculptures, Flowerbeds and Fountains:

A lot of sculptural work, found all around the city, is of great historical and national importance. As I have mentioned in my earlier posts about roundabouts in Muscat, they reflect the country's history and culture. For example, seen in the picture below, at just near the entrance of a Ministry building, is a sculpture adorned with flower beds all around and a layer of fountains. The centrepiece on the top of the sculpture is Oman's national emblem that comprises of a khanjar (dagger) in a sheath superimposed on two crossed swords. 

Left Inset - A Sculpture with Fountains, Flowerbeds, and Oman's National Emblem
Right Inset - Closeup of Oman's National Emblem with Cross-sword and Dagger

Walking as a pedestrian on the streets here is a pleasant experience indeed, for every day I discover something new, something of historic significance to the city or some beautiful piece of art in the city. Below are pictures of a fountain and some sculptures. The right inset shows two colorful sculpted landmarks at the entrance of a road. Each has a pitcher as the centerpiece - indicates pottery as an important ancient industrial activity of the Omanis.

Left Inset: A fountain
Middle Inset: A sculpture showing day and time
Right Inset: Two sculptures each laid at the entrance of a road

Left Inset: A round stone flower bed
Right Inset: An oblong shaped stone flower bed

Gazebos:

A gazebo is just what one would look for after taking a long walk in the morning for a short rest, or for relaxing in the evening, at the same time watching all the pedestrian activity. Note the beautifully designed metal work of the gazebo. 

Left Inset: A series of Gazebos
Middle Inset: Close up of a Gazebo overlooking a road
Right Inset: A wooden trellis

Litter Bins:
What I love about the streets here is the cleanliness of the streets and immaculate maintenance by the Municipality. So, as I walk and munch my snack bar, I don't have to think about the wrapper in my hand - for I can throw them in any of the litter bins on the way. The streets have litter bins of all shapes and sizes, installed at regular intervals.

Left Inset: A trash bin by the bus shelter
Middle Inset: A stone covering over a trash bin
Right Inset: Commonly found trash bins all over Muscat

Bus-Shelters:
Another credit for the beautiful bus-stops goes to the Municipality. Though Oman lacks a public transport system and people here mostly use private transport, a bus-shelter like the one shown in the picture below, gives a pedestrian like me, the much-needed respite from the hot sun.

Left Inset -The Bus Shelter - *1
Right Inset - Muscat Municipality Logo on the pole 

Street Panels:
The streets are integrated with advertising boards and panels, which do not in any way obscure the view of the road or the buildings. They pop up on the streets in a very subtle manner and yet effectively convey the required message.

Left Inset - Advertising panel laid on a flower-bed - *2
Right Inset - City information panel laid on a green stretch - *3

Note: Pictures-*1,2 & 3 (the bus-shelter and the advertising panels) show street furniture, that have been customized to integrate with the city's architectural style. They have been designed by a renowned French designer Patrick Jouin from JCDecaux (no. 1 outdoor advertising company in the world). JCDecaux has signed a 20-year street furniture contract with Muscat Municipality covering installation and maintenance of the street furniture, including bus shelters, street name poles, benches and litter bins, city information panels, and automatic public toilets. 


During my walks, I didn't come across any phone booths though they are installed outside all the public parks and malls. I suppose every person here has a personal mobile so the need for phone booths is eliminated.

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A picture cannot say it all. It cannot capture the wet smell of grass, the redolent air of a morning in the season of spring, the shadows cowering under the trees, the rumbling noise of countless wheels on the road, and so on...So here's what I penned down what I couldn't capture with my camera. Everything around me slowly seemed to unravel some story while I just walked as a pedestrian on the street.

Just a Pedestrian on the Street

I strolled along the cobbled streets, 

Bordered by high stone walls and trees, 

The labyrinth of long lanes,

Tall mansions with glass panes, 

Each had a story to reveal,

Some eternal, some ephemeral.

Fragrant flowers and leafy bowers,

Rendered the street with thousand colors.

 An empty wooden bench for years was reinforced,

With many tender moments that it endorsed.

The bright lights from a rugged lamp,

Glimmered on the auburn hair of a tramp.

A little girl holding the hands of her father,

Hustled across the street without a sign of fear.

A woman waiting by the bus stand,

Impatiently fidgeted with a bag in hand.

A dusty car parked near a tree,

Was stencilled with doodles for all to see.

I strolled along the cobbled streets,

Bordered by high stone walls and trees, 

That camouflaged the houses of the filthy rich,

Many fellows secretly wished to snitch.

I heard the noises on the sidewalk,

Whispers of strangers and some small talk,

I wandered and wondered so discreet,

As just a pedestrian on the street.

sources referred:
http://www.jcdecauxme.com/ourMedia_oman.html
http://gulfnews.com/business/media-marketing/jcdecaux-wins-muscat-advertising-contract-1.988227
muscatdaily.com
timesofoman.com
ijret.org