We went to the Muscat Festival last night. It’s an annual event that lasts a few weeks. It takes place at a couple of different locations. The one we went to had rides, food, shopping and cheesy entertainment.
This was my first opportunity to mingle with the locals. I was sooooo happy! Everything is sooooo cool. I was trying to sneak photos like this one of the entrance.
The walkways and buildings were all constructed for the festival a few years ago and the bones of the festival remains up year-round- sitting empty. The site is surrounded by a huge sand field.
This guy is making Halwa, a traditional Omani sweet made from eggs, palm sugar, water, ghee and flavored with almonds or pistachios, cardamom and rosewater. They boil it until it is a thick brown glop and cool it to a dense blob/block. They eat it by scooping into it with their fingers. Haven’t tried it yet, it looks so sweet, but I will. I intend to try everything that doesn’t have meat in it.
Not your traditional fair sign. I've seen these signs in all public buildings, like malls. Signs to show you where the toilets are and the men's and women's prayer rooms are. They're serious about their prayers.
This sign cracked me up! The top of the sign reads "Shocking News for the Arabic’s!"
I’m getting better at asking if I can take someone’s picture. These guys throw that dough like pizza guys only they get it super thin, then they spread it with Puck, a cheesy glop, then fold it and fry it. You can see a fried one in the lower left corner of the photo. Those are falafel balls on the right in the display case. They put french fries in the pita with my falafel. All of the menial labor is done by Indian, Pakistani or Pilipino workers. Labor is beneath Omanis. They work in business or skilled labor or they don’t work at all. Everyone has a maid or houseboy. I hesitate to say this for fear of making my sister-in-law, Leanne, jealous because she has always wanted a “Zelda” or maid, but we have a Pilipino maid from Manila here at the house named Isabel. She’s in her 50’s and she lives-in 5 days a week. She makes less than 1/10th of what I make. She cooks and cleans and does the laundry. It’s only been a week and I’m already addicted. I come home from work and my bed is made, my bathroom is clean and my laundry is folded on my bed. She irons my scrubs. Eric says if I want I can give her 10 Rials a month to compensate her for the extra work she has with my living here. That’s about $23. How will I ever go back to the US?
This is shawarma, spit-roasted lamb or chicken which served in a pita with salad. Kind of like Greek gyros.
Just one of the many booths selling stuff. This may be some of what Omani women are wearing under the black, cloak-like abaya’s, which they wear when they are in public. According to my guide book they either wear loose pants and a tunic, like Indian women, with a headdress called a lihaf which covers their head and shoulders or a long caftan like dress and a lihaf. The lihaf is either black to match the abaya or brightly colored to match what they are wearing under the abaya. The abaya is made from sheer, flowing fabric and is sometimes open in the front. Often they have embroidery or beading on them. Some of the more conservative women also wear a veil over their face. The more modern women wear western clothes under their abayas. The men wear a dishdasha, the long typically white or sometimes colored tunic/dress. The tassel at the neckline ususally is scented. Like I've said before, the Omanis all smell terrific. Under the dishdasha the men wear a towel like thing around their waste and nothing else. No underwear. Flying free. The women are all bundled and the men are all loose.
It’s always a little weird to see a woman with glasses and a veil. I had to be very sneaky to get this photo. The women aren’t as ok with being photographed as the men, especially conservative women like this one. This is actually a small corner of a photo I took of Eric just to get this woman.
Not sure was this guy was selling. The kids were getting tired by this time and we were heading out. Next time I see a vendor like this I’ll try something.
I bought 2 things at the festival; a bottle of rose perfume and this bag. I got both for about 5 US dollars. Stuff is cheap here. Unless it is US made. Restaurant food and groceries are cheap, unless they are US imports. The falafel I had at the festival was 200 baizas- about 50 cents.
This was my first opportunity to mingle with the locals. I was sooooo happy! Everything is sooooo cool. I was trying to sneak photos like this one of the entrance.The walkways and buildings were all constructed for the festival a few years ago and the bones of the festival remains up year-round- sitting empty. The site is surrounded by a huge sand field.This guy is making Halwa, a traditional Omani sweet made from eggs, palm sugar, water, ghee and flavored with almonds or pistachios, cardamom and rosewater. They boil it until it is a thick brown glop and cool it to a dense blob/block. They eat it by scooping into it with their fingers. Haven’t tried it yet, it looks so sweet, but I will. I intend to try everything that doesn’t have meat in it. Not your traditional fair sign. I've seen these signs in all public buildings, like malls. Signs to show you where the toilets are and the men's and women's prayer rooms are. They're serious about their prayers.This sign cracked me up! The top of the sign reads "Shocking News for the Arabic’s!" I’m getting better at asking if I can take someone’s picture. These guys throw that dough like pizza guys only they get it super thin, then they spread it with Puck, a cheesy glop, then fold it and fry it. You can see a fried one in the lower left corner of the photo. Those are falafel balls on the right in the display case. They put french fries in the pita with my falafel. All of the menial labor is done by Indian, Pakistani or Pilipino workers. Labor is beneath Omanis. They work in business or skilled labor or they don’t work at all. Everyone has a maid or houseboy. I hesitate to say this for fear of making my sister-in-law, Leanne, jealous because she has always wanted a “Zelda” or maid, but we have a Pilipino maid from Manila here at the house named Isabel. She’s in her 50’s and she lives-in 5 days a week. She makes less than 1/10th of what I make. She cooks and cleans and does the laundry. It’s only been a week and I’m already addicted. I come home from work and my bed is made, my bathroom is clean and my laundry is folded on my bed. She irons my scrubs. Eric says if I want I can give her 10 Rials a month to compensate her for the extra work she has with my living here. That’s about $23. How will I ever go back to the US?This is shawarma, spit-roasted lamb or chicken which served in a pita with salad. Kind of like Greek gyros. Just one of the many booths selling stuff. This may be some of what Omani women are wearing under the black, cloak-like abaya’s, which they wear when they are in public. According to my guide book they either wear loose pants and a tunic, like Indian women, with a headdress called a lihaf which covers their head and shoulders or a long caftan like dress and a lihaf. The lihaf is either black to match the abaya or brightly colored to match what they are wearing under the abaya. The abaya is made from sheer, flowing fabric and is sometimes open in the front. Often they have embroidery or beading on them. Some of the more conservative women also wear a veil over their face. The more modern women wear western clothes under their abayas. The men wear a dishdasha, the long typically white or sometimes colored tunic/dress. The tassel at the neckline ususally is scented. Like I've said before, the Omanis all smell terrific. Under the dishdasha the men wear a towel like thing around their waste and nothing else. No underwear. Flying free. The women are all bundled and the men are all loose. It’s always a little weird to see a woman with glasses and a veil. I had to be very sneaky to get this photo. The women aren’t as ok with being photographed as the men, especially conservative women like this one. This is actually a small corner of a photo I took of Eric just to get this woman. Not sure was this guy was selling. The kids were getting tired by this time and we were heading out. Next time I see a vendor like this I’ll try something. I bought 2 things at the festival; a bottle of rose perfume and this bag. I got both for about 5 US dollars. Stuff is cheap here. Unless it is US made. Restaurant food and groceries are cheap, unless they are US imports. The falafel I had at the festival was 200 baizas- about 50 cents. 
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