Oman Susan: Vol 70 Michele Day 2

I am a bad sister. I'm sure Michele would agree. I started the 2d day of her vacation (and the 1st day of mine) with a lie. I told her I had to go into the office for a hour or so to see one patient. I promised to be as quick as I could. She requested to stay in bed. I told her that to come back to my apartment to fetch her would be counter-productive, that we were heading in the opposite direction after I finished at the office. I assured her it would be better if she came along.

So my sweet, trusting sister came along to the office and settled into the red leather sofa to wait for me. She didn't have to wait long. After setting up my room for a full series of x-rays, I went back into the reception area. "Michele Honey, my patient is you".

Her poor, sweet, trusting face fell. She had a look of equal parts disbelief and betrayal. She stammered. She tried to smile. She looked scared. My dear, sweet, trusting sister is a dental phobic and I betrayed her on her 2d day of vacation by forcing a dental appointment on her. I am a bad sister.

I have worked in dentistry for 8 years now and for 8 years I have encouraged her to go to a dentist for a check-up and a cleaning. And for 8 years she has found all kinds of reasons not to go. So I tricked her into going.

I am a bad sister. But only because I love her. The way I see it, I had told her I would take care of her once she got here. So, I took care of her.

I took her x-rays, processed them into the computer and then led her into our hygienist, Angela's room. Angela is from Texas. She is gentle and friendly. She soothed Michele. And she cleaned her teeth. And Michele mostly didn't cry. She was a brave soldier. And she has beautiful teeth. She promised Angela she would go to a dentist in Vancouver in April. And I will make her keep that promise because I, am a bad sister.

Her reward for enduring a dental appointment was coffee at the Hyatt Hotel. The Hyatt is a little over-the-top on sumptuousness.

We drank coffee and ate chocolate desserts. I hoped it made up for the morning.

Then it was off to the mall. I just think the mall is kind of culturally interesting. There's all the same stores as in a mall anywhere (designer clothing, assecories, jewelery stoes etc) but the shoppers are different. The mall is full of Omani men in dishdashas, Omani women in abayas and head scarves, Indian women in beautiful saris and westerners in, well, westerner clothes.

We wandered around a bit then had lunch at Hamburger Nation, an Australian based chain. We passed on the blubbery cheese cake.

My GAP manager sister had a chuckle at the GAP branch here. "Oh my God, they still have their winter posters up!" Plus it's the smallest GAP ever.

Next stop was a different venue of the Muscat Festival. This one is in AlZaiba and it focuses on food and shopping.

We shopped and shopped, buying little things here and there. And she snuck photos.

There are all kinds of food booths featuring cuisine from all over the world. We ate at the Indian booth, where I introduced her to the joy of pani puri. I discovered pani puri at an Indian restaurant a few months ago and it's one of my favorite foods now. Seek it out.