8.22.2012

It's Official: Muscat 2013

After some pretty serious "will we, won't we" over the last month it's finally official.  We are headed to Muscat, Oman in the summer of 2013!  We are beyond excited.  
Oman is on the tip of the Arabian penninsula, across the Straight of Hormuz from Iran.  It borders Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.  Despite some rowdy neighbors, I've heard Muscat is a lovely, safe, interesting, clean, low key, wondrous place to live.  And hotter than hell.  I left out hotter than hell.  
Last time we were assigned to a place we'd never been I listed all of the reasons why it was awesome on our blog.  After having actually lived in Casa I re-read that list and laughed heartily.  "It's clean and safe" being my favorite.  It's not terrible in those areas, just not the utopia I had imagined.  So, I'll avoid projections and what I have gleaned from google image searches and give you the facts.

- Muscat is the capital of "The Sultanate of Oman"   Kings and Sultans are our thing, I guess.  

-Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society.  (That one reeks of wikipedia, doesn't it?  Guilty)

- They speak Arabic though VERY different from the Arabic they speak in Morocco

- There is a "Little India" in Muscat.  What in the Chicken Tikka Massala? 

- It will be the farthest East and the farthest away from home we've ever been


- And Snorkling and Diving

- And This

-And a brand new Opera House

- A double 30th birthday celebration in Thailand sound awesome to anyone else? 

- But...90 + temperatures 8 months out of the year with 100 + temperatures in the summer

- The culture is more conservative than Morocco. Hello again long sleeves.  

What I'm looking forward to most, outside of doing outdoorsy things and photographing the amazing landscape during the three months Oman isn't a furnace, is learning more about this part of the Arab world.  We are literally going from one tip of it to the other and I imagine the differences are stark. 



Much more to come as things develop, but for now I think I'm spent.  One last thing: we've never been to the gulf before - any one have tips, books to read, or "heads ups" for us? 

17 comments:

  1. Congratulations! That's so exciting. I used to know some people who lived in Oman - they loved it. I wish I still had their contact info...but do you know the Palmers who live in the UAE? If not, I could get you in touch with them. I'm sure they've been to Oman on vacation.

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  2. And I forgot. I want to come visit you and go to the sea turtle place and the wadi. In January. Awesome!

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  3. This sounds so, so cool. As a (Cdn) FSO on Arabic training, I *always* look forward to your posts-- they are like a tour of the Middle East-- but this makes it that much more interesting!

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  4. This is so, so cool. As a (Cdn) FSO on Arabic language training, I ALWAYS appreciate your posts-- they're like a tour of the Middle East. This just makes it that much more interesting!

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  5. Woohoo! Hopefully (and hopefully I'm not jinxing myself) we'll be joining you in the region next year!

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  6. Muscat was our first overseas post. LOVED it!! Happy to answer any questions about it. Sure some stud has changed. But I'm still connected. And have friends there right now!!!

    Congrats congrats congrats. What a great posting!!!

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  7. Steve and Mary Davis along with their family lived there for a few years. They just moved to China. Wow, I wanted to go there when they had a "girl's" retreat but it was too far to go to from Russia. They absolutely loved it and called it the land of milk and honey. I am so thrilled for y'all!

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  8. Thanks Karina - you KNOW you are more than welcome anytime :) I just sent the Palmers a little message on their blog.

    Anne - I don't beleive in jinxing :) hooray for Arabia!

    Thanks so much Jill - I just might take you up on your offer as things get closer.

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  9. Congratulations! Muscat was our third post -- We LOVED it!! Feel free to throw questions our way too as you get ready for an awesome adventure!

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  10. I wanted to leave an official "congratulations and AWESOME" message here. Oman is on our short list of places we would love to live someday. Good luck and congratulations again!

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  11. Awesome! Congrats! Ditto to what so many people said, we have friends who just finished serving in Oman and they loved it.

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  12. Dagnabit! I can't figure out how to respond individually to everyone's comment, but thank you thank you!

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  13. Very awesome! We've always heard this is a great assignment. Enjoy!

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  14. Brooke, I just visited your site and see you're headed to Oman! That was my last post (which you probably know since you follow my blog). You are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE your time there. Please...email me any time you want with questions or for names of people you might want to contact there as I still know most of them. I was just there last month for 4 days...I am actually homesick for Muscat! And as for your list...you need to adjust the temps to 120 for 7 months a year and PERFECT for 5 months a year! But you get used to the heat...honest! Congratulations!

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