Thursday, October 30, 2014

1, US Embassy issues warning for teachers //2, Silly prank video on Oman Air

No comments:
1, The US Embassy issued a warning that western teachers could be targeted by extremists; no specific threat mentioned for Oman but for Saudi and Egypt.

October 29, 2014
The Embassy wishes to notify the American community of a recent anonymous posting on an extremist website which encouraged attacks against American and other western teachers in the Middle East. The website specifically referenced teachers at schools in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Maadi (Egypt) as examples of locations with high concentrations of potential targets.  The Embassy is unaware of any specific, credible threat against any American or western school or individuals in Oman. 




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2, This was going around the last few days. a little silliness...re Oman Air (not related to above post)


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

No Women Fans Allowed / Gulf Cup 2014 @ Riyadh

3 comments:
It was announced today no women will be able to attend the football matches (be in the stadium) of the Gulf Cup 2014 to be held in Saudi Arabia in November. Apparently, an Omani official agreed with the decision. The reasoning being it will cut down on 'soft sex'. Oman won the Gulf Cup in 2009.

http://shabiba.com/News/Article-61425.aspx  (In Arabic)



Monday, October 27, 2014

Operation Oman

No comments:
A new film about the Dhofar Rebellion and Britain's involvement is coming out. It looks interesting with old footage of Oman and perspectives of veteran British fighters. There will be several screenings in the UK in November.

http://www.operationoman.com/#!info/co58

'More than 40 years have passed since Britain fought a secret war in Oman.  Major Nicholas Ofield has returned for the first time since his involvement in the conflict to retread his battlegrounds and reflect on what the conflict meant personally, and in the wider socio-political context.  Supported with rare archive footage and interviews from Colonel Mike Ball and Major Mike Austin, who also fought in the conflict, Operation Oman is the gripping true story of one of the most successful
counter-insurgency campaigns ever fought.'

'Desert People'






Saturday, October 25, 2014

UPDATES ***US Navy (JTWC) / High Potential Cyclone development & heading toward Oman

No comments:
Due to conflicting reporting in Oman, to see updates for this cyclone and to track with various models see link below and scroll to nilofar:
http://www.tropicaltidbits.com/storminfo/

Current Satellite : http://wxug.us/1lcul

As of 28 Oct 7pm Omani timing



As of 27 Oct

 Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

Click to enlarge
From Muscat Daily /27Oct
“There is nothing to worry about the storm like it was reported a few days ago. Even if it strikes, it will be hardly anything and there will be no destruction,” a Met official said, adding that going by the latest reading, the storm would not last long.

Read more: http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Oman/No-major-threat-from-tropical-storm-Nilofar-yet-Met-dept-3jql#ixzz3HKeirNcG 


OmanNew News  27/Oct

Ferry Shina to Maseera halted from 9am 27Oct - High waves




As of 25 Oct


Follow updates here': http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/ab/abioweb.txt



ABIO10 PGTW 242230
MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI//
SUBJ/SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN
/REISSUED/242230Z-251800ZOCT2014//
REF/A/MSG/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI/242151OCT2014//
AMPN/REF A IS A TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION ALERT.//
RMKS/
1. NORTH INDIAN OCEAN AREA (MALAY PENINSULA WEST TO COAST OF AFRICA):
   A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.
   B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY:
      (1) THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY LOCATED NEAR 11.2N 
61.3E, IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 11.6N 61.1E, APPROXIMATELY 730 NM SOUTH-
SOUTHEAST OF MUSCAT, OMAN. ANIMATED INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY 
DEPICTS A FAIRLY BROAD AREA OF ORGANIZING DEEP CONVECTION AROUND A 
WIDE LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) THAT IS SLOWLY BECOMING 
BETTER DEFINED. A 241705Z AMSU-B AND 241837Z TRMM (PARTIAL) 
MICROWAVE IMAGE REVEALS WEAK AND FRAGMENTED BANDING SHOWING 
CONSOLIDATION ALONG THE NORTHEASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE AREA WITH SOME 
CONVECTION AROUND THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE LLCC. ADDITIONALLY, A 
241758Z PARTIAL ASCAT SHOWS SOME 25 KNOT WIND BARBS ALONG THE 
EXTREME NORTHWEST OF THE AREA. UPPER-LEVEL ANALYSIS INDICATES A 
FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT OF MODERATE (10 TO 20 KNOT) VERTICAL WIND 
SHEAR OFFSET BY GOOD POLEWARD OUTFLOW PROVIDED BY UPPER LEVEL 
TROUGHING OVER NORTHERN INDIA. MULTIPLE GLOBAL MODELS ARE DEVELOPING 
THIS DISTURBANCE INTO A BROAD TROPICAL SYSTEM AFFECTING THE 
NORTHWEST ARABIAN SEA OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED 
SURFACE WINDS ARE ESTIMATED AT 23 TO 27 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL 
PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 1003 MB. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 
HOURS IS UPGRADED TO HIGH. SEE REF A (WTIO21 PGTW 242200) FOR 
FURTHER DETAILS.
      (2) NO OTHER SUSPECT AREAS.
2. SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN AREA (135E WEST TO COAST OF AFRICA):
   A. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY: NONE.
   B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY: NONE.
3. JUSTIFICATION FOR REISSUE: UPGRADED AREA 1.B.(1) TO HIGH.//
NNNN


http://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/navgem/2014102412/navgem_mslp_pcpn_ind.html

projected path

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Ma salama Nawras

3 comments:
Nawras is being rebranded as 'Ooredoo', the Qatari telecom group, by this December. They announced it in September, and this month an aggressive marketing campaign has begun to prepare users for the change. The new branding is being purported to bring international recognition to Oman's phone service.  

The change is in name only; the service will still be the same which I had hoped would be the thing that would be enhanced. I like the 'seagull' logo of Nawras and will miss seeing it compared to this alternate 'red' logo of ooredoo ('I want' in Arabic).


Monday, October 20, 2014

PDO Camp Oman - Before/After Photos

No comments:
In case you haven't been through Ras Al Hamra lately, PDO is in the process of developing a new residential complex for their employees; it's probably about time. The construction of the project started about two years ago and the results are quite elegant.

PDO CAMP (apologies for the margin overage)
OldNew

2014 - New villas
Something's low key and relaxing about the old styles; some with view of sea - private outside entrances

2014 - Modern, attractive completed housing - you can see who's home from the main drag


2014 - New street with housing
New flats under construction

2014 - Almost completed


Ras Al Hamra-1960s when it was a 'camp'
New housing

 2014 - Mosque leading into the brand-new development



Existing rec club
2014 -Behind the fence - a new golf course



Sunday, October 19, 2014

Friday, October 17, 2014

Sifah Oman Before/After Photos

No comments:
Coming along.....

Sifah is a beautiful place with road access issues and lack of basic amenities such as there is no petrol station within 50 km (as in back in Muscat). Golf course is supposedly coming soon in 2015.  Villas are being completed now. Major landscaping and signage improvements have been filled out since 2013. Intense marketing efforts with festivals and movies by the sea are planned, but there's not much activity except for the Sifaway Hotel guests. Apartments are being rented out by the night and a dive shop has opened by the marina.


Sifa (apologies for the margin overage)
BeforeAfter
2011-12
2014
2013
2014 - Attractive row of villas
2011
2014
Marketing material
Reality


2012 

 2014 - Sprinkler system

2012 - 'the fisherman' - 'also a branch in Salalah'
2014 - 'over-priced, reheated fish with soggy hummus in a relaxing wood shack amidst a great seascape.'
2012


2013 - Construction Weekly


Thursday, October 16, 2014

Dates in Nizwa, Omani Tortured @ UAE, Protest in Adam & Shark @ Saham

1 comment:
1, Today, begins the date festival in Niswa which runs for four days. There are over 60 exhibitors. Go to the tents near the sook. A very cultural activity to attend.

omandaily.om
omandaily.om

Types of Dates

2, An Omani gentleman Mr Mohammed Jumma Al Yaqobi was returning from the UAE to Oman and was stopped by Emirati police upon inspection of his passport at Al Matheef border near Al Ain. According to his account in a letter to His Majesty, he was arrested without being told any reason and later accused of helping Syrian opposition. He was taken to an investigation centre and interrogated and tortured for two days. He was cuffed and head covered with a sack and the UAE police took away his phone.

He denied all allegations. He was beaten and hung with face put in water barrel. They insulted him and said Oman could not help him. Later, he was released, and they (UAE authorities) said Mr Yaqobi had been mixed up with another. He posted his letter on social media, and a twitter hash called #'undignified arrest of Omani in UAE was spread. Locals are calling for the Omani government to interfere to stop these practices against Omanis. This happened around September 12. He tells his story in the video (in Arabic). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWTG3oPE1wA&feature=youtu.be

Also in Al Watan (masri) newspaper: click here

One one hand, I guess its good the UAE is looking out for 'enemies'; but, on the other hand, the carelessness with the way they dealt with this guy and violation of human rights and dignity is scary.


3,  Yesterday, a protest took place near Adam in Al Zahyah, Oman (interior) regarding the displacement of residents for petrol interests. Natural gas was found near their area. The locals were well-compensated for their homes and lands and will be given new abodes. However, some still remained upset and refused to leave.


dont mess with texas.....oman

4, A large shark was caught and sold in Saham.

250 OMR


Saturday, October 11, 2014

'Game over - 'B'aul Le Guen' Oman vs Costa Rica

1 comment:
Yesterday, during the 'friendly' between the Oman football team and Costa Rica in Sohar some local fans sported this banner:

Arabic: "Game over - Paul Le Guen."  Mr Le Guen has been the Omani manager since 2011. His winnings record with Oman is 41.07% (Wiki)
It's been reported these fans were investigated and their banner confiscated (perhaps - a bit of an over reaction).  Although Oman won the Gulf Cup and few years back; recently, their record has not been as impressive. Costa Rica defeated Oman 4-3 in this game. Oman put up a decent fight.

Omani coach at a local shop

Monday, October 6, 2014

Step-by-Step Omani Tea for 'foreigners'

2 comments:

This is a basic way Omanis make tea. This tea (with cardamom) is traditionally drunk in the earlier hours.

Supplies:
Lipton black tea bags
Evaporated Milk
Cardamom powder
Sugar
Water - use bottled water or distilled. The type of water affects the flavour.
(Ginger)

Everything above is sold at Lulu's or any major hypermarket. Cardamom is called 'heel' in Arabic, الهيل in case you need to ask. Rainbow company makes the dehydrated milk. It comes is original, cardamom or 'light' flavours. You need 'black' tea; the popular choice is from Lipton. There's no need to measure exactly but gauge by taste and experience.

Instructions:

On the stove method

Step 1: Boil water in a pot. Then, lower heat to just below boiling.
Step 2: Now, add sugar and tea bags. Start with 1/4 cup - you can 'sugar' to taste later on. Add two to three tea bags per litre water.
Step 3: Add one small can evaporated milk per litre water. If you use cardamom flavoured milk, then it may not be necessary to add cardamom powder.
Step 4: Reheat water to boiling point and then let simmer for at least 5 minutes.
Step 5: Add about 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder. (You can add the powder at anytime). Optional: Add fresh ginger (not powdered).
Step 6: Manipulate tea bags up and down until nice frothy caramel colour is reached.
Step 7: Serve hot.

In the thermos method

The use of thermoses or flasks is widely popular in Oman. Tea is mixed in the thermos and kept hot for many hours for drinking.

Pour the boiling water in the flask, but leave room for a can of milk and the sugar. Add the tea bags (before the milk as the milk cools the water too much). You may want to dunk them a few times to release the tea, but then leave the cords just outside the flask with the bags inside. Now, add the sugar and cardamom powder. Finally, add the milk. Stir if needed. Seal the flask with the tea bags inside with the cords hanging out. The tea will stay warm for several hours.

Instant method

A premixed product of milk tea with cardamom is sold. Add appropriate amount of water, mix, and serve.


Thermos - a must have in Oman. 

Traditional  'dallah' coffee pot. Omanisilver.com

Lipton black tea. Yellow Label found outside UK.

Colour of cardamom tea.


Dehydrated milk with cardamom

Original dehydrated milk