My time in SQU

Sultan Qaboos University is at the top of the academic institution in the Sultanate. There are wide facilities provided to students and staff. I have had the opportunity to work there for couple of months. The least I can say is that it is impressive. The laboratories are provided with the latest equipments and the most expensive materials and tools. Unfortunately, quite a good number of these equipments are not in use. This is simply because no one knows how to operate them or because the staffs there prefer to do it the old-fashioned way. Beside, the amount of work done in the laboratory as measured to the university capabilities is very disappointing. A lot of studies can be made with a bit of planning. In the lab there is the Dr/Professor busy with his/her students and the laboratory manager engaged in preparing experiment s for students while there is no one at all who carries research work. I think they should appoint research assistant to do studies. Actually they have a lot of postponed research work, so why not employ someone to do it! I have found that efficiency and accountability are least regarded. The logo is to do the work, doesn’t matter how you do it or the time taken to do it.
Yesterday, I’ve attended a play made by the students, I guess for the annual theatre exhibition. It was quite well presented with good performers whom I didn’t expect to find such level of sophisticated work on the stage. I can only say that SQU and Omanis in general are eager for voluntary work and they have the creativity and the enthusiasm. I have seen and observed a number of other student activities and seen their organized dedicated work. Again, as it is in this part of the world, time is of no value and the play actually started more than 40 minutes from its scheduled time.
I have also noted that the number of Omanis working in the university whether in the management, teaching or technical sectors is pretty high. It is quite occupied by Omanis, makes us proud with such institution.
I am glad to have such an insight into an outstanding university.

Back to Oman

I am back!

I apologize for the very few people who follow my blog. The last few months haven't been easy on me. I am in a transitional state regarding the two facets of life, the physical part of at as well as the inner part that resides inside me.
Luckily, there is no more mandatory study, only the part that I feel I need to gain more knowledge on, basically topics that are related to my specialty which is quite a lot knowing that I am an academic. The days of taking life easy departed and the time has came to experience the reality of life.

I have found out that there are three basic pillars of life Omanis have to consider once they are paid their first salary.
- First: buying a car to facilitate movement as the transport system here is not the best in the world! I miss the old days of Melbourne and UK. Beside, you will need to take extra precaution when driving as quite a large number of Omanis are reckless drivers. Personally, I managed to get hold of my license 3 months ago and with the help of my bro I bought my first car!
Car is done!

Second: Getting married. Once employed, the family automatically starts hunting for a suitable wife. As it is known, there is no choice (applies to the majority, hopefully me not included) regarding the person you are bound to spend the rest of life with. Family exhibits a list of possible candidates and you take your pick. I am not yet in this stage! I asked for a postponement, not ready for nagging, lol.

Third: Once the second step is over, housing comes last. I have already bought a small piece of land to build and spend the weekends in my village. Will have to rent a place in Muscat as most of my time will be working here.

This is the physical part of it. The list above is not exhausted, it is just the three most urgent things one must consider.

The second part of it will be published soon.
So keep checking.

Equality

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of Friday's prayers. I have stopped praying Friday's a while after I arrived to the UK. First time, I sat reading Quran and a bearded Mullah approached me. He started preaching about the importance of choosing Muslim friends "especially" as we are living in a Western society with all its "seductions". I seriously couldn't stand it and if it wasn't for my first time I would have burst in his face. I managed to hold my nerves but I showed him my resentment. He halted his talks while inviting me for Islamic lessons held in the mosque after noticing my discomfort.

The second time I attended, the trend of the Imam's speeches about the ages of the companions and their assumed perfectionism continued. I was particularly shocked by the way the Imam's presented the concept of equality in Islam. An example, a Sahaba rich man was standing next to his "slave" in the prayer! See how some Imam's can manipulate and fool us! I mean ok a rich man was lining next to a poor man is a form of equality but what about the "master" and his "slave"?. Or is it something accepted in Islam? I have always thought it is supposedly part of what Islam calls for? Didn't the prophet said there is no difference between an Arab and a foreigner but in faith?
To be frank, this is not the first time I heard it. This particular "holy" story is circulated among Muslim scholars!

Unfortunately, we have became receivers. Our abilities to think and question the authenticity of narratives are impaired. Impaired because we are afraid that we might be stepping over the lines and getting into the territories of the scholars. We are bound to follow what they state, because they are Caliphates of Allah on earth. We will be committing a sin if we dare or even thought of more clarification.

In fact, it happened to a dear friend of mine who hadn't yet learned those rules. He innocently asked his lecturer why would women inherit half that of men? The lecturer furiously asked him out of class. The the dear friend was forced to beg and kneel down then repent his grave sin!

Me and the scarf

I don't usually go shopping on the weekdays as I prefer to stay home and do my work. Today was different. I gave my friend a buzz, so we hanged out in the city for hours. I did a lot of shopping. Though, I am quite picky in styles, today I managed to buy some really nice stuff.
We then headed for lunch/dinner and I had fierce arguments with my friend about the long-bearded people and women Abayas and Hijabs. It is so sickening when they keep using the same excuse that women are out to be protected from the "sexual desire" of men! This is one of the lamest excuse for making women wear Hijab. Have we, as for men, become so sadist! and if so why do we need to ask the other, woman, to take extra precaution as not to drive our aggressive sexual acts against her. What happens to the self control? what happens to the values that we as Muslims possess? Are you saying that everything can go into ruin including Islamic teachings and virtues when we are faced with a non-hijabi females? Is that all what this pretty creature represents? Why do we have to hide Allah's beautiful crafting from our sights?

I blame it all to the culture rather than the religion. So let's all pray that one day people realize that Allah looks deep inside our hearts rather than "his" dress code!

Ignorance is a disease

As a Muslim I feel ashamed by the ignorance and arrogance that some of my people have. I get to know an Omani who came to the UK to pursue his Master. He hands everyone, he knows, a copy of the Quran including his class mates! He has this mentality that all people if they get to understand Islam then they will be convinced and convert. But the reality that they can't comprehend is that NOT everyone in this world is in a quest for faith! But he can't grasp it. He can't believe that others can be as faithful to their religion or atheist beliefs as much as a Muslim or even more. I seriously, feel sorry for his ignorance, for his incapabilities to respect other people's own beliefs, ideologies and the need for their own space. Beside, his English is shit, yet he only listens to Quran 24 hours.

The most thing pisses me off is that he thinks that because people welcome his preaching about Islam, they are already convinced! He doesn't know it is part of the Western culture to listen to others and discuss views in a very sophisticated way. I suspect that these people actually are mocking his actions and his ignorance! He so disillusioned about his beliefs to the extent that he told me once that more than 2 millions converted to Islam in a matter of a week of Swine flue outbreak. How pathetic we have become.

Innocent/Naive Mistake!

It was my first experience but it was the most terrifying. I see it in the movies I read about it in the newspapers but I never (fortunately) had the chance to go through it.
I totally stood solid not even breathing. At the time when the car was still under the control but going left and right across the road I thought "still there was nothing serious", until it was going sharp across the road. The driver lost control, the car was so heavy. I immediately realized we would hit the small hill then we would go down to the Wadi. I was already thinking about the possibility of surviving.
Luckily the car turned to its side and I was able to jump after that with no injuries at all. As soon as I was out I started to examine the kids who were at the back of the car. There were few injured but none was serious. The psychological impact was the only serious scar that still engraved in my heart and memory.
The experience was worthy not in terms of its consequences but of the thorough comprehension that I gained. One small mistake is enough to teach you a life-long lesson. The enjoyment of the moment that our driver had while racing his cousin cost more than 5 people an emotional toll that some may not be able to recover from soon.
The incidence allowed me to understand the danger of recklessly driving a car, the hazard of being taking by the agitation, the cost of challenge for the sake of own glory.
It's only a small mistake that is sufficient to teach us a lesson.

an Old Black Man

There sits an old black man. He talks to nobody. Nothing interests him but one thing. News from home is the only thing that could grab his attention. It is the only thing that could delight this old man. In fact, not news in the usual sense but the tone of his mother tongue that is enough to recognize that this old man has facial expressions rather than his gloomy face. At first, he cheers up and warmly greets you in Swahili but suddenly turns so sad and shed tears. They say he was brought from Africa long time ago when he was young and loved drumming and dancing. A merchant exchanged Arabic dates for few slaves in the old days of slavery. The trick was to drum while the ship was sailing and the young Africans would spontaneously follow the beat. Once they were in the ship there was no turning back. They were shipped to Oman. There, they would be called for sale and live the rest of their lives as slaves working for their masters. Ironically, at the present modern Oman, many Omanis claim they did the Africans a favor as they can eat, drink and sleep for free!

Mind my property please!

Last weekend, my friend from a neighbouring country, suggested that she would accompany me to buy kids' clothes for my sisters as presents. She came along with her annoying little girl. Poor me I didn't realize that I was stealing the precious time the two spend together outside their 24 hour curtained windows en-suite room. She innocently got annoyed while me and her mum were constantly checking out some clothes. It seemed that she couldn't bear the fact that we were ignoring her and furiously burst "STOP FOLLOWING US". God that was very embarrassing! I had no option but to ignore her, though she constantly kept saying it. I prayed for a miracle to get me out of the situation because I couldn't hold it any more especially some customers were eyeing me and could notice the little girl bothersome of my presence. I looked at my phone and a spontaneous thought poped out of my head "my friend I have to leave you now as it is time for my soccer game". I sensed a relief in the little girl and she soflty grabbed the bag I was holding for them. I safely left the scene.

This is not the core of the eventual weekend outting I am writing for. While I was doing my shopping with my friend, I stumbled upon my work colleague who happens to be from another neighbouring country too. Well, I didn't actually see him, but apparently his wife saw me getting so close to them, though I didn't notice her as I was busy with shopping, and informed her husband. I was able to see the sudden shock in his face as he turned around to greet me. It was like as he saw the devil himself! I must have been a threat to "his wife". How insecure our peeople can be when their wives are stumbled upon a man from the same region! It is like "my property don't even glimpse'' .

Life-stumbler is launched!

So I have decided to start my own blog. I have to admit it is not an easy decision to make. I am not a big fun of writing my thoughts or feelings online. I feel they are private and they are special to me, and when I expose them, they are no more mine!
But I took the decision because I have been holding them for long time now and until this particular moment I still haven't decided what to do with them. So I chose to spell it out and let it all out.

As I understand, anything written should have a purpose, until now I don't know what my blog should be about; my emotions and and daily routine, about my own personal journey in life, my thoughts and observations or should it be about my constant questioning of cultural norms, values and Islam in general.

I will leave it all for the time!