Nizwa, Oman; Friday Night for us is hump day in America

Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Nizwa, Oman; Friday night for us is hump day in America
Entry numero uno as a resident of Oman

Where to begin . . . just begin . . . Gus and I got in to Nizwa about 2:00 am, September 7th. We checked into our hotel, the Safari Hotel, where we were to stay until our apartment was ready. Within a day and a half we were dragging, rolling and carrying our 4 giant suitcases and 2 rather large carry ons on up 2 flights to Apt. 15. We have a spacious, airy 3 bedroom apt. And when I say airy . . . well, that’s a story I’ll talk about later.

We’ve had 5 days of “work.” Seminars from 9:00am to 12:00pm. After 12 we are free to take care of documentation, computer glitches, and getting settled into our apartment. The first night we were in our apartment there was no gas so our amazing neighbors, Dalia and Reg, invited us in for supper. Dalia is superwoman, taking care of us by day at the University and by night, helping us to acquire cooking gas and feeding us. This is a welcome relief while trying to get to know our way around Nizwa. She is our director's administrative assistant.

Our apartment is in the Firq section of Nizwa, half way between downtown Nizwa and the University. There are shops across the street – hardware, restaurants, some choice housewares (iron, coffeemaker, toaster - yippee!), gasoline station, and small grocery stores. I believe there are four apartments here that house English Center “lecturers.” There are also some other lecturers from other departments of the University.

So it is our Friiiiiday night AND it is the eve of Ramadan – that is if the moon is seen tonight in it’s first sliver in the waxing process. Gus and I have stocked up on enough to eat for 3 – 5 days (uh, well, I mean nights). We will head to the center of Nizwa tonight and go to the internet cafe to send emails and possibly post to our blogs. Tomorrow is a free day with no obligations except to pay the electricity bill that came today – it is from the previous tenant. Thankfully the University will reimburse us. We will most likely go back to the I.C. (hmmm . . . is that intensive care or internet café?) We need our big dose as we haven’t been able to sustain the internet habit for days and days. Withdrawal symptoms appear, such as nervous laughter when we hear things like “it took me 2 hours to down load a 32 minute audio sample on dial up.”

Ah, yes, dial up. If we get internet at our home it will have to be dial up. For the last 6 years I have said, “If I have to go back to the pace of dial up internet I will not use the internet.” Ah! as I’ve told a few friends and family, this will be a year of learning patience. I am, by nature, a pretty patient person, depending on the situation, of course. Now, I must learn perfect patience. What does that look like? Does it mean losing all attachment to all outcomes? Does it mean having faith that what must get done will be completed in its own sweet time? Does it look like a Buddhist monk? I will need a complete psychic transformation in order to not react to things that don’t get done when I want them done – a completely different perspective on what matters. Perhaps a change in my value system.

What is my value system? What is most important to me? 1. Treading more lightly on the Earth; 2. Being present and helping others. 3. Growing emotionally, spiritually and mentally. 4. Doing my best. 5. Being non-judgemental and being compassionate and understanding of others joys, pains and perspectives.

Yesterday, during seminars, we were treated to an amazing guest speaker, Khalfan Al Esry. The title of his Seminar was “Living and Working in Oman Made Easy and Enjoyable.” The subtitles of the talk were 1. We all experience culture shock; 2. Definitions may be different (ex: Definitions of time, work, business, etc.); 3. Value ladders are different (influenced by origin, race, language, beliefs, country, society, tribe, family, and organization); 4. People are different & values are changing as we transform. There’s that word “values” again.

As I live in this culture I must question my values and change my attitude about time and organization. Khalfan Al Esry asked the mostly western audience, “What’s more important, efficiency or effectiveness?” I believe that effectiveness is more important although “efficiency” implies that ones performance is “effective.” I have always said that I am a type “B” as opposed to a type “A.” Type A’s can do the amount of work I do in 48 hours in half the time and not have a mess to clean up. They seem to be more concerned with compartmentalizing the different aspects of their life into neat segments of time – work: 8 hours; dance class after work; home with family or out with friends for the evening. Me? whenever I get home from work, I get home from work. My work doesn’t go home with me but, when I’m teaching, I do spend more time at work than I do at home. My job never feels like it’s finished. There is always more to do.

We Westerners can learn a lot from Arab culture – The person we are dealing with, in any given situation, is more important than the project, the job, the goal. We need to establish trusting, helpful and considerate relationships with all we come in contact with – colleagues, bosses, employees, family and friends.