Friday 30 December 2011

Al-Ain - The cultural retreat of the UAE

English Teacher In Oman


Weekend trip to visit my brother in the UAE



December 2011


Whilst working in Oman a second time around during 2011-2012, my brother got a teaching job in Al Ain in the UAE. Shortly after his arrival, we decided to pay him a visit. We drove our rental car from Rustaq, through Ibri to Al Ain. It was a couple of days before Christmas, so I think he appreciated the fact that he got some support from family. 

We visited the Al Ain palace museum and did some shopping at a mall on the Friday, and the Saturday we drove up the winding mountain pass road to Jebel Hafeet, with its stunning views, and ate a Christmas buffet at the Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet hotel, before we drove back to Oman.

Al Ain palace museum - This Land Rover similar to the one driven by Sheikh Zayed in the desert to visit Bedouin communities

About Al Ain


Al-`Ain (Arabic literally The Spring), is known as the Garden City due to its greenery. It is the largest inland city in the United Arab Emirates, the fourth-largest overall (after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah), and the second-largest in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It has a population of 650,000 (as of 2013) and is located approximately 160 kilometers east of the capital Abu Dhabi and about 120 kilometers south of Dubai. 

Al-`Ain is the birthplace of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates, and has the highest proportion of Emirati nationals (30.8%). Al-`Ain is located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, inland on the border with Oman. The freeways connecting Al-`Ain, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai form a geographic triangle in the country, each city being roughly 130 kilometers from the other two (Wikipedia).

Al Ain palace museum


Al Ain palace museum is the former home of the late UAE founder, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The Palace was once a political and social hub. Built in 1910, the building became a museum in 1998.

My brother and I posing at the Al Ain palace museum

Al Ain palace museum - 
One of the many wall pictures displayed throughout the museum

Al Ain palace museum - 
One of the many wall pictures displayed throughout the museum

Al Ain palace museum

Al Ain palace museum - Intricate decor designs

Al Ain palace museum - lamp fixture in the hallway

Al Ain palace museum - This Land Rover similar to the one driven by Sheikh Zayed in the desert to visit Bedouin communities

Al Ain palace museum

Posing at the Al Ain palace museum

Al Ain palace museum

Al Ain palace museum

Al Ain palace museum

Posing at the Al Ain palace museum

Ansu at the Al Ain palace museum

Al Ain palace museum - Intricate decor designs

Al Ain palace museum - Intricate decor designs

Al Ain palace museum - 
One of the many wall pictures displayed throughout the museum

Al Ain Mall


Ski arena below with Christmas decorations dangling from the ceiling in Al Ain Mall

Ski arena below with Christmas decorations dangling from the ceiling in Al Ain Mall

Coffee-shop - Al Ain Mall

Luxury car on display in an Al-Ain mall

Sponge Bob Crocs...Sponge Bob paraphernalia is adored throughout the Gulf it seems

Ansu and I at Al Ain Mall

At a Coffee-shop - Al Ain Mall

Outside Al Ain mall - taken from the entrance to the mall

Jebel Hafeet



Jabal Ḥafeeṫ (Arabic - literally "empty mountain") is a mountain located primarily in the area of Al Ain, which itself is in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Part of the mountain, however, straddles the border with Oman, while the summit is located wholly within United Arab Emirates (Wikipedia). At the summit at around 915 m, is the Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet hotel with 124 rooms, a unique mountain oasis resort.

Interesting roundabout feature as we started to exit Al Ain city driving towards Jebel Hafeet

Halfway view

Halfway view

Halfway view

Halfway stop up to Jebel Hafeet - Ansu at our rental car

The road leading up to Jebel Hafeet

The road leading up to Jebel Hafeet

Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet Al Ain Hotel


Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet with 124 rooms is a unique mountain oasis resort,
located at 915 m on Hafeet Mountain

Posing behind the fountains - Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet

Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet 

The Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet hotel

The Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet hotel swimming pool area

On top of Jebel Hafeet with Al Ain countryside below

My brother on top of Jebel Hafeet with Al Ain countryside below

On top of Jebel Hafeet with Al Ain countryside below

On top of Jebel Hafeet with Al Ain countryside below

On top of Jebel Hafeet with Al Ain countryside below

Christmas buffet

Back to Oman across the border


Old bakkie at a petrol station - near Al Ain-Oman border on Oman side

Driving back home to Rustaq - On the highway between Al Ain and Ibri

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Teaching English and living in rural Oman

English Teacher in Oman

Our home & The College

Rustic Rustaq

October – December 2011


Background


Oman? Where is that? This was the question posed to me by my fiancé (who later became my wife) in 2008, as I told her, whilst working in Sudan that I was moving to Oman, and that she should pay me a visit. The reality is that few people know about Oman, an uncovered jewel yet undiscovered by most, off-the-beaten-track of world travel, but with the potential that once you have been there and lived there to be totally mesmerized by its beauty and wonderful people.

My fiancé did come to visit in 2008, and barely 2 months later we flew back to South Africa to get married, as we struggled to legally get married in Oman. After a couple of weeks of arranging a wedding, having a wedding and a honeymoon we started off our married life in a sleepy desert town called Ibri. I completed my contract for that academic year, and even though was offered an extension, we decided it best to return to South Africa to have family support as a young married couple.

A couple of years later in 2011, after stints of unemployment here in South Africa, we got another opportunity to work in Oman when Hawthorne, the new contract holder for the colleges of Applied Sciences in Oman, offered us both teaching positions at the Rustaq college of Applied Sciences. Now Ibri felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, but Rustaq was even smaller in size and had fewer luxuries and amenities that make an expat's heart beat faster.

View of our neighborhood - taken from our first apartment balcony in Rustaq

We arrived in late October 2011, about 4 weeks after the first batch teachers for that academic year. We spent our first night in Muscat in a very basic 3-star hotel, which did not inspire a lot of confidence in our new employer's generosity, and were driven the next day to Rustaq. All the single teachers at the Rustaq College, apart from those who have been there a while or married couples, stayed in an apartment block in downtown Rustaq.

The bottom floor of the complex was an unofficial brothel with a Thai boy/girl as the main attraction .... unbeknownst to most of his/her Omani clientele who frequented the 'massage spa' as it was officially labelled. 

We were given an apartment on the 4th floor, and as there were no lifts, the stairs were the only way to access it. We spent that first night scrubbing everything as it was filthy. We were exhausted, but the 'health; mattress we were provided was so firm, that my limbs kept on going numb. 

Our first work day was a lot better, the college had very nice offices with comfortable office furniture. My wife and I were fortunate enough to share an office with Sara, a lecturer from India who showed us much kindness and friendship over the next 10 months at the college. The office was so nice and our apartment so uncomfortable that we kept on staying later and later at the office dreading the time we had to go home. 

With high ceilings, white walls, cheap furniture, and no curtains to block out the sharp Gulf sun's brightness, it was not a place one wanted to relax. As an added insult, the badly designed plumbing system constantly allowed for a lingering stench, which no amount of detergent and Dettol could remove.

A bad bout of food poisoning also plagued us within the first month after we bought Turkey cold meat at Lulu's in Barka. We spent a whole weekend lying on single beds next to each other in the brightly lit apartment, a memorable nightmare. 

However, as time went by, we coloured in our apartment with furnishings and decorations more to our liking. We also built up a support structure of locals and colleagues with whom we increasingly spent more time to numb one from the boredom.

Ruins, Date plantations and mountains - The beauty of Rustaq

About Oman


Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. 

From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom. 

Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean. 

Oman is an absolute monarchy. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has been the hereditary leader of the country since 1970. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East and sixth-longest current reigning monarch in the world.

Oman has modest oil reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. 

A significant portion of its economy is tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain agricultural produce. This sets it apart from its neighbours’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).


Rustaq fort

About Rustaq


Al Rustaq is a city in the South Al Batinah region, surrounded by the central Al Hajir mountain range and an abundance of date palm groves and Aflaj. 

The city came to the forefront of Omani history when Imam Nasser bin Murshid Al Ya’rubi started from here his conquest to unify Oman and repel the Portuguese from the country in the 17th century. 

Al Rustaq was also once the capital of Oman, and it has many attractions that should make it a much bigger tourist attraction! (Oman Tripper).

Living in Rustaq


View of the main road to Old Rustaq

View of our neighborhood - taken from our first apartment balcony in Rustaq

Our apartment complex in Rustaq where most teachers lived

Ali and Son, our initial taxi driver before we rented a car

View of the main road to Old Rustaq that passes our apartment complex

View of our neighbourhood from our apartment balcony

View of our neighbourhood from our apartment balcony

View of the surroundings from our apartment balcony

Villa near our apartment complex

View of my neighbourhood from a hill nearby

Our kitchen

Breakfast table in the kitchen

Our neighbours having a party

Ansu in the living room prepping for classes

The road that leads to the front entrance of our apartment complex

Living room

Rubbish bin outside

Mohamed and his brother entertaining us

Mohamed and his brother entertaining us

Teaching English at the Rustaq College of Applied Sciences


The main road into Rustaq - From the College entrance

Rustaq College of Applied Sciences


Teacher's block


Teacher offices

Entrance - Just outside my office

An office door

Hallway with teacher offices

At my desk

Ansu at her desk

Sara, our office mate from India at her desk

College campus scenery


Covered walkway

Covered walkway

Outdoor seating area for students

Classrooms - Block G

Classroom hallway

Courtyard garden

Courtyard garden

Campus water tower

Courtyard garden

Classroom hallway

View of surrounding mountains


Cafeteria


During lunch break

Ansu and I having lunch at the staff cafeteria

Eva and Ansu having lunch

The accompanying tissue box, a feature on all restaurant tables across Oman

Students


Male students...could not take pics of the girls sitting on the other side

Students

With some of my students

College events


End of the year function

At the South African exhibition during Open day

Oman students with face paint during the open day


To view highlights of rural Rustaq nature scenery, click here!

To view Rustaq street and shopfront scenery, click here!

To view Rustaq restaurants and cuisine, click here!