Saturday, 1 December 2012

Teaching and living in Oman

English Teacher in Rustaq

October 2011 - August 2012


Oman? Where is that? This was the question posed to me by my fiance (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 fiance 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.


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 labeled. 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 colored 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 that was called 'Rustaq'.

After 3 months of living in Rustaq, we could bear it no longer. About 40 km from Rustaq, near A'Musannah, a five-star hotel, called the Millennium stood ready for our patronage. Built for the 2010 Asia Beach games, it was and still is a gem in rural Oman. It had apartments to rent for 400 OMR per month, and we decided to do so with or without our employer's assistance. In order to sustainably continue our employment, we were willing to pay out of pocket. Initially, we got a studio apartment, but later due to the internet not working in our room, we were upgraded to a spacious one bedroom at no extra cost. We stayed in the hotel for 7 months until we finished our contract. 

During this time we went through many ups and downs; my wife broke her ankle and I had to assist her with everything whilst at the same time preparing for my final exam for a research component for a BA (Hons) degree in Development Studies I was in the process of doing, but it made me stronger....I survived.....my wife survived.....and I passed the exam. After my exam, I spent many hours on the beach picking up seashells or just relaxing at the infinity pool. We also explored A'Musannah with our rented Toyota Yaris and took many incredible pics of rural Omani culture, such as fishing villages.

During our stay, we also took many trips to the capital of Oman, Muscat, especially Mutrah Corniche where we could watch the ships and Omani dhows on anchor and browse for souvenirs at the Mutrah Souq. We also made two trips to the UAE, once to Al Ain, where my brother just started a teaching position, and to Fujeirah and Dubai with Eva, a South African friend, and colleague.

Oman is not the most advanced place in the world, but it has a rustic authenticity unparalleled. It has fresh air, lots of sun and wide open spaces, and it's not uncommon to be noticed by locals and to be invited into their homes. The Omani's are soft gentle people with lots of hospitality. It is, in my opinion, the best country in the Gulf to settle down and build a life, as the Omani's are very accepting and inclusive. The pace here (excluding driving) is also much slower than in the neighboring UAE. 

My pictures contain descriptions that will provide more info. Enjoy the journey!

About Oman


Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the southeastern 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. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.

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 neighbors’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).


Where is Oman?



Now join me on our journey......


My job description

The Rustaq College of Applied Sciences we taught ESL at

College scenery: My office, Teacher's building and some of the students

Teaching ESL in Rustaq, Oman

About Rustaq


Al Rustaq (الرستاق) 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)

Read more


Where is Rustaq?




Working & living in Rustaq picture gallery



Rustaq scenery - Clockwise starting top right: 
The street in front of our first apartment building
The commercial district
Downtown Rustaq

Rustaq scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
Views from our apartment balcony
A local clinic
My wife Ansu exploring downtown Rustaq
Omani street vendors

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

One day I took my camera and climbed a nearby hill, where I was met with this scenery

Omani villa and Rustaq mountains

Rustaq scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
The main road into Rustaq 
A roundabout with garden and flag 
Nature scenery near Rustaq
Our apartment building
In front of a Coffeeshop in the evening in downtown Rustaq

Omani shopowner in Rustaq

Rustaq scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
The main road into Rustaq passing the college
The Turkish Star restaurant which we frequented
Sleepy Rustaq nestled in a valley
The sign of a sports shop at night
Nature scenery near Rustaq

Rustaq "Harrods" - Al Shrooq hypermarket catered for most of our basic grocery needs

Selfie - on a nature walk exploring the countryside

After I conquered a hill near my apartment - The view of Rustaq from the top

Ruins, Date plantations and mountains - The beauty of Rustaq

Cool and tranquil date plantation scenery

Nature scenery along the main road

Nature scenery along the main road

Rustaq scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
Date plantation scenery
Old Rustaq fort
Shopfront - Old Rustaq
Rustaq fort
Shopfront - rural Oman

Shopfront - Old Rustaq

A neighborhood in Old Rustaq with date plantation

Shopfronts - Old Rustaq

Old Rustaq fort

Omani hospitality

Local friendships

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

Omani vendors selling their goods in downtown Rustaq

Expat friends & colleagues

Bubbly, the KFC manager in A'Musannah, which I frequented, especially in the time Ansu broke her ankle

Friends


Moving from Rustaq to A'Mussanah & living at the Millennium Resort Mussanah


About the Resort hotel:


Enjoy the best of lifestyle resort and leisure by crystal-blue waters at Millennium Resort Mussanah. Experience perfect relaxation, with panoramic views over the Hajar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman. The world-class outdoor sporting facilities in our resort include an 18-hole mini-golf course, tennis courts, and five swimming pools, one of which is exclusive to families, zipline, floating water park “Aqua Fun”, PADI dive center. Our resort’s private 54-berth marina allows for water sport, sailing, snorkeling and yacht charter options, as well as customized holiday packages and excursions.

Our exceptional beach resort in Musssanah has been the recipient of multiple awards from 2015 MENA Travel, 2017 & 2018 World Luxury Hotels, 2017 Luxury Travel Guide,  2018 Hotel Middle East Award, 2018 Arabian Travel Awards, 2018 Haute Grandeur Awards and TripAdvisor. With 308 spacious accommodations, a state-of-the-art Health & Fitness Club and Zayna Spa offering relaxation treatments from around the world, couples, families and business guests will be sure of a restful stay at our luxury resort in Oman. Kids and adults will love the onsite diving and sailing school, zip-line and aqua fun. Come stay, live and play in the lap of luxury. For those who wish to explore the local area, Rustaq & Nakhal Fort, the Harjar Mountains, Mussanah Fort, and Damaniyat Island are all nearby, as well as a local fish market (Millennium hotels: online)

Where is Al-Mussanah?


Map of Oman with Al Mussanah's location indicated

Living at the Millennium Beach resort


Millennium hotel scenery - Clockwise starting top right: 
Millennium hotel pool at dusk
The hotel marina
With one of the other 'guests'

Millennium hotel scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
Millennium Hotel gardens and palm trees at dusk
View of marina from our balcony
Wall art advertisement of the coming world beach handball tournament
Sunrise - taken from our hotel balcony
One of the sailboats in the marina

Millennium hotel scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
Dusk view of the marina from our hotel balcony
View of hotel beach area from our hotel balcony
Back main entrance of the main hotel at night
Dusk view hotel beach area from porch restaurant
Sunset view of beach area near pools

Millennium hotel scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
Apartment section of hotel & surrounding grounds
My brother posing on a speedboat  at the marina
One of our favorite desserts: Chocolate brownie with ice cream
Sailboat sailing around in the marina
Marina view & Bougainvillea flower. I was flying a kite that day.

My favorite pic I took at the Millennium - Sunset through the grass

Millennium hotel scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
The porch area restaurant overlooking the beach and marina area
The marina with boats and ships on anchor
Date palm tree grove on the hotel grounds
The pool area at dusk
The watchtower brightly lit at night

The view of marina and beach from our hotel balcony

Millennium hotel pool at dusk

Pool area during sunset

Pool - beach - sea

Entrance to hotel apartments from Marina

Millennium hotel scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
Sunset grass
Millennium Corniche at night
My mom came to visit - at the beach
My brother and I at the marina, about to take a speed boat ride
Sailing boats at the hotel marina

Date palms on the Millennium hotel grounds during sunset

Sailing boats at the hotel marina

One going out, one coming in.....

Breakfast at one of the Millennium restaurants

Millennium hotel corniche

Millennium hotel entrance at night

Millennium hotel gardens

Local trips we made by car near the Millenium hotel in the Al-Mussanah area


About Al-Mussanah


Al-Musannah or Al-Mussanah (Arabic: المصنعة‎) is a town in the Al Batinah Region of northern Oman. As of 2010 it had a population of 6,291.[Wikipedia]

What does the Lonely planet say about Al Mussanah?


"Mussanah is the home of Oman's navy, docked at Wudum naval base. Quite fittingly, then, the town has also earned itself a name as the destination of choice for nautical adventures. Indeed, the Millennium Resort that punctuates the flat shoreline of Mussanah, at the edge of the shrubby Batinah Plain, was initially established to accommodate athletes during the second Asian Beach Games of 2010, and that event left behind a legacy of sailing, kayaking, and swimming that has since been supplemented with a range of other water sports, including a water park".

Rural Oman scenery - Clockwise starting top right:
Fishing boats on the beach near the Millennium Beach Resort
Goats roaming among ruins - Rural Rustaq
Agricultural land - Al Mussanah 

Al Mussanah scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
The main road between Muscat and Sohar
The restaurant we frequented to buy BBQ totisserie chickens
Omani Fruit juice shop
Omani gate
Yes, there's even a Pizza Hut

Our little White Yaris, our mode of transportation

The little coffee shop we frequented to buy whole BBQ rotisserie chickens for 1.5 OMR

Al Mussanah scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
Painted ceiling of the entrance to the Makkah supermarket we bought groceries from
Fruit and veg section of Makkah supermarket
Bubbly, the KFC manager, whom I befriended
The waiter at the Turkish restaurant we bought fruit juice from
The rotisserie BBQ chicken we often ate 

A'Musannah scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
Omani locals walking on the beach late afternoon near the Millennium hotel
Local children curious about us
Omani women in traditional Omani relaxation attire
Fishing boats of the nearby fishing village

Omani fishing boat

Omani fisherman repairing nets

A' Mussanah - Omani agriculture 

Rural Oman scenery - Clockwise starting top left: 
Agricultural land in Al Mussanah
Rustaq fort walls
Doing shopping after work in a local fruit and veg store
Bangladeshi labourer working the fields, rural Rustaq
Rural shop fronts - Old Rustaq

Dates....almost ready

A'Musannah - Camel man. My favorite pic of Oman

A'Musannah - Camel man

Oman - Clockwise starting top left: 
Goats - Neighbouring fishing village
Sidewalk goods for sale - Ibri
Turkish dance performance - at a fort near Barka
Local deep grilled sweet delicacies - Al Suwayq
Window - rural Rustaq

Oman - Clockwise starting top left:
Road scenery - on the way to Sohar
The road between Rustaq and Al Musssanah
Telephone pole - The road between Rustaq and Al Musssanah
Farm fence near the Muladdah roundabout - Al Mussanah
Road signs as you enter Sohar

Baby camels taking a stroll

Taking a camel for a walk, Omani style

Oman scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
Camel man taking his camels for a walk - near Muladdah roundabout, Mussanah
Baby camels -  The road between Rustaq and Al Musssanah
Traffic on the road between Rustaq and Al Musssanah
Fuell options - petrol is very cheap in Oman, about 5 OMR to fill up your car
Road scenery between barka and Rustaq

Took many pics along the way

Al Mussanah & Rustaq scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
The road between Rustaq and Al Musssanah - as you near Rustaq
Rustaq scenery
Near the Muladdah roundabout
Higher precipitation in Rustaq area means for more grass than in other places
Mom and junior.....I think they are posing for the camera

Nature scenery near Rustaq

Many heavy vehicles on the road

Nature scenery as you near the Muladdah roundabout in Al Mussanah

Many of these....and many camels can be seen along the way

Camel exploration....baby camels going on a walkabout?

Mom and junior posing for the camera

Trips to Muscat


Where is Muscat?



Muscat's location

About Muscat


Muscat, Oman’s port capital, sits on the Gulf of Oman surrounded by mountains and desert. With a history dating back to antiquity, it mixes high-rises and upscale shopping malls with clifftop landmarks such as the 16th-century Portuguese forts, Al Jalali and Mirani, looming over Muscat Harbor.

What does Lone planet say about Muscat?


"Scenically wedged between mountains and ocean, with old forts and excellent museums, an opera house and flower-filled parks, the gentle city of Muscat is a delight to visit. Its name means ‘safe anchorage’, and the sea plays an important role in city life to this day, sustaining the fishing industry and providing opportunities for visitors to swim from sandy beaches or dive with turtles in nearby lagoons" (Lonely Planet).

Mutrah (Muscat) scenery - Clockwise starting top right:
At Mutrah corniche
Omani Dhows
Sultan Qaboos yacht on anchor

Mutrah (Muscat) scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
Ansu with my mom and brother who came to visit at Mutrah
Sultan Qaboos yacht on anchor at Mutrah
The South African embassy in Muscat, where I wrote my final exam
Omani Dhow - Mutrah
Ansu with a soft toy camel at Mutrah souq

Muscat scenery - Clockwise starting top left:
The interior of the Intercontinental hotel in Muscat where we ate cheesecake
Old vs new: Mutrah harbour
City Centre mall, Seeb, Muscat
Mutrah scenery
Mutrah souq articles on display

At Mutrah Corniche

Coffeeshops - Mutrah, Muscat

Mutrah, Muscat - a Luxury car parked next to the corniche with Sultan Qaboos yacht on anchor in the background

Mutrah (Muscat) scenery - Traditional Omani Dhows on anchor

Mutrah (Muscat) scenery - Old versus Modern: Omani dhow against the backdrop of, and dwarfed by a modern freighter

Mutrah (Muscat) scenery - Omani Dhow

Mutrah (Muscat) scenery - Omani Dhow

Mutrah Souq

Intercontinental hotel in Muscat which serves the best cheesecake in Oman

Millennium friends

Enjoying a speed boat ride with my brother, when he came over from the UAE to visit

Read also about my trips to the UAE here...

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