Tiwi!

  Such is the beauty of Tiwi! (There’s something about the name “Tiwi” I really love. Is it because it sounds so cute and reminds me of “kiwi”?!  )  This is part of the village of Tiwi as you approach the entrance of Wadi Shab.  This photo was taken by a church friend, Harmen.  Are those bullet holes, you think?  Tiwi looking towards the bridge.  People park their cars under this bridge and hike 45 mins-1 hour to experience the cool swimming pools of Wadi Shab.  Whether you are up for a long wadi hike with incredible mountain views or want to experience unspoiled white-sand beaches, Tiwi is definitely worth a weekend getaway!

White-Sand Beach of Oman

  On the Muscat-Sur Highway, between Quriyat and Sur, is the most popular white-sand beach in Oman.  It is just 5 kilometers past Fins.  The snorkelling here is said to be incredible due to its aquamarine waters.

The Incredible Beach at the Coastal Village of Finns/Fins

  Another small village on the Muscat Sur highway.  The beach along the coast is by far the most beautiful I’ve seen in Oman.  Just look at that water!  What color!  Harmen took this wonderful shot of a seagull floating on the water.  These were the only inhabitants of Fins that we encountered on our quick trip there (on the way to Wadi Shab).  Here is a video to give you an idea of just how awesome this beach is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUtTs8MoSLA   IF you do get the chance to come to Fins (the village), make sure to bring some fins (aka “flippers”) and your swimsuit as the water is out of this world!

Back to Bimmah Sinkhole

  An Omani family enjoying part of their weekend at the famous sinkhole  This Omani gentleman was really enjoying his visit at the sinkhole and more than happy to allow his photo to be taken.  The kids here are so cute! And yes, the family was totally okay with Harmen (a friend from church) taking their daughter’s photo.  As the tourbook “Oman Offroad” states, “daredevils sometimes jump in from up high, but at great risk (it’s a jump of almost 20 metres).”  Notice the guy in the top right corner thinking and thinking about diving in….and FINALLY…  SPLASH!  Notice the huge impact after he hit the water!  The splash was super loud and I was wondering if the guy was slightly hurt as we walked back to our car!  Here’s a short clip for your entertainment!

Beautiful Coast near Hwaiyat Najm Park

  This gorgeous coast is about 1 km from the famous Bimmah sinkhole on the Muscat-Sur highway.  The sinkhole is now known as Hwaiyat Najm Park and well worth a visit.  Sometimes even a short video can show SO much more than a series of pics, so here’s a very short video to give you a feel of what it’s like with the waves rolling in.

Quriyat Fort

  This fort is located in the middle of Quriyat which is about an hour from Muscat along the coastal Sur highway.  We only found it by getting lost on the way to the ocean side fort.  Little is posted or written about this fort as most people incorrectly tend to call the small fort on the ocean “Quriyat Fort”.   The fort has a store room, children(s) bedroom, kitchen and master bedroom.  Each room has old artifacts from what would have been in such rooms some 250 years ago.  A quick look at the childrens room  This picture of this piece of pottery is just a reminder that they obviously didn’t have refrigerators back then.  In order to cool beverages, they would place them in such pieces of pottery and hang them on the walls.  Looking down on the well from the roof of the fort  That’s my new friend, Harmen, from Holland, in the corner of the roof there.  Peekaboo! Displaying the rooftop door leading down to the groundfloor  The Indian “watchman” who collects the entrance fee for the fort (500 baisas) and tries to persuade tourists to sign the guestbook.  This last photo was taken by Harmen with his camera but it was so good I just had to steal it, ha!ha! 

Overall, it was quite an interesting visit to Quriyat Fort to get an idea of how Omanis lived about 250 years ago!

Dibab (also spelled “Dhabab”) Village

  Scene at Dibab village looking northwest up the coast.  Dibab/Dhabab is a tranquil stop along the Muscat-Sur road.  Looking southeast along the coast  Eastward to the sea  Looking westward to Dibab village itself.

The Fishing Village of Quriyat

  Some older men of Quriyat enjoying the shade  Even the sheep of Quriyat were doing what they could to escape the heat!     Quriyat goes far back into Omani history as a vital sea port.  It is well known for its stocks of kingfish and tuna.  A large number of its inhabitants still earn their livelihood from fishing.  This picturesque village also makes an excellent rest stop on the new Muscat-Sur highway.  A few vids for you to enjoy the essence of Quriyat: vid 1, vid 2.

Life’s a Beach in Oman!

  Indians fishing at a beach in Muscat using only fishing line and a hook.  Didn’t see them catch anything…There were also people catching crabs as Che and I collected shells while strolling along the shore.  My honey near a “Filipino looking hut” on the beach.  I’m not really sure what the purpose of those huts is besides providing good photo ops for foreigners!  How nice to live just a quick drive away from the beach!  Life is good!

A Painting that Caught My Eye in the Lobby of The Al Falaj Hotel

  “In the desert of life the wise travel by caravan, while the fool prefers to travel alone”. (Arab proverb)

The Doctor + The Teacher

   The Doctor and the Teacher is a first-person account by Dr. Donald and Eloise Bosch of what life was like in Oman during the 1950s and ‘60s, before the discovery of oil opened the country’s doors to incredible progress.  Having spent most of their working lives as a doctor and teacher in Oman, the Bosches are uniquely placed to share their experiences.

Inside front cover: This book of “memoirs” does not include our personal spiritual pilgrimage.  It does not encompass the faith journey in which we believe that God has led us, blessed us and protected us.  We have acknowledged the hand of the Great Physician and Teacher in the challenges life has presented to us.  And to those who have faithfully prayed for us and supported us, we extend our heartfelt appreciation.  (Dr Donald and Mrs Eloise Bosch)     We dedicate this book to those who laid a sound foundation-the pioneers of the American Mission. And to our colleagues of many nationalities with whom we walked and worked.  Dr. Donald Bosch and his wife, Eloise, at a Ruwi Church evening service of PCO (Protestant Church of Oman).  Don and Eloise are deeply appreciated and loved by the church in Oman and the people of Oman.  Sultan Qaboos has so appreciated their many years of service here that he has provided them with a lovely beach front home as they spend their golden years here in Oman.

From “Foreword”:  Dr Donald and Eloise Bosch have often been asked why they came to work in Oman.  Their answer is simple.  They are members of the Reformed Church in America, a mainline ecumenical Protestant denomination, which has a long history of providing services throughout the world.  It has a department designated “World Ministries” which seeks to place professionals where their skills are most needed.  Hence when they were ready to leave America, Oman needed them.  Except for the time spent relieving medical colleagues in Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain and occasional furloughs to America, they have lived and worked in Muscat.

“As a result of their seafaring skills, the country as a whole developed an open, friendly attitude toward foreigners.  Unlike some other Arab communities which remained desert-bound, the Omanis sailed to East Africa, India and even as far as China, bringing back tales of different societies and people.  Hence the wonderful stories, some perhaps slightly exaggerated, like that of Sinbad the Sailor.” (Chap. 1, pg 5)

 Interesting facts:

-The first medical person to start working permanently in Oman was a woman, an American nurse, Mrs James Cantine.

-In the 19^th century, slaves could receive freedom by clasping the flagpole in the courtyard of the British Consulate!

-All the employees of the Women’s Hospital in Muscat were women except for the guard and a maintenance man.

-Sometimes patients to the mission hospital paid with a goat, eggs, baskets of dates, chickens or even gazelles.

-Being the only school to admit girls, the Mission school was the first co-educational school in Oman.

-The road between Muscat and Muttrah was the only 3 miles of paved roads in all of Oman in the 1960s.

-Dr Bosch and Eloise arrived in Oman in 1955.  At that time, the population of Muscat was estimated to be 5,000-7,000 and that of Muttrah, about 10,000-12,000.  Don with some local Omani ladies showing off their silver.  (Their are some incredible photos and stories in this book!)

 I imagine how their faith must have been tested and tried as they sent all their stuff to Oman.  Eloise reports, “Unfortunately, some things were pilfered from our boxes.  Some of the clothes we had purchased for our children and some of Don’s medical certificates and diplomas were stolen.  Other personal effects which couldn’t be replaced were also missing.  But we were grateful that most of our necessities survived.” Attitude changes everything.

“As we arrived at the Mission compound, we were thrilled to see palm branches laced over the entrance and a big sign “Ahlan Wasahlan” (welcome), put up just for the Bosch family.  Many people rushed out to shake our hands and hug us.  We immediately felt that this was where we belonged.”

Dr Bosch – “Here I was, a complete stranger to him and yet he was willing to put his life in my hands.  The answer to such complete confidence lies in the reputation of our colleagues and predecessors, the members of the American Mission, who laid a foundation of goodwill and concern for others.  We soon discovered that Omanis don’t forget.  If you do them a good turn, they will remember it and one day return good for good. (pg 17)  I loved the story of the illiterate man who brought a letter to a scribe at the Mutrah Souq.  Because it was a personal letter, he didn’t want the scribe to hear the message, so he asked him to put ear plugs in his ears before reading so that he wouldn’t hear the contents of the letter!    Classic!

“Hardly any of the Omani staff had been formally educated beyond the sixth standard, yet with careful guidance and training they were able to assume responsibility for most of the work in the hospital.”

“We would encounter amusing situations when we spoke a grammatically correct sentence which the Omani national apparently would not understand, but when the interpreter spoke the the identical sentence, he understood immediately.  The most likely reason for this was that the Omanis did not expect an expatriate to speak Arabic.”  The Bosch family in November of 1962

“We had very serious and sometimes fatal problems with a local custom in which the women, or perhaps their mothers, would pack the birth canal with rock salt immediately after the delivery of a baby.  The ostensible purpose of doing this was to prevent infection and tighten the stretched birth canal.  But the end result was sometimes catastrophic because the salt was an irritant which scarred the cervix (lower end of the uterus), so much so that with a subsequent pregnancy the cervix would not dilate (open) and the baby couldn’t be delivered.” (pg. 20)

“Yet another interesting case was that of a young lad who was brought in with a huge gash in his abdomen, carrying all of his intestine in his loin cloth.  He had been fishing in his little boat when a sharp-nosed fish jumped from the water, stabbed him in the abdomen, and fell back into the water leaving the boy with an enormous abdominal gash through which his intestine naturally extruded.  Alone on the boat, he somehow managed to paddle himself to the shore and was immediately brought to the hospital.  In the operating room it was determined that the intestine itself had not been damaged, hence all that was required was to clean the abdomen, put the intestine back where it belonged and sew him up.  Ten days later, he walked out of the hospital and promptly returned to his little boat, figuring, I suppose, that no self-respecting fish would repeat such a dastardly act.”

“Interestingly enough, many of the Bedouin patients rejected an enclosed room in favour of a spot beneath a tree on the compound.  These folks had lived all their lives in fresh air and could not tolerate a closed room.  So we had to number the trees to mark the patient’s locality.  The patient’s chart would read: Under tree 1, Under tree 2, Under tree 3 and so on.”

There is an fascinating account in Chapter 4 of how slave traffic was a serious problem at the turn of the century between East Africa and the Gulf countries and how a series of events led to the Freed Slaves School in Muscat!  That should be enough to wet your appetite to go out and buy this excellent book!    Available at the “Family Bookshop” in Noor Plaza, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos (MSQ),  Al Khuwair.  If you attend church in Ruwi on Sunday evenings, you can even get this lovely couple to sign the book! 

Muttrah Dolphins

Parable of the Wicked Tenant Farmers with Explanation

  (2 banners from Ghala Church, PCO and the parable they brought to mind) 

PARABLE:  “There was a certain landowner which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and leased it out to tenant farmers, and went into a far country.  And when the time of the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers, that they might receive the fruits of it.  And the tenant farmers took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.  Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.  But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying “They will respect my son”.  But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance”.  And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?”  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will lease out his vineyard unto other tenant farmers, which shall pay back him the fruits in their seasons.  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the chief cornerstone: this is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?  Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.  And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they held him to be a prophet.” (Matthew 21:33-46)  Explanation of the Parable:  In the parable of the wicked tenant farmers, the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard is Israel, a symbol of the theocracy that was familiar to the Jewish leaders (Ps 80:8-16, Is. 5:1-7).  The tenant farmers were the priests and religious leaders, and the far country is heaven.  The anticipated fruit represents spiritual evidence of true conversion, which was to be the end result of the work of the tenant farmers.  The servants sent by the owner represent the Old Testament prophets who came to correct religious abuses in the nation and were also rejected by their contemporaries (though venerated by subsequent generations).  Last of all indicates that Jesus was God’s final emissary to Israel.  None has ever appeared since Him, and none ever will until the Jews recognize Christ as their final Prophet and Messiah.  The desire to kill the rightful heir of the Father had already been expressed by the Jewish leaders (John 11:47-53).  Jesus cleary foretells His coming rejection and death with the statement, “they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.”  “What will he do unto those husbandmen?” is the condemning question of the judicial parable.  Their reply again unwittingly condemns their own attitude of rejection of Jesus.  The other tenant farmers are the Gentiles.  Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22-23, relating His present rejection to His ultimate triumph (Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:6-7), where “the stone which the builders rejected” is also quoted in relation to Christ.  The Sanhedrinists represent the builders of Israel’s religion, who rejected the real cornerstone of God, Jesus, the true Cornerstone of the foundation of the church.  The warning “the kingdom of God shall be taken from you” was fulfilled at Pentecost when the kingdom was mediatorily transferred to the church.  Yet, within this warning of judgment, Jesus offers mercy to these falling “on this stone“, meaning, falling upon Him in repentance and faith.  But His falling upon man in judgment will “grind him to powder“.

Yet Another Use of The Palm-Tree Branch…

  The Romans rewarded Olympic winners and successful generals on their return from conquests with palm branches.  Palm branches were waved in the air and thrown in the path of Jesus during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  In Oman, Indian street cleaners have started a new trend of using palm branches to clean the streets.  (Hard to find a good broom with a LONG handle! I hear ya!)

Oman – An Artist’s Paradise!

  Here’s a lady I noticed painting a palm-tree scene here in Oman.  It made me wish that I had artistic abilities; the scenery can be so gorgeous here at times that I often wish I had the talent to put paint to canvas.  (But then that’s what my camera’s for, right?)   “Painting is poetry th’at is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”~Leonardo da Vinci  “The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”- Michelangelo  This friendly Omani lady not only okayed this photograph but was pleased to be photographed! 

By the way, if you are interested in taking oil painting/drawing classes and you live in Muscat, the Daat Art Centre in Qurum is open every afternoon (24568049).  Who knows, you could find your artwork in Bait Munza or The Bait Al Baranda Museum someday! 

WITH GOD…

  Nice banner at Ruwi Church!  Notice that this Bible verse doesn’t say that “All things are possible FOR GOD”. (Duh! of course!) It states that “All things are possible WITH GOD“.  The trick is to do your homework; read the Bible, assess your situation and realize if you are “with God” or not… Here’s an interesting look at related passages – http://www.topical-bible-studies.org/05-0007.htm  Keep up the great work, PCO church banner team!

Preparing for Halloween in Oman

  Well, it looks like they have the halloween costumes and trinkets up for sale at Carrefourre here in Muscat.  I wonder if Halloween stuff is mostly for the expats or if Omanis get into Halloween celebrations of some type.

Of course, as a Christian, I have strong ideas about Halloween especially seeing how it is related to death, the grave, evil and hell.  I don’t believe it is all “childs play” and I like Hank Hanegraaff’s attitude towards Halloween who wrote this:   http://www.equip.org/PDF/halloween.pdf

Here’s a “cute“ video involving 2 Halloween pumpkins for you all. (warning-it’s violent…) http://sendables.jibjab.com/sendables/12/pumpkin_massacre

Oman History Visited through a Few Photos

  A school boy in 1860 A.D. (painting in Bait Al Zubair Museum)  An old Omani classroom from 1971.  (Al Saidiyah)  Sultan Qaboos when he was a young boy  Sultan Qaboos and his father, Sultan Said Bin Taimur.  Very little is spoken in the sultanate about how Sultan Qaboos took power from his father on July 23, 1970.  Sultan Said Bin Taimur ruled Oman from 1932 to 1970.  After coming to power at the age of 22, he became more and more isolated, closing Oman’s borders and tried to shield his country from outside influences.  Apparently, there were many restrictions under his rule and this kept Oman in a dark period that has been compared to the middle ages.  It has been written that he became even more unpredictable after an assassination attempt in 1966 and he even forbad football, music and spectacles!  He even punished people who appeared in his dreams.  When Sultan Qaboos came to power, his father was exiled to London until his death in 1972 (the year I was born).  I often wonder if they kept in touch at all after the “coup d’etat”.  Here is a nice diagram showing the different years of rule of Oman’s leaders.  May there be many more for Sultan Qaboos!  Service in the Royal Palace, 1875 A.D.  Muscat in 1890 AD  Muscat in a Portuguese drawing which illustrates the wall surrounding the city of Muscat and the major buildings enclosed within it.  It is assumed that this drawing was made after 1622 AD as that is when the city walls were built.  The drawing also shows farms and wells outside the Muscat walls as well as the 2 gulfs of Kalbooh and Muttrah.  The 2 pictures above are of ancient doors displayed in Bait Al Zubair Museum.  These 2 doors are from the Bait Al Adam Museum.

I hope you enjoyed that short trip through a bit of Oman’s history.  Here’s a quote to leave you with from the Englishman, John Ovington, who was chaplain to King James II.  He visited Muscat in 1633 AD and wrote, “These Arabians are very courteous and extremely civil to all strangers; they offer neither violence or affront in any way; and tho’ they are very tenacious of their own principles, and admirers of their own religion, yet do they never impose it on any; nor are their morals evened with such furious zeal, as to divert them of humanity and a tender respect…In fine, these are a people naturally temperate and just, and endued with those excellent qualities which Grecian philosophers and Roman moralists endeavoured to inspire into their subjects, tho’ they missed their aim.”

Sing to the LORD all the Earth!

  This Ruwi Church banner comes from 1 Chronicles 16:23 (“Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; show forth from day to day His salvation.”) and Psalm 96:1 (“Sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.”)  Here’s a song to match this lovely banner – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8rY7dwwqYs  Good job, PCO banner creation team!

Oman Dive Center

      If you love snorkelling or scuba-diving, this is the place for you!  Located out of town between Bandar Beach and Al Bustan Palace and the Shangri-La, the area is gorgeous.  In fact, it’s one place that I frequently take people out to see due to the incredible views.  This a nice dive-site map found at the Dive Center giving you an idea of what the coast is like near Muscat.  Check out those cute Barasti (traditional Omani) style huts (35 available) situated on the beach at the Center.  Instead of getting a hotel somewhere else and making the trip everyday for diving, I strongly suggest those coming to Oman to rent a place here if you want to get a scuba-diving license.  Check out the informative Oman Dive Center website at www.omandivecenter.com .  They have info in English, German, Italian and French! (as well as other languages)  They have a restaurant (named “Odyssey”) at the center and a bar (open noon-11:30pm) which is known as the best beach bar in Muscat.  One thing to warn you about if you come out simply to hang out at the Center: they charge you for parking unless you are there for only 20 minutes or less.  Just look at the color of that water!!!  Be sure to check out their website and consider the scuba-diving courses if you’re working/living here in Oman.