One stupid publicity stunt

I have been pissed off by many diffrent adds before but this really put me to the edge.

"The Week" weekly free paper has started a new post about all of the night events that are going on around town. Within these events was a pool (billiard) compatition that was supposibly going on today in Habana Cafe in The Grand Hayatt.

Since I am a big pool fan, I decided to go there and participate. So, the paper said it begins at 8pm. I arrived five minutes laite because I had to watch the simpsons movie at 6:30 (who the hell puts the simpsons movie at that time?!).

Any ways, I get there and I only find two tables and a couple of people in each table so, naturally I thought that I was a bit early. I set there for a few more minutes and then decided to ask the people playing on the tables about the competition. They had no clue about what I am talking about. I asked the people working there and they thought I was in the wrong place which I clearly wasn't.

So the paper says that there is a pool competition but there wasn't anything going on when I arrived there. What the hell does that tell you?! Is this some kind of a joke. Did the editor of the news paper decide to make things up?!

This is not just some kind of thing that you make up. You should consider the people that are going to be there and figure out that this was nothing but a load of crap.

And intop of all of this, the paper said that there will be a Jazz night in the John Barry Bar in the Grand Hayatt, so since I like jazz also, I decided to call and make sure that there actually is a Jazz Night. I asked the lady in the other end of the phone from that club about it, get this, SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT JAZZ MEANS!! If Thats not pure crap then I dont know what is.

I hope the quality of information improves for this paper. Many rely on it every week. I mean, if they could get somthing this big wrong, imagine all of the other smaller things that they could be getting wrong too.

What can you do in town?

A question asked very sarcastically by many of the residents here in Muscat. What can you do in town?! Or where can you go?!

It all comes down to taste. Some like the active day life. People with this liking are very fortunate because Oman in know for it's outstanding nature. Even though this is know, You may still have a hard time finding places to go to and what kind of activities to do. This is where a tour guid comes in handy.
Tour guides are not only made for the tourists that come visit Oman, even the residents could use them to find all of the verious activities. Just because you live in Oman doesn't mean you know everything about it (or we wouldn't have this blog then).

Just for your information, some of these activities include hiking, scuba diving, jet skiing, boat trips, mountain climibing and much more that I probebly didn't think of.
So remember, call your tour guide agency to find out more about these activities.

For a listing of Travel Agnents, Follow this link: Omaninfo, travil agents

But if you are a night owl, you might have a little bit of a problem. The night life in Oman is a little bit slow but I have to admit, it has been really seeing a rapid growth.
Night Clubs have been opening all over town and people are learning this new life style and loving it.
I remember when night clubs was a taboo topic. People who attended them were considered bad people (oh, the old days).

Now you can see all of the night events that are going on in town in the weekly free news papper (The Week), published every wednesday. Or visit their website to see the full papper online: The Week

So these were some of the things that could be done in town. I hope you enjoy and keep on discovering.

A day to celebrate

My country's national day has always been special to me, maybe a little bit more than anybody else. The reason to that is that my birthday happens to be at the very same day. This is good because, even if people forget that it's my birthday, I could always turn on the TV and tune in Oman Channel and find that the whole country is celebrating. I know that it's not for me but that's what our imaginations are for.

So anyways, The day is the 23rd of July, a very special day to the hearts of the omanis. Its a day when oman saw hope, when oman saw light in the end of the tunnel.

Before July 23rd, 1970, Oman lived a very backward life. There were only three schools in the whole country and a couple of hospitals. The life expectancy was very low due to the lack of healthcare. People hardly knew how to write and read. Only the lucky ones got a chance to learn and educate them selves. And due to all of these reasons, the Omanis decided to move to a place where they thought could give them a brighter future, Africa. They have never been more wrong!

Any ways, during all this, nobody knew that the Sultane had a son at that time. The Sultan's son was in Britain getting a proper education.
So one day out the blues, in 23rd of July that is, he just popped out of no where and declared him self the Sultane of Oman. And this is when the new era begun, the era of His Majisty The Sultane Qaboos bin Said.

The Sultane gave out a speech of promises and asking all the Omanis to come back from Tanzania and Kenya. He gave the Omanis a plan and a time line. He Showed what could be done in the coming years and what we, as Omanis, can do.

The Omanis heard him and believed him and most of them came back to their country. They have never been more right!

Oman was a diffrent place after that. Schools and hospitals were built and lives were fixed. The Omanis saw hope in His Majisty and so did His Majisty in the Omanis.

We built our nation with our own hands and we should be proud of it. We are proud of our Sultane and I am sure he is proud of us. I am an Omani and I wouldn't change that for the world. And I am glad that god brought me in this world in this glories day. May god keep the Sultane.

Sorry for the inconvenience...

I apologize for the lack of posts and pictures in the blog at this time. I can't give you a specific time till I start posting regularly but it won't be too long till it happens.

SQU - Sultane Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University is the realization of the promise announced by His. Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said during the 10th anniversary of Oman’s National Day in 1980. Construction started in 1982 and the first Sultan Qaboos University students were enrolled in 1986. In accordance with the Royal Directives of His Majesty, the University commenced with five colleges; namely Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, Education and Science. The College of Arts was opened in 1987,and a College of Commerce and Economics was opened in 1993.

The design and construction of the campus was carried out with great attention to the fulfillment of these objectives, with the overall appearance of the buildings carefully planned to accommodate the physical, intellectual, and spiritual needs of students, faculty and staff.

Set in a valley beneath the stark panorama of the nearby foothills of the Oman Mountains, the University is a tasteful array of buildings designed with arches and courtyards and constructed in white and pink sandstone in a manner that reflects traditional Omani and Islamic architecture. The University was constructed on an axis in the valley with one end aligned toward Mecca. This axis line starts at the gates of entrance to the University, runs through the Administration Building with its massive Omani doors, and extends uninterrupted through the middle of the academic buildings to the University Mosque at the western end of the campus. The Mosque, with its large dome and minarets, is situated on the higher ground of the campus, and is visible from many points within and around the University.

During the design period, the University landscaping was carefully considered and the original plantings have since become verdant gardens and flower beds. The plantings include species, native to Oman and other Gulf regions, that grow and flourish in an arid environment. The landscaping provides shade from the sun, shelter against the wind, and splendid display of colour from flowers and foliage throughout the year.

The traditional Islamic separation of the sexes is maintained in the architecture of the University. There is separate access to buildings through lower and upper walkways for men and women and separate seating in the classrooms.

Altogether, the campus portrays the rich heritage of Oman and Islam while incorporating all the efficiencies of modern life. The result is an educational and living environment which is both functional and attractive.