Oman vlog #2

YAYY after hours of toil to try and get Youtube to work, it finally did!

Rant and Ramble

So we’re actually going to be in Oman for almost all of Ramadan..we’re leaving te day before it ends, which is quite annoying, because apparently on the last day they have mega-big festivities…

This year Ramadan is from the 18^th of July until the 18^th of August..and I love food. I don’t know how well I’ll be able to deal with this..meet cranky food-deprived Ariel, Oman!
Naw it’ll be an eye opening experience, and to tell the truth, I’ve always wanted to go during Ramadan. Iftar is the breaking of the fast, which I assume means..LOTS AND LOTS OF FOOD!!! I was talking to my aunt, who just came back from Oman because she was working at the university there, and she said the food is delicious…so I’m definitely looking forward to that

Muscat, Oman, is a city of trade. They have a population of approximately 730,000 people. Oman has universal suffrage for those over the age of 21, which is a very unique thing for most Arab states.  Women can also hold a position in a government office, which is a first. Three women were recently elected into the Omani government. The sultan, Qaboos bin Said al Said, keeps Oman as a neutral country and upholds good relations with different countries including Iran, America and Britain.

I got an email yesterday, and our conference call with all the participants will be in late May…I'm really excited :P

Program dates change..?!!!

So apparently the program is now from the 3rd of July until the 17th of August...WOOT WOOT. Im going to be back 3 days before school starts....exciting :)
Yea that's it.
OH and the conference call will be held in May, so I'll get to talk to all the other participants!
(I'msoexcitedcan'tyoutell!!!!!!?)

Pre-Oman excitement 1

 

Decided to start video-logging...for now. We'll see how this goes. 

Im awkward...what can I do?

Heres the website, NSLI-Y, everyone who can should apply, it's an amazing program :P

Anywho, I apologize for my rambley and rantness.

Omani dress and culture

So I was researching Omani culture and dress, so I could be prepared. And here is what I found:

Do not wear shorts or sleeveless blouses in public unless you are at the beach. Even there, do not wear two-piece bathing suits. The only exception to this is at a five-star resort on its private beach -- if it has one. Don't wear excessive amounts of make-up, and be relatively circumspect in your approach to local men. Steady eye-contact and broad smiles are highly unwise and may lead to unpleasant encounters-Oman adive to tourists

So this was kind of what I had expected.  I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to wear a headscarf, or if would be considered an excess. I've looked in a bunch of different sources, and some say to wear a lihaf(headscarf type thing) or a shayla. From the different blogs I've read, older women wear burkas. I'm not entirely sure what would be considered respectful to wear, but I hope I'll find out soon enough (:

Also, I found a source saying that you can be arrested for drinking water in public during Ramadan (the month of August)...time to start training to not drink much water!

Overall, I am so so so excited for this :)))

I've been waiting three years for this piece of paper. I can't even begin to express how excited and happy I am to have received this scholarship...Still cannot believe I am going!!!

سلطنة عُمانOman

So where exactly is Muscat, Oman? It's right ^ there. Yup. On the boot. Oman is the country that is ruled by Qaboos bin Said al Said. Oman has a very good educational and health care system, apparently. It's the calmest of the Arabic regions right now, thankfully. And where I'm going, Muscat, is far away from Yemen...but so close to Iran..something I am slightly worried about, but I know once I get there, I wont be. Im just SO EXCITED. I never imagined that I would be going to Oman...I always thought I would be going to Egypt or Turkey, but in all honesty, Im very happy that they placed me in Oman. Its the first time that NSLI-Y is sending kids to Oman, so we're kinda like the guinea pigs :) Im ecstatic. 

Still in a state of shock...cannot believe this is happening. 

OHMYGOTH.
IM GOING TO OMAN

granted, its not Turkey, BUT STILL
I cant believe I actually got accepted.....akjdfalsdfka
Thank you NSLI-Y <3