Time spent alone

Muscat, Oman

Time Spent Alone

Stewart went to Jordan to work for a few days and I had many days to myself. So what was I to do? With the days in the 100’s, I’ve learned that being outdoors is not so good, so I’ve been going out later in the day.

Late in the day photos was a goal of mine in Mutrah which is the old Muscat, and where the suq is and “his majestie’s” palace is. I’m now sharing a few photo’s I took that late afternoon.

Muscat is full of round-abouts and decorative vignettes throughout the city. The landscaping is magnificent and is cared for the men from India. Half the population here are Xpats. Mainly from India. They are the workers here. I have been watching them work all over the city and have figured out the landscaping is done in groups of men. Around 10 to a group. They are given a 1 to 2 mile stretch that they care for. Which covers I’m estimating 15 miles. There is irrigation where the ocean water goes through a filtering system to remove the salt, but it is not portable.

When I first arrived in December there where petunia’s planted everywhere and well cared for. The abundance of color was magnificent. I cannot explain why I did not take photos of them. A few weeks ago all the petunia’s were pulled out, all 15 miles of them. Now Zinnia’s have taken their place….Already blooming.

[ PHOTO_ID_BLOCK=more-petunias.jpg]

Another evening I went to the beach with a focus on activities at sunset. It’s not hard to find a soccer game happening and I found a place to sit and started shooting these men playing.

Something else I’ve been doing the past 4 weeks is taking oil painting classes from this wonderful man Nadel, from Jordan. I had started drawing shortly after arriving in Muscat. I had started drawing shortly after arriving in Muscat. I had never drawn before but felt the need to be doing something with my hands. I had taken a few photo’s I thought would be fun to draw but I had no idea on how to start. I googled “how to draw an apple” and then tried to draw an apple…WELL I was surprised to see I could draw. It looked like an apple. So I took a photo and sat down and started drawing. After a few weeks I decided there is much for me to learn and I wanted to take painting classes when I get back to Maine.

Then I met Nedal and learned he is an artist. I showed him my drawings and explained I was just beginning to draw and that I will take painting classes when I go to Maine. He said excitedly, “I will teach you!” Well, I have nothing to do here so I took him up on it. The next day we went and I bought supplies and have been painting. I showed Nedal a photo from the Daymanyiat Island and he said, “you will paint this”. And we started…. then I showed him another photo I took at sunset on the beach, and once again he said, “you will paint this”. So I did. I am coming home with 2 oil paintings that I actually did. I had no idea I could do such things. Very exciting for me. I feel as though someone has given me a new toy.

The other thing I did here in Oman was to design an Omani dress. Which then gave me the opportunity to go to fabric stores and trim shops. Shira designs and makes fabrics so this is something we did for weeks and weeks. Here in Oman, there are many fabric stores. I’m going to say hundreds in Muscat alone. And there are many, many tailors. I’m going to say hundred at least.

I should describe the area I found Imran, my tailor. Many of the restaurants we’d go to were in an area called Al Kuwier tin the middle of Muscat. Manly Indians live here. There are very small streets and alley ways with stores and shops of all sorts down every small little road. We had found this wonderful Egyptian Bakery and would go there to buy the most wonderful crisp bread sticks with sesame seeds on top. They got to know us quit well. There are also many fabric and trim shops and the photo shop I’d go to. The area is not clean, intact it’s quit stinky, but I seemed to be going that direction. I was alone one evening picking up some bread sticks, walking through the crowds of Indian men all staring at me. I never felt threatened. In one cubical area I saw this tailor at the window sewing so I went inside. He could speak english and we visited for a short time. This is how Imran became our tailor. He is very religious and a peaceful man. So overtime we’d have to go to see Imran we would walk through these dirty alley ways and past all these men holding hands and touching one another. I’ve been told, they are not gay this is how the men are in India…I have a hard time believing this.

My goal was to design something that I would wear in the US. This meant it would not be lots of glitter and crystals. I wanted it less sparkly even tho I love sparkles. I also had to find a tailor. Which was not hard to do. He ended up making Shira two tops and a lovely jacket. He made Stewart three shirts and David, a shirt and pants. I had been talking with him for months about my dress and he said, “you draw it I’ll make it.” I did draw it out, then he did my measurements and told me how much fabric and trim I’d need. After a number of fittings and lots of designing on how to lay out the trim the Omani dress and pants are completed. Now, I did want to add a little glitz so I went and bought 400 pink crystals and have now glued them onto the dress and pants. It’s now complete.

I was to pick up Stewart at airport after midnight and would be driving by the Grand Mosque. I made a point to leave early and spent an hour or so at the mosque around the grounds. It was an an unusual feeling to be out late alone in the city, walking around one of the grandest places here. There’s a connection within my spirit when I am near a mosque. Not in a rush that evening was so nice, I sat and absorbed the view and inhaled the energy of the full moon and the mosque.