HEARTC♡RE

In Oman, there is no set dress code for what a woman should wear. But, it is an Islamic country after all, so there are certain expectations for what can and cannot be worn. Expat women can wear what they'd like, but you are expected to dress modestly. I am thinking, no shorts above the knees and sleeves to at least the elbow, but I am not very good with following that myself. So perhaps that's not true. I have seen expats wearing short shorts and skirts and shirts baring their midriff at the grocery store or shopping malls. So it's not like you can't wear it, but I'm not sure why you would. Especially when you can attract unwanted attention (from all perspectives).
If your house is the farthest one from the beach in all of Muscat, it is still probably only a 15 minute drive for you. There are also some expectations of what to wear at the beach. A typical bikini or exposed bathing suit should probably not be your first choice, but if it is and there is police nearby, you should not be surprised if they request for you to cover up. I have read that many expat women will attend private beaches or hold memberships to private facilities that offer pools so that they can wear what they'd like. I'd just say, better to be safe than sorry when it comes to choosing your clothes. It is a bit difficult because of the heat and if you are used to something else, but you get accustomed quickly and learn to appreciate it.

For Omani and other Muslim women, I have seen many different kinds of Islamic wear; just the hijab, niqab, I think a Burqa a few times, but the most popular must be the abaya.

So what is an abaya? An abaya is a form of dress that can be worn by Muslim women. It is a floor length, long sleeved, cloak so to speak. It is meant to be worn over everyday street clothes, when a woman is out and about. It is not considered traditional Omani dress, but a popular option especially in the GCC region. I believe they are traditionally black, but there are a wide range of options in colors, embroideries, and styles. The abaya can be paired up with a hijab, a loose headscarf, or worn without anything, and even opened from the front. The prices can vary greatly, reaching thousands of dollars for the most luxurious abayas. Reportedly, the most expensive one in the world is a whopping 17 million dollars. You can design your own abaya and have it tailored or buy it from the shop pret a porter. I've included some pictures below that will hopefully get you an idea of the variety. Click for sources.










Last night, Host mom, N, and I were in the car on our way to a delivery. I'm wearing a maxi dress, so I crossed my legs and pulled underneath me to straighten the cloth. And I feel a hole, a huge hole, running from the top to halfway down the bottom, and I freak out. How the hell did this happen? After the delivery we were supposed to go to dinner down the street. We decided to go to dinner anyways and see how we would resolve it. One option was to tie my cardigan against my waist. The second option, which we opted for was to call host dad (HD) who was in a shop around the corner and borrow his turban to wrap around my waist.

We arrived at our dinner spot, in a shopping plaza, and met HD there. He took N, while me and HM went to a nearby woman's shop to see if we could find a sort of abaya, to cover up with. We went to the first shop, but they were pricey and not worth it. I told my HM that I was interested in investing in an abaya, so I would pay the price and get a nice one. We went into another shop, belonging to an Omani designer, Kooki & Zee. Right away we found something that caught our eyes and we all agreed it was it. It was gifted to me by them and I was so happy with it!! So below are pictures of my new abaya.

I remember hopping off the plane, actually, walking out of the plane onto stairs and onto a bus, two months ago. I remember accepting defeat after my luggage fiasco, and walking through the last leg of security with only my backpack, a sweater, and a purse. I remember the "where are your bags?" and "where are you from?" I remember walking through the departure doors and directly into a crowd of what felt like a 1,000 people. Like I was walking the red carpet. ;) I remember waving to my host mom, who was to the far left of the crowd, pushing N in his red stroller, almost an hour after my arrival (courtesy of Etihad). I remember giving N a shy "hello". And meeting my host dad then after, and having a chat about what could have possibly happened to me because of my lateness. I remember choosing my phone number. And how back at T-Mobile my foreign customers would ask me if they could choose their numbers and I would say "?? you can't do that". Well yes, you can choose your phone number in other parts of the world. I remember walking out of the airport into the heat, only to be called by someone behind me, to let me know that I'd left my passport at the mobile phone store counter #confession. I made quite the initial entrance.

Now I'm two months in, including my two weeks out, where I had a few more plane-to-staircase-to-bus experiences (I am trying to rack my brain to see if I have done that elsewhere). But, that's beside the point. Now I am on a time crunch to make a (life changing?) decision. My original agreement was to stay here until January. Now I have the option to extend, technically to as long as I want :P JK, but realistically, until summer of 2016. Coming to Muscat, was a no brainer, and I was very set and confident in my decision. This time around, I don't have a plan and I am not leaning towards one decision or the other. Well I think I am, but I don't have anything to support me in the decision. Like I said, I am on a time crunch. What do I do? I don't want to miss out, but I also don't want to jump the gun. I am very conflicted, but on second thought am I? Because if I had the proper resources, I think I'd know what my decision would be. Maybe there is a reason I don't have the resources or maybe I just don't because #ItBeLikeThatSometimes. #WhyAmIUsingHashtags #BecauseItAddsToIt, #AmIRightOrNah.

Anyways, I am wearing a scarf (which I overpaid for in the Yemeni Pavilion at the Expo, but so worth it) as if trying to invoke Atlanta autumn temperatures in this 100 degree desert. I probably wouldn't mind the weather if I was thin and could wear little clothing, but I am not and I love to layer, so be it. This scarf is so soft by the way and it's like the perfect colors.

I want to post pictures, but I don't have any. So I am beginning and ending a new art project called:

It must be fate that I lose an (entire) toenail every few years in a foreign country. In 2011, I went to Nicaragua for a mission trip to help in building more infrastructure in a small community. We had a day off and went to the beach. We had some lunch and hopped into the water. That day the waves were out of control. So at one point, the waves come in so hard that it takes us (friends and myself) tumbling under the waves for probably only a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. I remembering thinking, I'm either going to drown or get pulled into the ocean. After it settled and we all popped out, some were out of breath, another's top hand come off, and myself, well i hit a rock and lost a toenail. Wiped it off clean.

Thoughts: I was trying to think of a cool post for my 21st birthday. I wanted to do 21 things, a list of some sort. But I can't think of anything. Perhaps 21 things I am happy to have accomplished. This would be in light of a small quarter life crisis I had yesterday. It was probably a mix of too much caffeine and lack of sleep, but it definitely had an element of pre birthday blues. I feel much better today and I (surprisingly) do feel older. Not that I somehow matured overnight, but in retrospect and bringing a year's worth of growth into consideration. To be honest I can't think of 21 possible noteworthy accomplishments. For inspiration, I am listening to someone's mediocre 21st Birthday playlist, but it's not working.