Oman

Some really different but interesting things about Oman and its people. As ive mentioned previously in my last post, i had the pleasure of hanging out with some of them recently and the blabber mouth that i am, couldnt resist but having a long conversation with them about their country and people. Im jes going to mention everything as they come to mind so excuse my writing :p

It seems its casual for them to wear "dishdasha"(that robe one we see arabs wearing so often) in their daily lives. Just like we see wearing tucked in shirt, trousers with tie as an official outfit to go for offices and the same without the tie to go to school, they wear the white dishdasha for school and work. even if they're going to ceremonies as well. usually the difference would be just the colour. this shocked me as the only time ive seen them wear it here is when they go to friday prayers....but then again winter jes passed. so it was a bit hard to actually picture them wearing dishdasha almost all the time back at home.

it seems this life we know about having gfs/bfs is a big noooo to them. but they dont go "its haram in islam" or any of that sort. they jes dont see it as an appealing way so as to speak. maybe theyve gotten too used to it being that way for generations that it seems odd to even hang out with one of the opposite sex even as friends. seems if u come across a girl you like, you'd go and tell ur parents about her and they'd contact her parents and see their background. then they'd meet you two up and she gets to decide if she wants to take it further. but even then you dont get to meet her and stuff. you can call her and talk but you cant take her out on dates or anything. and guys dont even hang out with girls even as friends. if people were to see you with a girl, it would be an embarrasing thing to you, something which could ruin yours and your parents reputation. so they jes dont do it.

But ofcourse there would be ppl who'd go out of their ways and sometimes the police would catch a couple together behind a bush or so *whistle*. but what they do is, ask the girl if the guy is with her doing whatever he is with or without her consent. i guess politely asking if ur being raped.heheh. and even if they were having sex, the worst that could happen is being kept at the police station and ur parents being called up. they'd also try to lecture both of them on it and would try to get them to get married soon. Because what they believe is that its not the job of the police to go around finding adulterers and dealing with them.

One crime that is treated harshly is drug trafficking. a crime punishable by death. only to those who are involved with the selling of the drugs and not the victims. the victims are sent to rehabilitation centres. seems the convicted seller has his face covered and knelt down infront of 7 shooters. but there will only be a single bullet and even the shooters wont know whose gun has the bullet even after firing. A tactic used so that the executioner wont be known. not to mention helping in overcoming any guilt the shooters might have allowing them to tell themselves that they might not have been the actual executioner.

One of them was telling me recently how the weddings are with them. As we assumed its a wedding where men and women are separated. it seems usually the weddings are held at two houses. the house of the groom and bride where all the guys will be going to the groom's house and all the ladies to the brides house. So if i was married i would be first going to the bride's house, drop my wife there and then go over to the groom's house. and after finishing id pick my wife up. And once the whole party is over, the groom would go and pick up his newly wedded wife and the couple would go to the house they'd be residing in to get laid *whistle*. And there are weddings where halls or such are rented like we do in the Maldives. even then the ladies usually go inside and all the gents stay in the garden or so to speak. and when the majority of the guests leave, the two families and relatives eat together and then take pictures.

This has already been too long.....as always.hehe

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