An English Ceremony

A little over two years after starting my MA degree programme in Intercultural Communication in Europe at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, I have finally graduated!

The ceremony took place on Tuesday, November 6th in Cambridge. The four of us - Adeline who came back from Oman with us, her mom Claudie who came over from Provence, CW and I - all took the train up in the morning. Around lunchtime we got decked out in our graduation robes and wandered around Kings College of Cambridge University for some pictures.

Graduates at last...

Adeline and I, soon to be Masters

Posing at King's College

Adeline with her mom, Claudie (don't worry Claudie, I cut out the shoes!)

The ceremony, which lasted about two hours, was quite a typical graduation ceremony. After a series of speeches we all lined up and took our turns crossing the stage, stopping only to shake hands with the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university.

We were honoured with the presence of a well-known biographer Hilary Spurling, who is famous for her biography of Matisse, and who received an Honourary Doctorate. Simon Schama, well-known author and historian was also present to receive an Honourary Doctorate. Both gave interesting short speeches. Simon Schama, specialist in Ruskin and Victorian culture and art, enlightened us with a few facts about John Ruskin, the university's namesake.

After the ceremony we caught up with our programme Director and Professor, Dr Anne Ife for a quick photo.

Though quick and almost surreal, it was a very special day. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this degree! I couldn't have done it without you all! And I am so fortunate to have been able to experience it with so many wonderful other students and professors who made the experience so much more enlightening!

And my most heartfelt thanks and appreciation beyond words to you, bo, for your patience, help, guidance, understanding, faith and unrelenting love, always.

Giving thanks!

On this day of Thanksgiving for we Americans, it is fitting that we write our last blog about our amazing trip to Oman, because we are truly thankful for everything Adeline and Thierry did for us. We used a fair few superlatives earlier and we can only echo those now and add on by shouting from the mountaintops how phenomenal it all was.

All the way to the end they were giving their time, driving skills and whole hearts to ensure that we got to see as much as was possible of the incredible country they are living in. Adeline took us to a couple of shops for last minute Omani shopping and then later Thierry took us to an outdoor Turkish restaurant for a last taste of fresh Middle Eastern cuisine; again showing their commitment to being impeccable hosts.

The parting at the airport was tearful and heartfelt for us all but I think it was blatantly apparent that we had all enjoyed the shared time together and would wait with eager anticipation for the next time we have the chance to share further adventures, regardless of what country they occur within.

A million times over thank you to you both, you are truly amazing people and we count ourselves extremely lucky to be friends with you both. This trip has been one of a lifetime and it wouldn’t have been possible without your unending organisation, driving, generosity, hospitality and unrestrained love.

We will have nothing but happy memories from our two weeks in Oman and look forward to the next time we are together, with the new member of your family! You will be wonderful parents, of that there can be no doubt because you have such giving hearts! We love and cherish you both and for what is certainly not the last time, THANK YOU!

Faces of Oman

Thought we would share some of the different characters we met during our two week journey through this amazing country...

Click on play below to watch the slideshow

Music: Desert Winds composed by H. Kaka
Photos: Cora Malinak

Sand, Stunts, Souq and Sizzle

While the rest of us slept until it was too hot and bright to sleep any longer, Cora was up extra early to catch a bit of the sunrise.

We had a leisurely breakfast, tidied up the campsite a bit and then went down to the water for a swim. We did a little ‘snorkelling’, really just putting the mask and tube on so that we could see a school of fish that was swimming close to shore and then Thierry and I embarked on a more serious game of aerobie than the previous day.

Serious is a relative term of course and really it was just a longer distance game, though one filled with atrocious throws and multiple trips either way up the beach or into the water in often futile attempts to catch the flying ring.

It was all a good laugh though, mainly for the girls sitting peacefully watching us.

We packed up and headed back to the flat before the morning was even over and cleaned up for the rest of the day. First up was an acrobatic air show by the French equivalent of the Blue Angels.

They were quite good and for 30 minutes filled the sky with red, white and blue plumes of smoke as the flipped, rolled and dodged one another.

It was the first time in years that we had seen one of these shows and it really is amazing how good those guys are. Seems the whole of Muscat came out to watch the show, so the beach was packed. It was nice to see such a mixture of people though from Omani families to Indians and expats.

For the duration of the time we were in Oman, most of the men seemed to wear white dishdashas. Towards the end, however, as storms hit the south of the country and beyond and the weather in Muscat approached more 'wintery' temperatures (low 30s, upper 20s C), many of the men started wearing their darker coloured dishdashas like that above. Some of the younger generation however, simply resort to the jeans and sweater combination like out of a Gap or Next catalogue.

We then made an attempt to leave the area, but that proved extremely difficult as everyone else had a similar plan and the combination of only two roads, Omani drivers and a heckuva lot of people/cars just proved too much for the traffic cops to handle.

We eventually managed to extricate ourselves from the traffic and made our way to their friend’s house for their daughter’s birthday party before heading to Muttrah souq for a little shopping/look around. It being a Friday night, the souq was quite busy and the smells of frankincense, sounds of sellers hawking their wares and enclosed feeling of the narrow lanes added to the overall experience.

We wandered throughout, making a few purchases and in general took in our surroundings. I think we all would have gladly spent hours wandering about there, but we had reservations for a farewell dinner of sorts back in Ruwi.

We didn’t go to the main drag like we had a couple of nights previously, but rather went to the top floor of a large hotel and walked into Tokyo! Well alright, it was merely a Japanese restaurant, but it was a very realistic looking replica of a Japanese interior, complete with Japanese waitresses. We came for the teppan yaki grill, where the chef cooks all your food right in front of you and it was a fantastic experience. So much wonderful food, including some sushi to start and fried ice cream to finish, which if you ever have the chance to try you must as it was truly an indulgent treat!

Our chef; an Indian, trained in Bahrain and cooking in Muscat; was excellent and we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Thank you again Adeline and Thierry for this last treat and 'farewell' dinner. It was really special...

To the sea...

After some of us slept in (Amelie, Cora and I), while others went to work (Adeline and Thierry), we set about packing half of the flat into the back of the Land Cruiser and headed for a beach about an hour outside of Muscat. The road snaked its way through the mountains before spitting us out into a village that was pretty much run by the goats. There were goats in the doorways, wandering in the road and one who had decided that the top of a car was an excellent vantage point.

From there it was a rocky track to the beach safely tucked below a small sand dune. We set up camp on the top of the dune overlooking the water with mountains behind.

Thierry and I then set off to forage for wood for our bonfire. Even though there were numerous trees, most were thoroughly covered in thorns and therefore ripping apart the dead pieces laying about the ground was less than enjoyable. In the end we did manage to find several large pieces that were thornless and returned like a pair of mammoth conquering hunters to the campsite.

The girls meanwhile had been playing a nice gentle game of boules...

Before the sunlight faded behind the mountains we had a quick dip and a game of aerobie and then went to prepare dinner. It was another fish bake, this one even better than the previous week’s, since Thierry filled the fish with a nice selection of ginger, onion, green onion and parsley. Suffice to say, no meat was left on the bones once the five of us were done with it. And this being only one of three and not even the largest one!

We then retired to the campfire to roast some marshmallows the good ole' american way and eat chocolate stuffed bananas heated over the fire, both of which were big hits with the French contingent.

Circle of Friends...

Feeling thoroughly stuffed and relaxed everyone retired to their various sleeping arrangments. Cora and I slept on camp beds under the stars covered by a mosquito net. It was a perfect temperature for sleeping and listening to the waves crashing on the beach provided a wonderful background noise to fall asleep to. Another perfect ending to a relaxing and fantastic day!

Muscat City Tour

We had the chance to stay closer to home this day and have Adeline as our tour guide instead of Thierry, who went back to work to get some well deserved rest! In the morning we went to the old section of Muscat and the Bait al Zubair museum.

Thanks Amelie for the picture! It was Halloween, so here Adeline is dressed accordingly as she was teaching that evening and wanted to bring in a bit of Halloween fun to her classes.

The collection includes many examples of traditional Omani dress and culture, i.e. the dishdashah, hijab, khanjar and a replica dhow. There are separate sections for male and female dress, items from the home and weapons. It was nice to go to towards the end of the visit after seeing many of these objects throughout the country, though I can see the benefit of going first thing when you arrive in Oman as well.

From there we went over the road to a small art gallery, which has many locally produced works exhibited in a classical Omani house, with a small courtyard in the middle and a nice rooftop terrace. From the roof you are able to see out across much of this old section of the city, including the Mirani and Jalali forts that protect the entrance to the harbour. We also drove over to the Sultan’s palace so that Amelie could see it, though I retain my view that the front of it is terribly ugly.

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing at home, writing some postcards and getting things ready for our impending camping trip.

CW and Thierry hard at work preparing the onions, ginger and herbs for the fish BBQ we were having on our beach camping expedition

In the evening we all went over to Ruwi, which is the Indian section of Muscat. We poked around in a couple of shops and then went for a very nice dinner in this small and extremely inexpensive café.

In fact, I am not sure I have ever had so much food for such a little price, absolutely incredible and the food was quite good as well. We walked around a little bit more and then retired for the evening.

Fins and Alleys

An early morning greeted us as we made our way through rush hour traffic to the beach and an hour long boat ride to the Daymaniat Islands just off the coast. I must say that the prospect of a few hours spent out on a boat and swimming amongst the nationally protected marine life was far better than whatever was going to greet all those other folks on the motorway.

The islands are really just a collection of rocky outcroppings that have numerous coves and sheltered white sandy beaches. These are the most popular snorkelling and diving site in Oman, partially because of their proximity to Muscat, but also because of the excellent sites to behold under the water.

We found a quiet cove perfect for getting our flippered feet under us. There were a myriad of colourful fish within the cove, just a few feet under the surface swimming amongst the jagged rocks.

Whilst we are all competent and confident swimmers, Thierry - qualified scuba diver - and Cora – half fish – certainly were the more efficient and adventurous members of our quartet. Thierry headed out of the cove and quickly discovered, and showed the rest of us, an enormous ray lying motionless on the sandy bottom and an eel swimming languidly amongst the rocks. Earlier, Cora and Amelie spotted a turtle and followed it for a little while, and we also saw a school of cuttlefish.

After maybe 45 minutes we returned to the boat and made our way to a different cove of another island and once more submerged ourselves into the warm, turquoise water. This time we stayed within the cove and were rewarded with the appearance of a Black Tipped Reef shark (don’t worry, it is only the White Tipped Reef sharks that are dangerous). Another 45 or so minutes spent floating over schools of fish and then watching a Morey eel ‘fish’ for food from its hole and we retired to the boat once more.

Thanks to Thierry's excellent ability to get down and close to this eel with his waterproof camera. For scale, what you can see of this eel is about the size of a shoebox.

We ended our time amongst the islands with a very relaxing period on a beautiful secluded beach enjoying the sunshine of a perfect early afternoon and a rather intriguing handstand contest!

Amelie, Thierry and CW enjoying the sunshine on the beach, which as it happens was another beach where turtles came to lay their eggs (hence the signpost warning you to leave them alone). There were definitely signs of their presence, large decoy holes, large tracks and even lots of mini tracks from the babies. Although the latter can get confused very easily with those of hermits who leave very similar marks in the sand.

The return trip was far bumpier than the outgoing visit, though this added a bit of adventure to what would otherwise be a rather boring boat ride.

Once back on terra firma, we embarked for our more terrestrial activity, bowling. Yes, they have proper American style ten pin bowling in Muscat and the four of us made our way, with much snipping and chatter, to the lanes for a few games of good-hearted fun. Unfortunately Adeline was working again so wasn't able to join us, which was a shame since the last time we went bowling was with Adeline and Thierry in Cambridge and we had a rematch to play!

So with Amelie as the replacement member of the 'French team', I would like to say that Team America(England) beat Team France handily and yes Cora beat me in the second game, much to her (and I am sure Dad’s) glee.

Forts, Clay and Old Villages

Another day, another fort. Today we ventured all the way to Jabrin; on the other side of the mountains. This was a nice mixture of the size and complex nature of Rustaq, with the furnishings of Nakhal, so we had a very enjoyable time exploring every nook and cranny.

The boys even had time for a quick pass or two.

Thankfully just as we were walking out the door, a large tour group of older Germans were being let off; and they would have certainly fouled up our peace and tranquillity whilst exploring this wonderful fort.

We then started backtracking to Muscat, stopping next in the town of Bahla. Here too is a fort; under renovation; and a souq; closed because it was midday. The real draw however is the handmade pottery which is made in small shops that are well hidden beyond the main town centre. Walking past the old kilns that dominate the threadbare yard, we made our way to the dark and dusty workshop. The man working the wheel was expertly moulding some sort of vessel, it was too early in the process to determine what it would ultimately become.

We then retired to the ‘salesroom’, which was just a low-slung, dirt-floored storage area with different finished water jugs and other paraphernalia laying about.

The water jugs are quite exquisite in their simplicity and after finding just the right samples, we watched as the potter expertly finished them off with a hand tied rope from which to hang them.

From Bahla we headed for the classically medieval village of Misfah. Set on a hill/cliffside over-looking the entrance to a gorge, Misfah is a mixture of still inhabited and partially destroyed village.

With snaking passageways heading ever downwards, you walk under, around and sometimes through structures all leading to the falaj and terraced plantations set below the village. We walked a ways past the green luscious plots and enjoyed the peaceful breeze wafting up from the canyon below.

The last stop of the day was the old village of Tanuf set at its entrance of Wadi Tanuf. We wandered briefly up the wadi, but discovering nothing of any true interest, returned to the ruins in time for the sunset.

The village was bombed by the British RAF at the bequest of the former sultan during the Jabel War of the mid-fifties, when the imams of the interior attempted to overthrow the sultan. Though the villagers were forced to vacate the village most of the structures still stand in some shape or form perched atop the hill, you get great views down onto the village below your feet and the surrounding mountains; perfect for a sunset.

Forts, Springs and Coffee

We began our day at the Grand Mosque so Amelie could see it and quite frankly the other three of us wanted to have more time taking in the main prayer hall (Adeline was working unfortunately so couldn't be with us). It was quite nice to slowly circumnavigate this expansive space, taking in all the intricate carvings and ornate decoration.

Note the people on the right of the picture to get a grasp of the scale of this grand space. Unfortunately the real grandeur and magnificence is lost in the image but hopefully it gives you an idea of how beatiful it is.

Standing in the mosque grounds close to the main hall, fully covered (except for the feet and face which isn't necessary) as per the requirements. You can see the Indian and Pakistanis working in the background. The majority of the workforce in Oman is made up of people from South Asia who work day and night.

Our main destination was Nakhal, home to a fort and hot springs that sits facing an open plain and backs upon the mountains.

Unlike Rustaq fort, which was bereft of any type of furnishings, Nakhal had several rooms well kitted out with an assortment of furniture, accessories and unique fixtures...

Introducing Amelie, Adeline's friend, who was a joy to be with and get to know - always smiling!

Anything look familiar Mom?

There were examples of the different bedrooms, sitting rooms and my favourite, the Wali’s meeting room. The wali was the local governor and lived within the fort and his sitting room was right at the top, catching all the morning breezes. It was nice enough to sit there for hours.

Note the pattern on the ceiling which was traditional in all of the old Omani forts. On the shelves around the room are various religious volumes, while the pegs we believe were meant to hold water jugs (like the one hanging towards the back of the room on the right).

As nice as the wali’s room was, we moved on for a lunch by the hot springs just in front of a small village where people were going about their daily business, herding goats, washing dishes and clothes etc.

These waters flow out of volcanic rocks and are heated in the process to a balmy 30 degrees C. Only men are allowed to bathe in them; another example of the latent societal structure here; so Thierry and I climbed in to enjoy the soothing waters. In one spot, you can actually climb into a hole in the rocks from which the waters flow up to the surface through and feel the water rushing past your feet and up to your head. It is almost like acting as a cork in a bottle of champagne.

Thierry knows a member of one of the local families, so after a couple of phone calls we were met by the younger step-brother for some refreshments at the family home. He was a little unsure about us all at first, but quickly warmed up and we enjoyed a nice afternoon snack of fresh fruit, halwa and Omani coffee. Halwa is an extremely popular local sweet made from water, sugar, animal fat and then adorned with almonds or dates for extra flavour. It is pretty good, though we certainly can’t eat as much as the Omanis!

Omani coffee is actually just normal Western style coffee that is infused with cardamom. It is quite pleasant and was easy to drink down the three small cups that are proffered. In order to be respectful, it is important to not refuse a refill until after your third cup, then you indicate your desire not to have any more with a simple lateral shaking of the cup. This was a nice chance to see modern Omani society up close, since it retained the traditional cultural and hospitality rituals, but in the shadow of a satellite television.

That evening all five of us went to dinner at a wonderful outdoor restaurant that caters to a large mix of expat and Omani clientele. Here you could enjoy pasta, pizza and pub grub whilst smoking a shisha pipe. We favoured the traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, grilled mixed meats with Omani bread, as well as a unique assortment of fruit drinks, to accompany our apple flavoured shisha.

Thierry is an old hand at this, so we let him get it started and then Cora, Amelie and I all had a try at it to varying degrees of success and enjoyment.

Actually the smoke is quite soft because it comes through water first and therefore it is not as harsh to either smoke or breathe in as cigarette or cigar smoke. Still it does make you a bit light-headed, especially without a lot of food in your system.

We had a perfect evening together, a perfect way to end another perfect day.