They say synchronicity is God's way of staying anonymous. I do love that!
At the Al Amri wedding last Thursday, I met some lovely ladies. Wait, I have to set the scene first. Laila, one of the daughters had given me a beautiful traditional Omani outfit in cerise pink with white satin pants,with embroidered details with purple and red. As I entered the front gate, I had a warm reception of family members cheering and praising my outfit.
The outside of the houses of both the bride and the groom are decorated with colored lights, and the whole atmosphere is very festive.
On the wedding night, all the ladies of the neighbourhood gather at home, and all the men gather at the mosque. So the entire courtyard was laid out with carpets and ladies sat around in groups of 4 or 5. Ladies were continually coming and going, but I would say there was always 50 plus ladies there at any given time from 9 pm to 11.30 pm. The guests are offered fruits and dates and halwa with Omani coffee, and then huge trays of breyani rice with large chunks of tender goatmeat on top. As I walked in, I saw the gargantuan pots by the side of the house. I could take a comfortable bath in one of these pots, and as you know, I am not a petite girl, although I would really have liked to believe my mother-in-law's comment of years ago. I will love her forever for it, though.
I am always astounded at the logistics of feeding the masses at these ocassions, and once again it was amazing. I was called by Salma to sit with different little groups of ladies and I felt really comfortable as everone was really warm and friendly. Some of the women were wearing abayas, but mostly it is an extremely 'bling' affair. I have not seen so much glitter and sequins and bawbles and gold and silver dangles in one place in a long time. Mostly the traditional Omani outfits are beautiful in their own way, but there are also the girls wearing the western ballgown plastic kitsch which boggles the mind. I have however found myself being totally desensitised. One somehow becomes generally immune to the level of shiny kitsch stuff on sale, and it even starts looking attractive after a while. I still quote my good friend from Namibia, Virginia, on this. She says, 'If you live in the land of bling, you might as well do bling'.
It is also at these ocassion that I realise that really only a few of the young women speak a little English, but that the majority really know very little, almost nothing. I got chatting to a few of the women in my very basic Arabic, and one lady called Badrea asked me if I would teach her. This always happens to me, and nothing ever comes of it, but I gave my phone number in any case. I was pleasantly surprsied to receive a call on Saturday and speak to her daughter, Muneera, who says her mother really wants to learn and has a group of 6 ladies who would all like to come.
My dream when I open my own business is to concentrate on ladies, and I really had a little chuckle to myself; it is as if the universe just would like to give me a bit of a practice run first! and has sent me the clients. So I went out today and bought a small whiteboard which is also a flipchart stand, and my little ladies' beginner group will start at home in my majilis next Saturday after the Maghrib prayer at 7.30 pm. I feel really excited about it!
At the Al Amri wedding last Thursday, I met some lovely ladies. Wait, I have to set the scene first. Laila, one of the daughters had given me a beautiful traditional Omani outfit in cerise pink with white satin pants,with embroidered details with purple and red. As I entered the front gate, I had a warm reception of family members cheering and praising my outfit.
The outside of the houses of both the bride and the groom are decorated with colored lights, and the whole atmosphere is very festive.
On the wedding night, all the ladies of the neighbourhood gather at home, and all the men gather at the mosque. So the entire courtyard was laid out with carpets and ladies sat around in groups of 4 or 5. Ladies were continually coming and going, but I would say there was always 50 plus ladies there at any given time from 9 pm to 11.30 pm. The guests are offered fruits and dates and halwa with Omani coffee, and then huge trays of breyani rice with large chunks of tender goatmeat on top. As I walked in, I saw the gargantuan pots by the side of the house. I could take a comfortable bath in one of these pots, and as you know, I am not a petite girl, although I would really have liked to believe my mother-in-law's comment of years ago. I will love her forever for it, though.
I am always astounded at the logistics of feeding the masses at these ocassions, and once again it was amazing. I was called by Salma to sit with different little groups of ladies and I felt really comfortable as everone was really warm and friendly. Some of the women were wearing abayas, but mostly it is an extremely 'bling' affair. I have not seen so much glitter and sequins and bawbles and gold and silver dangles in one place in a long time. Mostly the traditional Omani outfits are beautiful in their own way, but there are also the girls wearing the western ballgown plastic kitsch which boggles the mind. I have however found myself being totally desensitised. One somehow becomes generally immune to the level of shiny kitsch stuff on sale, and it even starts looking attractive after a while. I still quote my good friend from Namibia, Virginia, on this. She says, 'If you live in the land of bling, you might as well do bling'.
It is also at these ocassion that I realise that really only a few of the young women speak a little English, but that the majority really know very little, almost nothing. I got chatting to a few of the women in my very basic Arabic, and one lady called Badrea asked me if I would teach her. This always happens to me, and nothing ever comes of it, but I gave my phone number in any case. I was pleasantly surprsied to receive a call on Saturday and speak to her daughter, Muneera, who says her mother really wants to learn and has a group of 6 ladies who would all like to come.
My dream when I open my own business is to concentrate on ladies, and I really had a little chuckle to myself; it is as if the universe just would like to give me a bit of a practice run first! and has sent me the clients. So I went out today and bought a small whiteboard which is also a flipchart stand, and my little ladies' beginner group will start at home in my majilis next Saturday after the Maghrib prayer at 7.30 pm. I feel really excited about it!
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