Essence for the East

by Bailey-Reníque Dawkins (United Kingdom (Great Britain))

Making a local connection Oman

I just boarded an Emirates plane with my aunt and uncle headed to Muscat, Oman and I have no idea what to expect - all I have is foreign notes and questions. Questions in my own head surrounding the extent to which the media exaggerated what was happening in the Middle East, a sentiment made worse by the fact that my mother, as cockney as she was, didn’t even know where Oman was. My aunt on the other hand was notorious for her mysteriousness, leaving me to contemplate what on earth was in store for me next. Note to self: the guy whose face is on the Omani Rial looks very warm – find out who he is! Travelling through the air, the dark sky was adorned with smoke-like clouds to the north, but as we began to head southeast through Iraq and closer to our destination, the morning sun began to rise triggering a kaleidoscope of red and orange lights to emerge in the horizon. We landed shortly after, and I will never forget the image of tall, chocolate-skinned security guards with what resembled a glimmer of sunshine in their complexions. I was amazed by the calm in the atmosphere where airports were usually pandemonium; the floors were rich with snow-white marble and the low hum of Arabic conversation in the airport filled every room with an exotic charisma. Looking for our tour guide, I finally locked eyes with a man that resembled nothing less than a giant, but the instant I approached him and he introduced himself as Nasser, his smile made me feel immediately at home, and it was at that moment that I knew that this was going to be my favourite place in the world Oman had so much history and culture attached to it, and the level of national pride was impressive from the street markets to the Mosques;. It was with Nasser I learned of Ibadi Islam and the Nizwa Forts and how the Portuguese had once colonised the land of Oman – we also toured a local museum and had dailyroad trips adorned with the familiar sent of Mcdonalds at lunch time as my aunt told me off for eating too many chicken nuggets (I guess some things are universal). As we arrived at the sea, I snapped away at the breath-taking views of topaz coloured waves crashing against a gigantic crevice that was shaped like Saturn, on the Canon that I loaned from my aunt for our holiday photography tradition. Approaching our hotel and spotting the largest Christmas tree I had seen in my life (red and accessorised with rainbow style baubles), I inwardly marvelled at how culturally inclusive people from such an alienated group of people can be and found a restored piece of faith in humanity. Nearing the end of my visit, there was a surprise awaiting me. It was Nasser’s family!. His daughter Rinad and I were close in age; we went off on an excursion to Victoria Secrets and assorted makeup shops, topping off our trip with Nandos and a crazy half-hour in the theme park inside the mall.. Throughout the next few days, I took trips to the Grand Mosque of Oman where lies the world’s second biggest chandelier and handmade carpets, and the Grand Palace in Muscat with its stunning canary yellow architecture, exchanging Arabic and English catchphrases. One evening, my mother’s friend Andrew, a US Foreign Service Officer in Oman, came to pick me up for a meal. There he told me how it was to negotiate with world leaders to serve US interests and how he is assigned cases to bring American’s captured by terror groups in the Middle East to the safety of their embassy in Muscat. As I sat in the back of Nasser’s SUV, homebound, I took one last glance at the palm trees and listened to the calming sound of the Adhan and opened a package left for me by Rinad. In it was Frankincense perfume which was my favourite scent in Oman. My Omani adventure will never leave my memory, and the friends I made won’t leave my heart. Something told me I’d be back soon.