By Kabeer Yousuf — MUSCAT: Jan. 21 - The intermittent rain on Friday had no impact on the people who had gathered at Naseem Park. Rather, they enjoyed the rain, with some families huddling themselves at restaurants built for the fest and sipping hot tea. For Anam, a Pakistani national, her husband Mohammed Shafeeque and mother Raheela, the “rain reminds us of our home”. Children had a great time enjoying rides at the kids’ entertainment centre from 4 pm to 11 pm. “It’s just the third day and we are seeing families in large numbers on all rides,” said Mohammed Zidan, an employee of Seabreeze Entertainments, which is running the rides.
Thamva Musthaheel Naseeb, mother of four from Dhofar Governorate, was showcasing some of her best frankincense perfumes. “I have almost all the varieties of luban frankincense available in the country. Besides, bukhoor from Humriyat, Dhofari clothes and other perfumes are drawing a lot of visitors from all nationalities,” Thamva told the Observer. Not far from the main entrance is the International Village, where the culture and tradition of more than a dozen countries, along with that of Oman, are on show.
The section showcasing the centuries-old artefacts, and clay, bamboo and bronze household items was a crowd-puller. Mansoor Hasan al Ojaili was seen explaining details of each item. “This is my first time at the festival and the response has been very encouraging.” The sweets corner, manned by vendors from Egypt, is an area worth exploring. An assortment of Balah Sham, Kunafa Nablusiya, Basbussa, Baklawa are sure to tickle your taste buds here.
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