2023, the year of Norma and Nina

So, here we are again, and this New Year, I’m going to focus on some of the ‘good stuff,’ instead of my traditional ‘ragging,’ because we need so much more of that. I think we are still in recovery mode from the pandemic, and a virtual hug probably better reflects our needs, right now, than cheap laughs.

The new ‘Oman Across Ages Museum’ is, I believe, metaphoric of a progressive Oman, a phoenix rising from the plains towards the future. An epitome of past glories maybe, but already iconic. This perpetuation of history, civilization, the Aflaj, its maritime and trade, the Ya’arubas, and Busaidis, the embrace of Islam, the Renaissance, and much more, traces a journey from the Omantherium, to the stars.

My good mate, Bernie Mackle, drove past the site frequently during construction, and must surely be impressed by what has been architecturally described as a ‘contemporary masterpiece, while Andrew Hall, who worked on the project for several years, will be delighted with the completed article. It really is impressive.

Nearby in Firq, Vishal Srivastava lives close to his workplace. We talked cricket, watched old music videos, and had some laughs, but he had to return to India urgently. He is such a cool guy though, as Lena and I use his house and car keys, telling us to ‘make ourselves at home!’ What a good friend. Another expatriate buddy is Sandeep Jaitly, manager of the Golden Tulip Nizwa, a godsend for many of us in Dakhilyah with its pool, sauna, and gym. What I like most though, is Sandeep’s focus on team building among his employees, ensuring that every traveler or guest is met by genuinely happy and obliging staff.

Ali Al Riyami, from nearby Izki, never ceases to be helpful to us, and apart from showing us ‘what’s new’ he was ultra-helpful in assisting with the recovery of our lost luggage, which was mislaid en route to Muscat. We taught Ali to fish down in Sharqiyah, so as the old tale goes... he can now feed his family every day! We stayed at Al Asala Resort, near Ras Al Ruwais. There’s not much there, but to chill out, and recharge your batteries, if beach walks and the seaside are your ‘thing,’ Hussein Al Masroori and his team of Ali, Roxy, and Hannah, alongside Binod and Mustafa in the kitchen, offer luxury for less, and quiet.

The leisure destination of As Sifah is thriving, and among the residents, Franz Kohler and wife Andrea report that their new ‘kick bikes’ become very popular in their Muscat bike shop near the Muscat Grand Mall, while Sifah domiciled entrepreneur and businessman David Mallinson appears to have established significant new overseas investment in the mining sector.

Elsewhere, we’ve managed to catch up at the University of Nizwa with Omani Foundation Institute administrators Ahmed Al Rahbi, Khalid Al Riyami, and Iman Al Hajri. While we also met Jaroslaw and Joanna Didowicz, in the Department of Foreign Languages, and several other former colleagues. It is a shame that the ‘new’ campus is not open yet, and I guess the pandemic is to blame? A greater concern in the wider education sphere is that authenticity may be a casualty of the need to provide instant employment for Omani graduates, as language departments without native speakers cannot provide authentic, quality, learning experiences, no matter how hard everyone tries.

On a similarly sobering note, during ‘23, our daughter Sasha’s mother-in-law, Norma, was hit by a bus, literally, and extensively injured. Sustained by the care and support of her husband Les, Norma now walks unaided, which is a phenomenal achievement. What was a tragedy, yet could have had far greater consequences, has been mitigated by love, resilience, and strong faith. An unbeatable combination.

That aside, 2023 has been a year of joy for us, as Sasha and Chris’s daughter, our granddaughter, Nina has found her feet, is finding her voice, and is allowing Lena and I to be Grandma and Grandad, and we are loving it! So, bring on ’24.