Seven Things I Love About Oman!

First of all, Eid Mubarak for those celebrating Eid today!
The activity at my house has quieted down a little for a while so I thought I would put up a brief blog post.  More about what happens during the Eid holidays will be up after Eid.

For now, seven things I love about Oman!:

1. The weather.  It is ridiculously hot here, two weeks ago the temperature reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit.  As a Wisconsin native, I was slightly worried about how I would tolerate the extreme heat.  However, I love it! I wish the weather could be like this in the US all year round.  Everyone else in the group thinks I'm crazy because I love the weather, but not being cold all the time feels really nice.  Dealing with the cold this winter is going to be especially hard though.
2. The stores known in America as "supermarkets" are called "hypermarkets" in Oman.  There are other translations that make me laugh but hypermarket is my favorite.      
3. Mangos, juices, and fresh fruits.  I cannot get over the amount of fresh fruit available here and how good it is!  I have fallen in love with mangos and mango juice, two things that really aren't available in Wisconsin...
4. The people.  Before I came to Oman I did some research on the country.  There were a lot of mentions of how nice and friendly the people are here.  I didn't really believe that until I got here.  The kindness shown to me transcended my expectations.  Even though I am an American, I am treated with kindness and respect and considered to be one of the family.  The people here are very caring and I am very thankful for that. 
5. The importance of family.  Oman, like most Middle Eastern countries, is very family orientated.  Family is everything in Oman.  Many evenings are spent at the homes of relatives and there is a great amount of respect within the family for the elder members.  The importance of family is also prevalent in the structure of the language.  In English, I can just say that someone is my "cousin".  But in Arabic, I have to specify more who that person is, whether he is the "son of my paternal uncle" or the "daughter of my mom's sister".  I really like how the Arabic language structures itself around family, just like everyday life here in Oman.  While family is important in America, Omanis place a much higher value on family and I think this is something that really should be implemented into other cultures.  The sense of family here is something that I will miss when I'm back in America. 
6. Souqs.  Although it can be challenging to bargain, I love being at the Souq and seeing the more traditional Omani items that cannot be purchased at malls.  I'm excited to bring back a part of Oman with me.
7. Change.  This experience has forced me outside of my comfort zone and to grow as a person. In the end, this might be the most lasting and beneficial part of the whole experience.

Eid Mubarak!
EmmaLeah Hardin