Yes, I am well aware I'm late in posting this week. but hey, there's a bunch of good reasons. 

This week was one of the most packed we have had since arrival in country - every night of the week we were doing something together (we being the exchange girls). Monday was Women in the Arab World class, as usual, at AMIDEAST, and Wednesday was also our normally scheduled Arabic class. What was different was that this week, we had things planned for Tuesday and Thursday too.

Tuesday night was the Walk for a Cure (organized by the Oman Cancer Association). We went as a group along with a number of people from AMIDEAST, and spent about two hours in a park in Qurum doing an approximately 2k walk, eating cupcakes, and lying in the grass. Thus, our first real exercise (maybe second, counting Jabal Shams) ended in us melting into a puddle by a playground.

Thursday night was the real gem of the week though. The six of us headed over to the home of one of the AMIDEAST coordinators for a sleepover, and along with her daughter Nora (who is super awesome) we did some pretty fun things. First up was dinner, which was macaroni and cheese and spaghetti and meatballs and salad and I'm pretty sure all of us ate way more than we should have. Then we proceeded to the kitchen to carry out a Halloween tradition. Now normally, in the states, I carve a large pumpkin with my father into some sort of face. However, pumpkins are quite hard to obtain in Oman. So instead, we carved watermelons. I carved mine into the shape of a pumpkin.

We completed the night with apple crisp and a movie... Which was incredibly delicious (the crisp, not the movie, although that was good too). And then this morning we had a rather American breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, and something called french toast apple casserole (I promise, it's awesome).

It was really a great week for us to reconnect and bond as a group, and I'm really grateful for that. 

🎶I Won't Give Up -Jason Mraz🎶

Literally translated, Jabal Shams means mountain of the sun. And it is to Jabal Shams that the six of us exchangers (and Katy, one of our AMIDEAST coordinators) sallied forth last Friday morning.

Now, this is where the story gets interesting. The night before we left, I decided against packing as the lights were already off and I was exhausted. So I went to bed. But of course, my careful and well-thought-out (note my sarcasm) thinking had a few tiny flaws. So at 7:30 am (30 minutes after I was supposed to be picked up and on the road), my host aunt came sprinting into my room calling my name and telling me that there was someone here to get me.

At which point I did the scramble over to my closet, followed by my bathroom, and on emerging I found myself staring at Kenzie, who was happily camped out on top of my bed. Fast forward a few minutes and we were driving towards AMIDEAST, laughing at my hastily packed backpack and harried appearance. But that's not what this weekend was about.

To sum it all up:

Friday... we went to Nizwa, a relatively nearby and very historic  village. There we visited the fruit and vegetable souq briefly (where I tried a white chocolate covered date, as well as fresh helwa - a traditional Omani sweet) before we heading into Nizwa Fort. We saw lots of beautiful views and snapped way too many pictures before being turned loose (in pairs, they don't trust us that much) into the main souq. Here I made some purchases, including gifts for my grandmother and parents. In the parking lot we bought a communal crate of pomegranates, and over the course of the weekend their numbers diminished rapidly as we ate them. After leaving Nizwa we made a visit to a beautiful mountain village that sprawls up and down the mountain-side, and once again our cameras appeared to capture the natural beauty of the rare greenery. Our next stop was Jabal Shams, the mountain we spent the night on, and the first things we did when we got there were take some photos beside a stunning canyon and take a hike along a trail that skirted its edges. That night we built a fire outside our "tents" (I use quotes because they were more like fancy hotel rooms covered in tarps... They even had keys) and sang songs like Wagon Wheel as the stars came out.

Saturday... we left the place we had spent the night (I'm honestly not sure what to call it; campground doesn't seem accurate) and headed to a pottery studio in a nearby town. We watched the skilled potters make their vases and cups rapidly before each taking a painful turn at the wheel and turning out six nutbowls of varying lumpiness and curvature. But it was all very fun, so I'm excited to get mine back. After pottery it was time for lunch, and before long we found ourselves heading home to our host families.

I realize that my descriptions are a bit hasty... But if I truly took the time to tell every minute detail this post would take well over a week to write - something I cannot even begin to fathom. But in short, it was a truly amazing weekend that really served to impress upon me, yet again, how amazing this country is.

To cap it all off, on Sunday night we had a very special opportunity. The Assistant Secretary of the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the United States, Evan Ryan, was in Muscat, and we were invited to a dinner with her and some others (Fulbright scholars studying in Muscat, people working at the local U.S. Embassy, etc.). I really enjoyed talking to everyone, and I think it's amazing that Ms. Ryan took the time to come and meet with us all during her time here in Oman. 

Here's to adventure, and excitement, and all the things that make life worthwhile. 

🎶Wagon Wheel - Darius Rucker🎶

First off, I'd like to make note of that fact that it took me a decently long amount of time to come up with such magnificent a witticism for the title of this post, so if we could all take a few minutes to appreciate that it would be awesome.

And then I'll just jump right in. The last week has been messy. Not going to lie. I've had sketchy amounts of sleep for the last few nights but I think it's maybe going to get better soon. So fingers crossed.

Announcements:
1. for those of you wondering (perhaps none) - yes. the PSAT does exist in Oman. and yes. if you are an American high school junior it is very possible for you to subject yourself to the pain of taking it
2. THERE'S A TRIP THIS WEEKEND WHAT AMIDEAST PLANNED A TRIP 

I realize the above notes are probably rather vague and written in a decidedly sleep-deprived manner, so I'll elaborate a bit on each of the points in turn. First off, the PSAT. Ginya, Linden and I all skipped school today and headed over to the American International School of Muscat (colloquially and affectionately known to those who can remember the acronym as TAISM) for testing. Following testing we spent several hours pensively staring at the walls of the "library" at AMIDEAST and jamming out to obscure music. Translation: a good time was had by all.

As for the second note... The first of our AMIDEAST planned trips is happening this weekend. The six of us (and Katy, one of the directors at the office) are heading for two days to the nearby Nizwa and Jabel Shams (which means mountain of the sun), and where we will be camping out (like in tourist tents) Friday night. And we are all very excited. 

So that's all the news I can think of right now. If you have anything you would like to me to talk about specifically send me an email through the contact form and I'll see what I can do. 

🎶21 Guns - Broadway Version feat. Green Day🎶

So this weekend was Eid Al-Adha, otherwise known as "Big Eid" (in more colloquial circles). I've had a bit of an unusual experience in that the majority of my host family went to their village while I made alternative plans - and for the last few days, and the next few as well, I've been bunking with Brandi and her host family in Muscat. 

It's been super cool, and although I sort of wish my host family was here I know I'll be spending plenty more time with them soon. And I've had a really good time. On Saturday, we woke up and went outside to watch and take pictures of the sacrifices.Then we got all dressed up (Brandi and I borrowed dresses from her host sister), did our makeup (I had Omani charcoal eyeliner done for the first time) and set out to visit the family. Over the course of the day we went to six (?) houses, and at each one we ate a little more: assorted Eid sweets, bits of meat, bread, fruits, and many cups of Omani coffee. We also practiced our greetings, which vary person to person as well as with what one remembers at a given moment (if you forget the formal greeting, try to move on with a smile and a simple "Eid Mubarak!").

Sunday morning... Well, we slept through Sunday morning. But Sunday afternoon we saw the shoowa (meat from the sacrifice which has been cooked underground in banana leaves for a day) brought back, and then we had bits of it with rice and vegetables. Brandi and I even tried a bit of the brain... Although I can't say it was my favorite thing in the world, I'm glad I can now say I've tried it. 

Eid is really cool. It's probably one of the more cultural times of year, and I'm really happy to have experienced it. In just a few short days, I've had my henna done, I've tried goat/sheep brains (I'm honestly not sure which) and I've spent time in the homes and company of some really nice people. 

I'm very grateful for my opportunity to experience this. I am thankful for the people who support my decision to be here, and for those who have already set out to someday make similar decisions of their own. I am so blessed to be able to share Omani culture with you - to be able to share it with myself, and this holiday has been a time for me to reflect on and continue to experience the intricacies of Oman. 

🎶Tu Meri - Bang Bang (Hindi Movie) Soundtrack🎶