It's been years since I went to a car boot sale... I think this one will be well attended. I know that fellow local blogger, Gatvol in Oman, will be there, and selling some of her vast collection of books, so if you're a bookworm - get in!le fin.
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Monday, 7 February 2011
Car boot sale!
It's been years since I went to a car boot sale... I think this one will be well attended. I know that fellow local blogger, Gatvol in Oman, will be there, and selling some of her vast collection of books, so if you're a bookworm - get in!le fin.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
The weekend.
Well it's certainly been a busy week hasnt it?
The Egypt situation seems to be settling down now that Mr Mubarak has announced he will step down in September. I'm not going to get further into that here!
Oman came out on Sunday the 30th Jan and announced that it had busted a UAE spy network. This quickly got picked up by regular news sources and has not really been followed up. Of course, local blogger Undercover Dragon blogged about this in November last year. I understand that both Omani's and Emiraties were arrested, and that they will all be put on trial. I also understand that the penalty for treason is death by hanging.
A member of the local forum (Karim), Oman Forum, recently posted this comment relating to this story:
The first time I heard about this was months ago, something like 6 months I think, as it was summer and very humid and I was having a drink at one of the security apparatus beach front recreation clubs at North Azaiba Beach, if you follow my drift.
I couldn’t believe it at the time, and the person who told was half drunk any way. But over time, this issues started to snow ball in the virtual world and blogosphere, and then came the Omani government official statement, as yes, Oman vaunted security apparatus was infiltrated by the security agencies of Abu Dhabi, and that this breach went quite high in a number of security, military, economic and government departments, a very comprehensive rap sheet.
What bugged me, and still does, is Why? Why would MBZ (Mohammed Bin Zayed) spy on Oman?
MBZ is the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and there is an interesting story about him and Oman. MBZ is the first born of late Sheikh Zayed from his favorite wife, Sheikha Fatima. MBZ and his full brothers make what is currently known as the fatmyds. These brothers are very powerful in Abu Dhabi, they literally control the Country. The then crown prince, and now president and ruler of Abu Dhabi, half brother to MBZ, is Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, henceforth referred to as KBZ.
MBZ tried to overthrow his father Sheikh Zayed when he was in death bed. MBZ plan was to take over so that KBZ does not become ruler and president. Some in the know told me that it was Oman security agencies that uncovered the plot, and warned KBZ and some other elders in the Alnahyaan family about the plot. MBZ then fled the UAE, and was given shelter in Oman.
During MBZ exile, Oman worked out a solution that will allow for KBZ to become ruler, and MBZ crown prince. This seemed to have satisfied all parties.
As of late, MBZ seem to have come to know that Oman has played a pivotal role in delaying his path to the presidency, and wants to play the same trick on us, i.e., since Oman does not have a crown prince or heir apparent, who will be Sultan if god forbid His Majesty Sultan Qaboos passes away? And can MBZ influence or better still, pick the next Sultan?
MBZ plan goes way pas regime change, it goes as far as annexing Oman into an extended UAE, more than doubling its land, and quadrupling its people. MBZ is your typical megalomaniac, the sooner he is out of the picture, the better.
I think that's fairly interesting and worth sharing here. Perhaps this issue has been an ongoing one as opposed to one day of arrests. I say this because an un-named Omani official (quoted by Al Jazeera) said that this story refers to arrests made in November last year.
In other news, the ongoing Wikileaks issues states that 1 Emirati and 3 Qatari men are wanted by the US for their involvement in the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Hmmm.
As for local things - the Muscat Festival is ongoing and well worth a visit this weekend, I plan to go hunting for some nice pots!
Have a nice weekend everyone.
le fin.
The Egypt situation seems to be settling down now that Mr Mubarak has announced he will step down in September. I'm not going to get further into that here!
Oman came out on Sunday the 30th Jan and announced that it had busted a UAE spy network. This quickly got picked up by regular news sources and has not really been followed up. Of course, local blogger Undercover Dragon blogged about this in November last year. I understand that both Omani's and Emiraties were arrested, and that they will all be put on trial. I also understand that the penalty for treason is death by hanging.
A member of the local forum (Karim), Oman Forum, recently posted this comment relating to this story:
The first time I heard about this was months ago, something like 6 months I think, as it was summer and very humid and I was having a drink at one of the security apparatus beach front recreation clubs at North Azaiba Beach, if you follow my drift.
I couldn’t believe it at the time, and the person who told was half drunk any way. But over time, this issues started to snow ball in the virtual world and blogosphere, and then came the Omani government official statement, as yes, Oman vaunted security apparatus was infiltrated by the security agencies of Abu Dhabi, and that this breach went quite high in a number of security, military, economic and government departments, a very comprehensive rap sheet.
What bugged me, and still does, is Why? Why would MBZ (Mohammed Bin Zayed) spy on Oman?
MBZ is the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and there is an interesting story about him and Oman. MBZ is the first born of late Sheikh Zayed from his favorite wife, Sheikha Fatima. MBZ and his full brothers make what is currently known as the fatmyds. These brothers are very powerful in Abu Dhabi, they literally control the Country. The then crown prince, and now president and ruler of Abu Dhabi, half brother to MBZ, is Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, henceforth referred to as KBZ.
MBZ tried to overthrow his father Sheikh Zayed when he was in death bed. MBZ plan was to take over so that KBZ does not become ruler and president. Some in the know told me that it was Oman security agencies that uncovered the plot, and warned KBZ and some other elders in the Alnahyaan family about the plot. MBZ then fled the UAE, and was given shelter in Oman.
During MBZ exile, Oman worked out a solution that will allow for KBZ to become ruler, and MBZ crown prince. This seemed to have satisfied all parties.
As of late, MBZ seem to have come to know that Oman has played a pivotal role in delaying his path to the presidency, and wants to play the same trick on us, i.e., since Oman does not have a crown prince or heir apparent, who will be Sultan if god forbid His Majesty Sultan Qaboos passes away? And can MBZ influence or better still, pick the next Sultan?
MBZ plan goes way pas regime change, it goes as far as annexing Oman into an extended UAE, more than doubling its land, and quadrupling its people. MBZ is your typical megalomaniac, the sooner he is out of the picture, the better.
I think that's fairly interesting and worth sharing here. Perhaps this issue has been an ongoing one as opposed to one day of arrests. I say this because an un-named Omani official (quoted by Al Jazeera) said that this story refers to arrests made in November last year.
In other news, the ongoing Wikileaks issues states that 1 Emirati and 3 Qatari men are wanted by the US for their involvement in the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Hmmm.
As for local things - the Muscat Festival is ongoing and well worth a visit this weekend, I plan to go hunting for some nice pots!
Have a nice weekend everyone.
le fin.
Monday, 24 January 2011
Rugby Legends Dinner - 16th February
On February 16th (A Wednesday) there is the second annual Rugby Legends dinner that will be held at the Grand Hyatt hotel.
For RO 35.000 you get:
A 4 course meal
Complimentary drinks at the table and welcome drinks upon arrival
Speeches from two Rugby Legends: Fergus Slattery and John Bentley.
10 seats to a table, don't delay, tickets are very limited!
le fin.
For RO 35.000 you get:
A 4 course meal
Complimentary drinks at the table and welcome drinks upon arrival
Speeches from two Rugby Legends: Fergus Slattery and John Bentley.
10 seats to a table, don't delay, tickets are very limited!
le fin.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
This and that.
Well here we are, at the start of the 3rd weekend of 2011. the first weekend was excellent - it was my birthday and I had a great time, but then in the middle of the week last week I got some sad news about a close friend which has kind of had me in a flat-spin ever since.
But, I'm back; and I've got a few things to blog about so this is going to be one of my poorly structured blogs with loads of different things in it. Okay then.....
Rob & Hanna: The fund raiser was an amazing success. I've never seen so many people in the rugby club before, and it showed that we as a community still care and can pull together in times of need. I have been told that approximately RO 7,000 was raised for them. That'll certainly help them, I wish Hanna a full and speedy recovery.
MRFC won a game! Yes, its true, I promise! The Muscat boy's finally managed to get a Win in the Gulf leagues, taking down a very strong Al Ain side 30 - 27. About bloody time - well done guys, it was a well fought victory.
And one last rugby club related issue... sadly a long-term member of the expatriate community here in Muscat passed away last weekend - Alan Flanagan passed away on the 14th January 2011, aged just 55 years. He had worked here for 14 years for a consultancy company previously known as BBL, but now known as Currie & Brown. He was a staunch supporter of the club and will be missed. There will be a memorial service tomorrow at 5pm at the rugby club for those who wish to pay their respects to Alan.
On a happier note, local band 123 Orion's gig at the Royal Flight is fully sold out (well done) and local celebrity blogger, Undercover Dragon of Muscat Confidential has even given away some free tickets to the gig. It should be a laugh, and those that are going are all donating to a good cause as well.
The new roads. I'm talking about the Muscat Expressway and the Amerat-Bousher link. I've driven both, and they're both great roads to drive, hopefully it'll help ease congestion on the main SQ highway and the 18th November street. The Qurum interchange is now quite slow but I guess it's nothing when compared to the time saved by those commuting in from al hail and beyond. A few days ago, it was published in the paper that 20 people had been caught speeding on the new express way (not the amerat road). The fastest driver.... 270 KM/h. Really? And then a whole raft of drivers all caught around 190+ KM/h. The only way to stop that amount of ridiculous speeding is to come down on these people hard. Take their license for a few months/year, heavy fine, whatever it takes. Because what I suspect will happen is that they'll do a quick stop in at the ROP Hilton for a day or two, and have their car confiscated for a week, and maybe a fine. I have noticed however, that there are more and more temporary camera's being deployed by the ROP, so that's a good thing, I hope they keep it up.
I also think that a camera (video) should be set up on the new Amerat road, where the hair-pin bends are. It's only a matter of time before someone attempts to drift the hairpins Initial-D style! I was watching the barriers very closely and didn't see scratch on them.... yet! I'll check next week after the weekend! Perhaps an enterprising business man might want to open a tire and bodywork shop at the bottom of the hill :)
Tom the Cyclist. He's back, after his gruelling jolly around the Sultanate these past 2 months (he started on the 11th of November). Admittedly, I meant to blog an update on his progress but had an attack of extreme procrastination and then forgot about it. Sorry about that Tom. But here's how you can help:
Tom's charity ride was well supported by Omantel (and a few others) for the actual journey, but not a lot of cash has been earned for Charity yet.... Tomorrow evening at 7pm there is a fund raiser at the Dolphin Complex near to Muscat Private Hospital. Tickets cost RO 10 and there are also some raffle tickets on sale and you can also purchase a T shirt if you want. Well done Tom, hope your butt doesn't have too many blisters!
There were a few other things I was going to write about but I think they can wait until next week.
Have a nice weekend everyone.
le fin.
But, I'm back; and I've got a few things to blog about so this is going to be one of my poorly structured blogs with loads of different things in it. Okay then.....
Rob & Hanna: The fund raiser was an amazing success. I've never seen so many people in the rugby club before, and it showed that we as a community still care and can pull together in times of need. I have been told that approximately RO 7,000 was raised for them. That'll certainly help them, I wish Hanna a full and speedy recovery.
MRFC won a game! Yes, its true, I promise! The Muscat boy's finally managed to get a Win in the Gulf leagues, taking down a very strong Al Ain side 30 - 27. About bloody time - well done guys, it was a well fought victory.
And one last rugby club related issue... sadly a long-term member of the expatriate community here in Muscat passed away last weekend - Alan Flanagan passed away on the 14th January 2011, aged just 55 years. He had worked here for 14 years for a consultancy company previously known as BBL, but now known as Currie & Brown. He was a staunch supporter of the club and will be missed. There will be a memorial service tomorrow at 5pm at the rugby club for those who wish to pay their respects to Alan.
On a happier note, local band 123 Orion's gig at the Royal Flight is fully sold out (well done) and local celebrity blogger, Undercover Dragon of Muscat Confidential has even given away some free tickets to the gig. It should be a laugh, and those that are going are all donating to a good cause as well.
The new roads. I'm talking about the Muscat Expressway and the Amerat-Bousher link. I've driven both, and they're both great roads to drive, hopefully it'll help ease congestion on the main SQ highway and the 18th November street. The Qurum interchange is now quite slow but I guess it's nothing when compared to the time saved by those commuting in from al hail and beyond. A few days ago, it was published in the paper that 20 people had been caught speeding on the new express way (not the amerat road). The fastest driver.... 270 KM/h. Really? And then a whole raft of drivers all caught around 190+ KM/h. The only way to stop that amount of ridiculous speeding is to come down on these people hard. Take their license for a few months/year, heavy fine, whatever it takes. Because what I suspect will happen is that they'll do a quick stop in at the ROP Hilton for a day or two, and have their car confiscated for a week, and maybe a fine. I have noticed however, that there are more and more temporary camera's being deployed by the ROP, so that's a good thing, I hope they keep it up.
I also think that a camera (video) should be set up on the new Amerat road, where the hair-pin bends are. It's only a matter of time before someone attempts to drift the hairpins Initial-D style! I was watching the barriers very closely and didn't see scratch on them.... yet! I'll check next week after the weekend! Perhaps an enterprising business man might want to open a tire and bodywork shop at the bottom of the hill :)
Tom the Cyclist. He's back, after his gruelling jolly around the Sultanate these past 2 months (he started on the 11th of November). Admittedly, I meant to blog an update on his progress but had an attack of extreme procrastination and then forgot about it. Sorry about that Tom. But here's how you can help:
Tom's charity ride was well supported by Omantel (and a few others) for the actual journey, but not a lot of cash has been earned for Charity yet.... Tomorrow evening at 7pm there is a fund raiser at the Dolphin Complex near to Muscat Private Hospital. Tickets cost RO 10 and there are also some raffle tickets on sale and you can also purchase a T shirt if you want. Well done Tom, hope your butt doesn't have too many blisters!
There were a few other things I was going to write about but I think they can wait until next week.
Have a nice weekend everyone.
le fin.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Charity gig at the Royal Flight: Thursday 20th Jan
Awesome local band 123 Orion are back again with another charity fund raiser at the Royal Flight social club.
Tickets are RO 7 and you get 1 raffle ticket, 4 drinks (alcoholic or not), soup and snacks. That's pretty good, and you're giving to charity to boot!
If you have never been to the Royal Flight social club, its worth a look in, and now's a great time to do so!
le fin.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Tonights Fundraiser, and a rugby game
The list of prizes for tonights fund raiser are getting substantial! It will be a great evening tonight and the prizes, so far, are the following:
SPECIAL STAR PRIZES –
1 - Return Business Class Ticket to London with Oman Air
2 - Two Spots on Oman Sail’s Extreme Sport Racing Yacht on 22nd to 24th February 2011.
RAFFLE 1 - 20 OMR a Ticket
1. Courtesy of Grand Hyatt:
Two guests for one complimentary night in an Executive Suite inclusive of breakfast.
and two guests for complimentary dinner inclusive of a bottle of house wine at Marjan.
2. A Boat Trip for 6 people on the STS Boat with complimentary Beer and Food
3. Munster Jersey signed by Paul O'Connell, British and Irish Lion's Captain 2009 and Irish International
4. Microwave Oven
5. I-pod Docking Station
6. A Mobile 3G wireless internet modem
7. 1 months lodgings for your dog at Raya Kennels
RAFFLE 2 - 10 OMR a Ticket
1. Sony 32inch Bravia TV
2. Courtesy of Radisson Blu Hotel: Thursday Bubbly Brunch for 2 people
3. Courtesy of Radisson Blu Hotel: Dinner for 2 in Al Tajin Steakhouse
4. Courtesy of Radisson Blu Hotel: BBQ on the Terrace for 2 people (every Sunday)
5. Manicure and Pedicure Treatment at Ayana Spa
6. DJ Chris Fisher will DJ your House Party
7. Courtesy of Busy Bee’s Kids Activity Centre - 1 months free membership
8. 12 bags of 'Totally Roasted (in Oman ) 200gm Fresh (as in last 48 hrs) roasted beans
More prizes are coming in all the time, and if you would like to purchase a raffle ticket but can't attend this evening - please get in touch with Pete Rigby on 9921 1203.
There is also a home game this Friday. The local Muscat boys are playing against the Al Ain "Fijians" on Friday at 3pm.... your support is as always very welcome.
Have a nice weekend everyone.
le fin.
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Girls night out!
The people at Zouk have again come up with something fun for the next few Mondays.
Ripped from their Facebook page:
Launching the “Zouk Girls Night Out” with Fashion evenings where we would like to request all interested ladies to come dressed in their best and walk the ramp.
A prominent jury will be selecting the five best ladies every Monday and then these ladies will go to the semi-finals and final event on February 14th - Valentines Day. The Short-listed ladies can win the title of Ms. Zouk 2011 and also would be part of the Zouk Calendar to be launched in February. Plus there are some really exciting grand prizes to be won!
Not enough???? How about complimentary beverages every Monday at Zouk? Yes all the ladies get complimentary beverages from Zouk every Monday evening. You can see some celebrity bartenders every Monday and different themes promoting the local talent.
So all the interested ladies who would like to walk on the ramp please send us your interest at aabhatia@gmail.com or message us here on Facebook. And if you've got the talent we've got the platform for you....inviting all the talents like musicians, bands, performing artist, singers, painters, fashion designers etc to write to us.
Don’t forget the first round and launch is on this coming Monday 10th January 2011 at 8pm.
Please note:
Guys are allowed too but only if accompanied with a lady
Cover Charge for guys is RO 10/- and as always is redeemable against their bill.
Single girls’ entry free
Free Welcome drinks for Girls
Entry to the event and Zouk is strictly for 21 years and above.
--------
le fin.
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Holiday parties round up
Hello everyone!
Seasons greetings / Merry Christmas to everyone. I've been watching the news on Western Europe's battle with the weather there at the moment... hopefully no more delays or cancellations!
This will be my 4th Christmas in Oman. Why go anywhere when this place is perfect at this time of year?!
There are a lot of parties going on between now and NYE, and here's a summary of what is going on... if you would like me to add your party to the list then please just send me an email! Click on the pictures for bigger versions of them to read information contained on them.
The Rugby Club
The rugby club are putting on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve parties.
Christmas Eve, get a complimentary mulled wine upon entry, and NYE is RO 35 for unlimited beverages and finger foods while they last. Of note is the excellent outdoor space at the back of the club, something unique to the Rugby Club, and in this winter weather, very enjoyable!
Zouk
The Zouk crowd have planned a plethora of events over the holiday period, starting on the 22nd and culminating with an excellent looking Masquerade New Year Bash for RO 40 with unlimited selected drinks. It all kicks off tomorrow night with Dub Bass
Zouk is such a pretty club I had to share another picture :)
Al Bustan Palace
The Al Bustan Palace has a ton of things going on between now and the new year, click on the pictures for complete information. In summary though (all prices are subject to 17% tax):
Beach Pavilion on 24th & 25th have a 5 course dinner for RO 39 with a complimentary glass of bubbles. NYE is RO 59 with a 6 course menu and a glass of bubbly.
China Mood - 24th is a 5 course meal for RO 39, 25th is dim sum brunch for RO 22. 31st is 5 course dinner for RO 39 (free glass of bubbles). 1st Jan is the dim sum brunch again.
Al Khiran Terrace - 24th & 25th buffet for RO 29, 31st is buffet for RO 39.
VUE - 24th - 5 course dinner for RO 59 (buy your drinks) 31st is a 6 course dinner for RO 70 (buy your drinks)
Catch carol singers on the 24th and 25th in the Atrium Lounge....
InterCon
The 24th has the Musandam buffet for RO 21 for adults and RO 10 for kids with some live entertainment. Senior Pico is a 5 course dinner for RO 21. Traders is 5 course for RO 30 and Tomato is 5 courses for RO 21.
25th, Musandam Christmas Day Brunch buffet RO 24/12 (kids)
NYE - Musandam is RO 31 (RO 16 for kids), Senior Pico - 5 courses RO 31, Traders is a 5 course dinner and "open regular beverages" - RO 75
Al Ghazal Pub is RO 25 for unlimited selected beverages all night
The NYE Gala dinner buffet is RO 65 for adults and RO 22 for kids (includes drinks)
For those looking for some hangover grease, from noon till 4pm on the 1st, the New Years Day brunch is on for RO 18 adults and RO 9 for kids.
Barr Al Jissah
BAJ have 6 venues... so there's a lot going on here too!
24th
Samba - Buffet for RO 18.5
Bait al Bahr - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Al Tanoor - Buffet for RO 18.5 with live music
Capri Court - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Sultanah - 5 course dinner for RO 60
Sharazad - 5 course dinner for RO 35
25th
Samba - Buffet for RO 15.5 12-3pm
Bait al Bahr - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Al Tanoor - Buffet for RO 15.5 12-3pm
Capri Court - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Sultanah - 6 course dinner for RO 60
NYE
Al Waha & Al Bandar - RO 98 including drinks
Al Husn - Sultanah & Shahrazad - RO 120 including selected drinks
Park Inn
The Park Inn have a traditional turkey dinner on the 24th and 25th at the RBG Grill for RO 25 (starting at noon and includes access to the roof top pool). For dinner there is a 4 course dinner for RO 18.
For NYE, the Sama Terrazza is RO 50 with unlimited selected drinks. The entertainment is special... DJ Ilgin from Turkey. For those of you that like house music, she has a record deal with Pacha.
The Chedi
The Chedi have a few Christmas events lined up - A Bubbly brunch on Christmas Eve for RO 45 or 60 (depending on which type of Moet et Chandon you want to drink). Dinner at the Chedi's The Restaurant or The Serai Cabana is 4 courses and RO 40. And there is a Christmas buffet for RO 38 at The Restaurant.
Hyatt
I emailed the people at Hyatt but apparently they were too cool to get back to me. I understand that they have the following for NYE (special thanks to DITD for getting the info):
Safari Rooftop Grill house - 50 RO for the normal meal options & unlimited selected beverages from 7.30pm-1am
Mokkha Cafe - 60+ RO for a gala dinner (buffet) and drinks
Tuscany - 70+ RO for a black-tie gala dinner and drinks
UPDATE: Hyatt people got in touch, and shared the following information:
24th
Dinner at Mokha Cafe - RO 30 (RO 15 for kids)
Dinner at Tuscany - RO 40 (RO 20 for kids)
25th
Brunch buffet at Mokha Cafe - RO 32 (RO 16 for kids)
Lunch at Tuscany - RO 40 (RO 20 for kids)
NYE
Gala dinner in the hotel gardens - RO 75 (RO 35 for kids) including unlimited selected drinks
Tuscany - 6 course dinner with bubbly at midnight - RO 60
Afrah Ballroom - Kids party place with snacks, games and entertainment RO 15 (this is the only thing like this I've seen)
Safari Rooftop - RO 50 (kids RO 25) unlimited selected drinks - upgrade for access to the pub for an additional RO 15
Safari Pub - RO 35 with unlimited selected drinks
Copacabana - RO 25 per couple or RO 30 per single person for entry only, drinks are extra
Additionally, you can order your Christmas Lunch to take away (each serves 8-10 people):
Honey Glazed Ham - RO 160 (I think I might actually get this!)
Roast Mulwarra Prime Rib Eye - RO 150
Roast Butterball Turkey - RO 115
Left Bank
The Left Bank are throwing a NYE party with 2 different set menus - one being RO 30 the other RO 40. A free glass of bubbles at midnight but that is it.
Raddisson Blu
Also, too busy to get back to me with a summary of their events, but I understand that the NYE gig is at the Lazy Lizard and is RO 49 with unlimited bubbles or RO 59 with unlimited drinks.
And that is all..... Hope this helps!
le fin.
Seasons greetings / Merry Christmas to everyone. I've been watching the news on Western Europe's battle with the weather there at the moment... hopefully no more delays or cancellations!
This will be my 4th Christmas in Oman. Why go anywhere when this place is perfect at this time of year?!
There are a lot of parties going on between now and NYE, and here's a summary of what is going on... if you would like me to add your party to the list then please just send me an email! Click on the pictures for bigger versions of them to read information contained on them.
The Rugby Club
The rugby club are putting on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve parties.
Christmas Eve, get a complimentary mulled wine upon entry, and NYE is RO 35 for unlimited beverages and finger foods while they last. Of note is the excellent outdoor space at the back of the club, something unique to the Rugby Club, and in this winter weather, very enjoyable!Zouk
The Zouk crowd have planned a plethora of events over the holiday period, starting on the 22nd and culminating with an excellent looking Masquerade New Year Bash for RO 40 with unlimited selected drinks. It all kicks off tomorrow night with Dub Bass
Zouk is such a pretty club I had to share another picture :)
Al Bustan Palace
The Al Bustan Palace has a ton of things going on between now and the new year, click on the pictures for complete information. In summary though (all prices are subject to 17% tax):
Beach Pavilion on 24th & 25th have a 5 course dinner for RO 39 with a complimentary glass of bubbles. NYE is RO 59 with a 6 course menu and a glass of bubbly.
China Mood - 24th is a 5 course meal for RO 39, 25th is dim sum brunch for RO 22. 31st is 5 course dinner for RO 39 (free glass of bubbles). 1st Jan is the dim sum brunch again.
Al Khiran Terrace - 24th & 25th buffet for RO 29, 31st is buffet for RO 39.
VUE - 24th - 5 course dinner for RO 59 (buy your drinks) 31st is a 6 course dinner for RO 70 (buy your drinks)
Catch carol singers on the 24th and 25th in the Atrium Lounge....
InterCon
The 24th has the Musandam buffet for RO 21 for adults and RO 10 for kids with some live entertainment. Senior Pico is a 5 course dinner for RO 21. Traders is 5 course for RO 30 and Tomato is 5 courses for RO 21.
25th, Musandam Christmas Day Brunch buffet RO 24/12 (kids)
NYE - Musandam is RO 31 (RO 16 for kids), Senior Pico - 5 courses RO 31, Traders is a 5 course dinner and "open regular beverages" - RO 75
Al Ghazal Pub is RO 25 for unlimited selected beverages all night
The NYE Gala dinner buffet is RO 65 for adults and RO 22 for kids (includes drinks)
For those looking for some hangover grease, from noon till 4pm on the 1st, the New Years Day brunch is on for RO 18 adults and RO 9 for kids.
Barr Al Jissah
BAJ have 6 venues... so there's a lot going on here too!
24th
Samba - Buffet for RO 18.5
Bait al Bahr - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Al Tanoor - Buffet for RO 18.5 with live music
Capri Court - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Sultanah - 5 course dinner for RO 60
Sharazad - 5 course dinner for RO 35
25th
Samba - Buffet for RO 15.5 12-3pm
Bait al Bahr - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Al Tanoor - Buffet for RO 15.5 12-3pm
Capri Court - 5 course dinner for RO 28
Sultanah - 6 course dinner for RO 60
NYE
Al Waha & Al Bandar - RO 98 including drinks
Al Husn - Sultanah & Shahrazad - RO 120 including selected drinks
Park Inn
The Park Inn have a traditional turkey dinner on the 24th and 25th at the RBG Grill for RO 25 (starting at noon and includes access to the roof top pool). For dinner there is a 4 course dinner for RO 18.
For NYE, the Sama Terrazza is RO 50 with unlimited selected drinks. The entertainment is special... DJ Ilgin from Turkey. For those of you that like house music, she has a record deal with Pacha.
The Chedi
The Chedi have a few Christmas events lined up - A Bubbly brunch on Christmas Eve for RO 45 or 60 (depending on which type of Moet et Chandon you want to drink). Dinner at the Chedi's The Restaurant or The Serai Cabana is 4 courses and RO 40. And there is a Christmas buffet for RO 38 at The Restaurant.
Hyatt
I emailed the people at Hyatt but apparently they were too cool to get back to me. I understand that they have the following for NYE (special thanks to DITD for getting the info):
Safari Rooftop Grill house - 50 RO for the normal meal options & unlimited selected beverages from 7.30pm-1am
Mokkha Cafe - 60+ RO for a gala dinner (buffet) and drinks
Tuscany - 70+ RO for a black-tie gala dinner and drinks
UPDATE: Hyatt people got in touch, and shared the following information:
24th
Dinner at Mokha Cafe - RO 30 (RO 15 for kids)
Dinner at Tuscany - RO 40 (RO 20 for kids)
25th
Brunch buffet at Mokha Cafe - RO 32 (RO 16 for kids)
Lunch at Tuscany - RO 40 (RO 20 for kids)
NYE
Gala dinner in the hotel gardens - RO 75 (RO 35 for kids) including unlimited selected drinks
Tuscany - 6 course dinner with bubbly at midnight - RO 60
Afrah Ballroom - Kids party place with snacks, games and entertainment RO 15 (this is the only thing like this I've seen)
Safari Rooftop - RO 50 (kids RO 25) unlimited selected drinks - upgrade for access to the pub for an additional RO 15
Safari Pub - RO 35 with unlimited selected drinks
Copacabana - RO 25 per couple or RO 30 per single person for entry only, drinks are extra
Additionally, you can order your Christmas Lunch to take away (each serves 8-10 people):
Honey Glazed Ham - RO 160 (I think I might actually get this!)
Roast Mulwarra Prime Rib Eye - RO 150
Roast Butterball Turkey - RO 115
Left Bank
The Left Bank are throwing a NYE party with 2 different set menus - one being RO 30 the other RO 40. A free glass of bubbles at midnight but that is it.
Raddisson Blu
Also, too busy to get back to me with a summary of their events, but I understand that the NYE gig is at the Lazy Lizard and is RO 49 with unlimited bubbles or RO 59 with unlimited drinks.
And that is all..... Hope this helps!
le fin.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Weekend activities.
What a busy week it's been, catching up after the Eid al Adha holidays. Many thought we would be granted more day's off, but lets face it - it was nice to get even 1 day off in this amazing weather.
Tomorrow evening see's the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth here in Oman - for a 4 day (3 night) state visit to the Sultanate after a 2 day (1 night) state visit to the UAE. There are rumours floating around town that last weekend Prince William visited HM Qaboos in a private meeting - it's just a rumour though, nothing solid on that! You can see more on the planned itinerary on the official website of The British Monarchy here.
So, on with the blog. Here's a selection of things going on this weekend that you might be interested in:
1/ Harry Potter. Another instalment of this money printing press franchise has been released this week. It's on at the Shatti cinema at least 3 times a day - not sure if they are doing the 3D screening though. Please comment if you know if they are or not.... :)
2/ The Commitments. Irish Soul band... sort of - entertaining both musically and comedically - tickets are still available - RO 15 - doors open at 8pm tonight at the Copacabana in the Hyatt.
3/ The Muscat boy's are playing the Royal Navy's HMS Cumberland at the Muscat Rugby ground on Thursday at 6:30pm. It'll be a fun game and as usual there will be a bbq afterwards.
4/ On Friday, between 4-8pm there is the second chill-out session at the rugby club. Pay 10 rials, get 10 drinks (bottled beers or glasses of wine). There's a bbq on offer as well. It'll be a nice warm-up for the next item...
5/ Bollywood Friday's at Zouk. Starting this Friday at 8pm, a bit of fun - Bollywood nights at Zouk. I have high expectations of a group dancing around the club in synchronized perfection. Perhaps I've been watching too much Glee again.
Now don't forget to enter for the free tickets give-away to Bryan Adams next month - I'll randomly pick a name out of a hat on Friday afternoon, and depending on how my Friday goes, I'll either announce the winner on Friday evening or Saturday morning! Please remember to leave a way for me to contact you if you choose to leave a comment.
And lastly, a very warm welcome to the blogosphere to a new blogger: Ms Adventures of the hilarious new "local" blog - Misadventures in HR (not to be confused with "hoomin resource"). She's one seriously funny writer, who lives in "Sand Land" but I'm going to say she lives with us here in Oman, and if she doesn't, I will still say she does! Go and read her stuff. It had me in tears!
Enjoy another fantastic Omani winter weekend. Next week, something about buses. Stay tuned.
le fin.
Tomorrow evening see's the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth here in Oman - for a 4 day (3 night) state visit to the Sultanate after a 2 day (1 night) state visit to the UAE. There are rumours floating around town that last weekend Prince William visited HM Qaboos in a private meeting - it's just a rumour though, nothing solid on that! You can see more on the planned itinerary on the official website of The British Monarchy here.
So, on with the blog. Here's a selection of things going on this weekend that you might be interested in:
1/ Harry Potter. Another instalment of this 
2/ The Commitments. Irish Soul band... sort of - entertaining both musically and comedically - tickets are still available - RO 15 - doors open at 8pm tonight at the Copacabana in the Hyatt.
3/ The Muscat boy's are playing the Royal Navy's HMS Cumberland at the Muscat Rugby ground on Thursday at 6:30pm. It'll be a fun game and as usual there will be a bbq afterwards.
4/ On Friday, between 4-8pm there is the second chill-out session at the rugby club. Pay 10 rials, get 10 drinks (bottled beers or glasses of wine). There's a bbq on offer as well. It'll be a nice warm-up for the next item...
5/ Bollywood Friday's at Zouk. Starting this Friday at 8pm, a bit of fun - Bollywood nights at Zouk. I have high expectations of a group dancing around the club in synchronized perfection. Perhaps I've been watching too much Glee again.Now don't forget to enter for the free tickets give-away to Bryan Adams next month - I'll randomly pick a name out of a hat on Friday afternoon, and depending on how my Friday goes, I'll either announce the winner on Friday evening or Saturday morning! Please remember to leave a way for me to contact you if you choose to leave a comment.
And lastly, a very warm welcome to the blogosphere to a new blogger: Ms Adventures of the hilarious new "local" blog - Misadventures in HR (not to be confused with "hoomin resource"). She's one seriously funny writer, who lives in "Sand Land" but I'm going to say she lives with us here in Oman, and if she doesn't, I will still say she does! Go and read her stuff. It had me in tears!Enjoy another fantastic Omani winter weekend. Next week, something about buses. Stay tuned.
le fin.
Monday, 22 November 2010
The Commitments...
Now some of you might remember the surprise hit movie The Commitments from 1991. If you like musicals you'll probably like this movie, especially if you're Irish or like Soul music. 19 years on and the band is still playing it's soul music. And rather handily, they are playing at the Copacabana this Wednesday, doors opening at 8pm. I wonder if the Copacabana was chosen due to it's retro 90's interior decor? ;)Don't forget - you can still enter the free prize draw for a pair of tickets to the Bryan Adam's concert here on the 18th December.
le fin.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Lots of local news!
Well it's Wednesday already - where did the week go?!
There's lots of little bits and pieces I wanted to blog, so I'm going to lump them all into this post because I think it'll be easier. Please do feel free to email me or tweet me bits of news if you would like me to share with everyone.
Crime in Muscat.
Rising crime in Muscat. You've all read the papers, the letters to the Editor in The Week, and so on. It seems that crime, specifically robberies, are on the rise here in Muscat. And the ROP appear to be struggling a little with this significant up-swing in break-ins. One person who contacted me informed me he had to wait 3 days to get a police report in order to file an insurance claim - surely these things should be issued on the spot by the attending officer? Just this morning, the ROP were called to the Etihad offices in Ruwi for a break-in. Apparently some bright spark thought he could nick himself an A380 or something!
So be sure you are vigilant. Ensure your doors and windows are locked, ensure your sliding doors are secured in a way that they can't be easily forced open from the outside, and ensure you do not leave anything of value in display inside your cars.
Eid.
Eid holidays have now been called: a nice cool 3 day haul for the Government, and 4 days for the Private sector. It will be a nice long weekend for sure! I read with interest the letter to the editor published in this weeks The Week about expatriate government employees being discriminated against due to their race. I fully agree with the author of the letter, but we all know nothing will change on that front.
Tom Millward.
Tomorrow, the 11th November, sees Tom Millward start his ride for charity around Oman. 3000 KM's starting at Qurum City Centre, at 11:11am. Tom is raising money to assist the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disability in Oman. During his cycle he is also hoping to raise awareness of Oman as a destination for Cycling to the wider community. The cycle ride will take between 2 and 3 months to complete and will cover all sorts of terrain and areas including the difficult and unpredictable interior.
If you require further information or would like to donate towards this charity, please contact omanbycycle@hotmail.com or GSM 9761 3342.
Fancy coins.
There are two commemorative coins being minted to mark the 40th anniversary of Oman as we know it today. One is gold, and the other is silver, and will contain the Oman coat of arms and a special 40th anniversary logo - so keep your eyes out for them.
Bryan Adams.
It's long been rumoured, and has finally been officially announced: Bryan's coming to town on December the 18th. Tickets are RO 25 and are on sale now in all the usual outlets. Stay tuned for a free ticket give-away right here on Muscat Mutterings soon.
War of the Djz Final - Thursday night
In new nightclub Nuts & Bolts, on Thursday night there is the final of the 2010 War of the Djz competition.
It should be a laugh, so check it out, the finalists are really good at their craft and it will be a great night of musical entertainment!
Zouk.
Tonight, the ever-trendy Zouk bar are having their very own VJ (Video Jockey) play some fun videos with crowd interaction, and of course their signature House music pumping all night long. Remember - you pay RO 20 at the door and then you get RO 20 worth of food and drinks inside.
Muscat Rugby & Aussie Rules
This Friday afternoon, from 1:30pm sees an afternoon of fun on the Rugby ground. At 1:30 the Muscat Magpies play the Dubai Dingo's, then at 3pm the Muscat Rugby Club's U12 group have a demonstration game, and at 3:30pm we have Muscat RFC Men's Vs the Dubai Exiles. There will be a music system in the stands for spectators, as well as a bbq and drinks (non alcoholic ON the rugby pitch), then down in the clubhouse there are special offers on food and drinks available (including alcohol of course). It will be a fantastic day for everyone, please do come on down and show your support for our local expatriate community.
Royal Opera
There have been reports that the Royal Opera people have been over-selling events to ensure packed nights, with the slight problem that some people who paid for their tickets do not get to have a seat. Reportedly nearly 30 people were left standing at the Monday night performance. So if you're planning on going to the Opera - make sure you get there early to get a seat!
UAE & Canada
It seems that the on-going spat between the UAE and Canada has gone to the next level: The UAE have now announced that as of January 2nd 2011, all Canadian passport holders visiting the UAE will have to apply for a visa before-hand, and pay the Visa fee (presumably RO 20 a time). One does wonder what the end result of all this diplomatic arguing will be, but it's routed in the fact that the UAE want more than 6 landing slots at Canadian airports each week for it's two airlines (Etihad and Emirates currently have to share the 6 slots). Having personally been on many Etihad flights to Toronto, I can assure you those flights are always jammed full, and more flights would be a good thing. But Air Canada don't want the competition. It would seem that the sound business solution would be to sell more landing slots to the UAE - why is a private company (Air Canada) dictating the Government of Canada's policies on this?
That's all for this week - have a fabulous weekend everyone.
le fin.
There's lots of little bits and pieces I wanted to blog, so I'm going to lump them all into this post because I think it'll be easier. Please do feel free to email me or tweet me bits of news if you would like me to share with everyone.
Crime in Muscat.
Rising crime in Muscat. You've all read the papers, the letters to the Editor in The Week, and so on. It seems that crime, specifically robberies, are on the rise here in Muscat. And the ROP appear to be struggling a little with this significant up-swing in break-ins. One person who contacted me informed me he had to wait 3 days to get a police report in order to file an insurance claim - surely these things should be issued on the spot by the attending officer? Just this morning, the ROP were called to the Etihad offices in Ruwi for a break-in. Apparently some bright spark thought he could nick himself an A380 or something!
So be sure you are vigilant. Ensure your doors and windows are locked, ensure your sliding doors are secured in a way that they can't be easily forced open from the outside, and ensure you do not leave anything of value in display inside your cars.
Eid.
Eid holidays have now been called: a nice cool 3 day haul for the Government, and 4 days for the Private sector. It will be a nice long weekend for sure! I read with interest the letter to the editor published in this weeks The Week about expatriate government employees being discriminated against due to their race. I fully agree with the author of the letter, but we all know nothing will change on that front.
Tom Millward.
Tomorrow, the 11th November, sees Tom Millward start his ride for charity around Oman. 3000 KM's starting at Qurum City Centre, at 11:11am. Tom is raising money to assist the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disability in Oman. During his cycle he is also hoping to raise awareness of Oman as a destination for Cycling to the wider community. The cycle ride will take between 2 and 3 months to complete and will cover all sorts of terrain and areas including the difficult and unpredictable interior.
If you require further information or would like to donate towards this charity, please contact omanbycycle@hotmail.com or GSM 9761 3342.
Fancy coins.
There are two commemorative coins being minted to mark the 40th anniversary of Oman as we know it today. One is gold, and the other is silver, and will contain the Oman coat of arms and a special 40th anniversary logo - so keep your eyes out for them.
Bryan Adams.
It's long been rumoured, and has finally been officially announced: Bryan's coming to town on December the 18th. Tickets are RO 25 and are on sale now in all the usual outlets. Stay tuned for a free ticket give-away right here on Muscat Mutterings soon.
War of the Djz Final - Thursday night
In new nightclub Nuts & Bolts, on Thursday night there is the final of the 2010 War of the Djz competition.
It should be a laugh, so check it out, the finalists are really good at their craft and it will be a great night of musical entertainment!
Zouk.
Tonight, the ever-trendy Zouk bar are having their very own VJ (Video Jockey) play some fun videos with crowd interaction, and of course their signature House music pumping all night long. Remember - you pay RO 20 at the door and then you get RO 20 worth of food and drinks inside.Muscat Rugby & Aussie Rules
This Friday afternoon, from 1:30pm sees an afternoon of fun on the Rugby ground. At 1:30 the Muscat Magpies play the Dubai Dingo's, then at 3pm the Muscat Rugby Club's U12 group have a demonstration game, and at 3:30pm we have Muscat RFC Men's Vs the Dubai Exiles. There will be a music system in the stands for spectators, as well as a bbq and drinks (non alcoholic ON the rugby pitch), then down in the clubhouse there are special offers on food and drinks available (including alcohol of course). It will be a fantastic day for everyone, please do come on down and show your support for our local expatriate community.Royal Opera
There have been reports that the Royal Opera people have been over-selling events to ensure packed nights, with the slight problem that some people who paid for their tickets do not get to have a seat. Reportedly nearly 30 people were left standing at the Monday night performance. So if you're planning on going to the Opera - make sure you get there early to get a seat!
UAE & Canada
It seems that the on-going spat between the UAE and Canada has gone to the next level: The UAE have now announced that as of January 2nd 2011, all Canadian passport holders visiting the UAE will have to apply for a visa before-hand, and pay the Visa fee (presumably RO 20 a time). One does wonder what the end result of all this diplomatic arguing will be, but it's routed in the fact that the UAE want more than 6 landing slots at Canadian airports each week for it's two airlines (Etihad and Emirates currently have to share the 6 slots). Having personally been on many Etihad flights to Toronto, I can assure you those flights are always jammed full, and more flights would be a good thing. But Air Canada don't want the competition. It would seem that the sound business solution would be to sell more landing slots to the UAE - why is a private company (Air Canada) dictating the Government of Canada's policies on this?
That's all for this week - have a fabulous weekend everyone.
le fin.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
British & Commonwealth Citizens oppurtunity to see The Queen
For those that have not received the email, I've published it in it's entirety here:
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will visit Oman on 25-28 November 2010, at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Sultan's reign and the strong relationship between Oman and the United Kingdom. There are two opportunities for members of the British and Commonwealth community to experience the visit (other events by invitation only). The attached letter explains what they are and how you can participate.
---------------------------------------------------
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN’S STATE VISIT TO OMAN, NOVEMBER 2010
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will visit Oman on 25-28 November 2010, at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Sultan’s reign and the strong relationship between Oman and the United Kingdom. The British Embassy would like as many members of the British and Commonwealth community as possible to have the opportunity to participate in the visit.
With this in mind, we have agreed with our Omani hosts that the public will have access to two events:
The Official Welcome: An opportunity to line the route as Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh drive past on their way to be greeted by His Majesty The Sultan at the start of the official programme. This will mean standing by the side of the road for around an hour and a half;
The Horse Show: The Sultan’s horses and some of the best horsemen and women in the country will perform for Their Majesties for just over an hour. All members of the audience will be seated, but will need to be in place for at least an hour before the show begins. The show will take place in the afternoon.
Both events are outside and will involve protracted waiting times, so may not be appropriate for very young children or those with special needs. For security reasons, we are not able to confirm precise timings or locations at this stage.
Since space is limited – 200 tickets for the Official Welcome and 300 for the Horse Show – we will hold a lottery to decide who gets a ticket. In order to give as many people as possible the chance to participate, please only specify attendance at one event or the other, not both.
If you wish to enter the lottery, please send the form below (click here for the form) to the Embassy’s Consular Section by fax: 2460 9011 or by email: muscat.consular@fco.gov.uk, by 14:30 on Monday 25 October.
Those successful in the lottery will be notified by email on Wednesday 27 October and will be given further details about the event they will participate in next month.
Noel Guckian
Dr Noel Guckian OBE
Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman
le fin.
Monday, 18 October 2010
local news round up
It's been a busy week, and we're only half way!
A couple of news stories I've meant to comment on recently are bunched together here.
Firstly, the tragic story of an Indian citizen left waiting for her embassy to come to her aid at Muscat International Airport. For those of you that have not yet heard about this story (picked up by the Gulf News on the 10th), which broke last Sunday (8th October), you could be forgiven: it was not covered in the local press. (But it was picked up by local blogger English Girl in Oman).
The key points of this story are as follows:
The Indian citizen was working in Muscat as a housemaid for her Omani sponsor. After just 2 months of work, the housemaid was sent home to India by the sponsor due to ill-health. It is evident that this woman had some serious health issues, and was no doubt ill. She lost her passport somewhere in Qatar when changing planes to continue on to her home in Chennai. Because she lost her passport, she was sent back to her port of origin, Muscat. With no passport, ROP immigration could not grant this woman entrance back into the country and thus she became stranded at the airport. The Indian embassy here in Muscat was notified of the situation within hours of the event occurring, but failed to send anyone to assist this person. Even the ROP contacted the Indian embassy but still no one from the embassy could be bothered to come and see this poor woman.
Perhaps this is what the Indian Embassy staff get up to...
After 5 days of being stranded in the airport, the woman had a seizure and died. When the Indian Ambassador Anil Wadwha was questioned as to what happened, he cited "procedural delays". What a bunch of incompetent, lazy and clearly lying people. To further rub salt in the wound, check out Issue #397 of The Week. Anil Wadwha is photographed 3 times at separate events in the "in town" photo section of the paper. It is disgraceful.
Next up: Her Majesty the Queen has formally published her travel dates. On November 25th, Oman will host The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh until the 28th of November. I should imagine that the roads will be closed a lot!
The UAE is getting a 2 day (1 night) stop-in from The Queen on her way to Oman before hand.
The much-delayed Muscat Expressway is on track to be opened on the 18th November to mark the nations 40th National day. I dare say it will be far from complete, but it will certainly help ease traffic congestion on the Sultan Qaboos highway and 18th November street during rush hour, as well as no doubt aiding the traffic nightmare that is Ghala. Additionally, the road from Amerat to Bousher (or is it Al Khuwair?) is nearing completion and will also be opening soon.
And finally, in a "Did you know" section... The ROP maintain a fairly comprehensive website, where among many other services, they allow you to check to see if you have incurred any driving fines. Click here for the website, you'll need your drivers license number, and your numberplate. You can even choose to pay these fines online should you wish.
And a little history lesson for you all. The ROP's took over vehicle licensing duties and responsibilities on the 4th September 1970...... from the Muscat & Muttrah Municipality.
Thats all for today.
le fin.
A couple of news stories I've meant to comment on recently are bunched together here.
Firstly, the tragic story of an Indian citizen left waiting for her embassy to come to her aid at Muscat International Airport. For those of you that have not yet heard about this story (picked up by the Gulf News on the 10th), which broke last Sunday (8th October), you could be forgiven: it was not covered in the local press. (But it was picked up by local blogger English Girl in Oman).
The key points of this story are as follows:
The Indian citizen was working in Muscat as a housemaid for her Omani sponsor. After just 2 months of work, the housemaid was sent home to India by the sponsor due to ill-health. It is evident that this woman had some serious health issues, and was no doubt ill. She lost her passport somewhere in Qatar when changing planes to continue on to her home in Chennai. Because she lost her passport, she was sent back to her port of origin, Muscat. With no passport, ROP immigration could not grant this woman entrance back into the country and thus she became stranded at the airport. The Indian embassy here in Muscat was notified of the situation within hours of the event occurring, but failed to send anyone to assist this person. Even the ROP contacted the Indian embassy but still no one from the embassy could be bothered to come and see this poor woman.
Perhaps this is what the Indian Embassy staff get up to...Next up: Her Majesty the Queen has formally published her travel dates. On November 25th, Oman will host The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh until the 28th of November. I should imagine that the roads will be closed a lot!
The UAE is getting a 2 day (1 night) stop-in from The Queen on her way to Oman before hand.
The much-delayed Muscat Expressway is on track to be opened on the 18th November to mark the nations 40th National day. I dare say it will be far from complete, but it will certainly help ease traffic congestion on the Sultan Qaboos highway and 18th November street during rush hour, as well as no doubt aiding the traffic nightmare that is Ghala. Additionally, the road from Amerat to Bousher (or is it Al Khuwair?) is nearing completion and will also be opening soon.
And finally, in a "Did you know" section... The ROP maintain a fairly comprehensive website, where among many other services, they allow you to check to see if you have incurred any driving fines. Click here for the website, you'll need your drivers license number, and your numberplate. You can even choose to pay these fines online should you wish.
And a little history lesson for you all. The ROP's took over vehicle licensing duties and responsibilities on the 4th September 1970...... from the Muscat & Muttrah Municipality.
Thats all for today.
le fin.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Weekend round up.
Ahh, Wednesday you shady lady, you're here again.
There's quite a lot going on this weekend, and here's my pick:
Wednesday night:
You might want to go and check out the circus at Qurum park. I've not heard any reviews on this, so if you've been, please do share your experiences with the rest of us.
Thursday night:
It's the 80's bash at t'intercon gardens. I've got my outfit sorted, keep your eyes peeled for my delightfully tacky gold chain, and sunglasses! For those of you that have been living in Muscat for a few years, you might remember the time before Hi FM started bringing acts to Muscat.... there was nothing here. We should support these gigs so that we get more...
Gates open at 7pm, and tickets cost RO 20.000 a pop. Call 9555 5699 for ticketing information.
Friday:
Muscat are taking on last seasons league champions, Bahrain in the only sport that matters at 4pm. Yes I'm talking about rugby again, and yes I'm asking you all to please come down and support the guys as they face up to last seasons champions. Real David and Goliath stuff - it should be good.
The kids section of the rugby club will be having a demonstration at 3pm on the field, ahead of the 4pm kick off of against Bahrain. If you would like to come, but don't know how to get to the field, click here for a map showing you where the field is, its right next to the ABA school in Al Khuwair.
le fin.
There's quite a lot going on this weekend, and here's my pick:
Wednesday night:
You might want to go and check out the circus at Qurum park. I've not heard any reviews on this, so if you've been, please do share your experiences with the rest of us.
Thursday night:It's the 80's bash at t'intercon gardens. I've got my outfit sorted, keep your eyes peeled for my delightfully tacky gold chain, and sunglasses! For those of you that have been living in Muscat for a few years, you might remember the time before Hi FM started bringing acts to Muscat.... there was nothing here. We should support these gigs so that we get more...
Gates open at 7pm, and tickets cost RO 20.000 a pop. Call 9555 5699 for ticketing information.Friday:
Muscat are taking on last seasons league champions, Bahrain in the only sport that matters at 4pm. Yes I'm talking about rugby again, and yes I'm asking you all to please come down and support the guys as they face up to last seasons champions. Real David and Goliath stuff - it should be good.
The kids section of the rugby club will be having a demonstration at 3pm on the field, ahead of the 4pm kick off of against Bahrain. If you would like to come, but don't know how to get to the field, click here for a map showing you where the field is, its right next to the ABA school in Al Khuwair.le fin.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Congratulations!
I pulled 2 names out of a hat to find out who are the lucky winners of 2 tickets each to the Dan Zak concert to be held at the InterCon gardens next Thursday (16th).
The winners are:
Omani Princess (Not Omani) from popular local blog How To Live Like an Omani Princess
Paris "The Ripper" Norriss
I am not even joking - the email was signed off with that name!
Emails have been sent out to the winners with details on how to collect their prizes. Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who entered the competition.
le fin.
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Competition! Dan Zak @ T'Intercon Thursday Sept 16th
Next Thursday at the InterContinental hotel gardens, Dan Zak will be performing. You can read all about him (if you don't already know of him) on his official Facebook FAN PAGE here, and his Facebook Celeb Verified account here. He's an East-African guy (born in Tanzania) with a strong Omani connection, and has recently returned to Oman. You can listen to some of his stuff on his MySpace page, here.
Dan's style is RnB and he signed up to Akon's Hitlab website some time ago. He held the number 1 spot on Hitlab for an impressive 8 weeks (longer than anyone else to date) and has since built a pretty impressive following (over 7250 fans on Facebook).
Tickets are RO 15 a pop, and are on sale right now through the usual outlets (Bose store in QCC, HiFM & Intercon Box Office).
But if you either comment below, or send me an email, you could win one of two PAIRS of tickets!
If you choose to comment below, please leave a method of contacting you. It's much better to send me an email.
Email your contact information to: mrsythe @ gmail.com
The prize draw will be made early on Thursday morning, so make sure you enter! Remember - it's free to enter, I won't keep or sell your information for any reason except to tell you that you've won some tickets - You've got to be in it to win it!
le fin.
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Muscat Rugby Club presents: Comedy Night
On Thursday May 13th, there will be a comedy night featuring up to a dozen comedians held at the Muscat rugby club near the ABA school in al Khuwair.
There will be special offers on food and drinks, as well as a raffle for some prizes too.
It's a 21+ event & no smoking inside is strictly enforced.
Muscat plays in the Premier Gulf league against a host of teams from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. To travel to these games costs a lot of money (especially the non-UAE games), so please do come down and support the club so that they may continue to represent the only Omani rugby team to compete in the GCC. In the 2009 Dubai Rugby 7's tournament, Muscat won the GCC championship, a feat they hope to re-create this year.
le fin.
There will be special offers on food and drinks, as well as a raffle for some prizes too.
It's a 21+ event & no smoking inside is strictly enforced.
Muscat plays in the Premier Gulf league against a host of teams from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. To travel to these games costs a lot of money (especially the non-UAE games), so please do come down and support the club so that they may continue to represent the only Omani rugby team to compete in the GCC. In the 2009 Dubai Rugby 7's tournament, Muscat won the GCC championship, a feat they hope to re-create this year.
le fin.
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