Do you think people would be offended...??

Firstly by time I finish this - there might be a few swear words...

Okay - so what do you do if you have overseas visitors.... you take them to all the usual tourist attractions - as you do in any country when you get guests from overseas - apparently it the polite thing to do - take them around, show them the sites (read coffee shops), road trips blah blah..

So yes - I had a overseas visitor - my "middle" step-kid.. (side bar - hubby was married before and has 3 kids from that) Now he has been here before - 2008 - June / July - he did a months intership (I think you call them) at an engineering company - so in "theory" he's seen it all right? right? wrong... LOL Poor little sausage was here for a whole month on his own and by the end of the month didn't realise there was actually bars here.... (Guess that what happens when you put your step-kids life in the hands of a really great Omani family to look after for a month... :))

Anyway - so this old step-mommy had great fun taking him out on NYE to show him that - yes you can get rip roaring randomly PDA'ing (shall I call it) "happy" (or just be blunt and say) "blotto" here.... :) We went to the Muscat Rugby Club and had a whale of a time (okay so I am speaking for myself here - but seeing as in all of the 15 years I have known this kid we havent hugged each other *refer earlier PDA post* and here he was on NYE hanging on me - I safely assume he also had a good one!)

So yes for the past couple of weeks - I've been showing him around - and yes I did get him addicted to Iced Coffees (score!!) I've had fun proving to someone that I am getting to know this place and that it is a great place to live... he admits it now - although when he came back from his internship he was kinda anti - BUT bear in mind he was here in June / July - SUMMER peeps... 45 deg C + and of course he has come to realise that there is booze and pork... I loved his face when I whipped out ye ol' bacon.... (big up al Fair!)

Geez - I was meant to keep this post short n sweet - but again end up ramabling on and on and on about nothing... :)

Anyway - so this being his last night we took him to the main tourist attraction - he had been there before (see main tourist attraction EVERYONE has been there at least once) the Muttrah Souq.

Now there are 2 things about this place that has me in giggles everytime I go...
But wait - first - let me explain what it is... *slaps forehead* DOH! Muttrah Souq is a market - similar to the flea markets (as we call 'em) back in RSA - HOWEVER - it is in an area of buildings that are built so close together its teeny tiny weeny alley ways and a real mish mash of things and people and smells - its kinda hard to explain I guess - you can get everything, and I MEAN EVERYTHING - I have photographic proof of a Bulls Baseball cap - YES - a RSA Rugby Teams' baseball cap can be purchased at this Souq. There is sections, general, cloths, gold, silver blah blah - one can get lost in there - I am sooooo glad I have the most amazing sense of direction ;)

Anyway back to the 2 things...

- what do you do when you go to a flea market - you are looking for stuff right - bargins or something specific - but still looking (okay unless you are forced to go with an overseas vistor - you are generally going to look for something right?)
Well - now Souq = arabic for market and soek = africaans for find - both pronounced EXACTLY the same - SOOOOO anyone who says they dont know a word of africaans can now say they know one... and any one who says they dont know a word of arabic can now say they know one... cool huh... but for me I giggle all the time cause I genereally say lets go to the souq to soek for ..... (fill in random thing you want)

Weird?? yes?? - my world remember... :)

- and now onto my main rant...
EACH AND EVERY BLOODY TIME you go there - the "stall" owners / workers / employees / slaves whatever - will be out in the alley with their wares trying to force you to buy it... I DO NOT WANT A CASHMERE SCARF (btw I wouldn't know cashmere from nylon - so it could be fake) stop throwing it over my shoulder or forcing me to touch it... my 6 year old DOES NOT WANT a dishdash nor the hat that goes with it - stop putting in on his head. I DO NOT WANT TO SMELL YOUR PERFUME stop rubbing your stoppers on my arms....

yes yes - OBVIOUSLY - its best not to go when a big freaken cruise liner filled with weirdly dressed foreigners on hols is in the harbour - so the market is FILLED to exploding point with "western expats" who will buy crap from pushy people - but I have been there without the cruise liner and it still happens...

and yes yes I know - they have to sell to make money - but really am I the only one that refuses to buy from those pushy ones - I find the ones that stay inside their weeny shops and ask them if they have what I am looking for - surely there are more people that feel that way???

Do you think they would be offended if I get a T-shirt made with the following on it..
I'm not a F*CKEN TOURIST
I live here you D*CKHEAD
leave me alone
I DO NOT BUY CRAP from pushy people

I would wear that every time I go

Of course it would have to be a large T - cause it would need to be in English, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu - but thats okay - cause I'm kinda large too.


* *shocked face here* I felt bad about the swear words soooooo put in some stars...

Anyways till next time - rant over... :)