guest user
7/1/2001 05:18 EST
" Hello Alison I''m Jane and I hope you don''t mind my answering some of your questions: I would have liked to have someone answer them for me before I came here, though, having said that, I feel that everyone''s experience is different and no-one can really tell you what to expect or how you will feel about it. No descriptions can prepare you because each person emphasises the things which affect them, positively or negatively, and these may be things you don''t notice at all. We''ve been in Oman for two years and will be here at least one more year. We have one child, aged 5, at The British School-Muscat. Oman is a wonderful country: safe, clean, friendly - and we love it here. The expat community is supportive and, as it''s a small place, you get to know everyone very quickly. Join the American Women''s Group as soon as you arrive - almost everyone is a member and you get good discounts in most shops and for many serives (hairdressers, hotels). There is no substantial mosquito/insect problem though one can get bitten in the evenings if sitting outside. I''ve experienced far worse in Med countries. As you are British you may want to send your children to The British School when the time comes, in which case you could consider living in Medinat Qaboos, a small cosy community with local shops where many expats live. However, increasingly, people live in Ghubra or Azaiba - areas further out of town, on the airport road, where there are large, new houses at lower rents. My preference would be for MQ, Medinat al Ilam, Qurm, Qurm 16 or Qurm 29. Canada has a very reasonable cost of living if I remember, so you may find Oman expensive. Certain things are more expensive here than elsewhere and others are cheaper, so, in theory,it should balance out although, overall, it probably turns out to be more expensive than you think it should be. This is partly because there are nearly £2 to the Omani Rial so that everything is twice as expensive as it appears, if you''re used to dealing with pounds sterling: RO4 sounds like nothing - and is nothing in terms of purchasing power - but £8 is nearly a tenner. Petrol, cars and some clothes are very cheap; groceries are absurdly expensive (how about paying £7 for a box of cereal?) although there is a branch of Carrefour coming from Dubai in October and everyone is looking forward to greater commercial competition and consequently reduced shopping prices. Winter weather is fantastic - around 25-29 deg C. We go camping, trekking into the wadis, lying on the beach and have BBQs all the time. Between April and the end of November the temperature rises into the mid/high 30s and low 40s and it is hot and often very humid (up to 90%). Because houses, hotels, cars and shops have AC, you rarely need to be out in the heat: the problem arises when you want to find activities to do with children in the hot months because you can''t go outside after 8am and before 4pm. We have an ice rink and three cinemas, and that''s about it. Most people leave for 2 months as soon as school breaks up at the end of June so you may be arriving when everyone else has gone and you won''t get an accurate picture of life here. It''ll get lively again at the end of August! However, the heat isn''t as bad as you''d think and I find it much easier to deal with than I do to deal with the cold. Cooling down is much easier than heating up cold bones. There are very few shops selling consumer goods, unless you are interested in gold jewellery and watches. About 3 shoe shops and very little in the way of clothes shops. Some electronics. Finding clothes and shoes for children is particularly difficult. Most people either stock up before they arrive, or when they go home in the summer, have things sent or brought out by visitors, or they go to Dubai on shopping trips (4 hours'' drive/1 hour''s flight. Flight is RO60 return. To drive you need a road pass) Many use Internet shopping. Here, there is a branch of British Home Stores, a (hopeless) Clarks shoe shop, a small branch of Next. If you''re a reader, it''s very hard to get decent books of any sort, and almost no good children''s books. Bring them or order through Amazon. Similarly DVDs - very little here and all the ones in the video rental shops are censored. Magazines and newspapers cost a great deal (£8-£10 for a copy of Vogue or similar). This all sounds negative, but it''s a lovely country and all these things can be overcome or else you get used to them. It''s a great place for children to grow up, the medical facilities are good and the Omanis are kind, polite and friendly people, as are the Filipinos, Indians, Sri Lankans and other expats. There are loads of things I could tell you. Hope you enjoy it and settle well. You don''t say why you''re coming here - no doubt your/your husband''s company will be of help in giving you information but if you need any more answers, observations, contact numbers or support, I''m happy to help. Jane "
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