Tuesday, July 10, 2007

..ok..I'll try to introduce myself...

Hello Community!

..I'll try to fight against the shy side of me and say little bit of my personal experience in Oman.
First time i came in the Sultanate was February 2005, my Professor "sent" me to Salalah to attempt some consolidation works. I knew almost nothing about this country and didn't have time to read or to catch more information... (i wasn't a "sailor" of the net as i'm now!!!)
When i arrived in Salalah the people "of the group", working with me -not Omani-, just gave some "instructions": Do this, Don't do this. That's all. I spent a very nice time but in somehow i missed something.
After my short time there i still knew almost nothing about Omani and the Spirit of Oman but i felt that i had to come back...
Don't ask me why or what stole my heart... that time Oman was just a place... maybe the smell of the incense souq... the colour of the mountains at sunrise... or the sunset in Taqah.
I don't know why, but while i was leaving Salalah i said to myself: "..find a way to come back here..."

So i did, and not just for few weeks. Trying every time to know more, to feel and taste the sense of Oman... and even learn all this from Omani not just from my group (don't ask me why but we are kept separate than "locals"... and till now i can't understand it at all).

Anyway time by time thanks to the help of some collegues and friends -Omani, one of them studied for his ph.D. here in Pisa- i've started to learn the culture, traditions and values and to open my eyes upon many mistakes and ridiculos things... Upon all these mistakes we fall in whenever we think to know something better than everyone else... whenever we judge people and culture without trying to understand them...


My experience in Oman started just as a "working" experience and became an interesting school of life under many point of view... (...also for my Ph.D. studies!..but this is another story... for another post..)
I met "sleepless" for the first time in 6th of June -or something like that- just before Mr. Gonu's visit to Oman.. i heard something of that, but our tv speaker seemed to be more interested in gossips and VIP scoops... so i was looking for more news about the situation in Muscat and surroundings.
I remember that days i was driving crazy 'cause mobile net didn't work properly and was trying to call some friends of mine just to be shure that they and their family were ok..
Several blogs were the only available source of news, true news... ..and i get this addiction for blogs!

For a structural engineer like me, who is writing for the first time in a blog, is not easy to summarize two years of experience, emotions, toughts on a so peculiar country... -..and in the same time introducing herself without killing people with a boring post!!-...
Just I think this blog is a good chance for me to share ideas, point of view, news, advices... in somehow to grow up... and i hope i can give you something useful from my personal experience.

......
-i always have some problems in closing e-mails, letters..and, now i see, also posts!!...-
.....Ciao Ciao!

9 comments:

Sleepless In Muscat said...

Now you have made me anxious to know what you have learned and experienced while you were here in Oman..

But a great post. Wonderful structure.

Hope to see more of your posts, and welcome to the blog!

Abdullah Al-Bahrani said...

Yeah, I second Sleepless

Suburban said...

Great story! Nice to have you here.

Anonymous said...

thanks to all of you!...

Sleepless: "wonderful structure"...?.. that's too much! Are you playing or what? ;P Anyway thank u for encouragement!

Solafa said...

Chiarina

Welcome aboard, and I shall say welcome to Oman too.

I am glad that finally you found your way to discover our beautiful land, where many mysteries and greatness of the land and its people can only be discovered when you interact with them and try to understand them rather than just watch them from a distance.

It must have been a great change in your side and something that you add on into your life.

Plus, I am glad that you are an engineer at least me and my sister are not alone in here as engineers.

Kay said...

Chiarina - any chance your professor goes by the name of Alessandra??

Anonymous said...

kay:
..no..My Prof. is a man...even if i heard something about a lady with this name...why?

chiarina said...

@solafa: (I see right now that i didn't reply to ur comment..well..If u want the truth i did...but didn't save it..(i'm a disaster.. i know!!))

Really ur country change something in me and in the way to see my work..even if i wasn't aware at the begginig..

..I can see from ur blog that also u're an "unusal" engineer!!.. I think u can undestand what i mean!! ;)

Unknown said...

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