Job Discussion Forums

[AllOne]

Okay these are really practical questions:

What kind of clothes do women wear at the gym?
Can women go to a mixed gym?
Tell me about gyms, swimming pools, etc.

Night life, music etc:
Any such thing in Oman?
Any hip hop? or is it all bubblegum pop?

Culture:
What happens? Art galleries? Museums? Is it affordable?

Music...world music as opposed to western classical. Is there a music scene? Or is that something out of the realm of reality.

[omanized]

You seem excited and anxious about coming here to Oman - rest assured, it is a very relaxed place, safe and beautiful. If you are looking for big city action like dance clubs, a music "scene" etc. then you won't find what you want - Dubai is a pretty easy weekend trip though and it lives up to it's unofficial nickname as the "vegas" of the gulf.

Gyms are almost always in hotels and you can wear what you normally would as long as what you normally wear is not only a sports bra and bike shorts - just be mindful that this is a conservative country and some modesty is expected from everyone.

Some people are disappointed at the size and scope of westernized goods and lifestyle here - I suppose they feel that some of the culture and exotic atmosphere is lost - true enough, but you can pick your flavor - spend one day on the weekend at the mall, out at the bars, eating fast food or at nice restaurants and hanging around all of your western colleagues and friends and another day at a village souk, having tea with an Omani craftsman or woman or haggle over fish or goat prices at the Friday markets - as you like.....

omanized

[kuberkat]

Hi there, AllOne. Some very practical and valid questions there.

You don't say where you will be- things in Muscat are quite different from elsewhere, especially from the college towns where many TESOLers are stationed.

1. Gyms
Outside Muscat all the gyms I know of are in hotels and resorts. (Some offer a decent membership discount to teachers, btw.) The gyms are open to both men and women. At the gym I use there are usually tourists and regular foreign residents. The few locals are always male, and might be a little curious about you in a harmless way. Inside the gym it's fine to wear tights or shorts and a short-sleeved top, though you might want to take a cover-up for outside.

As a weird aside here, all other gyms I have visited had separate saunas for men and women- here there is only one, which is shared. Puzzling.

2. Pools and Swimming
Temperature-controlled pools are popular and available in hotels, too. If you choose your timing well, they're fine for training, but they can get crowded at popular times of day. If you are on the northern coast, the ocean is usually calm enough to swim in for training, though it can get warm in summer. The sand is blisteringly hot, so bring flip-flops to the shore.

3. Nightlife- ah- Nightlife
Nightlife is something you might sorely crave- I certainly do. There are mediocre cover bands performing in most hotels at weekends. (So mediocre I suspect this is why hotels sell alcohol.) It's not even bubblegum- it's usually middle-of-the-road braindrilling selected to please middle-aged package tourists. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here. With the foreigner count continually increasing, miracles may happen yet. And yes, there is always Dubai.

4. Kultcha
Culturally there are a few reasonably interesting options in the capital (and the obligatory fort in every town, of course). Museums run by the State are dirt-cheap, and there are interesting exhibits from time to time. The real treats are what you'll find by accident: a student playing the oud, a gift of Omani silver from a friend (refuse at least three times!) or that magic cup of qahwa at the bank manager's.

5. The good stuffAll these things being said, the country has many charms and the art really is to find and delight in them- even if you miss your old treats. Outdoor adventures, the local culture and people can also bring adventure. You will hear it time and again: the Omanis are lovely. And the rather light schedule should leave plenty of time for your ongoing study or hobbies- and leave a bit for getting into trouble, too. (Speaking of which, feel free to PM me if you need help with that! Looks like we're in the same boat on a few counts.)

Best of luck with your preparations, and let us know how you find things here.

[bridget824]

Hi AllOne,

I am an American girl who just arrived in Oman two weeks ago. I visited all the recommended gyms last weekend and found that Future near the beach (and the movie theatre) was the best for the price. They have a ladies only side and a mixed side and offer ladies only classes and mixed classes. In the ladies only classes, the locals wear sports bras and pants. So I feel comfy wearing what I wore back home - but I'll probably wear a t-shirt and gym-type pants for the mixed classes.

Also, I know a dutch girl from singapore who did ultimate frisbee there and wants to start a team here and I did flag football back home and want to start a team here - so if you'd like to join up for some friendly fun co-ed sports, just send me a PM and I'll send you the info.

About going out, I'm hoping to find some fun spots - the grand hyatt seems to have some possibility.... but I haven't had time to check out the night life yet... I'll let you know!

Bridget

[absynthe]

hey all, I've been reading through these boards for a while now and I'm suprised by almost every single post about oman nightlife!

I lived in Muscat for close to 5 years and have returned for a couple of months each year I have been away.

I understand that it is hard to get into - I hated Oman when I first moved there. Expats seem to keep to themselves - I felt really isolated and it was the same routine every day which nothing much exciting going on. I then started going to the local bars and meeting locals, now I can't stay away from the place! I did find the nightlife a tad trying but only because I'm fairly alternative (musical taste ranges from classic rock to progressive death), but by luck, I managed to find like-minded Arabs who I visit every year. And being a single white female wasn't an issue, once you make good local friends, they keep you under their wing!

Our pit-stops were the PDO club (Ras Al Hamra) which is for employees of PDO. you can buy memberships and I think its worth it as they have a cheap beachside bar, tennis courts, squash courts, mixed and womens gym, basketball courts (indoor and outdoor), video store, library, swimming pool, coffee house, restaurants, arts centre and much more, all situated around a beautiful beach.

A favorite booze-stop of mine is the Safari which is part of the Hyatt - I met the greatest people there and there is usually a good mix of expats and locals. The music is middle of the road, they usually have the best covers bands of all the hotels, and friday night is jam night which usually consists of the same punters playing rock and blues covers each week.

Below the Safari is another bar with pool tables and screens, and is more for having a wind-down drink than the slightly-rowdier upstairs.

Below that (directly under main entrance of Hyatt Hotel) is the Copa Cobana. Females get in free, males have to pay 10rials (or 5 if you're friendly with the bouncers), or couples are free. This policy is great, it *kind of* levels out the male:female ratio, but a high percentage of the females are Russian/Philipino prostitutes. The music at the Copa is Arabic-dance, great if you're up for a boogy - or heaps of fun if you like people watching!

Another fave of mine is the Intercontinental hotel bar, the cover bands are usually VERY questionable but there is a wider range of ages (from fresh out of school to old - I once saw an elderly lady with a walker in there), and more expats go here. The bar staff are great, friendly people, the atmosphere is almost London-pub like.

Next to the Intercon bar is Trader Vic's, which has a lot more class and serves up cocktails - all of which are pretty expensive, but its nice for a drink or two. A lot of marines & expats frequent Vics.

On the first level of the Intercon there is a really nice restaurant / bar called the Mexican (I think?), they serve some pretty interesting cocktails.

For the Younger lot theres Pavo Real in MQ which is also a restaurant. I always find this place disturbing as it is PACKED to the brim with expat + arab kids, most still at school. It has karaoke, so can be fun if you're into that. otherwise avoid it.

There are also places like the Rugby Club, Jabreen in Qurum (is this still open?), the Beach Hotel which is incredibly seedy, and pretty much all hotels have bars.

There is PLENTY of fun to be had in terms of night-life! I recommend the Safari and the Intercon bar to meet people for those who are new to Oman, the people are incredibly helpful and receptive of new friends!

[absynthe]

those *beeps* are 'coctails' by the way, not swear words!

[kuberkat]

Thanks for the interesting info, absynthe. I hope my post did not seem very negative: I love Oman, but nightlife is thin on the ground. Though things are a little more diverse in Muscat, the areas where many new teachers are being posted are at least 90 minutes out of the capital, so a night on the town involves either a long trip home (ruling out those *beep*s) or a hotel stay. I still maintain that nightlife is not a strong point here if it's authentic music or dance you're after. The *beep* scene is one way to meet like-minded folks, but I am not like-minded to them! I do go to most special events and dance until the music fades anyway (being sober I can still drive home!) but it's just an alibi: I try to ignore the music and just bop along to the different drummer in my head. Make no mistake: I have never been as happy as I am in Oman, it's just that with such wide tastes to please, the music scene seldom departs from the middle of the road.
Are there things to do? Absolutely. Are there interesting people to meet? Definitely. And they are from a variety of cultures, too. Is there a good music and dance scene? Maybe one day there will be.

[absynthe]

I agree kuberkat. the nightlife really isnt my scene but the people make up for it. My post was to give peope a heads up if they are after something in Muscat, more than trying to defend what nightlife there is! It is a different story living outside Muscat - even less options. I have quite a few friends who are out of the capital, they still manage to make it in every couple of weekends; drive up, stay with mates then drive back after a day of recovery! Does require a few meet and greet visits to make friends with good sofas though

[kuberkat]

Ah! Good reason for the folks in Muscat to invest in decent sofas (or not?!?)... Else there's always the squeaky-clean Corniche Hotel in Mutrah at RO12 per night. No visitors, no *beep*...

Seriously, though, your detailed post should open up a few new options...

[veiledsentiments]

Gee... I wonder what that "beep" stood for. This is like a gap-filling exercise... guess from context...

I knew that there was a reason that I didn't have a sofa!!

VS

[kuberkat]

Hmmm, lending out my couch (or in my case, my carpet) to visiting friends isn't something I would like to do every weekend, either.

The *beeps*, btw, were edited by power that be. They refer to certain liquid consumables...

[veiledsentiments]

Yes, the robo censor picks the word and guessing from context, I wouldn't have picked the word c o c ktail. I would have probably said booze or alcohol or beer, but then I don't normally use the term c o c ktail anyway.

VS