Job Discussion Forums

[denise]

Hang in there, guys!

Saturday is a national holiday, and MOE schools might be closed on Sunday as well.. but that was just a rumor that I heard. (Although rumors are as good as news here.)

So far there's been minimal rain in my part of Muscat, but it's just the beginning...

d

[007]

Well, I wonder if global warming is the cause of 2 cyclones in the past 3 years? Why should Oman pay for problems caused by other super-power nations?
Is it a conspiracy theory? I do not think so!

I hope the Sultan will give an urgent order for planting 1,000,000 palm trees to protect the shore of Oman (well this is my advice to his majesty the Sultan Qaboos ), at least to minimise the effect of global warming caused by other nations!

[denise]

While you theorize and point fingers, there are people out there who are actually living through it.

Muscat's OK, but I wouldn't want to be in or near Sur right now. I hope everyone is OK. (Even those of us from evil super-power nations!)

d

[veiledsentiments]

I hear it dropped to category one which is good news, but that is still lots of rain. There are already pictures of the flooding on Facebook. It looks like Sur is getting the worst of it. Phet already has his (?) own page:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108408902538897

It doesn't take much rain to cause lots of flooding in Oman. Hopefully there were lessons learned from the last one.

[Beast]

Wait! I thought the new SCAM by Environmentalist is "Global Cooling." Now, the biggest Scamster of all, Al Gore will have to do a new film, Inconvenient Truths - 2. And... I now have to redo all the lesson plans on the Environment. Will the scamsters ever let us rest?

[boundforsaudi]

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/algore/ig/Al-Gore-Cartoons/Al-Gore-Reenters-Dating-Scene.1-PJ.htm

[veiledsentiments]

On a more serious note, I just saw a report of 12 deaths in Oman from the rains... 9 Omanis and 3 expats. That number will probably rise as they begin the cleanup.

VS

[slaqdog]

Sur did indeed have A LOT of rain; but not too bad though I do feel for the people whose houses were flooded and had to go stay in the stadium.
The college is closed for at least a week; a hellava lot of mud to clear out! A lot of the 'older' teachers left town because they had experienced the massive storm a few years ago but we hardy ones faced Phet armed with our mops and fought the good fight- why cant Oman build houses with windows that keep the rain?
My condolences to all the people who lost loved ones.

[veiledsentiments]

Strange the window thing. I lived in 3 different flats in Oman and I guess I was just lucky that none of the windows or doors leaked. It seems like it has become the "standard" in new housing! There is a video of a British family mopping away through the rain - on youtube... and two of my friends told me that all their windows, doors and around the AC units leak. ...caulk?

So, some of the Sur University buildings got flooded?

VS

[slaqdog]

Yes caulk seems to be the problem; I can see that the heat causes problems with this (it dries out and falls out) but it must be down to cutting corners and saving money on basics that make life in Oman that little bit more frustrating-like not bothering with drainage in most of the city for example
Sur College Applied Sciences seems to have been built on land that is low lying and the whole place was under water, again planning and foresight not strong points making a quick buck and f*** the consequences- very strong on that......
One poster suggested 'planting a million palm trees' to protect the coast--you do know these trees need a lot of water? Visiting a farm recently in just 30 years the well has gone from 30 metres to 130 metres- now if we stop leaving the A/C on all day and the stupid consumption of oil ie all you car owners destroying the planet, US Teflers flying all over the place, combined with decent buildings that are suited to the climate now you are talking, but a few trees? Delusional.

[veiledsentiments]

You will find that countries in deserts with little rain rarely have a decent drainage system... true all up and down the Gulf. Not to mention Phoenix, Arizona... I suspect it comes down to economics. But if these heavy rains become more common, they may have to rethink their priorities.

You will notice that the old construction in Oman was always away from the wadis. Everyone knows where the water will run when it rains. And for the first years of development, contractors seemed to have checked. But... as it usually goes, the cowboys show up and build wherever they can snag the land... and some older locals laugh up their sleeves that they tricked that foreigner. I wonder who the developer was for this private university. I can visualize a tiny Omani gentleman with his giant khanjar politely trying to tell the construction crew that this area will flood every time it rains... as they ignore him. If you ever get to SQU, notice the system of "wadis" that were built to channel the water through the complex. So, government building seems planned... private development likely depends too much on wasta.

VS
(BTW... any of you running out to buy caulk... you need to do both the outside and the inside... otherwise the water will channel into the walls...)

[boundforsaudi]

Yep, if ever thar's anythin off kilter ya kin be sure it's cos of them gall dang cowboys.

[veiledsentiments]

Amazing the number of nationalities represented by the "cowboy" fringe these days... most of 'em aren't even native speakers of English anymore... they migrate from the subcontinent... or places like... Jordan.

(that should ring a bell for those with Sur experience...)

VS

[boundforsaudi]

One of my Jabali students in Dhofar told me his grandfather had no greater pleasure in life than watching Rawhide or Gunsmoke or Clint Eastwood Westerns. Reminded him exactly of how it used to be in Oman.

[veiledsentiments]

I wonder how he watched them. There was no TV in the country until well after those shows were gone. (like late 70s) I suppose that his father was like many who had to leave the country to find work... and TV.

Rawhide was my favorite when I was a kiddie... terrible crush on Rowdy Yates.

VS