I've always wanted to defend our cows. The time has come. Over the years, whenever Westerners come to Oman, I hear them laughing at our cows:'They're so tiny!'
'Look at those skinny legs'
'Black cows! Ew!'
'What's with the skin-on-bones?'
'Oh, look at the cute baby cow with its cute little horns!' ... .... uh-oh, Lady, you've just insulted a fully-grown bull.
Our cows are tiny, dark, cute, and we like them. So there!
Hello Nadia,
ReplyDeleteI'm an Omani guy from Muscat, just came across your blog. I visited Dhofar with some friends during the khareef for the first time ever 2 years ago and completely fell in love with this magical land. Pretty much all our time was spent outside of Salalah exploring the mountains/beaches. Love your blog, keep it up!
Unfortunately I work in the US now so what limited holiday time I have all goes to seeing people in Muscat, but I hope to visit Dhofar again some day! It really has a special place in my heart.
-Omani in US
Dear Omani-Muscati-in-US-former-Dhofar-Visitor:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your note. Oman is such a beautiful country in many different ways, I'm not sure how you cope with the US! I've been there before, and always get homesick for Omani mishkak and dishdashas :-)
Our cows are very special in their size, taste, and behavior... the best beef ever is of our Dhofari cows.
ReplyDeleteThey are also wild i.e not easy to control, they are also aggressive
And you forgot to mention that in the monsoon, the fresh cow's milk tastes like grass :-)
ReplyDeleteORGANIC!
Speaking of Organic, we should be proud of our beef. In Western countries it's almost impossible to find beef from grass-fed cows. A lot of people need to eat it for health purposes but can't find any unless it comes from Japan. Our beef is 100% Organic.
ReplyDeleteI love the cows in Dhofar - they give me milk to put in my coffee in the mornings :)
ReplyDeleteFirst time commenting on your blog Nadia, but I've been reading it for some time. Hopefully you'll get some more Oman-based visitors - I've added you to my blog.
Keep up the great blog - PS - any update on that AIDS story you wrote about back in April?
Nadia,
ReplyDeleteLike any other place, there are advantages and disadvantages to being here. There is a lot I miss about home: family, friends, warm weather, the beach/ocean, etc. But work here is better quality than anything I could find at home, so for now I am here.
Can I also add that the best mishkak I have ever eaten was in Dhofar, some place at the side of the road. It was 11:30am and they had just started cooking :) yummm
-Omani in US
Yeah, the cows in the streets are really small.
ReplyDeleteOnce I went to my grandmother's farm and I was whoa! What did she feed them! They were massive! Taller than me, giants!
Apparently they're imported from Australia and bred in Salalah, or something along the lines of that!
Maybe when the foreigners come, you can rent them to pass by. ;)
Nadia - just to say where I come from in the good ol uuuu kay - the grass is green, and the bullocks are being fattened up in open fields - ready for; you know what (but they dont ! )
ReplyDelete