Walking Day 2012

Succession Question Fuels Uncertainty in Oman

Interesting article by Martin Dokoupil from Reuters. Read it here ... but make haste! I predict the article will be blocked in Oman within the next 48 hours.

Carrefour in Salalah

I heard the sign was up, so I drove by yesterday afternoon to see for myself. Salalah's first shopping mall is beginning to look like a mall! They've painted it a weird shade of salmon (or that's what it looked like at sunset). More information on the project at Salalah World.

ROP Denies 10-day Jail Sentence

I am royally confused. Yesterday the Times of Oman reported a 10-day jail sentence for anyone caught using their cell phones while driving. This morning the ROP denies it. Can someone explain?

Jail, anyone?

As someone who has had enough near-death experiences to last me a lifetime (all on Oman's insane roads), I was VERY pleased to read in today's Times of Oman that you can spend up to 10 days in jail if you're caught talking on the phone while driving. Last year I was driving through a quiet neighborhood at 20 km/h trying to find my friend's house. I was inching over a speed bump and eyeing the houses trying to find the right one when she called me to tell me I was outside her house. I picked up the phone and she shouted 'I can see you! Stop at the blue gate!" within 2 seconds I noticed a police car beside me. He gave me a ticket for using the phone while inching driving. I was so pleased, I thanked him. Now if there were more policemen on the HIGHWAY at rush hour instead of in quiet little neighborhoods, our world would be a better place. Please please please ROP, start enforcing. Ten days in jail won't hurt anyone. Take my brothers!