ok maybe yesterday I got a bit carried away...
I said some things that while I believe them to be true for a minority of Omani's, it probably doesn't reflect the whole of the Omani people. But isn't that always the case?
I met a Pakistani man delivering flyers in my neighbourhood last week and we had a bit of a chat. He asked me where I was from and I said Canada, and he said he wanted to move there very badly. I said, yeah you and everyone else! Canada is the best!
He then told me about how English people hate Pakistani people because they think they are all terrorists.
I said wise words to this man, I said, "there are good and bad people everywhere"
Why did I lose all sense of this yesterday? There are good and bad people everywhere.
In England, in Pakistan, in Canada, in Oman...and like really, everywhere.
I do apologise for painting everyone with the same brush, that's not fair. I'm not saying that what I said wasn't in some circumstances true, it just wasn't fair for me to generialize.
I was talking about the people in Sohar who found it necessary to burn private property and trash public spaces.
I was talking about the jerks who caused millions of rials in damages and caused the deaths of 6 people. You have no one to blame but yourselves for those deaths, for if not for your violent actions those people would still be alive.
I doubt that I would have said anything if protests were left peaceful.
So Omani's, count your blessings, you've made progress, you were heard, I know a lot of you got some money deposited in your bank accounts, well done, and hopefully the other demands you made will be met as well, because quite frankly I don't want to hear of anything like this happening here again. I didn't like it.
It's much too strange for such a well mannered (except in your cars) group of people to turn well...crazy.
Actually maybe it all makes sense. It's always the quiet ones, they bottle everything up and then it comes out with a vengence.
So while I am proud of what you've achieved, I think it was gone about in the worst way possible, although, would anyone have listened otherwise?
Hopefully as a whole you will have more chances to have diologue with the people who run this country, and that they will actually listen to what the people want.
Got some rest...now for the back story.
17 hours ago
17 comments:
Too little too late.
i think alot of people know for a fact that when we complain about the protests, we are complaining about the barberic behaviour some of these protestors are causing... I dont get why they felt the need to act vilontly, when HM is doing everything possible to calm the situation down. He gave them more than any other country did so far! I ask so many of my Omani friends and they all disagree with the violence. it was just uncalled for!
Better late then never, thanks for understanding!
C....ummm not everyone got that. I don't get the violence either, such a shame.
Hey AIO, Great blog you have there!
I think what you wrote in your blog yesterday is right to quite an extent, I don't get why are you taking your words back.
The fact is, Truth hurts and people should deal with it. I have been in the omani industry for quite a while now and agree with you of omani being lazy at work. Don't get me wrong there are Omanis, and great Omanis for that who work their socks off to get the job done in time, but unfortunately there are a very few of them. Tell you what, just pickup the telephone directory and randomly choose different companies to call, what you will discover is that (mostly) your calls will be unanswered, busy (coz they are talking with some relative/friends for hours), or answered after a very long period of delay, and even then its not the welcoming tone one would expect - "Can I help you?" instead it sounds more like "What the hell do you want!!". Guess who are the receptionists? Omani are they? That is one of the reasons I have made a habit to get a direct line number/extension instead of calling the reception (I ain't doing that again, hell no!!)
Being a fellow Omani it hurts to say such words, but rather than taking on the criticism and accepting the truth for whats it is, rejection and denial is not a solution to it. So just grow a pair and think what measures one can take rather than just taking it all out of the picture.
A*
I really hope you approve that last comment of mine - we Omanis should really know what are we in for
A*
I'm afraid the first comment was right. Your apology was too little too late. What you said was rude, underinformed and racist.
And actually you weren't just referring to those who used violence. You said, "I honestly think Omani's don't know how good they have it and have become a little spoiled." and "most Omani's think they're above manual labour. So I guess being an unemployed bum sucking the government teet is better then actually working for a living no matter what the job is." and "So really I'm not sure that Omani's actually want jobs, I think they just want money."
I could go on but you can read the post yourself.
I suggest if you are prone to going off on aggressive rants you shouldn't blog, or at least wait a while before you post.
I agree with the person above - DON'T APOLOGISE!
Omanis need to learn to take criticism. It is the only way to progress. They also need to learn to ask questions and push for knowledge. They seem to forget that the Sultan pushed a system and an idea 40 years ago that made this country truly remarkable, that is his legacy - one of strength and conviction. whatever happened to that? People have become fat and lazy. They want it all without putting in any effort. Not just the Omanis, but the expats living here too.
There was a comment that I put up on Muscat Mutterings, but it never made it up, perhaps because it mentioned Shy Rebellious Arab Girl, and as she is perhaps favoured as a blogger by Mr. Sythe, my comment never made it up! Perhaps you can do me the honours and post it up - it is not concocted by me, it is taken from REUTERS...
LONDON (Reuters) - When Saudi King Abdullah arrived home last week, he came bearing gifts: handouts worth $37 billion, apparently intended to placate Saudis of modest means and insulate the world's biggest oil exporter from the wave of protest sweeping the Arab world.
To read more about these techniques of "social cohesion" go to the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/28/wikileaks-saudi-royal-wel_n_829097.html
There is a lot of talk today that the anger is towards those families that came to Oman from India a few hundred years ago and now have a lot of the wealth. Think car dealerships and retail businesses etc. Any one know more about that? Or is this also just speculation and rumours?
"Better late than never" is right. We ALL say/write things we regret. To say "too little too late" is to show you have an unforgiven heart and know nothing of mercy. "To err is human. To forgive is divine."
I believe the fact that you went on such a rant (that had my wife in stitches!) is proof of your great concern for this country. Like you, it bothered me tremendously (and still does) that a bunch of hooligans can ruin everything for so many others.
You are appreciated, "Angry"!
Don't apologize!! I mean what the hell! Just because you are an expat does not mean you cannot say the same things I (and other Omanis) would say about the situation there.
If some people can't realize you are not generalizing, then its not your fault!
I am pissed too.. what the hell! there are a lot of jobs, but as you said.. they think those jobs are beneath them! Get a fucking education if you wanna do better.. a real one for that matter!! where you actually read and study what you are supposed to!
To the Anonymous poster: March 1, 2011 3:39 PM
I just want you to know that I do not moderate my comments, and very, very rarely delete comments. I did not delete your comment, nor decline to approve it - I have turned off comment moderation on my blog and it's a free forum for anyone to have their say.
Re-post it if you want, it must have been a problem with your computer/connection.
To AIO: Great post before, reading it I understood that you were not meaning everyone, but you are always going to get people who are incensed. They don't have to read your blog if they dont want to, it is, after all, called "Angry in Oman".
le fin.
Hehehe!
I am sorry, but this is funny. I have been reading different blogs and comments recently, and came across all of those Omani anon comments about wanting "freedoms" and so on ...
And here you go, basically showing them what constitutes a "freedom" in giving your opinion and stating your feelings and perspective - and they don't even want to accept your apology! So hypocritical!
Before people ask for something, they should learn what it is first - because "freedom" doesn't mean the ability to express only an opinion that you agree with!
Also - I'll add - Angry, you have nothing to apologize for! And if you felt that you should, and then you actually did - the people who do not accept your apology should be ashamed of themselves!
Yeah noticed that guy too. Must be the same ONE doing the rounds.
In fact I was wondering if he could possible be one of those Emirati troublemakers whose the cause of all the violence :-). Mere speculation of-course.
A* ditto about the phones. While the MOM does a good job there are a few flaws that mean the rewards of diligent work habits are hard to reward.
There is a fundamental difference between doing a job and having a job. I would say a portion of the workforce only puts value in the second of these.
The idea that an increase in the quality of doing a job may actually increase the value of having a job is something unfortunately that doesn't seem to have got through.
The question is - should it need to? The answer must lie deeper within a nations identity :-) surely.
@ AIO - Why do you need to apologize for stating the obvious? Anyone with half a brain would know you are talking about the lot that went about creating the havoc. You are right in venting your anger and here's hoping it never takes place again.
@ Anonymous(without the A*) - AIO is not far off the mark when it is said that Omani's think they are above manual labour. How many Omani's do you see working at the construction sites or working on top of buildings??!! Zero-Nada-Zilch !! It is true that too an extent most Omani's have been spoiled. The bright one's are the lot that understand what this country has given them and want to make something of it.
AIO- If you cannot voice your opinions and share your views on your own blog then where can you? There is a reason this blog isnt called "sugarcoated Oman" I think your readers knew what was coming :)
Good job on both posts, at the end of the day- everyone has their truth. It is obvious that you were opposing the violence and irrational behaviour of the protestors, anyone who thought otherwise just read between the lines a little too much.
No need to apologise. Your grasp on the Omani attitude to work was spot on.
If the Omani people want reform, they need to look inwards as individuals as well.
Thanks for the comments everyone, it's good for us to say what we think. I did delete one comment by accident which was somehow sorted to the spam folder.
That was the only comment that I deleted, I always publish whatever people say.
And that't the funny thing, the comment was about me deleting haters comments.
Wishes of an Omani "child"
Daddy, Daddy, you have given us whatever we wanted which have instilled our dreams ! But, still I want more
a) Free salary raise and free food
b) write off my loans to enable me take a new one (I meant a new car)
c) I hate my expat boss, he is earning more and asks for more productivity and accountability ( I want him chucked), if possible give me (or my Omani friends – how patriotic????) the same salary with no accountability
d) I will not be failed in class till I become a doctor or an engineer
e) less working hours ( let the stupid expats work), we have other important things to do with our family
f) Bonus as and when we dream about!
g) Give me air fare once (if twice, the better) to enable me and my friends to go and enjoy in Thailand
h) If I contracted AIDS during the above mentioned trips, free medical treatment for me apart from compensation (whatever name you term it)
As of now, this much...let me go home and think of new ones...till then bye!
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