So anyway, since I got Jellybean I've been taking her for walks, and if you read my last post I mentioned that people seem to get the impression that I want to chat with them, which I don't, but there is a whole slew of just completely crazy people here and they seem to all find me.
Where to start....
The buyer
As I was walking Jellybean a young man in his car stopped and asked if he could buy her from me. I asked if he was kidding and kept on walking, but I have this theory, and while it sounds completely narcissistic I think it's a valid theory. That if I would sell my dog, my wadi dog that I found in behind a dumpster, I would name my price to this man, who would not have the money at that moment and ask for my number to arrange payment and pickup. So really I think it was just a ploy to get my number.
The swimmer
One day I took Jellybean to the beach in the morning and there was a man walking towards us and he made a few hand gestures which was strange because he was walking alone. I turned around but no one was behind us, so he was obviously gesturing at me. Our conversation went like this:
Man - swim?
Me - no she doesn't swim (because I thought he was talking about Jellybean who was running away from the waves on the shore)
Man - no you teach me
Me - I'm not going to teach you
Man - but I just want to chat to you
Me - go away
Man - are you married?
Me - GO AWAY!
...and he did.
The stalker
There is an apartment building just down the street from me. It's not a big building with only a few units I think but it used to be a really nice building. Now groups of men live in maybe 2 of the units so it's run down with wires hanging everywhere and general disaray. Again, while walking Jellybean, a man said hello to me. I said said hi back and went about my business, not really paying too much attention.
The man said hi to me almost everytime I would go out and it started to seem wierd and when I would run into him I would get that sinking feeling in my chest.
Then one evening I was on our patio playing with Jellybean and I happened to look up and over and noticed a man standing on the patio of the run down building watching us.
That's when I started paying attention to the man who said hello to me and noticed that he is balding and when I saw the man on his patio watching us again I noticed he had the same bald spot. In the light of day I can see that he has a chair set up at the edge of his patio so that it faces our patio and he sits there often.
How gross is that?
Where do these men get the confidence? I blame their mothers who probably told them they were God's gift to humanity. Since I'm not a mother I obviously see a problem with telling little boys this, because this is what happens.
The nice neighbours with their douchebag friends
I have nice neighbours as it turns out. We enjoy a chat or 2 or 3 each week and they're super nice. They like Jellybean, Jellybean likes them, it's nice. So Cush and I have been invited over to their house a couple of times for bbq's and parties and whatever, but each time we go, their douchebag friends won't even talk to us. For real.
It's like to the point that Cush walked up to a group at a party and said, hi I'm Cush and someone turned their back on him without saying anything!
So Cush ended up talking to another man and I walked up and said hi and asked if he had any of the kids that were at the party.
He pointed out his kid and asked me which kid was mine.
Me - I don't have kids
Man - you MUST be working then
Me - why MUST I?
Man - you MUST be studying then
Me - why MUST I?
Man - well I can't even imagine how dull your life must be
I just walked away. That man made me feel like my life has no meaning or purpose. I felt so small and defeated.
I don't think my life is dull. I'm not saying that I think I lead the most important and fullfilled life ever but I do stuff, I have a life and it's full. I'm mostly happy...and whatever I don't need to justify myself. I know who I am.
The annoying
Yeah like any of the above wasn't annoying...but seriously there's all these teenage boys who shout and bark at Jellybean and I. It's horrible. I don't know what to do about this actually.
The petrified
One of the funniest things about having a dog is that some people are really scared of dogs. Ok that's not funny, some dogs are really scary, but Jellybean isn't one of those kinds of dogs. I've seen people cross the street in front of us, hide behind parked cars and throw their hands up and fear. I should mention that I keep Jellybean leashed and well under control.
One night a family in my building had a party and I was taking Jellybean upstairs after a walk (we walk a lot!) as some of the party guests were leaving. A woman came out into the hall, saw Jellybean, cried out, "oh my GOD!" ran back inside and slammed the door!
I almost died laughing. The poor woman...
This is the face of evil.
10 comments:
hahaha i see what you mean!! about the kids that are barking, scaring them works!! you should just stop and stare at them, if they dont stop, you should tell them to stop with a teacher's voice! :P
I would take a photo of the kids and say 'mosque' - they'll think you're taking the photo to show the Iman.
oops! Hi! has a pic of the dog.
She's beautiful
Hi
First Jellbean is just sooo beautiful... I am sure she is a lucky on to have found sanctuary among you people :)
Second, I would really like to thank you because i have been here for only a month now and i was already getting a feeling that i have been sent back in time.... No semblance of a social life, absolutely no touch with the literati.
But after having spent the last 2 hours devouring your blog, i find this inner peace with knowing that maybe there is a slim outside chance that sanity does exist and prevail in some small pockets here..
As far as those kids are concerned i think the best way is just avoid them. These people sometimes can be a reall issue for us expats here.
And if it gets too tough i think a good shout at em would solve it for most part.
And the thing about the Stalker has really forced me to reconsider getting my wife relocated here. I mean i really find it too hard to digest that people can be soo... intrusive!!!
And what happened with Cush !!! MAN!!! I had a similar experience when i approached a group of people who looked sane, to just say hi and ask em about some good adventure sports available here...turned out that the bunch was a group of omanis out with their family and when they saw this lonely guy approaching in "half pants" they asked there female folk to go sit in the car!!! It was so embarrassing that i have never even gone to that beach again
Please keep sharing !!!! Ur awesome in the way you put ur words together !!!!
Regards .....
Mac
I am the petrified kind to my neighbors back home! ;)
JB is cool!
From one pet owner to another,
I keep running into the 'buyer's whenever I take my dog for a walk. And your theory about these people makes sense.
Screaming kids - Look at them like they would wish they were dead than shout at you or Jellybean. That should do the trick. Works for me.
Other than that, the people who come to talk to me are ones who have pets themselves and just want to know how old Max is. No stalkers yet, or that's what I think..(worried now..)
I have had a similar bad experience while walking our dog. I walk dog with my mother or my brother. Once, when I was 16, I was on my own for a minute (if my brother need to go put something in the bin just down the road, and while I waited in the shade with the dog),when a man driving past stopped and wound down the window. He asked me what my nationality was, and then started asking me what my name is, how old I was, what my phone number was, etc. I told him that I was not interested and started to walk towards my brother but he drove alongside me, still asking the questions. He only left when he saw my brother. It was so intimidating; I was only 16 and this guy was at least 30. I have had other experiences when walking our dog, too, with old and young men alike stopping their cars and shouting out to me in Arabic or asking me personal details. It makes me really uncomfortable quite angry; even if I tell them to leave me along they follow me around in their car. Sometimes the same car passes three or four times in one walk, slowing down and staring at me when they pass. Does anybody have any advice?
Well at least I'm not alone! Good advice everyone.
To the last Anon, I think we just need to keep in mind our stranger danger rules that we have back home. I'm guessing you're an expat? Try taking down the number plate, even if you don't call the police (and I highly recommend doing so if you're up for it) the person will be scared that you will call the police and maybe think twice before doing it again. They know what they're doing is wrong and that the police will call them if you report it.
Or shout at them, get some attention from anyone on the street or your neighbours.
I'm a teacher here in Oman and it's amazing to hear my Omani students talk about dogs. Apparently in their culture and religion dogs are considered "unclean". In fact, there is an a unit sanctioned by the military that just drives around and a shots stray dogs in Muscat. In the interior dogs are just shot by the locals. Basically, unless the dog is being used for a specific "job" they are not welcome. It is believed that if a the saliva of a dog is present a muslim can't pray until the area is washed. Or if it gets on them, they must do wudu (ritual washing) before they can pray). I guess due to these beliefs a very unhealthy hatred of dogs has developed. It's so sad.
Anyway, as for the stalkers .... I get them on a weekly basis. Here are a few things that have worked for me.
Learn a few phrases in Arabic. My favorite and most effective phrases have been the following (ask your arab friends to write these out for you and give you the pronunciation and practice them.),
"Are you Omani and Muslim? Where are your manners?" (remember the word for manners is a big deal in Arab culture). (Anta Omani wa Muslim? Wayn Adabak? (this might be wrong, but I say it and they get it).
"There is your mother she will teach you have to behave. (Honnak ummak wa alemak al adab)
" Go away, I'll call the police"(or sometimes I just repeat "Police police police" (Shurta) until they get scared or think I'm crazy and leave me alone.)
I take out my phone and while I pretend to call I say "My husband my husband my husband" (zawjee)
There are other not so nice things to say but you don't want to make them mad just get the message across that you will NOT tolerate harassment. By the way, just so you know, unlike in most of our home countries smiling and saying hi isn't polite here when a female does it to a man it means one thing. "I want to fuck." They are all pubescent teens no matter what the age, and no eye contact or smiling will ever be taken as platonic. Don't just take it from me, watch how Omani women behave around men who are not their brothers or fathers. What do you think they would do to a man that would speak that way to their sister? They are not being "open minded" they are showing a double standard and trying to have sex with a westerner because they watch TV and movies and think they know what we are like. Don't smile, don't make eye contact. It WILL be taken the wrong way 99.9999% of the time!
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