A reader forwarded me these tasteful pics of Towells the Property Developer finally demolishing their swath of old flats in MQ, towards BSM from Costa Coffee. The imagery is quite artistic. The tenants were kicked out ages ago, and the flats have sat there, frequent home to the local Shibab [youths] and apparently had all sorts of horrible noises emanating from it late into the night.
HSE during the demolithion is, of course, non existent [this being Oman where NRIs and Pakistanis do such work] and the window breaking had to be seen to be believed. All 5 floors done with 3 or 4 guys with hammers and not a pair of shoes or safety glasses between them. No safety curtain either and both sites wide open to the public.
Some of the hoarding fell down with the recent high winds.
Yes folks, yet another housing development in MQ/Shatti/Qurm. Just what the market needs! Certainly construction costs (for materials) should be a lot better. I hope SinoHydro are putting in enough pipe for the high density housing going up in MQ.
No word on the height the replacement will be built too...
That should make you happy UD, more room for your western gay friend. Now you will have more of them around :)
ReplyDeleteI hope that the sewage system is going to be up to the challenge. Currently it really is not and systematically this overflows onto the streets on a very regular basis, not more than 50m from here, usually via my long suffering neigbbours drain cover.
ReplyDeleteI called Muscat Waste Water - a couple of thursdays back when the stench from the gushing mesh was unbearable. "Holiday, back Saturday" was the response in halting English. Lamentable and something for potential tennants to consider.
I hope that the sewage system is going to be up to the challenge. Currently it really is not and systematically this overflows onto the streets on a very regular basis, not more than 50m from here, usually via my long suffering neigbbours drain cover.
ReplyDeleteI called Muscat Waste Water - a couple of thursdays back when the stench from the gushing mesh was unbearable. "Holiday, back Saturday" was the response in halting English. Lamentable and something for potential tennants to consider.
Barbs – that’s an awful situation. It’s great however that the person was able to let you know, imagine what would have happened if they only spoke fluent Arabic unless you, as a guest in this country, had had the courtesy to learn Oman’s national language . I suppose you would have been ignorant.....of your situation
ReplyDeleteGoodness! Such touchiness. Which might be a tad more effective if this weren't a country actively seeking expat residents - not to mention one in which the majority of higher education takes place in English and all college grads are expected to be English-fluent...
ReplyDeleteAnd, knowing Towell, the flats will probably be terrific. There actually is a market for relatively reasonably priced, well-built places - witness the success of their first phase opposite Pizza Hut...
I didn't know there were so many Omanazis ! The people that are either too lazy or too unqualified to perform the jobs that their fearless leader wants done have the audacity to b!tch about the foreigners that are actually improving the living conditions in this country ! Same as the nazis in the USA or France or Russia: lots of talk but no walk.
ReplyDeleteTowell developments are indeed very nice. I wouldn't call them reasonably priced. I recently inquired about the newly finished development in MQ - a spacious 3 bedroom was priced at OMR 1,700. That's Manhattan prices. MQ is no Manhattan.
Our foreigners friends are welcomed any time in Oman. We been living with them since 1930s and have no problem, the apartments are not only for them , but also for those Omanis Comes from out of Muscat and work and live here.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I don’t understand why to demolish old buildings, why can’t they renovate them, because I know there are 200 years olds houses and building in Britain and some other European countries and people still living in.
Finally I hope the rates should go down, so that I can live in MQ too.
Anon,
ReplyDeleteGet a nickname.
My critism was the raw sewage in the street (a frequent occurance) and lack of an emergency response, not the quality of English.
Whatever your linguistic ability or parentage, sewage flowing in the road is unpleasant and undesirable.
But I guess that was clear enough and am probably wasting my time trying to get you to understand that.
That is why I am happy with the Underground tank sewage system which gets cleared every 2-3 months via a sewage truck. These sewage pipeline system ruins everything during implementation and the end result is a messy, smelly, overflowing and unclean environment. What is ironic is that you will have to pay a monthly bill for that too!
ReplyDeleteSewage Pipeline System? Nah, we are fine without it.
Instructions for Suicide Bloggers/Talibanlites/Omanazis.
ReplyDeleteWe must continue the struggle for purification through all means. Send forward your warriors from our franchise bases in the caves of Al Kuhwair and Al Athaiba. Let the Chosen Ones know the Glory of sacrifice as they suffer the privations of sitting in Starbucks to comment on blogs from the evil, corrupting, western, Jewish, gay, overpaid, over here, over educated, western, white devils.
We send you a message of brotherly support. Do not weaken. We have admired your dedication as you mercilessly destroy Hidden Dragon with your words of fire. All eagerly anticipate your comments as examples of new standards of courage, reasoning and righteousness. Anyone reading your comments will recognize the value of your anonymous, heroic contribution to the image of your brothers in arms (or keyboards)
We have been watching as you destroy the enemy Hidden Dragon in his lair. Continue to devour every word of UD because he does not deserve your attention. Brothers/Sisters Anon, Anonymous, Mr.T, Kick Ass, Man et al. Remember the comment on his blog:
“Gays, Guns and Money... that’s all you get on this blog!
No real intellectual substance
Made for IQs of 70-110 max.”
Our Blog Heroes - do not fear because your commitment to your mission will protect you from the high IQ content. Have no concern for the exposure of your ridiculous shield of righteousness against gays – what does homophobic repression and transference mean anyway? Whatever UD says, remember that he is a Westerner so he must be guilty of prejudicial stereotyping and being against all Islamic people and Arabs because all westerners think that all Arabs are the same! Be negative and make personal insults about anything that he writes because he represents a decadent and exploiting culture and shows his bias by refusing to be complimentary or quiet about issues that interest him. Of course you are not jealous of anything about him and you do not resent him for some imagined or real criticism of a project or idea that you have an indefensible interest in.
Invade his blog with your internally inconsistent rants because he has the good grace to allow an open forum. Typical western weakness and lack of standards! Invade his blog with crass comments because he has the arrogance to comment and express his personal views on his own blog. Typical western arrogance and intolerance! Shut him up; send him back to his country.
Fight for what is right. Accuse him of any guilty behaviour that you engage in (or have a secret appetite for). Be negative about everything you could imagine he might have written - if you were too stupid or lazy to actually understand or read his blog. Hold a grudge because he has the gall and affection to criticize obvious faults that you cannot defend. Get personal because he is having more fun than you will ever have and he is more articulate than you could ever be.
Soon victory will be ours.
Noseyguy
Noseyguy,
ReplyDeleteRespect ;D
Babs, thanks for your reply.
ReplyDeleteI did understand that your complaint to the company was about the sewage flooding the street. But you also added, as an unnecessary illuminator - given that you state that you only intended to complain about the flooding sewage, that the person who dealt with your complain had broken English.
The reason most non-Omanis work in Oman is not out of charity, its for money. Just the same way that the East Europeans descend on London, or the east Asians descend of Australia.
However there is a difference – in London the local population expect the guest worker to learn the English language, quite rightly, but in Oman the coin is flipped. The guest worker expects the native population to speak English – and even speak it fluently.
My nickname – W.A.S.P.
Whoops - I should have said Barbs - W.A.S.P. :)
ReplyDeleteDear W,A.S,P.
ReplyDeleteNo thanks for your interest in sewerage – but you also added an unnecessary illuminator - given that you are looking to complain about almost anything (including the transcendence of the English language).
A reason most non – Omanis read and comment on Blogs expressed in English is not out of charity, its for shared entertainment/information/understanding using a mutual language. Just the same way that the exclusive Arab speakers read and write Arabic blogs in Arabic.
Many economic migrants, who are non-English language speakers, reside in countries where their language of birth is not spoken. Some choose to live in urban neighborhoods where it does not matter if they never learn English. Others seek more assimilation or even Citizenship by acquiring skills in the English language of their host country. Three of the factors which encourage this linguistic assimilation are:
• The host culture is often welcoming and tolerant of differences, and individual freedoms. Unlike some commentators on this blog.
• Migrants are often given permanent residence and the opportunity for Citizenship. Unlike most Economic migrants to Oman (excluding those from some of the Omani historical dominions)
• As in Oman, English is a main language of commerce, education and the professions.
What is it like to have someone scanning your most casual comment in the hunt for a
petty grievance? Someone who writes about sewerage is branded as a cultural
imperialist because she mentions that a help line operator spoke broken English! Get a
life. Did she complain that they spoke Arabic? Have you ever been to an Hispanic area
in California or parts of Bradford in the U/K.?
My excuses for my comments are that I am too lazy to work so I have lots of free time, I
have a chip on my shoulder about self perceptions of my cultural inferiority and my
general stupidity, I seek to impress my friends by sending them my comments and I’m a
whanker. Your excuses?
me noseyguy here am. happy day you have X
Noseyguy,
ReplyDeleteHello again!!!
My friend I smell a racist in you or it could be that you are a close relative of UD and hence the fierce defense on his behalf.
I admit to you that I don't think highly of western people myself due to bad experience I had when dealing with them personally. UD maybe a nice guy but on his blog you find things about Oman that are
1. False " i.e. alarm posts on Blue city "
2. Against principals of majority of Muslim Omani society "i.e. cross-dressing thing ". Omanis like any other nation have gays and all sorts of weird people but that does not say that it's socially accepted. Like Nazis in US.
3. Sometimes provoking to feeling of Muslims like that defense of jew post. It may not be UD actual post itself but the replies from his fellow western friends that are offensive to Muslims.
I see UD turning more into a " SecertDubaiblog wannabe " after each post.
Well like saying goes "If your house is made of glass don't through stones at other people houses "!
Sincerely yours,
Man.
Dear Man
ReplyDeleteNoseyguy writes.
So I’m a racist because I smell a low grade WannabeWahibist infection? Your playground gang possess such a poverty of self awareness that they are unable to see the ridiculous in the following crazy generalisation:
“I admit to you that I don't think highly of western people myself due to bad experience I had when dealing with them personally.”
These many millions of “westerners” that you dealt with 'personally' have made you cry into your Latte and set you on the mission of “Suicide Blogger”.Racists ascribe negative attributes to categories of people irrespective of the rich variety of individual differences that they smother with false stereotyping.
The standard of your response is no surprise. Instead of addressing the issue of English usage in Oman you resort to calling me a racist. I am surprised you did not resort to calling me a ‘fag’ as you know nothing about my sexuality. How pathetic is your ignorant assumption that I must be a ‘foreigner’ because I resent your attempts to bully a visitor? When you were holding up the mirror that identified me as a racist did you see the other boils on your visage?
Did you see your misunderstanding of the nature of a blog? The host author is exercising a right of free speech. The Host Blogger can include or delete comments according to personal values or whim. It is good manners to express your visitor comments with rationality, humour, consistency and fairness when you enter a Blog in response to the ‘owner’. It is bad manners to use a vendetta of spite, sexism, racism and group stereotypes as the basis of your guest comments. You expose yourself as crass.
Your shallowness, ignorance and vindictiveness go beyond your attacks on UD (he is not in need of any defense from me). When you and your fellow conspirators pump up your egos for the next puerile salvo of your campaign you bring a frisson of shame to those of us who welcome the peace, prosperity, stability and friends that have arrived in our beautiful country under the wise leadership of His Majesty.
‘Expats’ is an expression that you use in a derogatory sense – but these people have come here for many reasons – including, but not only, material reward. ‘Expats’ have made a positive contribution to our development (on balance) and a residual “dependency culture” is partly the fault of those who manifest it. My irritation with you and your ilk is because you are using the rope that HD gives you to hang yourselves. As you jerk and defecate in the noose some visitors might think that you represent a standard and content of thought and expression that is typical of Oman. I hope that most readers can see that your attempts at intrusive bullying are counter productive.
I do not know HD personally but I enjoy his feisty, irreverent and frequently insightful blog. I defend his right to his opinions as expressed on HIS blog. I am not associated with HD in anyway and I certainly do not want to be associated with your clique. I have expressed a preference for the deletion of your comments. As is often the case, HD does not appear to share my views. Deleting you would not be censorship as you could post on your own blog – for you and the racists to read. You could have full discussions of:
1. False " i.e. alarm posts on Blue city "
Are they false? This remains to be seen. I think that it is acceptable to warn the likely victims of any scam, ordinary Omani’s, that this project (sponsored by you or your relatives?)is likely to be scaled down and that there is a risk of failure.
2. Against principals of majority of Muslim Omani society "i.e. cross-dressing thing ". Omanis like any other nation have gays and all sorts of weird people but that does not say that it's socially accepted. Like Nazis in US.
I must have missed the bit where cross dressing and being gay were recommended as optional or compulsory lifestyles for Omanis! I’m a bit confused here. Could it be that you are also more than a bit confused? Are gays, cross-dressers, weird people, Nazis all the same? Were you forced to read opinions about the difficult legal definition of cross- dressing? Are you now unclean? Do you understand the phrase ‘shield of righteousness’?
3. Sometimes provoking to feeling of Muslims like that defense of jew post. It may not be UD actual post itself but the replies from his fellow western friends that are offensive to Muslims.
I think my comments are extended enough without trying to disentangle this one! Enough to say I was not offended.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteJust shows you never know. A post of some buildings being knocked down and look what crawls out of the woodwork!!
Noseyguy.
Nice! I am not worthy. Thanks for caring.
But, I suspect you are reacting to more than just this thread of comments.
The free speech thing is exactly right. Rope is a wonderful thing. Kind of like responsibility for one's actions.
MAN, LMAOFOFL!!!!
More on that response, but deserves a full post. (My, but aren't you a great ad for benign dictatorship!)
Nosey,
Comment more. Now you've gotten that vent off your chest.
Everyone else,
Thank you too. I'll expand on the main points this weekend.
UD, Keep it coming.
ReplyDeleteThanks, WD
Noseyguy,
ReplyDeleteI think there is a fundamental differences between you and me. Debate can go on for long time and UD blog is not the right place. We will end up clogging his blog.
UD
you werent offended by the "fag" thing were you ? I assumed you have confidence in yourself to see beyond it!!!
I shall leave you in peace now...
Tearing down apartment buildings to build other apartment buildings, or even houses, probably won't much of an effect on Madinat Qaboos' sewage system. The problem there was when they tore down houses and built apartments. Where once 5 houses existed, all of a sudden there were 3 or 4 buildings with tens of flats. That's what caused the huge pressure on the sewage system and all the overflowing sewers.
ReplyDeleteMan said...
ReplyDelete"Noseyguy,
I think there is a fundamental differences between you and me".
Noseyguy said:
I'm always grateful for a compliment.
Thanks and a hopefully declogged goodbye;)
Whilst on a 'building in MQ/sewage system' theme, has anyone seen the new sewage works they are building in MQ? It's about 100 metres from where the photo above was taken and has apparently cost around a million rials to build. Why they are building a sewage works in the middle of a residential area, I don't know. There will be loads of yellow trucks queuing up to get in and it will be overlooked by a new, relatively large apartment block. Maybe the rents will be a bit lower because of the view of a few vats of bubbling sewage?
ReplyDeleteWhilst not wanting to get to scatological, apparently (according to someone who works for Oman Wastewater) sewage in MQ is particularly smelly because 'all you English people eat pork...'
Man & Nosey
ReplyDeleteClog away.
Man, Lots of things offend me, and homophobic bigots who drape themselves in the flag of culture or religion to justify such idiocy are one of those things.
But it's good to know where you stand. and as I'm on record consistently, free speech includes the right to be offensive.
MiM
Nice vignette. Are they really building a sewage treatment plant, or just a pumping station?
MiM- MQ has a complete under ground sewage network and has its own STP system. I think the STP has now been taken over by Muscat Waste Water and upgraded. It shouldn't involve any sewage trucks. Pumping stations are most probably required, especially since it is a hilly area.
ReplyDelete