December 2, 2012
I’ve discovered that Skype is blocked in
the Sultanate but there are proxies that work.
The hotel have kindly given me free wifi and helped me to sort out
communications. Facebook seemed to work. If you transgress in your web use, a
screen comes up to tell you you are using a service blocked because it does not
conform to the societal norms of the Sultanate.
With the help of the hotel manager, I was
able to find a way round this. Seeing Amali and Tanushka was wonderful and also
a reminder of this new situation. I could have cried as Amali said ‘I want a
cuddle.’ She kissed me on the screen. I did the whole thing on my phone but
will try with the computer next time as quality of sound and image left
something to be desired.
I found the local Cold Store – mini market.
It even had a few vegetables and fruit. This part of town, which I think is the
souk, has row on row of trading stores and stores with no products or people
in. The muezzin nearby is the worst I have heard in my travels in the Islamic
world – it is almost as if he is trying to make the ugliest call to prayer
possible. It is ten to five now and the sun is lowering. The temperature
outside was very pleasant when I ventured out. We are in south Asia, which is
not necessarily a bad thing, but I know it could be a bad thing if Tanushka is
ever going to move here. I need to find a place to live that is tolerably
pleasant without costing the earth. If these things don’t match up then it will
not work. But I must do at least a year and once one is in winter again there
is no point in rushing home. I hear snow is sweeping Britain! I can hear the 5.30 call to prayer.
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