Ma'Bela

So Suliman is always telling me how I need to go explore my surroundings and always saying "you should have knowledge of where things are." And truthfully I do, ask La. I spent a great deal on previous trips getting familiar with my surroundings. I get the feeling Suliman doesn't believe me. I've noticed the communication gap more these past two weeks than previously...it's difficult to purposly speak to an adult like a 3 year old all the time.

So last Tuesday Suliman told me early in the morning he was going to pass by after work. I really wanted to get home so I could get a workout in, but I figured it best to accept his invitation for him to show me Ma'Bela.

I really didn't know where exactly we were going or the point of the trip prior to agreeing to go, I just knew it'd be comical either way. Suliman arrives at 445 and we make the our way to Ma'Bela. On the way I figure out he's going to look for a part for his car and wanted to take me along so I would know where to get parts for the volvo should we ever need them, since purchasing from the dealer is more expensive. I welcomed this thinking ahead logic that I rarely find people considering. We're idiling through busy streets that i can describe as nothing more than junk yards....lots and lots of junk yards, different fab shops and carpentry shops on either side of the street...with cars haphazardly parked in front of the shops. It was a busy place. I quickly realized I was the only expat in sight...and through out this whole trip didn't happen to see one. It became evident that this was the "other side of the tracks" although to use that phrase is deceiving since I have yet to see train tracks. But I welcomed the seemingly masculine work going on...steel work, carpentry, welding, cars being taken apart. Until I saw a couple guys holding hands, which wasn't a huge shocker, you see that a lot here, but given the manliness ensuing all around I found it ironic.

Suliman and I go to a few different places so he can price the part he's looking for. A few of the shops are ran well and efficiently as efficient can be over here. But he decided to venture into the really bad block of this provence where all the chop shops where...the junk yards had wrecked cars stack 6 high. As we pulled up I picked up a glance from, who I later realized was one of the owners, a guy working nearby and it didn't give me warm fuzzies. As we entered the 6' x 10' office the largest Omani, actually I believe he was Egyptian or some other nationality, followed us. He had some serious popeye forearms and a mustache that lead me to believe he meant business. He was a cross between Pinochio's marionette captor and Bruno from popeye. Suliman entered into conversation with them like it was no big thing and while I can't speak or understand arabic I know these guys were really annoyed to be asked about some little part. After the run in with the wooden boy hostage holding traveling marionette gypsy we went to yet another place of similar surroundings as the previous location.

And it was here that I realized from some key words Suli said to me that he was actually trying to show me a business idea he has of buying cars in the US and selling parts/whole cars here in Oman. I kept thinking, wow this guys doesn't give up. But as our conversation continued it became more and more evident he has no idea how to run a business. I kept asking simple questions like where u going to get the tools and workers to do all this work your talking about. His persistence is quite comical. It isn't a horrible idea...i dont think a day has gone by that I haven't seen a fender bender. We continued to walk and talk and I continued to ask actual questions like where are you going to get the money to buy a garage and a place to store these things. He only answers my brother will take care of that. Now brother could mean his actual blood relative or a friend...and for all I know I'm that friend. So I finally asked if he was going to go purchase the part he was looking for and he told me no...apprently this was only a recon mission.

So we left and he so kindly took his time beggining to head home. He was adiment about showing me some store...i liken it a dollar store, but the stuff was clearly cheaply made, but they did have a large toy selection. At this point its dark and two hours have gone by. Suli decides to take the beach road home...which sounds good, but its pitch black out, there's nothing to see and construction all along this particular road only slowed things down even more. As hunger set in he began to tell me that he was going to go to prayer and then we could continue our excersion. I stopped him there and said I thought u were taking me home...Laurel has dinner prepared and told me to be home at 7pm sharp. I think he got the hint and his feelings where somewhat hurt, but we joked the next day that I got to see all that Ma'Bela had to offer.