cue and ay

To answer some questions posed by the WM Charles Center (specifically Emily S.) on my time here:

1. What are the stereotypes about Americans that you face in Oman?
For some reason, many Arabs that I've encountered, not only in Oman, have this crazy notion that all Americans are rich. If only! And in the rare occasion that I inform them that I have this grant from the government, they'll assume that I have even more money and can afford to live in the swankiest part in town near the oil company HQ. Another crazy stereotype is that, since I speak Arabic so well, people here assume that I'm working for the CIA. And without fail, whenever I meet new people, I always get some comment about President Bush or the war in Iraq or the elections. I have to very diplomatically inform them that my purpose is this country is purely cultural and I have no official affiliation whatsoever with American politics. As Fulbrighters, we are encouraged to avoid the topics of politics and religion especially; I never know what piece of information may touch someone's nerve (especially when I don't know that someone very well), so it's best to avoid such topics until I get to know that person more.

2. Do your experiences in Oman make you better appreciate your life in America, or do you find that you begin to resent the capitalist and fast-paced American society?
I don't think I "resent" the capitalist and fast-paced American society. I was once a part of that, and as a W&M alum, I can definitely relate with fast-paced and always busy! However, when I returned home to the States for the Christmas holidays, I think I noticed that part of our society more. I think American capitalism, or specifically, American consumerism, is most apparent during the holiday season. I didn't resent it; I just found it a bit unfortunate that people are so worried about getting the best deals on the best presents instead of really focusing on what really matters. Also, I had gotten all my Christmas presents in Oman, so I wasn't so stressed about it as I usually am back home.

Living abroad definitely allows me to appreciate my life in America. I am really grateful for the type and quality of education I received, from KG onto university; I am really glad that I got to interact with and make friends with people from all over the world while in one country and that alone makes me appreciate more the reason why people immigrate to America anyway. I've lived in America most of life, so essentially it's my home, no matter where in the world I wander to. My friends here encourage me to find a job in Oman and stay here longer, but honestly, I miss a lot of things about home (like public libraries, IHOP and Coldstone, to name a few ;)) so I'd like to spend some time there before jetting off on my next international adventure.

3. As you accumulate fourth and fifth “cultures” do you find that you lose your identification with your “home” culture (American) and simply identify yourself as multicultural instead? Or do you define yourself as each of your “cultures” in different situations?
I think maybe I answer this in the last question? I'm not sure. I think multiculturalism defines American society. Despite all the immigration problems, American society is really a tossed salad of all the immigrant experiences, from hundreds of years ago to today. As my citizenship is American, the quick and easy answer is no, I don't lose identification with my home culture because that in itself is multicultural. And since all these layers of cultures are imprinted in my identity, I can't really separate one culture from another in whatever situation arises. One aspect or one cultural imprint or way of looking at things will definitely become more apparent and manifest itself more as various circumstances dictate, but I can't really reject the other cultural parts of my identity to make room for the dominant one in that situation.

4. How has your identification with multiple cultures affected your research? Have you found it easier or more difficult to integrate yourself into Omani culture because of your different perspectives?
When I first started my project, an official in my sponsoring ministry told me that I'll have a much easier time getting information from the various Oman Women's Associations because I don't look like the typical American. My family background is Filipino, and since my physical features reflect that, I have often been mistaken for being a native Filipino by a lot of the guest workers. And because my physical features don't resemble that of a typical American, I suppose perceptions of me are not the perceptions that the average Omani may have about the average American. The Omani women outside the capital area whom I've interviewed and interacted with seem to be more receptive to me doing research on their traditions and ways of life. I honestly have no comparison to determine my ease of integration into Omani culture! I can identify with culture differences; that's probably one of the reasons why I'm become so enamored with Middle East culture. Save for the religious differences, the values that revolve around family and social life ring true in the FIlipino-American culture in which I grew up as well. There are little detailed differences, but in general, and I hate to sound so cliched, we are more alike than different.

5. Though Muscat is such an international city, do you feel that there is still a strong sense of the Omani identity there?
Muscat as a capital one of the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is quite unique. The other members (UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait) are substantially more wealthy because they have more oil than Oman does. Thus, a major characteristic that I've noticed thus far about modern Gulf cities (the prime example being Dubai) is hypermodernity. Tall skyscrapers popping up often, new roads being paved, and a thriving ex-pat community. Some things can be said of the same for Muscat in terms of new buildings and roads (traffic patterns and roads have changed so much in my 7 months here; some have said that the Muscat of today is unrecognizable from the Muscat of 5 years ago).

The one key difference I've noticed that makes Oman quite unique is that the majority population is Omani, as compared to only 15-20% native population in places like the Emirates and Qatar, for example. There is still quite a significant South and Southeast Asian labor population in addition to other nationalities, but ex-pats only make up at most 20% of the total population of Oman. Also, since 1970, Sultan Qaboos has taken very careful but quick steps in the development of Muscat as a modern city. There are no high-rises (there is actually a law that states that buildings cannot be more than 6-7 stories tall), and the buildings are mostly white and built with traditional embellishments and architectural influences. And the area of old Muscat near the twin harbor ports of Muttrah and Muscat is probably the most authentic Omani you can get in Muscat. The old souq (market) is where all the Omanis still go to get their goods, you still see crowded narrow streets where only a car can barely fit through and donkeys are still pulling carts full of goods. And Omanis themselves are quite international, as testament to their former trading empire stretching from South Asia to East Africa. Many Omanis from Zanzibar came back to Oman after 1970, and there are certain tribes hailing from Baluchistan in Pakistan that have settled in Oman. I've met many Omanis who are trilingual - speaking Arabic, Swahili and English, at least.