MagicCarpet

Colours of Oman at BSM

THE British School Muscat (BSM) was agog with fun, excitement and colour as Primary section students took off on a magic carpet ride to enjoy a fascinating Arabian experience and enter the world of Oman’s rich culture and heritage, resplendent with its customs and traditions, music, arts and crafts, food, games and other leisure activities.

This was part of BSM’s initiative to give students a real-life feel and taste of Oman’s cultural heritage and traditions by celebrating Omani Cultural Day during school hours on Monday, November 24.

Even if it were a scaled down version of the real thing, it was absolutely enchanting to see little kids all dressed up like that. The boys wore dishdashas and looked positively dashing with other ceremonial robes, chequered turbans, Omani caps, scarves and hennaed motifs on their wrists. The girls looked even more colourful in their sequined, flowing skirts, abayas and head scarves, bedecked with traditional Omani jewellery and plenty of henna decoration on their hands and faces. As they moved around they looked and lived the part of Omani princes and princesses. What is more, even the teachers and masters were all dressed to the boot in Omani attire. It was easy to blink and rub your eyes and wonder if all this was real or whether it was some kind of magic that had transported everyone into a world of Arabian Nights fantasy and enchantment.

Adding to the fun were an Omani bagpiper and drummer entertaining children, squatting on a large mat on the floor, listening with rapt attention. In other such open air corners, there are Omani artisans demonstrating rug-making and weaving of baskets and mats with palm leaves. At other spots, Omani students of SQU showed the kids how to tie the Omani turban or turmah and allow them to have the feel of holding or posing with an Omani Khanjar. A little distance away, the ‘Omani’ kids were being taught how to play Omani hopscotch and in another corner there were the henna decorators, ready to paint the kids with whatever they wanted. Close by Omani women were making Omani preparations, both sweet and savoury.