Pie and other blessings

  

         On Tuesday the YES and NSLI-Y girls all went over to the US ambassadors house for an early Thanksgiving dinner. It was very enjoyable, the ambassador was very welcoming, members from all our respective host families were there, we met members of the embassy's staff, and the traditional thanksgiving food was delicious. Despite the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, this Thanksgiving felt unfamiliar. It was very formal and reserved; there was no kitchen on the brink of chaos, with screaming aunts, no eating contest like mania where everyone stuffs as much into their mouths as quickly as possible, no debate over which apple pie is superior. Afterwards I was left feeling homesick for my crazy extended family, my disjointed immediate family, and the binding effect warm food and wine has on all of them. The true meaning of Thanksginging survived though. It was a night to wonder at my new home with my caring host family, my new friends who I have been blessed with, this beautiful country, the Amideast staff who work so hard to make this exchange possible, and so much more. 

Grocery list on an
embassy napkin.

         On Wednesday I was to melancholy to study for my semester exams that will take place this coming week, instead I ate oreos with peanut butter, talked to my US friends, and went to the beach. Most of my host family had taken advantage of the two day holiday and had left for Dubai. The house felt empty in a pleasant way the reminded me of home. 
        Thursday, turkey day, the day of thanks and counting blessings. I took an expedition to the cold store to procure the ingredients for apple pie and mashed potatoes. 

I had to go back for more apples.

My bigger dinner which will include stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie has been postponed for my host sister who will return from the UK soon. I spent the whole day in the kitchen very inefficiently baking apple pie with my mother's secret recipe. 

Crust, filling, and crumb topping.

Fresh from the oven.

I need practice so I serve slices instead of heaps.

After one failed crust, numerous cuts on my fingers from peeling sixteen apples, and lots of dirty dishes, I emerged with a beautiful apple pie covered in crumb topping. I did not burn the house done despite having to light the oven manually. I also made mashed potatoes which my host sister only liked after a large amount of lemon juice was added to them. 
We ate hot fresh pie with vanilla ice cream, followed by mashed potatoes eaten in front of the TV with pineapple juice. 
      A call from my father, brothers, aunts, cousin, and grandmother was the perfect end to the day. They shouted over each other, told me that camels have Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, and asked me to talk in Arabic, 

Mashed potatoes!

      I am left feeling thankful for everything in my life, both here and in the US. I have two loving families who are equally crazy, friends with bright smiles and kind words, and two extraordinary countries. I am also thankful for the leftover pie I will have for breakfast tomorrow.
         I will leave you with my favorite stuffing recipe which I did not have the chance to make today:




McVeigh's Home Stuffing

• 12 pieces of bread (whole wheat, whole grain, white, artisan, the more variety the better) 
• One small onion, finely chopped
• Three stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 dried apricots, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp.s salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp.thyme
• Two eggs, beaten
• Chicken broth

1. Leave bread out for the night or toast so as to make it dry. Then rip it into 1 inch chunks and place in a large bowl.
2. Saute celery and onions in 1 tbsp. of olive oil until softened.
3. Add celery, onions, remaning olive oil, cranberries, dried apricots, and seasonings to bread then mix thoroughly. 
4. Add eggs and 1/2 cup broth, mix again.
5. Add broth and mix until bread is well moistened. 
6. Bake in an oven proof dish at 350 F. 
7. Serve with gravy and enjoy!

   

Three months gone by...

     Firstly, I will start by apologizing for these past two weeks without blog posts, I really have been lazy! Secondly, I will state what has already been in written in my title, today, November 25th, marks my three months in Oman! What an amazing three months it has been! I have gotten so close with my host family, made friends with many different nationalities, and seen some amazing sights! I am so thankful for everything that this scholarship has given me, thank you US Department of State! Here are some of the things that happened in the past two weeks.

1. Shia Muslims, including several of my friends, mourned the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein. This happened during the week of November 14th. Each night worshippers gathered in mosques or halls to grieve together. In some places the mourning occurs with a great deal of self harm but luckily most Shiites in Oman only beat their chests rather than using chains or whips.

Nizwa Fort, a rooftop view

2. YES Abroad and NSLI-Y went to Nizwa and Jebel Shams. We spent two days outside of Muscat traveling first to Nizwa fort and then to a mountain called Jebel Shams. The mountain was actually quite cold getting to around 40 degrees F, which made me realize how lucky I am to have warm Muscat weather. It also rained a good deal.

Some slight trouble at Jebel Shams

Happy National Day!

Rain soaked Muscat

3. Oman's National day, the Sultan's birthday was this past week on November 18th. In honor of Sultan Qaboos and Oman people decorated their cars and houses, my school played Omani music at the entrance, and a classmate handed out pins in the colors of Oman's flag with the Sultan's picture on them. The Thursday after national day everyone came to school in Omani dress, even the international boys wore dishdashas and cummas, and the girls all came decked out in their best Oman formal wear.

3. It rained in Muscat! My fourth rain shower since my arrival, but my first ever in Muscat that I was awake for. My host sister and I ran around in the rain for and hour until my eye was attacked by a vicious umbrella.

Hijra with my host family

We stopped in the morning to pick
good smelling flowers.

Mashakeek on the fire>

        We started the morning by packing the car and driving for two hours, everyone except my host sister who had to study for college midterms. Twelve o'clock found us over 120 kilos from Muscat, off road, jolting through the rocky desert. The only trees big enough to provide shade grew along a dried river bed, we found one that lent
it's shade to flat ground and unrolled our mats and unpacked our meal. The main course was mashakeek, a shish kebab type dish of goat meat marinated in garlic and tamarind, speared onto wooden sticks and smoked on a portable fire grill. Eaten with many different condiments: more marinade, ketchup, mustard, and a creamy white garlic sauce, the chunks of meat were greatly satisfying. As the last of the meat was cooking, a smattering of rain came down bringing a strong wind with it. It was not even enough to call a drizzle but it was the first precipitation I've seen so far in Oman. 

Ominous rain clouds over the desert of our picnic.

      My host brother, sister, and I then went for a walk in the stone filled desert. We attempted to walk to the mountains but were fooled and misjudged the distance. Meanwhile the rest of the family had tea and dates. After washing with bottled water my host family prayed in the shade of another tree, then we packed up and went home.

Nakhal, with all it's green.

     We then journeyed to Nakhal, a village which gets its name from the date tree: nakheel. We drove half an hour through the rocky, grey, flat, desert, when suddenly as we reached the mountains. Date trees and green grass erupted between them. Driving through the town the street curved to avoid water that rushed over rocks and ran right through the middle of the village. At the top of the slope the town is situated upon the source of the water became clear, fresh springs gush water over rocks and into the land below. The beginnings of the springs were crowded with people: mothers washing their children, boys swimming, and even a drum circle. Men sold donkey rides to children, and green mango flavored with lemon and chili. We hiked past all this until we found a pool deep enough wade in. As I reached the water I braced myself for the icy temperature of Vermont rivers, instead the water was shockingly warm. The mountain's springs are hot springs. My host dad, brothers, little sister, and I swam and played in the warm water for an hour. None of us brought changes of clothes so we were all soaked on the ride back home. 

And a happy new year!

         Al Hijra is upon us. Today is the first day of the first month, Muharram, of the Islamic year 1435. The Islamic year began the day Prophet Muhammad and his followers set off from Mecca to Medina, which occurred 622 A.D. according to the Christian calendar.
       Though Mecca is now the city to which the Islamic pilgrimage of hajj occurs, in the beginning of Islam Muslims in Mecca were persecuted. Prophet Muhammad was known as a great peace maker. In return for moderating the tribal rivalries of the city, the leaders offered Muhammad and his followers sanctuary and the entire city converted to Islam. Before the pilgrimage Medina was known as Yathrib, but was renamed Medina (city in Arabic) of the Prophet.
      You might have noticed that 1435+622 equals 2057 not 2013. This is because the Islamic year follows the lunar calendar which causes dates of holidays to vary up to ten days.
      Hajra is not as celebrated as Eid al Fitr or Eid al Adha, though it is a national holiday. My host family's celebration involved a desert picnic in the middle of nowhere, and a visit to the village Nahal. 
    

Shawarma

A plain shawarma of meat, sauce, and bread, from
the coffee shop by my house, a great late night
dinner.

          Love at first bite. It came in a small green plastic bag that everything comes in here, it was tightly, neatly, wrapped in white paper. Less than 15 minutes before it had been just ingredients scattered across a restaurant's kitchen, now, still warm it was in my hands, my very first shawarma.
          Seasoned shawarma chicken, amba (a sweet, spicy, mango sauce), lettuce, french fries, and tomatoes, wrapped in soft, fresh, flat bread. The flavors were perfectly blended and balanced, with this masterpiece I discovered the best fast food on the planet. 

There is an abundance of these Coffee Shops/ Restaurants
which sell coffee, fruit juices, shawarmas and fried foods. 

A shawarma spit that roasts the turning
meat electrically. Photo Credit.

                     Originating from Turrkey, shawarma is very popular through out the Middle East, it is some times referred to as Middle Eastern Taco. Here, it's sold in all the local fast food places called coffee shops, as well as Turkish and Lebanese restaurants. It is often prepared in a room made of plastic boarding attached to the side of the restaurant, with a window that opens into the street where shawarma is ordered and bought. The common price seems to be 300 baiza, or $0.78 USD per wrap. A traditional Middle Eastern fast food, shawarma, makes me wonder how McDonald's and Burger King survive here, I

would never take a plain Big Mac over this sandwich.

What makes the taste of shawarma so special, is the chicken or sometimes lamb inside. The seasoned meat is slowly roasted on a vertical spit and cut directly from this spit as the sandwich is assembled. This spit roasted meat is what gives shawarma it's unique taste. 

            I had my first shawarma two weeks into my stay, and I've had it many many times since. It's what we eat when our host mother doesn't feel like making dinner, when we're hungry after Arabic class, or on the ride home when our driver stops for prayer. Each shawarma comes with different ingredients added to the base of chicken and flat bread; some have garlic mayonnaise, hummus, or no sauce at all. Some have vegetables, some don't. The better wraps have fries and lettuce. I've found that the shawarmas with more ingredients tend to be better that are just chicken, sauce, and bread.  Though I've had several great shawarmas since, I'm still haunted by my first shawarma, which I believe was the best.