My friend's blog

My friend's " moon girl " write about three topic which are:

* Oman the beautiful country

* Oil the black gold

* Strange birds

First she talk about Oman she says:

It is the third largest country in Arabia after Saudi Arabia and Yemen and comprises five distinct geographical regions, the Musandam peninsula, the Batinah coastal strip, the Hajjar

mountains, the Naj desert and Dhofar.

Second she talk about Oil the black gold she says:

Fossil fuels including oil and coal are also forms of energy and in fact they are also used to

produce electric and heat energy.Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago in aquatic environment.

Third she talk about the strange birds in the world It is a nice topic, she says:

Sometimes a strange-looking bird shows up at your feeder. The bird may look somewhat familiar, but it has odd coloration, white patches in all the wrong places, a featherless head, or a misshapen beak. We'll describe these abnormalities and try to explain why they occur.If the bird looks normal, but is simply an unfamiliar species to you, visit our online Bird Guide for identification help. Birds occasionally do wander outside their typical ranges, and we offer some reasons such rarities might occur.

To read more in my friend's blog"moon girl" clik here:

http://omandreams.blogspot.com/

Omani Kitchen

The Omani people are well known for their hospitality and offers of refreshment. To be invited into someone's home will mean coffee (kahwa), a strong, bitter drink flavoured with cardamom, and dates or halwa, a sticky sweet gelatinous substance which is made from brown sugar, eggs, honey and spices. It can be flavoured with many different ingredients, such as nuts, rosewater or even chocolate. Lokhemat is another accompaniment to coffee, which are balls of flour and yeast flavoured with cardamom and deep fried until golden then served with a sweet lime and cardamom syrup. The sweetness of this dish often counteracts the bitterness of the kahwa.
More substantial meals often have rice as the main ingredient, together with cooked meats. The main daily meal is usually eaten at midday, while the evening meal is lighter. Maqbous is a rice dish, tinged yellow with saffron and cooked over a spicy red or white meat. Aursia is a festival meal, served during celebrations, which consists of mashed rice flavoured with spices. Another popular festival meal is shuwa, which is meat cooked very slowly (sometimes for up to two days) in an underground clay oven. The meat becomes extremely tender and it is impregnated with spices and herbs before cooking to give it a very distinct taste. Fish is often used in main dishes too, and the kingfish is a popular ingredient. Mashuai is a meal comprising whole spit-roasted kingfish served with lemon rice. The rukhal bread is a thin, round bread originally baked over a fire made from palm leaves. It is eaten at any meal, typically served with Omani honey for breakfast or crumbled over curry for dinner.
Traditional Omani Food
It is fairly simple, but by using various marinades and impregnating meat with spices, the result is a mouth-watering concoction which stimulates the tastebuds. Chicken, fish and mutton are regularly used in dishes. A favourite drink is laban, a salty buttermilk. Yoghurt drinks, flavoured with cardamom and pistachio nuts are also very popular.
Although spices, herbs, onion, garlic and lime are liberally used in traditional Omani cuisine, unlike similar Asian food, it is not hot. Omani cuisine is also distinct from the indigenous foods of other Gulf states and even varies within the Sultanate's different regions. The differences between some of the dishes prepared in Salalah, in the south, and those prepared in Muscat, in the north, are so market that it is difficult to find anything common between them. However, one delight that remains a symbol of Omani hospitality throughout the country are the ubiquitous dates, served with khawa, or Omani coffee. Khawa is prepared from freshly roasted ground coffee mixed with cardamom powder.Special dishes are prepared for festive occasions. The Islamic world celebrates two main religious festivals - Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha. Eid Al Fitr is celebrated following the Holy Month of Ramadan when people complete their obligatory fasting for 30 days. Eid Al Adha is celebrated on completing the Haj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham. Dishes prepared during Ramadan are very seldom cooked on other occasions.Food cooked on important occasions, such as Eid, is of an infinite variety. Omanis across the country serve an array of dishes. In Dhofar and Wusta, the festivities start with ruz al mudhroub, a dish made of cooked rice and served with fried fish, and maqdeed, special dried meat. In Muscat, Al Batinah, Dahira and Sharqiya regions, muqalab, a dish of tripe and pluck cooked with crushed or ground spices (cinnamon, cardamom, clove, back pepper, ginger, garlic and nutmeg), dominates the menu. Other dishes served during Eid festivities include arsia, a dish of lamb meat cooked with rice, and mishkak, skewered meat grilled on charcoal.Lunch on the first day of Eid is usually harees, which is made from wheat mixed with meat. Lunch on the second day is mishkak, while on the third and last day, shuwa forms the whole day's meal.However, it is during Ramadan that one can experience Omani food at its best and two of the most popular traditional dishes served at Iftar, the breaking of the fast include sakhana, a thick, sweet soup made of wheat, date, molasses and milk and fatta, a meat and vegetable dish, mixed with khubz rakhal, thin Omani bread, made out of unleavened dough.Shuwa is a typically Omani delicacy prepared only on very special occasions. Whole villages participate in the cooking of the dish which consists of a whole cow or goat roasted for up to two days in an special oven prepared in a pit dug in the ground.
The method of preparing shuwa is elaborate. The meat is marinated with red pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, garlic and vinegar and then wrapped in sacks made of dry banana or palm leaves. These sacks are then thrown into the smoldering oven, which is covered with a lid and sealed so that no smoke escapes. In some villages, the meat is cooked for 24 hours while in others it is believed that meat tastes better after 48 hours.Everyday Omani cuisine includes a wide variety of soups - vegetable, lentil, lamb and chicken. Salads are also popular and are usually based around fresh vegetables, smoked eggplant, tuna fish, dried fish or watercress. Main course dishes are extensive and range from marak, a vegetable curry, to assorted kebabs, barbecued, grilled and curried meat, chicken and fish dishes.Rice is used widely and is served in a variety of ways, from steamed to elaborate concoctions bursting with meat and vegetables. Breads rage from the plain to those flavoured with dates, sesame, thyme and garlic. For desert, Omani halwa, or sweatmeat, is a traditional favourite.

OMANI COFFEE - served in "fanageen", little coffee cups, from a "midlah" or coffee thermos

RED TEA - "red" tea, as opposed to the "white" breakfast tea, is often served after the dinner

LABAN - a buttermilk drink

Palm Tree

Fertilizing a Palm Tree
Most landscape palms will require fertilization once or twice during the growing season. Not just any fertilizer will do, however. Palm trees have special needs that must be met with specially formulated fertilizers that target specific nutrient deficiencies. Homeowners should also apply regular maintenance fertilizers to healthy trees.
Maintenance Fertilization for Healthy Trees
TreeHelp Complete Palm Fertilizer Spikes are a fast, efficient, long lasting method of fertilizing palm trees and in most. These palm spikes have been carefully formulated to effectively fertilize your palms while protecting them from the common deficiencies of Manganese, Magnesium, Potassium and Iron.
TreeHelp Complete Palm Fertilizer Spikes contain Nitrogen plus soluble Manganese, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron and Copper Sulfates. Their release has been slowed by the use of proprietary binders to safely release the nutrients to the feeder roots of your Palms--right where they are most effective. Each spike provides exact measured amounts of these fertilizers so palms can be properly fertilized by using the correct number of spikes according to tree size.
If you are concerned that your tree may be showing signs of a specific deficiency, we recommend you start using the Maintenance Spikes first to see if that clears up the problem. This way, you avoid misdiagnosing the problem while still providing a balanced feeding for your tree. If a deficiency still exists after treatment with the Complete Spikes, try one of the mineral-specific spikes described below.
For information about how to purchase TreeHelp Complete Palm Fertilizer Spikes, click here.

Manganese Deficiency
Symptoms: Affects the new emerging leaves, causing yellowing and necrosis between the veins and a reduction in leaf size. As deficiency becomes severe, the new leaves wither and have a "frizzled" look. If not promptly treated, Manganese deficiency is often fatal to the palm. Manganese deficiency can affect most species of palms. Queen, paurotis and royal palms are particularly susceptible.
Treatment: Use 2 to 10 TreeHelp Palm Manganese Supplement Spikes per palm, depending on the size of trunk and severity of deficiency. Normal response is from 1 to 3 months. Treatments may be made anytime the deficiency is observed.
For information about how to purchase TreeHelp Palm Manganese Supplement Spikes.

Potassium Deficiency
Symptoms: Causes yellow, orange or brown flecks and necrotic margins of older leaves. Withering ("frizzling") begins on these older leaves first. From a distance these leaves often appear brown or orange in color. If deficiency is severe enough, new shoots will eventually be affected. If unattended, the palm may die. Curing the potassium deficiency can lead to magnesium deficiency. To balance, potassium and magnesium should be applied together. Potassium deficiency is common in most species of palms in Florida.
Treatment: Use 2 to 10 TreeHelp Palm Tree Potassium Spikes per palm depending on size of trunk and severity of the deficiency. Complete recovery can take a year or longer. Treatments may be made anytime the deficiency is observed.
For information about how to purchase TreeHelp Palm Potassium Supplement Spikes , click here.

Magnesium Deficiency
Symptoms: Affects the older leaves, causing them to yellow at the edges while the center band stays green. In severe cases leaflet tips also become necrotic. Magnesium deficiency can affect most species of palms. Date palms are particularly susceptible.
Treatment: Use 2 to 10 TreeHelp Palm Magnesium Supplement Spikes per palm, depending on the size of the trunk and the severity of the deficiency. Recovery can take several months. Treatments may be made anytime the deficiency is observed.

Car Accident in Oman

June 11, 2007: Cyclone Juno , which hit the Omani coast last week have caused damages estimated at billions of dollars. GCC countries ( Kuwait , UAE , Saudia Arabia ) pledged support to the Omani government. The storm tore buildings, roads, walk paths, power lines, water pipes, communication towers and flooded mostly the entire country. Currently Oman is facing a very bad water shortage.

June 10 , 2007: A tourism road show spotlighting summer tourism in the Sultanate in general and the Khareef season in particular, will kick off around major cities of the Gulf Co-operation Council states, by tomorrow. The road show, organized by the Ministry of Tourism, will visit major cities in GCC , in order to promote and attract tourists to Oman this summer period. However the extent od damage due to the cyclone , could affect this summer tourism industry.

June 5, 2007: The worst storm in history called "Jonu", hit Oman, having to rain more than 150 mm of water on lands all over Oman, with very strong winds up to 200Kmph and pushing the waves to hit the rocks and wave-breakers at around 10-12 meters in some areas.

Sept.4, 2006: Oman have the highest road accidents rate , just note the following:
- 263 people have died in road accidents from January to May 26. Around 2,410 have been injured in 3,152 accidents.
- A child dies every fourth day somewhere on Omani roads.
- In 2005, Oman's road traffic mortality rate had gone up to 8 per cent against the global average of 19 per 100,000.
- In 2005, a total of 9,247 road accidents took place in the Sultanate, injuring 6,658 people and causing 689 deaths.
- Since 2000, some 3,500 people have died on Oman's roads and nearly 50,000 were injured or disabled.

March 14, 2004: It was announced in Muscat yesterday the appointment of a woman minister in the Omani government, Dr. Raweyah Bin Masoud Bin Ahmad el-Bouseidi, who as from yesterday became a minister of higher education, according to a decree issued by Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, that coincided with the celebrations of the woman's world day. This is the first woman in high government office in the Arab GCC countries, hopefully there will be more liberal steps to have qualified women take their places in the government.
Jan.5, 2004: Oman became the first Arab country to introduce a machine-read smart card with stored thumb-print when the country's first ID card was issued in His Majesty Sultan Qaboos's name at a function held here on Saturday. The first card numbered 00000001 contained Sultan Qaboos's picture‚ date of birth, place of birth and his signature. The Civil Status department began issuing the new cards to citizens from their office in Seeb yesterday. "In the initial phase the new ID cards would be issued only in Muscat ," Colonel Dr. Suleiman bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Director General of Civil Status, said. Under the new Civil Status law, every citizen would be provided with a machine-read smart card, which will store thumbprint and serve as a personal identity for Omani nationals as well as expatriates in the country.
Jan. 3, 2004: A government decision to ban expatriates from working in 36 professions in 44 wilayats came into force in Oman . Juma'ah bin Ali bin Juma'ah, Oman's Minister of Manpower, confirmed in a media interview that the new step would be a part of comprehensive program-me for Omanising all trades within a definite timeframe. The trades to be Omanised include change of tyres and oil, sale of garments, photography shops, sales and repair of Mobile phones, sale and supply of electric and electronic items, sale of building materials, sale of meat and poultry, sale of abaya, working in cafes and shops selling readymade clothes and accessories, sale of vegetable and fruits, computer services, shoes repair, sale of Omani Kimma (headress), beauty parlours, sale of used cars, gold, fishing gears, bicycles, utensils, flowers, Omani halwa, textiles, shoes and perfumes, key duplicates, sale of bakery products, sale of honey, vehicles spare parts, works of arts and gifts and sale of animal fodder.
Nov.14,2003: Oman has been found to have a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS by international health agencies.Oman's Ministry of Health (MOH) set up the national program for the control of HIV/AIDS and STI two decades ago.With over 50 per cent of its population under the age of 20, Oman is dedicated to working with its youth to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to protect themselves and others from this epidemic.
Oct.6,2003: For the first time all Omani citizens 21 years and older were given the right to vote for the 83-seat advisory council, which was first convened in 1992. There were 15 women among the 506 candidates as polling took place in 94 stations spread over 59 wilayats.There was no official announcement regarding the percentage of polling among the 260,000 registered voters, but independent observers put the it above 50.The polling process was computerized and according to Khalid Hilal Ali Al Mamari, Director of Election Affairs at the Interior Ministry, this was the first time in the Middle East that the entire process was computerized with candidates' photographs put on the ballot papers.
June 22,2003 : Lieutenant General Khamis bin Humaid bin Salim Al Kalbani, Chief of Staff of Sultan's Armed Forces in Oman, died in a car accident. God Bless his soul..

June 4, 2003: Days are gone when women would marry early, settle down as housewife and at the most supplement family income by, weaving or doing handicrafts.Now Omani women are educated and take their own time to marry. Instead, they take up employment or actively get involved in family businesses.The government here has given Omani women equal rights be it in education or employment.The women in the country are making the most of the governments efforts to provide employment to Omanis. Thus, women are omnipresent everywhere – counting cash behind a bank counter or a hypermarket counter in Oman.The equal opportunities to women are given at the basic level with equality in education and girls have been dominating ranks in higher education as well as degree courses at the Sultan Qaboos University.The progress made by women here is reflected not only in the number of employment but they are also taking up higher offices in government as well private sector. There are no official figures available but Oman has perhaps the highest number of workingwomen among the GCC states.
June 1, 2003:Omani will use smart card system , Under the new system, all information like births, deaths, marriage and divorce would be recorded. A machine-read smart card, which will store thumb-prints, would serve as a personal identity for Omani nationals as well as expatriates in the country. Once the new system is fully operational residents of Oman would be able to exit and enter the country without having to wait in queues for processing passports. The card will be used as a multi-purpose card and used as an identity card, a driving licence, for banking dealings and at border outlets, etc.
March 29, 2003: Expatriates or visitors to the U.A.E intending to travel to Oman by land may have to wait at least a week for an entry visa, an Omani Embassy source said. U.A.E nationals and other GCC nationals can still travel to Oman by land.The developments in the region have prompted the authorities to close all land borders to expatriates and visitors until further notice. Airports are still open to travelers. It is believed that the action has been taken due to security reasons.
Jan.20,2003: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman on Saturday embarked on his annual meet-the-people tour from Seeb Palace as citizens lined the road to greet their leader.The royal tour is a unique tradition set by Sultan Qaboos during which the ministers of his cabinet accompany him. The leader interacts with citizens and also listens to their grievances.
Oct.16,2002:Five people were awarded prison terms for violating the Expatriate Residency Law, according to an official of the Royal Oman Police's Public Relations Department.The court convicted three Omanis and one Iranian for assisting people in and out of Oman through illegal channels. The Omanis were awarded one-year's imprisonment each.
Oct.8,2002: Oman and India are exploring the possibility of joint ventures pertaining to defense production, according to the Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes.
Sept.10,2002: Oman has destroyed contaminated frozen chicken imported from Saudi Arabia. The U.A.E authorities first alerted their Omani counterparts over the possibility of the Saudi product being contaminated with Salmonella pathogen. Salmonella is a type of bacteria that causes typhoid and many other infections of intestinal tract. Scientists have recorded more than 2,300 strains of salmonella pathogen. Saudi Arabia slapped a ban on chicken produced by certain Saudi company early last month following reports that its products were contaminated.
Aug.30,2002: Cambodian-flagged cargo vessel sank in choppy waters off the Sultanate's southern coast last week.All 22 crew members of MV Maggie were rescued by a passing tanker before the roughly 7,000DWT vessel foundered in international waters .A shipment of sugar, rice and steel bars, among other cargoes was lost when the fully laden vessel went under,
July 8, 2002: Al Hamraa Wilayat in the interior region of Oman has a special occasion to celebrate as preparations for a mass-wedding began last Thursday and is expected to culminate in 42 couples tying knot in a grand finale soon. the event had received a grant of 2,500 riyal from the Ministry of Social Development in a bid to encourage such an idea through the country.
April 10,2002: The electricity network in Oman has now been extended to 98 per cent of the country and the rest would be covered shortly, according to a senior official.
March 5,2002: The Sultanate of Oman has praised Germany for the key role it is playing in projecting and correcting the misconception of Islam in the West through encouraging scientific research projects within the context of boosting dialogue between civilizations.
Feb.23,2002: Reptile lovers have been flocking to the Eastern Natural Forest and Snake Park at the Qurum area, the only facility of its kind in the whole of Gulf region. The rush of visitors during the first three days of Eid Al Adha holidays was large.Other than snakes, the park is home to several mammals, birds and some exotic creatures, brought from all over the world.
Oct.23,2001: Motorists involved in reckless driving in Oman face imprisonment up to five years, according to an amended traffic law designed to control the growing deadly road accidents.
Oct.15,2001: Oman and UK are doing Military Exercises , which could turn into real action and used to attack Afghanistan. There are plans to deploy land troops from many nations in Afghanistan.
Aug.8, 2001: Oman has asked for US help in extinguishing an oil well fire. An aircraft has been chartered to fly in expert manpower From Houston Texas to Oman.
July 26, 2001: Oman is planning to control prices of Medicine.
July 11, 2001: Oman has banned Spanish Oil after discovering some health hazard elements in its content. The olive oil has content of carcinogenic substance.
June 16, 2001: Swiss scientists say they have discovered a Mars meteorite in the desert of Oman in the Arabian Peninsular, one of only 18 bits of rock found on Earth from the red planet.
June 1, 2001: Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman has issued a Royal Decree allowing the citizens of AGCC ( Arabian Gulf Co-oporation Countries) countries to be treated as Omani employees in accordance with the Sultanate's Civil Service Law and its executive regulations.This is in implementation of a decision taken by the AGCC Supreme Council in Bahrain last December 30-31. The last summit took several other important decisions as well - to forge closer links between the six member states, the armed forces in particular.A joint currency is also on the cards. The Sultanate, which hosts the next summit in December, has already allowed AGCC citizens special travel facilities and the right to buy real estate in Oman.
May 29, 2001: Three government officials have been sentenced to various jail terms and fined by the Criminal Court for committing forgery and embezzlement in the wake of an accountability process gaining ground in Oman.According to the Royal Oman Police which has also released the photographs of the convicts for publication in the Press, the trio embezzled public funds from the directorate general of electricity in the Ministry of Housing, Electricity and Water.
May 26, 2001: Oman beat Syria 2-0 in a World Cup Asia Zone group one qualifier yesterday to advance to the second phase for the first time before a capacity crowd of 40,000 at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium.
April 29, 2001:The Sultanate of Oman has offered all possible help in making the Gulf a single tourist destination. This comes as increasing number of tourist are attracted to come to Arabian Gulf States in winter for vacation , where the sun & warm waters of the Arabian Gulf.
April 10, 2001:Oman government is planning to have 110,000. job opportunities by the year 2005. 92% of the jobs will be provided by the Omani private sector. This is coming at a threatening stage of large un employment that is hitting all Arabian Gulf States.
March 29, 2001: Oman plans to sell its transmission and distribution companies soon as part of its privatization of the power sector
March 29, 2001: The Royal Oman Police has intensified their campaign to check the growing flow of infiltrators entering the Sultanate largely by boat. The infiltrators came from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq.
March22, 2001: The government of Oman has allayed fears about the food-and-mouth disease, which is fast spreading in Europe. A statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries said the disease, found also in the Arab Gulf region, including the Sultanate, does not affect human health in any way.
Feb27, 2001: Oman Health Authority is cracking down on Shisha (water pipe) in public areas. Shisha smoking has been banned in Oman, although many nationals and expatriates are considering the Shisha smoking an honored ritual.
Feb21.2.2001: Sohar Development Office and Al Batinah Gazzelle Company at the Heritage village will organize an entertainment festival. The festival is part of Eid al Adha celebrations. Egyptian, Indian and Russian circuses will perform at the festival besides Egyptian, Iraqi and Moroccan groups.
Feb.20, 2001: The Fifth Gulf Engineers forum has concluded today in Oman. Muscat Municipality from 18-20 February hosted the gathering, titled “Gulf Engineers - Future Aspirations”. The forum recommended the adoption of a single code for the engineering profession in the Gulf countries, a common definition of the professional engineer and the establishment of a database to assist in classifying engineering consultancy offices.
Feb. 11,2001: Omani Police arrested drug smugglers gang of five (Omani, Saudi & Pakistani nationalities) with 1000kg of Hashish.
Jan 24, 2001: Sultan Qaboos of Oman has praised the GCC achievements. What achievements???
Sep10,2000: Oman is facing a marine catastrophe as it found many dead fish washed ashore. Oman has established contacts with Kuwait who faced similar problems few months ago.
Oman is getting modernized.
Sultan Qaboos has made good progress to develop Oman , however he rules as a dictator. He recently allowed the formation of advisory council ( Showra).It can be a step forward to make his rule a democratic one.
Oman is facing deep financial crisis just like all GCC countries.

Road accident in Oman