Cherchez La Femme

This past week the story came out that a woman who worked at the college had been being seriously sexually harassed for the past several months by a colleague. She struggled through the Omani police system, the court system, and even the Ministry of Education. In the end, she was told to either drop it or she would be deported. She's gone now, which is unfortunate for us, but for the best for her. The man is still working at the college. There is talk that the case is not over, but all tangible evidence shows that he's not suffering any consequences for his behavior.

It's sad but true that here in this region (as in MANY others) of the world, women are the first to be blamed and the last to be supported. Despite ideals of protecting women, they are marginalized and used as the scapegoat in compromising situations.

There are people at the college who care. But if the ones with the power don't take action, there is little that can be done.

We have to do what we can on the ground. Women here have to support each other. If we don't stand up for each other, we can't expect anybody else to.

Garbage Pick-Up

I've never seen garbage actually picked-up in our neighborhood, or any where else in our little town for that matter. Yet somehow it is emptied every day. At our previous apartment, which was closer to town, it was rarely, if ever, emptied. There was a dead cat festering by it for a while. It also wasn't uncommon to see small children hiding inside...rummaging? playing? Again, this ties into my previous post about the huge difference between the philosophies of children here and in the west.

However by our new place the heaps of garbage disappear everyday. I don't know who takes it or where it goes. That's one aspect of Oman that I know nothing about. Waste disposal is something of a mystery here.

Skype

So I take back what I said yesterday about the wireless internet being the best news of the week. Somehow, I don't know how or why, but suddenly Skype is working again. The speed isn't fast enough for video, but I bet I can use it to call again, and at least to chat. This is good news.

Suddenly this small world I live in has opened up just a little bit...

Does anyone know where else in the Middle East, or in the world, Skype has been blocked, or is blocked still?? I'm interested.