50 Things Only Expats Living in Muscat Can Relate Too

   Muscat has a large population of expats living and working in the city, from various parts of the world. An amazing place to live and have an experience that’s different than the rest of the world. If you’re an expat living in this capital city of Oman, then there are many things that you will totally relate to and below are few points:

1. You were disappointed by the airport when you first arrived in Muscat, as you thought it would be bigger and nicer.
2. Most of you didn’t even know where Oman was until you decided to move here.
3. The first beach you visited after you moved to Muscat is probably Qurum beach.
4. There is no correct spelling for the names of places in Muscat. For instance, it can be Mutrah, Muttrah or Matrah and all are equally acceptable.
5. Everytime you fling in your trash bag in the dustbin, atleast 2 cats decide to jump out of the bin.
6. You have installed VPN like Spotflux in your computer.
7. Shawarma is your favorite quick snack.
8. You’ll see more people in coffee shops coming to watch football than to actually drink coffee.
9. In Oman, people won’t troll you much as clouds would.
10. LuLu Hypermarket: Where you can shop for anything and everything.
11. Yellow truck coming your way? That smell? Run for your life.
12. You realized the local Omanis are really nice people when an Omani stopped his car for you to cross the road.
13. You automatically get scared for no reason when you hear the name R.O.P.
14. National drink of Oman is definitely Mountain Dew.
15. You think everything you see in Ruwi High Street is illegal.
16. In Muscat, hot water comes from the cold water faucet and cold water comes from the hot water faucet.
17. You prefer calling it Nawras even if it is ooredoo.
18. You wanna see cars spending? Go to love street at Qurum and enjoy the view.
19. Walking around the city without your resident card and your head is all in a panic mode.
20. Perfumes and chocolates, two things we all buy to take home when returning home for vacations.
21. Ok one actually needs to understand that all Indians don’t speak Hindi and look the same.
22. The highest point of the Al Amerat road is the place where you can see the entire city.
23. You have more chances of learning Hindi or Tagalog as a foreign language than Arabic.
24. Eid Holidays: When everyone plans to go to Dubai.
25. One needs to realize that all South East Asian face isn’t a Filipino.
26. You’ve heard news about alcohol ban and sheesha ban so many times but it has never actually happened.
27. You know one is a local if you can smell the perfume from 10 metre away.
28. It is never a good idea to sit in the front passenger seat when you are the only person in the cab.
29. The taxi driver always asks you ‘Engage or No-engage’ when you stop a cab.
30. All white people are not Europeans.
31. Safari, Zook and Rock Bottom are not the only night clubs in the city.
32. You feel you’re in India when you’re in Ruwi.
33. You have got puzzled with the roadside construction worker mannequin thinking it is a real one.
34. 10 minutes of rain means the whole city is flooded now.
35. No matter how blazing hot it is outside, it will never be a holiday for the people working in the immense heat.
36. Regardless of which place you buy your bread from or where you fancy your pastries from, when you hear the word ‘bakery’ the only word acceptable and absolutely prefix to that would be Muscat, Muscat Bakery.
37. There is a mosque in your neighbourhood wherever you’re staying.
38. There is no place in the city where you don’t find an Indian or a Filipino.
39. You never knew there is a zoo in Muscat.
40. If even a small incident happens in the city, within an hour, the whole city knows it.
41. Muscat Grand Mall: Where you run into people you know.
42. You always compare Muscat with Dubai in every conversation you make about the city.
43. You have learnt to speak little of many languages.
44. Is the glass half empty or half full? How about is water more expensive than petrol or petrol cheaper than water?
45. You have waited for the Eid Sale to buy all expensive products you’ve wanted hoping you get a good price.
46. You hate the summers and love the winters.
47. The exchange rate at the airport is crap.
48. The only thing you feel better about earning money in Oman is that you’re earning in Omani Riyals whose exchange rate is high and really higher than UAE.
49. You don’t know what a train is. (jokes)
50. You know exactly how calm, peaceful and enjoyable Muscat can be with all the party life you can have and you will definitely miss it badly once you leave.