At about 2:30 am Beijing time on the 27th Sept. 2000, I reached Oman Airport. I had to change to another airplane, which would then fly to Paris via Bahrain and Damascus. 

As soon as our group entered the airport, the guide asked us to put our watches back by 4 hours, to local time which was 10:30 pm. 

Oman airport isn’t very big, but is quite clean and has an Arabian character. The local people wore scarves on their heads. Most of the men have beards. The white scarves, black beards, brown skin and the high noses make the men look quite handsome. The white, black, or blue scarves, veils and long dresses made the women’s faces and eyes look very beautiful and made them look kind of mysterious to me. I really felt that they looked quite pretty in profile. 

There was a little boy there who I really liked, about 3 years old and big eyes. He was very interested in my glasses, and kept staring or smiling at me. Maybe he had never seen a woman without a scarf on her head? I smiled back at him and tried to communicate with him with my eyes. 

The people in Oman airport are very kind and friendly. Some of the assistants in the airport shop were warmly helpful when I wanted to know where there was an electric socket so that I could charge my computer. Everyone said “Hello” with a smile when we met each other. 

I took a few pictures of the Arabian art works in the airport. It’s a pity that I couldn’t get my camera out quickly enough when I passed a white and yellow building with wonderful Arabian architectural features while I was on the airport bus. It was unique and very exotic to my eyes. 

The airplane was so late that I had to stay at the airport for four and a half hours, and that is when I wrote this impression of Oman airport. 

--Shirley 

Written on 27th.,Sep.,2000 

Eition on 30th.,April,2005