I just want to nay say the rumour going on that one of these fellas so busted WAS NOT the HEAD OF INTERNAL SECURITY, but he did work for them.
Long before this post was out http://muscatconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/11/omani-spy-gate-multiple-omanis-arrested.html the entire village and all of Omani Internal Security already knew this guy was a spy. And as far as rumours go, a patriotic family member who ALSO works for the gov. turned the guy in, and a co-worker from his office, ***not Iran***.
This guy, whose entire name and geneology I am not going to post, since, well, no one else in his tribe/family is a spy, and no one from his village really ever liked him all that much anyway, and his own mother I'm sure wasn't surprised to hear he turned on his Sultan and country for the bling bling ching ching, worked for Internal Security. You see, I know this, because Oman, and especially where we are all from therein, is a very village-like place. His name is Abdullah.
Your Majesty, if you are reading this, you should give me Abdullah's passport. I would die to protect Oman and I love this place, and especially the village that this man betrayed. And who weren't all that surprised, though I am sure his very sweet family is quite ashamed. I know his tribe is, which is why I won't damage tourism or the jobs these innocent folks of the same geneology in government positions by posting more than his first name.
Dear Friends not in Oman, do not worry. Though I often end up in the midst of every trouble, and if something strange is going to happen to someone, it happens to me, I am not in the middle of some crazy Omani spy ring;) so don't worry. That ring of corrupt UAE airport police running drugs and prostitutes in Abu Dhabi Aalia & I infiltrated quite by accident was SOOOOOOOOO last year. ;). You can believe me when I say, I am fine and 100% back to being normal now, and quite safe, alhamdulilah. Aalia too. In fact, she was offered a job in law enforcement a while ago.
Well, anyways, how DID they know what Abdullah was up to?
Well, he was already known to care alot about money. UAE gave him an offer, and by this time, Internal Security ALREADY knew of the offer from one of Abdullah's tribe and his co-workers, so they fed Abdullah a CD containing fake intell, and when Abdullah went to deposit his pay-off from UAE in Bank Muscat {how stupid can you get?---actually, I don't know for SURE if it was Bank Muscat, but mostly everyone from their tribe uses Bank Muscat, so I am assuming} the 70, 000-77, 000 {I was told the exact number by a very reliable source in the family but forgot the exact ammount already} kind of gave him away.
WHAT information he was trying to get for UAE, and what intell they wanted, would be the more interesting, and more important question, than WHO IS HE, since, well, he's in jail now, and not likely getting out anytime soon. The government knows who he is, and he isn't high enough to be given a consulting job anytime soon now; ; http://howtolivelikeanomaniprincess.blogspot.com/2010/10/quote-of-day-it-has-to-do-with-hand.html. So don't worry about him.
Before the news was ever out, his village knew, but kept hushed, because it is a shame you know? Wouldn't want to be him. But his fam is awfully nice, so don't hate! :D
b. I like to be dressed nice. [Now, I'm lucky if I have time to brush my hair and smear on some eyeliner let alone try on a nicer dress than the one I wore for cleaning and cooking].
A visit with other women to me is a few things:
A spa party or henna party: 
First off though, I did the tourist bit and got some yummy traditionally made Omani food, and bought some freshly made laban.
Not a fan of it, but some of those I was with totally are. I also nearly bought traditional Omani dresses from Dhofar, Al Wusta, and Ad Dakliyah because the prices were good, and an Omani silver anklet. But I resisted. I will be back so do not waste all my pay check at once was my thinking.
Well, the ox was rather busy griding sugar cane. MOP endeavored to get us a sample, but well, I've been to South America and I am not exactly a fan of sugar cane.
Here, I found Omani men making bricks the traditional way.
To make a traditional mud brick, the kind used to build the houses in Al Hamra in Ad Dakliyah region for example, you take this hay, and mix it with mud, about 60% straw and the wet clay-like mud. This is cut with a mould that slices the bricks into squares. While still wet, these mud bricks are stacked on/and with stones and they bake together in the sun, to make your structure. I need to go back for more on this, because my structure skills are weak, and I neglected to ask the precise ammount of time before another layer of bricks is added/ ie how dry do they have to be?
Oman has managed to preserve much of its original culture, including the differing and colourful varaiations of regional dresses for women. Now more or less reserved for special occasions or hidden under black abayas, the traditional dress is being reinvented and influenced by the different regions brought together in workplaces and schools. The kind of jewelry once worn by women in Dhofar is now worn by women in Buraimi, ect. Designers of the "new " traditional dress are influenced by the other regions or other media, and this has always been the case in Oman, due to the import of Indian craftsmen and trade in Zanzibar, and a policy of welcoming foriegners as valued guests.
while Ad Dakliyah tunic styles are hemmed on the longer side, mid calf rather than knee length. Ad Dakliyah dresses ALWAYS include the leso and the yarn fringed warqiyah/lihaf, and this is the Omani style you will most often spot OPNO sporting.uscat style, are also, now being influenced by Western and Indian culture, as these artistic expressions below bear testment to:
It differs from the regional dress of other parts of Oman, mainly because of the area's classical relation to the Hadramout Kingdom.
Traditionally, the sarwal were not worn in areas of Dhofar further away from Yemen, although they always WERE worn in Yemen. Today, however, women in Dhofar wear the sarwal when leaving the house. 
For more casual occasions they are made of cotton and for special occasions velvet, silk or another more valued textile, and often decorated at the ankle hem.
Daily worn, the abuthail dresses are made of cotton with no embellishment and with a shorter tail hemline as exampled in the below, albeit, the below being a highly embellished example of the shorter, more practical day-wear hemlines.
For special occasions they are made of velvet and silk chiffons, and highly embellished with crystals or embroideries. 
Traditionally, black velvet was worn for the abuthail with edging embroidered with bright alternating coloured threads in pointed and straight lines. Though new styles have evolved, originally the dress had a square neckline with no sleeves, only openings in the side seams. With the back trailing behind and the front hemmed above the ankles, legend in Salalah says the dress evolved this way to erase a woman's footsteps. Of course, it wouldn't have been made of silk in the past, if the legend holds true;)
The headcovering in Salalah is traditional worn loose but is now securely wrapped, this having evolved from more Northern Omani styles. 
The suri, better described pictorially in its traditional form in this post 
This can leave the arms either covered to the elbow, or to the wrist, depending on how far back on the head the garment it tied/pinned. It may also be used to fully envelop the face. It is very breathable, and easy to move in and usually covers to the feet or ankles, unlike the shorter tunic worn beneath.
