It was Simon R. who first mentioned it to me. We were both 19 or 20 years old. Blonde, and hungry for the world.

He had been to places I had barely heard of then. India, Syria, Tripoli,Thailand, Turkey, Oman, Jordan, Morrocco, ... I had been to California. Lived there for a couple of years during early childhood. Swimming pools, smiles, Mercedes, Palm trees, and highways. I loved California. California is a black and white infared film in my mind. Glimmering and murkey. Surfers and Hollywood. And it had an Ocean warm enough to swim in.

He had Oman. I would say..where ? what? .. he would repeat..now listen don´t forget this..it isn´t Amman...not Amman, that´s Jordan, completely different. He was speaking in a foriegn tongue..it didnt even know Amman was in Jordan.

He repeated. This is Oman. Oman a great secret jewel. An undiscovered paradise. A perfect world¨¨ . His eyes would gaze upward and away from me...then he would recall something from Oman and would utter things about the beaches,the people. Simon said, he just couldn´t tell me in words exactly what is was. But that I should never forget this alien word to me..OMAN:::OOOO MMM AAA NNN. Near Yemen...below Saudi Arabia...

He grabbed my shoulders looked me in the eyes and told me that what he was saying was important. If I ever had the chance or if I could somehow find a way to get there. That I must go.

Funny, he never said this to me about all those other places he loved. I knew this was something else...something..but what.

I had never heard the name or location...and Saudi Arabi was too inconcievable for me, to think I would have a chance or reason to be near it. Saudi Arabi was a dangerous place full of crazy people, or at least that is what you would hear about it on the TV. If you heard anything at all about it.

Simon, was fantastic. Golden, flighty and boundless. How did he know about these places ? Why did he go there? Was he nuts? Both of us, first generation Canadians. He of British descent, me of Irish. The greatest difference between us I thought, was our sex. He´s a boy and I´m a girl. He could travel to dangerous places and I ....could hope that one day a boyfriend would travel with me. To protect me...to help me. I am a girl. The world is dangeoous for me. I read it. I heard it.

Fast Forward 14years later. To 2001. An airport in the Sultanate of Oman, nearly midnight. I arrive. Broke. Alone. And remembering Simon. We lost touch and I wanted to scream ¨HEY SIMON, you won´t believe it... I am in OMAN..the Sultanate of Oman. ¨ What do I do now Simon, what is going to happen to me now ???? !!!!

The world lost Simon to drugs and alcohol. But Simon gave me Oman. Thank you Simon.

And Oman...Oman gave me my life. My soul. My heart. My reason to live.

to be continued...