Never step anywhere close to Qurum City Amphitheatre or Mumtaz Mahal hotel on a weekend. Chances are that you may get stranded in a traffic snarl between Omani Women’s Association and the Amphitheatre. With Qurum park renovation works going on in full swing, there is a steady movement of heavy vehicles almost till midnight daily. Last Thursday, I went to watch Bappi Lahiri’s show at around 7.30pm, and when I decided to return home at 9pm, I was struck in the traffic for nearly 45 minutes. With no cops in action, some enthusiastic people took the lead and managed to get mess sorted out. Hats off to their spirit. The snarl was mainly due to huge lorries, carrying slabs and ready mix concrete, moving in and out of the park. Sadly, there isn’t enough parking space for people visiting Amphitheatre, and most of the time, people end up parking haphazardly.

Thursday was very eventful for me –– it started with a crappy live show, then the traffic snarl, and to top it all a never-ending line at McDonald’s drive-thru at CCC. I somehow managed to convince my Kids Meal-loving daughter, and scooted from the place with an assurance that I will comeback the following day to fulfill my promise.

Q: What happens when your digital camera refuses to obey orders at night, and that too while driving?

A: Sparkling lights on the Qurum-Darsait highway get an exotic touch!

Awesome, fantastic, mind blowing, superb…I am running short of adjectives to describe the half-an-hour fireworks display held at Qurum Park yesterday to mark Oman’s 37th National Day. An impressive crowd of round 2,500 people, mostly Omanis, turned up in the open space opposite Marah Land, and enjoyed the show from 8 to 8.30pm. While the kids screamed as the night sky lit up with an array of colours, the adults recorded the action in their mobiles/cameras/camcorders. This was the best fireworks show I’ve witnessed in Oman. Check out the photos below.

The area around Muttrah Corniche is bedecked with lights and flags on the eve of National Day. Colourful flowers on the sides add up to the beauty of the place. Muttrah is a photographer’s delight, I must confess.