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Soaking in the culture

Malik al Hinai, director, Bait al Baranda is now a rich man; rich in culture and new ideas to be precise. And here’s why. He recently returned from a month-long trip to the US as part of the ‘Promoting Tolerance Through the Arts’ programme where he traversed the entire country from the East Coast to West Coast visiting many cities, numerous museums and even a maximum-security prison. “I was exposed to so many different cultures that exist in America. Now that I have come back with a different perspective I would like to implement some new ideas here.” Hinai was part of a 20-member team
comprising delegates from various nations and diverse backgrounds who were invited on behalf of the US Embassy and State Department.

Our first stop was Washington where we visited the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex and research organisation comprising 19 museums and many research centres. What I liked the best was the portrait gallery, which houses portraits of famous personalities, paintings and works of art. I was also fascinated by their storage facility, which they have converted into a display open to the visiting public.

From there we went to Philadelphia, home to the iconic Liberty Bell. The itinerary inclu-ded a visit to a maximum-security prison. Here I saw that the inmates were not only learning new trade skills, but were also learning art. And some of the work that I saw was really very good. Another thing I liked about Philadelphia was that it has managed to curb graffiti. Since 1984 the city has generated 3,000 murals by citizens in their community. The initiative has worked wonders.

Our schedule then led us to Seattle where we spent a week. We visited the first Starbucks outlet, Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Bainbridge Island and the Children’s Museum. The trip to the Children’s Museum was the most interesting, which offers a fun and interactive experience. What I liked most about the place was that children have to be accompanied by an adult. They can learn how money is made, how the stock market works and even the economy. The city’s Vera Projects has a novel way of dealing with juvenile delinquents. The programme teaches them to be responsible members of society and they are given jobs such as ticket collectors, bouncers, etc. The city and its places of cultural interest owe a lot to companies like Microsoft and Boeing.

The next stop was Cincinnati in Ohio. I took a stroll around the city and visited the counties there. I was impressed with the city’s Art Beyond Boundaries programme that reaches out to artists and people with disabilities through education and development programmes which gives them the opportunity to further explore their artistic talents.

We then took a bus ride to Louisville, Kentucky. We visited the Mohammed Ali Centre that gave us a glimpse into the great sportsman’s life. The Freedom Centre, which tells the story of the African Americans’ struggle and the Festival of Faiths were simply wonderful. I also went to Churchill Downs, home to the Kentucky Derby and one of the biggest horse-racing events in the world.

The final stop on the itinerary was New York. I’m familiar with the city, having visited it seve-ral times. Besides, I have many relatives there. Our group visited Broadway, but unfortunately there was a writers’ strike then. Personally I love the Metropolitan Museum, which I would rate as one of the best in the world.

The visit to the different places in the US was an enriching experience, especially the diverse cultures of the people there. I feel some of the community measures in the US work very well and we should try some of them here as well. I also did my bit about enlightening people about Oman, distributing DVDs and flyers. It was a truly enriching experience and along the way I’ve made many friends as well.

As told to Srinivasan Iyer