Why do you think that Paris has always been renowned as one of the most romantic places worldwide?! Possibly, most people who haven’t been to Paris know the city from the different movies or series, which they have watched on TV. In many movies, Paris stands as a synonym for love and romance; hence, people made their perception of Paris as the City of Love. The Eiffel Tower, in particular; what does it have to do with love and romance? Nobody understands it until one stands in front of it! Perhaps, the view of this unique landmark is what brings the romantic enchantment to its visitors.
Yes, thousands of lovers from all over the world have sworn their love at the Pont des Arts bridge, where countless of love locks were placed. Though these locks have been removed at some time, many lovers still go there to swear their eternal love! This signifies the fact that such place is where love starts and gets its covenant. As a matter of fact, it has been attributed that Paris is the city of love even for birds and the city in which one loves to live. Victor Hugo, a French romantic writer, said “Breathe Paris in; it feeds the soul”. Paris will always be Paris!
If truth to be told, Paris has gone beyond being commonly the city of love, romance, fashion, perfumes and cosmetics. It is a place that exists in the hearts and minds of all who have been touched in some way by its magical attraction. The historic streets and artistic atmosphere inspired writers and artists to produce some of the world's greatest works of literature. As it is the city of love, Paris is the place of culture, philosophy and literature as well. Audrey Hepburn, a British actress and fashion icon, was right to claim “Paris is always a good idea".
Being the favourite city to many word masters, it is not a surprise that Paris inspired Sumaya Al Wahaibi by its special charm to the heart and mind alike. On a street walk, she was attracted by a live session of CreativeMornings, a global network of inspiring talks, named after cities and aimed to bringing youth from all over the world together. All its sessions are conducted under one theme based on an annual plan shared worldwide. The CreativeMornings initiative was first introduced in 2008 in New York in the USA and currently is spread in 60 countries around the world and Muscat is one of the lucky cities to host this outstanding initiative.
Being inspired and attracted by CreativeMornings, Sumaya applied to the global network to bring the experience to Oman and made it possible by end of 2019. Hence, she managed to conduct the kick off session of CreativeMornings Muscat Chapter in January 2020 and from April 2020 until July 2021 continued online due to Covid-19 pandemic. The monthly sessions and workshops touch on various topics on youth-related issue, sports, health, economy and other spheres of life.
CreativeMornings Muscat Chapter, founded by Sumaya Al Wahaibi, is backed by a group of volunteers. All are tirelessly contributing to the success of this initiative locally since its inspection two years back. Attending any of these sessions, which are conducted in different parts of the country, is subject to pre-registration. Despite the Chapter’s maturity, all its sessions have been very well received, attracting a remarkable crowd of people. “This series of insightful knowledge-sharing sessions bring inspirational talks delivered by experts in various fields, targeting youth, students and public too”, Sumaya stated.
“The philosophy of CreativeMornings states that everyone is creative and inspiring! It mirrors the belief in the power of community, face-to-face connections, sharing expertise and learning from others. Its sessions attract people who are passionate and confident that they will inspire one another, and stimulate change among individuals and groups in neighbourhoods and cities”, she explained.
On the sideline of the monthly sessions, CreativeMornings Muscat Chapter introduced and supported different awareness campaigns and training programmes targeting mostly youth. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth introduced “Purple Thought” training programme, aimed at promoting creative industries and cultural heritage concepts as well as entrepreneurship and digital arts through training workshops. This programme, which attracted 15 Omani youth of age group (18 -30), was indorsed and supported by the Chapter. Further, CreativeMornings Muscat Chapter joins hands with different government and private bodies to commemorate various occasions and events via a range of activities.
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