Courier begins its journey of scientific discovery in one of the oldest states of the Arab world. Strategically positioned in the southeast of the Arabian peninsula and having survived a sequence of devastating wars and conflicts, by mid-twentieth century Oman was a country stuck in feudal void. Up until 1970s Oman remained one of the most closed countries in the region with scarcely any schools, hospitals, roads or radio. Now, almost 50 years later, the shining lights of Oman highways are a familiar and welcome sight for the foreigner—but to look inside this box of secrets, where epochs have blended in an unusual fashion, is no easier than before. In her notes, Lana Ravandi-Fadai tries to penetrate the daily life of Oman and see, beyond the neon lights of Muscat, the country’s capital, the live breath of the East.