Who we are

Bader Al Lawati – codename: SNOWFLAKE

Hello everyone! Im Bader Al Lawati, one of the two freezing Omanis. Let me tell you a little about myself and what I do.

I grew up here in Oman before I went to Australia to study my bachelors of commerce in the University of Wollongong. When I was in Australia, I found a great attraction to the outdoors, hiking trekking and the lot, so I brought that back with me here and now I try to get out there in the beautiful landscapes of Oman as much as I can.

I have many versatile interests, anything that gives an adrenaline rush! So bungee jumping, shooting and archery, auto racing…eating spicy Nepalese food (yes it’s as adventurous as the other stuff!).

I also have my quieter less insane side which likes to do photography and admiring artwork from around the world (i.e. domesticated wild man).

Why did I get into environmental protection?

I use to go fishing with my grandad since I was pretty young, and I never came back empty handed. These days however even with more experience I’m seeing that the fish numbers are so much lower, as well as the sizes…since then, I started scuba diving and I’ve seen the changes slowly…I’ve been diving since 2004 and you don’t have to think about it to see that things have really changed.

I read some research about the effect of the Antarctic in regards to the Middle East and the marine environment here, and I came across the 2041 organization where I saw a quote by Robert Swan which said “the greatest danger to this planet is the belief that someone else will save it”

From then on I thought hey, why not get involved and get out of my +40 environment and freeze!

Here’s a bit more about me!

Age: 26

Bader Al Lawati, independent marketing consultant, graduated B Com Marketing, University of Wollongong, serial chip and salsa eater, big time foodie and I do love to cook.

Interests: photography, bungee jumping, automotive racing, shooting and archery, hiking & trekking, anything out of the ordinary, insane or unique.

Music: Versatile, from jazz, soft rock and  anything in between…jazz  though is something I always go back to (I’ve got you under my skin playing in the background).

Instruments: I play the guitar very horribly….no really it’s terrible, I play the piano even worse :P.

Crazy things I have done: Diving with sharks in Australia, Paragliding in Switzerland, Driving an Audi R8 around the Dubai Autodrome at +300kph, eating a ghost chilli (world’s spiciest chilli), cliff diving from about 2 stories into cold water! (thinking about it still gives me chills), staying in an industrial freezer for hours (something I’m starting to do quite a lot now…)

Superpower: using superhuman senses to detect the best value items / lack of common sense to stop doing insane things.

Ameer Abdulhussain – codename: PENGUIN

Ladies & Gentlemen, boys & girls, come one, come all!

I’m Ameer Abdulhussain, the other Freezing Omani that’s heading off on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

I graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering from Cyprus, and the main reason why I got chose that as my degree? You guessed it: Video games. As a massive geek at heart whilst growing up, I decided that I wanted to take things a bit further and go behind the scenes and figure out the fundamentals that make computer games tick, and so I focused most of my university time on programming and learning the language of computers.

However, coming back to Oman changed things quite a bit; I found the opportunity to get into a different field all together: the power sector in Oman by getting into a company called the Oman Power & Water Procurement Co.

At heart, I’ve always been a person that’s been intrigued by the unknown, and when confronted with something that I find to be vague and mysterious, I put in all efforts to figure it out, and that’s why where I am now is perfect for me. I’m currently training to become a forecaster at OPWP, to be in the position to predict one of the most cryptic aspects of life: the future.

I’m also the sort of person that has many various interests, and sometimes I do bite off more than I can chew! I’m a huge fan of music, everything from the classics of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, to more modern entries in the music industry such as dubstep. I play the guitar once in a while when I’m in a need of a change from my daily routine, I’ve had my share of mixed martials arts and I head out to the great outdoors whenever the opportunity presents itself! Other interests include archery, photo-editing and photography.

Now you’re probably wondering why would a guitar-playing, martial artist geek be into saving the environment?

The answer can be derived from my current employment; soon after getting into OPWP, I became exposed to the Solar Project. While it’s still in its very early stages, the environmental benefits of a full-scale solar power plant are staggering. Not only would it reduce the consumption of natural resources, it would also completely eliminate the emissions that a standard power plant produces. And it’s amazing how life works sometimes; soon after I started becoming more environmentally aware, I found out about 2041. The opportunity to become part of an expedition that’s main focus is to save the environment of one of the most influential eco-systems in the world. Not to mention the opportunity to learn from dozens of experts in various fields of sustainable development and renewable energy and bring that knowledge back to Oman.

And so here I am, one of the two Freezing Omanis about to embark on a monumental quest to make a change.

A bit more about myself:

Age: 23

Superpower: I’m known for making really, really good shisha.

Crazy things I have done: Repelling down a waterfall in Brazil, beat an ex-race car driver in indoor go-karting (the ex-race car driver being the other Freezing Omani), and performed a Tango performance for the Turkish military.