She looks amazing in her Salalah dress. Legend has it that local magicians would guess the shape and the beauty of the local ladies by their footprints. To avoid being charmed by these tricksters, women of Salalah added taillike extensions to the back of their dresses in order to sweep away their footprints and leave the magicians confused. These are the stories one can hear from Siw. Among local people, she is known as “The Hat Lady.” One of the Swedish articles refers to her as the hat lady among turbines.

Exquisite hats and cultural influencer - that’s who Siw Rantapaa-Buring has been for over a decade while living in The Sultanate of Oman. She knows almost everyone and everyone knows her. Residing in the same location for over 13 years, the doors of this citizen of Sweden are always open for unexpected guests. “I’m no stranger to this paradise” - she jokes. “It’s sad to leave Oman after all these years, but i think it’s almost as if there is a new adventure waiting for me ahead.”