NEWS

Interview with Steven Little - our popular coffee cup campaigner

Anyone who follows the ‘Al Mouj (Wave) Community’ Facebook page, should be no stranger to Steve Little and his #getyourmugsout campaign.

Steve has become a community champion throughout the pandemic and has been a beacon of hope and positivity.

In this interview we find out more about a man with bags of optimism and oodles of

inspirational ideas, who has single- handedly spread positive vibes and kept us all amused, engaged and motivated.

Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m never comfortable talking about myself, but I’ll give it a go. I’m a dedicated father, who loves spending time with my children - Isla aged 9 and Morgan aged 6. I also enjoy doing anything outdoors either on land or the ocean.

Pre-COVID, working as the Ops Manager for a well-known group, I specialised in providing services to the energy and industrial sectors. It meant spending weekdays outside of Oman, travelling to and from airports and living in hotel rooms within the GCC. I had become used to being away from my children but it was hard for me as I missed them so much. Then along came lockdown, which meant I was ‘stranded’ in Oman, allowing me to spend all day, every day with my kids.

What motivated you to start the very popular coffee cup campaign?

#getyourmugsout was not something I intentionally set out to do - it developed from a simple idea. I had been reading the Al Mouj (Wave) community FB page for a few days and started to get exasperated by the constant complaining about trivial things. I mean here we are, living in a beautiful community, we have a stunning beach, a safe and clean community and the weather is always amazing, along with so many other elements to be thrilled about. As we were entering lockdown (with the associated isolation), I wanted to see how many positive people were in our community. #getyourmugsout is a metaphor to get your face outside with your morning coffee and say hello to your neighbour, using the British term of ‘mug’ as a replacement for face. This became get your mugs out, and the rest is history as they say! The feedback was overwhelming, confirming my suspicions, or was it hope, that our community is buzzing with positive folks.

Any hobbies or mottos in life?

I am a keen sportsman, focussing mainly on cycling and swimming in the ocean. I try to live my life to the best I can; my motto ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. Treat other people with the concern and kindness you would like them to show toward you.

Is there anything in particular you like about living in Al Mouj?

I love everything about it, the community, the facilities, the people more so after the lockdown period.

If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?

Mr. Incredible, his spirit, humour and love for his children!