Black & White magazine issue 20

Vol.1 Issue 20II August 21-September 6, 2010 Ramadan 11-27

A chat with Khalil Al Khonji p10 MABGOC needs you p22 How to avoid common health risks p58

FREE Fortnightly

www.blackandwhiteoman.com

Count your blessings p32

October 2010

Featuring Hema Malini, Esha Deol & Ahana Deol

Dance for a cause

Parampara – a classical dance presentation in Odissi and Bharatnatyam featuring India’s ‘Dream Girl’, Bollywood actress Hema Malini and her two lovely daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol, paying homage to womanhood and traditions…

More details: 24565697/98675976, blackandwhiteoman@gmail.com

In support of: Mobile Mammography Unit & Home Away from Home initiative

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Kudos to Laila Ghabri and B&W! I am really impressed by the articles of Laila Al Ghabri (student columnist of B&W). She writes so well.

And it is not just Laila alone, I am really happy to read all the columns and stories. They are really good!

Your magazine, although called ‘Black & White’ is truly colourful. I read it from cover to cover and it is filled with great articles, columns and good advertisements too! We are blessed to have such a magazine and I would like to not only congratulate you, but also wish, hope and pray that you continue with your good work.

Anand Thota, CBD

A very valuable and historic story I congratulate the Black & White team for carrying out yet another very important and valuable historic story on the First Muslim of Oman, Hazrat Mazin bin Ghadouba, “Messenger of the Messenger”(issue 19)and about the First Masjid of Oman, Masjid Mazin, which is situated in Sumail.

I have visited this historic Masjid several times but I had no idea about Mazin’s Mazaar (tomb). InshaAllah, I shall visit his Mazaar whenever I get a chance to visit Sumail in the near future. It was an addition to my knowledge to read that Omanis carried the message of Islam into many coastal regions of East Africa, central Africa, China and several Asia ports and most importantly, they were among the first people to embrace Islam.

The conversion of the Omanis into Islam is usually ascribed to Hazrat Amr bin Al-As, who was sent by Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) around 630 AD with a letter.

I would like to add here some words about this great companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Hazrat Amr bin Al-As was the member of Banu Sahm tribe of Quraish and belonged to an influential trading family. His brother accepted Islam much before in Mecca than he accepted Islam after the historic pact of Hudaibiya between Meccans and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), in 629-630 AD along with Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed in Madina. After conversion, he proved to be a great asset to Islam and he was in trusted with many important missions by Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him and other Khalifas like Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar Farooq (May Allah be pleased with both of them), which he successfully fulfilled. In Islamic history he is called “Faath-e-Misr”(The Conqueror of Egypt). He was man of a great political and diplomatic vision of his time. May Allah be pleased with Hazrat Amr Bin Al-As and Hazrat Mazin bin Ghadouba!

I would sincerely look forward to more and more of such kind of historic stories of Oman in coming issues of Black & White.

Mohammad Osama Rawat, Ruwi

66 August August21–September 21-September6, 6,2010 2010

Magic has no colour Does magic (Black & White magic of Bahla – issue 18) have a colour? I don’t think so. White magic is supposedly good magic - that is used to help or heal.

Black magic is supposedly bad magic - that is used to hurt or destroy others.

Magic is a force. A good analogy is electricity. Is there ‘good’ or ‘bad’ electricity?

In short, is electricity either inherently good or intrinsically evil? No. There are good and bad uses of electricity. This brings us to intent. It is the magician's intention that is good or bad. The magic itself is neither.

Said Suleiman Al Harthy, Seeb

Fascinating place Bahla is a fascinating place. I have visited it several times in the last decade, either for work or for leisure and although I know that it is known for types of magic, I never ever experienced it. Reading your story (issue 18) gave me an entirely new insight into the magic practiced in Bahla. Thanks for giving us the contact of Moalim Salim.

Anwar Abdullah, Muscat Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Black & White 7

Xclusive Strings of prayers more we learnt about the 32 The Tasbeeh, the more we realised how little we knew about these important beads, which have physical, metaphysical and psychological affects on their users

Cover Photo: Najib Al Balushi

MABGOC wants you!

The Muscat 2010 2nd Asian Beach Games Volunteers programme is keenly seeking volunteers

22

Are you follicly challenged?

in power, you can 42 When do anything?

Contents

men love to lie? There are 12 Do reams of material written about this issue. Some have even said that for men, lying is a favourite pastime. Is this true?

Bitter Batter

women 60 Fewer suffer from hair

Does power, position, money make you all powerful?

You can almost do anything? You are not accountable?

Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC Black & White Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos Office location: Hatat House, Office no: 212, II Floor Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496 Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com 8 August 21–September 6, 2010 Printed at Mazoon, Muscat, Oman

Men lie!

loss than men.

But, when it happens to women, it can be devastating

BPA Consumer Audit applied for December 2009

Editor-in-chief Managing editor Work editor Design & production Photographer Advt. & marketing

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Priya Arunkumar Adarsh Madhavan Beneek Siraj Najib Al Balushi S M Azeiez, Ali Al Raisi Swithun Fernandes

All about X, Y & Z

We are onto something BIG

By Adarsh Madhavan

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT SOMETHING BEING BIG? What is remarkable about big buildings, big bridges, big airplanes, big vessels, big whales, and big elephants over their smaller counterparts? Is it a universal law that the bigger an object is, the better it is?

What is this obsession for all things big?

Does big mean it is large, voluminous and also important and significant?

Does big mean it is beautiful?

Does big mean everything to all?

Are we all interested in only the big things in life?

Is it only the biggies that matter?

Is small really insignificant, unimportant and not better than its bigger counterpart?

Are people really blind to the small things in life?

SIZE MATTERS? Whew, does size really matter?

Yes, it does!

Big is BIG! Size matters in this world, especially the media world where companies, individuals alike are obsessed about seeing their photos splashed in big spreads and when they pay for ads, they like them in big sizes, not small.

We, at the Black & White, had that problem right from the first day we launched…

But, then, don’t misunderstand us -- that is NOT the reason why we have come out in a bigger size – oh yes, you must have noticed by now that the book you are holding in your hand has grown in the past 15 days!

How did we suddenly add inches and size to our diminutive frame?

How… is easy! The question is why…?

It was not a conscious decision to increase our size; we did not go through a crash size increase course to come to this level: certain official publishing regulations have made us increase the size from 24H x 17W to 28H x 19W. Yes, only a few inches, but, hope you feel the difference and hope you would like to hold us in our new size. How do we look? What is your opinion? We are all eager to know.

THE WAY WE WERE Yes, we were different. We were the smallest among the magazine segment and we were considered by some as ‘cute’ and just right and handy, while some others frowned down upon us saying that we were too small for their comfort.

The latter felt that we did not do justice when we gave them a half page write up about their new launch because a half page rate up in our magazine was “like two to three paragraphs in a daily”!

And, some of them made almost similar comments when they placed ads in our magazine, stating that they felt the ads too be small for comfort.

Some did not even want to advertise stating that we were too ‘small’ for them!

We staunchly defended ourselves because we did not think we were small. We told them why we had adopted this size and how we wanted to be different from the rest of the crowd. We also pointed out to the fact that one of the world’s most popular magazine, the Readers Digest,… was smaller than us!

And the main issue that we pressed on our readers was that it was all a matter of habit. Bigger or smaller, it all depended on readers getting used to it.

FOLLOW SIZE SUIT But then fate divined us another plan and owing to reasons beyond our control and the fact that we have to follow the printing and publication rules and regulations of the land that we live in, we have become bigger than what we were!

There are so many reasons for this change and growth in size and while we take great pride in our former size, we take greater pride in introducing to the world our brand new sized Black & White!

You will notice the change and you will have your own individual comments about it, but like we said, it is all a matter of habit…hope it soon becomes a habit that you cannot do without! editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Black & White 9

Playground 10 August 21–September 6, 2010

Success is…achieving your purpose in life Success is not measured by the wealth you acquire – it is achieving your purpose in life, says Khalil bin Abdullah Al Khonji, chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI). Khalil Al Khonji’s life revolves around business and that is his main purpose in life.

“It is my main purpose – my life, my career, my hobby and my leisure,” Khalil Khonji tells Black & White in a recent freewheeling interview.

“Success is not wealth – it is the achievement you have when you are satisfied with your work and your contribution towards the society and the community you work for – then, you are successful!”

That is the only way you can leave a mark in life, he tells us. Khalil’s real wealth is his friends, he says. “I hope my friends also treasure me in the same way,” he added.

“I also think I can reach out to kids and adults alike. I am also good at maintaining friendships with people who are much older than me. For instance, I was my grandfather’s friend. And now, I am my daughter’s friend too!”

BUSINESS IS IN HIS BLOOD Khalil is a man who has business in his blood. “Like I have said before, my main purpose in life is business. I also love history.

He pointed to his name Khalil saying that it meant ‘friend’. “If you ask me who is Khalil Al Khonji, my reply is: A friend!

"I learnt the method of business from my grandfather and my uncles when I was a little child itself.

Just like my name, I feel I am a friend to all. “And I am good at maintaining friendship. I am easy to approach too. I guess the meaning of my name has rubbed on to me too. I am a good friend to everyone; though I should not be telling this...”

“Right from my childhood days, I was a good listener. “Both my grandfathers (Mohammed and Ahmed Al Khonji) were well-known merchants of their time and probably because of that, business is in my blood too.

Khalil notes that he still has contacts with all of his childhood friends… And, he maintains that being an adult does not stop him from reaching out to young kids too.

“I cannot even think of any other field I would have liked to be. I feel each one of us is driven to do things and my line is business.

Black & White 11

Education has played a very important role in the development and evolution of business in Oman and I believe the younger generation with proper education and training can make the business world more industrious

My family groomed me in to business. As a child, I used to go to the shop after school and this is a trend that continues even today.

We, as a family, can only think of business as a lifestyle. Let others become doctors and engineers and auditors!”

Khalil is of the opinion that if his grandfather was alive today he would have been proud of him. “My grandfather was my pride. I learnt almost all ethics of business from him and I gained all the business experience from our family house in Bait Al Khonji, in Muttrah.

“It used to serve as a meeting point for people from many nations.

In the early days, there were no hotels and so Al Khonji majlis was always open and many captains of ships would stay there.”

THE PULSE OF BUSINESS But, was Khalil directly into business today…? “I may not be directly into business, but I am still in the world of business. Even though my line of work is not direct merchandise, I meet businessmen of Oman on a day-to-day basis and am in sync with the pulse of the businessmen in town.

Playground

Every day is a challenge, meeting new people, travelling worldwide, meeting international businessmen and houses. Every day is a learning 12 August 21–September 6, 2010

curve and with the evolution of technology, business makes more sense today.

Look at Oman today and how it has evolved!”

ETCHED IN THE HEART Some memories are forever etched in his heart. Khalil fondly remembers the day in 1970, when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said visited Muttrah.

“I was with my grandfather that day…it was a great, unforgettable moment!”

Khalil noted that Oman, as a nation, has come very far and have been taking progressive strides.

My grandfather did business travelling on the seas and today mobiles and computers have taken over.

Education has played a very important role in the development and evolution of business in Oman and I believe the younger generation with proper education and training can make the business world more industrious.

Free zones are coming up, industries, railways, airports and new infrastructures will bring in more employment and growth opportunities in Oman. The youth is progressively gearing up for it…”

CREATIVITY IS IMPORTANT But, today the language of business has changed. “There is no place for mediocrity and the uneducated. This is not just in business, but all aspects of life.

“Whatever field you are in, creativity and innovation will lead you further. It is very important that we love the job we do and update ourselves in the field. I believe there is no limit to serving any post and I have done my best in my portfolio.

Since my job involves lots of travelling, it is always fulfilling.

“But, like any other field, every job portfolio is a full-time process. You cannot switch off and

on. As the chairman of the OCCI I have to have friendly business get-togethers and that fills in my socialising life too. Even on a personal travel trip, I visit the chamber offices there!”

LEAVE A MARK More than anything, Khalil wants to leave a business imprint in life, which can never ever be wiped off. “I have been in the business field since my childhood and I cannot disassociate from it.

Business is my main purpose of life, my career, hobby and leisure. I believe success is not measured with the wealth you acquire; it is with achieving what you want to do with life, with your purpose in life. When you are satisfied with your work and contribution towards the community you work for, you are successful.”

Black & White 13

Do men love to lie?

There are reams of material written about this issue. Some have even said that for men, lying is a favourite pastime. Is this true?

NO, WE WOULD SAY, but, let us check up what we have up against: they say we are egoistic; we have levels of testosterones in our body; we are eager to win and always ready to fight. But, why is it that most people believe that we lie?

It is probably because the majority of us lie to women. But, why do we lie?

Because that will help us avoid getting into trouble. Most men lie so that their women, be it a girlfriend of wife, will not get disappointed of them. But, what we don’t realise is that one lie can lead to another and then it becomes too difficult to handle.

Women cannot handle it when men lie. For any relationship to go the right way, the foundation should always be based on trust. Trust is something that is built up with time. Being honest to each other is of utmost importance in any relationship.

Lies only create more chaos in an already disturbed relationship although a little bit of white lies can at times, save a relationship.

But, that should be understood is that men lie to women for some specific reasons:

Men…LIE?

By Steve Dennison

Men read

TO GET AWAY WITH STUFF: This is the reason why most women lie as well, right? It is often just easier to give a very simple and easy answer, as compared to saying the truth. Often, in saying the truth, confrontation is a given. As such, lying seems like a safer option.

HALF TRUTH: Often the man is not exactly lying, but he is not completely honest either. He will say the acceptable part of the truth and very conveniently “forget” about the unacceptable part of it. Like he may say that he took a friend out for shopping, but he may just omit the part where his “friend” is actually his ex-girlfriend. Let’s face it, if you are his girlfriend or wife, you would at least frown at the concept. So, to keep you happy, he would simply not mention.

14 August 21–September 6, 2010

THE SWEET LIE: Sometimes a man lies to his woman when he is unable to bluntly and rudely say that he either does not like her cooking or the dress she is wearing, both serious sour notes with women.

If a woman cooks something for her man, he has to like it. If he says it was awful, sometimes, that could sound the death knell to that relationship.

FICTION IS MORE BELIEVABLE: This is very common as well.

Women have a tendency to refuse to believe something that is just too “easy” to be true. Poor men, where do they go at such a time? If they say the truth, they will be constantly questioned. So, they make up a more complex lie, and the women tend to fall for it!

WHITE LIES: So, why do men lie to their girlfriends? Apart from white lies, men also lie probably if they end up being habitual liars.

For such men, telling a lie is no big deal; they lie for fun and as a form of entertainment. For them, telling a lie is merely a habit without any malicious intentions! Well, in that case, it would be difficult to spot a habitual liar although time would reveal the truth!

Men as well as women lie for various reasons (known to them!) But if you wish to be in a long-lasting relationship, then you need to be truly honest to yourself first and then with your partner! With love and trust as the base, you can then have a healthy relationship you can certainly cherish forever.

Black & White 15

is sign of life…and death

Men health

Pain is sign of life, but there are some pains men shouldn’t ignore. Whether you like it or not, it is better that you get on the trail to the doctor.

Sure, many miscellaneous ailments resolve themselves without medical attention. But denial can also leave you dead. Take a look at some of the pains you should watch out for. Like:

16 August 21–September 6, 2010

BLEEDING GUMS The redness, inflammation, or bleeding of your gums might be due to gingivitis, a condition that can progress to periodontal disease. This, in turn, is linked to heart disease— the number one killer of men. How? The bacteria from periodontal disease enter your bloodstream, potentially causing inflammation elsewhere in your body, including your heart. The result: atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. What’s more, periodontal disease can signal diabetes. Diabetes causes blood vessels to thicken, which slows the flow of nutrients and the removal of harmful wastes. This can weaken the gum tissue’s resistance to infection.

Gums that are salmon-pink in light-skinned people, or a bit darker in dark-skinned people, indicate that your mouth is healthy and bacteria are in check, doctors say. But if your gums are red and swollen, and they bleed after brushing, you may have gum disease—or worse. Begin daily flossing, and see your dentist for an intense, below-the-gumline cleaning and application of antibiotics.

CLOGGED NASAL PASSAGES When you take a deep breath, do you inhale through your nose, or through your mouth? If it is your mouth, then your nasal passages may be obstructed, probably due to allergic rhinitis, the symptoms of which can include sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and general stuffiness. Or if those symptoms accompany coughing and wheezing, you might have asthma.

Asthma can permanently reduce lung function if it’s not treated quickly. Clogged nasal passages can also contribute to sleep apnea, a condition that’s usually also accompanied by snoring and about 20 pounds of extra body weight. Consult a physician right away if you have all three symptoms.

RUNAWAY HEART RATE Your resting heart rate (RHR) indicates how hard your heart is working to pump blood. It’s not only a good indicator of your overall fitness, but it can also signal diabetes or heart disease if it’s high. In fact, Italian researchers found that having an RHR above 70 beats per minute (bpm) increases your risk of

dying of heart disease by at least 78 percent.

How to take your resting heart rate: Relieve yourself first; a full bladder may elevate your heart rate. Then sit for a minute or two before taking your pulse at either your neck or your wrist.

Count the number of times your heart beats in 15 seconds, and then multiply that number by 4 for your bpm. As a rule, 40 to 60 bpm indicates a high level of cardiovascular fitness.

THE BELLY DILEMMA Men gain weight around their middles, and studies have shown that deeply seated abdominal fat (called visceral fat) bumps up your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer.

Unlike the fat that resides just under the skin, visceral fat collects deep within your abdomen, filling the spaces between your organs and increasing the risk of inflammation throughout your body. Worse, it can lead to insulin resistance, which forces your pancreas to boost insulin production in order to clear your bloodstream of glucose.

STIFF MUSCLES Poor flexibility in your upper back can predispose you to lower-back pain and injury. If you sit at a desk for long hours without moving, or if you’re doing a lot of lifting to build your chest muscles but not stretching them out and not strengthening your upper back, your shoulders and neck will hunch forward, experts note.

BAD MEMORY Can’t recall where you just placed your pen?

You’re probably stressed out. The stress hormone cortisol temporarily short-circuits memory.

Cardio work improves attention, brain-processing speed, and memory. But, see a medical expert anyway.

It is always said that there is no better time than the Holy Month of Ramadan to stop a bad habit, like smoking. In fact, countries across the region are timing their nationwide anti-smoking campaigns in time with the Holy Month. Here are some post quitting tips in Ramadan and forever:

You will be less inclined to

SMOKE, f…

Men health

SIP COLD WATER AND EAT SMALL MEALS Sipping cold water can help replace the act of sucking on a cigarette. Sipping cold water through a straw releases dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical that can help ease negative moods. Eating small meals can also help you get past the urge to smoke. Choose lean, healthy foods to avoid any possible weight gain.

RECOGNISE INSTANT REWARDS You don’t have to wait long to begin enjoying the benefits of a smoke-free life. Keep a written list of the benefits as you begin to experience them. These may include feeling in control, saving money, smelling better, tasting food more vividly, and feeling more energetic. When the urge to smoke strikes, look at the benefits you’re already experiencing.

18 August 21–September 6, 2010

BRUSH YOUR TEETH FREQUENTLY One of the immediate benefits of quitting is that your mouth tastes better and your breath smells better. Brush your teeth frequently. That way, you’ll be less inclined to light up a cigarette and foul that clean, fresh mouth.

AVOID ALCOHOL Drinking alcohol is one of the most common reasons people go back to smoking. There are several reasons why. By breaking down inhibitions, the effect of alcohol can erode your commitment to quitting. The act of drinking alcohol is also associated with smoking for many people, so it may serve as a trigger.

FIND YOUR OWN NO-SMOKING ZONES When the urge to smoke strikes, go somewhere where you can’t light up -- a movie, the library, or a store for example. The more distracting the location is, the easier it will be to ride out cravings.

REMEMBER YOUR REASONS FOR QUITTING Write down a list of all your reasons for quitting. Make copies and post them wherever you spend time -- in the kitchen, at the office, beside the bathroom mirror.

Be sure they are prominently displayed so that you are reminded wherever you go. Some ex-smokers say they found it useful to put photographs of family and loved ones alongside their reasons.

FILL YOUR CALENDAR During the first few weeks of quitting, make sure your days are filled with things you want or need to do. Make plans to eat meals with family or friends. Try to steer clear of smoking temptations. Also include activities that you enjoy. The busier you are, the more distracted you’ll be from the urge to smoke.

BE ACTIVE EVERYDAY Physical activity offers a powerful distraction from cravings. When your body is active, it sends out natural chemicals that help your mood and reduce your stress. Walking is one of the easiest exercises for most people, but choosing a variety of activities may help you stay motivated. Especially during the first few weeks after quitting, set aside time to be physically active every day.

PUT SOMETHING ELSE IN YOUR MOUTH Part of the urge to smoke is having something in your mouth. In place of a cigarette, pop chewing gum, hard candy, or a healthy snack in your mouth when the urge strikes. Be sure to have something with you at all times. If you’re concerned about gaining weight, stick with sugar-free alternatives.

Black & White 19

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blackwhite Oman

Off the wall

Almost tempted I had to meet a poor old lady on an emergency basis; her husband has cancer and she wanted some monetary help, I told my friend when he asked me why I was late for our appointment.

He shook his head. “Always the same old boring help tales...”

Can you please relax? I am not that late, I said. “It is not that you are late; I can handle that, why do you waste so much of time?”

What do you mean?

“This – this stupid and wasted efforts of yours to try and help people in distress; one, it does you no good; two, if you were helping someone who is going to give something to you in return, it would have made some sense – this kind of helping where you get nothing in return is a huge waste of time and energy, especially when you don’t have any time for yourself,” my friend went on.

Okay, okay, I finally cut in, let us drop the subject. Let us get on with our work.

He did not reply. Then he spoke, in the same tone: “You know I have argued with you on this subject for many years, but you still insist on doing this. You should first save yourself before you save the world.”

I am not saving the world, I have no such aspirations. I am not even charitable, it is just that someone recommended this lady to me and so I thought I would give her a hearing – “And,” he interrupted. “And, what would you do after that?

You will go around begging for alms for her?”

I swore.

“Yes, it is easy for you to swear at your friend, but you can die for a stranger!”

Let us not get into this, I told him. Everytime we argue about this, we end up in a fight.

“Look, I am not interested in fighting with you. But, some things have to be said plainly. Unless, it is told, you will never understand the gravity of the situation you are in. Well, you may not go and beg for alms, but you are still asking for help…”

Well, it is not for myself!

“But, what good is it for you? Will you get anything in return?

Are you going to benefit because you are helping this woman out? You know what will happen? Soon, people will see you as a nuisance. They will not even answer your call, because they are not interested in helping this lady or anyone – everyone will try and see if they are going to get something in return – at least a name!”

O

By Adarsh Madhavan

f

he ft

wall

I don’t agree. There are so many people out there who readily help and they don’t want anything in return, not even a ‘thanks’!

“You are stubborn and you always have to retort. I will be clear with you – it is high time that you get to know the people in the market who are well known, connected, rich and powerful. There is no point otherwise. Tomorrow, you will be in a situation where you will need these people and you would not know even one of them – instead, you will know someone who is dependent on you for something; some leech that will not let go! Listen to me, do as I say: get rid of this habit of helping someone when it is of no use or of no benefit to you.

“You are a scribe. You get to meet many people.

Don’t just get friendly and close with all of them.

Be selective: chose the ones that matter; those that will be of use to you in the future. Find out who has got the best contacts in town and also find out what they require; in the sense, what they want or what are their weakness and then try to help them get what they want – they will be indebted to you forever. They will be there when you need them.

“In short, get into the company of people that matter and hobnob only with them, you will soon see a difference, you will taste success and there will be a total change in your life. Even if you aren’t a success, you will at least lead a comfortable life!”

I sat and silently listened to him, fascinated by what he was saying and for a moment, just for a fraction of a moment, was almost tempted to dip into this artificial pool of success! It just came and went in a blink, but, yes, it was there… adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com

Black & White 21

Oman watch

MABGOC needs YOU! 22 August 21–September 6, 2010

In just about 100 days, Oman will be hosting its biggest-ever international sporting event, celebrating sporting and cultural diversity from across Asia while embracing Omani heritage and values. Everything is moving swiftly in the direction of this mega international sporting event. And so, a query could be rightly asked: Wouldn’t the organisers need some more assistance from the general public to conduct and host this world-class ‘Games’?

The answer is a resounding ‘yes’.

Black & White 23

Around 2000 volunteers have already joined hands with the MABGOC. We are in the process of interviewing, short listing and allocating the applicants to 16 different portfolios

AGE, SEX, COMMUNITY NO BAR They need all the help that can be offered. The Muscat 2010 2nd Asian Beach Games Volunteers programme is keenly seeking volunteers, and going by the officials’ sentiments, age, sex, community etc would not prove to be an impediment for any one seeking to volunteer for the Games.

In other words, you can be a volunteer too. All you need is the will and perhaps a clear cut idea of what you would like to do and how you would like to volunteer.

“Around 2000 volunteers have already joined hands with the Muscat Asian Beach Games Organising Committee (MABGOC). We are in the process of interviewing, short listing and allocating the applicants to 16 different portfolios. Predominantly among the 2000 are locals, and we are on the lookout for more volunteers, especially from the expatriate segment. Age, sex or community is no bar; we need support from all quarters!” Daniela Rodriguez, head of recruitment and allocation; Nicolas Attara, head of promotion and retention and Ioanna Antoniou, volunteers programme manager of MABGOC told Black & White, in a recent interview.

4000 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Besides extending other support, the host country always participated in an international sports event 24 August 21–September 6, 2010

through volunteers. “This time, for the upcoming MABGOC, we are looking at 4000 volunteers and we hope to rope them in by September end,” Daniela said.

These volunteers will be the support system of the event and they will be trained accordingly.

Volunteer participation does not require any prior experience and the MABGOC team will train the selected applicants suitably enough, she added.

16 VOLUNTEER SERVICES “The allocation of the registered applicants will happen during October month and the volunteers will be provided proper training, required transportation through shuttle services, food and a certificate at the end of the event.

Being a volunteer will be an eye and mind opener for many youth and this will be a platform to learn and gain more experience, get exposure and attain new confidence levels.

This effort will be a means to give back to the society and a support to our nation,” Daniela and Nicolas said. They also noted that the volunteers will not only get a chance to contribute to the largest sporting event ever hosted by Oman, but also help them gain valuable knowledge and make long-lasting friendships with people from diverse backgrounds.

“The volunteers will be allocated various portfolios on a shift basis

after a brief interview to check out their strengths and plus points by the MABGOC team, Ioanna pitched in.

A volunteer should take up at least a minimum of seven shifts (days) within the timeframe from November 15 to December 18, 2010, she said.

There are 16 functional portfolios where the volunteers would be deployed, some in Muscat and the other in the Musannah Games venue. The allocation will be done according to the volunteer’s skills, experience and preference. The volunteers will be required to attend a generic, job specific and venue training. “We may need their time for two to three days within August to October,” Daniela said. In order to register as a volunteer, you need to fill in an official application and go through an interview. Selected volunteers will be entitled to an official Games uniform, insurance and meals during their service, transportation options and a certificate of recognition for their contribution, Daniela and Nicolas said.

The trio also gave an idea of the job portfolios for the volunteers in each of the 16 services: SPORTS Every portfolio will have a supervisor and a team leader. This portfolio will have volunteers to support the participating athletes and sportspersons and their accompanying teams for information, support services, coordination etc.

We are looking at 4000 volunteers and we hope to rope them in by September end. These volunteers will be the support system of the event and they will be trained accordingly

NOC SERVICES 45 countries are participating in the MABGOC. Therefore, members of the National Olympic Committee will be here, so the volunteers in this service will take care of the NOC visitors and their requirements.

MARKETING This will have volunteers helping out in the warehouse departments, customer services and merchandises.

AIRPORT SERVICES The volunteers here will take care of the arrival and departure schedules of different participants and guests, starting from the arrival counter till their rooms at hotels they are provided accommodation with.

Here English language is a must.

BROADCAST & MEDIA Volunteers will help out with the coordination and support services of media boxes at Muscat and Musannah areas. Ideally a little bit of media and PR exposure is welcome.

Volunteer participation does not require any prior experience and the MABGOC team will train the selected applicants

participants, public, media etc, bus and shuttle services schedule etc.

TECHNOLOGY From IT to electrical to all technical departments – all will need support volunteers. The volunteers need not be fully technically qualified, but, if they are, it would be ideal.

ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING Volunteers will be responsible for cleaning, clearing, supervising the cleaning staff, from tissue boxes to other hygienic issues.

MEDICAL AND DOPING CONTROL This service requires some medical background and little technical expertise.

The volunteers here will be attached full time to participating athletes and that process is from the start of the event till finish.

Ample training will be given to the volunteers and a certificate at this event is very valuable and could even be the pathway to a future career.

PROTOCOL AND OCA SERVICES This would be support services to high end delegates of visiting OCA members and guests.

ACCOMMODATION Volunteers would be involved in allocation of accommodation, housekeeping services, coordination etc.

TRANSPORTATION Volunteers of this division will be responsible for logistics of transportation related matters like the parking lots for various lists of guests,

CATERING Volunteer services for support and coordination of distribution, availability, hygiene of food and catering services.

ACCREDITATION AND UNIFORMS Here the volunteers will be handling access rights, uniform for different categories of visitors, participants, media, delegates, VIP guests etc. the volunteers will be helping in channelising and checking the accuracy of access codes and uniforms.

SPECTATOR SERVICES Here computers skills are preferred and a little analytical ability and good communication skills since coordination is required for directing spectators/visitors. The volunteers will be trained on venue and given details as to where the spectators have to sit, how to guide them to the toilets etc.

HUMAN RESOURCES These are the behind the scenes volunteers and have lots of responsibility. This department will be the first point contact for all and everything, from shifts to check outs.

VILLAGE OPERATIONS The village operations will include four things in one – transport, accommodation, catering and support services. Volunteers will be briefed of their functions and they will be thoroughly trained.

For registering yourself as a volunteer just call toll free number 80078222 or email at volunteers@muscat2010.org.om Black & White 25

Celebrating a season of giving with

Damas ”For You, I’d bring the moon if I could.” This is the sentiment that launches the Damas Uhdeeki festival across the region, celebrating the feeling that we would do anything for the happiness of our dearest loved ones.

Uhdeeki means “my gift for you” and Damas certainly has special gifts for every expression of appreciation, for a caring mother, precious daughter, dearest sister or darling wife. Thoughtful well-meant gifts are truly one of the highest forms of gratitude and what can be better than presenting a special piece to a dear one this season making it all the more special.

Rajesh Govindan, Country Manager, Damas Oman, summed up the festival nicely, “After all, when we truly

appreciate someone, we find every opportunity to show them, just for the joy of giving, and the pleasure of seeing their smile. It is not how much you give, but how much love you put into giving."

The essence of magnanimity is seen in the joy of sharing beautiful gifts and the privilege of lavishing your loved ones with them without any strings attached.

"This festival encourages you to gift the one you hold closer to your heart, making it a wish and not an obligation. Needless to say that, you will always find an appropriate and unique gift for that unique special person in your life at any of our Damas stores,” Rajesh said.

Marlins’ Pender strikes Gold

British School Muscat (BSM) Marlins swimmer Theodore Pender produced sensational form to win gold and bronze at the recent Irish Age Group National Swimming Championships held at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.

In a commanding performance in the morning heats, Pender, (pictured), aged 15, raced to a personal best of 2:40.20 in the 200m breaststroke, qualifying fastest for the evening final. And just hours later, the Marlin produced a breathtaking performance to take the 15 year-old age group national title in 2:38.14.

26 August 21–September 6, 2010

Theodore’s Marlins team-mate and twin brother, Patrick Pender, swam a gutsy 100m freestyle in 59.92.

Coach Rogers was delighted with the boys’ achievements, commenting: “Theodore and Patrick can be very proud of their success. I designed a training programme that would get the best from the boys and it paid diviends. They’re part of an exceptional group of youngsters that make up the Muscat Marlins swim team. We’ve a lot of talent coming through the squad and the Pender brothers are helping lead that charge.”

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Apollo performs arthroscopy procedures in its Centre Apollo Medical Centre, an associate of Apollo Hospitals Group, India performed its first arthroscopy procedures on four Omani patients in July.

The team lead by Dr C. Lenin Chinnusamy, visiting consultant arthroscopy and knee replacement surgeon from Apollo Hospitals, Chennai and Dr Sanjay Anvekar, orthopedic surgeon at Apollo Medical Centre performed for first time in Apollo Medical Centre, Muscat Arthroscopy Procedures. Speaking to the press, Dr Lenin said, “all the four operated cases were Omanis who were suffering from sports injury and having anterior cruciate

Aston Martin in Oman

Aston Martin has opened a new showroom in Oman’s capital, as the demand for luxury cars across the Gulf region continues unabated.

Al Muhannad Al Hashar – Aston Martin Oman showroom - brings the total number of Aston Martin dealers in the GCC to seven, with the new Muscat branch located in the vibrant Al-Sarooj district.

ligament tear with instability of the knee. A tear of this ligament can cause knee to give way during physical activity.

Among the four operated cases, one was a revision ACL tear with meniscal tear. All the four patients underwent transportal ACL Reconstruction Surgery with hamstring grafts a new technique which makes surgery and recovery safe. He also added that latest bio-composite interference screws were used which gets replaced with the bone much earlier than the bioabsorbable screws which are used presently.

MyHassad Gives Back campaign Ahlibank kicked off the MyHassad Gives Back campaign from the Wilayat of Ibra, where they visited the Wafa Social Center and gifted 200 school bags and stationary.

Bridgestone inaugurates Bandag retread facility in Mabella Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE has reinforced its position in Oman with the inauguration of Bandag retread facility in Mabella recently. The new facility is Bridgestone outlet in Oman that provides reliable and safe retread service to the fleets of Oman. The occasion was graced by the honorable presence of Shoichi Sakuma, president of Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE and senior officials from Bridgestone and Towell Auto Centre were present at the inauguration.

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Shell names global best retailers and Shell sales force

Shell’s global retail business held its annual rewards and recognition programme conference, recognising its top performing sales forces and retailers for 2009. Originally launched in 11 countries in 2006, the People Make the Difference Real programme is now in its fourth year with 700 delegates from 64 countries participating at the conference in Kuala Lumpur. The retail site winners from Oman are Shell Airport and Shell Ghubra Service station for top two stations in Oman.

From the Shell Sales force winners, Kit Arvin Bermudez became Best District Manager and Mohammed Muqaibal and Jon Cuadra were named Best Territory Managers in the Regional Market Unit. The award recognises their achievement of consistently delivering outstanding operational excellence results while making the difference real for customers visiting Shell retail sites in their region.

KIMS healthcare partner to Ministry of Education KIMS Oman Hospital signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ministry of education (MoE) to provide medical services and health education sessions to its employees. This is first of its kind and will benefit the ministry’s approx 64,000 employees to obtain dedicated services at affordable prices.

Under this partnership arrangement, KIMS has designed an exclusive student’s health education programme for MoE which will focus on the general well being of the students through regular awareness sessions, screening camps and interactive programmes.

All the ministry staff and their families will be entitled to avail advanced and specialized medical services from all KIMS centers, in India and other AGCC counties.

V M A Hakkim, executive director of KIMS added, “We are honoured to associate with MoE as their healthcare partner by developing this public-private partnership. KIMS, as a quality healthcare provider understands the demands of the society and is ready to meet the new trends in healthcare challenges of this region. This new initiative will be a benchmark for the health care sector in Oman.”

Towell Auto Centre

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launches four new Mazda models Towell Auto Centre launched four new and dazzling models of Mazda on a single day – the super cool Mazda2, the super sleek turbo charged 4x4 Sports Crossover CX-7, the super chic and luxurious CX-9 and the super spacious Mazda6.

On this special occasion, S 28 August 21–September 6, 2010

Kasthurirengan, Ceo, TAC, said, “Today we are proud to announce that we are probably the only auto distributor in the sultanate or even the AGCC to launch four cars in one day.

Mazda cars are known for their driving dynamics, and offer both a naturally aspirated and

supercharged model.

These powerful new cars offer a sporty feel and stout engines, all without compromising the ability to seat comfortably.

These all new Mazda vehicles are great for the family, as well as individuals who gain pleasure by driving their automobiles.”

Lower international rates from Nawras for Ramadan Nawras joins the celebrations in the Sultanate by giving customers the chance to get closer to their friends and family through a fantastic international mobile calling offer.

From August 10 until September 20, Nawras customers can call eight popular regional destinations with more than 20 per cent discount per minute during off peak hours.

Customers calling Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco or Palestine will enjoy calling for just 129 Baiza per minute, after the first minute of

each call which will be charged at the standard rate.

This offer is for all Nawras customers and valid from 8pm until 6am, Saturday to Thursday as well as all day long on Fridays. To enjoy these special rates, customers simply SMS the keyword ‘Offer’ to 80020 to receive subscription confirmation and to benefit from the promotional rate.

This offer from Nawras complements their recent move to permanently slash all off peak mobile rates to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh so Nawras customers can enjoy calling for just 99 baizas per minute.

Treasurebox Catering launched The recent launch of Treasurebox Catering at Leftbank saw an evening of unexpected culinary delights and surprises. The launch was held in the presence of Susan Bagyura, a visionary leader, and also present was Herbert Koessner and other officials of Treasurebox Catering.

Greenlight for series development of the

918 Spyder

In its session, the supervisory board of Dr Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, gave the greenlight for series development of the Porsche 918 Spyder. Reflecting the overwhelming response from the public and customers to the concept study, the supervisory board gave Porsche’s Board of Management the mission to develop a production model based on the car already presented.

This concept version of an ultra-high-performance midengined sports car with plug-in hybrid technology made its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and at Auto China in Bejing, hitting the headlines worldwide.

Michael Macht, president and chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG: “Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance

featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen.

This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base.”

Black & White 29

The new boss Bikram Vohra, internationallyknown Gulf based scribe

By Bikram Vohra

(Continued from last issue)

Sunny side up

The departee heard how he had been an indecisive leader with no new ideas, how he had led from behind and not from the front, how he had belonged to the old school and was not on par with modern methods and there was not a kind word, not even a hint of the mass hysteria the day he had resigned.

On the last day, he packed his personal things and went down to the car park with not one of the thirty two escorting him for the final drive away... all to busy. He came home, went to his room and began to tear up all the testimonials he had drafted.

Then he went looking for his wife.

At least her loyalty would not be in question.

And there is nothing more soul destroying than those ghastly company farewells where the departing staffer has to suffer the idiot comments of his bosses and then be given a silver chain or some other meaningless memento of his sixteen years of loyal, selfless service after which everyone has a cold drink, a piece of cheap cake and the boss gives a dreary ‘when do we get out of here’ speech and that’s it, sixteen years of hard dedicated work up for grabs.

All you get is a crumpled can and a few soggy crumbs to show for it.

By next week you won’t even be history, they’ll call you whatisname.

I remember one boss coming in to do the needful and he is hissing to his secretary, what’s the name of the guy, the guy who is leaving, what department was he in, okay, okay, thanks, I’ve got it.

Then, five minutes later he’s singing this staffer’s praises and telling the 30 August 21–September 6, 2010

assembly how he will be missed and we’ll never forget him (ha, you didn’t even remember the fellow) and he is welcome anytime he is in town and he should always treat this company as his second home (half the congregation wants to be sick by this time) and as a token of affection, on behalf of his colleagues here is a little gift (bought after emotionally blackmailing reluctant colleagues to cough up hundred bucks each and sending that office letter around twenty seven times to conjure up the splendid sum of Rs 3800 ) and we hope it will always remind you of your tenure with us (perish the thought.) Much clapping, much backslapping, much hypocrisy riding down the room.

Then some idiot in the office who can’t keep his mouth shut says, speech, speech and everyone else joins in the chorus and now we have the departee coming up front and he pulls out this sheaf of foolscap as you look on in horror and launches into his reverse match.

It is all sickly sweet and he tells us how much he has learned and the happy memories he’ll take with him (seeing as how he got superseded eight years ago and didn’t even get a bonus this is really great going) and now he is drivelling on:I’II miss the MD, I’II miss the FM, I’II miss the GM, I’II miss the Adm Off, I’ll miss the RM, I’ll miss the Accounts Manager (nobody misses the Accounts Manager, they celebrate), the canteen, the Comml Mgr, the teaboy, all my beloved colleagues, Uncle Tom Cobbely and all.. .ho hum.

The way I see it, when you gotta go, do that…go.

In Black & White

In Black...

A Tasbeeh with 99 beads symbolises the 99 names of Almighty Allah.

Sometimes, only 33 beads are used and in this case the Tasbeeh would be cycled three times to reach 99

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TASBEEH First impressions are always the best! But, sometimes, such first impressions can be misleading. And the first impression that I had of the Tasbeeh (prayer beads) -- when I was a very small kid, maybe just five or six years old -- was that they were some exotic car keys, which the Omani men sported.

Everywhere I went I saw these beads, and they intrigued me. I couldn’t wait to get older and own these beads. But, how could one start a car with these beads? There must be a way…

I reflect on my childhood fascination and laugh at times. I have outlived that age where I thought these beads were car keys, but nothing can outlive my passion for the same. By the time I was nine or 10 years old, I understood what these beads were and naturally got more inclined to them.

I remember repeating the three main phrases (Subhan Allah – Praise be to God; Alhamdulillah -- Glory be to God and Allahu Akbar (God is Great) with the beads.

In Islam, there are different varieties, different materials and numbers in the Tasbeeh (which is also known as the Misbaha).

A Tasbeeh with 99 beads symbolises the 99 names of Almighty Allah. Sometimes, only 33 beads are used and in this case the Tasbeeh would be cycled three times to reach 99.

The beads can be of 45 numbers too.

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief I have a unique one with 1000 beads and also one which has got 99 names of Almighty Allah engraved in it. The latter was a gift from a friend and I really treasure it!

Now, you can choose the ones you prefer from these three main varieties. It is a matter of personal choice, of course.

The prayer beads are just a means of convenience. And it is more of a habit, rather than a compulsion. I love to make my own Tasbeeh. I select special beads and create my own.

I don’t think Oman has any history of beads. Maybe the prayer beads would have come from some other religion.

But, Islam customised it. The prayers were done using the fingers. Tasbeeh helped in that process.

Today, the Tasbeeh is made of many materials, and I am sure our Black & White team will unveil more details of the same in the following pages.

What we attempt to achieve through these pages is to drive home the significance of the prayer beads, which is full of positive energy and make many understand that it is not just any accessory or shall, I say, car keys!

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B&W Xclusive 32 32 August August21–September 21-September6, 6,2010 2010

“Subhan Allah…

Alhamdulillah…

Allahu Akbar…”

During one recent mid-morning tour of the Muttrah Souq in the Holy Month of Ramadan, we heard some soft and mild chanting coming from the souq’s entrails.

We followed the short but circuitous path behind the gold souq and then suddenly came face to face with an old Omani man sitting in a corner and praying with a long Tasbeeh (prayer beads).

We waited for the 75-plus Khamis bin Haji Al Balushi to finish reciting the dhikr Subhan Allah, Alhamdulliah and Allahu Akbar and then we asked him about the beads.

Khamis Al Balushi proudly displayed the one he was praying with, to us, saying that it “was made of 99 beads”.

After giving a brief description on the beads, Khamis, who used to have a business in the souq confessed to Black & White: “I cannot live without these beads – they are a part of me and they have been a part of me since many years.”

Khamis noted that there were some Omani craftsmen who made these prayer beads in silver. Many ladies are known to work on the beads from home. “You can find many varieties in this souk. Many people in Oman use the Tasbeeh, which is also called Misbah. I use it throughout the day.”

Black & White 33

99 VIRTUES OF ALMIGHTY ALLAH The Tasbeeh or the Misbah consist of 99 beads that correspond to the 99 names – virtues of Almighty Allah.

There is also the central, bigger bead called the Imame. In a simplified version, only 33 beads can be used and one must continue the counting recitation two more times so that the prayer and names’ recitation is complete, reaching the number 99. In another version, 45 beads are used. In all these versions, there are always a number of smaller beads, called shahid beads that are positioned in specific, equal intervals in order to separate the whole piece in three equal parts. The more we learnt about the Tasbeeh, the more we realised how little we knew about these important beads, which have physical, metaphysical and psychological affects on their users. Realising that the Muttrah souq did not offer much information and the fact that some of the beads sold at the souq were artificial, we headed straight to Bait Adam in Qurum (16), which is owned by the famous Omani collector, Abdullatif Al Balushi.

Although Abdullatif collected Tasbeehs, he noted that he was no match when compared to his friend, Hamid, who was a walking, talking encyclopedia on the prayer beads and also a big collector. After some time, a tall, middle aged man walked in to Bait Adam and without much ado, launched off on the prayer beads.”

The collector of PRAYER BEADS

B&W Xclusive

“Those beads were blue in colour – they were very very beautiful!” Hamid bin Khuda Baksh Al Bulushi, an Omani collector of Tasbeeh, says this and breaks into a gentle smile recalling the moment he had first fallen in love with some beautiful beads of amber, several years back in Kuwait.

It was a friend who had introduced him to the world of beads.

For Hamid, it was not only a whole new world of discovery, but the beginning of a passionate voyage into the realm of beads. As he related this story to Black & White recently, he found himself walking 34 August 21-September 6, 2010

back on a fond memory lane, to a time when he was staring longingly at the prayer beads and then finding himself completely drawn to them, which today, he confesses “has become an obsession”.

Although he is only five years into the collection of Tasbeeh, he is already an authority on these prayer beads. We watch in fascination as he dipped his hand into a bag and lifted one colourful Tasbeeh after another.

His prime fascination is for amber beads. “I remember the first time that I took the amber Tasbeeh in my

hands. I felt transported; it seemed to lift the heaviness (of my burdens) from me. I felt calm – very calm and also at peace!” Since then, he has been on the Tasbeeh trail, prowling any markets that would offer him some hint of the amber beads, the rarer the better.

"Somehow, amber drew a major fascination for me. And, as my fascination grew, I learnt more about it. I researched and found out all information about amber, its qualities, varieties, and its availability and started collecting Tasbeeh made of different varieties of amber.”

Hamid Al Bulushi displays one of his favourite prayer beads

Black & White 35

The colours, the shine, and the see-through texture of amber fascinates me. It is a miracle element of God’s creation. It reflects the beauty of God and His creation and the uniqueness of His creations

Amber is the fossilised resin from ancient forests. Tasbeeh is normally made of gemstones, wooden beads, but also of olive seeds, ivory, amber, pearls or plastic. Some are made of gemstone beads (mineral and animal based) like cornelian, tortoiseshell, glass, meerschaum, ivory, pearl, coral, coconut, pebble, mother of-pearl, jade, rhino horn, etc whereas wooden beads are made of Rose Tree, Ebony, Agalloch, Rosewood, Olive Tree, etc. You can find sandalwood and other wooden type of prayer beads too in Oman.

B&W Xclusive

“I am not sure of the history of Tasbeeh in Oman, but every religion has these prayer beads. Christians, Buddhists, Hindus etc. all use it for chanting. In Islam, we use it for three types of dua (chants),” explained Abdullatif Al Balushi, Omani collector and owner of Bait Adam.

“As far as I know, Oman does not record any history of Tasbeeh.

I don’t think it was part of Oman’s culture -- it is more of an Islamic culture. Prayer beads or Rosaries are used by various religions such as Islam, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindu Brahmins, Sikhs, Bahá’ís and Greek to count the repetitions of prayers, for repetition 36 August 21-September 6, 2010

of the same devotion a number of times, for meditation, protection from negative energy, even for relaxation and to relieve stress.

As a collector, I have a variety of Tasbeeh, made of different materials, different styles in Bait Adam,” Abdullatif said, stressing that Hamid was the actual authority on the Tasbeeh.

TOOLS OF MEDITATION Using prayer beads as a tool of meditation is as old as human history. It is not a coincidence that prayer beads are present in almost every religion. Prayer beads have physical, metaphysical and psychological effects on their users.

“I believe prayer beads are full of positive energy and bring you to life, especially the beads made of amber.

Gemstones have attracted people with their colours and charming gloss since ancient times. Since then, each stone has a special meaning and a special effect on our human bodies.

Some give calming effect, while others reduce blood pressure, some are good for ailments. It is believed these beads have curative properties too,” Hamid added.

AMBER SOME BEADS His fascination for the beauty of amber brought him closer to it. “I learnt everything about it. It is not a stone. Amber is not produced from tree sap, but rather from plant resin. This aromatic resin can drip or ooze down from trees, as well as fill internal fissures, trapping debris such as seeds, leaves, feathers and insects. The resin becomes buried and fossilised through a natural polymerisation of the original organic compounds.

MIRACLE ELEMENT “The colours, the shine, and the see-through texture of amber fascinates me. It is a miracle element of God’s creation. It reflects the beauty of God and His creation and the uniqueness of His creations.

“The colours of amber range from white, yellow, brown to red. There is green, blue, gray and even black amber. Even more subtle shades and combinations are among them.

Amber can be absolutely transparent or absolutely opaque.”

Amber is not always one-coloured: the unique combinations of two or more colours and shades, patterns can be found. “For these reasons amber becomes attractive, charming and unique.

The colours of amber range from white, yellow, brown to red. There is green, blue, gray and even black amber.

Even more subtle shades and combinations are among them. Amber can be absolutely transparent or absolutely opaque

I have one which in daylight will display a green and red combination; while at night it turns brown and red.

It is expensive and very rare. I have quite a large collection and it is an expensive hobby.

Turkey has some great artisans and craftsmen who make the best of handmade Tasbeeh beads and Kuwait has more design varieties and technology to add on the cosmetic and aesthetic aspects.”

EXPENSIVE AFFAIR So for the love of amber prayer beads, Hamid travels up to Turkey to either buy and create Tasbeeh and then travel to Kuwait to make them beautiful. Wasn’t the pursuit of his passion an expensive affair?

“Yes, indeed it is an expensive affair for me. But, I am obsessed with amber beads now. I am thorough with it. I can see an amber bead and

tell you what quality it is and what make. The market has got quite a lot of fake and artificially made amber beads.

like the spider of today! So, what were we missing?”

“You can find quite a lot of artificial amber Tasbeeh at the souqs.

The amber is crushed, mixed with frankincense and glue and melted in to a mould and it will be made into perfumed beads. Naturally amber is not perfumed. When you rub against the amber, the warmth produces a sweet smell.

AMBER HAPPINESS “When I hold the Tasbeeh amber in my hands, I feel a certain amount of calmness and happiness seep through me. Amber has that effect on you. You feel good because you are in touch with one of God’s beautiful creation – amber. The prayers add on spirituality to it. The Tasbeeh helps you focus and keeps you peaceful.”

“The Dominican amber, mostly found in Santiago in the Dominican Republic in Central America actually fascinates me more because of its fossil inclusions. You can actually see insects of an earlier era embedded inside making us wonder whether evolution actually happened? The spider of that era embedded in the amber looks exactly

RARE COLLECTION “I have a rare collection of Tasbeeh’s too. I have an almost pure white Tasbeeh, red and green combination one, a rare blue one too. My dream is to own a pure white amber Tasbeeh. White amber is very rare (about 1 to 2 percent of all amber). And it is considered royal. I am still searching…”

Black & White 37

B&W Xclusive

Using prayer beads as a tool of meditation is as old as human history. It is not a coincidence that prayer beads are present in almost every religion.

Prayer beads have physical, metaphysical and psychological effects on their users

38 38 August August21–September 21-September6, 6,2010 2010

Amber varieties BALTIC AMBER This is the most common type of amber in the world, with approximately 85 percent of the world’s amber coming from here. Baltic amber is usually a bright yellow or honey colour.

Baltic amber is spread over a large part of northern Europe, and the North Sea: Kaliningrad Oblast, (formerly Koningsberg in Prussia now in the Russian Federation) contains the largest deposits. Some of the other countries in Europe where amber is found are: Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Switzerland, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Holland, Austria, France, and Italy. In England, amber can be found washed up in a number of different locations on the east coast beaches from the north sea DELATYNITE A lesser known source of amber is in the Ukraine, within a marshy forested area on the Volyhn-Polesie border. Due to the shallow depth at which this amber is found it can be extracted with the simplest of tools, and this has led to amber poaching under cover of the forest.

DOMINICAN AMBER This is mostly found in Santiago in the Dominican Republic, in Central America. The amber is mined through bell pit mining. This is where a shaft is dug into the ground at any angle and the amber is dug out where it is found. The age of Dominican amber is up to 40 million years old. Dominican amber is usually always transparent, (see through) and this is the main difference from Baltic amber. It also quite often includes a lot more fossil inclusions, (such as leafs and insects) than Baltic amber. Yellow and honey coloured, as well as in smaller quantities red and green. The rarest Dominican amber is the very attractive blue amber which turns fluorescent under ultra violet light. Only about 100 kilograms of blue amber are found each year, which makes it very expensive.

Different names; different colours: TRANSPARENT (WITH A YELLOWISH SHADE) - This colour of amber could be called “primary”- fresh tree resins are like this. About 10 percent of amber is transparent, and is mostly found in small pieces. Big transparent amber pieces are especially rare and valuable. Colours of transparent amber vary from pale yellow to dark yellow – reddish yellow-light brown.

RED - Natural red shade is especially rare (0.5 percent). Red shades can vary from orange to dark black. This colour of amber is mostly obtained artificially by heating transparent amber YELLOW - This is the most common colour of amber (about 70% of all colours). As a rule this amber is cloudy, not

transparent, it occurs in various shades of yellow.

This amber is an inherent part of national female costume in Lithuania.

WHITE - White amber is very rare (about 1-2 percent of all amber). Usually this amber is distinguished by its variety of textures and “natural ornamentation”. Amber of this colour is also called “Royal” or “Bony”.

BLUE - This is the rarest shade of amber and the most valuable (only 0.2 percent of all amber). Most frequently this shade is found in white amber.

GREEN - Greenish amber is also rare (about 2 percent of all colours). Green transparent amber is very interesting, as it has a “sugar structure”.

BLACK - This is a relatively frequent colour of amber (about 15 percent). It is attractive because of it is natural colour - the largest part of black amber consists of the remains of tree barks and vegetable matter.

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B&W Xclusive

99 names of Almighty Allah

1 Allah (‫)ﷲ‬ 2 Ar-Rahman (‫)ﺍﻟﺭﺣﻣﻥ‬ 3 Ar-Rahim (‫)ﺍﻟﺭﺣﻳﻡ‬ 4 Al-Malik (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻠﻙ‬ 5 Al-Quddus (‫)ﺍﻟﻘﺩﻭﺱ‬ 6 As-Salam (‫)ﺍﻟﺳﻼﻡ‬ 7 Al-Mu’min (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺅﻣﻥ‬ 8 Al-Muhaymin (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻬﻳﻣﻥ‬ 9 Al-Aziz (‫)ﺍﻟﻌﺯﻳﺯ‬ 10 Al-Jabbar (‫)ﺍﻟﺟﺑﺎﺭ‬ 11 Al-Mutakabbir (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺗﻛﺑﺭ‬ 12 Al-Khaliq (‫)ﺍﻟﺧﺎﻟﻕ‬ 13 Al-Bari’ (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺎﺭﺉ‬ 14 Al-Musawwir (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺻﻭﺭ‬ 15 Al-Ghaffar (‫)ﺍﻟﻐﻔﺎﺭ‬ 16 Al-Qahhar (‫)ﺍﻟﻘﻬﺎﺭ‬ 17 Al-Wahhab (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﻫﺎﺏ‬ 18 Ar-Razzaq (‫)ﺍﻟﺭﺯﺍﻕ‬ 19 Al-Fattah (‫)ﺍﻟﻔﺗﺎﺡ‬ 20 Al-`Alim (‫)ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻳﻡ‬ 21 Al-Qabid (‫)ﺍﻟﻘﺎﺑﺽ‬ 22 Al-Basit (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺎﺳﻁ‬ 23 Al-Khafid (‫)ﺍﻟﺧﺎﻓﺽ‬ 24 Ar-Rafi (‫)ﺍﻟﺭﺍﻓﻊ‬ 25 Al-Mu’izz (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻌﺯ‬ 26 Al-Mudhill (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺫﻝ‬ 27 As-Sami (‫)ﺍﻟﺳﻣﻳﻊ‬ 28 Al-Basir (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺻﻳﺭ‬ 29 Al-Hakam (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﻛﻡ‬ 30 Al-`Adl (‫)ﺍﻟﻌﺩﻝ‬ 31 Al-Latif (‫)ﺍﻟﻠﻁﻳﻑ‬ 32 Al-Khabir (‫)ﺍﻟﺧﺑﻳﺭ‬ 33 Al-Halim (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﻠﻳﻡ‬ 34 Al-Azim (‫)ﺍﻟﻌﻅﻳﻡ‬ 35 Al-Ghafur (‫)ﺍﻟﻐﻔﻭﺭ‬ 36 Ash-Shakur (‫)ﺍﻟﺷﻛﻭﺭ‬ 37 Al-Ali (‫)ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻰ‬ 38 Al-Kabir (‫)ﺍﻟﻛﺑﻳﺭ‬ 39 Al-Hafiz (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﻔﻳﻅ‬ 40 Al-Muqit (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻘﻳﺕ‬ 41 Al-Hasib (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﺳﻳﺏ‬ 42 Al-Jalil (‫)ﺍﻟﺟﻠﻳﻝ‬ 43 Al-Karim (‫)ﺍﻟﻛﺭﻳﻡ‬ 44 Ar-Raqib (‫)ﺍﻟﺭﻗﻳﺏ‬ 45 Al-Mujib (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺟﻳﺏ‬ 46 Al-Wasi (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﺍﺳﻊ‬ 47 Al-Hakim (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﻛﻳﻡ‬ 48 Al-Wadud (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﺩﻭﺩ‬ 49 Al-Majid (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺟﻳﺩ‬ 50 Al-Ba’ith (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺎﻋﺙ‬

The Greatest Name The All-Compassionate The All-Merciful The Absolute Ruler The Pure One The Source of Peace The Inspirer of Faith The Guardian The Victorious The Compeller The Greatest The Creator The Maker of Order The Shaper of Beauty The Forgiving The Subduer The Giver of All The Sustainer The Opener The Knower of All The Constrictor The Reliever The Abaser The Exalter The Bestower of Honors The Humiliator The Hearer of All The Seer of All The Judge The Just The Subtle One The All-Aware The Forbearing The Magnificent The Forgiver and Hider of Faults The Rewarder of Thankfulness The Highest The Greatest The Preserver The Nourisher The Accounter The Mighty The Generous The Watchful One The Responder to Prayer The All-Comprehending The Perfectly Wise The Loving One The Majestic One The Resurrector

51 Ash-Shahid (‫)ﺍﻟﺷﻬﻳﺩ‬ The Witness 52 Al-Haqq (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﻕ‬ The Truth 53 Al-Wakil (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﻛﻳﻝ‬ The Trustee 54 Al-Qawiyy (‫)ﺍﻟﻘﻭﻯ‬ The Possessor of All Strength 55 Al-Matin (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺗﻳﻥ‬ The Forceful One 56 Al-Waliyy (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﻟﻰ‬ The Governor 57 Al-Hamid (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﻣﻳﺩ‬ The Praised One 58 Al-Muhsi (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺣﺻﻰ‬ The Appraiser 59 Al-Mubdi’ (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺑﺩﺉ‬ The Originator 60 Al-Mu’id (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻌﻳﺩ‬ The Restorer 61 Al-Muhyi (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺣﻳﻰ‬ The Giver of Life 62 Al-Mumit (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻣﻳﺕ‬ The Taker of Life 63 Al-Hayy (‫)ﺍﻟﺣﻲ‬ The Ever Living One 64 Al-Qayyum (‫)ﺍﻟﻘﻳﻭﻡ‬ The Self-Existing One The Finder 65 Al-Wajid (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﺍﺟﺩ‬ 66 Al-Majid (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺎﺟﺩ‬ The Glorious 67 Al-Wahid (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﺍﺣﺩ‬ The One, the All Inclusive, the Indivisible 68 As-Samad (‫)ﺍﻟﺻﻣﺩ‬ The Satisfier of All Needs 69 Al-Qadir (‫)ﺍﻟﻘﺎﺩﺭ‬ The All Powerful 70 Al-Muqtadir (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻘﺗﺩﺭ‬ The Creator of All Power 71 Al-Muqaddim (‫ )ﺍﻟﻣﻘﺩﻡ‬The Expediter 72 Al-Mu’akhkhir (‫ )ﺍﻟﻣﺅﺧﺭ‬The Delayer 73 Al-Awwal (‫)ﺍﻷﻭﻝ‬ The First 74 Al-Akhir (‫)ﺍﻷﺧﺭ‬ The Last 75 Az-Zahir (‫)ﺍﻟﻅﺎﻫﺭ‬ The Manifest One 76 Al-Batin (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺎﻁﻥ‬ The Hidden One 77 Al-Wali (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﺍﻟﻲ‬ The Protecting Friend 78 Al-Muta’ali (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺗﻌﺎﻟﻲ‬ The Supreme One 79 Al-Barr (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺭ‬ The Doer of Good 80 At-Tawwab (‫)ﺍﻟﺗﻭﺍﺏ‬ The Guide to Repentance 81 Al-Muntaqim (‫ )ﺍﻟﻣﻧﺗﻘﻡ‬The Avenger 82 Al-’Afuww (‫)ﺍﻟﻌﻔﻭ‬ The Forgiver 83 r-Ra’uf (‫)ﺍﻟﺭﺅﻭﻑ‬ The Clement 84 Malik-al-Mulk (‫ )ﻣﺎﻟﻙ ﺍﻟﻣﻠﻙ‬The Owner of All The Lord of Masty & Bounty 85 Dhu-al-Jalal wa-al-Ikram (‫)ﺫﻭ ﺍﻟﺟﻼﻝ ﻭ ﺍﻹﻛﺭﺍﻡ‬ 86 Al-Muqsit (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻘﺳﻁ‬ The Equitable One 87 Al-Jami’ (‫)ﺍﻟﺟﺎﻣﻊ‬ The Gatherer 88 l-Ghani (‫)ﺍﻟﻐﻧﻰ‬ The Rich One 89 Al-Mughni (‫)ﺍﻟﻣﻐﻧﻰ‬ The Enricher 90 Al-Mani’(‫)ﺍﻟﻣﺎﻧﻊ‬ The Preventer of Harm 91 Ad-Darr (‫)ﺍﻟﺿﺎﺭ‬ The Creator of The Harmful 92 An-Nafi’ (‫)ﺍﻟﻧﺎﻓﻊ‬ The Creator of Good 93 An-Nur (‫)ﺍﻟﻧﻭﺭ‬ The Light 94 Al-Hadi (‫)ﺍﻟﻬﺎﺩﻱ‬ The Guide 95 Al-Badi (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺩﻳﻊ‬ The Originator 96 Al-Baqi (‫)ﺍﻟﺑﺎﻗﻲ‬ The Everlasting One 97 Al-Warith (‫)ﺍﻟﻭﺍﺭﺙ‬ The Inheritor of All 98 Ar-Rashid (‫)ﺍﻟﺭﺷﻳﺩ‬ The Righteous Teacher 99 As-Sabur (‫)ﺍﻟﺻﺑﻭﺭ‬ The Patient One

Text: Adarsh Madhavan & Priya Arunkumar Photos: Najib Al Balushi

40 40 August August21–September 21-September6, 6,2010 2010

By Dr CK Anchan

Why is it that we find it difficult to make a decision? I am quite sure we all have been challenged to take a decision ! How many times have you felt that the decision you took has been right or wrong.

Making a decision is hard, yet making your own decisions and accepting the consequences is the only way you can take control of your success. Effective decision making means you make things happen instead of letting things happen.

You will find that making decisions are required in every activity.

These decisions will take place in a situations and problems and can range from the very simple to very complex.

Taking decisions on personal fronts and business/work fronts are quite different, and depend on the process involved, dependency, goal and above all the role you play. I have tried putting in few healthy ways one can take better control of life, all culled from real-life experience.

First and foremost I would say improve your self confidence. You need to believe in yourself first to feel confident that you have the ability to make appropriate decisions. Analyse the situation and the problems to make sure you understand all of the issues that are involved. Make sure you factor in the goals that you are trying to achieve. Becoming more aware of your goals and the priorities

Management talk

Taking a right decision?

Dr Anchan C.K, Ceo, Towell-take solutions

you place on them will help you to take right decisions.

Consider all alternatives before making a final decision to assure you are doing the best thing possible for your situation. Know what you want to accomplish and what steps need to be taken to get things done.

Avoid letting others make decisions on your behalf. It is alright if you want to take other opinions into consideration. But it should be your decision.

Now once you have decided what has to be done, do not be afraid to make a quick decision as it does not necessarily mean it is irresponsible or will not work out. When you know what you want there should never be any doubts. Do not worry so much about the end results, one very important note, avoid over thinking or rationalising not doing things as it will keep you from even giving it a try.

After making a decision try acting out on it as soon as you can to avoid changing your mind or doubting yourself. Avoid the blame game or guilt trip with yourself. Once you have made a decision, stick by it because you feel you made the right choice.

This can also impact your ability to make decisions in the future.

Isn’t it interesting that we find we are able to suggest to others, which we think is right and when it comes to us we ponder....more on decision making in the next issue.

Black & White 41

We have been thinking of it since quite sometime now. Finally, we have taken the plunge to bring home to you some offbeat stuff. Here goes, if you like it, give us the green signal for more; if not, just take it with a pinch of salt. For this fortnight, here is some nitter natter for the B&W Bitter Batter:

Got to behave!

Nitternatter

No, no no!

42 August 21–September 6, 2010

We are in the Holy Month of Ramadan and so our warm and sincere greetings of the holy occasion!

Before we get into the news section, we would like to wonder out aloud as to why many people are so short tempered and so temperamental these days.

The other day we passed a petrol pump in Al Khuwair where the owner of a car was loudly berating the station attendant for not coming to service his car. The attendant spoke politely and told him that he was the only one in that outlet and so he had to handle many cars. “I don’t care!

If you can’t attend to me, tell me, openly, otherwise, I will speak to the authority concerned here,” the

car owner shouted at him. “No Sir, I am attending to your car, Sir, don’t worry!” the young attendant said. “I will worry! You don’t worry about my worries – just do your job!” the man yelled again, making others in the nearby cars decidedly uncomfortable.

He seemed almost ready to burst, and in the process, would have even hit the attendant if the latter had said anything provocative. Even after getting his fill (or rather, his car’s), he seemed to be still furious. He threw some money on the attendant’s face, slammed his car door, and roared out of the outlet almost hitting other cars… One wonders: Is this the way to behave and that too, in such a month?

He can’t take no for an answer. He just walks into our office demanding that we speak to him, interview him and splash it on our magazine’s pages. We are naturally put off by his crude overtures, besides, he hasn’t the stuff to make it to any of our pages or any other magazine or newspaper in town and yet, he would insist that we interview him, take his picture and the like and although at the earlier stage we were genuinely busy and could not entertain him, these days we dread the thought of him walking into our office, of course uninvited, and then demanding that we interview him. Friendly neighbourhood scribes out there, would you like to feature this character? Let us know, we want to get off the hook.

Why does he carry a mobile?

When in power, you can do anything?

Some people have mobile phones, but they don’t pick up calls at all.

That is the new syndrome with some mobile owners. They don’t pick up calls.

There is this man whom we know that does not pick up any calls at all. His friends, his colleagues, officials dealing with him, all repeatedly call and send him messages, but he simply does not respond.

And, he does not even put his mobile on silent mode. If he had done that, others close to him would not have to bear the incessant loud rings from people desperately trying to reach him.

Being a manager, he avoids getting beaten up by his juniors, but he does not pick up the calls of his own sponsor/boss. Why doesn’t he pick up the calls?

Oh, he was busy; he was doing this and that; he was here and there; he was driving and sometimes, on another call!

When you are in power, when you have a position, when you are rich, why is it that you want to harass and trouble those who do not have either of these?

Here is a case of someone who has had an issue with his immediate junior and so sacked him without further notice. Now, his immediate junior himself has four or five juniors under him. So what is their fate?

Well, the man with power, position and richness had a clear cut answer to that: he sacked them all! He did not have any issue at all, except that they were recruited by the one just below

him. So, within a day or two, he had dismissed one whole department and its head. After that, he took over the whole department.

The worst part is: he is still holding payment of some of the sacked employees without any grounds to do so. Does power, position, money make you all powerful?

You can almost do anything? You are not accountable? You are not answerable to anyone? You are bigger than the biggest? You are more powerful than the most powerful? You can do anything and get away with it?

(Note: Readers who have something bitter to chatter about can either email on editor@blackandwhiteoman.com or call 99218461)

Black & White 43

Famous Left handers H e r e a r e a f e w f u n f a c t s a b ou t l e f t ha n d e r s . M or e l e f t ha n d e d p e o p l e a r e a l i v e t od a y, t ha n ha v e e v e r d i e d . A c t u a l l y m o r e m e n t ha n w om e n a r e l e f t - ha n d e d a n d t h e p e r c e n t a g e o f l e f t ha n d e d p e o p l e r i s e f r o m 5 % t o 1 0 % f or p e r i od of l a s t 1 0 0 ye a r s.

Kidstuff

THERE SEEM TO BE a high likelihood that in twins one will be left handed. Now not in all cases of course, but in a lot. Think of the twins you know and see if one of them is left handed.

LEFT HANDERS SEEM TO excel in sports such as tennis and swimming.

A LEFT-HANDED PERSON IS likely to die on average nine years earlier than right handed counterparts.

LEONARDO DA VINCI COULD WRITE with one hand whilst drawing with the other. If you are not impressed, then try it for yourself.

MOST LEFT-HANDERS DRAW figures facing to the right.

STUTTERING AND DYSLEXIA occur more often in left-handers (particularly if they are forced to change their writing hand as a child, like King of England George VI).

LEFT-HANDERS ADJUST more readily to seeing underwater.

LEFT-HANDERS EXCEL particularly in tennis, baseball, swimming and fencing.

FOUR OF THE FIVE original designers of the Macintosh computer were left-handed.

ONE IN FOUR APOLLO ASTRONAUTS were left-handed - 250 percent more than the normal level.

LEFT-HANDERS ARE GENERALLY more intelligent, better looking, imaginative and multi-talented than right handers - based on discussions among members of the Left-Handers Club!

Tongue twisters A tree toad loved a she-toad, who lived up in a tree 44 August 21–September 6, 2010

Left-handed people are more likely to be creative geniuses.

Take a look at list of famous left handed people: Albert Einstein Isaac Newton Leonardo Da Vinci Pablo Picasso Alexander the Great Julius Caesar Napoléon Bonaparte Henry Ford Lewis Carroll Ringo Starr Bobby Fisher and many other famous left handed people...

Cooking

Perfect porridges

Porridges are perfect for good health and is considered the ultimate health food because of its simplicity. It is easy to digest, simple to cook and keeps you slim and glowing… here are two recipes that you could try at home:

Vegetable porridge Ingredients •2 medium sweet potatoes, or yams diced •1/2 large butternut squash diced •100 grams dates pitted •1 clove garlic grated •1/2 large onion diced •1 medium sweet red bell pepper diced •100 grams rolled oats •1 teaspoon cinnamon ground •1 teaspoon nutmeg ground •1 teaspoon ginger ground •1 teaspoon salt and black pepper Method Add the dates, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and garlic to a large pan. Add just enough boiling water to the pan to completely submerge the ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes. Mash the sweet potatoes, butternut squash and dates until an even consistency is achieved (no need to drain water). Add the red pepper, onion, rolled oats and seasoning to the pan. Simmer for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Spicy porridge Ingredients •1/2 cups milk •1/2 cup currants or raisins •1 tablespoon sugar •1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ground •3/4 cup oats large flake Method In a saucepan bring milk to boiling. Stir in raisins or currants, sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slowly add farina, stirring constantly. Cook and stir just to boiling.

Reduce heat; cook and stir for 30 seconds.

Cover and remove from heat; let stand 1 minute. Spoon into bowls.

Black & White 45

Your stars ARIES March 21-April 20 Romantic invitations and delicate social decisions are now important. Someone close may now need to witness gentle signs of loyalty and emotional dedication.

The coming 10 days also highlight key business proposals and short term financial agreements. Work officials and daily responsibilities may dramatically change before next week: expect minor delays and small bouts of jealousy from coworkers. Leave important duties or public politics to key officials: this is not the right time to accept responsibility for the group.

TAURUS April 21-May 20

MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON (AUGUST 29, 1958 – JUNE 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist.

Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognised as the most successful entertainer of all time

Business relationships or financial negotiations may be unpredictable over the next few days. Work officials or long term partners may complicate work projects with risky methods, poorly tested practices or faulty information.

You may be wise to play the diplomat: for the next 9 to 10 days both co-workers and managers will be emotionally vulnerable and sensitive to public criticism. Offer support but refuse to acknowledge mistakes: even experienced business officials have blind spots.

by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicised personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music.

Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularised a number of dance techniques, such as the robot

Horoscope

and the moonwalk. While preparing for his concert series This Is It, Jackson died on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest.

46 August 21–September 6, 2010

GEMINI May 21-June 21 Long term relationships may subtly shift this week.

Expect loved ones to openly discuss their past mistakes, old wounds or recent behaviours. Offer kind support and acceptance: this is a strong time for gently deepening attractions and emotional bonding in key relationships. Present relationships need to take top priority: quietly learn from the past and move on. Before Sunday watch for a rare work proposal or business contract. Yesterday’s business disagreements may also be at issue this week: stay alert and make informed choices for the future.

CANCER June 22-July 23 Although relying on old workplace methods will prove efficient and diplomatic over the next few days expect a close colleague to now begin changing their long term goals or business aspirations. For the next 11 days both co-workers and new managers may learn valuable information concerning their business style or role in the workplace.

Expect an older relative or parent figure to ask for special consideration. Recent family decisions or home changes may now be stressful for loved ones: offer support but allow others to negotiate their own life transitions.

LEO July 24-August 23 Sentimental reflection and past values are accented: watch for the timely return of an old lover or long forgotten friend. Old social and romantic obligations may now cause delays in home matters and family relations: expect loved ones to openly compete for your attention. For the next 9 to 10 days work officials and key business partners will be highly focused on the small details of yesterday’s agreements. Make sure all obligations are fulfilled: silent criticism from bosses and managers will now be meaningful and long lasting.

VIRGO August 24-September 23 Parent/child decisions, rental contracts or social roles in the home may all be affected: expect others to now leave past doubts behind and take decisive action. Some Virgos, especially those born in late August, will this week encounter a rare business negotiation or financial discussion in the workplace. Past contracts, unfulfilled requests and old pay schedules may be more demanding than expected: expect officials to strongly disagree on rewards, payments and benefits. Don’t be unnerved: silent confidence will be your best response.

LIBRA September 24-October 22 Private social or romantic agreements may be difficult to honour this week. Although emotional expectations are high this week, real progress in key relationships will now have little to do with past ideals or events. Remain patient: in the coming weeks loved ones will move beyond the limits of the past. Pay close attention to minor financial errors or business contracts. Flawed information or printed mistakes can now easily disrupt daily progress and workplace decisions: stay alert to payment promises, long term calculations or legal requirements.

SCORPIO October 23-November 22 Friends and lovers may be deeply nostalgic this week. Expect loved ones to experience vivid dreams or powerful social insights. Emotional change in key relationships is for the best: over the next 9 to 10 days watch for others to realise their part in difficult social or romantic triangles. Much of this will help clarify the present and future: daily obligations, family misunderstandings or the disapproval of mutual friends may all be at issue. Don’t be shy: your wisdom will be helpful. Follow through on all financial or career leads: you won’t be disappointed.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 Your business confidence and workplace abilities may dramatically increase. At present, key officials and new managers may rely heavily on your practical wisdom and attention to detail.

Although career and business communications may be disjointed this week, important gains are available.

Remain publicly dedicated to past agreements and initial expectations: honoring the past will bring immediate advancements over the next 9 to 10 days. Close relationships will require less effort this week.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20 Expect a subtle shift in a key relationship to initiate a new phase of emotional sharing and social acceptance. Over the next few days loved ones will be strongly motivated to make peace with the past and move quickly forward in intimate relationships.

Much of this may involve old disappointments or news from a past lover: remain open to unusual information or quickly resolved disputes. Study contracts and written duties: work officials or financial managers may miss key details.

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19 Legal issues and detailed financial agreements will require extra attention this week. Expect officials or corporate agencies to be highly focussed on public responsibility and workplace reputation. Remain patient: at present, authority figures may need to publicly define their policies, past roles and ongoing duties. Money obligations and group leadership may be at issue: expect annoying delays. Some Aquarians will now begin a 12 week period of dramatic changes in key relationships: expect positive gains and important emotional decisions.

PISCES February 20-March 20 Career choices and business tactics will intensify this week: watch for past duties and new obligations to soon demand your undivided attention. For the next 10 days, social complications between co-workers may cause unusual conflicts: expect colleagues to learn valuable lessons concerning the nature of business and personal relationships.

Expect to take responsibility for neglected duties. Pay close attention to subtle changes to job status or plans for relocation: the next few weeks may bring unexpected family announcements.

Black & White 47

PICK-UP POINTS MUSCAT WADI KABIR Bait al Zubair Bait al Baranda Marina Bander Al Bustan Palace Hotel Oman Dive club Shangri-La- Barr Al Jissah Sri Lankan School NHI Pencil Building (Stationery shop) Al Maha bunk –Wadi Kabir Ajay Enterprises (Khimji) – (Next to Jingles nursery) Hotel Golden Oasis Sana Fashions Al Maya markets – (Old Rawasco) Scientific pharmacy – Opp to al Maya market ( Arab Udipi Rest)

Circulation

CBD AREA TO DARSAIT Al Amana Building materials – Opposite Jawad Sultan Al Omaniya Financial Services office Oman oil bunk Khimji mart shopping mall – (Old shopping & saving) Khimjis Bait al Ahlam- CBD area Pizza Muscat (Opposite ministry of manpower) Pizza Hut/TFC – CBD area Centre point-Splash Muscat Securities market Times of Oman Shell petrol Bunk (Next to Sheraton) OCCI Library – Oman Chamber of commerce (OPP MSM) KFC – Ruwi Oman International Bank – Ruwi Palayok Restaurant – Filipino restaurant Ever ready supermarket New India Assurance Office Al Fair – Ruwi high street Lakhoos Money Exchange, Ruwi High street Damas Jewellery/office – Ruwi Oman UAE Exchange – OCC Centre Air Arabia Office- Shanfari Travels Ruwi Hotel Gulf air building – Gulf air office Saravanabhavan Restaurant Sarco – Samsung showroom Khimji Megastore – Swarovski showroom OTE Moosa Abdul Showroom – next to al Jadeed Toshiba Showroom Al Jadeed shopping Badr Al Samaa Samara video (next to Talentz, old bait al ahlam) after 5pm Ministry of Education – Opp Wearhouse – Ruwi Future management consultants -(opp Toshiba showroom) Haffa House Hotel Al Falaj Hotel Muscat Bakery- Near church Pakistan School (after temple & church Darsait) Naranjee Hirjee office (before Hotel Golden Oryx) Hotel Golden Oryx Bank Muscat corporate office (Opposite Hotel Golden Oryx) Kamat Restaurant Uptown Restaurant Turtles Book shop Al Rima Clinic Lama Polyclinic

Oman Air – CBD NBO- CBD area Bank Muscat Bank Sohar HSBC Standard Chartered Oman Arab Bank Harmony Music Centre – Next to OAB Bahwan Travel Agencies – CBD banks area OTTB – Oman Travels Bureau Air India office – CBD next to Costas Costas Papa John Supa Save – CBD Woodlands Bank Dhofar Horizon Restaurant – (Next to Moon travels) Oman post office Lulu Darsait Khimji Ramdas Head office, Muttrah (Kanaksi Khimji & pankaj Khimji) Majan College – Darsait junction (canteen) Indian Social Club Melody Music Centre – Next to ISM German Embassy – Hamriya roundabout Apollo Medical Centre Computer Xpress – Hamriya Roundabout Atlas Travels (Wadi Adai Roundabout (next to polyglot) Hatat House Passage to India Best cars Hyundai/Subaru/GM showroom Al Asfoor Furnishing Ahli Bank Shell marketing office SEAT car showroom- Wattayah DHL office- Wattayah Honda Showroom Sabco Head office wattayah NTT travels Wattayah Toyota Bahwan Advertising – Ist floor – Toyota showroom Lexus Ford showroom Shanfari Automotive Wattayah Motors- VW showroom Khoula Hospital Institute of Health sciences – opposite Khoula Kia showroom- wattayah QURUM AREA TOWARDS AL KHUWAIR Al Harthy ComplexPizza Muscat – next to Sultan Center in al Harthy complex Sultan Center Nissan showroom BMW showroom Muscat Private School Qurum city centre Pizza Hut – Qurum Capital Store Al Asfoor Plaza KFC Hardees Fono showroom next to Sabco centre Shah Nagardas Sabco Centre- Barista coffee shop only Al Araimi Panasonic Showroom NBO Qurum Al Khamis Plaza Al Wadi commercial centre – Coffee shop Mercedes showroom

48 August 21–September 6, 2010

CCC- Stand CCC Al Fair Bollywood chat Pizza Hut – Qurum Second Cup Nandos McDonalds Salman Stores Jawahir Oman Hamptons Business Services & Travel Amex office Ernst & Young buildg (OUA Travels) Starbucks Hawthorne institute- ELS Fahud Street, opp Qurum park Mumtaz Mahal Left bank Oman Association for the disabled Ministry of education (20 +20=20) Muscat Intercon Jawaharat Al Shatti complex- stand Oasis by the sea - crepe café stand LNG Office Al Qurum resort Bareek Al Shatti Complex Al Qandeel head office -, Entrance of Bareek al Shatti Al Shatti Cinema - Dunkin Donuts Al Sahwa Schools– principal’s office next to Ramada hotel Hotel Ramada Al Muriya Offices- next to Al sahwa schools Grand Hyatt Muscat Al Masa Mall Radio Shack Al Sarooj Complex Shell Petrol Bunk- Al Sarooj Al Fair Ramee Guestline Rock Bottom Classic Institute of Arts- next to Asas Oman Asas Oman Apartments Crowne Plaza Coral hotel Qurum Pvt school PDO Ras Al Hamraa Club Omanoil head office AL KHUWAIR/MSQ TOWARDS AZAIBA ELS – Al khuwair service road British School Muscat – MSQ British Council Oman oil- Madinat Qaboos Pizza Hut Khimjis mart – MSQ Kargeen Café Al fair Family Book shop- MSQ Tavola – Al Noor Hall buildg Starbucks Hana slimming centre – Ist Floor Fotomagic Al Noor Hall Al Jadeed Eqarat office Above Welcare Clinic – al Khuwair Domino Pizza Oman mobile Safeer Hypermarket Mustafa Sultan Souk Technia Omantel Oman international Bank – Al khuwair main office Ibis Hotel

Park inn Hotel Friendi Office Muscat Bakery Tropical Ice creams Subway Pizza Hut service road Ice Skating Rink National Training Institute Golden spoon Restaurant Shell Select- Al Khuwair Mcdonalds Mct holiday Inn Hotel Oman Bowling Center Halliburton Café Vergnano Khimji Mart – Next to Verganano Safeer suites Axa insurance (opp assarain Al khuwair) Zakher shopping Mall PAN Furnishing Harley Davidson Thrifty Al Amal Medical Centre – Dr Bashir Hotel Radisson Pizza Hut Al Khuwair Ozone Video Shop(Next to Pizza Hut) American British School Omar Khayyam Restaurant, next to V kool Grill House (next door) V Kool TAISM Centre for British Teachers – CFBT Baushar Complex Café Aviation Club Restaurant AZAIBA TOWARDS SEEB Lulu Hyper market – Baushar Oman Medical college College for Business & financial Studies opp Oman medical, baushar Azzan Bin Qais school - Baushar Muscat private Hospital Dolphin Village – Bausher Royal hospital Ghala industrial area – NTI National mineral water – Tanuf ( next to Al Madina Holiday Inn) Oman oil Azaiba Spicy Village – Rusayl Pizza Hut – Ghala Oman oil – Ghala Towell head office – Enhance & Ist floor Mazda showroom Mcdonalds – Azaiba Select shell Azaiba Oman Tribune – Al Watan office New India assurance Azaiba office Safeer Hypermart Nawras head office Zubair showroom and Yamaha corporate office(two places)- Yamaha Showroom – close to Zubair showroom – 1st floor Polyglot Institute GU Tech – Beach road Azaiba Chedi Muscat The wave Muscat corporate office NACA – national cancer Awareness Assn MCC – Crepe Café Al Bahja– Mood Café & food Court Al Maya Super market Oman air Seeb office (Below Flyover, before Golden Tulip) Oman Tourisn College Golden Tulip Hotel Air port Select Shell – Seeb Pizza Hut airport KFC

MUSCAT, SALALAH, SUR, SOHAR, NIZWA, BARKA, KASAB MUSCAT continued...

SALALAH

SOHAR

NIZWA

Muscat golf hills, SEEB KOM SQU – SQUH hospital , SQUH 2- canteen, 3Diplomatic Club, 4 – College of Commerce, 5 – Students banking area) Pizza Hut – al Khoud Sultan School al hail service road – principals’ office Caledonian college – principal’s office Oman Foot ball association

SHOPPING MALLS Lulu shopping center Al- Istaqarar shopping center (Salalah) Dhofar shopping center Bab Al- Salam market Al- Mashoor (Salalah) Al- Mashoor (Saada) Al-Khareef K.M Trading Al-Isteqarar (Saada) Al-Hoq super market Hamdan commercial market Fresh super market (Al-Sarat) Union Salalah Market Family bookshop

Spicy Village Restaurant Lulu Hypermarket Jumeirah Shopping Centre Khimji’s Mart Al Salem shopping Centrepoint Moosa Abdul Rahman – GMC Toyota Nissan Mitsubishi LG showroom Sohar Bakery Sohar University Bank Muscat Habib Bank Bank Sohar Oman International Bank Al Raffah Hospital Badr Al Samaa Oman Arab Bank Bank Dhofar HSBC Travel City National Travels and Tours Universal Travels and Tourism DHL Dhofar Insurance Al Ahlia Insurance Taeeger Finance Co Omantel Al Jazeera Group Narenjee Hirjee (International)

OIB, Nizwa OIB, Firq BankMuscat, Nizwa BM main branch, Nizwa BankMuscat, Firq NBO, Nizwa NBO, Firq Bank Abudhabi Toyota OTE Omantel Nawras Khimji, Nizwa Khimji, Izki Muscat Bakery, Nizwa Pizza Hut Discount centre Family shopping Al Diyar Hotel Safari hotel Al-Nif shopping, Izki Hungery Bunny, Nizwa College of Science College of Technic Nizwa Medical College Busmath Clinic Thalal Clinic Omanoil, Izki Omanoil, Firq Omanoil, Nizwa Omanoil, Marfa Shell, Izki Shell, Firq Shell, Nizwa Al-Maha, Firq Nizwa university -Dept of foreign lang Al-Maha, Marfa

RUSAYL AREA Rusayl Industrial Estate Oman Cables Sadolin Paints Jotun Paints Al waqia shoes Mehdi Foods Areej veg oils MINISTRIES AREA – AL KHUWAIR Ministry of tourism(Ghala, next to ISG) Ministry of social Development(next to Regional municipalities, Bank Mct) Ministry of foreign affairs

SUR Al-Hashar LNG LNG, Club Sur Sur Beach Hotel Sur University OTE, Sur Mitsibushi Rawaya coffee shop Toyota Nissan Sur Plaza Hotel Mazda Khimji Omantel Private Hospital, Sur BankMuscat Sur Hotel NBO, Sur Bank Dhofar, Sur ELS, Sur

HOTELS Crown Plaza Hilton Salalah Hamdan plaza Dhofar Hotel Salalah hotel Haffa House Redan Hotel Al- Hanaa Hotel BAMSIR hotel Al- Jabel hotel Al- Nile suite (Saada) Salalah Mariott MINISTRIES Ministry agriculture & fisheries Ministry of education Ministry of defense Ministry of housing & electricity Ministry of water Ministry of tourism Diwan of Royal court (Salalah) Ministry of primary court and justice Ministry of Commerce & industry Dhofar municipality (Baladia) Ministry of man power PETROL STATIONS, BANKS Shanfari filling Station shell select, al saada Oman oil Shell Salalah Bank Muscat Omantel Oman Arab Bank Pizza hut Dhofar University Al Maha souk

BARKA Lulu hyper market Safeer Centre Al Nahda resort Al Maha Souk Oman Oil Rumais Oman College of management OIB NBO Bank Muscat Shell OTE SARCO Nissan showroom Omantel

FREE FORTNIGHTLY MAGAZINE AVAILABLE ALL OVER OMAN

20, 500 COPIES Circulation enquiries: 98675976/24565697

Black & White 49

Good News for Sudoku addicts!

Mail to sudoku@blackandwhiteoman.com and register yourself in the first ever SUDOKU community of Oman

81

S QUARES Get exciting SUDOKU news SUDOKU puzzles SUDOKU events

Play

Be a part of SUDOKU events locally 50 August 21–September 6, 2010

3 4

6 7

3 5

2 7

5

1 4 7

9

6 8

3 4

Difficulty Level

1

7 8 7

6

2

4 6

2010 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

By Dave Green

3/11

SOLUTION: Difficulty Level

7 2 4 5 8 9 3 6 1

8 5 1 6 7 3 4 9 2

3/11

9 3 6 4 2 1 5 8 7

6 9 5 8 4 7 2 1 3

2 7 3 1 6 5 8 4 9

4 1 8 9 3 2 7 5 6

3 4 9 7 1 8 6 2 5

5 6 2 3 9 4 1 7 8

1 8 7 2 5 6 9 3 4

2010 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

Black & White 51

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Avoid these common risks

58

You maybe a healthy woman and may not have suffered any disease in your life, but despite that, don’t be too complacent; don’t think you will always escape from diseases…

Sometimes, this could just be the calm before the storm…

Educated women get better suitors?

Studies indicate that a woman with a college education may be less likely to tie the knot than her less-educated counterparts, but once she’s married this college grad is more likely to stay that way.

56 Hair loss?

70

Fewer women suffer from hair loss than men. But, when it happens to women, it can be devastating. But, women are lucky. Unlike men, they will not hear any snide remarks about being follicly challenged! But, again, if you are a woman who suffers from this problem, this isn’t much consolation.

Black & White 53

A world of confusion

Learning curve

By Laila Ibrahim Obaid Al-Gharbi

As we grow up, we realise that there are still many choices that we have to take and there are still many more important decisions that need to be taken. But, despite all this, we are still stuck with the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that may come up in our minds and hearts at that time.

We all go through such a period in various stages of our lives.

For instance, it could be happen after school, after graduation, after marriage, after retirement, after doing something wrong and after losing a friend or failing in business. All these examples that I have mentioned meet at one point ‘AFTER’. That means, every situation might confuse us, especially if we are not independent and not able to make the right decision. However, the word after indicates that we face the situation first then we get into that kind of confusion. What I really want to highlight is that regardless of what we face, there is a need to understand as to how we can eliminate that much of confusion in any situation in our life. And the most important aspect that we should look into is that we should avoid being misled.

It is not easy at all to go through a world of confusion alone. Therefore, I would like to share with you, my dear friends, the points that enabled me to handle the confusion that I have encountered. Hopefully, it

Laila, Omani graduate student of Nizwa University

might be applicable to you, even though you might be in a different situation. What we need most is a clear mind to think peacefully and critically. We need is a mind that focuses on solutions rather than mere reasoning because when we get confused we rarely find reasons helpful for us.

Furthermore, a good friend might be helpful too. Some friends are really excellent in giving solutions and solving problems, so you may ask your close friend for a help if you think that s/he is good enough to support you in that situation. It is better if the friend is older than you, because of the experience factor. Also, if you live in a world of confusion, try now to stop that by listening to your inner voice (deep heart) because usually it tells the right thing.

Dear friends, do not get over awed or upset if you are living in a world of confusion. Sometimes, confusion is necessary for us to find our own path. So, let us take the step forward and make the right decision.

Worrying is not helpful at all because it is a waste of time and energy. A world of confusion indeed led me to write this article to you...

As I always believe: Say out to every negative thought that comes into your mind. No person, confusion, place or thing has any power over you, for you are the only thinker in your mind. And you create your own reality! lalgharbi@yahoo.com

54 August 21–September 6, 2010

It's my life

63 going on SWEET 16....

Happy birthday once again!

By Vandana Shah

Vandana, award winning author (‘360 Degrees Back to Life')

How fast can a 63 year old run? If you look at the progress of India, which became independent on August 15, 1947, I’d say pretty fast.

What started as a slow jog has now becoming a fast sprint with a GDP of 8.5 percent in 2010.

Sure there’s a lot of noise in India because of the POPULATION but better this noise than the sound of death because there is no one to talk to. And talk we do, just ask the mobile phone companies who at last count had raked in over a billion dollars from our endless conversations.

Sure there are a lot of scams in the country but at least we know what’s brewing beneath the surface thanks to the media and the Right to Information Act. Then when we find out we raise our voice and believe me the voices make a change making even leading invincible ministers to resign.

Sure there are a lot of potholes in our roads but because of potholes Indians sprout wings and make their presence felt in all corners of the world, 30 million and still counting.

A 63 year old galloping at the pace of a 16-year old, where the youth comprise of more than 30 percent of our population, will fall down and hurt its knees but still get up and run again.

Want me to be brutally honest it has been difficult writing and feeling this kind of optimism amidst a parallel show of conmen wealth games. But I haven’t lost faith in me and a billion others like me who can still sing our national anthem “ JANA GANA MANA..”, with their heads held high.

I can criticise the politicians but would rather praise Mahatma Gandhi who inspired us and we are all modern day Mahatma Gandhis building our country one step at a time…. a billion steps… walking towards creating a NEW INDIA. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

Vandana Shah, Author 360 Degrees Back To life, www.vandanashah.com Email me what you’d like to say on 360degreesbacktolife@gmail.com Follow me on twitter Vandy4PM

Black & White 55

Psyche 56 August 21â&#x20AC;&#x201C;September 6, 2010

EDUCATED WOMEN

are more likely to

GET ‘MR RIGHT’ Are women with a college education more likely to stay married than her less-educated counterparts?

If studies affirm this, then they are also quick to point out that women with lesser education are more likely to get divorced.

Studies indicate that a woman with a college education may be less likely to tie the knot than her less-educated counterparts, but once she’s married this college grad is more likely to stay that way.

The finding, based on a review of research from 1950 to 2008, also reveals changes over time in who is getting married and having kids and why.

Historically, women with more education have been the least likely to marry and have children, but this marriage gap has eroded as marriage and remarriage rates for women with a college degree relative to those with less education have risen.

Gayle Stedler, 50, was one of the toppers in her school and later at the university. She was not bad looking either, but, she claims today that “education came in the way” for her marriage. But, she also agrees that today’s women were not overwhelmed by her knowledge and education and in fact, nothing stops here, if she has set her mind to marry.

In fact, college-educated women now marry later, have fewer children, are less likely to view marriage as ‘financial security’, are happier in their marriages and are the least likely to divorce. A sample study in the US found that marriage rates rose for all women between 1950 and 1960, but levelled off for women without a college degree in the 1960s. Marriage rates of college-educated women continued to rise until 1980, closing much of the educational gap in marriage.

In the 1980s, marriage rates for all women began to fall, though collegeeducated women are the only group of women whose marriage rates in the 21st century are higher than they were at any point in the 1950s.

For the never-married, educated woman who hopes to marry, but wants to wait for ‘Mr Right’ you’re in luck: The average age of first marriage has been rising, and so has the range of ages at which women marry for the first time.

In the past, a woman who was unmarried at age 35 or 40 was unlikely to ever marry.

Today, 15 percent of all women who are unmarried at age 40 will marry in the next 10 years. That number increases to 20 percent for college-educated women. “Age is no longer a factor in the issue of marriage any longer. There are better suitors for women aged 40 than before,” notes Theresea Almond who married when she was 42.

Black & White 57

Avoid these

COMMON RISKS Whoever you ever, whichever part of the world you belong, you need to know that you have to be aware of many health risks. If there has been a history of diseases, you may not be able to escape the risk, but, bear in mind that even the teetotaler, or the woman who has never ever smoked in her life could get lung cancer and at the other end, there are women who have had heart attacks, running marathons. So, the only thing to do, whether we have a disease history or not is to judiciously follow a healthy lifestyle:

DEMENTIA Dementia is a deterioration of brain function, involving memory, understanding and reasoning and is associated with other diseases.

Primarily caused by Alzheimer’s, usually in older women, but can occur earlier.

There is no prevention or cure, but you can keep your brain active, with good social life and diet that contains leafy greens, oily fish and antioxidants.

STROKE Stroke is a cerebrovascular disease that involves the blood vessels that supply the brain and its membrane, and it accounts for eight per cent of all deaths, mostly in older women.

LUNG CANCER Majority of the cases are caused by active or passive smoking. By the age of 85, a third of all women are usually diagnosed with some form of cancer. While cancer is only the fifth

Shape n sound

CORONARY HEART DISEASE Women die due to some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), where there is blockage to the blood vessels that supply to the heart, brain or legs. Women are 10 per cent more likely than men to have CVD, even though heart attack rates are reducing, and survival rates are increasing.

Avoid it by maintaining a healthy weight and cholesterol levels with regular exercise, keep a healthy diet and don’t smoke. See your GP, if you have a family history of CVD, diabetes of hypertension.

58 58 August 2010 August21–September 21-September6, 6,2010

Avoid it by keeping a healthy diet, daily exercise and by not smoking.

most common, it claims most lives.

Due to the rise of female smokers over the years, there is an increasing pattern in the incidence and death rates among women. Asbestos exposure can also be a risk factor.

Avoid it by not smoking; see your GP if you have been exposed to asbestos, and be careful when renovating older homes or ask an expert.

BREAST CANCER One in nine women will develop breast cancer by the age of 85 and one in 38 will die because of it.

While it’s the most common cancer among women, the improvements in detection and treatment have reduced the death rates by a good percent.

Though 60 is the average age of diagnosis, it is still the most common

cause of death in women between the ages of 25 to 64. Lesser-known risk factors are weight gain, alcohol intake, inactivity, contraceptive pills that protects against ovarian cancer, and taking hormone therapy for longer periods.

How to avoid it: With family history of the disease, and if you are over 50, there is a greater risk.

Biennial mammograms are strongly recommended.

DIABETES It is a condition where the body canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t maintain normal blood glucose levels.

Three types of diabetes include - type 1, type 2 and gestational. Type 2 is the most common and is increasing in rate. Over the past 20 years, prevalence has doubled. It can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, lower limb amputation and strokes.

How to avoid it: Get diabetes risk assessment. Keep a healthy weight, reduce weight of five to seven per cent if you are overweight, exercise, and eat a fibre-rich, low glucose diet.

Risks are increased in obesity, old age, a history of CVD, polycystic ovary syndrome and genetics.

Black & White 59

Shape n sound 60 60 August 2010 August21â&#x20AC;&#x201C;September 21-September6, 6,2010

Are you

Fewer women suffer from hair loss than men.

But, when it happens to women, it can be devastating. But, women are lucky. Unlike men, they will not hear any snide remarks about being follicly challenged!

But, again, if you are a woman who suffers from this problem, this isn’t much consolation.

Women rely a certain amount on their looks, so when their hair starts to thin and shows no sign of regrowth then it can really affect self-esteem levels.

The results can be so devastating that it can throw a black cloud over a person’s social life and life in general.

It is not a good or healthy feeling to dislike your appearance so much that you don’t want to leave the house and face the world.

Prevention or even cure is easy if one can determine the causes of hair loss. In the past, hair loss in women was mostly associated with genetic factors, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, scalp diseases (alopecia, dandruff), thyroids or anaemia. Today the list of probable causes are longer and includes stress (due to work-life balancing act), poor diet, low water intake, smoking and alcohol, colouring with harsh chemicals, straightening (with chemicals and hot iron) and pollutants in the environment.

Once the cause for hair loss is identified, prevention and cure is easy in most cases. For medical conditions like alopecia and thyroids, it’s important to consult a doctor for proper treatment. But for most of the other factors, it’s possible to prevent hair loss by making simple lifestyle changes.

MAINTAIN MODERATION Their is no harm in styling or colouring hair, but like most things in life if you overdo it, then you are heading for a bald head! After these treatments, it is of utmost importance to take extra care by conditioning and oil massage to stimulate growth.

GO BACK TO NATURE Include in your diet, eggs, milk, fresh fruits and veggies rich in calcium, iron and vitamins to prevent anaemia. Avoid coffee and tea during periods and drink fruit juice instead. A balanced diet prevents most ailments including skin and hair problems. Drink warm water every morning to detoxify your body and also to prevent constipation. If suffering from constipation, increase fibre intake in your diet.

RELAX Stress is the main cause of hair-loss for both men and women because it causes other problems like acidity, indigestion or migraine all of which cause trauma to the mind and thereby hair-loss.

Practicing relaxation techniques like yoga or tai-chi help ease stress, physically and emotionally.

Alternatively, simple tasks like walking on the beach or listening to music are also ways to relax oneself. Do what you need to do to de-stress as its one of the most important things towards prevention of hair loss.

HYGIENE Keep hair and scalp clean of build-up of oil and dirt. Generally shampooing and conditioning hair 1 to 2 times a week keeps hair and scalp healthy. Unless one has extremely oily scalp, shampooing everyday is harmful.

Furthermore, depending upon ones hair type, warm oil massage helps stimulate hair growth. But one must remember that what is suitable for one may not be suitable for others.

Black & White 61

Get desperate, go nuts?

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar He sounded desperate.

I need that job, can you please put in a word?

Can you please? He asked me over and over again…

But you are an engineer, I protested.

That is my problem, just get me that job, he replied.

He was an engineering graduate and in sheer desperation wanted to take up a totally new field.

After finishing a 5-year technical course, why would you get into a job that you know nothing of?

You will regret it later, I warned.

His reply was strange… what regret?

I am not throwing away a job to get another, I don’t have any!

Let me start somewhere. I will learn whatever it takes to stick on to that job and finally it is my life, allow me to choose. If I don’t act now, I might never get anywhere, he continued.

I am not desperate, I am in pain, he said. Unfortunately, if the pain is slight, no action is taken.

It is very painful not to have a job, and the desperation you see in me is just the action.

You have a job, so you will not understand what it is not to have…

That ended our conversation. Period.

His job, his life, if he wants it to slip by, it is his choice… who am I to say anything?

I did what he wanted me to.

Maybe I was desperate for him too.

It just made me realise what people can do in sheer despair.

I have done it too! Many times, only to regret later.

I was always wrong when I

compromised, adjusted.

Anything I did in desperation left me high and dry.

And made me compromise heavily on everything, from choices to integrity.

Desperation has its place. But in my experience it’s a lousy motivator.

Yes, sometimes you would feel these are definitely the desperate times; war going on all over the globe, prices skyrocketing, traffic jams that leave you screaming, global warming, small kids jumping off tall buildings ending life over some petty exam results - it makes it easy for despair and desperation to set into your life!

Ask yourself the BIG question: How desperate are you?

Hold on. Before you answer, let's make this clear…desperation does not mean ‘wanting more’.

It just means you do things by sheer anxiety, force and distress!

You are desperate for a job You are desperate for a car.

You are desperate for a loan.

You are desperate for love.

You are desperate to please others.

You are desperate to even look good.

You are desperate for a better life.

You are desperate for freedom.

You are desperate for more.

But, why desperation?

Life is slipping by, right as you’re reading this, wondering what you’re going to do about the life you truly want to live. Don’t let desperation leave you with just one way out – compromise! priya@blackandwhiteoman.com

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