Black & White mag issue 33

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41 years of Renaissance p28 20 Sha'ban - 6 Ramadan

Vol.2 Issue 33II July 21- August 6, 2011

Parents should check I have also faced a similar situation like the one mentioned in your article (New censorship rating logos to be unveiled soon – May 21 – June 20, 2011). I had taken my kids, aged 11 and 12 respectively, to this English movie a year or so back. It was supposedly a comedy movie, starring a huge male star. But, my God, what language!

We got out of the interval and I went and shouted at the theater guys, who then quietly pointed out to me that the movie had an above 15 rating. But, it was not prominently displayed. The theater guy shrugged his shoulders and told me: “It is clearly written there and as a parent, you should ideally check the posters, or at least ask at the counter whether your kids of such and such an age would be allowed in. When we see educated parents like you bringing in their children, we also assume that you would check before entering. The warning is mentioned in the poster and it also there during the slides show, plus when the movie begins. We try not to insult any parents by making such queries whether their children are under aged or not because, they are rightly accompanied by their ward, who we feel ought to know.

Otherwise, why are parents tagging along?”

I did not have an answer to that because you know, they are right.

More than blaming the movie theaters or the authorities concerned, we, as parents, have a duty to our children – we should thoroughly check and see before we take them to any movie.

Arun Chandrasekhar, Qurum

Understanding autism is a must There are far too many parents who don’t understand why their child has autism or autism spectrum disorder, and who do not know whether anything can be done to help. Autism is not something that just happens without any rhyme or reason. There are real causes that lead to autism, and thus there are solutions to improve or even reverse it. Understanding the cause of autism, and knowing what needs to be done to correct these causes can help improve the quality of life of a child with autism. The main symptoms involve communication and social interaction as well as abnormal behaviour.

I have a friend whose child is autistic and I feel and see the pain the parents go through. The family of such children need counselling , since every family member is affected emotionally in different ways.

All we can do is to provide unconditional love and support to these families who have autistic children. Congratulating the Black & White team once again for its fantastic second year in a row success story for organising such a charity event (Sudoku for a cause: autism).

Yes, let us understand autism, and I am sure this understanding alone can change thousands of lives.

Anu Shaikh, Wadi Kabir

Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com 44July July2121-August August6, 6,2011 2011

Let us not blind our children I hold more of a liberal view as far as movies are concerned.

Today’s children are far more exposed to the ills of the world, thanks to the Internet and various other means, including from their peers. I am not saying that we should give all type of freedom to our children, but, I insist that we understand what is best for the children of today. The exposure is doubly more today and our kids have a fair understanding of what is right and wrong and thanks to the exposure they are far more equipped to handle the world.

We should guide them and deftly try to wean them away from anything that would lead them astray, but that does not mean forcing them to believe that everything is hunky dory.

Covering their eyes against the things we feel are not right for the kids is like putting them in a dark dungeon and then suddenly exposing them to bright light—that is when it can blind them. Well, this is my opinion!

Suresh K, Wadi Kabir

An unforgettable historic occasion The 41st Renaissance Day (on July 23rd) is a historic occasion for the people of Oman.

During the last 41 years, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has transformed the Sultanate of Oman and fulfilled the aspiration of the people to bring about peace and prosperity.Oman is considered by many other countries, the UNO and other global organisations as a model country, working to achieve its achievements under the wise leadership of His Majesty the Sultan.

Oman’s benevolent ruler has also got strong worldwide support for honouring him with a coveted peace prize.

This, when it happens, will be a crowning glory for Oman for His Majesty’s contribution for regional and international peace efforts. Let us all pray to the Almighty God to bestow his divine blessings to His Majesty for further progress and longevity.

S.A.S. Naqvi, sports consultant, FMEC/OHA and technical advisor, MABGOC, Ruwi

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Waiting…

All about X, Y & Z

By Adarsh Madhavan “So you wrote about that ‘B’ grade company, which was not giving salary for four of its staff for the last seven months?” a contact of mine queried. He sounded a bit rude. But, I brushed it off.

Yes, I said, the staff – but he never allowed me to complete my sentence. “Great. You had the guts to write about a small timer who was not able to pay his staff because of genuine reasons and then you feel pretty proud of yourself. Why don’t you write about (he mentioned a big company’s name) and write about how they hold the passport of their staff and do not let them go even when they are confronted by a personal emergency (when loved members die back in their home country)?”

Are you sure?

“Pretty sure and I can put you on to the people themselves, but could you write about it?” he asked me in the same derisive tone that he had employed earlier.

Why not, I said, but with far less conviction as the effect of the company’s name sank in me. Even if I had the guts to write about the company this man had mentioned, there was still a major hurdle: they were major advertisers of the newspaper that I was working for then, many years back. Forget about trying to push the story in; I would be stopped from doing the story midway. I could get the alleged victim’s points, but when I approach the company concerned, all hell will break loose.

Or, it has to be done before they would be able to react. Like we normally used to do when we know there will be flak from the company/party that is being accused of a crime. If they are approached, they would kill the story, so we would send them an official query and before they react to that, we would have published the story with the one-sided version.

Admittedly, it would be one sided, but we would take the risk and do their reaction and then the ball would be set rolling. But, in this case, our own media heads would not take the risk. They

would either ask whether we have concrete proof or would say that they would sue us from here to our homeland and also stop all advertisements. A mammoth price to pay for just a story, which again will be denied and the problems, which would subside for the time being, would resurface when the dust dies. This has happened with other companies, other stories.

Nothing new. But the scribes get the satisfaction of doing some justice to their cause. In my case, I was stymied before I could even put my nose to the news grind. I was stalled before I could even plan to do such a story. “It is easy to write about small timers; about ‘B’ grade companies; about people who are not powerful and those who take the blames for their wrongdoings and quietly move on…try to step on the toes of these big shots and then when you are smacked in the face with the reality of taking the mammoth bull by its horns, you will know!”

Surely, this contact of mind had a bad opinion of me, but, unfortunately, he was right. I realised with a start the limited scope I had of writing such articles and I also knew that if I attempted to do them and was successful at it – that would be the beginning of an end for me. No, not as dramatic as that, but I know how hounding can feel like because I have had my share of it.

I went with the story idea to my editor. He listened to me and then said, “Do you really want to do this story? Do you know what will happen after that?

You and I will be sacked. But, the paper itself might sue you saying that they lost so much of revenue because of your foolish and irresponsible story…”

But, when will we write these stories, I asked him, desperate for a way out. “I don’t know. Maybe much after our time. The market has to mature and the media heads themselves need the wherewithal when they are taking such risks.” This conversation happened a decade or so back…

And I wonder: are we ready now, or do we have to wait one more decade? Or more? editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

6 July 21- August 6, 2011

Xclusive

Celebrating Renaissance achievements made 28 The over the past 40 years are the fruits of the massive all round efforts led by a leader with a vision and the ability to make the impossible possible

Bitter Batter

16

it or not!

44 Believe One is not sure how and why it happens and it does not happen to all cars, which is good, but then, so far three or four cars have become victims of a mysterious problem that stops them right in front of a bus stop

60

Five symptoms men should not ignore

Not every symptom warrants a hasty trip to the doctor, but, men, who are known to have a thing– not against them of course -- about doctors feels that they need to do a check up only if it gets bad, really bad

Make this an enjoyable weekend

Contents

it is high time that you got back into the normal weekend mode and enjoy some leisure activity. What happens here is a question of choices and also the inability to pull yourself away from work

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 Printed Mazoon, Muscat, Oman 8 Julyat21August 6, 2011

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 Swithun Fernandes Ali Raisi, Priyanka Sampat

Black & White 9

Now, you can

too!

Say "Ah"! Uh oh, if that gleaming flash has turned from white to yellow, you are going to lose more than just confidence. You might lose her. Apparently, women get turned off by yellowing teeth, especially if it has been slowly, but surely degenerating over the months and years. So men, it is not just the job for women alone, you need to get your teeth whitened too. And it has been noted that women love men with clean, white teeth, because it is a sign of good health.

AS WE GET OLDER THE STAINS that get on our teeth build up and just keep getting worse. Our teeth get yellowish from smoking, drinking coffee, and many other things. "A simple whitening can boost your confidence and allow you to smile, Dr Seema Bhandari but you will have to cut those habits that stain your teeth," says Dr Seema Bhandari, who runs the Abraj Clinic in Al Wadi Centre. "Both men and women want flashy white smiles, sparkling teeth and good oral hygiene," she adds. Thanks to advanced dental tehchnology, today it is hugely possible for men to show their gleaming white teeth too. "One method is that of bleaching (of teeth), which is almost similar to facial bleaching where nascent oxygen is released and stains and debrease is oxidised and bleached to whiter teeth."

A STRAW A DAY CAN KEEP STAINS AWAY A preventive method is to opt for sipping through a straw. You can sip coffee and soda with a straw so the fluid will go past your teeth and not stain them as much.

"This will make your whitened teeth last longer and keep you healthy." Some of the available methods as detailed

by Dr Seema are given below:

Men health

PASTES Bleaches are available as dental paste form with baking soda, whiteners like fluorides etc. Basically they don’t bleach; they act like polishing agents and surely whiten but only on the surface, and not within the tooth.

HOME BLEACHES They have preformed plastic trays, made by dentists themselves and can be used twice daily with the gels.

These home kits work gradually, but to very less extent and does not show great changes. It is also risky as it can be swallowed by mistake.

10 July 21- August 6, 2011

CREST STRIPS These are available in the market where patients can buy them and put them on their teeth themselves.

It goes a shade whiter, but it can show patchy looks.

And is also very costly.

OFFICE BLEACH It is the actual bleach with the highest concentration of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide. And the trained dentists can do bleaching in their office where plasma light, Zoom or the latest laser can be used. It is not advisable for children below18 for dental bleaches as their teeth have more pulpal tissues. For them the best is fluoride gel (1 per cent), which can make the teeth slightly white later, hardens the enamel and prevents caries. Fluoride gel in the form of mousse (chocolate) gel, mouthwashes or varnish are available at pharmacies.

WHITENING PROCEDURE The patient is given complete knowledge about the bleaching procedure. The existing shade of the teeth should be taken on a shade guide. Teeth are thoroughly cleaned and polished and dried. Available gingival barrier is applied to the gums, which protects them and prevents tissue damage.

Curing light is given to make the gum barrier thick and hard. Readymade whitening gel is applied on dried teeth protected by cheek retractor. Plasma light is kept close to the mouth which gives automatic light for 15 minutes, depending on the case.

This procedure is repeated. Lastly everything is removed from the mouth, rinsed and cleaned And the patient is given after care instructions. All the stain collected from the constant usage of the teeth are gone and you can get a sparkling, gleaming, dazzling white young teeth as they were before. The complete bleach procedure takes 40 minutes in total and then you can go and confidently smile to the world!

Black & White 11

Why do MEN WATCH

CARTOONS? The joke on men watching cartoons goes like this: Why do men watch cartoons?

Because they like to watch themselves on TV!

Jokes apart, one would be bound to ask this query: Why do big, macho, no-nonsense guys like cartoons? Why do they roll on the floor with uncontrolled mirth when they watch a Tom and Jerry video?

Why do they compete for sofa space with their own kids or junior siblings when Looney Toons is on?

Beats us!

But, is there anything wrong with it? Will women look down on men who love cartoons? Are men who watch cartoons considered sissy?

Counter that question with this: if something free, but silly tends to relax you and does not tax you in anyway, why should you consider it as freaky?

CARTOONS ARE NOT JUST FOR KIDS Who said cartoons are only for kids, asks a grown up man with children.

“I don’t believe cartoons are meant only for kids. Actually, it is better for adults as they are more stressed out than children. They are great stress relievers,” says this diehard cartoon lover. “Just put on Tom & Jerry, or any of the cartoons you love when you are totally stressed and then find your tensions slowly leaving you, one by one…” he adds.

Men read

VITAL HUMOUR This is true. Humour is vital to our general well being as a smile leads to laughter and that in turn promotes inner peace within ourselves. Using humour to relieve stress is as effective as your daily vitamins to maintain a healthy body. This doesn’t mean that humour should replace the local therapist.

12 July 21- August 6, 2011

“Humour is refreshing chocolate ice cream for the soul. Don’t treat it as something degrading and/or insulting,” notes a leading Omanbased psychiatrist.

NOT CEREBRALLY TAXING Why should something as simple, as harmless and innocent as a cartoon be considered as a problem, other cartoon promoters ask. “Men are just simple creatures who enjoy visual stimulus that isn’t in anyway cerebrally taxing,” others note. But, there are plenty of women who seriously look down on these ‘simple creatures, who enjoy visual stimulus that is not in any way cerebrally taxing’?

HUMOUR IS BEST REMEDY The thing that these women should know is that there are many experts who actually exhort stressed out folks to get a daily dose of cartoons and the like. When you are tearing your hair out in all frustration, grief, anxiety, etc., the best remedy for it is humour, experts say.

The power of a laugh can relieve stress and has been medically proven to help medical patients.

Humour for all its sarcastic and

jovial edges has been viewed as a discovery in the world of health treatment. Think about the last time that you laughed and almost split your sides.

Humour used properly can help remove stress and unhappiness from the workplace or the home. Cartoons in newspapers and television; your favourite TV comedy can tickle you silly.

Comedy can brighten up your day and let it be understood that the cartoons that these big men watch

are just that – humour that can relieve stress. Some men seem to know automatically what can distress them, and some are on a proper dosage of cartoon wit and humour so much so that they are even insulated from regular stress.

LAST LAUGH So, as they should rightly say, these men have the last laugh on the women who smirk and look down at them!

And next time, someone laughs at you for your cartoon leaning, let them…for the laugh’s on them!

Black & White 13

A monsoon story

Off the wall

He swore. He hated the rain. He hated coming to India during the monsoons, but somehow, his annual vacation always rounded off in the end of May, first of June and he will be there in his hometown to sort of welcome the monsoons. He hated the rains, which regularly tumbled down every June 1 when the schools reopened. Broken, torn umbrellas, soggy shoes, wet socks, soaking shirts and the turgid slush upon which would float everything from debris to small dead animals always threw him off balance.

This monsoon, he was back in his hometown to ‘enjoy’ his vacation and although he wanted to stay with his aging parents, the downpour would always rain down on his parade.

That morning, he had gone out of his home to buy something and at that time, it was shining bright. Mom and his wife had insisted that he take an umbrella, you never know when the rains would slump down. But, he did not listen to them.

Even his six year old daughter had said dad, listen to mama, take an umbrella. Women, whether they are six or sixty, seemed to know everything! He huffed, puffed and strode into the morning sunshine.

And then just as he was turning back, the rain broke through the sunlight and tumbled on him with abandon. He bent his head and tried to walk but the downpour began to gain intensity and he did not want to fall sick and destroy his precious vacation, so he took refuge in the shade of a store which had its shutters down.

As he shook himself (he learnt to 14 July 21- August 6, 2011

O

By Adarsh Madhavan

do this from his pet dog back in his adopted home in the US) he saw a woman seek shelter in another open store just opposite the one he was in. And then he froze. Na—He couldn’t complete her name, but he just couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was his girl back from college. He trembled involuntarily, as though the cold had got into him. He was not sure if he was dreaming. He must be, because it was such a long time ago and it was all gone and beyond his life, yet…Yet, it seemed to turn his world upside down…She still turned the world upside down for him.

The damnable fact was that he had never ever spoken to her. Yet, their eyes used to speak years ago when he used to hang outside the college bus in the bus stand…waiting for her to get in, then staying by the side of the bus so her eyes would bump into his somehow…somehow. It always did and they would stay locked for some endless moments and wouldn’t even leave even in the distance when the bus had sped off to its destination. Why aren’t you getting on the bus bro, his colleagues would ask, and they would get no response.

He would never even get on the same bus as she did.

In college, he took commerce, while she took science and there too, the twain did not meet. Sometimes, he would be passing by her classroom and then the pages in her book would flip all by itself and she would then crane her neck between her classmates and stare at him through the class window, her eyes waltzing in a semi-smile, the lips not in tandem

all ew h t ff

though. His eyes would waltz along in that brief seconds and he would walk past. Just that. And this was all that they ever had.

This silence, these silent glances and craning of necks, these bus stares and it went on and on…until the college suddenly got over one day and he still believed that she was his.

But, things changed dramatically when he had to head to the US on an emergency basis as his family’s finances were sinking and he went there, made his money, got back, got married, but in the corner of his mind, there was this girl, but he did not know what to do about it, and so he let it be.

Sometimes, he would think of her and mind you, his thoughts had gone over her, just before heading back to his hometown and there she was…the rains were like a wall between them and yet, he stared and you could see her, sort of craning her neck between the rain sheets and their eyes locked, their eyes waltzed…

Why are you smiling; what happened, his family asked when he walked in drenched to the bone.

He had no answer. He seemed to be deliriously happy. And he kept on saying that he loved the rain, he loved the rain, he loved the rain… adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com

Men health

5 16 July 21- August 6, 2011

symptoms men should not ignore

Not every symptom warrants a hasty trip to the doctor, but, men, who are known to have a thing– not against them of course -- about doctors feels that they need to do a check up only if it gets bad, really bad. But, men are not indestructible, as many of them would like to think. A blotchy patch on your hairline could be just a benign lesion, or it could be cancer. So, in an age when anything can happen, isn’t it wise to keep yourselves away from a lengthy stretch at the hospital and instead of ignoring these serious symptoms, just go ahead and get yourself checked. Please.

TONGUE TIED Getting tongue tied? It may not be anything.

But, it could be a stroke. Doctors say that when a clot, injury, narrow blood vessels or other problems restricts blood flow to the brain, the result can be a TIA – a transient ischemic attack.

Some people call the TIA a mini-stroke, because the symptoms are like those of a stroke but do not last long. A TIA happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is blocked or reduced, often by a blood clot. After a short time, blood flows again and the symptoms go away. With a stroke, the blood flow stays blocked, and the brain has permanent damage.

SHORT OF BREATH Okay, you are huffing and puffing up the staircase and you might blame that to your increasingly rotund belly or in general that you have been out of shape.

But, why not consult a doctor about that? The downside of this is that it could be, among other things, an impending heart attack. If you are beginning to pant if you are just climbing up the stairs, then, it is a sign that the heart muscles are not getting enough oxygen.

Why take the risk?

PERSISTENT PAIN ON ONE SIDE OF THE ABDOMEN You may have probably pulled a muscle, but then if the pain persists, why not have it checked? The reason is that if the pain persists, it can be one of many things. And one of them can be a kidney stone, or even a tumour. As they note, any abdominal pain that does not resolve itself within three days needs to be checked out.

DAYTIME FATIGUE It may not happen to all, but, it can happen to even the best of us. You are suddenly found to be fatigued in office; you tend to yawn throughout the morning stretch, perhaps even settling for a few winks.

Yes, you would automatically think that you need to have more sleep, or try to sleep earlier.

But, what you need to watch out for is obstructive sleep apnea. Spending more time in bed won’t help if fatigue is due to this condition, in which the airway narrows or is blocked during sleep, cutting off breathing and disrupting slumber five to 30 times an hour.

Sleep apnea can be treated with breathing devices such as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), an apparatus that you wear at night to keep airways open. Losing weight and surgery to widen the airway can also help.

FREQUENT URINATION Uh oh, having too much tea or coffee? Could be.

But, unfortunately, it could also be Type 2 diabetes or an enlarged prostate. If you are making too many visits to the bathroom, especially during the night, then it only mean that your body is trying to get rid of excess blood sugar. So, get your blood sugar checked, especially if you have increased thirst.

If, otherwise, you find it difficult to empty your bladder completely and are having a slow or weak stream, etc., the problem could be a growing prostate, doctors noted. Though painless, an enlarged prostate can eventually get worse and lead to acute urinary retention, where a patient may not be able to urinate at all, which is an emergency that often leads to surgery.

Omantel special “salalah tourism festival” offers

Omantel has announced details of two offers that the company will run for two of its most popular Hayyak pre-paid and Mada post-paid services that are launched to celebrate the Salalah Tourism Festival and will then be valid for three months.

The first offer is for postpaid customers. Anyone who signs up to the many and varied Mada postpaid payment options will automatically be provided with 500 free sms messages

Micromax available at Emax

Wordpress

Molecules launched Micromax mobiles at Emax , the electronics arm of the Landmark Group. The Micromax commercial launch was held under the presence of high profile dignitaries from various business segments apart from the team and top management of Emax and Molecules LLC. The ceremony was graced by Naresh Sharma the DGM operations (landmark group Oman) and Tariq Mohammed Al Balushi, managing director, Molecules LLC. Munawar Muneer, director, Molecules LLC commented: "We are very soon coming up with newer models of Micromax Mobiles like the anaroid, 3G, touch screen etc." He also mentioned that Micromax has been highly appreciated and accepted by the people of Oman at all segments which has encouraged them to get their product listed all over Oman. He added that Micromax is currently the only Indian mobile handset manufacturing company approved by the TRA to offer international warranty in Oman.

18 July 21- August 6, 2011

every month for a three month period – effective from whenever they open a new account. The free sms messages will apply to any phone network the Mada user wishes to contact – but all 500 messages must be used up within three months and are only valid for messages within Oman itself. The second promotion will offer the Hayyak starter kit at OMR2 but subscribers will get an additional 50 per cent – OMR 1 - of bonus credit that can be used for national/international calls, SMS, MMS, Data and other services. Commenting on the offers, Saleem Ahmed Abdulatiff, general manager of marketing at Omantel consumer business unit said: “We are delighted to be using our sponsorship and support for one of Oman’s most popular events – the Salalah Tourism Festival – to launch these two exciting new promotions.

We are sure that both of them will be well received and in particular will attract more customers to the postpaid Mada account system that allows them peace of mind that the length of their calls will not be limited by what they have pre-paid.”

Emergency and trauma unit at Starcare Hospital Moving away from regular openings and keeping with it’s commitment of 'Keep Caring', Starcare Hospital took a unique initiative to honour the Oman wheelchair basketball team at their recent formal launch.

The team inaugurated the Emergency Room & Trauma Unit at Starcare Hospital. The physically challenged basketball team was awarded free medical insurance package for one year from Starcare Hospital. The insurance package for the whole team was provided from the hospital corporate social responsibility fund to implement the official TAG LINE of the hospital into practice – keep caring. Earlier, the formal inauguration of the Hospital was done by Mohammed bin Saeed Al Toobi, minister of environment last month. After the inaugural formalities, minister and director of Starcare Hospital Sheikh Yahya Abdulla Al Busaidi handed over the gift to the team. The gesture was applauded by the people present at the ceremony. The minister expressed his appreciation and satisfaction that the hospital demonstrated such contribution for the welfare of the community even before starting its operations and commented that such institutions will make the Sultanate proud.

In Oman on October 26, 2011 Black & White 19 For more details: 24565697/98675976, blackandwhiteoman@gmail.com

Nawras shortlisted

in two categories of customer service excellence awards

Nawras, has been shortlisted for two categories of the customer service excellence awards held recently in Doha, Qatar.

Nawras reached the final selection for both best contact centre and best customer service initiative.

“Nawras is committed to continuously enhancing every aspect of customer experience and this recognition of our efforts is fantastic.

We constantly strive to delight our customers with products and services that are designed to meet their communications needs in a pleasingly different way,” Said Ahmed Safar, director of customer service, said. Hosting a recent customer relationship management

forum in Muscat gave Nawras the opportunity to take Qtel Group delegates to see its award winning multi-media contact centre. Manned by a team of more than 230 Omani customer champions, assistance is provided around the clock for customers enjoying Nawras mobile services as well as plug and play home broadband internet with free voice landline. Nawras has recorded a turnover of only 1.7 per cent in its

contact centre over 2010. During the same period, a number of champions were promoted into new positions within the Nawras family and more than 35 spent time in other departments on enriching rotation programmes. Such movements help to keep the culture of customer service active and aligned throughout the entire company as well as ensuring that valuable know-how is shared.

Spicy Village ushers in Ramadan and enjoy the party with your family and friends.

Wordpress

This year, the Spicy Village chain of restaurants gears up for Ramadan with delicious Iftar and Suhoor options which both expats and Omani nationals will enjoy.

“As an Islamic restaurant, serving authentic Indian, Chinese and continental food using Halal meat, Ramadan has always been the highlight of our year. Our restaurants are the first choice for Iftar and Suhoor parties all across Oman,” affirms Dayaparan, general manager, Spicy Village. "We use only A’Saffa Chicken in all our restaurant, which is hand slaughtered as per Islamic shariya law."

Brand new hall at Darsit for iftar parties Spicy Village now has a new, fullyequipped party hall at Darsait, which 20 July 21- August 6, 2011

can comfortably accommodate over 250 people. It’s the perfect venue for Iftar parties, and Spicy Village will take care of all the arrangements from start to finish, so you can relax

30 days of sumptuous buffet at all Spicy Village outlets “This year, we are inviting all our customers to share in the spirit of Ramadan, with special menus, Iftar evenings and comfortable corners for prayers,” says a spokesperson.

Customers visiting Spicy Village in Al Khuwair, Rusayl, Sohar, Sur and Nizwa will be able to break their fast with a refreshing spread, which includes fresh juice, dates, porridge, samosas, spring rolls, cutlets, pakoras, caramel custard and khawa.

“Plan your Iftar party at Spicy village, we will make it an occasion to remember,” assures Dayaparan.

Contact: 99224718

Painless laser hair reduction at Kaya creams or waxing, but unwanted hair present a more serious and frequently embarrassing problem for others. However, Kaya has unveiled this revolutionary painless laser hair technology that offers lasting results and is free from any side-effects as also proven by our in house customer trials,” said Vikas Agarwal, marketing head at Kaya Skin Clinic.

Kaya Skin Clinic recently launched the revolutionary painless laser hair removal technology in the region.

“Hair removal may certainly not be the most glamorous of grooming issues, but has fast become a familiar routine for most women and men too.

Some women, consider unwanted hair a minor grooming problem, kept easily in check by razors,

Premier performance by The Muscat Singers An audience of over 600 attended the Omani premier performance of ‘Mass of the Children’ by John Rutter at TAISM school last week. This beautiful and moving choral work was written following the sad and untimely death of Rutter’s son, still a student at Cambridge, and combines a children’s choir with an adult one giving the children’s choir a central part to play.

For this performance, the Muscat Singers were joined by a specially selected group of young singers, representing many of the Muscat primary schools and aged nine to twelve years, and who touched the hearts of the audience with their angelic voices and youthful enthusiasm.

Gwen Willson, music director said: “It

was a dream come true to be able to bring such a moving choral work to Oman for the first time and to have had the opportunity to work with both the main choir, a children’s choir and a group of very talented musicians.

It took a lot of hard work but they really pulled it off and I am so proud of them all.” Ciosa Butlin, publicity

officer, said that they had even received a good luck message from John Rutter himself on the day of the performance. “We knew that he had been told about the concert and he managed to get a message to us just in time. He was delighted to hear that we were premiering the piece in Oman and it was a real boost for us.”

Millennium Resort Mussanah summer package Millennium Resort Mussanah launched its summer promotion recently. The two-day package offers bed, breakfast, dinner for two people for OMR 110 on weekdays or OMR 130 on weekends, inclusive of all taxes. The two day package is designed to be the antidote to work-related stress and asks guest to check in, chill out and do nothing.

Its idyllic secluded location belies the

hotel's close proximity to Muscat, and it is less than an hour’s drive from the city centre and 45 minutes from the airport.

Didier Coeln, general manager of Millennium Resort Mussanah, said: “This promotion is about helping our guests take a time out from the pressures of everyday life. The peace and quiet of our location offers a chance to truly get away from it all

and switch off. You can often see a visible transformation in our guests as they leave looking relaxed and happy. That is what the Millennium Mussanah is all about.”

The hotel, developed by Omran on the site were the Asian Beach Games in Mussanah 2010 were held, boasts a range of F&B options, a beautiful sandy beach and a private 54 berth marina managed by Oman Sail.

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www.omanonlinesearch.com

Coming Soon!

Oman's first comprehensive online directory

More details: oos@blackandwhiteoman.com

Make Up Forever boutique at Al Bahja mall Make Up Forever opened its new concept boutique in Oman opening the wonders of the professional make up world here, recently.

The official opening of the Make Up Forever boutique, which is located at the first floor of Al Bahja mall, witnessed the presence of the regional trainer and makeup artist, who offered professional consultations. Make Up Forever is

an internationally recognised makeup brand formed by Dany Sanz that offers professional make-up artists a complete palette of colours, products and textures to achieve unmatched results.

Make Up Forever products are often the first choice for the fashion and show business industries and are fast becoming a highly popular brand among the public as well.

Damas ‘New Trends’ Damas, unveiled its ‘New Trends’ jewellery collections in Oman, which includes five new styles that are based on insights about emerging global trends and consumer preferences.

The ‘New Trends’ collections, which are a mix of gold, pearls and diamonds, reflect the demand for jewellery that is light, beautiful and subtle – perfect for summer.

Rajesh Govindan, Damas country manager – Oman, said: “As the leading jewellery retailer in the Middle East, Damas has always been the leading trendsetter in the region. There is a completely new feel to these collections, which have been crafted with the consumer in mind. We know that with the onset of summer and the travel season approaching, ladies want jewellery that is fresh, light and fun, which are the characteristics that embody these collections.”

Intercontinental Muscat donates to blood bank Over 70 members of staff and management of the InterContinental Muscat donated blood to the ministry of health blood bank recently.

MERGE 104.8 broadcasting begins Broadcasting of the new radio station FM Merge 104.8 has begun.

Merge 104.8 merges Omani and international music and presenters to appeal to the Sultanate’s diverse cultural demographics. Reflecting the different segments of Omani society, the station will offer a mix of music, culture and fun, to deliver rich content served up with a fresh, local flavour. Merge 104.8 already hit the headlines last month as recipients of an international Lynx design award for its strong branding and corporate identity. “Already an award winning brand, we are all nervously excited at our first broadcast, after the many months of hard work, creativity and energy it has taken to develop this exciting new model,” says Eihab A. Abutaha, general manager of Sabco Media.

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NBO Mobile Phone banking service The National Bank of Oman (NBO) launched Oman’s first mobile phone banking service recently.

The high profile launch function held under the patronage of Dr Salim bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, chief executive officer, Information Technology Authority, was well attended by senior government officials, industry leaders, members of the press, and NBO’s senior management.

The NBO mobile banking, the first mobile phone banking service is available for all NBO retail account holders in Oman.

It is a highly secure system using the best in

Omantel multiple-device

mobile application

class security mechanism to give customers a secure environment where they can not only access their accounts with NBO, but also initiate transactions, from locations where they can use their mobile phones.

Omantel recently launched its mobile device self-care application.

The first of its kind in the Sultanate, this application is compatible with the four most popular smart devices platforms (BlackBerry, Android, Nokia and Apple iPhone and iPad).

This unique and easy to use application will enable Omantel customers to register online, view their account details, bills, add new account, top up self and friends Hayyak lines and more importantly pay their bills in a highly secured way from anywhere at any time in a very simple way with few touches and slides! The application will have all the features those are present in the Omantel online services portal (https://www.omantel.om). Commenting on the launch of this new application, Saleem Abdullatiff, GM marketing at Omantel’s consumer business unit, said: “We are pleased to be the first operator in the Sultanate to offer this multiple device self-care application.

This initiative comes in-line with the company’s continuous efforts to provide best in class services for our customers”.

Bait Al Reem business

Wordpress

centre open for business

The newly-launched Bait Al Reem business centre at Al Khuwair seeks to transform the burgeoning entrepreneurial landscape, with its unique serviced offices that combine practical functionality, stylish aesthetics, high-quality infrastructure and unmatched convenience, all at a prestigious address in the heart of the capital, Muscat. Company officials said the centre aims to provide unprecedented value for clients’ money and helps unlock their hidden growth potential by providing end-to-end work environments at affordable rates.

The business centre has already achieved high level of occupancy from the period 24 July 21- August 6, 2011

office spaces were made available for booking. Every office is fullyfurnished making it easy to move in and set up operations effectively and efficiently.

Each office ranges between 15 and 50 metres in size and is available on lease for a flexible period. Equipped with the latest IT tools, the centre also has a well-trained support and maintenance team to ensure all the clients’ needs are met and their day-to-day operations continue smoothly and with a secure environment.

Great combo meals and a taste of Arabia at Spicy Village Spicy Village has come up with another bonus for foodies: an entire new menu, with great combo meals.

This menu is specially enhanced with the flavours of Arabia, with several items straight from the Omani kitchen.

“At Spicy Village, it’s all about catering to customer tastes,” asserts Dayaparan, general manager, Spicy Village Restaurants.

“This year, we’re changing for the better, to suit our Omani customers.

We’ve spoken to customers across Oman before formulating these combo meals.

Each is a complete package in itself,

besides being quick and affordable.”

The combo meals extend right through the day, with separate sections for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast has both continental and Indian options, ranging from burgers

to aloo parathas. Omani versions like ‘Bier Iftaar’, chappatis with keema mutter and falafel sandwiches are also available. All combo meals come with fruit and a beverage.

Call 99224718.

Muscat Eye Laser Center's new scientific director Muscat Eye Laser Center has significantly ramped up its clinical, surgical and research capabilities with the appointment of a highly qualified refractive surgeon to its world-class team of professionals.

Dr Juan G. Gaviria, a Colombian citizen of international repute, joins the center as scientific director – a new post especially created in line with the center’s expanding role not only as the nation’s premier eye-care facility in the private sector, but also as an up-and-coming specialist research institution in its own right.

“We are immensely proud to add someone of Dr Gaviria’s calibre to our team,” said Dr Maria Clara Arbelaez, an internationally distinguished eye surgeon, cofounder and medical director of the center. “His outstanding skill as a surgeon and impeccable qualifications are sure to be a great asset for our practice and our patients.”

NBO sponsors College of Banking and Finance 'Open Day' The National Bank of Oman (NBO) sponsored the activities of the College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS), 'Open Day', held recently for students at the college premises.

Hassan Abdul Amir Shaban, NBO’s chief marketing officer said, “We are delighted to sponsor the CBFS open day, which enabled our staff to mingle with the college’s graduates and students, as potential employees for the bank. The bank believes in participating in events which help introduce NBO as the ‘Employer of Choice’. We remain committed towards recruitment and development of talented Omanis.”

So long, farewell, goodbye… oh just go

Bikram Vohra, internationallyknown Gulf based scribe

By Bikram Vohra

Sunny side up

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 he gets is a crumpled can of soda and a few soggy crumbs to show for it besides the obligatory semi circle of half bored staffers dragged out of their chairs and made to stand there looking miserable and stricken.

No one wants to be there, it is too close to home to be comfortable, after all, there but for me go I and it is even worse when the guy being shafted isn’t popular anyway and now everyone has to say these sticky sweet things about him.

Like what an asset he was? Yeah, if he was such a sterling blighter why are we dumping him? By next week he won’t even be history, they’ll call him whatisname, if they call him at all.

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, who else, well find out then will you, 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 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 26 July 21- August 6, 2011

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 some money they don’t want to give and sending that office letter around twenty seven times to conjure up the splendid sum of OMR38) 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 as the gift is shoved into his hands.

Thank goodness, it is over. 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 now downhill as 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 what he would rather do is stick a knife in all of us) 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 staff, the Comml Mgr, the tea-boy, all my beloved colleagues in Sales, my Branch support staff, my immediate boss who taught me everything I know (which isn’t very much, sonny boy, seeing how your track record had the consistency of a wet noodle) Uncle Tom Cobbely and all...ho hum. The way I see it, when you gotta go do that…go.

In Black & White

In Black...

Our wise leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, have always guided us to take a step forward and educate ourselves with the best possible resources, national and international, to strengthen ourselves with the most advanced education, while preserving our rich culture and tradition

LET CHANGE BEGIN FROM WITHIN We all have dual responsibilities: One towards the society we live in, the other towards the community we belong to. The society is governed by laws and regulations, while the community is bound together by love and respect. As individuals, that becomes the vital link in both the strains, it becomes our duty to attend to both demands.

So where do we start? Just as charity begins at home, the sense of responsibility should be inculcated right from the home front. If we can create a peaceful atmosphere at home, bonding our own immediate family, we can create a better street, a better town, a better city, a better society‌ So, let us vow ourselves to be a good individual first and then move our community forward with love and tolerance.

PRESERVING CULTURE Our wise leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, has always guided us to take a step forward and educate ourselves with the best possible resources, national and international, to strengthen ourselves with the most advanced education, while

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief

preserving our rich culture and tradition. Going abroad to pursue further studies will definitely open our minds, but it is quite sad to note that some members of the younger generation tend to bring back a foreign culture and attitude, which may be found unsuitable in an Omani environment.

Our nation stands tall as one of the most unique countries in the world with its own distinctive culture. It would be great if we could inculcate discipline in to our lives and also open our minds to progress, not in quantity, but in quality. Progress is not just what is obvious to the eye; it has to be felt in our behaviour, lifestyle, attitude and responsibilities. Progress has to be internal. For that, discipline and change are two tools we have to adopt.

ADOPT CHANGE It is easy to preach change, and compare ourselves with the world around us, but, let us go one step at a time, and let us try to change ourselves first... Before we start at home, let us start with ourselves‌change for good, change for our nation. Happy Renaissance Day!

& White Black 27 Black & & White White 27

B&W Xclusive 28 July 21- August 6, 2011

Oman celebrates a very grand and special occasion today (July 23rd). The Renaissance Day is a historic one and the fully developed and modern country that is Oman today stands as a proud testimony to the promise made by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said when he declared the beginning of a new and glorious era on July 23, 1970. “It is a new era for a great future for the nation and the citizen,� His Majesty, the Sultan is quoted as saying.

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B&W Xclusive

What would you do for your country?

With the completion of more than 40 years of the blessed Renaissance, Oman and its people are proud of the achievements made over the last four decades.

Although 40 years is not a long period in the age of nations, the country has still brought in total development, which has embraced clear-cut objectives based on enlightened thought and strategic vision. The achievements made over the past 40 years are the fruits of the massive all round efforts led by a leader with a vision and the ability to make the impossible possible.

30 July 21- August 6, 2011

Having traversed this far in such a short span, Oman’s efforts are to constantly improve upon itself and this is where the people of this country has to pitch in. It is time for Omanis to rise to the occasion and push on the development process in a united effort. There are occasions when individuals have commented that if they had the chance, they would make efforts to bring about some change in the status quo.

This has prompted Black & White to speak to a cross section of Omanis with two simple, but related queries: If it was in their hands, what is that one thing that they would like to change in Oman and what is that one great thing they would like to do for their country?

Train the youth IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… On the occasion of this most glorious 41st Renaissance Day, I would like to salute our ruler His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. This is the day which heralded a new phase of peace and prosperity.

The one thing that I would like to see in Oman is a bright change in the education system. I want sweeping reforms in our educational system. I believe education is the only tool that can shape an individual’s mind, prepare the youth physically, mentally and socially for the world.

The youth is the future of any nation and they must be equipped with knowledge and skills, which are needed to participate effectively as a member of society and contribute towards the development of shared values and common identity. Education has a vital role to play in assisting students to understand their cultural identity and instill in them patriotic values.

Dr Hammad bin Hamed Al Ghafri,

So, the right system of education is very important for every society; Oman has taken leaps and bounds in the education scenario, but still I feel the youth need stronger foundation. If their minds are open, it will be easier to integrate people into society and teach them values and morals. The role of education is a means of socialising individuals and the running of the society in a smooth and stable manner.

Adviser, Ministry of civil service

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO… I would like to see the youth being trained for national services. Such training will lead to discipline in thought and action. And I would like to see every student undergo such a training process.

This way they will understand the need to safeguard their nation and the need to be unified. An ownership feeling that this country is our own is lacking in the younger generation.

Our wise leader has paved the way to progress and development in the last 40 plus years.

Oman has seen remarkable progress and all I can say that is it takes enormous effort to carry this forward and maintain it. We are indeed blessed to be under the guidance of our wise ruler.

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Maqbool Hameed Al Saleh, Chairman, OHI Group of Companies

Education is the key IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… Thanks to the wisdom and vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the government of Oman put education as its top priority. And from a nation with nothing to talk about, today, we have a large infrastructure of schools, colleges and institutions that provide free education to all children up to high school and to several others up to the university level.

The adage, “give a man a fish and you would have fed him for today; but teach a man to fish; and you would have fed him for a lifetime” was most probably in our beloved leader’s mind when he decreed education as a primary and fundamental requisite in Oman for all the young girls and boys who till 1970 had never seen or heard of a proper school.

This single decision has changed the fate of the generation that was lucky to see him ascend power and for the future generations that followed.

B&W Xclusive

It is this excellent system that I would like to tweak and change to enable it further and ensure that it meets the future requirements of Oman, for workers, technicians, managers, entrepreneurs, businessmen, and government officials including 34 July 21- August 6, 2011

defense personnel. Education is our key to all of Oman becoming self-sufficient and capable at all levels of national and international trade, commerce and industry and including our defense and security and fundamental changes need to be introduced to achieve these objectives.

Since the current system of education was established, the overall scenario has changed and today Oman needs to compete regionally and globally on all fronts in a very open and free international market, where innovation and productivity are key parameters of success, and in my personal opinion, our current education system has to change to provide the elements that will enable our students to compete globally, and more than that to sustain and improve the tremendous rate of growth and progress that the country has achieved using expatriates.

In short, over the next decade or two, our education system needs to turn our capable and confident workers at all levels and perform as well if not better by improving the quality of our curriculums and our teaching staff, and setting up systems that allow our children to appreciate our culture and

His Majesty has always shown great interest in education

compare it with other cultures that we experience and have experienced.

There are many small changes, which, when made, will empower our education system to really micro manage all Omani students to their maximum potential.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO: Meeting the needs of society is the responsibility of every government.

However no government can succeed by itself, if the members of its own society do not work with it in building the nation.

As a businessman, I would like to supplement the efforts being made by the government in social housing, and to add some new social housing concepts to the existing efforts of the

government as a supporting action from the private sector.

Currently His Majesty the Sultan generously provides individual citizens with pieces of land and loans to construct homes. I would like to bring the efforts of mass social housing to Oman with a twist that ensures Omani culture and sentiments are preserved and the critical shortage of housing for the younger generation is met with efforts from the private sector.

The government can give interested businessmen like me land on the outskirts of the city to develop housing estates that not only provide apartments and town homes at a

low cost to the younger generation but a social interaction infrastructure such as club houses and sports facilities for the children living on these estates, and also serving the need to protect the children from bad influences, which they could get exposed to, if they are left without facilities for a variety of sports and other extracurricular social activities in a safe environment. In short as a private public partnership with the government that provides land and banks and financial institutions, I would like to develop and implement a scheme that allows the younger generation to buy affordable housing without being in debt for a lifetime and their children to grow and thrive in a safe and secure housing.

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Khalfan Al Esry,

Quality education

Executive coach, managing director, Prosper Consultancy

IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… One thing I would like to change is education. I would call for a shift to quality education and invest heavily to raise standards on that sector.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO: One thing I am doing for my country is to raise public awareness on the importance of quality reading and researching.

Better social awareness Luma M. Al Saleh, Director, Trans-Arabian Creative Communications (TRACCS)

IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… I would aim to reform our educational system. I would like to give students the opportunity to select from a wide variety of subjects, provide career guidance and ensure that arts, sports and voluntary work are compulsory elements for a holistic educational experience.

B&W Xclusive

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO… To raise awareness on issues that are considered taboo in our society such as mental illness, domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and breakdown of the stereotypes that lead to stigma and discrimination.

36 July 21- August 6, 2011

More collaboration IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… There is nothing that I would like to change…but, I would like to see more and more collaboration between the private and the public sectors. This can be attained with the help of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) or even on a one to one basis.

Qais Mahmood Al-Khonji,

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO… I want to grow and represent my country in a global/international level as a businessman. Obviously this requires a lot of time and also tremendous amount of patience and related skills. I believe that proper will, confidence and positive thinking are all tools to get there.

Owner, Qais United Enterprises Trading

Virtual presence IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… I would love to facilitate and promote virtual (electronic means of doing things as opposed to the traditional way) reality. So in a nutshell, having a virtual presence for about anything and everything that is done physically today but in a virtual way...from going to work (working virtually from home), shopping (doing it from home and via mobile phone, tabs, etc), travelling (going from one place to another in virtual place and connecting with people virtually), banking, accessing the government and business (online). It would make life easy and needless to mention also open a different channel of life (virtual as opposed to physical only).

Tariq Hilal Al-Barwani, Founder and president, KnowledgeOman.com

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO I would love to open an education hub, be it a school, college or a university to educate different kinds of knowledge (business, technology, health and the likes) and create knowledge workers across the country.

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Attention on human excellence IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS‌ The most important change that I can think of right now is the system of promotion of Omani personnel. The promotion should be based on abilities, potentials and competence and not on the basis of seniority (number of years) in the job‌ I would like to raise awareness of Omani academic institutes and the ministries of education and higher education and other ministries to tap the Omani talents whether still on the job or retired.

They should be invited to contribute their ideas, suggestions towards the development of the country.

Intellectual property should also be given proper attention.

B&W Xclusive

There should be a change of attitude towards work ethics and more emphasis in providing onthe-job training. Attention should be focussed on human excellence.

The trainees should become graduates holding not only the knowledge and information of any particular professional skills, but they should also be taught the human 38 July 21- August 6, 2011

Bilquis Jawad Al Khabori, Former director of the Language Centre, Sultan Qaboos University

side of enterprise. He/she should understand what is the true meaning of education--how to become a good human being, and a complete person with good character. It is important, very important to develop emotional IQ, social relationship with others and respect all kinds of jobs, lower level to higher level skills, which contribute to the growth of the economy of the country.

Today, the developing countries in their craze for achieving success in technology and science rush towards the developed countries for assistance, undermining the other aspect, the very important element of education and that is nurturing human excellence and making students become full human beings.

I would like the education system to give greater consideration to this aspect of education as well.

I would like the ministry or the government to reconsider, in accordance with the present needs and the uses of the English language in the country, the policy of naming the teaching of English as a second language in the English curriculum instead of teaching of English as a foreign language.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO… For the country’s economic growth, social stability and reduction of high rate of unemployment, I would like to advise our government to give more and more attention to education, especially pre-school education, which should give a right start to children and continue till the end of pre-tertiary level (high secondary education).

Students leave school with basic academic knowledge and skills, which are tools for success to meet the challenges in the work field and

further education, vocational and technical institutes, colleges and universities. Government should open more high quality vocational training institutes and also centres to train less skilled labour force to Omanise the jobs, which are now done by expatriates whereas the Omanis are sitting unemployed.

Good quality of teacher training institutes need to be opened, which should make the trainees aware of the fact that the students they are going to teach should be given skills which are going to be tools that they

will need when they are away from the teachers. I would subscribe to the Chinese adage, which goes: “Giving your son a skill is better than giving him one thousand pieces of gold” In short the quality of imparting education should not suffer for personal gain of whoever runs the institutes. We should produce graduates (from whichever level or degree) who should be producers and not just consumers, after getting training or any higher academic degree.

Greetings to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the people of Oman on the occasion of the 41st Renaissance day

Black & White 39

Promote cultural diversity IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… I would do all that is possible to reduce the death rate that is caused by daily, weekly and monthly car accidents in Oman. Though so many decrees and regulations against speeding and rash driving are regularly issued, it has still not done much to reduce the surge in the daily mayhem on the roads caused by rash and irresponsible drivers.

Siham Ahmed Saeed Al Riyami Deputy director for English language curricula section human science curricula department, ministry of education.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO… I would love to increase the citizens’ awareness on the importance of developing the cultural diversity and initiate dialogue with teens and youth groups. I have started such a mission through the implemented projects under the MoE umbrella that took place in my section. I had initiated one such project in 2003. The objective is to learn English through drama (Healthy Entertainment in English Lessons) and in this project we presented different cultural backgrounds to our students making them understand that language and culture are two sides of the same coin. The project is still continuing.

Recently, we trained 20 female students who presented a 45 minutes play in English for their classmates and the public on transferring Omani culture to others. I have also tried to spread Omani culture to expatriate audiences in and outside Omani through writing and publishing Omani folktales in magazines. Currently, I am working on publishing my book on Omani Folktales in English.

I am also working on another project with the MoE on designing a website for teens and youth in order to reinforce the cultural diversity dialogues and to make Oman as a link point between all cultures. In short, I believe that if we want to build peace on earth, we have to be the peacemakers and this is the task for the upcoming generation in Oman.

Enhance Oman's tourism potential

B&W Xclusive

IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS… I will most certainly like to see a change in the profit taking on the loans by the banks in Oman. I hope there will come a time when the banks will not take more than one percent profit from the loans.

Badar Gheseini, Marketing supervisor, Hoshan Pan Gulf

40 July 21- August 6, 2011

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO… I would like to do everything possible from my end to promote Oman as a tourism friendly country. I feel that Oman has the potential to be the best country for tourism and I will make this dream come true!

Responsible tourism IF IT WAS IN MY HANDS‌ The trajectory of tourism development as tourism is a social science and not a business capitalist venture....we stand to lose much more than bad taste in architecture. Tourism has the ability to take our very essence of Omani culture and manufacture it in a non authentic manner. I believe Oman can be the number one in responsible travel. I advocate travel, which is a much richer experience.

Dana Sarhan, Managing director, The CSR Company, Oman

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO‌ Raise the awareness of the concept and theory of tourism and have more discourse so that we start to build a picture of an ideal tourism. Unfortunately, right now what the studies indicate and what is being implemented is at a tangent because the domestic market needs are different to external.

However in every aspect of tourism there is an optimum benefit point and we should find that point. I am sad when I say this because I know we have already lost so much, yet there is so much more to protect and it needs. responsible travellers who will respect monuments, trails, etc. and bring to Oman much more than just money.

Black & White 41

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Blackandwhite Oman

By Dr CK Anchan

Identity management automation can impact a wide range of stake-holders, so it is important to understand who they are and engage them early. This reduces the risk that an important decision maker learns about the project later and disrupts it because he or she was not consulted earlier. Engage all stakeholders from the project’s inception, rather than deferring conversations with some of them until later in the project.

Initially, it may be impossible to obtain the ideal IdM solution out of any given suite or grouping of best-of-breed tools. But, since deploying IdM is a long range process, that isn’t necessarily a problem, as long as you don’t become firmly locked into a particular vendor or technology. If deploying a suite, therefore, emphasise the selection of elements that are the most mature or best integrated.

Focus on Business Drivers Since it can take a long time to deliver on each and every one of the business drivers, it is important to prioritise. There are several business drivers for deploying an enterprise identity and access management system, including: Reliable access deactivation when users leave the organisation, secure access to privileged passwords, periodically review security entitlements and eliminate unneeded ones, lower IT support call volume and head count, simplify change request processes, provision required access more quickly. reduce the number of passwords users must manage etc.

Before formulating a strategy, it is vital to find out what you already have in place. Every company is already using some sort of IdM, even if it is just Active Directory. This means

Management talk

Best Practices on IDentity MANagement

Dr Anchan C.K. managing director, World Wide Business House

examining the policies, procedures, work flows, hardware and data sources, in addition to software. This survey must include looking at departments other than IT, since physical security, HR, finance, sales and other parts of the company may have their own systems in place that cover part of the field. For example, HR will already have some way of verifying employee identities, and physical security may be issuing access cards that can double as a smart card for logging into IT systems. In addition, the sales and finance departments may have their own modes of granting access to vendors and customers.

To automate identity management Technology used can be quite complex and vendor services to implement and maintain it can be expensive. It therefore makes sense to assign a full-time. When deploying an identity management system, some tasks cannot be started until others are completed.

Such interdependencies may delay high priority deliverables until items which appear to be less important, but which are prerequisite, are completed.

Analysts rate the top five suites as Oracle Identity Management, Novell Identity Manager, CA Identity Lifecycle Management, Sun Identity Management and IBM Tivoli Identity Management. In addition to the big five suite vendors, there are dozens of niche products in one or more of the IdM technology. Since the field is rapidly evolving, it is best to consult the latest analyst papers before finalising any decisions you can have a different set of starting points Web single sign on, an organised directory environment, or provisioning and automating account set up there is not one tier or path people have to follow.

Black & White 43

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:

Want the whole cake

What do you do when someone wants to take away what is yours?

You worked so hard for something and you get it. For example, you tried so hard to win in an exam, and once you have sailed through successfully, what will you do when someone comes and tells that he wants to share not just the win, but actually want to tell everyone that he won too? But you failed, you will tell him and they will look at you say that is okay, just tell everyone that I passed. Or, let us say that you bought a swank new car. You saved many years for the same and then you finally take the plunge and buy this dream car. Then, someone you know comes along and says hey,

look, it is a damn good car, and he was hoping to buy the same, so could you please part with the car?

What?! Or, still worse: you work hard to achieve some great success and when you do, someone comes and tell you that he was also trying hard to achieve the same success and so, could you please stop succeeding and drop this achievement for him?

Confused?

Well, so are we because that is exactly what we are confronting. We have worked for more than a year for something and we have achieved it, now, someone wants not just a piece of the cake, but want to swallow it whole!

When it nears this spot, the car automatically stalls.

One is not sure how and why it happens and it does not happen to all cars, which is good, but then, so far three or four cars have become victims of a mysterious problem that stops them right in front of a bus stop.

One car is there just close to the stop area, with its tires deflated and gathering dust. The owner seemed to be in some financial difficulty and has not come back to move the car. Soon after that another, slightly old, car hiccupped and stopped just before the bus stop. It stopped and after that the driver could not change the gear. Then, another one stopped there because its engine heated up. Soon after that, yet another car stopped there and the people in the area began to say that they should include this in the ‘Believe it or not’ segments of some visual media. We will await for more news on this front…

No, no, no…

Some people cannot take no for an answer. Whenever we try to do something unique and out of the way there are people who want to pitch in and say that they could help us in our efforts. Thanks, but no thanks, we say but they are not willing to listen. Going solo is not advisable, when you are in a community, it is better that you get the help of the seniors around. But, we don’t want any help because it is not required, we tell them, but how do we speak to those who are stone deaf!

Nitternatter

Believe it or not!

44 July 21- August 6, 2011

Will NOT publish and be damned

The person took the press note and tore it. Then s/he took the torn pieces and tore it again and then again and again into teenie-weenie little bits.

Then s/he crunched the bits and threw them on the floor, stamped on them and then knelt and picked them and made them into tiny balls and then slammed dunked them into the dust bin. “Who got this press note?” s/he thundered and the staff members around the boss wilted under this unwanted rage. The guilty one’s heart thumped and thumped, praying to the Almighty that the boss does not discover that it was he who unwittingly received the press note and thought it was worthy to make it to their pages.

“We will not publish any of this rotten stuff – got it!” s/he said, and left the room in a cloud of thunder. What is the issue? Well, one publication did an event sometime back and as is the norm, the post-event details were sent to all members of the media, including this media boss. But this person could not digest the fact that other media can hold events and then send the event details to rival media. What is the big deal, we wonder.

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

AJAY ENTERPRISES PO BOX 54, PC 100. TEL : 24815485 FAX : 24815490 E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com website: www.albahja.com

Fun facts about our

Kidstuff

• The oceans occupy nearly 71 per cent of our planet’s surface • More than 97 per cent of all our planet’s water is contained in the ocean • The top ten feet of the ocean hold as much heat as our entire atmosphere • The average depth of the ocean is more than 2.5 miles • The oceans provide 99 per cent of the Earth’s living space- the largest space in our universe known to be inhabited by living organisms • More than 90 per cent of this habitat exists in the deep sea known as the abyss • Less than 10 per cent of this living space has been explored by humans • Mount Everest (the highest point on the Earth’s surface 5.49 miles) is more than 1 mile shorter than the Challenger Deep (the deepest point in the ocean at 6.86 miles) • The longest continuous mountain chain known to exist in the Universe resides in the ocean at more than 40,000 miles long • The Monterey Bay Submarine Canyon is deeper and larger in volume than the Grand Canyon • The Antarctic ice sheet that forms and melts over the ocean each year is nearly twice the size of the United States • The average temperature of the oceans is 2ºC, about 39ºF • Water pressure at the deepest point in the ocean is more than eight tons per square inch, the equivalent of one person trying to hold 50 jumbo jets.

• The Gulf Stream off the Atlantic seaboard of the United States flows at a rate nearly 300 times faster than the typical flow of the Amazon river, the world’s largest river • The worlds oceans contain nearly 20 million tons of gold • The colour blue is least absorbed by seawater; the same shade of blue is most

46 Jul Julyy 21Ju 21- August Au ust Aug st 6, 201 2011 1

absorbed by microscopic plants, called phytoplankton, drifting in seawater • A new form of life, based on chemical energy rather than light energy, resides in deep-sea hydrothermal vents along midocean ridges • A swallow of seawater may contain millions of bacterial cells, hundreds of thousands of phytoplankton and tens of thousands of zooplankton • The blue whale, the largest animal on our planet ever (exceeding the size of the greatest dinosaurs) still lives in the ocean; it’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen • The gray whale migrates more than 10,000 miles each year, the longest migration of any mammal • The Great Barrier Reef, measuring 1,243 miles, is the largest living structure on Earth. It can be seen from the Moon.

• More than 90 percent of the trade between countries is carried by ships and about half the communications between nations use underwater cables • More oil reaches the oceans each year as a result of leaking automobiles and other non-point sources than was spilled in Prince William Sound by the Exxon Valdez • Fish supply the greatest percentage of the world’s protein consumed by humans • Most of the world’s major fisheries are being fished at levels above their maximum sustainable yield; some regions are severely overfished • The Grand Banks, the pride of New England fishing for centuries, are closed due to overfishing • Eighty per cent of all pollution in seas and oceans comes from land-based activities.

• Three-quarters of the world’s mega-cities are by the sea.

• By 2010, 80 per cent of people will live within 60 miles of the coast.

OCEANS...

• Death and disease caused by polluted coastal waters costs the global economy $12.8 billion a year. The annual economic impact of hepatitis from tainted seafood alone is $7.2 billion.

• Plastic waste kills up to 1 million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals and countless fish each year. Plastic remains in our ecosystem for years harming thousands of sea creatures everyday.

• Over the past decade, an average of 600,000 barrels of oil a year has been accidentally spilled from ships, the equivalent of 12 disasters the size of the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige in 2002.

• Tropical coral reefs border the shores of 109 countries, the majority of which are among the world’s least developed.

Significant reef degradation has occurred in 93 countries.

• Although coral reefs comprise less than 0.5 per cent of the ocean floor, it is estimated that more than 90 per cent of marine species are directly or indirectly dependent on them.

• There are about 4,000 coral reef fish species worldwide, accounting for approximately a quarter of all marine fish species.

• Nearly 60 per cent of the world’s remaining reefs are at significant risk of being lost in the next three decades.

• The major causes of coral reef decline are coastal development, sedimentation, destructive fishing practices, pollution, tourism and global warming.

• Less than one half a per cent of marine habitats are protected -- compared with 11.5 per cent of global land area.

• The High Seas -- areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction -- cover almost 50 per cent of the Earth’s surface. They are

the least protected part of the world.

• Although there are some treaties that protect ocean-going species such as whales, as well as some fisheries agreements, there are no protected areas in the High Seas.

• Studies show that protecting critical marine habitats -- such as warm-and cold-water coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves -- can dramatically increase fish size and quantity.

• More than 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food. In 20 years, this number could double to 7 billion.

• Populations of commercially attractive large fish, such as tuna, cod, swordfish and marlin have declined by as much as 90 per cent in the past century.

• Each year, illegal longline fishing, which involves lines up to 80 miles long, with thousands of baited hooks, kills over 300,000 seabirds, including 100,000 albatrosses.

• As many as 100 million sharks are killed each year for their meat and fins, which are used for shark fin soup. Hunters typically catch the sharks, de-fin them while alive and throw them back into the ocean where they either drown or bleed to death.

• Global by-catch -- unintended destruction caused by the use of non-selective fishing gear, such as trawl nets, longlines and gillnets -- amounts to 20 million tons a year.

• The annual global by-catch mortality of small whales, dolphins and porpoises alone is estimated to be more than 300,000 individuals.

• Fishing for wild shrimp represents two per cent of global seafood but one-third of total by-catch. The ratio of by-catch from shrimp fishing ranges from 5:1 in temperate zones to 10:1 and more in the tropics.

Tongue Twisters: try them!

A sailor went to sea to see, what he could see.

And all he could see was sea, sea, sea Black & White 47

Your stars ARIES March 21-April 20 Loans, financial arrangements and expanding career options will be a strong theme over the next few weeks. Positive progress is assured: be sure to accept all proposals and negotiations as valid.

Social alliances, misinformation and emotional promises may play a key role. Listen and gather information.

CANCER June 22-July 23 Feelings and expectations may be high: expect loved ones to be strongly dedicated to established traditions, roles or plans. Later this week watch also for a recently silent colleague to describe unique opportunities for advancement. Team assignments and revised leadership roles are accentuated.

TAURUS April 21-May 20 Home security and detailed family discussions may demand extra attention this week. Planetary alignments, however, indicate that little or no changes can be expected before late July. Take your time and listen to all new ideas, suggestions and opinions: the coming few weeks will require extra diplomacy and patience.

LEO July 24-August 23 A new friendship or last minute social introduction may quickly lead to romance, rekindled passion or complex emotional demands. Someone close may now subtly question your reaction to an unexpected flirtation or participation in a quick new attraction. Don’t be unnerved.

GEMINI May 21-June 21 You will feel powerfully drawn into new relationships and positive workplace agreements. Let the past fade and quickly accept all that is presented: a new era of faith, confidence and social involvement is now beginning. A powerful and revealing week: be sure to acknowledge all hunches or feelings.

VIRGO August 24-September 23 Business relationships may be unusually scattered or unpredictable this week. Your leadership and observations will soon be adopted. A recently strained social or romantic relationship may experience a brief phase of passionate comments and dramatic discussions.

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.

Horoscope

By Thomas Snyder

48 July 21- August 6, 2011

SOLUTION:

ARNOLD ALOIS SCHWARZENEGGER (BORN JULY 30, 1947) is an AustrianAmerican former professional bodybuilder, model, actor, director, businessman and politician who served as the 38th Governor of California (2003–2011). He began to weight train at the young age of 15. He was awarded the title of Mr Universe at age 20 and went on to win the Mr Olympia contest seven times. Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame as a hollywood action film icon. Schwarzenegger was married to Maria Shriver for over 25 years and the couple had four children.

LIBRA September 24-October 22 A recent phase of complicated social or romantic negotiations in key relationships will now quickly fade: watch for a sudden change in attitude from loved ones or a mood of acceptance in the home.

This is also an excellent time to witness subtle life lessons, study the repetitive behaviours of others.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20 Workplace negotiations, although perhaps dramatic, will work strongly in your favour this week.

Over the next few days expect a recently withdrawn or silent colleague to voice strong opinions. Newly revealed information or surprising social and romantic partnerships may prove intriguing.

SCORPIO October 23-November 22 This is the right time to begin increasing your expectations of friends as well as your definition of abundance. Emotional and financial wealth is a strong theme this week: watch for obvious opportunities for involvement, advancement and meaningful gain. You will also experience romantic attraction.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 Refuse to be derailed: although loved ones may now find it necessary to challenge your values and opinions, this is actually a time of increased understanding and newfound confidence in long-term relationships. Friends and colleagues will offer little or no explanation of any minor emotional outbursts.

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19 Complex romantic proposals and unique emotional overtures may be an ongoing theme for much of this week. Accept all as sincere and positive: a recent phase of vague communications or emotional silence will now abruptly end. Later this week business alliances and workplace assignments will also expand.

PISCES February 20-March 20 Don’t withhold your ideas: this is the right time to discuss delicate issues with authority figures and managers. You will encounter an emotionally engaging and perhaps controversial love interest. New attractions and last minute social introductions will quickly inspire passion.

AJAY ENTERPRISES PO BOX 54, PC 100. TEL : 24815485 FAX : 24815490 E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com website: www.albahja.com

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

50 July 21- August 6, 2011

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

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 ON 7TH & 21ST

20, 500 COPIES (BEING AUDITED) Circulation enquiries: 98675976/24565697

Black & White 51

First Free Fortnightly magazine

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all over Oman on 7th & 21st of every month ‡0XVFDW ‡6DODODK ‡6RKDU ‡6XU ‡1L]ZD ‡%DUND ‡,EUD ‡,EUL ‡5XVWDT ‡.DVDE

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everywhere...

Mangoes are a superb and healthy treat just by themselves. The fruit’s flavour is often described as an exotic mix of pineapple and peach. Mangoes are available from April to September, but June and July usually offer the best pick and prices. Did you know that this delicious and versatile fruit complements well with many different types of dishes?

Here are a few simple ones...

MANGO TANGO SALSA Ingredients: • 3 ripe mangoes, pitted and cubed Juice of one lime • 1 tablespoon red onion, minced • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves • 1/2 jalapeno pepper (optional), seeded and minced

Method: To pit a mango, place it stem side up with the narrow side facing you. Make a vertical lice starting at 1/4” to the right of the stem.

Repeat on the other side. Lightly score the flesh of the mango into diamonds. Buckle the skin, pushing the flesh outward so that it resembles a porcupine. Slice off the cubes. Combine all ingredients. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Toss before serving. Serves six as a side dish. Serve with grilled fish or chicken.

MANGO CREAM Ingredients: 1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavoured gelatin 2 cups mango puree 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon lime juice

1 cup heavy cream Method Sprinkle the gelatin on 1/3 cup cold water, then dissolve, stirring, over low heat. Cool. Mix the mango puree, sugar, lime juice and gelatin.

Whip the cream until stiff, then fold lightly but thoroughly into the mango mixture. Pour into a mold, rinsed out with cold water. Refrigerate until set.

Unmold and serve plain, or garnished with slices of mango. Serves six.

Few tips: How to cube a fresh mango •Without peeling, cut the fruit from the cheeks, as described above, score flesh into squares about 1/2- to 3/4-inch in size, cutting to, but not through, skin.

•Gently push the mango cheek inside out, pushing fruit cubes up and apart.

•Cut chunks from the skin to serve.

(The skin can cause irritation, so it should not be eaten.)

How to store mangoes Keep unripe mangoes at room temperature to ripen, which may take up to 1 week. A paper bag might help them ripen sooner, but they will not ripen at temperatures below 55 degrees F. Ripe mangoes can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or they can be frozen, dried, cooked in syrup or puréed.

Black & White 53

Cooking

Mangoes, mangoes

Omani youth have a dream Laila, Omani graduate student of Nizwa University

By Laila Ibrahim Obaid Al-Gharbi If education is our effective means to make the change we hope to see in our country, why don’t we speak up?! It seems that every young person in this country is sharing his or her dream of making a positive change and they believe that education is the right way to achieve it.

It made me so happy observing youth discussing very critical issues related to them and their future such us the status of education in schools, employment, culture exchange, sustainability and others.

Indeed, it is a good indication to decision makers to open the door for us, leaders of tomorrow. From what I have read on different pages on Facebook is that our youth believe in themselves and the abilities to contribute in building the nation employing education. Step by step, the youth of Oman will slowly move ahead to make the change because they have just started. They are very enthusiastic about improving themselves and making their voice heard.

The vital query is whether they will be welcomed with their ideas and suggestions? We all should feel the change and take a step forward because we still have some people who talk, but lack the drive when it comes to acting. Yet, there are others who are working hard to make the change. We want to see education as valuable as economy. We want our kids to value themselves and their teachers and make the best of the programmes they have.

Education, education, education…education is what can help us to make the change. Our youth don’t want to be like students from other countries; they just want to be better than anyone else BUT could you help them achieve their dream? Youth are aware of the status of education in our country and they are already looking for solutions. Most importantly, will they be welcomed?

Learning curve

Every time I think of education, I think of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and how he is constantly encouraging us to seek knowledge and learn. At this time, most of the youth want to make a change and work together to make education as valuable as it should be valued. We have a dream to make education our means to development and success. And it is our time to give back to the beloved country Oman and His Majesty, the Sultan! queen.algharbi1@gmail.com

54 July 21- August 6, 2011

It's my life

Cinderella...

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

By Vandana Shah Ummm this is perfect sliding in, not even a squeeze, its smooth as melting dark chocolate and its happening to me. Wow! I've wanted it for so long and a few people told me about it and I was a disbelieving fool. Now I’m a believer in the perfect fit.

It’s the stuff of legends and its happening to ME, I glow as though i’ve had an evian seaweed facial.

Oh I relive this sensation and you know what...I can do this anytime I want because I now possess the perfect shoes. It got high heels, its added 4 inches to my already 5 foot 8 inches frame, my legs look coltish like the inimitable Steffi Graff and they are comfortable and don’t strain my ankles.

For centuries women have been fascinated by shoes. The Japanese used to bound women’s feet to make them look small... The legends and myths surrounding foot and footwear are innumerable which I can look at soon again. The shoes themselves have undergone changes right from wood to the ergonomically designed ones available today.

Every woman looks for great shoes and the reasons..Fashion, comfort, making an impression, remembers Vic Becks in stilettoes with no heels just the air standing on her toes, ouch painful. The search intensifies with barbaric insanity when there’s the four letter word, not love my fairytale believer, s–a–l–e, I know there is salivation and strength bracing for the bigger better deal! cavemen beware the sale is here.

Men leave them alone as they have no idea. It is black formals, slippers, floaters and whhhhhata the list is over. Of course pls excuse the occasional Nic Sarko with his platform heels poor guy married to the tall Carla. But the short men compensate with other achievements, Napoeon, Hitler... Coming back to shoes and the famous courtiers like Manoholo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo…oh we’ll do that for another time.

Till then keep trying because they are like a good life partner difficult to come by but once they are there you never want let go! Goodbye my Cinders…

Vandana Shah, Author 360 Degrees Back To life, editor of Ex-Files. www.vandanashah.com.

Email me what you’d like to say on 360degreesbacktolife@gmail.com Follow me on twitter Vandy4PM

Black & White 55

Women are committing

shape n sound

SHOE-ICIDE!

Are you women committing ‘shoe-icide’?

If you are wearing um those ultra high heels, well, you stand guilty as charged!

The thing is that when heels tend to get higher and higher, podiatrists would by all means point out that these are women who have a propensity to shoe-icide. Because that is exactly what you are doing to your feet: Ultra heels can push you down to everything, ankle sprains, chronic pains, you name it.

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PAINFUL KNOTS THAT GO BUMP High heeled or low heeled pumps can cause a painful knot on the back of the heel, which maybe permanent.

These knots are called pump bumps.

However, ice, orthotics, and heel pads may provide pain relief …along with better shoes. Ultra high heels may also force feet into a stressful position for the balls of the feet. The only way out of these problems is to go for lower heels. The science is that the lower you go, the more natural your foot position; heels, which are not more than two inches high are ideal, but even these should be worn in moderation.

CHUNKY WAY OUT All high heels boost the risk of an ankle sprain. Although all high heels can cause problems, the ultra narrow heels of stilettos are particularly risky.

But, chunky heels could be an opt solution in this case, podiatrists say.

A chunky heel has more surface area and distributes your weight more evenly. This makes the feet much more stable when compared to stilettos or spindle heels. Although thick high heels can still put stress on the ball of your foot, they may reduce the tripping hazard by minimising your wobble, they say.

HEEL PADS TO THE RESCUE There are those who euologises the virtues of ballet flats as compared to the ultra heels. But the point that many miss is that the flats don’t provide any arch support at all. What happens here is that when there is no arch support, it can lead to knee, hip, and back problems.

Okay, you love ballet flats, and insist on wearing them. So, the only alternative then is to look at having heel pads, which can provide extra cushioning for archy heels.

NO TO FLIP FLOPS Flip flops are also again a big no no.

They don’t offer much protection.

The risk of getting splinters or other foot injuries is higher when the feet are so exposed. People with diabetes should not wear flip-flops, because simple cuts and scrapes can lead to serious complications. In addition, many flip-flops provide no arch support. Like ballet flats, they can aggravate plantar fasciitis (*) and cause problems with the knees, hips, or back. (*) A band of tissue called the plantar fascia runs along the bottom of the foot. It pulls on the heel when you walk -- and it works best with the proper arch in your foot.

Walking barefoot, or in flimsy shoes without sufficient arch support, can overstretch, tear, or inflame the plantar fascia. This common condition can cause intense heel pain, and resting the feet only provides temporary relief.

Black & White 57

What to do when your

MAN CRIES?

Psyche

The last thing you would want to see is your man crying. But, just imagine that he does and what would you do? When your husband or the man in your life cries (no, not over football), but, real traumatic crying or sobbing, what would you do? He really means it. It is not just superficial tears, but your man is really hurting; he has lost someone; he has lost his job, a parent or something like that….what do you do?

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WILL YOU COMFORT HIM, hug him and say everything is going to be alright, or do you sort of cop out?

You find it totally embarrassing and awkward and are horrified that your strong man, this rock of Gibraltar has suddenly turned into a melting candle.

Men are known as the less emotional creatures; they are supposedly the bastions of stability, the rocks who can wither any storm…

But, when they suddenly lose it; bawl like three year olds, what do you do?

Do you drop everything and rush to their side? Or, do you…burst out laughing?

Okay, you may not be that cruel, but, surely, there are times when situations like this might quite flummox you.

Before we get deep, let us stat this at the outset: it’s not wrong for men to get emotional. It’s unhealthy to keep one’s feelings bottled up and shoved deep down inside.

Occasions when a man can cry 1. The death of a loved one.

2. The death of his beloved pet.

3. When he first sees his newborn son and daughter.

4. When his beloved car or truck, especially his first one, gets totaled.

But when is it okay for the man of today to display his emotions through crying?

Sarah, who says that she never brought up the crying incident after that.

The truth is: men have always cried.

Yet, the acceptability of the male crying has varied across time and across culture.

“I cannot stand it when men cry. I was with this man whom I thought was a real rock. But this stone began to shed copious tears when his mama fell ill and I couldn’t take it. Of course, I am not cruel; I didn’t laugh at him or move away, but I felt quite strange. He was supposed to be quite a stable guy and suddenly he has this sudden burst and I felt quite bad. We soon parted ways,” Naina David reveals.

In Homer’s The Iliad there is no conflict between Odysseus’ heroic qualities and the inclusion of many episodes of his weeping for home, loved ones, and fallen comrades.

Yet Odysseus never breaks down out of loneliness or frustration, which the ancient Greeks did not feel were acceptable reasons for men to cry. They also expected warriors to understand that there were times when public displays of emotion were acceptable, and times when it was appropriate to cry alone. Odysseus frequently tries to hide his tears from those around him.

“My man really broke down one day when his best friend committed suicide. He just wept and wept for a long time and I didn’t know what to do. I first tried to comfort him with words, sat near him, hugged him and then wept along with him. It seemed to kind of help him!” writes

“Men are human too, and I don’t think I would lose my respect (of them) if they cry,” counters Nasra.

"I have seen my man cried just once.

That day I sat with him, consoled him and made him understand that I would always be there for him and will never ever leave him.

We are humans, subject to feeling low, lonely at times, this is even if you are a man or a woman. Emotions won’t choose and suppressing it wont help, I think,” says Natasha D’Souza.

“Why should we lose our respect to a man who cries for a genuine reason (not because he hurt his thumb!)? A man can be emotional and sensitive like a woman also. They are human beings – not made of stone!” pitches in Suraiya.

So, what conclusion should we draw from this?

Men can cry, but not over silly things and yes, some women may find it odd, but the majority of them are willing to stand by their men – even if the latter happen to shed a tear or two!

Black & White 59

Make this an

ENJOYABLE weekend

shape n sound

Anna Summers, 34, an IT consultant in the morning and a DJ at night, has not had a weekend since the last three years. “I can’t remember the last weekend that I had off,” she says.

Summers juggles these two jobs and is also studying for her masters. “I have my hands full and in this economy, I cannot afford to waste time. “I know it is not fun working on weekends, but, given the choices, I cannot do anything else,” she confesses.

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FOR MOST WOMEN, THE WEEKEND is not a weekend. It just means another day of work where she has to finish the work she did not finish during the week days. If you look at the weekend schedule of most working women in town you will find that they have less time to party and have to complete more work, which by the time they finish, it is time for them to go back to work again. This is the boring grind for most working women as they are forced to finish various errands, shopping and finishing up the work they did not get to doing during the week.

But, it is high time that you got back into the normal weekend mode and enjoy some leisure activity. What happens here is a question of choices and also the inability to pull yourself away from work. Sometimes, real work is not done. These weekend workaholics tend to be driven by guilt and pretend to work so that they don’t feel miserable later. But, neither do they work properly, nor do they enjoy the required leisure time.

WALK WITH THE MORNING No excuses. Get up in the morning and then put on your walking shoes. Don’t wait for inspiration to push you, instead, just put one leg before the other and just walk. Don’t even get distracted by the Friday newspaper or a hot cuppa. You can get engrossed in both when you get back.

Walking first thing in the morning ensures you fit in your workout. Once you return, you’ll feel invigorated and be more likely to be active during the rest of the day.

GO FOR A FREE RIDE No, not in your sports car, but in your sports bike! The problem here is that not many women tend to cycle in Oman. In fact, you hardly see any lady bikers.

But imagine the luxury of riding like the wind on a leisurely weekend. You can go for a ride with a partner or friend. Take some food and water and you can then even make some pit stops, if the need arises.

TAKE A BREAK We all need a break, so take one without much ado. Just relax and potter around, but at the same time make some exciting food and then ask your significant other to join in for a home alone picnic.

LET THEM CLEAN Okay, no one can clean your house better than you. But, on weekends try to spend some money which you have saved up, for a cleaner. Let him or her come and clean the whole house for you. All you got to do is sit back and enjoy your little abode getting cleaner by the second. And in the time that you have saved, you spend it on anything you haven’t had the time to do during the hectic weekdays. Let it be anything from renting out a DVD or just taking a heavenly bath or doing your face.

DO THE WORK ON WEEKDAYS Shift weekend duties to weekday evening duties. There’s no need to wait until the weekend to go to the supermarket, clean the house or mow the lawn. Make, say, Tuesday and Thursday evenings your “weekend duty” evenings and get the housework out of the way then rather than sitting in front of the TV. That way, you’ll have free days to do as you wish on the weekend.

Black 61 Black & & White White 61

Woman boss?

I quit!

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar Never work for women, they make the most horrible bosses, he gritted his teeth.

They are hormonal, wishy-washy, manipulative, vindictive, passiveaggressive, and the worst ever quality is that they are micromanaging morons!

Whoa! Inspiring adjectives, when it comes from your friends!

Well, he sounded psychotic! And didn’t seem like he would stop...

“They run their office like their homes!

They are very focussed, when you want something, they turn deaf, but when they want something done, they just put their hand on your arm and say, ‘Do it for me ...’” You should see how sweet they look then!

Don’t do it, stay put and say, you won’t! You have a choice, I added fuel.

He ignored me and swore at all the womenfolk of the world!

Do you think men have a chance?

A choice, a chance? Today, their numbers in the corporate sector have dwindled; a huge whopping percentage of the workforce is now female! Who wants them? And it is not just men who do not like taking orders from women either. Ask the female secretaries, he exclaimed.

The worst woman around is the woman boss! I quit!

I will start my own business and keep the females away from it, he declared!

He was so traumatised that he seemed to forget that he was talking to one!

Sigh! Maybe he is right. He is speaking of his personal experience.

Though, he should not be

generalising, I still feel he has a point.

Everyone has stories to tell about a troublesome colleague, a harassing boss, a willful friend.

We squawk a little more if ‘women’ managers aren’t empathetic, but male managers can get away with being emotionally, well, unintelligent?

I think right or wrong, women get held up to a different standard, which dissects them more than their male counterparts. Woman managers need to walk that extra mile to prove their worth.

But, could I say that? He looked harassed and traumatised...

Every coin has two sides; I have had female staff talking about discrimination, mental trauma and sexual abuse. I know I can personally speak about a few men bosses, with equal, or more bitterness, though I laugh at it now; yes, sometimes you get your due.

I am sure there are many out there who have worked for bosses of all stripes over the years, from the mournfully inept to the borderline psychotic!

The pressures in the corporate world are treacherous. It can metamorphose you from the humble meek self to the selfish, bad mouthed loud bore in no time. So why blame a gender for individual examples?

Look at a world without women, erase them out of your homes, your offices, your minds, can anyone out there vouch that there would be no woes, no manipulations, no micro managing, no bitching, no aggression, no vengeance?

Do I sound defensive now? priya@blackandwhiteoman.com