Y Magazine #284 August 29 2013

Anti-Social Media

Is it time you went on a digital detox?

Shopping For Your Supper / Homme Home / Fantasy Offices / Revolution On Reel / Visiting The Land Of Hobbits

40 STONING: Stress relief at the spa PAINT PUNT: Shopping for masterpieces ROAST REVIEW: Left Bank Your top guide to the best of Oman, every week

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EVERY THURSDAY NOW AVAILABLE IN BARKA ALL THE WAY TO SOHAR

AUGUST 29 – SEP 04 • ISSUE 284 • WEEKLY

man’s BAG BUSTERS

PLUS!

Are you prepared to put an end to the plastic plague?

Fashion

Food

50 SHADES OF GREY

ÉCLAIR MANIA

01

NOVEMBER 24 / ISSUE 258

34

Destination

28

Dunes FOR DUMMIES

37

TREND BAROMETER

GOING UP

OMAN’S SAILORS The Wave, Muscat have ramped up another victory in the Cardiff leg of the Extreme Sail Series, bringing their total to four out of five over the tournament so far.

Congratulations to the lads ahead of the next leg in Nice.

EDITOR’S

NOTE

Welcome to the new look Y Magazine your indispensable guide to everything modern Oman has to offer.

Fast forward

FLASH CARS If you cashed in your stocks and shares before the market crash on Tuesday, you would have been in the money. What better way to celebrate than splashing the cash on the new Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, which for a cool RO146, 000 could be yours. It made its debut in Oman this week.

We want one.

GOING DOWN

DUBAI’S SHARES INDEX It’s been an up and down week for the Dubai stock market. Earlier it nearly hit a five-year high, then on Tuesday, in a crash sparked by the Syrian crisis, it plummeted 7.01 per cent, its largest one-day loss since November 2009. Here’s hoping for a return to peace and confidence again soon.

GOOGLE Just when we thought Google’s top dog status was destined to go on forever, Yahoo! has made a surprise comeback, peaking Google visitor numbers in the US for the first time in years, thanks to Yahoo!’s smart purchase of microblogging site Tumblr.

THIS WEEK… Team Y has been enjoying upmarket movie nights and cooing over the magazine’s bespoke éclair at the Al Bustan Palace.

I

t’s become the cause célèbre. Movie stars have campaigned against them, governments around the globe have tried to ban them, and stores have found new tactics for weaning customers off them.

I am, of course, talking about the plastic bag. Made from polyethylene, a petroleum product, the carriers may take up to 1000 years to degrade. Meantime, they hang from trees, catch on power lines, float on oceans and lakes killing birds, fish, turtles and sea mammals unfortunate enough to ingest them or become entangled in them.

So, we’re thrilled to hear that the Ministry of Environment & Climate Affairs is finally planning to put an end to Oman’s plastic plague.

Of course, bad habits die-hard and it’ll take time for shoppers to get used to recycling their bags – but as we discover in this week’s issue, the environmental benefits far outweigh the temporary inconvenience of having to carry your carrier. Viva la eco revolution.

Penny Fray MANAGING EDITOR editor@y-oman.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Sayyida Iman bint Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eihab Abutaha MANAGING EDITOR Penny Fray SECTIONS EDITOR Kate Ginn

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PAGE EDITOR Joe Gill PHOTOGRAPHER Jerzy Wierzbicki ART DIRECTOR Matthew Herbst DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Feroz Khan

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Y Magazine is published by SABCO Press, Publishing & Advertising LLC /Y is a SABCO Media product.

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Write to us at Y Magazine, SABCO Media, PO Box 3779, Ruwi 112, Sultanate of Oman.

AUG 29 – SEP 04 / ISSUE 284

03

contents AUGUST 29 2013

11

16 Digital Detox

Anti-Social Media 20 Plastic Plague

Binning the Bags

23 Success in the City

A Sense of Space 26 Omani Inventor

Hilal al Siyabi

Your Oman

06 The Big Interview

Maurice de Rooij 08 Your Oman

Mayya al Said 1 1 News

Oman Hosts Asia Under-22s

Features

20

This Week 12

14

This Week Royal Opera House New Season Movie Listings The Conjuring

Food & Drink

28 Choux Time

Rise of the Eclair 30 A Royal Roast

Left Bank

Cars & Outdoors

12 Health & Beauty

30

34 Fashion

50 Shades of Grey 36 Shopping

Gallery Guide

37 Destination

Al Khaluf Sands 42 Postcard

New Zealand 44 Y-Fi

Bachelor Pad 46 Car of the Week

BMW 5 Series Saloon

44

36 NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE...

Middle EAST CRISIS / MEN’S TRENDS / STAYING THE COURSE / AFTERNOON TEA WITH A TWIST

The Buzz of Summer A

sunflower in bloom as shot by Y’s photographer Jerzy Wierzbicki during his holiday in Europe.

YWeekly FXD 21x15.5 E.indd 1

8/20/13 5:13 PM

YOUR

News

Gallery

INTERVIEW

OMAN

GOING DUTCH M aur i c e D e Ro o ij , G eneral M anager of the M illennium R esort , Mussanah

Summarise your career in less than a minute: I graduated from the Maastricht Hotel School before going on to do my postgraduate studies in Paris.

My career took off with Hilton International in Paris and Strasbourg. I then worked with hospitality consultants Horwath in Lisbon, before returning to hotel operations with the InterContinental group. Then, I headed off to Bali to manage six boutique resorts and spas, before joining Rotana to open the Cove Rotana in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. In Egypt I managed two Rotana resorts in Sharm el Sheik during the revolution. Since January 2013, I’ve been in Oman managing the Millennium Resort in Mussanah.

What have been your main achievements to date?

I treat every job as an adventure and have been fortunate to work in more than 14 countries, picking up six languages along the way. I’ve also guided two resorts and 600 colleagues through the challenges of Sharm el Sheik [during the 2011 revolution], while keeping the business focus to secure their employment.

Other hotels closed or suspended operations but our hotels managed to break even during this period. There were no manuals on how to perform, so we all had to be hands-on with operations and communicate clearly. It took intense persuasion to keep the properties afloat while maintaining the level of service and standards required.

What’s your business philosophy?

Never give up if you believe that something should be done.

I am a very people-oriented manager. I believe in turning visions into results and being specific about it. The clearer you define where you want to go, the easier it is to get there. Just make Maurice’s Tips sure you bring others on board too.

To Success: Tell us about the best business lesson ever • Define what success means to learnt? you. It’s different for everyone so It is a daily exercise in our line of business. The it must be clear to you what you constant interaction with guests and colleagues expect out of life or your work. provides you with valuable business lessons If you could have an alternative career, • Walk the talk – commit yourself every day. It’s important to never take anything to a cause and do as you say. what would it be?

Do not promise what you cannot for granted. The success of today may be I would still enter hospitality because there is no deliver. Follow through on your overshadowed by tomorrow, so focus on the typical office day. I have made careers within a promises. experience and ignore the success. career by constantly reinventing myself under • Listen carefully, that way you Also, I believe in having confidence in the things the circumstances. may understand better what is that you do. I value constructive criticism.

The hotel business brings out that creativity and at stake and you will understand Keep learning and share knowledge with others to initiative which you can use to create an end product your surroundings better. progress yourself but also those who can learn from you. that is tailored to the needs of the guest.

• Talk less.

How would others describe you in three Leadership is learning by doing and adapting to the actual words?? conditions, so reflect on what happens around you.

Modelling the way.

What’s your ultimate ambition, either personally or Who are your business icons and why? professionally?

There are none in particular – we all learn from others and I treat most of my My professional ambition is to focus on the current assignment colleagues like people with the greatest potential. that is ahead of me to make the Millennium Mussanah one How do you chill out? of the top hotels in Oman. I don’t linger much on the past, I relax with a nice cigar whilst reading a good book – preferably of the nonI prefer to focus on what needs to be done now, and in the fictional kind. immediate and foreseeable future.

06

AUG 29 – SEP 04 / ISSUE 284

The Voice of Oman

Be your very own fashionista says Mayya al Said

correspondence DREAMING OF THE FUTURE Dear Editor,

S

o what colour are you wearing this season? Are you sporting the leopard print and bold lip trend? No. Oh my, we need to alert the fashion police – not.

I don’t know about you but I believe fashion is such a personal thing. Isn’t the way you dress simply another way of expressing yourself ?

Let’s be honest – not everything you see on the runway and fashion magazines is wearable or even pretty. If you think about it, most – if not all – fashion designers are simply expressing who they are through their designs.

It’s all about their ‘vision’ of what we should be wearing. So if they are expressing who they are, then don’t you think we should too?

Floral pants and bright neon shoes might be hot this season but they are not necessarily your thing, and guess what? That’s OK. You don’t have to follow the latest fashion trends to be fashionable – make up your own style and be your own fashionista because, at the end of day, it’s all about how you feel. Not sure where to start?

The best thing to do is to read about your body type and experiment with different designs and colours and see what works best. Be inspired by the runway and make your own fashion statement and always remember the golden rule ‘Less is more’.

Next week: Isobel SPAVEN DONN

08

AUG 29 – SEPT 04 / ISSUE 284

I have dreams regarding my country. My country is very underdeveloped. It suffers from poverty and hunger.

I envisage that my country has a lower population and that the number of people stabilises and falls.

I dream that all citizens have enough to eat and are not malnourished.

I dream that there is clean drinking water for all. I hope that good infrastructure will be available such as extensive roads connecting each and every corner of the country.

I dream that good sanitation exists in each and every area of the country and there is cleanliness and the country does not suffer from diseases and epidemics.

I dream that there is peace and harmony amongst all people and that there are no clashes on religious grounds.

If the above are achieved, my own dreams and those of my countrymen will be realised to a great extent.

Winner !

Rep the Wly of eek

Yours truly, Prabhat Chandrashil Muscat

Re-gifting is not bad manners Dear Penny, Your article ‘Pass on the Present (Y 282)’, discussing the perennial dilemma on how to deal with unwanted gifts, was amusing, interesting and, of course, practical, no doubt echoing the thoughts of many readers.

A few years back, my view was wide of the mark regarding re-gifting. Later, when I started celebrating my darling daughter’s birthday, I changed my mind.

When my daughter was small, I used to invite around 25 to 30 friends of her age to celebrate the wonderful occasion.

However, I was bit stunned while unpacking the gifts, which were of course

WRITE TO US AND WIN A VOUCHER

her ultimate merriment on these occasions, to find some gifts that she already possessed and a few identical gifts from different people.

I wondered what to do until a friend of mine suggested re-gifting. I realised then that this is not bad manners but was a useful suggestion.

For example, most of her friends had presented her with books by her favourite authors – sometime the same book.

In that case, re-gifting helped me to recycle the gift in a useful manner.

As for your flashing dolphin, consider bequeathing it to a member of your staff or giving it away to the best correspondent of the week.

G.V.K. Durga Ravi Muscat

Dinner For Tw o

SEND US YOUR letters, photos, news and views to info@y-oman.com / @ytabloid / www.facebook.com/ytabloid. Impress us and the winning correspondent will receive a RO20 voucher towards lunch or dinner at Park Inn. Terms and conditions apply.

YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT TO US

LETTERS

A smile costs nothing Dear Editor, I feel amazed that nowadays people hardly smile – as if it will cost them to change facial expression.

A gentle hug and kind words have become a part of history. Yet modern man is more like a robot – machines that have no emotions.

People of yesteryear also worked a lot but were more balanced and their needs were limited.

Achievements gave them happiness and a sense of reward, rather than feeding never-ending greed. Belief in the Almighty and tolerance in difficulty kept them going in all circumstances.

Nowadays, everyone complains of stress, which is self-created due to

endless new needs and pointless worries over trivial matters.

That is why we find our parents and grandparents different from us. They never squeal of tiredness, despite their age, and accept everything in life without complaint.

Let me ask the younger generations: how much do we see, care for, visit or call our elderly relatives? Let us spare some time for these old trees of wisdom and knowledge, exchange smiles, help them and hug them. A gentle touch and a soothing hug can bring loads of happiness to our lives and the lives of others.

E-MAILS

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TWITTER

Berna Topcuoglu

from Turkey captured in Costa Coffee, Azaiba

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Just send us your picture with the free Y magazine or pose with our photographer and we will publish it on this page Send it to: info@y-oman.com

Dr Ritu Bali, Al Khuwair

Next week’s debate:

Students are back at school after the summer break. What was the most important thing you learnt at school, inside or outside the classroom? Tell us about it on Facebook.

Debate of the Week WE ASKED:

‘Reports suggest road fuel subsidies could be reduced and funds targeted on low-income groups. Is this a good idea?’

Rawnj Naeem

Generally speaking, increased prices would not be welcomed by most of us. But, from an environmental point of view, it could help reduce consumption and hence pollution levels. It may also lead to fewer vehicles on the roads, leading to reduced congestion, especially when individuals who pay for their own fuel are affected. However, many organisations provide unlimited, free fuel facilities to most staff which lead to unnecessary travel.

Hence, simultaneously, curbs need to be imposed on such ‘freebies’.

Hopefully, many uncaring individuals who own gas-guzzling 4WDs without any valid reason, may need to rethink when their fuel bills shoot up. This should mean reduced carbon emission levels.

Shyam Karani

The idea, in principle, is laudable.

But you need to appreciate the fact that there is no convenient, public transportation system like a bus service, surface rail or underground metro commuter service available. As a result, owning one’s vehicles is a necessity rather than a luxury. Keeping this in view, an increase in fuel prices is not warranted since it will impose additional burden on people’s pockets.

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The problem is that subsidies lead people to undertake activities for which the benefits are actually less than the costs of doing them. This is not a good idea.

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AUG 29 – SEPT 04 / ISSUE 284

09

YOUR

Dr. Achini Nirosha Kumari De Silva DCH, MD, MRCPCH(UK) Consultant Pediatrician

010

AUG 29 – SEP 04 / ISSUE 284

Oman key to stability

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s visit to Iran has been hailed by the country’s leaders as vital to peace and security at a time of mounting regional tension over the Syrian crisis.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the relationship between Oman and Iran was of ‘paramount’ importance to maintaining peace in the region, it has been reported.

His Majesty returned to the Sultanate on Tuesday after a three-day trip to the Islamic Republic, where he had discussions with Dr Rouhani and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader.

While trade was on the

agenda – a gas export agreement was signed – the heightened troubles in the region were likely to have also been on the table.

Iranian media highlighted the importance of the trip at a time when the conflict in Syria appeared to be escalating.

Hundreds of people are said to have died in an apparent chemical weapons attack in Damascus on August 21, prompting the United Nations to take action.

The Syrian government allowed UN inspectors to visit the site to take samples and testimony from victims.

Dr Rouhani was quoted

SAMI SINGS

by the Kayhan Arabic daily as saying that the relationship between his country and Oman is “influential and very important” for the return of peace and stability in the region, and that Tehran is seeking to ensure this happens through “concerned efforts” with other countries in the region.

Iranian satellite channel Al Alam said that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei referred to this when speaking of the need to enhance coordination and cooperation between Tehran and Muscat.

Khamenei said: “We have friendly relations with the Sultanate of Oman and the beautiful past lingers in the minds of the Iranian people towards Oman’s government and people.”

Two other newspapers, Arman and Tabnak, said: “His Majesty the Sultan’s visit to Tehran is of paramount importance and is far from being a regular visit; on this basis, it is expected by many to produce very positive results, as it comes at a critical time.”

Two million refugees have fled Syria, streaming across the borders to safety in neighbouring countries.

A quarter of these have settled in Jordan, while others have made for camps in Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon.

One million refugees are under the age of 18.

Superstar arriving in Oman for debut show – and Y has audience with him

He’s been described as ‘Islam’s biggest rock star’ in Time Magazine and hailed as the most famous British Muslim in the world.

Factor in that he’s involved with humanitarian work like Save the Children and spreads messages of peace, it’s little wonder that Oman can hardly wait for Sami Yusuf ’s arrival in Muscat.

The singer-songwriter, composer, producer and musician, who was born in Tehran, is making his first appearance in the country with a show on August 30. Some lucky ones, including Y, however, will be meeting him for a chat beforehand.

Sami, 33, has a huge following in the Middle East and has sold over nine million albums worldwide. His latest album, Salaam, is out now.

Read our interview with Sami, 33, in next week’s Y.

Photo: Oman News Agency

Excessive Crying IN A NEWBORN It definitely is a nerve wracking experience when you have a screaming unpacifiable new born to deal with. We cannot blame the baby, as this is his only way of communication. The parents, especially new ones, naturally become anxious when their baby cries too much. However, parents must try to avoid anxiety on such occasions. A newborn can feel your anxiety; in turn he will become more agitated resulting in a vicious cycle. Parents and other caregivers should remain calm and try to analyze the reasons behind the incessant crying. The common reasons for a baby to get agitated are hunger, wet or dirty nappy, abdominal discomfort before passing stools or urine, insect bites, itchy rashes especially irritating nappy rashes, feeling excessively hot due to over wrapping or cold due to exposure, nasal congestion and nose block.

However, there are some conditions for which you need to take medical aid without delay. For example if you see a lump in the groin area which could be a hernia, any redness in the scrotum, ear discharge or fever.

OMAN SULTAN’S VITAL ROLE WITH IRAN

Gallery

Interview

NEWS

AL ROADS LEAD TO OMAN FOR ASIA CUP Trophy unveiled for football tournament AS Oman face Myanmar in the opening match Words: Kate Ginn Photos: Abdul Wahid al Hamadani

When you’re the host of an inaugural competition and playing in the opening match, the weight of expectation might be a little overwhelming.

Oman’s U22 football side, though, seem to be taking it in their stride.

This week, we did get our hands on the trophy for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) championship – albeit briefly – at the official reveal in Muscat.

Unfortunately, it had to be given back shortly after. The striking silver and gold cup had been kept under wraps until the red cover was pulled off at a grand ceremony.

Oman will be hoping to win the cup for real when the event kicks off in the capital in January.

They will meet Myanmar in the first match following the live draw at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel on Saturday.

In all, 16 nations will contest the championship.

“This is the first time that Oman will host a top-level football competition and will bring the entire country under the spotlight,” said Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi, chairman of the Oman Football Association (OFA), after he presented the trophy to the public.

“We (Oman) are not in an easy group but we will aim to finish among the top two to qualify for the quarter finals. I am confident that our boys can achieve it.”

It would, of course, be a matter of national pride if Oman could win on home soil.

They certainly face a tough task. As hosts, the team was given top billing in Group A with the formidable South Korea, Jordan and Myanmar.

Rivals Australia and Japan were drawn together in Group C with Iran and Kuwait. The UAE will battle out Group B with North Korea, Syria and Yemen. Saudi Arabia face

Uzbekistan, China and Iraq.

Frenchman Philippe Burle coaches Oman’s U22 side. His compatriot Paul Le Guen, Oman’s national team coach, was at the draw and will no doubt be keeping a watchful eye on the next generation of talented footballers aspiring to make the senior squad.

The young Red Warrior’s opening game will be at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on January 11. If all goes to plan, they will walk out on the pitch again on January 26 for the final.

BRING ON BARNEY! Super Dee-Duper tickets go on sale next week In case you don’t know it yet, the excitement for the biggest social event of the year in Oman is building. If you’re a toddler, that is.

We’re talking about Barney, the lovable and huggable dinosaur, who is making his debut in the country with four shows in October.

Tickets are going on sale next Wednesday (Sep 4) and demand is expected to be intense. Put it this way, no self-respecting child will want to miss this. Parents make note or face the wrath of the small people.

All the fun will be happening at the Qurum Amphitheatre on October 25 and 26. Barney, who favours purple and green, is so excited about appearing in Oman for the first time, there will be two shows both days.

Joining in the fun will be his best friends, BJ, Riff and Baby Bop. It’s going to be an hour of song, dance and laughter, with lots of audience interaction.

Tickets for the exclusive ‘Let’s

Go! – Live on Stage!’ shows are priced from RO7.

Barney is being brought to Oman by Sabco Art Events, a leading event management company, in association with Sabco Media, Sunshine Events and Hit Entertainment.

For ticket information and details, go to www.barneyoman. com. Or check him out at www.facebook.com/barneyoman and tweet him on twitter.com/barneyoman AUG 29 – SEP 04 / ISSUE 284

011

THE WHAT’S ON GUIDE Aug 29

Re-creation

Spanish

Source: Fusionart

Fusionart are taking registrations for the September art retreat at Costa Coffee in Jawharat al Shatti today (Thursday) from 4 to 6pm. The retreat takes place Saturday September 7 and costs RO15. Call Alexandra 95427377 or Khursheed 99325753 for details. Places are limited.

Back on the Pitch

THIS

WEEK

What to do.

What to see.

What to hear.

Muscat Rugby Football Club (MRFC) has restarted its preseason training sessions on the American British School pitch every Monday and Wednesday at 6.30pm. For more details contact Ross O’Loughlin at rolocky@hotmail.com.

A U G - S E P T Sept 1 + 4

Coffee Company The Women’s Guild Oman are holding a pre-registration evening at Caribou Coffee, Bareeq Al Shatti, on Sep 1 from 6-7pm, and the regular coffee morning on Sep 4 at More Café, Opera Galleria from 10am.

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SEPT 2/4

Gallery

Straight Talk

Movies

Treasure

The Royal Opera House will be opening its doors for the autumn season with Rossini’s much loved comic opera The Barber of Seville, in a traditional production by Naple’s Teatro di San Carlo. The acclaimed cast is headed by Juan Francisco Gatell, mezzo-soprano Géraldine Chauvet, Filippo Polinelli, and Simone Alberghini as the famed Figaro. For bookings email boxoffice@rohmuscat.org.om.

14 16 18

SEP

17

Sugar Shock

Having trouble curbing your sweet tooth? Whispers of Serenity Clinic is hosting a workshop led by Meera Gurnani Saxena, a health coach and wholefoods chef, between 5pm-7pm on Sep 17. Cost RO30 including snack. Call 24614268 / 99359779 for bookings.

07

Scoliosis in Oman, which campaigns on the spinal condition, is hosting a talk by Dr Will Kalla from Singapore’s CLEAR Institute on Saturday.

Dr Kalla will explain the techniques behind successful treatment of scoliosis at The Institute of Islamic Sciences Hall, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Starts 4pm.

Ladies Night

Aug 29

Sept

SEP

Don’t forget – it’s Ladies Night at the InterContinental’s Al Ghazal bar every Thursday from 8pm till 1am, with new pool tables and dart boards and not a man in sight.

CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE.

TTak Taki aki a ak kin ki ing ing ng ca ccare are ar re of of the tthem th hem h he em is em is ou our our ur joint jo jjoin oint oi oin int in nt re rresp respo respons respon espo e es sp sp po on ons on nsib ns ssibi si sibili sibil iib billi bili bi litty ty. y.

Bricks and mortar We offer child-friendly environment with world-class medical care for children

Sept

Inpatient & Outpatient Paediatric Care Vaccination Child Psychology Neonatal Nursery

Neonatology Ventilator & Monitor Fractures & Deformities Well-baby Outpatient Clinic

24

11-13

HOURS

BAHRAIN

OMAN

Care & Compassion

UAE

SAUDI ARABIA

QATAR

INDIA

PHARMACY EMERGENCY & AMBULANCE 2476 0123

Ministry of Health No. 09/2013

Investors, estate agents and a range of Omani, Gulf and international property companies will be gathering at the Real Estate Show, Hall 1 of the Oman International Exhibition Centre, Muscat.

The show is organised by Al Mamlaka Exhibitions. Visit www.mamlakaexpo.com

I helpdesk@kimsoman.com I www.kimsoman.com

AUG 29 – SEP 04 / ISSUE 284

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THIS WEEK

MOVIES MOVIES THIS WEEK’S MOVIES

The Conjuring Are you ready to be scared? Let’s rephrase that – do you want to experience that rare thing, a sense of creeping terror at something unspeakable in the corner of your eye?

The Conjuring takes us back to 1971 when two real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played absolutely straight by the excellent Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are called to a house in Harrisville, Rhode Island, to investigate what seems to be a demonic possession.

A couple (Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor) and five daughters report various strange sightings and disturbing phenomena, including birds hurling themselves at the windows and the clocks stopping at 3.07am.

Wilson is the no-nonsense investigator while Farmiga plays a highly sensitive medium who picks up the dark secrets of the family who built the house.

The retro style immerses us in the washed out colours and manners of the early 1970s. This extends to special effects that appear to be

PREVIEW

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AUG 29 – SEPT 04 / ISSUE 284

achieved without recourse to obvious CGI, which adds hugely to the effectiveness of the scares.

The story unfolds from the point of view of both the investigators and the family, allowing the audience to share their discoveries without really knowing what lies behind it all.

There are many moments in which you may want to put your fingers over your eyes, the most nerve-shredding probably being a game of blindfold hide and seek in which Taylor searches for her daughter in the dark places of the house. Don’t try this at home folks.

The dread rises inexorably in a way rarely experienced in modern horror pictures, and recalls classics like The Exorcist and The Haunting.

Director James Wan made his name with sado-horror hit Saw, but here shows himself to be a master of Hitchcockian suspense, expertly working his audience with long silences and heart-stopping bumps in the dark.

You’re unlikely to see a more allconsuming and dread-inducing ghost story this year.

Review by Joe Gill

One Direction: This is Us Not so much warts and all but squeaky clean and PR perfect, this documentary directed by Morgan Spurlock (‘Super Size Me’) follows the band’s career from their X Factor debut to imminent world domination. There are precious few revelations or unscripted moments but at least on stage the boys know how to put on a show.

For more information and times, go to: City Cinema: citycinemaoman.net Al Bahja Cinema: albahjacinema.net Star Cinema: Tel +968 24791641

R.I.P.D. On paper the idea sounds decent enough – a cop (Ryan Reynolds) is killed in a double cross only to find himself recruited by a team of deceased lawmen who hunt down undead villains and send them to Hell. His dead partner Jeff Bridges is a tobacco-chewing Wild West lawman played in the style of Rooster Cogburn, and is the best thing here. Sadly, he can’t support the film, which tries to paper over its lack of substance with noisy, CGI-heavy showdowns between our duo and the not very scary ‘deados’. Loud.

Grown-ups 2 Adam Sandler’s latest suburban comedy might even be a stretch for hardcore fans of his crass and tasteless toilet humour. This is a movie in which actor Taylor Lautner’s crotch is eaten by a giant deer, and that is one of the better gags. What Salma Hayek is doing here is hard to fathom, other than showing off her considerable assets. Set on the last day of school, Sandler and his three co-stars sleepwalk through a plotless series of humour-free gags. Leave your brain at home.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Adaptations of young adult fiction have come thick and fast, and this one is definitely of the thick variety. Thick as in lines like ‘I have been hunting demons of varying kinds for a third of my life’. Thick as in an unoriginal story of beautiful waifs fighting vampires with swords and bad lines. Phil Collins’ stunning daughter Lily and pretty boy Jamie Campbell-Bower lead the angelic ‘Shadowhunters’ in a battle against an army of devilish beasts. Cassandra Clare’s books have a huge following so, despite its lack of intelligence, teen fans will no doubt lap this up..

Bollywatch Satyagraha: Democracy Under Fire

India’s giant democracy has been tested lately by direct action against corrupt politicians led by the unlikely figure of Anna Hazare. Inspired by these events, the political thriller Satyagraha casts Amitabh Bachchan as a Gandhilike figure who leads an anti-corruption crusade, challenging his corporate climbing son (Ajay Devgn ) to do the right thing and give something back to society. Kareena Kapoor plays a campaigning journalist who follows

the rise of the new protest movement while Arjun Rampal plays an ambitious activist with eyes firmly set on political office.

News

Rebellion on Screen One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

A free-spirited convict claiming to be insane ends up in a mental asylum. Jack Nicholson is matchless in the role of the anarchic rebel jester McMurphy, never giving up ’till the last against the implacable tyrant Nurse Ratched. Director Milos Forman came from Stalinist Czechoslavakia and injected a real sense of the maddening reality of confinement.

Spartacus (1960)

In the era of many flabby sword and sandal epics, Spartacus stood out for the intelligence of the script. It’s a powerful depiction of a group of slaves who rise up and almost overcome the might of the Roman Empire. Directed by a 30-year-old Stanley Kubrick, he marshalls the outstanding cast for a stirring classic.

Metropolis (1927)

It nearly bankrupted the German studio that funded this futuristic vision of the class divide, but you can see where the money was spent. The towering city of idle rich and downtrodden workers was said to be inspired by director Fritz Lang’s first glimpse of the Manhattan skyline. Even 90 years later on, its influence on pop culture and graphic design can still be felt.

Gandhi (1982)

A sweeping biopic of India’s independence leader, this was a career-defining role for Ben Kingsley. Director Sir Richard Attenborough is a master of the dramatic crowd scene, as we follow Mahatma Gandhi’s evolution from a crusading lawyer in South Africa to the man who took on the British in India and won.

Interview

MOVIES

To mark the release of Satyagraha and 50 years since Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Joe Gill picks the top protest movies of all time.

1984 (1984)

There are certain literary works that are so iconic that any adaptation is likely to disappoint, and Orwell’s dystopian novel is one of them. But the drab, rubble strewn look of the film perfectly captures the grim spirit of the author’s depiction of totalitarianism, using what is basically post-war Britain. John Hurt brings some of George Orwell himself to the role as Winston Smith, while Richard Burton’s booming voice as Big Brother.

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Director Gillo Pontecorvo brings a documentary realism to the Algerian independence battle between the FLN and French colonial authorities. The story is told in flashback by a captured thief turned guerilla and is a searing portrayal of the Algerian war that earned the film a ban in France. In fact, both sides are portrayed with a cool objectivity, which is part of the film’s raw power.

The Gospel According to St Matthew (1964)

There has never been a Biblical depiction on screen like Passolini’s Gospel, which depicts Jesus as a revolutionary leader of the downtrodden peasants of Judea, all played by non-actors. The famous Gospel actually forms the script, and you will gasp at its power from the mouth of Enrique Irazoqui as Christ.

Born on the Fourth of July (1991)

Oliver Stone directed this biopic of real-life Vietnam war veteran Ron Kovic, who was paralysed in combat and returned home disillusioned. Tom Cruise has never given as much as an actor. From the depths of depravity and despair, he becomes a spokesman for a generation who want to end the war. Not everyone in America agreed with its anti-war message.

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Digital

Detox I

t’s official. Facebook can make you miserable, jealous and socially isolated, prone to depression and lamenting your life’s lot.

At least, that’s according to two recent studies, which concluded that the more time you spend on the social media site, the unhappier you feel. This is because seeing friends’ happy pictures and gloating updates can apparently trigger feelings of envy and inadequacy, ultimately impacting on psychological wellbeing.

Not that this would separate technology addicts from their laptop or smartphone.

A survey by DMG Events Middle East last week revealed that almost three quarters of UAE residents could not live without their gadgets.

Oman is one the fastest growing market for smartphones in the GCC region and phone use is exploding among teenagers and even younger children. WhatsApp reigns supreme in the region.

Globally, over 1 billion people have a Facebook account, with 360,000 in Oman and rising.

Social media has become a way of life. A whole iGeneration are growing up with a smartphone or tablet glued to their hands, communicating virtually and living out their lives on screen.

It’s a world that is expanding at a rapid pace.

There are more than 1 billion smartphone users in the world. If industry statistics are to be believed, that is. That’s a lot of text messages, posts, status updates and tweets.

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An incredible 80 per cent of the world’s population now has a mobile phone. In fact, more people have a mobile than a toilet, according to nonprofit organisation water.org, which was co-founded

by Hollywood star Matt Damon.

It makes for depressing reading, which is just what Facebook and other similar sites can be for some users it appears.

In the first study of its kind – measuring the social network giant’s psychological impact – a team of researchers from the University of Michigan studied 82 young adults who had smartphones with Facebook accounts.

Five times a day, they were asked to complete an online survey about their feelings at that exact moment. It turned out that the more people used Facebook, the worse they felt and their life satisfaction levels declined over time.

Yet interacting with people ‘directly’, via the phone or face-to-face, did not produce the same negative outcomes.

“On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection,” said Ethan Kross, the lead author of the study and University of Michigan social psychologist. “Rather than enhance well-being, we found that Facebook use produces the opposite result – it undermines it.”

This study came a week after British researchers published a report warning that sharing photographs

on Facebook is the ‘safest’ way to lose friends and damage relationships.

“This is because people, other than very close friends and relatives, do not seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves,” said Dr David Houghton, of the University of Birmingham.

The evidence against Facebook is mounting.

A German study in January this year found that one in three people surveyed felt worse after visiting the site. Images of friends enjoying holidays, posting about their happy lives or latest promotion, are enough to prompt feelings of jealousy, revealed experts from universities in Berlin.

Thirty per cent of the 600 people who took part in the two studies cited envy as the main source of their Facebook unhappiness, while 36 per cent said they were ‘sometimes’ or ‘very often’ frustrated after going on the site.

One example, given by a participant, was feeling down after a Facebook friend received more birthday greetings than she had.

It’s not just bad for the mind.

A laser eye surgeon in the UK has claimed that rates of short-sightedness among young people have soared because of smartphone use, with a 35 per cent increase since 1997. It’s such a widespread problem it’s now been dubbed ‘screen sightedness’.

The epidemic has been blamed on people spending too much time in front of screens.

So the message is clear: too much time looking at screens and social media sites is bad for your mind and body.

Spread the word.

Just don’t use Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to do it.

The bubble is nowhere near bursting for the Facebook phenomenon but there has been a swelling movement of disquiet. Questions about the site’s privacy policy and how user content is harvested have led to rumblings of discontent, with campaigns urging people to shut down their Facebook profile springing up around the world.

Small businesses have begun ditching the site for corporate marketing, preferring more traditional methods.

Apps like Ghostery allow people to laugh in the face of brands by masking themselves online, first detecting the hidden activity of data collection companies, and then giving the opportunity to opt out.

Elsewhere, companies are taking steps to halt the 24-7 work culture created by smartphones and other devices. Volkswagen has agreed to ban BlackBerry emails after work hours in Germany for some staff following complaints that their home lives were being overtaken.

The makers of Persil washing powder, Henkel, also declared an email ‘amnesty’ for its workers between Christmas and New Year, so their staff could enjoy some downtime. In a more radical step, internal emails are being banned altogether at French information technology services giant, Atos, after the chief executive said his staff were “wasting hours of their lives” dealing with messages.

Consider hanging up your computer for a few hours

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It’s hard to live without technology.

I can’t imagine myself without it. It completes my day. Ahmed al Hosni, finance student

U

nshackled from my dark cave (er, read office for that), the agenda was very specific – a weekend getaway in its purest form. No beeping phones. No endless emails and definitely no posts from friends relaying the dull monotony of their daily lives.

I just needed to be alone and disconnected from the world for 48 hours. Trouble was, a couple of days sans Apple felt like a lifetime, and inevitably I had a panic attack within five seconds of arriving at my monastic retreat.

What if a work crisis breaks? What if a friend or family member needs me? OMG! What if a nuclear bomb goes off and I’m the last to know and can’t get into an underground bunker in time? Irrational thoughts streamed through my head like a newsfeed. ‘Gimme my CrackBerry,’ I screamed into the silence.

Now, while I admit that I have been known to go to pretty desperate lengths, including squishing into a straw-strewn chicken coop in Jimmy Choo shoes, to get connectivity, I’m fairly tame compared to other editors.

It is at this point I name and shame friends back in the UK, who literally sleep with their iPhones. I, on the other hand, prefer paper to digital books and would rather converse than email.

And yes, I can ignore an SMS for days if need be.

In fact, there are moments went I think we’re moving towards a culture of partial stupidity with the speed of communication forcing us to respond without thinking.

Switching off is necessary now and then because the pace at which technology emerges today doesn’t leave us time to consider its implications.

I’m not alone in these thoughts.

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I couldn’t live without my gadgets because they allow me to travel around the globe yet continue working seamlessly.

Nicholas Chrisostomou, owner of events company Coco Latté

In fact, Nicholas Carr, an influential writer on the social implications of technology, received tremendous media coverage when he tapped into our deepest fears that the Internet will burden our brains to such an extent that we will become like the machines we created.

It’s a scary thought, especially when you know that technology has already changed us. It’s turned us into worker bees, conditioned to keep filling the hive of artificial intelligence with information. We are living in a state of partial attention, keeping track of lots of things but focusing on none. In one study from the University of California, office workers were shown to spend only 11 minutes per project. Each time they were distracted from a given task, it took 25 minutes to return to it.

I can believe this.

After a day of overcoming the shock of my tech break and beating down the boredom of not having anything to scroll, my mind started to reboot. The act of contemplation not only helped me combat stress but it reconnected me to the world around me.

Now, I’m not exactly Muscat’s answer to eco-warrior Swampy and wearing friendship bracelets is where my hippy leanings end, but I really did feel nature’s pulse beat rather than the usual vibrating phone.

Stepping away from the smart device and becoming a temporary Luddite, reminded me what it meant to be human.

So, the moral of the tale is that while it’s sometimes great to be inundated with information and move with the times, we also need to schedule time when we’re completely ‘off ’. That way, perhaps we won’t lose that private, quiet part of ourselves, differentiating the man from the machine.

Spending most of my time on digital and social media, I witness the use of technology every day and find myself very much dependent on the continually advancing technologies. Technology has helped us greatly in building highly interactive platforms through which we, as communities, enjoy, share, co-create, discuss and modify user-generated content.

We must embrace the technology as long as we keep our basic sense of communication, face-to-face interaction, and do not let technology invade our personal time with family and friends.�

Maurizio Monte, managing director of Muscat communications agency MPiRe

Top 3 Countries Smartphone penetration

54%

Smartphone Demographics

Singapore

Canada

39%

35%

Hong Kong

47%

53%

The highest Smartphone penetration rate of 62% is in age group 25-34

How Smartphone Users used their mobile phones 92%

Text Messages

64%

Played Games

84%

76%

http://

@

Internet Browsing

Emails

69%

Used Downloaded Apps

59%

48%

Social Networking Site

Music/ Videos

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E H T N I B

G A B ars to e y t 0 0 ent bu o 10 t m p n u o r n i e and th f Oman’s env s good but – e s u econds the scourge o bered. Sound n. s y t r i Th e Gin . It’s num t e a e s r K o a p d s decom tic bag’s day sk Joe Gill an s a the pla really work, t could i

P

lastic bags will be banned or taxed by the end of the year according to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Y can reveal.

We reported last week how a special ministry taskforce has been set up to look at ways to regulate the use of non-biodegradable bags, which harm the environment and wildlife.

For now, the team is looking at the logistics of a ban and how it would be enforced.

But a spokesman from the ministry told Y: “A decree from the ministry, either putting a tax on plastic bags or banning, will be issued.

It will happen by the end of the year.”

Ministers decided to act after advice from different sources, including environmental groups, about the impact the plague of plastic bags is having on Oman’s environment.

Hundreds of animals die each year from swallowing discarded bags on land or in the sea. More than 12 million plastic bags are provided freely to consumers in Muscat alone every month.

Supermarkets do not currently charge for plastic bags, although most of the major chains offer eco-friendly alternatives for around 50-250 baisa.

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“If there is a tax, we need to make sure the price is right so that people do not ignore it,” said the ministry spokesman. “It will mean a change in culture.”

Introducing such a ban or introduction of a tax will require detailed planning. The key will be actually enforcing the law, which is likely to meet some resistance at the start.

Oman has no choice, however. It must take action to protect its most precious resource, the environment, or face a stark future where our beaches are blighted and the natural world is choking under a mountain of plastic bags.

Here, Y talks to different people about the practicalities of a ban or taxation and looks at the issues involved.

G

Environmentalist Bader al Lawati is running his own campaign to reduce plastic bag use in Oman, targeting schools and businesses.

One of the Freezing Omanis who travelled to Antarctica earlier this year, he is developing a training programme with Enhance, the operator of Oman Oil and Hala forecourt shops, to cut the number of bags given out to customers.

“In terms of usage, on average when you pick up a bag from a supermarket it is thrown away in less than 30 minutes.

“With convenience stores it is literally 28-30 seconds, the time it takes you to leave the shop and get to your car. They are completely useless.

The aim of the campaign is cut the number of bags given out in Enhance stores by 1 million a year. “I’ve faced a lot of problems trying to convince stores to reduce plastic bag use by introducing training programmes to teach staff to use less bags.

“The important point is to educate young people. When you show a young person a camel’s dissected stomach full of plastic bags, it has an impact because kids love animals and this shows them how their own behaviour harms the animals they love.

“Go to the beach opposite the petrol station at Sawadi beach. You will see kilometre on kilometre of plastic bags.

I spent a whole day with 20 volunteers clearing plastic rubbish. We picked up three truckloads of plastic. But we only cleaned up about 3 per cent of what we saw.”

Although supportive of a ban on plastic bags, he believes the country is not yet ready. “At this point there are no alternatives like paper bags and re-usable bags. What needs to be done is to encourage producers, distributors and suppliers to provide these alternatives that don’t cost an arm and a leg.

It has to be something sustainable.”

“Now more customers are requesting biodegradable bags”

manager at Al Isteqrar Plastic Bags Factory

The Supermarkets

The Realist

Y’s editor Penny Fray speaks of her experience of living in Wales, a country that banned the plastic bag (well, sort of).

“When green was declared the new black, I did my part to save the planet. But when my native country tried to ban the bag, I went ballistic.

“It wasn’t exactly a ban but rather a law forcing retailers to charge customers for plastic packaging. Although the fee would be donated to charity, the idea was to encourage people to save money and re-use their old bags.

“Supportive of the eco-friendly initiative, I was perfectly prepared to join in. But within a day of the law being enforced, I realised my green stance was more about hedonism than helping. Caught short of carrier bags on spontaneous retail trips, I began buying more and more organic shoppers until I had a mountain of them in the boot of the car.

“Within a month, I had spent more than RO50 on designer eco bags, so decided a more strategic approach was required. I started placing foldaway cotton bags in all 15 of my work totes. Coat pockets were filled with old plastic bags, as were office drawers. After six weeks, I was completely on message.

“Today, Wales’ initiative has proven successful. A new survey revealed that the 5p charge has cut the use of carrier bags by as much as 96 per cent in some sectors. It’s raised nearly a million pounds for charity, including Keep Wales Tidy and more than 70 per cent of Welsh people have liked the initiative.

“It just goes to show that you can spend a small fortune trying to educate people with expensive marketing campaigns but the only way people really learn the lesson of binning the bag is when it hits their pocket. “

Both major supermarkets LuLu and Carrefour do not have a policy of charging customers for plastic bags. However, they do have eco-bags for consumers to buy.

Carrefour has two, priced at 50 baisa and 250 baisa, and is pushing their use with advertising banners in store.

However a cashier at the Muscat City Centre branch told Y: “Not many people buy the reusable bags. If they have to pay, they don’t want it.”

The Consumers

We talked to customers at Seeb LuLu. Saud from Oman “Each bag is for one use only, they are not strong enough for multiple use. Some people know how to use bags and dispose of them properly, some don’t. We must take care of the environment. For this reason we should charge for using stronger bags that can be used many times.”

Syed from Pakistan “Even if the bag says it is biodegradable, you don’t know if it is true or not. I would not hesitate to pay for [plastic bags]. In Pakistan we use cotton bags or paper bags.

Even paper bags are better than plastic bags as they decompose more quickly and are easy to recycle.”

Marialuisa from the Philippines “I would be happy to pay for a bag. In the Philippines we use reusable bags because of the floods. When it floods, plastic bags block up the drains so they are not allowed.”

Anthony and Janet from Goa, India “Why should we pay when we are buying food from them? We would go to another supermarket if they tried to charge us. I don’t think they will bring in charges. People expect the shop to provide bags for free.”

A manager at Al Isteqrar Plastic Bags Factory in Salalah, which makes high and low density bags and at one time supplied LuLu, said: “Now more customers are requesting biodegradable bags.”

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What Y Readers say:

Manoj Sharma Oman is a beautiful country with beautiful beaches. It’s a shame to see plastic bags thrown all over. Clean Oman will be green Oman.

Lesley Green I took my own bags to a supermarket and the bag packers looked at me like I had three heads. I think it is terrible how many bags they use unnecessarily, sometimes one bag per item!

Samantha Burns Ladakh has banned them for more than 10 years and it has made a world of difference and people manage.

Nadine Broomhead Supermarkets in New Zealand tried to stop plastic bags but it didn’t work so they are back to using them. Eco bags are always for sale though and some shops charge for plastic bags. Lots of shops ask if you want a bag, which makes you think twice.

Pratyush Mishra Why pay for plastic bags?

Just don’t use them. Just don’t supply plastic bags to stores. Stop manufacturing plastic bags.

And cancel the license of those people who use plastic bags in their shops and supermarkets.

Vicky Deeble It would be a huge initiative, and unpopular in many minds – but even though I grumble in Australia about using my eco bag, it is a necessary step. For the most part there are very few can ring pulls any more. The next step to help the environment here is no plastic bags.

Debbi Frost South Africa started charging for plastic bags years ago and it made such a difference to the litter problem. I think it is a good idea and will make people think about using plastic bags. It will go a long way to clean up this beautiful country.

Venu G Nayer Our parents never used plastic bags in their early family life but we are dependent on using these bags.

A thorough and transparent study is required.

Bianca Robinson Because it will be a big culture change the best way to drastically reduce the amount being used will be to start charging for the plastic bags.

Asia Cracks Down

Pakistan Islamabad introduced a ban on the manufacture, import, sale and use of non-degradable plastic bags and other plastic products in April 2013.

Paper bags and cotton bags are used as alternatives but implementation of the ban is proving a challenge.

them. In the five years since, consumption has been cut by at least 67 billion bags. Since the ban was implemented, use of Philippines plastic bags has dropped by more Plastic shopping bags and food containers were banned in than two-thirds, according to Manila’s financial district in June officials. However many retailers are still giving out thin plastic this year as part of attempts to reduce deadly floods. Styrofoam bags. food containers and plastic cups Across the border have also been banned.

Dubai began a campaign in Environment protection May this year to reduce plastic officers can issue fines of 5,000 bag use by 20 per cent – or 500 pesos (RO45) to shops and supermarkets that break the law. million – and by a further 15 per cent next year. The municipality has been handing out free jute India bags in supermarkets.

All plastic bags were banned Two months earlier, a in Delhi, India, in 2009. A more extensive ban was brought in in decree was issued requiring manufacturers and suppliers November last year, including of plastic products to register plastic wrappers on print biodegradable plastic products. materials, after the initial ban was found to be toothless. Plastic The final deadline for registration bags below 40-micron thickness is December 1, 2013. are banned across the country US and England Bags were blocking drains resist ban and being eaten by India’s There is no national plastic sacred cows. bag ban in place in the USA. San Francisco introduced a ban in China 2007 and a few other American China banned thin plastic cities have followed suit. bags in 2008 – consumers now According to the Clean have to pay a small charge for

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Air Council, Americans use approximately 102 billion plastic bags every year. Less than 1 per cent of those bags are recycled.

In the UK, Wales, Northern Ireland and now Scotland have introduced restrictions or charges on plastic bags.

England is the only part of the UK not to introduce compulsory charges or a ban on plastic bags.

However many local councils have introduced restrictions. Some stores, such as Marks & Spencer, charge for bags and most sell reusable bags.

African nations take a stand

Mali, Mauritania, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Somalia and Kenya have banned plastic bags.

Plastic bag production became a criminal offence in both Mauritania and Mali on New Year’s Eve 2012.

Enforcing the bans, however, is another story.

GALLERY

Locals enjoy a snack outside

So near, so far

Life in the coastal villages of Yiti, Yanket and Khairam Images: Jerzy Wierzbicki

An old fishing boat on the coast

A traditionally decorated door

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BUSINESS & CAREER

Trend

Networking

Minute Mentoring

The act of turning the places where we work into places that we love can transform our own lives, and will in turn positively affect the lives of everyone around us.

Did you know?

Research shows that there is less chance for distrust and jealousy among employees when they work in an open plan office.

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Trend

Networking

Minute Mentoring

HOME FROM Home

Imagine working in a clutter-free zone with cloud technology, fresh croissants, lots of light and an emphasis on healthcare. Penny Fray finds out why fantasy offices are fast becoming a reality in Oman

W

e can work remotely and send emails worldwide during the wee hours. So why are we still stuck in the office? I mean, take a look around you.

I’m guessing that you’re facing a cluttered desk, tired looking spider plants and migraineinducing strip lighting. Not exactly conducive to creativity or your wellbeing, is it?

In fact, several studies indicate that the right space will not only improve your mood but it will also help your health, reducing stress and boosting efficiency.

One of the coolest offices I’ve ever visited is Google London with its secret gardens, allotments, town hall meeting room and granny flat, complete with rocking chairs and vintage furniture. But Bank Muscat’s HQ , near Seeb Airport, is pretty cool too with its futuristic architecture and village feel.

More than ever before, there is an emphasis not only on community but ergonomic design and comfort in the workplace. If you are the typical nine to five employee, you know how draining it can feel to be stuck in virtually the same position for eight hours a day. That’s why some employers are now offering standing work stations to improve focus and increase stamina.

Another growing trend is the need for ecological sound space.

“Corporate social responsibility has become a key issue for many businesses, which may be why so many manufacturers are incorporating environmentally friendly practices,” says interior specialist Danny Chase. “LED lights in workspaces, hallways and break rooms are now the norm.”

Collaboration is also important. Generation Y and Z employees don’t want to sit in tiny cubicles with no social interaction or exposure to daylight. As such, Omani companies like Nawras are now creating a more open and united workspace.

“This movement is seen as a tangible way of promoting spontaneous brainstorming and increased productivity,” adds Danny. “As this movement takes over, the hope is that this type of office environment will increase the amount of knowledge transferred between employees and cultivate a culture of collaboration.”

This is certainly the case with BizHub, a newly launched coworking space designed for Omani entrepreneurs. Located in Al-Khuwair, it provides working spaces, desks and offices, as well as wi-fi, a friendly atmosphere and an array of events and workshops for start-ups in the Sultanate.

This is all well and good if you have some control over the building you work in. If you don’t, here are three things you can do to improve matters: 1. Follow the yellow brick road: Colour therapy may have its roots in ancient Egypt but modern science says that different hues can have a deeply emotional impact on you. Yellow, for instance, is a great office colour because it can intensify the intellect and heighten motivation.

2. Perfume your pad: Scenting the office with lavender oil has been found to reduce stress by 25 per cent due to its relaxing effect.

3. Press Pause. Even the most focused person needs a break at least twice a day. One of the best ways to eliminate stress and recharge the body is to go outside for a ten-minute walk. Focus on your surroundings and take deep breaths. This will give you a renewal of energy and will also aid your Vitamin D production.

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS: CONSIDER A CO-OPERATIVE SPACE “Locating to a local business hub is a good option because you will be able to take advantage of business networks and start-up support services, but you will also be well placed to grow a business while controlling overheads and being connected to local market intelligence.” Sharifa Albarami, founder of the BizHub Middle East.

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OMAN’s

JUNK GENIUS Inventor turns other people’s scrap into ideas that could one day change the world – he hopes.

Words: Penny Fray and Kate Ginn Photos: Hilal al Siyabi

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Surveillance camera with solar panel

alking into the home of Hilal al Siyabi must be a surreal experience. You would be greeted by a child-sized android, which moves and speaks. Another robot would be doing the housework, polishing the floor, while in a corner a doll-like automaton is hard at work watering the plants.

Welcome to the rather weird and wonderful world of Oman’s most hardworking inventor.

He’s not just any old inventor either. Al Siyabi’s creations are all fashioned out of discarded junk.

Where others see useless items, he sees only the potential to create.

Using unwanted electronics, toys and bits of furniture, the innovator turns waste into original ideas, from the wacky to practical, with the vision of taking the world by storm.

It hasn’t quite happened yet but al Siyabi is not about to give up.

Tenacity is one of his biggest strengths. In total, he’s invented 152 devices, all registered with the Ministry of Trade and Commerce to protect his designs from rivals.

“I hear people’s problems and I find solutions,” says al Siyabi, 42. “I’ve been doing it since I was about 13-years-old. My first invention was a cradle that moved automatically when a baby became restless.”

Some might see the modest creator as bordering on the eccentric but then all the best inventors tend to be off the wall, where their unique creativity can flow unimpeded.

Alarm clock with water spray

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Inventor Hilal al Siyabi

Al Siyabi, from Al Khoud, failed to get a place at Sultan Qaboos University - though ironically he now gives lectures there. One cannot help but admire his refusal to give up in the face of a less than enthusiastic response and lack of interested financial backers.

Most of his original concepts are functional.

There’s Oman’s first android, which can act out recordings, and what looks like an old Barbie doll turned into a watering machine. A broken toy car and a few clothes hangers became a solar-powered surveillance robot able to reach inaccessible areas – designed for use by the military or mining industry.

An old printer, scanner and computer are now a robot that can draw over 50 Henna designs, a legstand and broken revolving chair were made into a floor polishing device (taken by a private institute), and then there is the solar mobile phone charger.

Not to mention the chair for the physically disabled or the blind, which alerts the user when they’re too close to any objects, and includes an airbag in case of collision, and night-lights.

Al Siyabi is nothing if not prolific. He developed a football shirt with monitors to wirelessly measure temperature and pulse back to the manager on the touchline. He also has a sense of humour inventing an alarm clock that sprays water as a wake-up call.

Oh and not forgetting his newest invention – a prayer mat made with special phosphorous materials so that it glows in the dark, allowing the visually impaired or those without electricity to still read the Quran.

Maverick inventors who hit the jackpot Steve Jobs, founder of Apple and

creator of the iPod, was a college dropout who overcame doubters, in-house backbiting and a sacking, to achieve global success and multi-billionaire status.

James Dyson famously created 5,127 “My favourite invention so far is a speaking scanner that helps blind people to shop,” al Siyabi tells Y. “They use the bar code to tell them what an item is, so they don’t rely on touch alone.”

While he’s fan of the ultimate inventors Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs, his personal hero is Louis Pasteur, whose discoveries on vaccination and pasteurisation saved countless lives.

What is holding al Siyabi back from making a name for himself is the financial backing to turn one of his designs into a commercial success.

“I’m passionate about helping people but, of course, I’d like to be rich too,” he says.

“Being an inventor in an Arab country is very difficult because no one really cares what you do. There is no support.”

Undeterred, he continues dreaming up inventions in the hope that this could finally be the one.

prototypes of his bag-less vacuum cleaner but struggled to stir up any interest, before he was finally taken seriously. Dyson Ltd now has over 4,000 employees and is said to be worth several billion pounds.

Graeme Obree, nicknamed ‘The

Flying Scotsman’, was ridiculed when he built a racing bicycle from old washing machine parts. Obree had the last laugh, breaking the world hour record twice and becoming the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995.

Guglielmo Marconi, credited as

the inventor of radio, was mocked by his friends and taken into custody to be examined at a hospital after announcing he had discovered a way of sending messages through the air. The Italian later shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics in recognition of his work.

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AUG 29 – SEP 04 / ISSUE 284

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LET US EAT CAKE

The best pastry we’ve ever eaten – and we’ve scoffed lots here in Y Towers – is the couture éclair at the Al Bustan Palace.

Now we have our very own signature creation specially fashioned for us by executive chef Jörgen Sodemann, featuring dates, cinnamon, rose water and gold.

How cool is that?

IT’S CHOUX

TIME Classic, colourful and crammed with crème – the éclair is about to take on the mighty cupcake in Muscat, says Penny Fray

U

nlike the cupcake, macaron or the millefeuille, the éclair has never really captured the fancy of Muscat’s modern patissiers – at least not until now. This season, however, the torpedo-shaped choux pastry is set to blow all other teatime treats out of the water.

Having recently undergone something of a reinvention in Europe, the once uninspiring French fancy is now hotter than Hermès.

Sales are up by 23 per cent this year and everyone who is anyone on the culinary scene is creating their own cool, signature collections, including the Al Bustan Palace.

In association with Y magazine, the fancy five-star hotel has designed an Omani-themed éclair with date-cinnamon filling and rosewater glace, garnished with gold leaf and chocolate. It’s gorgeous, and joins a growing list of fashionable flavours including salted caramel, marshmallow, peanut butter and even apple crumble.

“Thanks to its artisan makeover, the éclair is fast becoming the new cupcake,” declares Jörgen Sodemann, executive chef of the Al Bustan Palace. “There is something truly special about taking that first bite and tasting how well the flavours blend in your mouth – the filling, the glaze and the pate a choux.

“Unlike other patisserie staples such as the macaron, the éclair is very versatile – you can be creative and have a savoury or sweet version. The cupcake looks rather staid in comparison.”

No wonder Muscat stores like Carrefour and Marks & Spencer have picked up on the trend with tastes such as classic chocolate, raspberry and salted caramel, tempting customers into its sweet, comforting pillows of pastry.

Of course, the trend for éclairs extends beyond Oman. In Paris, they’ve reached a sort of heavenly status. At Le Meurice Hotel on the Rue de Rivoli, the pastry chef Cédric Grolet makes an éclair constructed entirely of chocolate and another of rhubarb and strawberry, while the extensive line at the luxe British department store Selfridges has proven to be a tremendous success.

Could éclairs be just a passing fad? The experts don’t think so.

“It’s a classic and classics don’t go away,” concludes Sodemann.

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IPE

REC

CREATE THE Y ÉCLAIR Ingredients: Choux Pastry

4 tbsp water 4 tbsp whole milk 50g unsalted butter, soft 1 tsp caster sugar Pinch of sea salt 100g plain flour 4 medium free-range eggs, beaten

Filling

20g unsweetened chocolate 200g pastry cream (crème patissière), soft 250g date jam, homemade 1/4 tbsp cinnamon powder

Glaze

200g white fondant icing 50ml rosewater 1 sheet gold leaf for decoration

Method

❖ Preheat the oven to 175C. ❖ For the choux pastry, place the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over a high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. ❖ Remove the pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, quickly beat in the flour until the mixture is completely smooth. ❖ Turn the heat down to medium, return the pan to the hob and cook for about one minute, beating all the time, or until the mixture comes away from the edge of the pan. ❖ Remove the pan from the heat and gradually beat in the eggs until you have a smooth, dropping consistency. ❖ Transfer the paste to a large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/½in fluted nozzle and let the mixture cool for about five minutes in the bag to stiffen slightly before you begin the piping. ❖ Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and pipe on 12 éclairs, each about 15cm/6in

long. Alternatively, for a more professional and uniform finish, pipe four rows of pastry, each about 36cm/14in long, onto a non-stick tray and freeze. Cut the frozen strips into three and either defrost and cook as below, or bake from frozen and add five minutes to the cooking time. ❖ Bake the éclairs in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden-brown, then transfer to a rack and leave to cool. ❖ For the filling, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water or the chocolate will burn. ❖ Pour the melted chocolate into the pastry cream, mix in the cinnamon powder plus the date jam and whisk together to a smooth consistency. You could chill the mixture at this point for 30 minutes, then whisk again before you fill the éclairs, to give a creamier feel to the filling. ❖ When you are ready to fill the éclairs, transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a 0.5cm/¼in nozzle. Pierce the underside of each éclair four times with the tip of the nozzle, gently squirting a little of the filling into the éclair as you do so. ❖ For the glaze, gently warm the fondant in a small pan over a low heat until it reaches body temperature. ❖ Add the rosewater to make a smooth paste, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/½in nozzle. ❖ Pipe the glaze onto the top of each éclair, removing any excess with the back of your finger, then place in the fridge for the glaze to set before serving. Finaly decorate with some gold.

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HIP HANGOUT

Few things stave off that Sunday feeling better than a decent roast dinner, says Penny Fray

I

t’s Sunday, you’re seriously homesick and you’re so hungry that you or beef on a Sunday afternoon. So I got sentimental and decided to swap the could literally eat a cow. Where can you get a good roast beef dinner battered fish for meat – good as I knew it was. with all the trimmings, followed by the best sticky toffee pudding you’ve Now for those of you not in the know, the British roast comes with crispy ever had? Left Bank, that’s where. potatoes, carrots, peas, Yorkshire puddings and lashings of gravy. It’s a dish Perched high above Qurum Natural Park, it’s one of Muscat’s hottest that has remained a constant in our culinary history since Tudor times. And hangouts with its spacious interior and robust reputation for serving up no one, and I mean not even the greatest of Michelin starred chefs, can make traditional British fare. a better roast than our mothers. It’s a kind of illogical law complete with We had driven there with the intention of indulging in some posh fish and myopic memories of family unity. In it, my mum morphs into a kind of Welsh chips, complete with mushy peas and tartar sauce. My friend was celebrating Nigella Lawson and her ‘roasties’ will never, ever, be rivaled. her birthday, and having enjoyed a lavish lunch at the Shangri-La earlier, And sure enough, the Left Bank fell short of the mark. Nonetheless, it we were set for something a little more low-key for dinner. was a decent effort. The meat was moist and succulent with none of VERDICT: After a long and arduous day in the office for me, it seemed the those ghastly lumps of fat that can sometimes blight a carvery. The ½ perfect suggestion – comfort food, cocktails and a couch – the vegetables were good but a little soft for my liking and the Yorkshire 10 European style trinity of relaxation. Then, something happened. Upon arrival, our puddings were almost perfect with the right combination of crunch grub in gorgeous noses twitched and a nostalgic wave washed over us as we spotted a and gooey goodness. The gravy boat was generous as was the free surroundings neighbouring table tucking into a traditional roast dinner. glass of house white that came with it. The only thing missing from Now we Brits are not, as a nation, that big on communal dining. the full Blighty experience was a bottle of HP sauce and the sound of You won’t catch us indulging in a déjeuner sur l’herbe or tucking into a rain rapping on the windows outside.

Mediterranean feast with several generations of aunts and uncles. We’re The fact that I managed to polish off the whole plate after a substantial British, dammit. But we do like to gather around a lump of overcooked lamb starter of crab cakes and a quarter of my friend’s crusty bread was testament

8

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THE FOODIE

to how good it was. Kate had likewise demolished the dish despite having worked her way through a huge hunk of paté with all the extras.

We needed a breather before moving on to pudding, and our efficient waiter was happy to oblige, leaving me to wax lyrical to a passing acquaintance about how yummy the pudding was there. Rebecca followed my recommendation of sticky toffee pudding, as did Kate. I had sampled it a month or so earlier with Mr Big and nearly had a Harry Met Sally moment over the sweetness of the sauce.

The warm, date dessert with vanilla icecream was equally good the second time around, although the toffee crème was a little runnier than before. Even so, it remained one of the best that I’ve ever tasted.

There are so many things to like about the Left Bank – including the al fresco tables, trendy booths and laid back vibe. And while it may not offer a creative menu, the food’s quality is such that even gourmands are kept happy. Of course, it also helps there’s a credible drinks list. It’s just a pity that the parking is a bit of a pain, otherwise, like Mary Poppins, it would be practically perfect in every way.

What sort of meals did you enjoy as a boy?

Info Box

Can you cook? If so, what’s your signature dish?

LEFT BANK Address: Left Bank, Al Qurum Nr. Mumtaz Mahal Tel: 24693699 Opening Hours: Saturday to Thursday: 6pm–2am Friday: 2pm–2am Price (for two): RO35 Web: www.emiratesleisureretail.com

Reviews

FILES

Christoph Girsch, executive assistant manager of The Chedi, Muscat

As a child my favorite dishes were pasta Bolognese and Wiener schnitzel, which is a popular part of Viennese and Austrian cuisine. Even today, these dishes remain my ultimate favourites.

It must be torture being surrounded by amazing dishes all day. What do you struggle to resist most?

I am addicted to bread. I have to have it with each meal. It started when I was a boy visiting our baker in the mornings.

I can still smell the fresh loaves coming out of the oven – incredible.

I love to cook but I only like to cook for friends, rustling up Austrian delicacies such as Wiener schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn – an authentic Austrian dessert that consists of a large shredded pancake.

The literal translation in English is ‘emperor’s mess’ but most Austrians will tell you that it is truly an art to make.

What’s your most prized kitchen possession?

That’s an easy one – it’s a specialty mustard called Kremser Senf, also known as sweet mustard from Austria. To me, this ingredient is more important than the truffle olive oil from Aix en Provence, where just a drop leaves your kitchen smelling like truffles. So when friends fly in from Europe, the mustard is definitely on the list.

Where is your ultimate eating utopia?

A small restaurant called St. Julien in Bordeaux France, offering fresh ingredients and good friends.

What three qualities make a good dining experience in your opinion?

The moment, the people on your table, and of course the chef.

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Shopping

With chef

A Muscat hotel is about to bring you one of the headiest sensory experiences in the world – the fish market. Penny Fray discovers more about shopping for your supper Chef’s tips on choosing fresh fish: 01

When buying whole fish, look for bright, clear eyes and a clean, metallic body.

Fish with dull eyes and discoloured scales are usually past their prime.

02

Fresh fish shouldn’t stink.

Instead it should smell like clean, salty water.

03

Look at the gills. They should be a rich red. If the fish is old, they will have a rusty hue to them.

04

Make sure the shellfish is alive. To check, put them on the countertop and back away for a moment. Then tap the shell. It should close tighter than it was. This isn’t fool proof with oysters but do double-check for cracked shells. A cracked shell means an inedible oyster and a lot of wasted money.

New Fishy FOOD Craze Just when you thought sushi had lost its edge comes a glow in the dark version. The luminous Japanese treats are made from genetically modified fish designed to give off a fluorescent light. Originally designed for environmental reasons, the kryptonite-like critters are currently taking restaurants in the US by storm. They may look cool but I’m not sure this particular culinary craze is going to take off in Muscat. Fingers crossed.

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M

y mother always said there are plenty of fish in the sea.

That may be true of the dating realm, but overfishing is putting the adage out of business.

For a sustainable and supportive seafood experience without guilt, wade over to Muttrah or Seeb’s fish market with one of the Grand Hyatt chefs. There, you can pick your own products for him to cook later at Marjan Restaurant.

It’s a novel idea and one that ticks several culinary trends, including authenticity, provenance and endorsing the local fishing industry. But the big plus is that you can now curate your own dining experience.

“Supporting Muscat’s fishermen and artisan producers is at the heart of what we do,” says chef Herri. “We wanted our guests to be part of this journey, so we came up with the concept of giving them baskets and letting them choose their own catch of the day for us to assemble later at Marjan, our al fresco restaurant which will be re-opening on September 1.

“You don’t have to sing for your supper but you do have to shop for it and it’s incredible fun.”

I can imagine most galloping gourmands loving the idea of getting up at some ungodly hour to see some real monsters of the deep and discussing it with an expert before devouring it for dinner. It’s a very hip and happening way of eating.

Plus, you can’t beat Seeb market for a slice of bustling, local life. It’s grittier and less touristy than Muttrah, but an amazing place to watch fish traders selling everything from shellfish to fresh, off-the-boat tuna.

Besides, we’re always being told to eat more fish. Not only is it good for your health but it’s good for the environment too.

“The health benefits of eating fish are undeniable,” says Herri. “You get a huge dose of nutrients like protein, calcium or vitamin B12. And when bought fresh and cooked right, seafood is delicious. It’s a great choice for cooking because most kinds have a mild enough taste to pair them with any type of flavours.

“This initiative is a win win for all as it is also part of Hyatt’s philosophy that encourages local sustainability. ”

For more information about shopping for your fish supper, email Jason.brotherton@hyatt.com

HEALTH& BEAUTY

Health

Beauty

fashion

A GREAT YARN

Some of the flashiest names in fashion – from Chanel to McQueen – have conspired to bring back tweed. Great for the Scottish Highlands but not so easy to wear in Oman’s sundrenched climes, so stick to accessories and faux prints instead.

Good ol’ M&S has launched some really fashion forward pieces for autumn, including this pretty shift dress in trendy tweed. Buy it at the Muscat City Centre store from RO96

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50 SHADES OF GREY Fast track your wardrobe into the new season with these key pieces, says Penny Fray

N

ot everything is black and white in fashion. Autumn’s runways have been rife with various shades of grey. From slate to chalk, the new neutral is having its moment with everyone from Michael Kors to 3.1 Phillip Lim showcasing its

versatility.

Having shed its boring, bland stereotype with the bestselling book 50 Shades of Grey, black’s replacement can be found in sheer, leather and snakeskin print this season.

Designers even referenced the femme fatales in Helmut Newton’s photographs with strong silhouettes and androgynous suits.

If you prefer prim to powerful, put your trust in tweed as Chanel, Lanvin and Dolce & Gabbana all embraced the traditional material for their collections.

I love grey because it’s the perfect compromise to trans-seasonal dressing, taking you from summer to autumn with elegant ease.

Here are our top three must buys:

Y hearts these flannel sandals from Alexander Wang.

From RO330

01

The T-shirt Fashion editors have been hailing the grey top as the new classic. Wear as a foil to everything from statement neons to structured leather.

Give this pinstriped LTD from Zara a more laid back feel with a pair of ankle boots

02 Distressed Denim The new-look grey skinnies have a rebellious air to them. Keep the rips to a minimum if you’re over 30 and wear with ankle boots and a slouchy top.

03

The Trouser Suit Man-up in pinstripes and loose, tailored shapes.

This t-shirt from La Redoute is the perfect neutral piece RO6

These distressed skinnies from Rag & Bone rock – RO102.

On a budget?

Get a pair from Max or Splash and rip!

Oversized leather clutch from Zara – RO50

GREY MATTER: Penny’s guide to wearing

a non-descript colour without looking dull.

Studded with 1.05-carats of ethically sourced black diamonds, Pamela Love’s bronze and silver necklace is inspired by the designer’s fascination with astronomy – from RO1800. Get similar pendants in one of Muscat’s many imitation jewellery stores.

1 Grey sweatshirts always tone down sexier pieces like pencil skirts and leather. 2 A crisp white shirt looks great with grey. Layer under a dress for instant chic.

3 Don’t let grey wash you out. Wear in moderation with hot accessories like an ankle boot or masculine brogue.

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HEALTH& BEAUTY

Health

Fashion

BEAUTY

NEW MASTERS

SHOPS

Mohammed Ali, executive manager of the BT Gallery, SABCO Centre, talks to Joe Gill about the secrets of choosing good art

TRENDING TIME PIECES Penny Fray discovers what to watch out for this season

Buying art can be a tricky business. Your taste, budget and the reputation of the artist are all factors in choosing what to buy, says Mohammed Ali, executive manager of the BT Gallery, SABCO Centre.

The gallery specialises in new art from across the region – Omani, Indian, Iraqi, Egyptian, Tunisian, Moroccan and the UAE – as well as antique pieces.

six or seven years ago, but now they are starting to know what to choose and what they like. And the names of the artists matter.”

“Most of our clients are European expats. They like modern, abstract and Omani landscapes,” says Ali. “Omanis are mostly into calligraphy and local landscapes, but I have seen tastes change. People were choosing paintings according to the colour of their furniture

The gallery’s big on bespoke as well as helping clients navigate a sea of emerging and established artists.

“We try to add value because art and antiques are long-term investments,” explains Ali. “Whatever paintings you buy today, if you make the right choice, it will be worth more in two or three years’ time. At the end of the day, you want to promise your customer that you can sell it for them later at a profit.

“The number of art galleries here can be counted on one hand. You have to treat your customers well so they come back.”

Of course, serious collectors are focused on the art. They are not looking for a decorative item or a good investment. They need to feel an emotional draw with the work itself. This is something the gallery’s owner understands.

“It’s more than a business to me, it’s a passion. Even if I don’t sell the art I buy, it’s okay for me, because I only buy art that I like.”

Mohammed’s

TOP TIPS

for buying

art 036

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① You have to like it

② Choose

something unique ③ Pick work from artists that will add value later

A friend once told me that finding the right watch was a bit like hunting down a husband – pick the perfect one and you’ll keep it forever. Choose a cheap, unreliable number and it’ll have to be replaced pretty quickly. That’s why it’s important to spend both time and money in getting it right.

Scouring the many jewellery and luxe watch stores at the SABCO Centre, I was amazed by the number of coveted brands they stocked, which is just as well, considering the rising trend in investment pieces.

The big look for autumn is masculine numbers with an oversized face and sporty features. Ceramic versions in classic black and white are especially cool. I personally love the Chanel J12 and Raymond Weil’s Parsifal from the men’s collection, although a vintage, rose gold Rolex would be my ultimate ‘lust-have’. Then again, I’m tall and big boned so can carry most boyish styles.

For petite women or those who prefer a more delicate timepiece, look no further than the square-faced tank. The Cartier version is the fashion insider’s favourite, although the Hermés Medor offers more edge with its punk studs.

Meanwhile, sartorial individualists could do worse than considering the Bulgari Serpenti, wearing it for day rather than night à la fashion editor at large, Anna Dello Russo.

The minimalist look may be big in Europe, but here in the Middle East bling remains best, so consider diamond studded pieces, wrist candy or just layer your regular timepiece with everything from Swarovski bangles to friendship bracelets.

Next time: THE MAGIC OF THE MUZZAR Sponsored by

My Hood

Cars

Wi-Fi

Indoors

CARS AND inDOORS

ROCK OF AGES

Al Khaluf offers a vast expanse of deserted beach, rocky outcrops and rolling sand dunes.

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CARS AND OUTDOORS INDOORS

My Hood

Cars

Wi-Fi

Destination

The white sands

of Khaluf a beginner's guide to enjoying this beauty spot – AND avoiding a sinking surprise Words and Images: Jerzy Wierzbicki

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Indoors

K

haluf sands is one of the most alluring locations in Oman, but also one of the most challenging for the inexperienced driver.

The problem is simple. The big white sand dunes that are found beyond the village of Khaluf are very soft, and only approachable with a good 4x4.

The dunes are permanently exposed to strong winds from the ocean, and are constantly moving.

This prevents them from hardening and, consequently, it is much easier to get stuck here than in other places where sand dunes exist.

An email from a reader asking for advice on Khaluf inspired me to prepare an everyman’s guide, with tips for inexperienced 4x4 drivers or even those who want to drive there in saloon cars.

There are very good reasons to come here, first of all because Khaluf is a beautiful region, close to the ocean, with the white dunes offset

by dark rocks and hills, creating an exceptional landscape.

Khaluf is a bustling fishing village with a petrol station, a small restaurant and many car and boat engine workshops.

The area around it, however, is expansive and contains many micro environments with their own unique features, most of which are not far from the main road.

If you have a basic SUV car, without any of the normal preparations for hard desert driving, don’t be afraid to go there.

By sticking to a handful of sandy tracks that are in good enough condition, you can reach a number of great locations while avoiding any sand traps.

On my last visit to Khaluf, I went with beginners in mind, checking out promising locations for setting up camp between the rocks and the white sands.

The first place I found was very close to the main road, with a concentration of small but brilliantly

white sand dunes.

Just to the right, there is a rock formation with many intricate layers.

It makes a perfect location for a picnic or even a night camp (see GPS coordinates below).

Please keep this location clean and take your litter with you when you leave. I use this location for camping and I will take it personally if you leave your rubbish there.

Another excellent spot is a wadi on the road to Khaluf village, with many stones and long dunes.

It is only 300 metres from the road and offers beautiful views of the area.

The dune is located at: N20°31’7” E58°02’55”.

The area has a special atmosphere and is a favourite spot for visitors from the Interior who often come here for weekend trips and picnics.

Still, there are some locations where you can enjoy the silent purity of the sand, where the only sound you can hear there is the wind coming in from the ocean.

It's really magical.

travel guide

HOW TO GET THERE From Muscat take road 32 to Mahout. In Mahout, refuel your car and head toward Duqm.

Around 30 km from Mahout is a T-junction to Khaluf, which is another 27 kilometers. All the points in this story are very close to this road.

The GPS location of the first recommended site is : N20⁰33’45” E58⁰01’33”.

One of the sandy tracks there leads directly to the sea. The best point for leaving the main road is N20⁰33’45” E58⁰01’33”. Just turn left and go straight for one kilometre.

Visiting Khaluf in an off-road 4x4 is best, but if you don’t have one, don’t let it stop you coming.

A small SUV like a Renault Duster is absolutely fine for enjoying the places mentioned.

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CARS AND INDOORS

Heaven In A

Taking time out at the Shangri-La was bliss - and the heat treat did wonders for Kate Ginn’s knotty problem

A

s the hot stone slid over my back, travelling smoothly thanks to the sweet smelling oil, it kept coming to a halt around my shoulders, encountering hard lumps. “You have a lot of knots,” murmured the therapist. She wasn’t exaggerating either. My muscles were apparently packing more knots than a sailor’s handbook and were none too pleased at being disturbed by a piping hot pebble.

Another therapist once told me that body muscles crisscross each other at various angles, sometimes several layers right on top of each other, a bit like a road network. Under the microscope, my back must look something like the UK’s infamous Spaghetti Junction.

Knots can be caused by a number of things, most commonly a sedentary lifestyle, bad posture and sitting in front of a computer or a desk for too long. Which all sound horribly familiar.

Basically my muscles were flexed or tensed up and, after years of neglect, were refusing to relax. Clearly, my body and mind were jaded and in need of some attention.

Which is how I ended up face down on the softest of towels, with my senses being overloaded by gorgeous smells and soothing music filling the room, as my back was attacked (in the nicest possible way) by Meena and her hot stones.

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To rescue my poor battered body, Chi, The Spa at Shangri-La recommended the two-hour Hot Stone Massage, a deeply relaxing and healing treatment.

The thought of being out of the office and away from my desk (and demanding editor – sorry Penny) for an indulgent, luxurious 120 minutes was rejuvenating enough. On the drive from Seeb, I could feel the tension slipping away from my shoulders at each kilometre that took me further away from work.

By the time I crested the hill and saw the sparking turquoise sea and sandy bay that heralded my arrival at Oman’s own little piece of nirvana, I was feeling considerably more human. Once inside the spa, I was met by Meena and led through Chi’s serene garden, with bird song and the melodic flow of a fountain, to a secluded treatment room.

I was soon sitting in a fluffy white dressing gown and slippers, sipping chrysanthemum tea, which is said to aid digestion, from an exquisite jade porcelain cup and saucer.

Beforehand, if you choose, you can also enjoy Chi’s unique Water Oasis, with a vitality hydro pool, a herbal steam room, tundra and tropical showers, an ice fountain and relaxation area. As tempting as it was, I skipped straight to the main event.

Hot stone massage, in which heated large pebbles, usually marble, are used to ease muscle and restore body

Postcards from

SPA energy, is nothing new. What is different at Chi is having an oil massage before the stones, so that the body is already warmed up and relaxed.

Two hours allows for a full body massage, including the tummy, working up from head to toe. Starting with my legs, Meena worked the stones in gliding motions following my natural meridian lines, believed by traditional Chinese medicine to be the pathways or ‘channels’ in which the life-energy known as ‘qi’ flows.

With the wonderful wafts from the oil on my body warming up, Meena started her magic and set to work restoring my body to some sense of equilibrium.

It’s an odd sensation, at times lulling you to sleep and then jolting you awake as the polished stones probed deep into the muscles and rolled over and over those knots. The face and head doesn’t miss out either.

At one time I did drift away and may even have snored in a snuffling hedgehog kind of way, but Meena was far too well mannered to mention it.

Inside this perfumed cocoon, all thoughts of the outside world and work were obliterated. Under expert hands, my troubles and my knots were melting away.

By the end, I was well and truly ensconced in the room, quite prepared to bed down for the rest of the day, until Meena’s discreet little cough reminded me it was time to go back out into the brilliant sunshine – and reality.

Having been reduced to the consistency of a melted marshmallow, a short stagger to the nearest sunbed was in order, followed by a lunch and Meena’s recommendation to drink lots of water. That night, I slept the sleep of a baby and the innocent. The following day, my muscles were sore – I take it as a good sign – but my body was looser and mind revitalised, ready for some hard work, which I guess was what the editor had planned all along.

Wi-Fi

Cars

INDOORS

Treat Yourself CHI Balance Massage

A gentle but penetrating palm pressure massage with acupressure and coordinated movements.

Duration: 60/90 minutes RO55/65

For reservations please call (968) 2477 6828 or (968) 2477 6816 or email

chi.muscat@shangri-la.com. www.shangri-la.com/muscat

Hammam Duration: 45 minutes RO40

Or try A Day In Paradise, a full-day package at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, which includes full access to a private beach and swimming pools at Al Waha and Al Bandar hotels, children’s Splash Pad water playground and Adventure Zone, the Lazy River, and a buffet lunch at Al Tanoor restaurant for RO25 per adult and RO15 per child (11 years and below).

Plus a 20 per cent discount at Chi, The Spa

Treatments are available from 10am to 10pm.

Call (968) 2477 6666 for details.

Vitality Massage Duration: 60/90 minutes RO55/65 Energizing & Detoxifying Scrub Duration: 60 minutes RO55 Men’s Purifying Facial Duration: 60 minutes RO50

(prior reservation required).

LITTLE PIECE OF PARADISE Ì Chi, The Spa, has 12 treatment rooms, eight

double and four single. Ì According to Parudee Pattaradirek, director of spa, different treatments appeal to different nationalities, with Europeans enjoying facials and body scrubs or wraps, while Arabs prefer straightforward massages. Ì The Vitality Massage, gentle and soothing, is popular and, if you have a few hours to spare, follow with a scrub or wrap, and facial. Hammam, a traditional Middle East therapy using black soap and eucalyptus oil, is also popular. Ì Parents can relax while their children play in the

Adventure Zone or for RO3 an hour, the hotel offers a babysitting service.

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CARS AND

INDOORS

HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH

Green slopes and coastal farms on the Marlborough Sounds region of South Island, New Zealand

Top 5 Places To Visit: 1. Queenstown 2. Abel Tasman National Park 3. Coromandel Peninsula 4. The Bay of Islands 5. Fiordland National Park

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Cars Diane Lord, recommends:

Wi-Fi

I n d o o r s postcards from

Muscat resident,

NEW zealand

Kia ora (Maori for ‘hi’) and welcome to New Zealand, aka Aotearoa, The Land of the Long White Cloud, God’s Own Country or Godzone, and home of Middle-earth. Where else in the world can you find a Hobbit village? This small country, comprising 268,680 square kilometres and with a population of just 4.4 million people, is bursting with action-packed activities and awesome scenery. New Zealanders are affectionately known as Kiwis after the native flightless bird only found here. The country’s biggest exports are dairy products followed by meat (beef and lamb) and timber.

The best way to see New Zealand is by hiring a camper van, which is your home on four wheels. A hire car is also a great way to get around if people want to stay at hotels, B&Bs or farms. I would recommend a minimum of three weeks to see the two main islands, aptly named South Island and North Island. In a short space of time you can go from white sandy beaches to rivers, lakes and mountains. Much of this wonderful diversity of landscape is unspoilt and ‘au naturel’. I would recommend visiting during the summer, though autumn is stunning, and winter fantastic if you are into skiing or snowboarding.

My Favourite Place It has to be Pohara, slightly off the beaten track and situated on the north coast of the South Island. We camped there with our sons for many years and nicknamed it ‘heaven’.

Situated in a shallow bay, Pohara is an area where many artists live so there is an abundance of various art media. On top of this, it’s an awesome place to swim and relax and be at one with nature.

Stewart Island on the southern coast – covered in native bush – is also well worth a visit. My favourite time in New Zealand is March to June as that’s the Bluff oyster season. Big, juicy, meaty oysters, yum!

A o r aki M o u nt C ook

Highlights: Where to start? Take your pick from ‘tramping’ (Kiwi for long-distance walking or hiking with at least one overnight stay). Tramping enthusiasts have a wealth of beautiful tracks to explore: Milford, Routeburn, Abel Tasman, Coromandel Peninsula, Fiordland (spectacular ice-carved fiords, lakes and valleys), and the Bay of Islands to name just a few. Then there’s water skiing, snow skiing, snowboarding, surfing, jet boating, bungee jumping, white-water rafting, tandem hang-gliding, four-wheel driving, swimming with dolphins, whale watching (at Kaikoura), fishing, hunting and wineries. As you can see, it’s all action! Queenstown with Lake Wakatipu, and Wanaka in the South Island are absolutely stunning any time of the year. So are Lake Tekapo, Pukaki and Te Anau, along with numerous other lakes waiting to be spotted around the country. Visiting New Zealand is a real adventure of discovery. For a Lord of the Rings experience, Matamata, nestled at the base of the scenic Kaimai Ranges in the North Island, is where you will find a hobbit village, and for some Maori cultural experience, you can’t beat Rotorua, with its hot springs and bubbling mud pools.

Abel Tasman NATIONAL park

Lowlights:

Crime is an unfortunate occurrence on a worldwide scale and New Zealand is no exception. While it’s not in the same league as many of the larger cities, you still need to keep a sensible head on and your wits about you. Camping grounds are very reasonably priced and it’s worthwhile paying for a campsite as opposed to freedom camping. Take your passport with you when you venture out.

Souvenirs:

Beautiful jewellery and other items crafted from greenstone (pounamu/jade), Paua (snail sea shell) or bone. Manuka honey is very popular due to its medicinal value as is deer antler velvet, said to help heal sports injuries.

Where to stay: Choose from numerous hotels, motels, lodges, B&Bs and farm stays, catering for every whim from five-star down to cheap hostels. Camping grounds offer cabins and campsites and are usually equipped with kitchens, laundries and recreational areas. Check websites for wifi connections.

For ultra luxury, try Eagles Nests, five luxurious villas overlooking the Bay of Islands on the North Island, www.eaglesnest.co.nz. Budget hunters can check out the best campsites at www.nzcamping.co.nz.

maor i mar ae meeting house

AUG 29 – SEP 04 / ISSUE 284

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-FI THE TECH IN YOU

Postcards from

Cars

Indoors

WI-FI

HOMME HOME

You might have a tailored wardrobe and even have a swish sports car, but if your fortress of solitude isn’t a place you can relax in, then you need to rethink. Matt Herbst goes shopping for his new and empty bachelor pad

IN SHAPE

ON TIME

Never be late again with this stylish 3D digital clock from Vadim Kibardin. With white frame digits, it looks sleek and simple, just perfect for a stylish homme home. The White & White Clock has an alarm and a light sensitive display that adjusts the brightness of the digits when it’s dark. Cool! RO89 from www.kibardindesign.com

Not one for boring lamps?

Well here is something for the inner gamer - a Tetris styled lamp that can be rearranged in many different ways. It looks rad wherever you decide to put it and it’s also a great way to add some colour to your pad. RO18 from firebox.com

TOASTY

For the ultimate superfast bachelor breakfast. Save a tonne of time and difficulty by investing in a West Bend toaster that also poaches your eggs – all in just four minutes.

This handy gadget can also steam-scramble your eggs or warm pre-cooked meat.

Nifty. 2 slice / 1 egg model for RO13 and 4 slices / 2 eggs model for RO18 at amazon.com.

EDITOR’S PICK WIRELESS

GONE ARE THE DAYS OF NEEDING your place to be wired for SOUND. With the Logitech UE Smart Radio, YOU’LL HAVE NON-STOP TUNES AS YOU go from the kitchen to the bedroom. all you need to do is take along this compact, Wi-Fi-enabled player. It combines all your music sources (iTunes, Spotify, smartphone, and others) into one interface —track data included— with your phone as a remote. One charge nets you SIX hours of super loud play time. Available at http://ue.logitech.com/en-roeu/home from RO68

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FIND OUT WHAT’S HIP & HAPPENING IN GADGETS

COMING UP COLOURS

Sharp’s new backlit active 3-D system, the LC-80LE844U 3-D TV, uses the Aquos Quattron technology to create significantly brighter 3-D effects on this 80-inch set. Sharps’ addition of yellow subpixels to the standard red-green-blue range creates a more vibrant visual impact in 3-D. It’s the perfect partner for the upand-coming Playstation 4. RO1155 available from all leading electronic suppliers

NEW! MusicRocker Cube Speaker Ottoman The ultimate bachelor pad speaker solution, where it’s just nice to sit down, take a load off, and listen to a tune. This MusicRocker Cube Speaker Ottoman surprisingly has a subwoofer, amp and speakers built into it.

Bright, modern, stylish yet very loud, it will have your guests wondering where the music is coming from. Available from www.musicrocker.de for only RO59 Each cube chair has a pair of five-inch″ full-range speakers and a 6.3″, 15-watt subwoofer built into it.

APP OF THE WEEK

Every footie fan’s favourite bar game has been updated for the iPad generation. New Potato’s Classic Match Foosball Game Table for iPad comes with eight two-axis control bars and real scoring markers at each end, This app-enabled accessory immerses you in game play as heated as a tournament-grade table. It features all the elements of a table game, but unlike simple “software-only” football emulation apps, the Foosball Table is much more like the real thing. Available from Apple for RO38

MP3 and headphone jack.

Allows up to four ottomans to connect together and play the same music off one MP3 player .

They come in a variety of colours and are covered with a soft leatherette button-quilted, cushioned top.

THE GUY GADGET

It’s the DIY nightmare – having to construct flatpack furniture and those shelves you’ve been putting off for months. But Worx’s new gun screwdriver is just the thing to add a dose of swagger to your toolkit. Slide the rail back and drive it forward to advance the cartridge and insert the next bit without the need to fiddle and faff. DIY has never been more addictive. Available at http://uae.souq.com for RO65 AUG 29AUG– SEP 15 – 0421 / ISSUE 284 282

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CARS AND INDOORS

Postcards from

Wi-Fi

Indoors

C ars

BMW 5 Series Saloon 520i SE Engine: 2.0L Horsepower: 240hp Transmissions: Manual (Automatic on 530d SE Auto) 0-100kph in 7.9 seconds

Car of the Week T

It’s new, beautiful and about to come to the Middle East. Feast your eyes on the BMW 5 Series saloon he wait is over.

If you don’t know what we’re talking about then, well, you’re clearly not a fan of the sublime piece of German manufacturing that is the BMW car.

If the iPod has been hailed as a technological thing of beauty then the BMW must be in the running for the automobile alternative for its style and substance.

Class costs, though, and you’ll need a wallet to match. As the old saying goes, if you have to ask the price then you can’t afford it.

Still, it’s worth fantasising about owning one.

The new BMW 5 Series is scheduled to make its global debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 10, before going on sale in the Middle East.

It has quite a task following in the wheels of its predecessor.

In the region, the BMW 5 Series saloon was the company’s bestselling model last year and the first six months of this year.

It’s always been the best car in its class. And it’s hard

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to improve on something this good, the clever guys at BMW have been refining the model to offer a more enjoyable driving experience and tinkering with the design for a slightly more mature look.

What’s good? Well, it drives brilliantly, is made to the same exacting standards as its predecessor, and offers a staggering 33 different versions, meaning even the most fussy of car owners will be appeased.

Slip behind the wheel, take in the plush cabin with its air of serious refinement and you can’t help but feel a better man (or woman), and dare we say, a touch superior to your fellow drivers in their less magnificent machines.

There has been some criticism that the new model looks a touch bland, with nothing to make it stand out from the crowd. While it’s true that the changes – a reshaped grille and lights – are barely perceptible, it retains that reassuringly expensive but low-key style that BMW drivers pay for. People who buy this car don’t want to draw attention to themselves with ostentatious

displays of their automobile prowess.

If you do want to be a Flash Harry, you can always opt for the high performance racy M5 version – the twin-turbo V8 has enough under the bonnet to keep up with most Ferraris.

Even at the entry level, the SE model still does more than enough to impress with a smooth ride, excellent economy and spacious cabin. On top of this, the BMW 5 Series is one of the safest cars on the road – a factor, which will come in handy on Oman’s roads.

Other versions, Modern and Luxury, also allow the buyer to add extra kit. Automatic versions come in a smooth six- or eightspeed transmission.

There’s a splendid iDrive system with 3D mapping, Internet connectivity and all sorts of innovations to keep the driver plugged in while on the move.

Should you choose this car over its nearest rivals? The simplest answer is to let the driving do the talking.

We think you won’t be disappointed.

They say: ‘A unique combination of sporty and elegant design.’

We say: ‘German engineering at its best.’

Check this out

Split-folding rear seats Bluetooth for hands-free calling Bucket front seats Remote power door locks 10-speaker stereo system Alloy wheels Rear-view camera Night vision with Pedestrian Detection

TudorBlackShield_24x34_08_13.indd 1

20.08.13 11:36

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Borrow wisely with bank muscat.

Visit bank muscat for professional advice on choosing the right loan product required to meet your financial needs.

We offer a suite of loan products that includes home loan, auto loan, personal and short-term loan: • Interest rates starting from 3.5% pa • Open to Omanis and expatriates • Repayment period up to 10 years For more information, call 24795555 or visit your nearest branch. *Conditions apply