black & white mag issue 45
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Oman's 1st free fortnightly magazineTRANSCRIPT
Vol.
3 Iss
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, 2012
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Puppet powerPuppet power p22
time with B&W p28It's S u
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Suniel Shetty to champion Autism cause p43
An autistic child, like any child, possesses the potential for great achievements. Like any child, all it takes is love, respect – and a little extra understanding and support when they need it.
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Black & White
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Xclusive
Puppet power
The puppet can say whatever needs to be said without implicating the puppeteer in the
eyes of the audience. The potential of youth can be tapped only if you know which button to
press. Involvement is the button that should be pressed.
Editor-in-chief Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali
Managing editor Priya Arunkumar
Work editor Adarsh Madhavan
Design & production Beneek Siraj
Advt. & marketing Shannon D'Souza
Priyanka Sampat
Conte
nts
Meditate men, meditate
Men have to meditate –
meditation is not about
gender. Meditation is a way
of life; we need to tap the
vast reservoir of energy in us,
lying unused and untapped.
Special Celebrity Guest of Honour:
Bollywood star Suniel Shetty to give
away prizes at the Grand Finale of
the B&W Sudoku for a Cause event
on June 1 at Al Bustan Palace Hotel.
52
43
10
22
Too busy women, beware!
Sudoku
Women are so busy that it seems
like they are caught in some kind
of national epidemic. It is true that
women need to juggle between work
and family responsibilities, but if they
are so caught up in it, where will they
find some time to have a personal
life?
7Black & White
Show the power of your pen!By Adarsh Madhavan
Is the pen really mightier than the sword? Why not, it
could be, but I am just wondering about the power of
the pen in Oman. Not to mistake it for anything else.
I do not mean that the pen has to be used to fight
against the establishment, no. I mean it only in one
sense.
To do good; to right the wrong, yes, but more
importantly, use it to help, to change (for good), to
better ourselves, to assist someone in trouble, to
become a force that the community can depend on
when the need arises. Worldover, the power of the
pen is witnessed, not just in toppling the corrupt, but
in the sheer sense of assisting the weak; helping
the deprived; to calming the nerves; to bring in
confidence; to wipe off a tear; to bring a smile to a
face…
Can the pen in Oman be used for such a change?
Will it work? Will the power of the pen also work in
Oman? Scribes have a job to do here; they have
to break news; there is competition; they have to
look after their jobs, their career and they need to
make money; they are not here for charity…I agree.
But once in a month, just once…each one of them
can find a story from somewhere about someone’s
plight; someone’s misfortune; someone in dire straits;
someone in trouble; someone in need; someone
who wants a shoulder to cry on…is that too hard to
ask of scribes here? It may sound trite; it may sound
mushy; it may sound silly, but even if it is so, just
think of how one story that highlights one simple
issue, one simple case, one simple but true tale of a
man in trouble and make it to reach out to the public
domain; make other people read it; comment on it,
feel about it and make them perhaps open their eyes
and hearts to a tale of someone’s misery; someone’s
problem and if in someway they could help, that
would bring the winds of change that could develop
into a real storm of happiness for many. Each story
speaking of someone somewhere around here who
is in some kind of trouble or is in some need of
help and when that is let out and many people get
to know about it, there would be a mass stirring
of hearts for that poor soul who needs help; for
him, it could be something major and something
unassailable, which in a collective effort would make
it possible. I don’t want to delve on the cases, or
even give examples, because the problems that
a man would encounter are too many and it could
be varied. But when a helpless man or woman’s
plaint is let out to the public, someone there would
be moved enough to act, to help, to assist, to put
the person out of that misery. It can happen. Why
the doubt; why the shaking of the head and why the
scorn? Try it out, there is always someone waiting
for the world to help them out their doldrums and
this can only be reached out to the public by a
scribe.
Yes, a social worker would take it up, and even
solve it, but to reach it out to the world, a scribe’s
help is needed and that is where you all come in.
Yes, you need to break that news before anybody
else; there is stiff competition and you have other
scribes breathing behind your neck, but don’t tell
me you cannot spare some moments to highlight
an issue of a poor soul mired in a trial that fate
has dumped on him. It can be anything, physical,
medical, monetary, mental…
While you win accolades and climb the ladder of
success and shine, just give a glimpse into the
man on the street; that poor soul in despair; that
poor wretch who has given up on everything,
including him; just pick up the thread and spread
the message; it may be of no benefit to you, but
someone somewhere will give more than a glimpse
to what you have written and perhaps be moved to
do something; perhaps may even have a solution…
Do it, at least for the sake of the man on the street
and show the power of your pen.
All a
bout
X,
Y &
Z
Parents with autistic children should never think that they
are at fault (Sudoku for Autism, May 7 to 20). I know it is
easy to say that and I personally know of a case where
both the parents believe that somehow they are the reason
why their six-year old child is afflicted with autism. It has
never crossed their mind that they have nothing to do with
the sickness of their child. But then the problem with autism
is that although there is awareness and although there are
people out there now doing all that they can to bring this
problem out into the open, very few people actually know
what autism is. Ask for a simple explanation on autism and
you will find that even the best-known doctors give out a
vague medical statement about autism. What is autism and
is there any way to prevent it? If not, is there any way to
manage it? We should address these issues first before we
make any further step.
Manitha Saunder, Qurum
There is no reason why parents with autistic child/children
should feel guilty. There is some reason why you have a
child. God gave the child to you and even if he/she is not
normal, then you have to live with that fact. We cannot run
away from truth. God has given us such children and yes, it
is a challenge, and let us all be strong enough to take up this
challenge. There must be a reason why God has given us
such a challenge. Instead of wasting time trying to find why
and why we are singled out, let us utilise the precious time to
look after and take of our special child/ children.
Nirmal K, Seeb
Communication between men and women, like Bill Cosby
says (May 7 to 21) is still in its infancy. I also agree with
the article one hundred percent. Men are from some other
planet. They don’t belong here. Somehow, they are not able
to open up with us and we feel we are hitting our head against
the wall. Whatever they say or do is never a response to our
queries. Men need to improve their communication skills big
time and let us hope it happens sooner than later.
Sangeetha Suman, Al Khuwair
First things first
Don’t look for the reason
We are of different species
Reader's
colu
mn
8 May 7-20, 2012
Mail your views and opinions at
While we are on the subject of autism, let us not forget the simple fact adults
with autism often fare worse when it comes to work and educational experience
than people with other disabilities, including those who are mentally disabled.
Many studies have proven that young adults with autism do not have paid job
experience, college or technical schooling even after many years of high school
education. That is a very sad and scary situation and it is also a point that needs
to be driven across to the authorities concerned in Oman.
Salim Abbas, Wadi Kabir
Having a young child itself can keep you awake at night. So imagine the
plight of those parents who have children that are autistic. Such parents may
not be sleeping at all. Most of the autistic children have trouble reading and
speaking; besides this, they have difficulty in understanding social cues and
body language. All of this can make other people uncomfortable. Parents of
such children may also wonder about what happens when these kids grow up.
Great amount of work is yet to be done in this arena. We need to do more about
bringing awareness and also fight for a society that accepts autistic people and
give them a chance to integrate. Let us start now before it is too late!
Yasmin Mohammed, Ruwi
The yawning gap
Before it is too late…
9Black & White
10 May 21-June 6, 2012
Men r
ead
In a world where we are forced to live with nerve-wrecking
competitions and challenges each and every single day;
in a world where we are confronted by an explosion of
problems and difficulties, where stress is the byword and
pain is a necessary evil and confusion is the anthem,
life for even the tougher one among the lot, can crack.
There are people out there fighting mental problems and
suicide is on the rife and there is a real danger of even
youngsters catching the mental bug because the times
we live in is fraught with tension and some of us are living
on the borderline… So, don’t even ask the question why
meditate? Or don’t shake it off by saying that men need
not meditate? Men have to meditate – meditation is not
about gender. Meditation is a way of life; we need to
tap the vast reservoir of energy in us, lying unused and
untapped.
MEDITATE RIGHT
All you need to keep in mind is that, meditation is not just
closing your eyes and sitting in one place. It is improving
your concentration in a way that suits you. So, meditate
right in order to get a healthy mind, body and soul.
NO EXCUSES
Now, the biggest excuse you could come up with is that
you find it difficult to meditate and you had tried it so
many times and have given up on it. Enough with such
excuses... Just focus. First, close your eyes. Allow some
moments to pass and then slowly try to realise how you
are breathing. Focus on that only. Then after some time,
try to concentrate on each body part, yes, from your toes
slowly edge up. Don’t bother about your mistakes and the
problems you are having in your life. Forget about it for
the moment. You are not going to be bothered about your
doubts, confusions and the problems in life. Just focus
on now and your body. Breathe. You will find that your
feeling completely at peace.
RAY OF LIGHT
Now, without touching on spirituality and the like, just try
this form of meditating too.
Close your eyes and try to imagine an image of
something peaceful, very peaceful. Like flowing water. Or
better still imagine a ray of light falling on you. This will
help you develop a positive mind and will also let you stay
focussed.
FOCUS BETWEEN YOUR EYEBROWS
Yet another method is to close your eyes and try to
concentrate between your eyebrows. Keep your eyes
closed and stay focussed at this point. You can also keep
your eyeballs in a 25 degree angle. If it seems difficult
initially, place your index finger between the eyebrows
and try concentrating at a point on your finger. This will
also reduce the fluttering of the eyelashes and improve
your concentration.
CHAOTIC MINDS
The easiest thing in the world is to get distracted. Now,
add a chaotic mind to that and you will only be doubly
confused. Now distraction is not all that good for you.
So, you need to select a serene spot in your home when
you embark on a meditation spree. Chose a quiet corner
which has a blank wall. You can either close your eyes or
stare at a point on the wall. The only thing that should be
there on your mind is that you need to concentrate at the
given point and there is nothing around you that is more
important.
DE-STRESS AND ATTAIN PERFECTION
Also, give some time every day – after finishing all the
work that is – to go back into the activities that you
have done for the day. Or, if you are keen to do it in the
morning, then make a preview of your day and what you
should be doing. This was you can de-stress and attain
perfection.
MUSIC TO MEDITATE
Now turn to music. What you need to do is to get yourself
introduced to soft music. You can use music to meditate.
Meditate men,
MEDITATEDecrease in blood pressure, decrease in stress symptoms, boosting of concentration, brain power…in short, a healthy body, mind and soul is what you get if you meditate right. So, let us get rid of the misconception that meditation is not for men. Meditation
is not just for men – it is for real men!
11Black & White 11Black & White
12 May 21-June 6, 2012
By Adarsh Madhavan
O
ff th
e wallAs dirty as my cuppa
He thinks I am a boy. Like him. The boy who makes tea
at the office. What he thinks, I am. I make tea. For myself
and others in my office. But, I also make my tea and have
it too. That is another story.
We often bump into each other in the men’s rest room
outside my office. He is from some company in the same
floor as ours. Whenever he happens to dip his tea and
coffee stained cups in the office bathroom sink, I would
somehow be reaching there with my own contribution. He
would glance at me, my cups, and give a wry smile. Like,
ha, I have almost finished mine; yours is going to take
a long time! And mine does. Even one cup takes longer
than his six. Most of the days he is in an hummable mood,
pausing only for the moments given when I interrupt with
my entry and he makes his side glances and goes on
humming the song of life. I want to hum along, but I don’t
want to spoil his mood, and anyway, I have nothing to
hum about(oh hum!).
I don’t know what makes me think that he views me as an
office boy; something in the way he looks at me; there is
that hey brother of the same tribe, country cousin of the
clash of the cups, we are in the same boat sailing in the
same suds of the sink.
Anyway, in the brotherhood of the bathroom, we are
all things equal. Besides, I am always holding on to a
cup or cups and I am almost always dressed casually.
Or, perhaps, it could be the way I look. I always look
casual, I think. My friends say that I look depressed. Do
office boys look depressed? No. Not this one. He hums
several happy tunes in the space of five minutes and he
splashes water from the sink on to the mirror and on to
the bathroom floor but I don’t have the heart to tell him
that the floor was scrubbed clean by the cleaners just that
morning. Who am I to tell him what to do and who am I to
order him around and who am I to burst his little bubble
(not just the ones floating from the sink) of happiness?
Not me!
He is a picture of happiness with or without his cuppa.
But, somehow, there is that sudden peculiar look of his
when he encounters me. It is a small, fleeting moment,
hardly discernible to any, but it hits me. I know that
my presence somehow disrupts his smooth song flow.
Perhaps, he also senses, in the same breath, my
discomfort, or he discerns that his presence actually
rattles some part of my conscience, which is saddled
with a trace of envy too. I don’t know how fakes like
me exist, for, deep inside me, although I do it every
day, I am still not sure I like the idea of washing
the cups in the presence of strangers; there is this
unpleasantly small feeling in me that perhaps, if they
see me washing cups in the sink, they would actually
think I am an office boy.
And, from my side, there is this tiny and as silly a
feeling in me to somehow shake awake this boy from
his happy reverie and his misguided notion that I am
of his ilk, whatever that is supposed to mean. However
strong I shake myself from such foolish feelings, I still
realise that I have a long way to go. A long, long way
to go. I still belong to the pompous clan that believes in
their status, in their position, in their so-called dignity…
so much so we don’t stoop down to any lower level
and don’t mix with the hoi polloi. However much I hate
such people, I realise I am just a mutt barking at my
own shadow; I am one of those whom I myself detest.
If only I could wash my heart in the same sink that
I wash my cups, perhaps, I could perhaps make it
clean. Now I know why that boy is humming his happy
tune, and why I never can…
His heart is as clean as his cup.
Off
the w
all
13Black & White
Small and medium enterprises are
the backbone of any economy,
and here in Oman there are some
obstacles that SME’s face and I am
highlighting some of them from my
own experience. The government
has been trying to minimise such
obstacles, but I believe that more
could be done. Some of the obstacles
are highlighted below:
1- New products mean creating a
lot of awareness, which is not easy.
Marketing is the biggest challenge any
small business may face; we require
more of marketing support for a better
kick off.
2- The other kind of support needed
is simple: you need family and friends’
support in disseminating the news and
also initially promoting and using your
business.
3- Big companies are already
dominating the market, so I assume
one solution would be that the
government represented by the tender
board to work out a mechanism to
segregate tenders for large corporates
and small businesses.
4- Administrative issues: from finding
a commercial name to registration,
which is also known as bureaucracy,
and the high annual chamber of
commerce registration fees has to be
looked at and re considered.
5- Market condition: being a very
small market, is a tough challenge. In
Oman, people are more into saving
than spending and when they spend
it all goes to necessities rather than
luxury products. So, it is a tough
market to penetrate.
6- Labour regulations: this makes
life complicated for business owners.
Forced Omanisation makes it very
expensive. This has to be looked into
and a new mechanism should be
adopted.
7- Education: Again the government
represented by both the ministry
of education and the ministry of
higher education have to take an
intuitive; the MOE has to think about
including ‘entrepreneurship’ in the
curriculum of students of grades 11
and 12; the MOHE has to think about
adopting a new concept in the region
by establishing an academy that
promotes the essential concepts of
entrepreneurship.
8- Financial infrastructure: we need
more venture capital funds, such as
Sharakah, which has brought in lot
of success stories. We also need
a society of angel investors to be
established. It’s a new concept to the
region but I think it’s time for such a
thing to start in Oman.
So entrepreneurship is a window into
job creation and more support towards
all the above from the government will
lead to expanded job creation.
SME’s need more supportBy Qais Al Khonji
13Black & White
Biz
vie
ws
14 May 21-June 6, 2012
Word
pre
ss
Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel has been
recognised once again by winning Business
Traveller Middle East award for the “Best Business
Hotel in Muscat” at the award ceremony in Dubai
on April 29. Commenting on the awards Bernard
N. Viola, General Manager Al Bustan Palace, A
Ritz-Carlton Hotel said: “Al Bustan Palace has
over the years become a national landmark that
complements the country’s heritage and I would like
to attribute this remarkable success to our ladies
and gentlemen who create unique and memorable
experiences for our guests.”
Al Bustan Palace awarded 'Best Business Hotel'
The New Renault Duster, a strong and reliable SUV
with genuine off-road ability, was officially unveiled at
the Al Bustan Palace Hotel by Mustansir Lakdawala,
managing director of Renault GCC, Sheikh Ahmed
Suhail Bahwan, chairman of Suhail Bahwan Auto Group
and Divyendu Kumar, managing director of Suhail
Bahwan Auto Group.
The New Renault Duster is a particularly versatile 4x2
and 4x4 vehicle, which combines a spacious interior
with saloon-car comfort, while its compact footprint and
high ground clearance ensure that it is at home in and
about town as it is on country roads or off the beaten
track. The New Renault Duster will be available in the
Sultanate, from the 7th of May 2012 in 4x2 4-speed
AT and 4x4 6-speed MT versions powered by a 2.0
16V (135 hp) engine, especially tested in the GCC.
Mustansir Lakdawala, managing director of Renault
AGCC said, “we took on the challenge of offering an
all-terrain vehicle that was less complex but still reliable
and affordable, that combined the design of a real 4×4
with the comfort of a saloon, it’s a very popular concept
specially following the world economic crisis, which hit
household budgets hard and made many people think
twice before buying a new car”.
Affordable new
Renault Duster in Oman
Since March this year, over 40 Omani artists have been
working with Dillwyn Smith a UK, artist, to explore Omani
stories and legends and work together to communicate
these through a series of drawings, sketches paintings and
flags.
The 42 artists working in collaboration with Dillwyn have
been encouraged to develop a personal narrative through
looking back into their family history. What are the stories
and legends that have been retold through generations
within their families? Workshops led the artists to the
production of a series of flags, which will be flown together
as a testament to the fabric of Omani society and the
journeys and adventures undertaken by their families. The
artists all visited sites where it is alleged legends began
and where wall drawings date back 6,000 years and a
storyteller was invited to come along to help the creative
process by sharing their stories with the group.
The exhibition at the Omani Society of Fine Arts shows
the creative process of telling the legends. Each piece of
art is a personal story conceived and developed through
storytelling, imagination and communication. Each artist
tells their story through words as well.
Omani legends and stories
15Black & White
Bank Muscat recently launched an innovative assessment
programme for staff to identify and train prospective
branch managers. Over 140 potential branch managers
participated in the second batch of the Assessment and
Development Centre programme.
The evaluation process involving five stages aims to
improve the quality of branch managers’ selection
decisions by objective data. It provides transparent, fair
and equal opportunities for potential branch managers by
using multiple assessors and assessment instruments to
reduce subjectivity.
Salim Al Kaabi, DGM – HR, said: “The innovative and
unique initiative will enable the bank to considerably
improve the standards of customer service extended
by branches and enable the bank to benchmark the
development of branch managers with the international
best practices. BankMuscat is keen to develop its
leadership pool from among the young Omanis, thereby
contributing to Oman’s future by investing in talent which
is the real wealth of the nation.”
BankMuscat
innovative assessment
The New Generation i30 has
now arrived in the Middle East.
Exemplifying Hyundai’s ‘Modern
Premium’ philosophy, the New
Generation i30 offers consumers a
stylish and refined compact-size car
with enhanced quality, performance
and efficiency compared to the
previous model.
Designed and engineered at the
Hyundai Motor Europe Technical
Centre in Germany, the New
Generation i30 will build on the
success of its predecessor, which
was the first ‘i’ product in Hyundai’s
range and introduced new standards
of quality and driveability to the
company’s product line-up. It comes
to the Middle East in two models, the
GL and GLS, and is set to appeal to
young, progressive buyers who want
a car that not only performs well but
also looks great.
The New Generation i30 is the latest
expression of Hyundai’s ‘fluidic
sculpture’ design ethos. This visual
philosophy utilises flowing lines to
give a constantly impactful three-
dimensional presence to Hyundai
vehicles.
On the road, its visual impact is
also raised by the LED daytime
running lights which are standard
on all models. The New Generation
i30 also bears Hyundai’s signature
frontal feature – the hexagonal-
shaped grille.
Thomas Bürkle, chief designer at
Hyundai Motor Europe Technical
Centre, commented: “When
designing the New Generation i30,
we used strong, fluid lines to sculpt a
car that looks athletic and exudes a
sense of constant motion, even when
stationary.
We gave the car a bold stance,
transmitting a confident attitude
through sporty characteristics and
dynamic proportions. The strength
of Hyundai’s design DNA is easy for
people to recognise.”
Hyundai’s New Generation i30 now available in the Middle East
16 May 21-June 6, 2012
Word
pre
ss
Khimji Ramdas group announced the launch
Khimji Ramdas Insurance Services under the
umbrella of the Khimji Ramdas Shipping LLC,
part of Projects and Logistics Group of Khimji
Ramdas. This new division will offer professional
risk and insurance intermediary services across
all lines of business.
With more than two decades of experience as
insurance agents with Blue Eagle Shipping and
Insurance Services under the group, the new
insurance agency division will now graduate into
full-fledged insurance brokers and address the
growing needs of the market.
M. C. Jose, Ceo, Projects & Logistics Group,
Khimji Ramdas highlighted that “We have learnt
the intricacies of insurance business for more
Khimji Ramdas launches insurance broking services
than two decades now. We have a highly qualified team of
professionals who are capable of offering superior quality services
at most competitive prices.
With insurance added to the portfolio, we are proud to offer all
transport related services with Khimji Ramdas, which was our
vision when we started KR Shipping LLC in 1985. All our service
offerings provide value, reliability ant trust to our clients. We are
confident that we will soon be a leading player in the insurance
segment too.”
As part of its victorious history in the
Motorsport arena and its commitment
towards innovative education,
Mercedes-Benz Middle East has
chosen to support and sponsor the
Safire Racing Team from the German
School in Dubai for the Formula One
Technology Challenge in Schools in
its latest edition.
The Formula One Technology
Challenge in Schools is the world’s
leading multi-disciplinary challenge
for nine to 19 year-old students,
involving 22 countries. With acquiring
the franchise in the UAE, Yas Marina
circuit hosts an invitational national
final of the competition for the second
year in a row for school teams,
scheduled to take place in Abu
Dhabi. Among the participating teams
the Mercedes-Benz backed Safire
Racing team will be competing in the
challenge, seeking to book one of the
two places for who will represent the
UAE at 2012 World Championship.
“Being part of the Formula One
Technology Challenge for Schools
this year will be a perfect platform for
us to prove the vision of Mercedes-
Benz in enhancing the innovation
and providing support to the
motorsports engineers of tomorrow,”
said Frank Bernthaler, director, sales
and marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars,
Daimler Middle East & Levant.
Mercedes-Benz Middle East sponsors UAE’s Safire Racing Team
The Second Cup Coffee Cart was recently featured at
one of the largest exhibitions in Oman, COMEX 2012,
where it proved to be exceptionally popular drawing
impressively large crowds given the high demand for
specialty coffee. For the first time, the Second Cup Coffee
Cart was set-up for maximum capacity use. Jannat
Moosa, marketing director at Bin Mirza International,
said that the six-hours needed to assemble the cart was
insignificant in comparison to the number of customers
that flocked to order their Second Cup signature drinks
and snacks from the large variety on display.
Encompassing 12
square meters,
the Coffee Cart
featured four
working stations
to serve a
wide selection
of signature hot and cold beverages available at any
Second Cup branch across Muscat. Moosa went on to
say that the Second Cup Coffee Cart is now available to
rent for private occasions and functions.
Second Cup coffee cart proves popular at Comex 2012
17Black & White
Customer care has always been a
priority at National Bank of Oman
(NBO).
In keeping with its commitment to
being a customer centric, progressive
bank, the bank introduced the
customer engagement programme
known as “NBO Customer Consultant
Award”, which allows customers to
win an award, for innovative ideas
(that will further help improve and
enhance the quality of the Bank’s
products and services, in aspects
seen viable and important to the
Bank), presented by them.
To be eligible for the “NBO Customer
Consultant Award”, all customers
need to do is to email their innovative
ideas, suggestions or feedback,
to: Retail Banking - Service Quality
Division - Email: servicequality@nbo.
co.om.
The first winner of ‘NBO’s Customer
Consultant Award’, Salim Al Jahwari,
NBO’s Qurum Branch customer, was
recently recognised and awarded
for his valuable suggestion, which
resulted in the bank introducing an
additional feature in the ‘real time
balance order’ transaction process.
During the function, Harsh Munjal,
NBO’s general manager – retail and
private banking, presented Al Jahwari
with a certificate and cash cheque, in
the presence of senior management
members and branch staff.
Speaking on the occasion, Salim
Al Jahwari expressed his sincere
thanks to the bank and said: ‘‘This
recognition means a lot to me not
because of the certificate or the
cheque, but because all of you
showed me that you cared”.
NBO announces ‘Customer Consultant Award’ programme winner
The Oman Football Association (OFA) has launched
the new official team kit to be worn by Oman in their
forthcoming push for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™
qualification. The new kit, launched today together with
a new OFA logo, comes as football in the Sultanate is
enjoying huge success. The Oman national team has
reached the final stages of qualification for the 2014 FIFA
World Cup Brazil™, whilst the U23 team recently narrowly
missed out on a place at the London 2012 Olympics in a
winner-takes-all qualification play-off against Senegal.
The new kit, designed for the Oman national team by Taj,
a new Omani-based company, has been created using a
unique performance fabric which will give maximum aid to
the players on the field especially during the hot season
experienced in Oman.
The kit has been designed to showcase the colours of the
Omani flag and all the profits generated from its sales will
be injected into the OFA’s grassroots football programme
in Oman.
The new OFA logo has been designed as a fresh
representation of the Association’s core values of passion
for football, fair play, social responsibility and ambassador
of Oman. The logo will be at the forefront of the OFA’s
new marketing campaign – Everybody Loves Football
- aimed at getting more people playing and watching
football across the Sultanate.
Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi, OFA chairman, said:
“This is a very exciting time for the Oman national team
and the Omani community and this launch marks yet
another milestone ahead of the highly anticipated 2014
FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers happening in June.”
Oman Football Association unveils new team kit and official logo
18 May 21-June 6, 2012
Word
pre
ss
Oman Oil Marketing Company
(omanoil) hosted prominent
Islamic speaker, Sheikh Suleiman
Abdulaziz Al Jubailan, as part of
its collaboration with Rekaaz to
campaign against peer pressure.
Hosted at the company’s head
office in Mina Al Fahal, the Sheikh
reiterated the worth of ethical
collective practices in cultivating
social development. Hailing from
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Sheikh Al Jubailan expressed that
our social fabric is sewn together
Omanoil hosts renowned islamic speaker
with the threads of virtue and
benevolence, and a great society
consists of people with self-respect
as well as respect for others. A
model corporate citizen practicing
goodwill and integrity, omanoil aims
to transfer the company’s values
to the nation’s people through its
employees. The pioneering fuel
and lubricants marketing company
advocates youth engagement and
empowerment programs to create
agents of change and nurture a
new generation of leaders. Under
the theme, ‘Your Friends Make You
Who You Are’, the Rekaaz campaign
addresses underlying socio-
behavioural concerns among the
youth. The three-month programme
has witnessed a series of omanoil-
sponsored interactive seminars by
influential figures in Islamic teachings.
Oris proudly presents the first Rectangular with a titanium case. The skeleton
hands with luminous inlay make an appearance here. The bold luminous
numerals are a world away from the usual Oris culture look.
The cut out view of the date function allows a glimpse of the circular
movement. As the dial turns, the central horizontal stripe indicates the current
date although the full range remains visible. The multi piece case is big and
chunky rather than slim and delicate, but the curved profile of the lightweight
titanium construction ensures a snug fit on the wrist.
The Oris Rectangular “Bob Dylan” Limited Edition
In one of his most well-known songs, Bob Dylan sings that “The Times
They Are A-Changin” but the great artist himself remains constant in his
decades-long influence on our culture. In the 60's he came to prominence
as the unofficial voice of the counterculture and has since become one of
the most important and popular artists of all time. Bob Dylan’s impact on the
world spans generations, reaching all who hear him with his distinctive voice
and poetic lyrics. He is quite simply a multi-talented living legend: singer
songwriter, performer, poet, musician, author and painter.
As a tribute to Bob Dylan, Oris has created a special edition Rectangular
model, limited to just 3000 pieces worldwide. The stainless steel cased
watches carry Bob Dylan’s signature on the finely patterned dial. His portrait is
engraved on the case back along with the limited edition number of the watch.
A small glass window offers a glimpse of the complex mechanical movement
with the famous Oris red rotor.
Bob Dylan has experimented in more different fields than any other artist but
has always returned to his musical roots. The watch design reflects this in its
use of slick modern proportions, which make it stylish rather than fashionable.
This exclusive Oris limited edition comes in a presentation box set with a
Hohner Marine Band harmonica – the instrument for which Dylan is best
known. The Oris Rectangular “Bob Dylan” Limited Edition: an
exception to all the rules. Solo and unplugged.
The Oris Rectangular Titan
19Black & White
Dr Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is mourning it’s
chief designer of many years, Anatole Carl Lapine,
who died on 29 April 2012 in Baden-Baden. Lapine
headed up the Style Porsche design studio from 1969
to 1988. Michael Mauer, Porsche’s chief designer since
2004, paid homage to the deceased: “Anatole Lapine
shaped Porsche sports car design over more than two
decades. As a designer he didn’t follow fashion but
was forever setting new trends with his concepts.”
Former Porsche chief designer Anatole Lapine is dead
The Sultan’s School, the only Omani
school to follow the International
Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, will
host the prestigious Information
Technology in a Global Society
(ITGS) exam standardization
meetings for the first time in the
Sultanate. Traditionally held in the
United Kingdom and the Netherlands
where the IB headquarters are
located, the meetings determine the
standards for examination marking in
IB schools worldwide.
As part of the visit, The Sultan’s
School will welcome Senior IB
Examiners Elizabeth Orams based
in Peru, David Cousens from The
Koç School, Istanbul, Turkey,
Richard Taylor based in the United
Kingdom and Barbara Stefanics from
the Vienna International School in
Austria. They will join The Sultan’s
School’s own IB Senior Examiners
Eli and Ada Bomfim, ITGS Higher
Level Principal Examiners.
Graeme Garrett, Principal at The
Sultan’s School, said, “We are
honoured to welcome such esteemed
and respected figures from around
the world to our school and to
Oman for this important meeting
whose wealth of experience will
add great value to the grading
system. We, at The Sultan’s School
are firm believers in the merits of
the International Baccalaureate
schooling system and it is vital to
the future of our children that the
marking standards are maintained
so they receive the marks, and
future opportunities, their hard work
deserves.”
The Sultan’s school hosts seminar
TEDxMuscat, the event that brings
people together to share a TED-like
experience, will take place on May 16th at
the Millennium Resort Mussanah and will
feature inspirational talks, performances
and a full day of networking and dialogue
for all TEDx fans. “Last year’s TEDxMuscat
was a great success and provided a
platform for innovations; the talks and
performances were awe-inspiring”, said
Arun Raj, a TEDxMuscat event organiser.
Inspired by the renowned TED
conferences, the key theme of this year’s
TEDxMuscat will be ‘Passion for Creation’,
and topics will range from art, innovation, technology, and
above all the amazing power of the human mind.
TEDxMuscat 2012 is an opportunity for leading
visionaries and storytellers to speak to an
amazing group of thinkers and doers, as
well as to the world at large. The day-long
event is not to be missed and will also
be streamed live to various colleges and
universities across the Sultanate.
Satyabrata Acharya, Host and Curator,
and Roopesh Bhatnagar, event organiser,
said: “At TEDxMuscat this year, we want to
bring together tomorrow’s innovators and
engage in a genuine discussion on ‘Passion
for Creation’ with the goal of inspiring,
informing and entertaining the audience.
This year too TEDxMuscat is bringing an
incredible line-up of keynote speakers who, in line with
the TEDx tradition, will be challenged to give ‘the talk of
his or her life’.
TEDxMuscat 2012
20 May 21-June 6, 2012
Big mistake. Being born Indian and not being a
cricketer. That is like being a scorpion and not
stinging. It’s in your nature, nothing you can do
about it. And I would have been so good at not
playing, like okay half a million and I’ll bowl an extra
no ball besides the three in the deal.
You want to sweeten the pot, okay fine, I’ll give a
snick to the wicket-keeper on ball 3 and we are all
happy bunnies. That’s another 250 thou and that is
a great offer because I am in a good mood.
It’s free enterprise, right. I love all these VIP celeb
cricketers on TV babbling on about the glorious
game and the traditions of the sport and the honour
and dignity that goes with it and there are old hon
and dig writhing on the floor being stomped on by
anyone with a little bit of business sense.
We must protect the reputation of the game. You
kidding, the reputation died and was buried years
ago. Let it be, it is a movie, a circus, an escape from
the humdrum lives of most people. Take the money.
Think about it, people. These cricketers are not
saints. They are not Mother Theresa. They are
performers so they perform and if you ask them
to do tricks they do tricks. The thing is they want
money for their tricks. So, fine you want to pay me
to non-perform let’s hear the sum of money.
Imagine you are in your office and your boss walks
in and says, son (they never say, daughter) you
have a great career ahead of you, what I am going
to do is buy you a 4 wheel drive, invest in a villa on
the Palms, the frond not the trunk and triple your
salary if you promise not to do a good job, actually,
no, let me say, do a bad job deliberately, please, do
we have a deal.
You’ll first think he is barmy, touch of the sun,
summer is here, then the merit of the argument will
seep in, why not, dude doesn’t want me to work,
okay, chief, chief, can you bung in a round the world
first class ticket with hotel vouchers and you and I,
we are okay.
Makes sense to you? Of course not. But it does to
people who do things other people want to watch
them doing. No one wants to watch you work so
that’s why you don’t get the free villa.
So, they make money, loads of it, for opening
shops, for cutting ribbons, for just appearing and
I don’t why it is called corruption. If a franchisee
wants to give a bonus so be it. Cricket and
corruption are also buddies, they live in the same
house, what sort of profound sting operation do you
need to figure out these guys must be doing it all the
time…it is now intrinsic to the glorious ‘uncertainty’
of cricket.
I love it when folks express shock and disbelief.
Yes, sure, you live in lala land where milk ands
honey flow through green pastures and the sun rays
dance on your kitchen floor. Get real and smell the
leather.
What does it need for us to realize that this is
exactly what you would do…bowl a no-ball for a
million bucks, wipe out the white line, my daddy is
a postal clerk you know, a million bucks, give me
a break, I’ll gallop down half the pitch and bowl
underarm and stand on my head and roll over for
that kind of bread seeing as how 90 per cent of the
human race does it anyway every day and gets
peanuts for sucking up and rolling over and laughing
at the boss’s jokes.
At least there is big money here.
You know what, leave these tiddlers alone, they
don’t count for nothing. Go for the big boys if you
have the guts. Start at the top, where it stinks.
Get some massive memory Cray computer and
feed in the results of these IPL matches and the
consistency with which huge runs have been scored
in the last ten odd balls and how many last ball wins
recorded and how chaps who were gardening at
the wicket suddenly got this inspiration to whack the
ball over the ropes in a series and the tightest of
bowlers just as suddenly started sending full tosses
(searching for the block-hole) and donkey drops.
Then tabulate the results and ask two questions.
What are the odds that this closeness factor could
occur so frequently? Ten thousand to one??????
Has any tournament including the last four IPLs ever
had such a neck and neck ongoing drama?
Hmmmmm, Mama can I please be a cricketer…you
can then live with me on the Palms.
Cricket, ugly cricketBy Bikram Vohra Bikram Vohra, internationally-
known Gulf based scribe
Sunny s
ide u
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20 May 21-June 6, 2012
21Black & White
COMMUNICATION ALTERNATIVE
I am a person who believes that technology can make
lives easier and communication better. The world has
become a better place to live in today because of that,
but, there are still pockets of disconnection around, in
various sections of the society. With all sorts of media
around, the world indeed has become a smaller place.
As a media, we are responsible to all sections of
society, not just in matters of communication, but also
in bringing them together for a cause, by creating
common platforms of thoughts and events. Our
promise is to continue doing so in a progressive and
positive manner.
PUPPETRY AN AID TO EDUCATION AND
COMMUNICATION
Even when technology is leaping ahead, there are
many out there left behind, cut out from the world. A
recent workshop on puppetry held in Oman opened
our eyes to a new world of alternative communication.
Our salutations to those organisations behind the
scenes, trying to use puppetry as an aid to education
and communication, bringing all members of different
communities and talents under one common platform.
Research says the involvement of edutainment and puppetry performances help to raise consciousness, and to achieve more probably a change of behaviour
Mohamed Issa Al ZadjaliEditor-in-chief
In Black...
& White
In B
lack &
Whit
e
Puppetry is not new. It has been existing for thousands
of years and is a traditional form of entertainment, which
has existed from time immemorial conveying meaningful
messages. Puppets are characters and not people, hence
can be used to spread social messages on sensitive
issues through the youth. Puppetry incorporates elements
of all art forms such as literature, painting, sculpture,
music, dance, drama and enables students to develop
their creative abilities.
Communication through puppets can help to facilitate
feedbacks, to encourage follow-up community actions and
to break the rigidity posed by societal stigmas. Research
says the involvement of edutainment and puppetry
performances help to raise consciousness, and to achieve
more probably a change of behaviour.
SUDOKU FOR AUTISM
We invite all our readers to participate and attend the
upcoming third edition of Sudoku for Autism, which will
be held on June 1. The event will see George Widener in
Oman, a brilliant autistic savant, who in his own way has
ventured out to create awareness for those affected with
Autism.
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22 May 21-June 6, 2012
23Black & White
The spotlight is on a small muddled figure in coloured clothing.
He seems to be trying to sleep. Swirling all around him is pitch
darkness. Then, as we watch this figure twitch in his sleep, slowly
from out of the darkness some misshapen figures emerged and
trundled towards the sleeping form. They let off a low sinister wail
that seemed to rise in tempo and the sleeping figure awakes with
a start. Seeing the ghostly figures, he also lets off a wail in sheer
fright. They all howl in unison and with rising inflection.
23Black & White
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25Black & White
Mahmoud Al Hourani, founder/director of the Arab
Puppet Theatre Foundation (APTF) moves along with
his newfound students in Oman with an ease that seems
to belie the fact that he has met them only a week or so
before. He is lean, wiry, and focussed on only one thing –
his students have to get their puppet act right. For that he
will go to great lengths, even shoo off nosy scribes trying
to get an angle of what puppetry was all about. And that
is what he did, shooed us off right from the stage and told
us to stay clear and not to distract his protégés.
PUPPETS TELL STORIES
By the way, what is puppetry? Don’t pore into books
and the net for an answer – it is very simple. Puppetry
is an act by talented people who tell a story with their
hands. They act with furry objects (men, women,
children, animals) held over their heads and coordinate
movements to create a living being. Well, actually a
story. These furry hands create magical stories peopled
with furry living beings that can even penetrate the soul;
such is their power that they can move you to do better,
become better human beings; give you an awakening
to the fact that you are a being with a soul and not just
mindless flesh and bones; that you have a mission on
earth to fulfill, not just eat, drink, make money and forget
that it is a world where others exist.
POWER TO EDUCATE
Even if it may not push you to move mountains, puppets
still have the power to educate and this is the reason why
so many have turned to harness puppet power. In Oman,
the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) organised
the first ‘Puppetry Theatre Training of Trainers – Oman
2012’ (May 8 to 12) at the auditorium of the ministry of
education. “This is the first of its kind in the AGCC with
an emphasis on bringing together various sectors with
a focus on civic engagement, peer education, youth
empowerment, women’s empowerment and reproductive
health – as per the UNFPA mandate. The training hosted
members of the theatre group of the Oman Association
for the Disabled, teachers of the Association of Early
Intervention for Children with Disability, and primary
education and sports teachers from the Department of
Private Schools of the Ministry of Education, as well as
members of the Youth Peer Education Network (Y-Peer)
Oman,” an UNFPA spokesperson told Black & White.
The aim of the workshop was to train the participants to
become trainers in the art of puppetry theatre to maximise
their outreach to others, particularly young people and
those with special needs, and provide them the skills of a
new method of expression, interaction and teaching, the
spokesperson said.
THE PUPPET MASTER
“Ok, that is fine, but you have to raise the figures –“ cuts in a wiry agile figure who spoke as he leapt on to the stage -- where the figures were
being paraded from behind a black screen -- with relative ease. He goes behind the black screen and then demonstrates how the scary
figures should come and scare the sleeping figure. There is a marked difference between his presentation and the one we viewed just minutes ago: The difference between a first and a seasoned attempt; between a
student and a real master.
The puppet can say whatever needs to be said without implicating the puppeteer in the eyes of the audience. The potential of youth can be tapped only if you know which button to press. Involvement is the button that should be pressed.
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INTEGRATING COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNICATION
The ministry of education (MoE) has partnered with the
UNFPA to organise the ‘Puppetry Theatre Training of
Trainers – Oman 2012’ hosting 30 participants. “The MoE
has organised similar puppetry and interactive media
seminars and workshops to enhance the quality and
reach of education in the community.
The workshop brought together 30 participants from
different communities and cultures and associations and
trained them to be effective communicators and trainers
in their own field of expertise. The interaction has created
a rapport between them, taught them to face challenges
and communicate in a better and positive way. The
workshop will be a catalyst to reaching out to the children
with special needs and training,” noted Siham Al Riyami,
deputy director for international programmes and private
schools, MoE.
“The language of puppetry has always been a good
one for teachers and trainers the world over. A teacher
is a person who works to facilitate the acquisition of
knowledge. She/he is an important influence in the
lives of the students. If the student does not feel safe
expressing his feelings, his experiences or his questions,
his curiosity may be suppressed and learning cannot
happen.
“The puppet can say whatever needs to be said without
implicating the puppeteer in the eyes of the audience.
The potential of a youth can be tapped only if you know
which button to press. Involvement is the button that
should be pressed. When you involve the youth, they
take up responsibility and spearhead projects, involving
communities. These workshops are very interactive,
bring out the inner strength and talents of the youth, and
involve them socially in the nation building process. They
come out as better human beings.
“The workshop has touched many topics from bullying in
school, to various social causes, traffic safety, involving
students and trainers. The trainers will become better and
interesting communicators to their students, who will be
enriched in the process. We hope to keep this process
of enhancing teaching aids further every year,” Siham
noted.
NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS
But learning and performing puppetry is not an easy task,
although Mahmoud Hourani feels otherwise. Puppet
performing it is not easy and it requires thorough and
consistent practice before one can become an expert.
A puppeteer needs to study different techniques such
as the basic positioning, diction, arm rods and body
movements.
PRESS
THE RIGHT
BUTTON“Puppetry has been used as a
demonstrative teaching tool, as an approach to help develop language and communication skills, as a therapeutic
tool, and as a form of theater and school arts for many years now. It is not a new form of communication; it is just reviving an old form to a
new generation. The youth are very vulnerable today and it becomes a
responsibility that they are guided and communicated in the right way."
Siham Al Riyami, deputy director for international programmes and
private schools, ministry of education
27Black & White
The most common type of hand puppets is the simple
hand puppet (like the ones Hourani’s students were
using) and the larger hand puppet. Each of the puppets
has their distinct usage in puppet shows. The simple
hand puppets have few or no moving parts at all. They
are usually made up of flexible materials and have distinct
facial features such as eyes and nose. The mouth is often
included on the simple hand puppets but it is usually
there just for design purposes. It does not even open or
close unless a thumb enters a pocket allowing it to move.
What may look like child’s play is lot of action and lot of
practice and dogged dedication, and there is no room for
mistakes on stage, because there are no retakes. For a
professional puppeteer, it is not an easy task, because he
or she has to be consistent and more importantly need to
do it before the most demanding audience: children.
RENDEZVOUS WITH PUPPETS
Hourani managed to find some time to speak to us
during the puppet practice break. He apologises for
shooing us off the stage, but explains how and why the
students need to have full focus on their work. Puppets
and cartoons have fascinated him from a very young
age, he says whilst still throwing furtive glances at his
students on the stage of the auditorium of the ministry
of education. “I remember it was in 1992 that I started
my life with puppets. I was a refugee from Palestine and
lived in camps and saw people come in with puppets to
amuse us, communicate and take forward messages. “I
fell in love with puppets at the first sight and I knew where
I wanted to be. My brother was an artist and sparked
my creative venture by drawing and painting images
for the backdrops of my puppetry stages. In 1992, I
hosted my first puppetry show at a UN camp. They say
writing is reading… in a similar ways watching different
puppetry shows opened my mind as well many doors of
opportunity for me in the world of puppets.
“From there I started my life in theatres, learned to be
an actor and started experimenting with puppetry. The
art form left a huge impact on me and I realised that with
proper learning and training I could take this art forward in
an effective manner.
The following years saw me learn the theatre art; acquire
experience and knowledge in formal and informal
education sectors in London and other parts of the UK.
I have been an experienced youth worker and a puppet
theatre teacher.”
A TRADITIONAL ART FORM
The main hurdle in the field of puppetry is that it has a
traditional way of propagation: father to son… “But, not
much could be learned from the family tradition alone.
You have to experiment many trades and techniques to
create better modes of communication,” Hourani says.
Let's underst
Presenter:
Major Sponsors:
Preliminary on May 30, 2012
7pm at Indian School Al Ghubra
George Widener
Autistic Savant & Artist
Celebrity Guest
tand Autism
Grand Finale on June 1, 2012
7.30pm at Oman Auditorium, Al Bustan Palace Hotel
Co Sponsors:
Celebrity Guest
Suniel Shetty
Bollywood star
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30 May 21-June 6, 2012
“Puppetry involves acting out fantasy in behaviour to deal
with real life situations! It is not a new form; it has been
existent for many centuries. It takes away inhibitions
and brings out the inner side of the person performing
the puppet. It helps in knowing the person. Even a shy
person could open up and communicate. For a child or
a student, the puppet could be their best pal. And when
professional training techniques and expertise is added
on, you can sharpen the minds of the youth and integrate
them in to social responsibility,” Hourani noted.
PUPPETS TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE
“The puppet theatre has taken me places. As a young boy
it changed my life and I have done my bit in taking the art
forward, adding on better techniques and experiences to
reach out to the younger generation in a better manner.
People have really identified with the scenarios we act
out through the puppets; I think it quite often touches a
nerve. Through the puppets, audiences learn about the
importance of having empathy, being patient, remaining
calm, and about the power of reminiscence.
Using different scenarios, the skits mirrored real life
situations that family members deal with on a daily basis.
“Planning, designing, and performing a puppet show
require a community effort. It requires group cooperation
and the building of a sense of ‘we’. This coming together
for a common cause is another example of experiential
learning. Hopefully, it can provide a good basis for the
understanding of belonging,” Hourani says.
PUPPETS MAKE YOU RESPONSIBLE
“Puppetry requires experiencing many art forms, which in
turn can enhance the learning experience. The process
of finding out material from your own surroundings, giving
it life, a character, a visual representation can enhance
confidence and pride.
The script, dialogues, behind the scene delivery, adding
on music can burrow a path to the soul. It is a very
creative and involving process and I can vouch with my
experience that every person coming out of a puppetry
workshop will be a live and responsible person, ready to
take the art forward with pride and ease,” Hourani said.
31Black & White
“The teachers from the association of early intervention participated
with an aim to go back and train others in the team, communicate
and train the special children in novel and exciting ways. Every
workshop brings different communities and cultures together, making
us more tolerant and capable in many different ways.
“When we were asked to make our own puppets, create characters,
all of us were a little shy, hoping to be right in some way. At the end
of the workshop, we learnt one good lesson: there are no wrong
answers in creativity and communication. Every solution is right,
every creation is right in its own way, since there are no hard and fast
rules to limit the learning process.”
ALL SORTS OF PUPPETRY
In a short span of an exhaustive workshop, the participants learned
all sorts of puppet making, from hand puppets to shadow puppets.
It was a learning experience of all sorts. “We learnt to create
characters, scripts, themes, dramas, with simple ideas, but strong
messages. The special kids need understanding and a means of
special communication process. This workshop taught us better ways
to communicate. We chose many simple themes from road safety to
etiquette.
MADE AN ICE CREAM TALK!
“The process of creating live characters’ from dead materials
made our tired minds active and alive. Every time I look around,
NO WRONG ANSWERS!
“The six-day puppetry workshop has been a mind opener for all of us. It taught us to explore, communicate, coordinate, and participate without any limitations or restrictions. For
many of us, the exposure to various forms of puppetry was quite new and
complicated. “We were taught to create puppets from everything around us,
from pieces of torn paper to bottle caps and threads. It made us realise that everything around us is worthwhile and we could do wonders with what we have around us,” explained Aida
Suleiman Saihi, who participated in the workshop. Aida is a special education, diploma programme coordinator at the Association for Early Intervention for
Children with Disability.
I see all sorts of things talking to me,
communicating. My hands itch to create
new forms from everything I see around,
add a name, a voice… last night I was
with my family eating an ice cream cone
and I could not help myself from creating a
face (on the ice cream) and even do a talk
show with an ice cream character that I had
created!
B&
W X
clu
sive
32 May 21-June 6, 2012
“Yes, scripted one of the shows for the closing ceremony
of the workshop – the theme was on marriage. It is about
the values of marriage and of healthy choices. I write
poems too. I feel confident that I can train the kids with
better skills and in an interesting manner. The workshop
inspired all of us and brought us together under one
platform of thoughts and ideas.”
Another participant that B&W spoke to was the Mazoon
Al Zadjali of the Y Peer group (**). Seven members from
the Y Peer group participated.
Mazoon, who is a young social worker and student,
explained her reasons for participating: “I am a
management student at the Modern College of Business
Studies and also a social worker, part of the Y Peer
Group. I am one of the participants of the puppetry
workshop. As part of the younger generation, I felt the
puppet’s way of communication is very creative and
local. It is like reading a story book, or listening to your
grandmother’s tales. It is an effective communication
tool and I am grateful that I could be a part of this exciting
workshop.”
Though in today’s world, technology has taken the fore
front of communication, these simple puppets capture the
imagination and make it easy to reach out to the masses,
Mazoon added. “I have learnt quite a lot during the last
six days and will take this forward with our group."
CREATIVE EXPERIENCE
LIKE READING A STORY BOOK
Masooma Al Zadjali, another participant, noted how the six
day workshop proved to be a real enriching experience. “Every one of
us felt useful and important. We were taught to look at every little thing
with an open mind; taught to create live puppets from recycled materials and made us realise that we could
actually learn from every little particle of this world,” Masooma, who is a
trainer at the Oman Association for the Disabled, said. A poetess, Masooma
also wrote the script of one of the shows.
33Black & White
Excerpts:
When did the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) start its operations in Oman?
The AGCC area office was inaugurated in 2006.
However, the UNFPA* has been collaborating with the
government of Oman and offering its technical assistance
since over a decade.
Could you highlight the achievements of the UNFPA?
The UNFPA AGCC area office is a member of the
Family and Child Health Committee, UN theme group
and task force that is responsible for the implementation
of the national HIV/AIDS response strategy. One major
achievement was the two year (2008 to 2010) "Let's
Talk AIDS" social communication campaign, which
included in total four phases. Another achievement was
the establishment of the Oman Youth Peer Education
Network (Y-Peer Oman) in 2008 and its successful
operating until today. The Y-Peers tackle and inform
about important social issues and concerns through peer
education, using various methods such as edutainment.
Within its population mandate, UNFPA AGCC area
office offered its technical assistance in 2011 to 2012
to the ministry of social development to conduct a
nationwide assessment of all state income generating
activities (IGAs) for social welfare beneficiaries and train
the ministry's focal points from all the regions of the
Sultanate in IGA monitoring and evaluation; including
standardisation of the applicants sheets and data entry.
The UNFPA was also involved in the translation of the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW) report of Oman.
Why has the UNFPA chosen puppetry as a tool for
training the trainers?
Puppetry, including shadow theatre, can be used to
entertain and communicate with all ages. The techniques
can be imparted quickly and in a very inexpensive
manner, making it perfect and easy to use at the field
work of a teacher and/or educator. You can outreach
to and inform numerous crowds through different plays,
from complicated to basic ones, in a very playful and
effective way; while utilising sophisticated or simple
puppets made for example out of recycled materials.
Hence, this form of theatre can suit the requirements of
various social engaged groups; those who have a specific
budget, and those who don't. Since in Oman puppetry
was used solely limited to some extent for theatre
purpose and speech therapy, we thought to introduce
this art form on a broader level; assuring its continuance
by involving members from various groups such as the
Ministry of Education, Oman Association for Disabled,
the Association of Early Intervention for Children with
Disability and Y-Peer Oman. The common factor of all
trainees is their civic engagement.
How successful was the puppetry experience and
would this continue on an annual basis?
The Puppetry Theatre TOT - Oman 2012 was very
successful. The feedback we have received from the
trainees and trainers themselves, representatives from
the involved organisations such as the Association of
Early Intervention for Children with Disability and Oman
Association for Disabled, and the Ministry of Education
was positive and encouraging. We are currently
discussion various ideas, including a "Training of Trainers
Camp" on an AGCC level.
PUPPETRY
THEATRE – A
GRAND SUCCESS
Salah Al Saleh, programme associate at the UNFPA AGCC area office spoke to the Black & White after the staging of the ‘Puppetry Theatre
TOT - Oman 2012’ at the auditorium of the ministry of education.
(*) For more information on the UNFPA, visit the global website on www.unfpa.org or the local website on gcc.unfpa.org
B&
W X
clu
sive
34 May 21-June 6, 2012
Puppet master Mahmoud along with a few of the participants
B&
W X
clu
sive
34 May 21-June 6, 2012
35Black & White 35Black & White
B&
W X
clu
sive
36 May 21-June 6, 2012
(**)
Y-Peer Group, Oman
The Youth Peer Education Network (Y-Peer) is a comprehensive youth-to-youth initiative pioneered by UNFPA. The Y-Peer has been
established in 48 countries including Oman. The network is still in progress of expanding by launching in other countries.
Y-Peer is a network of more than 500 non-profit organisations and governmental institutions. Its membership includes thousands of
young people who work in many areas surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The Y-Peer network target audiences are
young people. It has been found that to put across the information for the targeted audience; the information should be presented in a fun,
interesting and interactive way.
Aside from providing amusement and fun, puppets
nowadays have taken a political turn and are also used
in thinly veiled political caricatures and satire. These
political puppets are often modeled on known political
personalities and are often depicted in the characters’
usual political setting.
Whatever the size or the design, puppets and puppet
shows today still provide wonderful entertainment to
many people of all ages.
Kids love to play with puppets as it allows them to set free
their creative imagination. Puppets can bring great joy not
only to kids, but also to adults, all over the world.
Puppets in politics
37Black & White
Puppets were first introduced to the
world of entertainment thousands of
years ago. It originated from Greece
as the Greeks then were known to
be fond of theatrical presentations.
Though they enjoyed theater, they
found supporting the actors financially
rather expensive, so that they turned
to the use of puppets in plays. They
soon discovered that puppets were
just as able as actors to elicit positive
response from the audience, so
they continued to patronise the use
of puppets in puppet shows and
presentations, and soon stage puppet
shows became many people’s favorite
past time.
Today, puppets and puppet shows
have come far from their humble
beginnings and still continue to be
popular. Many puppets are patterned
after animals such as frogs, elephants
and birds. Every puppet used on
stage has a distinct characteristic and
personality. The differing personality
is expressed not only by the puppet’s
design but also by its individual body
movements as expressed by the
puppeteer’s hand movement.
Puppets as good
as actors
Text: Adarsh Madhavan & Priya Arunkumar Photos: Ben
38 May 21-June 6, 2012
• June 21st is the first day of summer. And June was named either for Juniores, the lower branch of the Roman Senate, or Juno, the wife of Jupiter, a Roman god
• July was named by Marc Antony in honor of Julius Caesar.
• August was named for Julius Caesar’s adopted nephew, Gaius Julius Caesar
Octavinus, who received the title Augustus, meaning “reverend.” He named the month for himself.
• The last day of summer is September 20th. The first day of autumn begins on September 21st.
• September comes from the Latin word septem meaning ‘seven.’ Julius Caesar gave it this name, when it actually was the seventh month in the calendar!
• On September 13, 1922, the temperature in the shade in the Libyan Desert reached 136 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot enough to fry an egg on a rock!
• On July 4th in the year 1956, a world record for the most rain falling in one minute was recorded in Unionville, Maryland. The record was 1.23 inches in that one minute!
• Hailstones weighing 1.67 pounds fell in Coffeyville, Kansas on September 3rd, 1970, which set a world record!
Fun Facts about the months of
When you think about summer, what comes to mind? The long, hot, sticky days during the summer make it some people’s favorite season. For others, thoughts of summer are associated with cold foods, like ice
cream. Here are a few fun facst on summer months:
SUMMER
Kid
stuff
38 May 21-June 6, 2012
39Black & White
Dare to Dream...Azim Premji
By Dr CK Anchan
Dr Anchan C.K.
managing director,
World Wide Business House
Azim Hashim Premji is an Indian business
tycoon and philanthropist who is the chairman
of Wipro Limited, guiding the company
through four decades of diversification and
growth to emerge as one of the Indian leader
in the software industry. According to Forbes,
he is currently the third wealthiest Indian, and
the 41st richest in the world, with a personal
wealth of $15.9 billion in 2012.
Under his able guidance Wipro has
metamorphosed from a Rs70 million
company in hydrogenated cooking fats to
a pioneer in providing integrated business,
technology and process solutions on a global
delivery platform. Wipro Technologies is the
largest independent R&D service provider
in the world and is ranked among the top
100 technology companies globally. The
company’s IT division became the world’s first
to win SEI CMM level 5 and PCMM Level 5
certification.
This is Azim Premji's success mantras:
DARE TO DREAM
All I had with me was a dream. A dream
of building a great organisation. It requires
courage to keep dreaming.
DEFINE WHAT YOU STAND FOR
Define what you stand for as early as possible
and do not compromise with it for any reason.
But remember that values are meaningful
only if you practice them. Values are a matter
of trust.
NEVER LOSE YOUR ZEST AND
CURIOSITY
The natural zest and curiosity for learning
is one of the greatest drivers for keeping
updated on knowledge. The same zest is
needed to keep learning new things.
ALWAYS STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE
Being the best in the country is not enough;
one has to be the best in the world.
Excellence is a moving target. One has to
constantly raise the bar.
BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
Self-confidence comes from a positive
attitude even in adverse situations.
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior
without your consent.
LEARN TO WORK IN TEAMS
You cannot fire a missile from a canoe. Ability
to become an integral part of a cross- cultural
team will be a must for success.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
You will need lots of energy to deal with
challenges. Unless you take care of yourself
there is no way you can take care of others.
PERSEVERE
Finally, no matter what you decide to do in
your life, you must persevere, persevere,
persevere. Keep at it and you will succeed, no
matter how hopeless it seems at times.
HAVE BROADER SOCIAL VISION
I personally believe that the greatest gift one
can give to others is the gift of education. We
who have been so fortunate to receive this gift
and know how valuable it is.
NEVER LET SUCCESS GO TO YOUR
HEAD
No matter what we achieve, it is important to
remember that we owe this success to many
factors and people outside us. This will not
only help us in keeping our sense of modesty
and humility intact but also help us retain
proportion and balance.
39Black & White
Managem
ent
talk
40 May 21-June 6, 2012
A supermarket manager commented on how his mart was robbed twice in the
space of nearly eight months and how after this period two new supermarkets
came in the vicinity taking away a chunk of his business away. What is the
connection, we asked and he gave us a sad, but mysterious smile. “Well,
just think about it…we had two major robberies at our mart, which inflicted
a major blow for us. While we were still reeling under this (blow), two big
supermarkets opened in the same vicinity. We lost some of our staff to this
supermarkets and a good chunk of our business too. Now, only the real
loyal customers still frequent us.
We are doing half the business
that we were doing while our
competitors are doing quite well,
compared to us.” That is how
things are, we consoled the man.
You will do well soon, not to worry.
“We are not going to do as well
as we did before. The robberies
were a major blow and then these
supermarkets came and took
away our business…don’t you see
the coincidence?”
D-uh, we said. What was he trying
to hint? We do not get the drift --
do you?
If you don’t like a movie, will you ask the movie theatre to refund the ticket
money? If you don’t like the food you ate at a restaurant, will you ask for
a refund (of course, if you discover a dead roach in it, which is a different
story…)? There are some things in life when and where you are not
able to ask for a refund. But, there is this person who seems bent
upon getting his refund for a paid celebrity dinner function he had
attended because, as he claims, the star did not stay the full part of
the evening. Whether this fact is true or not, the reality is that this man
was seen posing with the celebrity concerned in the pictures taken
during the event and was also seen to have a cold drink on his table.
But, his claim is that he never ate and he wants the money he paid
for the dinner refunded. Should the refund be made or not -- your call
folks?
Too much of a
coincidence?
To refund or
not to…
Nit
tern
att
er
We have been thinking of it since quite sometime now. Fi-nally, we have taken the plunge to bring home to you some offbeat stuff. Here goes, if you like it, give us the green signal for more; if not, just take it with a pinch of salt. For this fort-night, here is some nitter natter for the B&W Bitter Batter:
41Black & White
It would have been great if the authorities concerned actually implemented
the traffic rule, which said that anyone caught
speaking on the phone while driving would be put in
jail for 10 days, comments many observers. Though
they agree that it is harsh, they claim that it would
bring about a difference in the road accidents and
death statistics scene here. Will it? We still think it
is all about attitude, that don’t care attitude, which
is the real cause of accidents in Oman. Many who
drive don’t care if their bad and careless driving
can actually cause harm – forget the fact that it
can cause grave danger to themselves -- to other
motorists or pedestrians. It is attitude that causes
accidents; it is attitude that kills on the road. It is
attitude that has to change.
‘Killer’ attitude
Look before
you leap
(Note: Readers who have something bitter to chatter about can either email on [email protected] or call 99218461)
41Black & White
Sometimes, it is better that you don’t help people who claim to be in trouble,
says a disgruntled part-time humanitarian. This small businessman wanted
to help a man who was sent to him for some help, mainly legal. But, little
did he know what he was getting into. As usual, he went full throttle and
supported the worker in all ways. But, he did not
realise that the worker was only giving his side of the
story and that too, not fully. And, what was left out
was crucial because although the worker painted his
employer as a money pinching slave driver, the truth
was otherwise. Both had their share of the mistakes,
but since the businessman went full on and made his
lawyer take the employer to court (for the sake of the
employee), he got into a quandary when the case
came up. The poor man opened a Pandora’s Box and
soon he realised the worker had only given him half
the truth and had to bear the consequences of his
impulsive action
42 May 21-June 6, 2012
Announcing
On Friday June 1, 2012
On Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Grand Finale
Preliminary
591623784
436785192
278914365
964532871
157846923
823179546
649357218
785261439
3124986572011 C
onceptis Puzzles, D
ist. by King F
eatures Syndicate, Inc.
Difficulty Level8/12
Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place
the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the
same number only once.
SOLUTION:
9
6
84
4
2
91
9
4
2
7
9
1
5
6
57
7
9
31
8
5
2011
Con
cept
is P
uzzl
es, D
ist.
by K
ing
Feat
ures
Syn
dica
te, I
nc.
By Dave Green
Difficulty Level 8/12
Sudoku
43Black & White
Bollywood’s ‘He’ man will be lending
his muscle to the autism cause here.
Suniel Shetty, Indian film actor,
producer, hotelier, fashion boutique
owner and a known philanthropist, is
all set to champion the autism cause
by attending the third edition of the
Black & White You Play Sudoku
Open to All competition – 2012,
which will be held at the Oman
Auditorium of Al Bustan Palace
hotel, on June 1 at 7pm.
The event will feature at one end
George Widener, the gifted autistic
savant, date genius and calendar
artist and at the other is ‘Anna’ (as
Suniel Shetty is fondly known) who
besides being a Bollywood star and
successful businessman is equally
known for his passion to help the
underprivileged.
The presence of both these ‘stars’
-- in their respective fields -- will add
the necessary impetus for the event
to bring the cause of autism more
into the public eye, the organisers
feel. “Other than the genius
George Widener, we are glad
to have also roped in Bollywood
star Suniel Shetty to this event,”
opined Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali,
editor in chief of Black & White, the
organisers of the event.
Presented by Renaissance Services
SAOG, the Sudoku for Autism event
is also sponsored by Oman Drydock
Company, Samsung – SARCO,
Khimji Watches, NBO, Al Ansari and
Uni-ball.
This year’s Sudoku competition
will feature puzzles created by the
Sudoku World Champion, Thomas
Snyder. The preliminary contests
will be held on May 30 at the Indian
School Al Ghubra Auditorium.
For more details mail to
24565697
SUNIEL SHETTY to champion the
autism cause in Oman
Guidelines & Rules
45Black & White
46 May 21-June 6, 2012
Take your time. A
decision you make will clearly
affect your future earning potential.
Put your best foot forward and
show everyone what you’ve got
going. Your skill coupled with your
determination will captivate a crowd
and help you initiate something
you’ve wanted to do for a long time.
Make memories with
someone you cherish this week,
but be cautious when considering
products that offer to turn you into
something you are not. Don’t spend
money on someone or something
that will not benefit you personally.
You have to invest in you if you want
to be successful.
Take credit where credit is
due. Show your feelings and avoid
unnecessary stress and turmoil.
Someone is likely to jump ship
leaving you high and dry. Don’t let
this stop you from following through
with your plans. You have plenty to
offer and can do just as well all by
yourself.
Open up to new ideas,
lifestyles or activities in the early part
of the week and you will broaden
your outlook. There is a whole new
world waiting for you to take part, so
spread your wings and get involved
in something a little different. It’s very
likely you will discover that change
isn’t so bad after all.
Don’t let anyone convince
you that you must take part in
something or make a donation. You
don’t want to end up being part of a
scam or out cash that you can put
to better use. Avoid making fresh
investments. Emotions are topped up
causing confusion in your personal
life. Stay away from gossipers.
A lifestyle change this week
will help you get out and socialise
with a new group of people who have
lots to offer. You’ll learn a hard lesson
if you let a friend or colleague take
over and take credit for something
you’ve been working towards. Stand
up for your rights or you will set a
standard that will keep repeating.
March 21-April 20
June 22-July 23
April 21-May 20
July 24-August 23
May 21-June 21
August 24-September 23
Your ARIES
CANCER
TAURUS
LEO
GEMINI
VIRGO
Horo
scope
ANGELINA JOLIE (JUNE 4, 1975) is an American
actress and director. She has received an Academy
Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three
Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's
highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011.
Jolie promotes humanitarian causes, and is noted for
her work with refugees as a Special Envoy and former
Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has been
cited as the world's "most beautiful" woman, a title for
which she has received substantial media attention.
Jolie made her screen debut as a child alongside her
father Jon Voight in Lookin' to Get Out (1982), but her
film career began in earnest a decade later with the
low-budget production Cyborg 2 (1993).
Compromise may not sit
well with you, but it will be necessary
if you want to get the support you
need to get your dreams off the
ground. Stick to your story and
eventually you will get through to the
people who count. You cannot give
in to complaints or ultimatums if you
want to come out on top.
Giving in to someone
who is demanding or trying to get
something from you will send the
wrong message. Stand firm and
refuse to pay for someone else’s
mistakes. You can secure your
position personally and financially by
making a few crucial changes to your
portfolio.
Pull out all the stops and
present, promote and push for what
you want. Working quickly to satisfy
a request will speak volumes about
your intentions. Emotional matters
will surface this week, complicating
issues, if you have ignored
someone who depends on you for
companionship and comfort.
Educational or travel plans
may be derailed, if you haven’t got
all your papers in order. Don’t rely
on someone else to fill in the blanks.
Settle matters quickly so you don’t
miss out on an opportunity that pops
up. Take your chance with new
opportunities surfacing. Your home
needs some attention.
Be careful what you
promise others. Someone is likely
to back out of a deal or ask for
something back that you’ve been
given. Put your heart on the line
and you can make some interesting
changes at home that are conducive
to love and romance and raising your
comfort level.
Search for a chance to
try something unique this week. A
partnership with someone who has
as much to contribute is looking
good. You shouldn’t have to use your
own cash or pay for someone else,
in order to get things done properly.
Use your finesse and charm and you
will be the one being paid for.
March 21-April 20
December 23-January 20
April 21-May 20
January 21-February 19
November 23-December 22
February 20-March 20
starsLIBRA
CAPRICORN
SCORPIO
AQUARIUS
SAGITTARIUS
PISCES
E-MAIL: [email protected], Website: www.albahja.com
For men
48 May 21-June 6, 2012
WADI KABIRBait al Zubair Bait al BarandaMarina Bander Al Bustan Palace HotelOman Dive club Shangri-La- Barr Al JissahSri Lankan School NHIPencil Building (Stationery shop)Al Maha bunk –Wadi Kabir Ajay Enterprises (Khimji) – (Next to Jingles nursery) Hotel Golden OasisSana FashionsAl Maya markets – (Old Rawasco) Scientific pharmacy – Opp to al Maya market ( Arab Udipi Rest)
CBD AREA TO DARSAITAl Amana Building materials – Opposite Jawad SultanAl Omaniya Financial Services office Oman oil bunk Khimji mart shopping mall – (Old shopping & saving)Khimjis Bait al Ahlam- CBD areaPizza Muscat (Opposite ministry of manpower)Pizza Hut/TFC – CBD areaCentre point-SplashMuscat Securities market Times of OmanShell petrol Bunk (Next to Sheraton)OCCI Library – Oman Chamber of commerce (OPP MSM)KFC – Ruwi Oman International Bank – RuwiPalayok Restaurant – Filipino restaurant Ever ready supermarket New India Assurance OfficeAl Fair – Ruwi high street Lakhoos Money Exchange, Ruwi High streetDamas Jewellery/office – Ruwi Oman UAE Exchange – OCC CentreAir Arabia Office- Shanfari TravelsRuwi HotelGulf air building – Gulf air officeSaravanabhavan Restaurant Sarco – Samsung showroom Khimji Megastore – Swarovski showroomOTEMoosa Abdul Showroom – next to al JadeedToshiba Showroom Al Jadeed shoppingBadr Al Samaa Samara video (next to Talentz, old bait al ahlam) after 5pmMinistry of Education – Opp Wearhouse – Ruwi Future management consultants -(opp Toshiba showroom)Haffa House HotelAl Falaj Hotel Muscat Bakery- Near church Pakistan School (after temple & church Darsait)Naranjee Hirjee office (before Hotel Golden Oryx)Hotel Golden Oryx Bank Muscat corporate office (Opposite Hotel Golden Oryx)Kamat Restaurant Uptown Restaurant Turtles Book shopAl Rima Clinic Lama Polyclinic
Oman Air – CBD NBO- CBD areaBank MuscatBank SoharHSBCStandard CharteredOman Arab BankHarmony Music Centre – Next to OAB Bahwan Travel Agencies – CBD banks areaOTTB – Oman Travels BureauAir India office – CBD next to Costas CostasPapa John Supa Save – CBDWoodlandsBank DhofarHorizon Restaurant – (Next to Moon travels)Oman post office Lulu DarsaitKhimji Ramdas Head office, Muttrah (Kanaksi Khimji & pankaj Khimji) Majan College – Darsait junction (canteen)Indian Social ClubMelody Music Centre – Next to ISMGerman Embassy – Hamriya roundaboutApollo Medical CentreComputer Xpress – Hamriya Roundabout Atlas Travels (Wadi Adai Roundabout (next to polyglot)Hatat HousePassage to IndiaBest carsHyundai/Subaru/GM showroomAl Asfoor FurnishingAhli BankShell marketing officeSEAT car showroom- Wattayah DHL office- Wattayah Honda ShowroomSabco Head office wattayahNTT travels WattayahToyota Bahwan Advertising – Ist floor – Toyota showroomLexusFord showroomShanfari AutomotiveWattayah Motors- VW showroomKhoula HospitalInstitute of Health sciences – opposite KhoulaKia showroom- wattayah
QURUM AREA TOWARDS AL KHUWAIRAl Harthy Complex- Pizza Muscat – next to Sultan Center in al Harthy complexSultan Center Nissan showroomBMW showroom Muscat Private School Qurum city centrePizza Hut – Qurum Capital StoreAl Asfoor PlazaKFCHardeesFono showroom next to Sabco centreShah NagardasSabco Centre- Barista coffee shop onlyAl AraimiPanasonic ShowroomNBO QurumAl Khamis PlazaAl Wadi commercial centre – Coffee shopMercedes showroom
CCC- StandCCC Al FairBollywood chatPizza Hut – Qurum Second CupNandos McDonaldsSalman StoresJawahir OmanHamptonsBusiness Services & Travel Amex office Ernst & Young buildg (OUA Travels) StarbucksHawthorne institute- ELS Fahud Street, opp Qurum parkMumtaz Mahal Left bankOman Association for the disabled Ministry of education (20 +20=20)Muscat Intercon Jawaharat Al Shatti complex- standOasis by the sea - crepe café standLNG OfficeAl Qurum resortBareek Al Shatti ComplexAl Qandeel head office -, Entrance of Bareek al Shatti Al Shatti Cinema - Dunkin DonutsAl Sahwa Schools– principal’s office next to Ramada hotelHotel RamadaAl Muriya Offices- next to Al sahwa schoolsGrand Hyatt MuscatAl Masa MallRadio ShackAl Sarooj ComplexShell Petrol Bunk- Al Sarooj Al FairRamee GuestlineRock BottomClassic Institute of Arts- next to Asas OmanAsas Oman ApartmentsCrowne PlazaCoral hotelQurum Pvt schoolPDORas Al Hamraa ClubOmanoil head office
AL KHUWAIR/MSQ TOWARDS AZAIBAELS – Al khuwair service roadBritish School Muscat – MSQBritish Council Oman oil- Madinat Qaboos Pizza HutKhimjis mart – MSQ Kargeen Café Al fairFamily Book shop- MSQ Tavola – Al Noor Hall buildgStarbucks Hana slimming centre – Ist FloorFotomagicAl Noor Hall Al JadeedEqarat office Above Welcare Clinic – al KhuwairDomino Pizza Oman mobileSafeer Hypermarket Mustafa SultanSouk TechniaOmantelOman international Bank – Al khuwair main officeIbis Hotel
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49Black & White
50 May 21-June 6, 2012
Cookin
g
Green and vibrant
Go green with spinach salads… you could use tender baby spinach or a bunch of the mature large leaf, either way spinach is equally tasty,
raw or cooked. And spinach provides you important nutrients, such as folate, vitamin E and lutein, to keep your body strong… here
are a few recipes to try at home:
50 May 21-June 6, 2012
51Black & White
Ingredients
8 cup(s) baby spinach
1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup(s) thinly sliced red onion
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoon(s) sliced Kalamata olives
2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley
1 clove(s) garlic, minced
2 cup(s) steamed beet wedges or slices, 1/2-1 inch
thick (see Tip)
2 tablespoon(s) balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
Method:
Place spinach in a large bowl.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until starting to soften,
about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, parsley and
garlic and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to
break down, about 3 minutes. Add beets, vinegar,
salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the beets are
heated through, about 1 minute more. Add the beet
mixture to the spinach and toss to combine. Serve
warm.
Ingredients
1 (10 to 12-ounce) package baby spinach, washed
and dried
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely
diced
Dressing:
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Directions
In a large salad bowl, add the spinach, almonds,
strawberries, and cucumber and toss together.
For the dressing:
In a small glass bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid,
combine the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, oil, and
poppy seeds. Whisk together in the glass bowl or
shake if using a jar.
Dress the salad right before serving.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon or 4 slices pancetta, chopped
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 pounds triple washed spinach, stems removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for topping
Directions
Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high
heat. Once hot, add bacon to skillet and brown,
reserve the crispy bacon bits and add the shallots and
garlic to the pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes then deglaze
the pan with vinegar, turn spinach into pan and wilt
down a bit but do not fully cook the spinach, just give
it a few turns with tongs. Season the greens with salt,
pepper and nutmeg. Place spinach on a serving dish
and top with quartered eggs, shavings of cheese and
reserved bacon bits.
SPINACH & BEET SALAD
SPINACH-STRAWBERRY SALAD
FRESH SPINACH SALAD
51Black & White
52 May 21-June 6, 2012
Pysc
he
Too busy women,
Why have we all become so busy? Especially women! Women are so busy that it seems like they are caught in some kind of national
epidemic. It is true that women need to juggle
between work and family responsibilities, but then if they are so caught up in it, where will they find
some time to have a personal life?
52 May 21-June 6, 2012
53Black & WhiteE-MAIL: [email protected], Website: www.albahja.com
For women
We need to be busy and being busy is actually good,
especially when you’re doing things you love and want
to do. But there is a great difference in doing it and
overdoing it and in being busy and being too busy.
You become too busy, then you become too busy for
everyone and yourself. Then you end up falling sick
because of stress overload.
Why is this focus on women and not men? Well, because
women seem to naturally experience more stress. With
their eternal role of balancing between work, family and
other additional obligations, then the stress levels are
more too.
“Some scientific studies also show that female sex
hormones cause females under stress to secrete more
stress chemicals than men do under similar conditions,”
psychiatrists tell us. So where does this all lead to?
Very simply put, women do not find any time to relax and
this is dangerous. Women need to relax and unwind,
otherwise there is this danger of them burning out.
Look at the pattern: being too busy for comfort and then
taking an overload of stress; naturally you will fall sick.
We are not talking of feeling occasionally stressed. In
fact, a little bit of stress is not bad – it is good! But, the
danger for the too busy, too stressed and too worked
up and never ever relaxing woman is a host of health
problems, including heart problems. And you know that
heart attack is the number one killer of women today.
Chronic or excessive stress can manifest in various form
in your body, mind and behaviour. Physical symptoms
include insomnia, headaches, neck or back pain, fatigue
and gastrointestinal distress. Psychological problems
like irritability, depression and difficulty in concentrating
can also plague the overstressed. And then there are the
behavioural indicators: alcohol or drug use, binge eating
and sleep problems, for instance.
Now, if we ask around, we will find that many women are
suffering such problems on a regular basis. So, women,
try to make some changes. If you don’t find some time to
relax you are going to suffer. If you are a woman, then
there are various methods of relaxation:
Exercise, meditation, massage, biofeedback, listening to
music, reading, playing with pets, aromatherapy or getting
together with friends are just a few of the possibilities…
Specific relaxation techniques, like progressive muscle
relaxation or visualisation, can help slow heart rate, lower
breathing rate and blood pressure, and reduce muscle
tension and chronic pain, experts say. Think about which
activities make you feel the most relaxed and work more
of those into your life. Relaxation allows you to be pro-
active against the rigours of stress. Busy women need
to rest their bodies and their minds. Taking time to relax
breaks the cycle of go, go, go. As you make time for
relaxation or practice special relaxation techniques, you’ll
begin to recognise that stressed-out feeling as it starts,
and you’ll learn how to cope with it before it becomes a
chronic problem.
They say don’t say you did good to someone.
Just remain silent, it shows your magnanimity!
They say don’t get angry, even if the situation
requires you to be.
You lack diplomacy!
They say don’t be proud of your
achievements.
People will call you arrogant and wait for your
fall.
They say don’t expect anything in return.
You will be termed selfish!
They say don’t keep accounts of your charity.
You are an opportunist!
They say never be frank and call a spade a
spade.
People will call you a rude *#&%@
They say be liberal to your friends and
acquaintances.
Otherwise there will be no one to support
when you fall.
They say forgive and forget.
Makes you a tolerant person!
They say nod your head in unison, support
others.
You are cooperative and adjusting!
They say do as others do.
You are a hero!
They say keep smiling at the world.
And call you silly and irresponsible!
They say never believe anyone blindly.
And when you question, you are being difficult!
They say it is better to let go.
And when you do, you are not strong!
They say never stop giving.
You will be called self-centered!
They say learn to say 'No'!
But when you do, you have changed!
They say you are what you wear
And when you wear a brand, you are showing
off!
They say go for it, unless you attempt, you
cannot win.
And rate you over confident and blind.
They say come lets join hands for a cause.
All they do is propagate their views and
beliefs.
They say you learn from your mistakes.
And when you make one, they say they told
you so!
They say stop trying to be someone you are
not.
And it is they who make you what you are
today!
They say as you sow, so you reap.
But, do you get to decide what to sow?
They say be committed in your work.
And when you do, you have no time for family!
They say don’t fall for vices.
And call you boring and wasted!
They say work hard to succeed.
When you succeed, you are called lucky!
They say don’t try to become someone else,
be yourself.
And when you do, they call you selfish,
arrogant, rude, blind and intolerant!
Sigh! All they do is ‘say’!
They say so many things… they tell you what
to eat, what not to; what to say, what not to;
what to wear, what not to; what to and what
not to!
You never see them at all. It is always
someone else that says they said, they say! It
makes you always wonder, who are they who
makes the rules of your lives?
Who are these people who make you do
things that you don’t want to? Now, what is it
they want you to be?
Is it the same you want to be?
They don’t inspire you; they don’t teach you;
they don’t care for you; they don’t live your life;
they don’t provide for you; they don’t know
you; And they don’t live their own life!
Why listen to them?
Break away from all of them, the unseen ones,
be your silly, stupid, arrogant, proud, selfish
self!
By Priya Arunkumar
Who are they?