Black & White mag issue 69

Vol.5 Issue 69IIJune 2014

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Man, you can be so boring! pg14 When the man is silent pg52

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3 Sha'ban – 3 Ramadan

Charity begins at home

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Xclusive

30 Charity begins at home This Ramadan Black & White meets an unusual family in Mabela that cooks iftar for nearly 2000 people, supported by Al Rahma Charity in Al Khoud. This charity’s sole purpose is to help the low-income groups in society in almost all areas of life, including financially, providing physical and moral support in all ways possible.

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Bitter Batter

Can’t keep open house We are a media house, but we cannot keep open house at all times. In the sense, we need to have an element of privacy in order to function.

Contents

you can be 14 Man, so boring!

Some men can be blind to the fact that they are so boring that their friends and foes alike fall asleep the moment they start talking.

Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC Black & White Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos Office location: Hatat House A, II Floor, Suite No: 212, Wadi Adai Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496 Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Printed at Oman June 2 0 1 4Printers

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Women less interested in sports

It is not that women are not action oriented, but it has always been found that women are less interested in sports than men. If you look at sheer figures, we may easily discern that men are still more interested than women in playing sports, research claims.

Editor-in-chief Managing editor Work editor Editorial Design & production Photography

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Priya Arunkumar Adarsh Madhavan Khadija Al Zadjali Beneek Siraj Haitham Al Balushi

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Scribe’s block

By Adarsh Madhavan

It can happen. It can happen for a day, sometimes for a week and sometimes even for a month or months and perhaps, even more! And it can happen suddenly, or it can happen after a stretch. Point is, it can happen!

You may suddenly lose that glitter, that shine; you may suddenly lose that grip on your work; suddenly there are no stories, no one seems to be contacting you; people don’t pick up your calls, neither do they return your calls too; they act too busy and some may seem to openly ignore you. You would not mind all of these but then what happens is that suddenly you have no good stories, or rather, any stories at all and all you are having is a bunch of corporate press notes that you have to rewrite and you don’t even have the heart to do it.

All about X, Y & Z

As you wander listlessly in that empty corridors of non stories and sit staring at the blank laptop screen, your seniors add salt to the wounds by asking you why your arsenal was empty and whether the ink has gone dry? “No stories breaking out there?” they ask with a grin, obviously sensing that you are on a dry turf. Predictably, the pages need stories and a newspaper cannot thrive on empty spaces or international news on local pages.

The worst part is when your competitor suddenly seems to be on a good wicket, spewing out story after story and some of them, which you have sparked. “But, weren’t you following this story? I remember you were telling me that you had got some new lead on this…” your editor asks you and you have to shamefacedly admit that you somehow missed following up your own story and scribes from the rival newspapers had snatched that right from under you.

Are you slipping you wonder as you slip under the cover of darkness, slinking home from not just a bad day, but a day filled with several mishaps that occurred not because you did something but

because you didn’t do anything. Yes, you have just weeks ago done some major stories, but then you are as good as your last story or, more importantly, the one you have in hand.

And then no one would be giving you an allowance for that, as you simply cannot rest on your laurels. A newshound has to produce and he/she has to produce every day. He/she has to break news every day. And if there is no news, it is not good news, something is happening, and if nothing is happening that itself should be news, or you have to make it happen! Newshounds not only sniff out news from unknown sources, but they may even make something happen, after relentlessly pursuing a target.

Life is all tension and strain especially when there is a family to take care and a home to run, so this doubleedged sword will finally prove to be your undoing.

But then the point is there is no time to ruminate, or pontificate or muse. You have to be on the move. You have to trigger something to happen and you have to keep seeking, trying to find a source for some news and let it out. But then this is the time when you are exposed to temptation for surely there are some news that are taboo and not within your purview; there are some things that are best left alone and you cannot madly swing this sword of truth claiming that it is your right for it can cut more than it should. And if you, sort of, cut too deep then you may end up bleeding too. When you are driven to desperation, there are possibilities for mistakes. You are desperate to prove yourself and in that bargain may tumble some sacred thing or taboo issue in your path and soon, instead of bringing out something of essence, you step on someone’s toes; you end up hurting someone and then finally you will feel the pinch and the pain. Life can get too hot to handle if you cross someone or do something unjustifiably illegal just because you are too desperate for a story. And then when you are caught in a wrangle; you are not going to write for some time… and unfortunately that is fodder for some rival news scribe! editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

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Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Don’t leave us in the dark Sometimes I am filled with rage when I hear the casual statements about how Omanis are not fit for jobs and they have to be job ready and that they need to be responsible.

I agree that we need to be all that and more, but how can you put the blame squarely on us, young Omanis? Don’t you think we should be given a chance first before you pass the buck on us?

I would implore the private sector to give opportunities for young Omanis; first open some doors for us so that we join in an entry level position and learn the ropes, understand the job and be inculcated with the job culture. We come from diverse backgrounds, none of which has job or business experience. Yes, we are also getting educated and some of us are really well educated. Every country will have its share of educated and uneducated young job hopefuls, but to be branded with a negative label of ‘lazy’, ‘irresponsible’ and ‘unqualified’ are gross injustice meted out to us.

I totally agree with Abdullah (Inbox – issue 68) but would like to add that even if we are not ready, take us, guide us and let us grow. Don’t leave us in the dark, please!

Salim bin Abdullah Al Suleiman, Al Khuwair

Readers column

Long suffering passengers I admire Vandana Shah’s (It’s My Life) ability to find out a nugget of a rare incident like this (Long live humanity!)to unveil to us! She must really be a woman with a good heart and having the ability to see only the bright side of life. But, in all honesty, life is not so hunky dory on the flights, my dear! I have been a victim of the airline hostility both on and off the ground and I have seen hundreds of passengers who have been victims because of a variety of reasons. A form of subtle racism exists on the flights above, especially 8

June 2014 Black & White

among the India-based airlines. The false smiles of the airhostesses belie their venomous arrogance and their negative outlook on the poor, uneducated passengers. I am sure that Vandana wrote of her positive experience but if all us, poor passengers, were asked to write about our negative experience, we may fill a book!

Nazir P. M., Muscat

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Long live football!

Saiyed Naqvi (issue 68) made the most profound statement: “Who does not love football?” Indeed, who does not love football?! But having said that, I know that there are plenty of people out there who does not love football. And they are not women, but men also. I could not tolerate those who did not know football but then over the period of years, I realized that that hey, there are other people on this planet! People who do not love football and they shouldn’t be seen as aliens! It was a lesson for me! I was the one who held such negative outlook of those who disliked football. Now, in the frenzy for the World Cup, I have made a vow to pass on my love for the game to whoever would come into my path. So far, I have not managed to convert the ones who dislike football into lovers of the game, but I have still fed the seeds of this wonderful sport and I know soon they are going to follow it just like we do! Hurrah to football! Long live football!

Shafeeque Mohammed, Qurum

Who brought football to Oman?

It would be great if Black & White probe into the origins of football in Oman. I am sure that there are plenty of characters who – like Mohammed Diesel (issue 68) -would have actually brought this great sport in Oman too. I believe it would be interesting to find out who played stellar roles in bringing football to town and their contributions and the roles they played. It would be real

good information to chart the origins and later on the growth of football in Oman!

Amer Hussain, Ruwi

Unique Omani character

Readers column

For the world there is Vin Diesel and for Oman, there is Mohammed Diesel (aka Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Balushi). I felt very proud reading about Diesel and although I have never met him or got introduced to him, I feel that I know him already. He is such an interesting personality. I have heard of the great physical prowess of many around the world and I know of many weight lifters and body builders in Oman, but to know that there is someone who has a naturally born built and someone in downtown Mutrah makes me want to go and meet him personally. While Oman has its own share of treasures on the cultural and traditional front, Diesel comes up as a character who may well go down in the history of Oman for his unusual strength and would also be remembered for his contribution in bringing football to Mutrah or at least

popularising it there. Once I meet him, I will post the details!

Suleiman Al Balushi, Sohar

How many got jobs?

Job fairs are good and the Career and Training Opportunities Fair (2014) was indeed a page turner. But, after all the hype about it, I have one question: how many Omanis actually got a job or was posted for some training?

Abdullah Khalfan Al Harthy, Seeb 10

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Man, you can be so

Men read

BORING!

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Some men can be blind to the fact that they are so boring that their friends and foes alike fall asleep the moment they start talking.

If you find that people are avoiding you on the street, and if people are fidgeting when you begin talking or generally excuse themselves when you are in the middle of a conversation with them or they never pick your phone when you call them or pretend to see through you when you wave at them then the chances are that you have lately become such a bore that no one can stand you at all. You have become so boring that many do not want to touch you with a 10-foot pole. But, if you have no clue that you have become a bore, then just ask yourself why everyone is avoiding you like the plague?

HAVE A GOOD, HARD LOOK AT YOURSELF! Stop thinking that you are a suave, well bred, well built, most loved and all knowing man! These self-imposed pompous images that you have in your mind are the first step at being a disastrous bore.

BORES CAN NEVER STOP TALKING Bores can never stop talking.

Period. Either they love to talk about themselves, or their family, or their oh-so-talented-and-bright kids, or they will talk about their boring work.

It must be known that unless we talk to people, even if they are our own or they are friends or strangers, we need to engage in conversation that they also find interesting. Very few have great interest in what the others are doing. Well, let us assume that they do find some aspects of your work life interesting, but if you give them a harangue of your daily work happenings, then you are boring your audience stiff. You have a natural habit of detailing your family life and also your work and you have the flair and the capacity to talk non stop! You may go on and on and need not be guided by the response from your listener, but you don’t stop for a breath and try to gauge his or her need to understand what you are saying, then you may miss the warning signals that are apparent in his/her silence at your verbal train. As you go on chug chugging without stopping at any station, you are actually depriving the passenger (listener) from getting down at a station that he/she wants to get down. From now on remember: the moment you hear silence from the other end, quickly switch topic and try to make them speak, ask them queries, break the ice, let him/her talk and you take the listener’s role.

What bores don’t realise is that they themselves have felt like running away whenever they have confronted bores who don’t stop talking and are so full of themselves. So, why is

it that when it comes to them, they apply the same rule that they have always abhorred and still expect miracles?

THE COMPLAINT BOX Now, you can also be a walking and talking complaint box. Ask yourself whether you have been complaining about the heat, how people always misunderstand you; forget your good intentions and how they never seem to hear you out, view you with utmost suspicion and you are so rigid and uptight that you are wired for destruction.

People usually shun themselves from such perennially complaining men. Unless the complaints are shared and have a common ground, few are keen to stop their work and leisure and peace time to listen to the mindless drivel that some men like you are capable of. So, this has to stop and you must seriously try to bring out some fun in you, an act that instantly win you attention and friends and help you cut out the negativity. Fact is, no one likes a complaint spewing man because that spells negativity!

THE PULL-YOU DOWNER Of course, you are related to your negative cousin brother above because you tend to see the glass always half empty, are over cautious and you are too depressing and yes, too boring! You are a full-blooded, nearly well-to-do man with a good job but you always claim that you never have enough, that life is harsh on you and you are never lucky and that bad things always happen to you and everyone hates you and that life is one miserable stink. Man, that is depressing and unless those folks out there who listen to you are okay about swallowing a morbid bitter pill that you are always doling out, then they are going to distance themselves from you. Change your outlook, get positive and indeed if you are given lemons, make lemonades!

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If only you had told me…

wall he t ff

Off the wall

By Adarsh Madhavan …and there are people like this who smack their own face right in the middle of a conversation about a second hand car that you had bought recently and will claim, but but I could have got it for you for 50 per cent less if you had only told me, and you will jog their memory to the fact that you had indeed asked them, called them several times, sent them a message, emailed them, tweeted them, called their wives and children and even let a message on their answering machine and even to their maid then when you were desperate but they never returned all your calls and messages.

Now, they are telling you that you should have told them! Ha! You cannot reply to them in this manner, and you give them the benefit of the doubt and so you allow them to be, trust them and then when you make that desperate call next time, they would again disappear!

I have been rowing the same boat for many years now and I have been sinking in the same feeling of disappointment, almost like the feeling you get when you have a hole in your boat and you don’t know how to swim. Somehow, I have waded across such issues but of course with loads of scars yet, I leave it at that.

I know the psyche of the ones who ignore calls of their friends and acquaintances at such crucial stages; they do not have anything to give, neither advice nor physical support. I know it. I know it so well because I have walked in those shoes too. I have been blind.

I have been deaf. I have been dumb. I have been selfish. I know. I have been there.

But, it does get your goat when people whom you look upto for such small pieces of advice, information and moral support let you down and later chide you for not having sought their advice!

I have not bought a car recently, but then there are small items I purchase or there are small services that I require and when after repeated queries to those close to me, I go and get it done myself without bargaining, without thinking too much about it, then those who have shunned me suddenly turn volteface and reprimand me for not ‘consulting’ them! But baba I have called you and called you…

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“When?”

I give them a date.

Silence.

And then his wife pitches in, “Oh then he was not here. He had gone to London!”

“Oh yes,” my friend suddenly finds his lost voice, which had gone to London to see the que---- ! “You must have called me then, and I do have roaming, but then you know how long distance calls cost! I probably meant to call you back but I had no clue as to what you wanted.”

If he had picked my call, he would have known what I wanted, my mind tells him darkly but I don’t pursue that point.

I remind him that I had also messaged him a number of times but he had not responded to that and forget that, he could have at least know what I was calling him for.

“Oh, I never got your messages!”

And we leave it at that blaming the failings of newfound technology that always seem to let you down when you need it the most.

I am also keen to let bygones be bygones and don’t dwell much on people who ignore my requests for that has been a way of life for me. The truth is that you have got to be famous, you have got to be somebody, you have got to be rich and you have got to have the contacts…then everyone picks your call, no one ignores your messages and no one ever says that sorry I was away, long distance and couldn’t pick your call. When they need you, they will pick your call!

That is a given!

But what really gets my goat is when these same people who ignore me continue to harangue me about my colossal loss in buying some item sans discount or getting a service down where I had to pay through my nose and they add salt to the wound by saying, “But if only you had asked me!”

And they twist the knife in further by adding: “Next time, please, before you make such stupid mistakes, don’t forget to ask me first!” adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com

Bank Muscat events build up 2014 FIFA World Cup excitement Bank Muscat, in association with Visa, hosted a series of activities across Oman as part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign. The events evoked strong response of football fans, including families and children, who participated in exciting contests and entertainment. In an event held at the Qurum City Centre, the highlights included guest appearances by popular national football player Bader Al Maimani, football coach Yaqoob Ismail and sports TV presenter Younis Al Fahdi. Oman’s youngest commentator Mohammed Moosa Al Balushi also attended and spiced up the event. A football tournament between 18 schools in Muscat region was the highlight of the event hosted at Muscat Club. The winning team received a miniature 2014 FIFA World Cup trophy. The bank also hosted an event in Salalah on Dhareez beach where the activities included a beach football tournament. In all campaign locations, a miniature football field was the centre of attraction where the visitors participated in various competitions and won

attractive prizes. Bank Muscat has lined up a series of campaigns and activities to build up and sustain the 2014 FIFA World Cup excitement in Oman. The retail banking products of the bank are linked to the campaign, thereby widening the bank’s touch points to the 2014 FIFA World Cu™ excitement. Branded merchandise and memorablia, including 2014 FIFA World Cup keychains, football, pens, mascot and trophy are given away during promotional activities in malls and hypermarkets. The bank has also launched an exciting competition on social media as part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup promotion.

Bank Sohar Ceo receives award from IFM Working in the banking sector since 1978, Bank Sohar chief executive officer, Dr Mohamed Abdulaziz Kalmoor has made significant contributions to the banking sector in Oman. In recognition of his achievements, in particular his role in leading Bank Sohar on the path to success, Dr Kalmoor has received the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Banking Industry Oman 2014’ Award by the UK based International Finance Magazine (IFM). Holding a PhD in Economics from the University of Colorado, Dr Kalmoor was a founding board member of Bank Sohar on its launch in 2007.

Prior to his engagement with the bank, Dr Kalmoor handled Oman Investment and Finance Co. SAOG as managing director for five years, and previously he served with the Central Bank of Oman for 22 years, rising to the position of executive vice president up to 2000. In just the last three years of operations, Bank Sohar has grown to become the fourth largest bank in Oman and is also considered to be the most profitable bank in the country. In fact, Bank Sohar registered a net profit of OMR 26.871mn for the financial year December 2013 compared to OMR 23.011mn for the previous year,

entailing a year-on-year increase of 16.77 percent. The operating profit for the year also increased 10.79 percent to OMR 31.735mn compared to OMR 28.644mn in 2012. The Bank also achieved an ROE of 17.99 percent as at December 2013 compared to 16.82 percent in the same period in 2012. Furthermore, Bank Sohar also has the lowest nonperforming assets within the banking sector of Oman, which have reduced by a staggering 25.5 percent as at December 2013 when compared to the same period in 2012 reflecting the steady and healthy growth the bank always seek to achieve.

Shell-Intilaaqah Omani entrepreneurs graduation Shell-Intilaaqah Oman held the second in a series of scheduled graduation ceremonies for the Omani entrepreneurs who recently completed Intilaaqah’s Entrepreneurial Development Programme (IEDP) in Al Dhakliyah region. Further ceremonies are expected to be held in Sur, Sohar, and Salalah throughout June.

Al Dhakliyah region ceremony celebrated the graduation of 183 Omani entrepreneurs and was held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Nizwa

under the auspices of Sheikh (Dr) Khalifa Hamed Hilal Al Sadi, Governor - Al Dhakliyah region.

The event was attended by Shell representatives, including Hashim AlHasani, Intilaaqah- executive director Oman, dignitaries from the public and private sector, Intilaaqah’s training partner Modern Gulf Institute (MGi), and aspiring Omani entrepreneurs.

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Jotun Paints wins ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ award The finest of Oman’s best performing companies were selected and honoured with the prestigious AIWA Awards, at a glittering red carpet awards ceremony held recently in Muscat. This year, in the hotly contested ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ category in the AIWA Awards, Jotun Paints emerged with flying colours, out shining all other contesters rather comprehensively in a level playing field where the companies were all measured across various common parameters. Some of the key criteria which won this commendable national acclaim and recognition for Jotun Paints includes: “Manufacturing and providing high quality products at a reasonable price to consumers using the high quality raw material and meeting the best possible HSE practices. Highest standard manufacturing infrastructure and best industry processes for production on modern machines under highly trained staff. Commitment to HR development and development of Omani talent. Created jobs for Omanis and provided intensive training for their skills’

development. Empowers Omanis to significantly contribute in company’s operations.”

Jotun Paints was unanimously declared as the most deserving manufacturer across the entire manufacturing landscape of Oman. Commenting on Jotun Paints cornering this much coveted achievement, Andreas Stolt Nielsen, sales and marketing manager, Jotun Paints Oman said: “Jotun Paints has always been synonymous for superiority and excellence in whatever it does and this award is a further reconfirmation of the high international standards and impeccable quality that Jotun Paints maintains at all times.”

Millennium Resort's new appointments Millennium Resort Mussanah has appointed Adil Al Lawati as HR manager and Mustafa Al Jundi as director of sales and marketing.

The appointments bring a combined 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry as Millennium Resort Mussanah continues to extend the resort’s reach and adopt creative methods of attracting more visitors to Al Batinah coastline. Adil, an Omani national, has been working at Millennium Resort Mussanah since August 2013 and brings 16 years of experience and leadership in the hospitality industry to his new

role. He has served in a variety of human resources functions in Oman as well as gaining work experience in Germany and the United States.

Mustafa has previously worked in five-star hotels in Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Greece, and brings 14 years of experience to his new role. As director of sales and marketing, he

will be tasked with promoting the resort as one of Oman’s leading leisure destinations.

Speaking on the new appointments, Maurice De Rooij, general manager of the Millennium Resort Mussanah, said: “Millennium Resort Mussanah has maintained a commitment to developing local talent and providing opportunities for professional growth.

By prioritising promotion from within, the resort is offering a clear career path to increase the participation of Omani nationals in the hospitality industry by creating a sustainable workforce.”

Wordpress

Apollo Sugar Centre holds medical education programme Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition that occurs in 5 to10 percent of women between late adolescence and the menopause. It is one of the most common hormonal related problems in women during their reproductive years. Not only is PCOS a leading cause of infertility it can also be a risk factor for other 18

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health problems. Sugar -Diabetes Services initiative by Apollo’ Hospitals Groups India and International Medical Center (IMC), Muscat in its endeavour to promote awareness on the recent developments in the medical arena organised a continuing medical education programme at Al Falaj hotel, recently. The programme

was led by Dr Binu Parameswaran Pillai -specialist endocrinologistfrom Apollo Sugar Centre. Dr Binu discussed on the diagnostic aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome and associated metabolic problems.

Further, he discussed about the recent advances in this field and the newer treatment aspects.

Omani British friendship association reception in London As part of their OBFA’s mission to strengthen bilateral trade ties between Oman and Britain, HRH The Duke of York met His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tarik Al Said at an Omani British Friendship Association reception.

Attended by leading dignitaries and senior level business figures from both Britain and the Sultanate, the event, hosted by the Anglo-Omani Society at their premises in Sackville Street, is the highlight of the OBFA Business Council’s annual calendar.

Offering a unique opportunity for commercial networking to help British businesses set up in Oman, the reception launched a two day programme of activities.

During the reception, Maqbool bin Ali bin Sultan, chairman of OBFA in Oman described the work of the association: "The OBFA’s purpose is to facilitate business for British companies in Oman but

also to support Omani’s looking to invest in Britain. We are building on historical ties of business and friendship between our two countries by bringing key decision makers together to explore the potential for high quality investment.”

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, recently appointed chairman of the OBFA committee in Britain, described his vision for the development of the group; “It is a real honour to be at the helm of OBFA’s British Committee,

Oman is a country with which Britain has a long and established political, security and commercial relationship.

Oman’s forward thinking policy based on the principle of sustainability is attractive for any business looking to expand into the Middle East. In the short time that I have been Chairman I have already felt the warmth of welcome for which my Omani friends are so renowned. I look forward to a long partnership together.”

Oman GDP grew by 2.8 percent in 2013 The Gross Domestic Production (GDP) of Oman at producers prices recorded a growth of 3.4 percent at the end of 2013, amounting to OMR31,837.1 million, compared with OMR30,799.1 million at the end of 2012. Meanwhile, GDP at market prices which takes into account taxes and subsidies rose by 2.8 percent at the end of 2013, when compared with the 2012 total figure. The GDP total amounted to OMR30,627.7 million at the end of 2013, compared with the OMR29,797.7 million total recorded in 2012. During the same period, financial intermediation services indirectly measured (FISIM) grew by 6 percent recording OMR612.6 million by the end of 2013, compared with OMR578.1 million at the end of 2012.

In addition, taxes less subsidies on products grew to OMR1,209.4 million at the end of 2013, compared with OMR1,001.4 million by the end

of 2012, representing a growth of 20.8 percent. Statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) revealed a 1 percent decrease in total petroleum activities, totaling OMR15,220.1 million by the end of 2013 against the 2012 total of OMR15,369.1 million.

The decrease is attributed to a drop in the total value of crude oil production of 1.4 percent, totaling OMR14,053.0 million at the end of 2013, versus the 2012 total of OMR14,250.1 million. On the other hand, the total value of natural gas production rose by 4.3 percent at the end of 2013, recording OMR1,167.1 million compared with OMR1,119.0 million at the end of 2012. According to the NCSI figures, total non-petroleum activities grew by 7.6 percent in 2013, reaching OMR17,229.6 million, compared with the 2012 total of OMR16,008.1 million. Non-petroleum

activities include; agriculture and fishing which grew by 8.6 percent, recording OMR388.1 million at the end of 2013, compared with OMR357.3 million recorded at the end of 2012. In addition, Industrial activities totaled OMR5,404.3 million by the end of 2013, representing a 2.8 percent growth. The industrial activities category includes mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity and water supply, building and construction. Separately, service activities recorded a growth of 10 percent at the end of 2013, totaling OMR11,437.2 million compared with OMR10,395.9 million.

The service category includes wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants transport, storage and communication, financial intermediation, real estate services, public administration and other services.

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Zeenah PR joins Edelman’s affiliate network Zeenah PR and Edelman have signed an exclusive agreement naming Zeenah PR as the Oman affiliate of the Edelman network, Zeenah PR managing director Mohammad Al Farei announced today. With this exclusive affiliation, Zeenah PR will officially represent the world’s largest public relations firm – Edelman – in Oman. Zeenah PR will form an integral part of the Edelman network of affiliates by providing local expertise and on-theground market support to Edelman in Oman.

Mohammad Al Farei, managing director of Zeenah Group, commented on the association: “Across global markets, Edelman

has consistently defined the standards for the practice of public relations and communications.

As a communications consultancy market leader in Oman, Zeenah PR is proud to be selected as Edelman’s official representative in Oman. This partnership will enable us to deliver additional value to our clients by adding depth to the range of services and resources provided, as well as supporting Edelman with a local perspective on the media landscape here in Oman.”

Commenting on the affiliation, Robert Holdheim, Ceo of Edelman South Asia, Middle East and Africa, noted, “As part of our expansion plans in the Middle East, we are seeking partnerships with top players in key markets where we do not have a direct presence.

With deeper and more substantive exclusive relationships, we hope to redefine the very nature of affiliation. In this context, it is crucial that we identify partners who share compatible values, commitment to quality and approaches to communications. Zeenah PR embodies these qualities. We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership in Oman.”

Zubair SEC support to potential entrepreneurs As part of its mandate to leverage entrepreneurship in the Sultanate, Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM) – an affiliate of the University of Central Lancashire, UK – forming the first MoU by Zubair SEC with the academic sector. This MoU comes as part of many recent endeavours by Zubair SEC to reach out to the academia towards raising students’ awareness on the potential within entrepreneurship in the Sultanate and equipping graduates on how to explore alternative career paths and self-employment opportunities.

According to the MoU, ICEM will direct its students and alumnis who have entrepreneurship ideas to Zubair SEC for the needed coaching and business advisory services. Zubair SEC’s team of professional advisors

will assist students in the areas of developing business plans, feasibility studies, and strategic planning and management of their existing or potential small businesses. Both parties will also exchange experienced lecturers to engage with members from both sides on entrepreneurship-related topics. Furthermore, advanced business incubation spaces to be launched soon by both parties will be open for member entrepreneurs to support them in the critical first year of operating.

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Turkish Airlines – 25 percent growth in passenger numbers in the ME Turkish Airlines recorded a growth in passenger traffic from the Middle East of 25.8 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012, and eyes significant growth from the region this year. Already in the first three months of 2014, Turkish Airlines recorded an increase in passenger figures from the Middle East at 19.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2013.

Last year, Turkish Airlines was the airline of choice for over 3.7 million passengers from the Middle East region.

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June 2014 Black & White

Adem Ceylan, vice president of marketing and sales for Turkish Airlines in the Middle East and Cyprus, said: “The Middle East has undoubtedly underlined its credentials as one of the fastest growing aviation and tourist hubs.

With a stronger focus on the region, we will continue to play a key role in connecting passengers seamlessly with the rest of the world, while serving as a true partner to Turkey’s burgeoning economy.”

Nawras partners MG-Group Nawras has signed a supplier agreement with MG-Group, a leading international IT solutions provider, to bring the latest handsets and devices to customers in Oman.

The partnership allows Nawras to offer cutting-edge digital services combined with great value pre-paid and post-paid packages using the latest technology from the world’s most innovative manufacturers.

Subhra Das, chief commercial officer, said “Oman is the fastest-growing smartphone market in the GCC and there is always huge demand for the newest devices on the market.

Our partnership with MG-Group will ensure that we can offer the latest

products from the world’s leading vendors with the most attractive pricing and bundled with great value offers to help customers in the Sultanate stay connected.”

Mohamed Yassin, Ceo, said, “MGGroup was the first IT and telecom distributor in Oman to offer top branded consumer and commercial products and we have branches in Dubai, Poland, Egypt and China.

We feel our reputation and market credibility defines us as a leading wholesale provider of products such as Apple, Huawei, HTC, Prestigio, Epson, HP, WD, Linksys, D-Link, Modecom, Herotech and Virdi. Our company tries its best to

promote new technologies for the Oman market, having been major sponsors for many International events in places like France, Taipei, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman. Our team of experienced certified service engineers can deliver the best after-sales service to customers and customer satisfaction is our priority. We are delighted to be tying up with Nawras and we are proud to add them to our long list of partners, to make sure customers remain at the forefront of communications.”

W J Towell launches Future Generations to support SMEs in Oman W J Towell officially launched the Future Generations (Ajyal Mustaqbal) recently as one of its corporate social responsibility initiatives whose role will help ambitious Omani youth to develop their own small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) that is aimed at providing real job opportunities away from traditional fields of employment.

Future Generations, whose initiative comes pursuant to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s guidance, aims at improving Omani individuals and developing their capabilities in all fields, is a brainchild of WJ Towel which strongly believes in competencies and skills of Omani men and women and develop their own SMEs and in securing success for them through financial partnership and strategic assistance.

As part of its operations, Future Generations (Ajyal Mustaqbal) will invest with enterprise owner instead of only providing funds and support individuals to develop their own startups or develop existing enterprises.

In addition, Future Generations will provide a comprehensive training

programme for a minimum period of three months at the expense of Future Generations to the benefit of eligible entrepreneurs in need of such training and will give the project owner the right of preemption to acquire its share as agreed at the time of concluding the partnership contract three years after the inception and success of the project.

In addition to financial support, Future Generations (Ajyal Mustaqbal) too provides technical and management support throughout partnership duration in such a manner that would be beneficial to the project owner in particular, and

to the national economy in general as well as provide the already existing projects to individuals who are capable of investing in them, managing and ultimately owning such projects, as agreed when concluding the partnership contract. The launch event was attended by Hussein bin Jawad Abdul Rasul, group chairman of WJ Towell. Khalifa al Abri, acting director at General Authority for the Development of SMEs, Tariq Al Farsi, Ceo of the Rafd Fund, Sheikh Shabib Al Maamari, executive director of Injaz Oman and a number of figures representing institutions that support SMEs. 21

June 2014 Black & White

Talal Al Mamari is Omantel’s new chief executive Omantel's board of directors has announced the appointment of Talal Said Marhoon Al Mamari as new chief executive officer in replacement of Dr Amer Awadh Al Rawas who decided to move to the oil and gas sector as Ceo of one of the companies involved in the enhancement of oil production and preserving the environment surrounding the oil production operations. The board of directors has earlier approved the succession plan for the senior executive roles within the company to ensure business continuity as usual in case of any senior executive role becomes vacant. Prior to his appointment as Omantel’s Ceo, Talal Al Mamari was holding the position of chief financial officer of Omantel with the responsibility of preserving and

creating shareholder value for the company investors. Talal Al Mamari chairs several internal committees and teams and sets in boards of different companies and investment funds.

He played instrumental role in the Initial Public Offering in 2005 and in the integration of mobile and fixed operations and later the full legal merger of Oman Mobile with Omantel. Talal also led Omantel credit rating process by Moody’s A3) and Standard & Poors (BBB +/ A-2) which led to enhancement of investors’ trust in the Company.

Commenting on the appointment, Engineer Sultan bin Hamdoon Al Harthi, chairman of Omantel board of directors said “Talal Al Mamari possesses the capabilities and skills needed to lead the company in the

next phase and we are confident as the board of directors of his ability to work closely with the executive team and other stakeholders to realise the company’s strategy and objectives."

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Honda drivers celebrate Ramadan special promotion Omasco, Honda's exclusive authorised distributor in the Sultanate, have launched a very special ‘Big Picture Offer’ to celebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan capturing the imaginations of drivers across Oman. The promotion, which runs from June 17th to August 16th, covers 2013 and 2014 Honda models and includes free registrations, free insurance, cash back offers, high end Panasonic Television, scratch and win vouchers and much more and is available in all Honda showrooms across Oman.

Customers who fancy a 2013 model of Honda car receive free registration which makes it an even sweeter deal.

On purchase they also receive an exciting voucher which allows them to scratch and win. Ten lucky winners will then be able to choose a cash back offer of OMR1000 or a Honda CBR250. Omasco have included 10 Panasonic 55 inch 3D HD LED TVs and five 60inch 3D HD LED TVs in 22

June 2014 Black & White

their basket of Ramadan goodies for lucky customers to win. For those drivers who are treating themselves to a 2014 model of Honda, there are even more surprises. Again, Honda provides free registration for five years / 150 000 KMs mileage warranty (which ever comes earlier) In addition to this they are offering free insurance and an assured Omasco gift voucher worth OMR60 for all 2014 models. The gift

vouchers can be redeemed for any services or products provided by Honda which includes Panasonic and Black and Decker products among others. The scratch and win vouchers are also available on the purchase of 2014 models where 10 customers can choose to enjoy cash back of RO1000 or else a Honda CBR250.

Ten Panasonic 55 inch 3D HD LED TVs and five 60inch 3D HD LED TVs are also up for grabs.

The Cave restaurant

complex at Darsait

The Ministry of Tourism and Falcon for Tourism Investments LLC recently announced the official inauguration of seven-million Omani rials worth The Cave restaurant complex.

Located amidst the Darsait hills, The Cave extends across three floors and will house eight different fine dining restaurants, five of which will be managed and operated by FTI

with the remaining three leased and operated under FTI’s strict supervision. The 1,600 capacity, eight-restaurant complex, will open doors to serve more than 20 cuisines, from Oman, the Middle

East, the Mediterranean, Asia and Latin America, among others. The exceptional structure, which is earthquake-resistant, has been built

by Falcon for Tourism Investments (FTI) at a cost of OMR7 million.

Dar El Ezz in Nizwa Dar El Ezz, Nizwa’s first fine dining outlet opened recently. The facility has been designed to cater to stopover tourists who pass through the historic city en route to several tourism hot spots in and around Dakhliyah governorate, Falcon for Tourism Investment (FTI), announced. “As a pre-eminent player in the hospitality industry, we share a long and successful relationship with Oman in providing exquisite facilities that echo the warm hospitality and captivating culture of its people. And the Dar El Ezz F&B complex is one such example,” Salim bin Ali bin Nasser al Siyabi, chairman, FTI, which owns Dar El Ezz, said, adding that the new facility took fine dining to a whole new level of taste and refinement.

Also present at the opening was P. Dayaparan, general manager, FTI. A joint initiative by FTI and the tourism ministry, the OMR2 million facility is spread over 3,690sq m and boasts of an international fine dining restaurant

‘Memories’, an open air coffee shop ‘Clouds’ serving Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine and a multi-purpose banquet hall, ‘Shahrayar’.

The complex incorporates fort-like design to reflect Nizwa’s rich history. With a capacity of over 200 customers, Memories sports a design reminiscent of Nizwa’s panoramic desert landscape and boasts of an outdoor terrace that is surrounded by waterfalls and rock structures. Shahrayar can accommodate more than 600 customers and is equipped to host a variety of events.

“Ibrahim bin Salim al Siyabi, vice chairman, FTI, said that Nizwa is one of the country’s historic wilayats and deserves more such projects.

To create an authentic international culinary experience, FTI has hired over 60 experienced international staff from 20 countries. “We look forward to young Omanis working at these outlets,” said Siyabi.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat announces Iftar specials All through the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat welcomes the devout to break their day-long fast with delicious and specially-prepared assortment of Iftar dishes. With great food and delightful offers, the Hotel’s three restaurants – Olivos Restaurant and Terrace, The Lazy Lizard Garden and The Grind Floor – give guests plenty of options to choose from. So whether you plan to unwind with a cuppa and light snacks, catch up with family and friends over a meal, or just enjoy a quiet shisha by the pool, head over to the Radisson Blu and enjoy the carefully crafted Iftar specials. Olivos’ Iftar meals are priced at OMR 14 per person, inclusive of select Ramadan beverages and subject to applicable taxes and service charge. Given

that Iftars are best enjoyed in a large group, Olivos’ layout is designed to accommodate larger groups comfortably. The restaurant also has special group rates starting from OMR 12 net per person (also inclusive of select beverages). Kareem Al Barkachi, director of sales and marketing said, “Ramadan is a very important month for the devout, filled with prayer, spiritual reflection and charity.

At the end of a day of fasting, the Iftar provides an occasion for families and friends to get together over a healthy, traditional meal. The Radisson Blu Hotel has put together a menu that combines traditional and modern elements in a wholesome package that our guests are sure to appreciate.”

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June 2014 Black & White

Omanoil marks ‘international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking’ An avid supporter of national efforts that aim to improve people’s lives, Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) has partnered with the National Committee for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances for their week-long awareness campaign on drug abuse. On the occasion of ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’, the nation-wide campaign sheds light on the dangers of drugs to both users and communities while instilling principles that make up the fabric of social development.

Drug users do not only victimise themselves but their families and friends and omanoil is supporting this campaign as it empowers people to take responsibility and be accountable for their decisions, while guiding

them towards making informed and educated life choices.

Through the partnership with the Committee, omanoil is getting the message of hope across to its customers that drug use disorders are both preventable and treatable, and also encouraging them to become agents of change and address issues that afflict Oman’s communities.

NCSI conducts youth orientation survey The National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) has commenced the second survey on “Omani youth orientations”. The survey aims at canvasing the youth orientations through collecting data about their economic, social and cultural attitudes, which forms the basis for achieving sustainable growth in the future as well as preserving the developments achieved so far. In order to deploy the best practice for survey techniques covering a large survey sample population, NCSI is conducting the youth orientation survey through the call center and email contact. The first stage of the survey commenced earlier this month with the transmission of survey email questionnaires to higher education students drawn

from throughout Oman. Commenting on the importance of conducting such surveys, Sausan bint Dawood Al-Lawati, acting director general of information at NCSI said: “The NCSI conducted the first youth orientation survey in 2013 during the May-June period. The NCSI is carrying on the second survey to follow up the developments of youth orientations in different fields. The second survey will be only quantitative, and the same methodologies will be followed.

The study will include surveys of three samples of Omani youth aged between 18 to 29 years from all parts of the Sultanate, including higher education students, employees and job seekers.

The study aims at canvasing the preferable working field for the youth,

the mechanisms followed in looking for employment, the preferred basic salary for working in both private and governmental sectors, the youth evaluation of the government’s effort in employment and their vision of this role. The study will also cover the reliable sources of information for the youth for job vacancies and other information, in addition to evaluating the level of using modern technology.

The first stage of the survey kickedoff earlier this month including a sample of 3,000 higher education students. The second stage of the survey will be conducted through phone calls and includes a sample of 3,000 job seekers and 1,000 employees, bringing the total number of survey participants included in the three surveys to 7,000.

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The Jungle restaurant iftar buffet The Jungle restaurant will offer its first iftar buffet this Ramadan with an extensive choice of mouth-watering delights to suit all tastes.

Guests can break their fast with a selection of fresh juices and fruits, followed by a variety of salads, hot and cold starters, soups, main dishes and desserts. The Jungle’s sumptuous iftar buffet costs OMR10 plus taxes for adults and OMR6 plus taxes for children. Located in the heart 24

June 2014 Black & White

of Muscat, next to Qurum National Park, The Jungle is a casual dining restaurant designed with a tropical rainforest theme amid lush foliage. Guests enter the restaurant through the ‘jungle’ itself complete with rain, thunder and lightning effects and the sounds of a roaring dinosaur, chirping birds and other native animal noises.

Al Hayat offers advanced gastroenterological facilities Al Hayat International Hospital offers the latest facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of a number of gastroenterological conditions and diseases of thedigestive system. The gastroenterology department is headed

by Dr Mathew Raphael, MBBS, MD (Internal Medicine), MRCPI, specialistinternal medicine and gastroenterologist.

Trained in Ireland and India, Dr Raphael comes with 30 years of experience in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology in India, Ireland and Oman. An expert in endoscopy, as well as colonoscopy,

his special areas of interest include conditions relating to the liver, gall bladder, and pancreas.

Dr K.P. Raman, chairman, Al Hayat International Hospital, said, “Our gastroenterology department specialises in the treatment of diseases of the digestive tract and liver and is equipped with state-of-the-art endoscopic suite with modern video-endoscopic equipment and scopes, all sourced from reputed, international manufacturers.

Our gastroenterologist, Dr Mathew, is an expert in many areas in this segment.”

Golfing community to mark the end of season with first annual golf ball Oman’s first Golf Ball was held at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort recently in collaboration with The Zubair Corporation and Golf World. This event is set to bring all golfers and future golfers together to celebrate the rising popularity of the sport in Oman and the end of the winter golfing season.

Commenting upon the event, Leon Sassen, general manager, Golf World said, “It’s a great way to end the winter season with all players coming together and celebrating.

The Golf Ball has received wonderful support from all the golf courses involved and it shows the great camaraderie between the clubs. We are pleased to have welcome on board The Zubair Corporation as the main sponsor of the event and would like to thank them for their support of

our celebration. Thanks also must go to OUA who are also helping sponsor the event, which only adds more depth to the Ball. Golf in Oman has come a long way from when I moved to Oman in 2008 and I am looking forward to the celebration.”

Ziyad M Al Zubair, director of The Zubair Corporation, added; “Year on year golf as a sport is enjoying huge success in the Sultanate and accordingly the competitive standards are being raised, as facilities expand and new players take the sport up. I’m pleased to see a strong community developing and hope to see the sport go from strength to strength. It is a pleasure to be able to celebrate this achievement and become involved with the first golf ball to be held in Oman”.

Travel Point wins awards Travel Point has bagged two awards at the 8th Oman Web Awards held at Al Bustan Palace hotel, recently. The online booking engine www.arabiacars-oman.com of Arabia Cars, the rent-a-car division of the group won the bronze award for the automotive category and the official website of Wadi Shab Resort www.wadishabresort.com, bagged the silver award for the travel and tourism category.“Oman is digitally booming.

Travel Point, being a people and Technology driven company, is indeed honoured to be a part of it by receiving this merit,” Sunil Prabhakar, Ceo, Travel City/Travel Point said.

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June 2014 Black & White

Renna Mobile attractive internet packages Renna Mobile (Majan Telecommunication LLC) Oman’s first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) strives to achieve its goal of being the most cost-efficient mobile service provider in Oman by offering services at fantastic prices along with brilliant customer service.

Not only does Renna Mobile offer the lowest entry point for data bundles in Oman at only 300 baisa per week where customers can avail up to 35

MB of internet usage, it also provides the best price/data ratio among all the mobile service providers in Oman.

Internet surfers can now enjoy 1 GB per month (500 MB + 500 MB Night) at OMR2.5 with Renna Mobile- a data plan no other mobile service provider in Oman currently provides.

One feature that is sure to attract night owls is Renna’s offer of free internet usage at night up to 15

Al Wisal to broadcast

As part of its plan to cover all governorates of the Sultanate and to reach a greater number of listeners, Al Wisal radio station will begin broadcasting in Sharqiyah at June end. Al Wisal announced its strategic expansion plan in February, which included widening its geographical coverage to the governorates of North and South Al Sharqiyah, as an addition to the governorates of Muscat and Dhofar and parts of North and South Batinah.

The expansion will increase Al Wisal’s reach to more than half the population.

This means that a total of 504,187 people from the two governorates will be able to listen to Al Wisal and interact with its popular shows. Al Wisal aims to meet the needs of the two governorates through various programmes and innovations, including hosting a larger number of officials and decision-makers from Al Sharqiyah North and South, as well as placing a greater focus on their activities and social issues.

Journey by Amouage

Almouj Golf wins certificate of excellence 2014

In the opening monologue of the second cycle of the Amouage narrative, 'Journey' for man and woman, creative director Christopher Chong pieces together remnants of his personal odyssey and metamorphoses through life. The next chapters of Amouage’s narrative will now delve deeper into the man behind the fragrance as he depicts his ‘Portraits of a Life’.

Almouj Golf, the PGA standard 18-hole links golf course at The Wave, Muscat has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence by Trip Advisor, ranking the course as the number one sports facility in Muscat. The certificate recognises businesses that consistently earn top ratings from visitors’ reviews and places Almouj Golf in the top 10 percent of all golf facilities listed on the world’s largest travel site. Simon Duffield, general manager of Almouj Golf, said, “Almouj Golf has had the pleasure of welcoming golfers from around the world, some of whom come to Oman specifically to play at Almouj Golf. However, our reviews have also come from non-golfers who have enjoyed a tour of the course and a meal at the Academy Restaurant.

The reviews have clearly shown that visitors have had a memorable experience on and off the golf course. To be recognised by our members and visitors shows that the course simultaneously challenges and inspires players, as well as provides facilities for guests to relax and enjoy their free time at the clubhouse. We have a very strong focus on customer service and offer the highest levels across the whole business which has been acknowledged in this award. This recognition is a major step forward for us and an accomplishment we aim to build on in the coming year.”

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in Sharqiyah

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June 2014 Black & White

GB with their OMR15 data plan. Its remaining data plans can be easily viewed on its user-friendly website or by accessing its market-leading, free and interactive USSD Self Service Menu on a Renna Mobile device.

In black & White

In Black...

In the Holy Month, we experience hunger and thirst just like the underprivileged, we pray and become better human beings. If only the 30 days of the Holy Month can be extended to 365 days of goodwill and understanding… it would be human behaviour at its best throughout the year!

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief BLESSINGS UNLIMITED Last Ramadan, I was in Dubai. During my time there, I happen to go to a nearby mosque to offer my evening prayers when I saw an Iraqi national carrying a large vessel of food inside. Most fasting Muslims do this during the Holy Month – they would bring in food for the deprived when they come to mosque to offer their prayers.

tolerance and peace amongst all living beings. Why do people do that? Only for blessings, nothing more!

Because we believe that in the Holy Month, we experience hunger and thirst just like the underprivileged, we pray and become better human beings. If only the 30 days of the Holy Month can be extended to 365 days of goodwill and understanding… it would be human behaviour at its best throughout the year!

This man placed the food at a corner in the mosque, saw me watching and greeted me politely and then said: “Brother, why don’t you come to my home for Iftar?!”

And it is this same beautiful feeling you get when you read about the current story of B&W where it speaks of how a whole family extend their precious time, effort and money to cook food as part of iftar for a huge number of workers all 30 days of Ramadan. And they have been doing this for the last nine years. Feeding nearly 2000 people is a mind boggling task, and they seem to do it not just tirelessly but with real passion and love.

Of course, I had prior engagements so I couldn’t go, but I relate this here to impress upon you that this is the fine spirit of the Holy Month! This is what Ramadan is all about – this and more where Muslims of all walks of life engage in the true spirit of the Holy Month by doing various acts of charity and fostering a brotherhood based on piety, goodness and recreating the harmony that is within all of us. This spirit enables us to extend our inherent goodness to everyone, beyond religion, beyond borders and without any fear or inhibitions.

This act, I must repeat, showcases the true, soaring and beautiful spirit of the Holy Month! Let this family and their supporters and also all those in Al Rahma Charity remain blessed always!

Ramadan Mubarak!

And giving away food or inviting people for iftar is also a means of extending your goodness to the public. It helps to bring people together. It propagates

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RAMADHAN Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. The Holy Quran was sent down during this month, thus being prepared for gradual revelation by Jibraeel (Gabriel) to prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Furthermore, Muhammad (PBUH) told his followers that the gates of heaven would be open throughout the month and the gates of Hell (Jahannam) would be closed. The first day of the next month, Shawwal, is spent in celebration and is observed as the "Festival of Breaking Fast" or Eid al-Fitr.

RAMADAN MUBARAK

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PRAYER AND IFTAR TIMINGS 1435 H. - 2014 M. Day Ramadan

Date

Fajr

Sunrise Dhuhr

Asr

Maghrib

Isha

Sun

1

June 29

3:56

5:21

12:15

3:33

7:03

8:25

Mon

2

June 30

3:56

5:22

12:15

3:34

7:03

8:25

Tue

3

July 1

3:56

5:22

12:16

3:34

7:03

8:25

Wed

4

July 2

3:57

5:22

12:16

3:34

7:03

8:25

Thu

5

July 3

3:57

5:23

12:16

3:34

7:03

8:25

Fri

6

July 4

3:58

5:23

12:16

3:35

7:03

8:25

Sat

7

July 5

3:58

5:23

12:16

3:35

7:03

8:25

Sun

8

July 6

3:59

5:24

12:17

3:35

7:03

8:24

Mon

9

July 7

3:59

5:24

12:17

3:36

7:03

8:24

Tue

10

July 8

4:00

5:24

12:17

3:36

7:02

8:24

Wed

11

July 9

4:00

5:25

12:17

3:36

7:02

8:24

Thu

12

July 10

4:01

5:25

12:17

3:37

7:02

8:24

Fri

13

July 11

4:01

5:25

12:17

3:37

7:02

8:23

Sat

14

July 12

4:02

5:26

12:17

3:37

7:02

8:23

Sun

15

July 13

4:02

5:26

12:18

3:37

7:02

8:23

Mon

16

July 14

4:03

5:27

12:18

3:38

7:02

8:22

Tue

17

July 15

4:03

5:27

12:18

3:38

7:02

8:22

Wed

18

July 16

4:04

5:28

12:18

3:38

7:01

8:22

Thu

19

July 17

4:05

5:28

12:18

3:39

7:01

8:21

Fri

20

July 18

4:05

5:29

12:18

3:39

7:01

8:21

Sat

21

July 19

4:06

5:29

12:18

3:39

7:00

8:20

Sun

22

July 20

4:06

5:30

12:18

3:39

7:00

8:20

Mon

23

July 21

4:07

5:30

12:18

3:39

7:00

8:19

Tue

24

July 22

4:08

5:30

12:18

3:40

6:59

8:19

Wed

25

July 23

4:08

5:31

12:18

3:40

6:59

8:18

Thu

26

July 24

4:09

5:31

12:18

3:40

6:59

8:17

Fri

27

July 25

4:10

5:32

12:18

3:41

6:58

8:17

Sat

28

July 26

4:10

5:32

12:18

3:41

6:58

8:16

Sun

29

July 27

4:11

5:32

12:18

3:41

6:57

8:16

Mon

30

July 28

4:11

5:32

12:18

3:41

6:57

8:15

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June 2014 Black & White

B&W Xclusive 30

June 2014 Black & White

CHARITY begins at home

Ahmed Ziadi Al Fa’ar, 52, carefully washes his hands and splashes some cold water on his face. Precariously poised on a stone, next to a table filled with a range of food items, including a huge container with biryani (*) rice, fruits slices, water jugs, plastic tumblers, Ahmed dips a large paddle into the rice container, fills it and then generously doles out to an expatriate worker, who stood next to him, with a large plastic packet. The latter wanted two portions of the rice and then turned to Ahmed’s team members sitting down in front of other large containers, containing boiling hot marinated meat pieces, which they put in this expatriate worker’s plastic bag, along with the rice. The man then picks up two ice-cold water bottles and quietly shuffles away from the scene.

J uJnuen e2 021041 4 3131 Black && White White Black

B&W Xclusive

MAIDAN SETTING It is just past six in the evening, yet, hot as ever in a large square in an empty maidan in Sanaiyah, Seeb. Iftar, the evening meal, when Muslims break their fast during the Holy Month of Ramadan, was still an hour away, yet the preparations at this venue in Sanaiyah was in full swing.

Next to where Ahmed and his fellow volunteers were doling out the rice and meat was a simple stone marked area, which could seat more than 1000 people. Young and old volunteers quickly place dates, fruits slices, buns, sweet meats, laban and water on the plastic sheets laid on a carpeted enclave in this maidan. The bare-footed volunteers walked around dropping the food items on the plastic sheets, which served as temporary plates.

At the time Ahmed and his volunteers reached there with the food, there were only a handful of workers, but within a few minutes, people began streaming in from all directions. Cars also stopped at the venue, with some of them bringing in food, while others, came with plastic bags and waited in the queue for their turn.

The volunteers directed majority of the crowd to the iftar serving area and ask them to sit in designated rows.

Trays of food were brought in with sizzling meat on the hot rice. Hundreds of plastic jugs with cool water were also placed along with food trays. Labans and small juices were also doled out.

There was a man piling small laban bottles, another oversaw the water, new volunteers came in cars bringing more food containers, iftar snacks. At a reverential corner, on a small raised platform there were piled a

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number of the Holy Quran books, to be distributed to the workers. One of the volunteers, Said Juma, who has been actively involved in this charity iftar, noted that since it was the weekend, the crowd could be comparatively less. “On most days, more than two thousand people pour into this lot!”

Mohammed Salim, a Bengali national, who has been a regular at this iftar gathering since the Holy Month began, walked around taking in the scene, but made sure that he stayed out of the path of the volunteers who were actually seen running back and forth placing food stuff on the plastic mats.

FREE, DAILY IFTARS We catch Ahmed’s eyes as he takes his attention away from the task at hand and he smiles at us, nods. What is remarkable about this quiet and resilient man, and his bubbly wife, Maha Ribhi Hassan Al Fa’ar, both from Palestine, and their six children (one girl and the remaining boys) is that they are the brain, the spirit and the key people behind this massive iftar effort during Ramadan. For the last nine years, this family, assisted by many others now, was churning out daily iftars, free, to the people in the Sanaiyah area in Seeb. It is a backbreaking effort of mammoth proportions and Ahmed and Maha who are now in Oman for the last 16 or so years feel that this is their way of giving back to the society.

It is a charity effort of enormous proportions because nearly every day, during Ramadan, close to 1000 to 2000 people are given iftar, thanks to the main efforts of these

two. They are fully assisted in this venture by Al Rahma Charity, in Seeb and a host of anonymous charity lovers of Oman.

Soon, more than 1000 people gather at this iftar lot. The skies turn dusky, there is a little play of light in the air and then suddenly the muezzin’s call, announcing the iftar time cuts through the patiently waiting public and then you watch as the whole group move in tandem as they break their fast. A slight murmur of prayers arises above them and then they all eat in silence.

On the sidelines, the volunteers led by Ahmed also break their fast, but not as elaborately as the people they have served. Maha proceeds to rush to her home, which is nearby, noting she had people waiting for her there. She, her husband and the volunteers deserve more than a pat on their backs for their excruciatingly back breaking work they have undertaken as part of their charity for the Holy Month.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME Maha enthusiastically explains in broken English why she and her husband and her whole family were involved in doling out this mammoth iftar. Earlier, she had taken us to where her husband and a team, including some Pakistani cooks, Mohammed Asgar and Naveed Shehzad, and others were engaged in cooking the food in large containers. The cooking was done in a clean area in one of the garages in Sanaiyah.

Ahmed is the silent one, occasionally breaking into a

warm smile and unveiling a smattering of Arabic, adding on to his wife’s story: “We came to Oman in 1999. It was not easy, but we slowly worked our way up; my husband is in the garage business and little by little we progressed and soon we found our path. And from nothing, zero money, we began to earn sufficiently. Each time we succeeded, we wanted to show our gratitude to the Almighty and to the people of Oman.

“The Holy Month of Ramadan always incites the power of charity in our hearts. Iftar is one such occasion that we can spread happiness and understanding. For the last nine years, my family and I are preparing food at home for the labourers and other workers in the Sanaiyah region of Mabela. Initially, we prepared food for around 30 to 40 people, which increased to 100 and now it has crossed over 2000.

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“Since the last three years, Al Rahma Charity has been supporting our iftar initiative, by providing us with meat and rice.

This year we are provided with 60 kilos of meat and rice per day with which we make iftar preparations, starting at 12 noon, to get the food ready by 6pm.

The food for the 2000 people is cooked at three locations and brought together, well supported by all in the area.

We will not say it is just an individual effort for the daily

iftar is made possible thanks to many good hearted people who pool in a variety of food items and drinks, including laban, fruits, dates and water. It is a collective effort to give a good meal for iftar for the under privileged, workers and others who are fasting in this month.�

Maha swore on Al Rahma Charity and noted how this little charity had given her complete direction to her own charity initiatives and now, she was also a dedicated volunteer there.

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B&W Xclusive

In pursuit of charity The quiet, motherly looking Rahima Al Musafer, who heads Al Rahma Charity, has been into social work and charity right from childhood. All of her breathing life, she has been engaged in the pursuit of charity and seems to have lived only for others.

Right from an early stage, Rahima and her like-minded friends were known to move heaven and earth to help the ones in need. If she comes to know of someone in some kind of need, she will stop everything to help and support that person.

Earlier, she has been known to send thousands of Arabic messages requesting support for the poor from friends as well as the public at large. For years she has been working on her own, sometimes with her close friends raising money for the underprivileged and then somewhere in 2005, her work began to get more organised.

Then in 2008, she began to operate from the offices of Al Rahma Charity in Al Khoud. “We are supported by the Wali of Seeb and countless other well wishers and supporters in our charity endeavour,� Rahima tells Black & White from the Rahma Charity premise in Al Khoud, Seeb.

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The efforts of this charity initiative are mind blowing. Al Rahma plays a stellar role and literally paves the path for many charity organisations in Oman. Their actions speak louder than their words and their numbers reveal the manner in which they reduce the burden from the shoulders of the needy and draw smiles on the underprivileged and innocent, heartbroken children.

“When we started our work in 2008, we focused on the Seeb area predominantly, but soon, we began to expand to almost all areas in Oman. This is thanks to thousands of volunteers spread around and 250-strong representatives,” Rahima explained. She tackles each query from us with great enthusiasm and a glee that is almost innocent and childlike.

Rahima noted how they were thankful to the lifeblood of staunch supporters and ready-to-serve volunteers and representatives, who networked on a daily/weekly basis to identify and support those people who really needed help, whether it is daily ration, or school fees or a wheel chair. “We mostly focus on the care of the elderly, the orphans and those living in the remote mountainous terrains. Once a month we reach food supplies, water and medicines; provide mattresses and other accessories to those living in the mountains.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE “As a team, we try our best to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged. We have a team of dedicated volunteers all around Oman, who along with their regional supporters find out the need and requirements and we work in unison to meet the requirements successfully.”

ALWAYS SERVING As she reels out the numbers and the gargantuan efforts taken by her and her team, we are filled with awe. Was she always like this? Always serving?

Suddenly a chorus of affirmations drowns her reply.

Although very few who spoke English were present at the venue, all of them who were quietly sitting and working at Al Rahma charity centre suddenly chorused: “Yes, yes, madam Rahima was filled with the spirit of serving right from the time she was a small girl!”

Rahima began her social work since her school days and loved being of help to everyone. “The Holy Quran was my inspiration and when I began reading the holy pages and understood its meaning, I knew my role. I wanted to be a social worker. When you love what you do, it becomes a pleasure to work harder. I have had the opportunity to get enough support from well wishers and good hearted friends who joined me in my endeavours.”

LITTLE ACTS OF CHARITY COUNTS Over the last 35 years, she has managed to realise that there was a need to motivate the youth to join hands in volunteering services. “Social work is not employed

1000 numbers of Holy Qurans were distributed to the workers and other labourers in various regions during the mass Iftar

only during a crisis, it is the only way we can give back to the society we live in and to make it a better place for all. I am not saying I am going to end the problems of every one, but every little act of kindness changes someone’s lives out there. So if it is in our capacity, why not? Or rather should I say why shouldn’t we take that step to serve the society we live in, better the lives of the under privileged? When you work without expectations and see the tears wiped away or the happiness shining in an old person’s face, it changes you too. All I look upon is the Almighty’s dua (blessings)!

“It is not an impossible act, but every one of us can help in our own way. You don’t have to be rich or have great amounts of money to do charity or help someone in distress. All you need is a heart to help -- I learnt this lesson from a very young age at school and I am sure every one of us reaches a point where we need help from someone or the other. There is not a single person in this society who can live without any help, so why not pass it on?”

A MONTH OF CARING Al Rahma Charity centre was a buzz of activity when we went there. It is at its busiest during the Holy Month.

Once you enter the premises, to the left is an area where all the collected clothes are checked and amended if needed. Then all of them are properly displayed where those in need could come and choose the outfits to cover their needs. Women and children were seen hovering around, checking out the clothes and then quietly moving out with their chosen items. The centre had around 40 volunteers or representatives engaged in various tasks, most of them so busy they did not have any time to be distracted by anyone or anything.

Rahima herself sat quietly inside in a small area, totally oblivious of anything and lost in her work. We had to call out to her couple of times before she looked up from her work. Since the project was under the ministry of social development and audited, paper work and accounts itself J uJnuen e2 021041 4 3737 Black && White White Black

required a full-fledged team. Every bit and paper was filed and everything was accounted for, said Rahima as she impressed upon us these salient points.

“The Holy Month of Ramadan brings lot of hope in many peoples’ lives. We plan ahead, at least six months in advance for various charity plans during this month.

This year we have many good activities planned and the schedule has been successfully employed too,” Rahima said.

B&W Xclusive

ONE PROJECT OR THE OTHER Iman bint Abdullah, who works as a volunteer there and also helped interpret, had only recently completed her electronic engineering course from the MECIT College and during the interim period that she made herself gainful employed, she began to pursue her own charity leanings. “I love my work here,” this Seeb resident enthused. “We have around 39 volunteers/ representatives, at our Seeb office here and we are all primarily involved in one project or the other according to the need and requirements. I believe every one of us should put in some volunteering work for our own society, because charity is what begins at our own homes,” she noted.

MP3 PLAYERS FOR THE BEDRIDDEN As we spoke, Nasser Ahmed Al Malki, a volunteer from Ibra walked in. He told us how the Rahma Charity was now providing the Holy Quran laden MP3 players to deprived souls bedridden in hospitals. “We began this 38

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initiative at the Ibra hospital and soon, we will cover Seeb and then move on to all hospitals in the country,” Nasser said, adding that Rahma began the initiative by providing 100 MP3 players as a start. “Now, things are moving in full swing!”

5000 SCHOOL BAGS As we prepared to move out of the premises, we bumped into Mustafa Al Lawati of Monalisa International, who has helped facilitate the purchase of nearly 5000 school bags at a nominal rate. “Normally, a school bag with accessories cost around OMR8 to 9 in the local market.

But, this we purchased directly from China for Rahma Charity for less than half the price.

“The timely arrival of these bags helped us to reach them to the children! We are happy to be part of Rahma’s initiative so that we can give the maximum charity to the deserving ones!”

A cursory list of the various Ramadan charity activities that Al Rahma Charity has lined up: IFTAR FOR EXPATRIATES, LABOURERS AND UNDER PRIVILEGED: Since the start of the Holy Month, Al Rahma Charity has organised daily iftars for the labourers in the Mabela Sanaiyah area (2000 odd numbers), at Burj Al Sahwa and at Wadi Al Aras, Seeb. “At the Sanaiyah area, a good-hearted family (Ahmed and Maha Al Fara’a) has been supporting the workers and labourers for many years and we identified them and started supporting their endeavour by providing rice and meat required for the daily iftar meal for 2000 odd people,” Rahima noted.

Iftars packages are also distributed to hospital staff, security staff, schools, orphans, Baladiyah workers, the poor and the under privileged. Over 5000 poor families are provided iftar packages including rice, milk and other essential items.

IFTAR TENTS AT MANY PLACES IN OMAN Al Rahma charity extends support by furnishing and providing food articles for iftar tents at various places, like Samail, Ibri, and Hamraa etc.

toys and money at various public outlets, malls and offices.

SUPPORT FOR ORPHANS Al Rahma Charity supports 2070 orphans during Ramadan by providing new Eid clothes and school dress.

A whopping figure of OMR45000 is paid as monthly allowance for the maintenance of the orphans too. They also provide 5000 school bags with school accessories.

IFTAR TROLLEYS AT MARKET PLACES Iftars are provided on a trolley in the Seeb market places to provide iftar snacks to the market place workers.

DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY QURANS We also give the Holy Quran (books) to the workers and other labourers in various regions.

AROUND 100 SPONSORED FOR UMRAH Al Rahma Charity has arranged for three buses to send (the week we met them)100 people for Umrah.

GIFTS FOR THE SICK AND BEDRIDDEN On the 19th Ramadan day, Al Rahma team will visit hospitals and gifts will be given to the aged, bedridden patients. “We hope they will be happy and cared for,” Rahma said. (*) Biryani is a rice-based dish (usually using basmati) made with spices and chicken, mutton, fish, eggs or vegetables.

COLLECTION BOXES Al Rahma Charity has placed collection boxes for clothes,

(**) Al Rahma Charity helps families, takes care of orphans and low-income sections of the society by providing financial and in-kind assistance such us paying their water and electricity bills, providing air conditioners maintenance for poor families, students’ sponsorship, providing devices for disabled people and other charity initiatives. Over 1,500 orphans are currently benefiting from the programmes undertaken by Al Rahma.

Text: Adarsh Madhavan & Priya Arunkumar, Photos: Ben

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Kidstuff

Fun facts on

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Nuts are defined as a simple, dry fruit with one seed (very occasionally two) in which the seed case wall becomes very hard at maturity. True nuts include pecan, sweet chestnut, beech, acorns, hazel, hornbeam and alder. Peanuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, horse chestnuts and pine nuts are not nuts.

Peanuts, also known as groundnuts, earthnuts, goobers, pinders, Manila nuts and monkey nuts, aren’t nuts: they are a type of pea which grows underground.

Brazil nuts aren’t nuts. Like horse chestnuts, they are seeds contained in a capsule or pod, which splits apart. True nuts don’t split – the seed and the fruit are one and the same. Brazil nuts mostly come from Bolivia (in Brazil, they are called castanhas, or chestnuts).

Coconuts aren’t nuts. They are drupes (from the Greek dryppa, meaning “tree-ripened”). Drupes are fruit with a fleshy outer coating enclosing a hard shell containing a seed: almonds, walnuts, olives, dates and coffee.

Horse chestnuts” are called so because they were fed to horses to help with respiratory disorders. The Turkish name, atkestanesi, also means “horse-chestnut” and probably derives from the Latin Castanea equina.

Nine nimble noblemen nibbled nuts.

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We have been thinking of it since quite sometime now.

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

Bored by the bores We are reminded of a story we are carrying in this issue on men who become bores and don’t realise it. They don’t seem to understand that they are real bores and no one wants to hear them talk or be with them; they don’t even understand it when people avoid them like the plague.

We have couple of these infernal bores who walk into our office unannounced and we are really caught off guard.

They have no qualms in just walking in and even if we are in a meeting or interview, they just casually walk in without a care and plonk right down in the middle. We are in a Catch 22 situation as we cannot really throw this man out, nor can we antagonise the people we are meeting/ interviewing.

This bore hardly bothers that it could be a private meeting or a confidential interview. He just sits there and gives off a lame excuse for barging in without a meeting and says, “Hope you don’t mind my sitting here?”

Of course we do, but then we are not in a position to be rude to him and while we seethe within ourselves, we are forced to stay calm, but our meeting/interview short and then allow this bore to bore us with his boring, nonsensical topics that always border on the absurd.

We really don’t know how to deal with such bores and we

Nitter natter

Can’t keep open house We are a media house, but we cannot keep open house at all times. In the sense, we need to have an element of privacy in order to function. Imagine if we let everyone in, made them sit, feel at home, offered them tea or coffee, bought them sandwiches and they would all stay up, chatting the day away, how will we do work? We are a small team and therefore there are responsibilities that we have shoulder and tasks that we have to juggle in order to maintain smooth functioning. But, if we are to spend half the day entertaining people and hearing them talk and we also engage in beating about the bush, then we would be faced with a gaping hole of loss in which we may all disappear.

We can’t let that happen, do we?

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really hope that he reads this column and the story on men bores in this issue and wish that he mends his ways.

A pain of a caller ‌then there is the caller. The man who calls at unearthly and while we would wait for the storm to pass and ask hours, or always when we are out of town, making it a him why he called, he would say that after yelling and long-distance roaming call, or when we are in the middle of shouting at us so much, he forgot why he called! something, or at lunchtime, or at dinnertime and when we find time to return the call, he never picks up and when we try to silence the call and send him a message asking him to message his requirements, he does not respond.

And after we message him, call him back and he doesn’t respond, suddenly, out of the blue, he calls again, when we are not in a position to reply to him and then he goes on calling and calling nonstop.

You could count each ring after ring that it would go on on endlessly until it stops and then begin again.

And so it went forth, each day that he deemed fit was the one designated for calling us and then would not respond to any of our return messages or return calls and sometimes, when we do pick, he would scream at us for not picking up his calls

Heat is on Needless to say the heat is on and the flowers are wilting, he had made a mistake and he was taking out that anger the grass is yellowing, the birds are dying and the dogs are at us! Cool brother, cool! Shush, you might get a sun burning with exhaustion and the people are swooning under stroke! this sweltering summer blaze.

The tempers are also rising. The other day someone parked their car just behind us at our designated parking lot and we had to go somewhere in a hurry but repeated honking never brought the owner/driver of the car back. We waited for some 15 minutes till he came back from whatever errand he had to make and while we told him in no uncertain terms that his action cost us precious, the man suddenly saw red. He just lost his cool and began to shout and abuse us. But, you parked the car behind us and you kept us here and you are now screaming at us, we said angrily, but the sweaty and obviously hot man was all of deaf ears and his angry words poured out in a background of gestures and gesticulations!

For some moments we were also consumed with rage but then better sense prevailed. It is the heat. Let it be. He knew (Note: Readers who have something bitter to chatter about can either email on editor@blackandwhiteoman.com or call 99218461)

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Your TAURUS April 21-May 20

GEMINI May 21-June 21

It would be no bad thing to slow things down a bit this week, not that you’ll have a choice in some instances. Harmonious inter actions with others help smooth out your week, and as your confidence builds, you’ll be glad to blow away the fog and live life.

Use any surplus time you have this week to see personal or emotional matters from an entirely new perspective.

Open your heart and your mind to someone who used to be close, as they truly regret their actions from the past.

Don’t hang back or be pushed to the side when opportunities arise unexpectedly.

You deserve to take a shot just like everyone else. Just watch your temper though as you tend to fly off the handle when agitated. Try not to speak without thinking or all is lost.

CANCER June 22-July 23

LEO July 24-August 23

ARIES March 21-April 20

Personal, intimate relationships seem to be hanging by a thread this week, so try not to make long term decisions about anything until you know where you stand emotionally. Keep professional matters running smoothly and your general good luck will keep you grounded.

Working in tandem with others is your best bet for making progress at work this week, so don’t be afraid to throw in your lot with others.

There’s interesting new possibilities just around the corner, but you’ll need to stay alert to get the best ones for yourself.

VIRGO August 24-September 23 It’s going to be a hectic week across the board, so if you want to make gains in all or many of the main areas, you’ll need to alert and on the ball.

Don’t allow emotional pressure to infiltrate into business decisions.

Work and pleasure don’t mix on this occasion.

Horoscope

LIONEL ANDRÉS MESSI (BORN 24 JUNE 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. At age 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200 goals in La Liga.

Commonly ranked as the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time,Messi is the first football player in history to win four FIFA/Ballons d'Or, all of which he won consecutively, as well as the first to win three European Golden Shoe awards. With Barcelona, Messi has won six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.

Messi is the first and only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns, and also holds the record for the most hat-tricks scored (4) in the competition.

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stars LIBRA September 24-October 23 The influence of the lunar high at the start of the week helps you to clear your mind, and makes it possible for you to see right through to the heart of situations. Don’t get too immersed in others battles though. You have enough work to do in your own life.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20 You start the week with a surplus of energy and enthusiasm, but be aware there may be a few hiccups to overcome before you reach the weekend. Be original in your thinking and roll with the punches no matter what happens.

Step out of your comfort zone to achieve greatness.

SCORPIO October 24-November 22 Focus more on personal and intimate matters this week if you want to ensure relationships stay fresh. Don’t know where you’re going wrong? Talk to a trusted friend who wont whisper your secrets. Use your instincts to decide who you’re going to confide in here.

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19 Financial issues are getting more and more complex and intricate, so maybe it would be best to stop what you’re doing and seek out some professional guidance about a situation you’re in. You may have to scrap what you’ve already achieved and start again, but it may be worth it.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 You don’t want to get your hopes up, but there’s a little bit of you at the back of your mind that’s allowing the excitement to build. Is this over money? Work? Love? Or all three? Keep your finger on the pulse and your eye on the ball and you’ll soon find out.

PISCES February 20-March 20 Develop your own ideas and ambitions today and stop putting the needs of others before you own.

Having the courage of your convictions means that if anything goes wrong you’ll take the blame, but that’s hardly likely to happen. Not on your watch.

THOMAS CRUISE 'TOM' MAPOTHER IV (BORN JULY 3, 1962) is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards.

He started his career at age 19 in the 1981 film Endless Love.

After portraying supporting roles in Taps (1981) and The Outsiders (1983), his first leading role was in Risky Business, released in August 1983. Cruise became a full-fledged movie star after starring as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun (1986). He is well known for his role as secret agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible film series between 1996 and 2011.

Cruise has starred in many successful films, including The Color of Money (1986), Cocktail (1988), Rain Man (1988), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Far and Away (1992), A Few Good Men (1992), Minority Report (2002), The Last Samurai (2003), Collateral (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Lions for Lambs (2007), Valkyrie (2008), Knight and Day (2010), Jack Reacher (2012) and Oblivion (2013). In 2012, Cruise was Hollywood's highest-paid actor.

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It's my life

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

By Vandana Shah

What a fantastic dream this has been to travel to Brazil for the football World Cup. The pulsating energy...the throbbing sensuality...the beating of a billion hearts and most of all LIFE....as embodied by the game of football has left me speechless, yet again.

The twists and turns and the heart stopping moments in the penalty shootouts in the pre-quarter games of Brazil versus Chile make you realise the importance of performing just at the right moment to be a champion. Even one minute can be life changing as shown by Holland who scored against Mexico in the 88th minute of a match that usually ends in 90 minutes.

The head butts, the diving, the light hand ball that goes unnoticed makes you realise that humans do cheat at times and will do anything for a victory. But then you forget it all when you see the rhythm, the fast pace, the beauty and the movement of the game and the team as one. The game that divides yet unites people world over and makes them want to sing, dance, talk to perfect strangers, cry in loss and rejoice in victory.

Whatever you do, however you play good or bad or you win or lose but you have to play by the rules of the game and be a sportsman and play a good game or you end up becoming a ´Luis Suarez´ who not only gets universally reviled for biting a fellow sportsman but also gets banned from the sport of life by those who just want to play a fair game.

Till next time hugs and more football!

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

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

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on the menu

Cooking

Served at a picnic table, or at home, big or small, seedless or not, red or yellow -- nothing welcomes summer like a big, juicy watermelon. Watermelon is over 90 percent water and the water contained in this melon is the perfect water to hydrate every cell of your body. Watermelon contains lycopene which is a nutrient that naturally protects you from sun exposure, it is no accident that watermelon season is in the summer! Add on a few slushy slices to your daily menu in summer.

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Watermelon salad Ingredients 3/4 cup halved, thinly sliced red onion 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 1/2 quarts seeded, cubed watermelon 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup pitted black olive halves 1 cup chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoons olive oil Method Place the onion slices in a small bowl with the lime juice.

The acid of the lime will mellow the flavour of the raw onion.

Let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon cubes, feta cheese, black olives, onions with the lime juice, and mint. Drizzle olive oil over it all, and toss to blend. Dig in and be prepared for a pleasant surprise!

Slushes Ingredients 6 ice cubes 1 teaspoon honey 2 cups cubed seeded watermelon Method Place the ice cubes into a blender. Cover, and pulse until crushed. Add the watermelon and blend for about a minute, until slushy. Add the honey, and blend for about 10 seconds.

Smoothies Ingredients ž cup seedless watermelon chunks ½ cup kefir, yogurt, buttermilk, or a combination 3 tablespoons orange juice Method Use blender to puree watermelon until smooth. Add juice and kefir, yogurt, or buttermilk. Process until blended completely.

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WOMEN less interested in

SPORTS

Shape n Sound

It is not that women are not action oriented, but it has always been found that women are less interested in sports than men. If you look at sheer figures, we may easily discern that men are still more interested than women in playing sports, research claims. Just look into your own home, look out of the window and on to the streets, go out on to the playing field, go local or international…everywhere you turn, it is the males that dominate the sports scene. Today, the world’s biggest sporting spectacle in Brazil is replete with males, and why so, because it is a male World Cup football. It is so obvious that it is almost a cliché to talk about it.

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MESSI OR MISSY? Yet, studies also reveal that there are many who view it differently. They believe that the line separating the two is rapidly diminishing and will become virtually non-existent soon.

So does that mean we will see all the men being replaced by women on the field? Messi will be replaced by a Missy?

NO MYTHS Without taking away the power of women in the sports, the fact of the matter is that there is a difference and it is not a myth. There is a large difference and there is no indication that it will be disappearing anytime soon, observers note. While in developed countries, it is clear that men and women, boys and girls all receive the same encouragement

and opportunities, in developing countries, it is not so. Many a time, in such countries, various socio-cultural and other related factors give low opportunities to girls and while they may not be obviously sidelined, voluntary efforts on their part would not be that forthcoming as parental strictures and the lame reasoning that sports is of no use and women cannot shine in it, pulls them down.

WOMEN BIG, BUT WOMEN BIGGER It is true that a large number of women are engaged in various sports there, but the larger majority is men. There is no doubt about that.

Even on an international scale, men outnumber women on the playing field, be it football, cricket, hockey, or even in athletics.

TOO MUCH FOOTBALL ON TV Why are women far and few in sports? Perhaps it could be they are more in touch with their emotions and do not want to waste their time or be prey to such low standard causes as hooting for a football team.

Ask the majority of women who don’t do sport, and they will complain that there is too much sport on television and in the papers and men engage in heated discussions on the subject and such craziness has contaminated their homes, their social and leisure lives.

Perhaps, if there were more women playing the game, there would be more women watching it; yes, more women spectators too. Various factors have precluded women from

taking up serious sport, but in no way should one be led to the impression that all women shun sports and they don’t play at all. They most certainly do. In certain countries, women even play football and also watch it with the same type of manly enthusiasm.

But, you never hear of women being the cause of hooliganism during and post matches that are steeped in rivalry!

Whatever the reasons that women are less in the world of sports, it is time that they start rising with the times. If women can excel outside the field, they can surely can excel in the field too. Also, a chance to start a small sports wave among women is to catch them young. Which means: compulsory schools’ sports! That will help!

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June 2014 Black & White

When the MAN is

SILENT… (Sometimes, women need to be a little less aggressive with their men)

Psyche

When she speaks, he remains silent. This is nothing new, according to Sumaiya and Firoz’s (*) friends. The latter have seen the widening gap between the two and although they have expressed their concern and some of them had really spoken to Sumaiya about how her husband was growing less and less talkative when she was around or was speaking, she did not really seem to care.

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“If he does not have an opinion on anything, is it my fault?,” Sumaiya retorts to such queries. It actually seemed like she said. Firoz never seemed to have an opinion on anything. It was clear who was the mistress of the home in their household. It was Sumaiya all the way and everything was controlled, operated and even dealt with by her, while her hubby followed her around like a mute lamb, not even bleating out a protest.

It was not always so. Before they married, Firoz, who was quite an artist and had a big fan following, was quite loquacious to the point of being verbose! He was also very cheerful, had loads of friends and had a mind of his own. Firoz met Sumaiya at work and after a whirlwind romance, they married and then slowly the changes began taking shape in both of them.

Sumaiya, who was always an exuberant, fiery and feisty woman began to take slow but sure control of both their lives and while she seemed to do it more out of love for her husband, the latter began to become moody, silent to the point that it seemed he had lost the power of speech.

Friends say that he soon stopped painting, probably after fatherhood, two children and then work pressures, but close ones point out that it was the immense pressure of forever toeing the line of his wife that led him to blank out his artistic endeavours. A totally hardworking man, especially at his work as a building contractor, Firoz made enough money, but somehow his wife would always ask him to do better and had once

or twice cast aspersions on his ability as a painter and told him in no uncertain terms that if he focused more on his work and less on his “useless” artistic pursuits, the household would benefit. This was quite a blow to Firoz, especially when there was a time when Sumaiya was besotted with his paintings and had claimed that he would become a great painter! This, saddled with the galloping sense of angst growing in him, Firoz took the drastic decision of not pursuing his artistic interests. And, in many ways, he also realised that he was not doing well there too, somewhere down the line, the colours grew drab, imagination ran dry and he submitted to the general feeling of apathy and doom that was clouding over this near middle aged man.

Not only that, Sumaiya had this (earlier Firoz used to find it cute) bad habit of cutting Firoz’s speech even before he could complete a sentence. Firoz may start to say something but Sumaiya would either go off on a tangent and cut his line short or would stop him and say that she remembered something, which she had to say immediately. And she was the type that could go on and

on once she opened her mouth. If Firoz began to talk about his ailing mother, Sumaiya would suddenly change the discussion to her own mother’s sickness and soon they would be discussing about the latter than Firoz’s mother, originally the subject he had raised.

From such trivial issues to major earth-shaking happenings, incidents and decisions, all of them dominated and commandeered by Sumaiya, she also indirectly and sometimes directly expressed her anger at Firoz during the rare occasions when he took his own decisions, which she automatically felt was wrong.

Somehow, this superiority complex that she had and the sheer belief that she could not go wrong and that her husband was always wrong put her on charge always and Firoz could not take a decision to even buy a soft drink of his choice. He is today a silent, somber, old and defeated man for whom every decision hung on the lips of his overbearing wife, who feels it is her big responsibility to do so! (*) Names changed to protect identity 53

June 2014 Black & White

A delete button?

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar I made a mistake.

Correction. I made a mistake again.

And I still make a lot of mistakes.

No, I am not becoming a guilt tripper.

I know I have a long way to go, and am sure I will continue making mistakes.

And people say learn from your mistakes.

Sigh! I didn’t learn from my mistakes too.

Not that I keep repeating the same mistakes, I make new ones.

Sometimes new painful ones, other times silly, simple ones.

And whatever experiences I go through in the process, like every other being I guess I learn too.

Because every time now I get in to a situation brought about by my actions, I am better in getting out, if I need to. You cannot do that unless you are experienced, right?

Times have changed, painful and wrong things need to be forgotten, put behind… and I get optimistic.

Sometimes I mull over, many times I regret too, but finally I accept that I have done it again, and will not in the near future. I am myopic in these decisions. A few months down the lane, I am on it again.

Now, every mistake I do is a step taken in good faith. Not taken by ignorance.

I believe I am right every time I get into one. Then I work hard to prove I am right, that I took the right decision, or rather choice. I

hold on till I can bear it no longer, only to realise I made a mistake again.

Now where did I read that a life spent making mistakes is more honourable than a life spent doing nothing?

I am also an incurable optimist who quickly gets out of any crisis, personal and professional. It could have been worse… Not that I don’t hurt, or that I don’t lose, I do, but I move on. I would still say yes whenever there is an opportunity to do something I have never done before. I guess everyone should.

I am sure there is no single being in this world who has not done a mistake. And every one of us has that inner voice berating us for less than wise choices.

Someone once told me not to use the word mistake, everything in life is an experience, a way of life, and why sort it out as good, bad, right and wrong? Stop beating yourself, brooding over mistakes. Move on, there is so much life has to offer, through mistakes or otherwise.

I took that advice.

But, there are times when I wish life was like a computer, easy to delete, easy to clean up, pause and easy to reformat. Imagine if life had a delete button, how many of us would have used it frequently? In reality it would have been the most over used utility in the world!

Now if I had a delete button, what would I do? Will I delete my so called mistakes, painful memories, experiences and failures? And if I do so, what would be left of me?

If you had a delete button in your life, what would you do? priya@blackandwhiteoman.com

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June 2014 Black & White