Black & White mag Issue 25

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Oman's grand old tree... p32 25 Dh-Hiija–25 Muharram

Vol.1 Issue 25II December 1-31, 2010

Al Waft Restaurant LLC ʴˑ˃ˆʰˑʎ ʔʚʓʚʏ ˑ˒˒ˑ˕ˋ˖ˇ ʫː˖ˇ˔˅ˑː˖ˋːˇː˖˃ˎ ʪˑ˖ˇˎʏ ʵˊ˃˖˖ˋ ʣˎ ʳ˗˔˗ˏ ʲʱ ʤˑ˚ ʕʗʛʛʏ ʴ˗˙ˋʏ ʲˑ˕˖˃ˎ ʥˑˆˇ ʓʓʔʏ ʵ˗ˎ˖˃ː˃˖ˇ ˑˈ ʱˏ˃ː ʶˇˎʜ ʊʛʘʚʋ ʛʛʚʕ ʛʗʛʗʏ ʧˏ˃ˋˎʜ ˋːˈˑʢ˃˔ˑ˛˖ˊ˃ˋˑˏ˃ːʎ˅ˑˏʏ ʹˇ˄˕ˋ˖ˇʜ ˙˙˙ʎ˃˔ˑ˛˖ˊ˃ˋˑˏ˃ːʎ˅ˑˏ

Presents

BRYAN ADAMS Live in Muscat

18th December 2010 | InterContinental Gardens | Doors open 7.30pm In association with

Tickets: Standard RO 25/- VIP RO 50/- Tickets available: MHD Land Rover Showroom Azaiba OUA MQ, SCS Azaiba, Bose Qurum CC Al Gazal Pub, InterContinental Call 24600959 or visit www.hifmradio.com for more info An event brought to you by

www.bryanadams.com

Driven by

www.omanonlinesearch.com

Coming Soon!

Oman's first comprehensive online directory

More details: oos@blackandwhiteoman.com

Hope B&W will become a tabloid!

Heartiest congratulations to Black & White for turning one. The first birthday is always very special and memorable. What makes it even more special is the recently held ‘Parampara’ breast cancer charity dinner and dance event featuring Hema Malini and her two daughters, which was the icing on the cake.

Wishing your fortnightly many more anniversaries and dreaming that one day it will become a weekly tabloid!

Jonitha D, Muscat

Here’s to many more years!

Wow, Black & White is one?! Unbelievable, it seems like it was just yesterday that you had started out.

You have traversed a major path and surely this one year must have been a big challenge for you. But, it is great to hear that my favourite magazine has completed one year.

Here is to many, many more years!

Saniya G., Al Khuwair

Not a good column I did not like the column written by Vandana Shah (issue 23) because of various reasons.

The prime reason among them is that the topic was not Islamic and it should not have been written like that. There are so many ways to write a column like this.

Anyway, thanks for letting me air my feelings about this topic.

Abdullah Mosabah Almutairy, Muscat

10 10December December1-31, 1-31,2010 2010

Topics are unique Congrats on completing a very successful year. I know the path you have travelled to attain this level was very tough. But, within a short span of time, thanks to your continued determination and the will to do something to the society has brought a very successful completion of a year. I am sure that you will celebrate many more birthdays.

As a regular reader of the B&W, I must say that the topics covered by you are quite unique and expressive and someway related to the culture and tradition of Oman. Although all the topics were informative and useful, the topics which I found to be very special were: ‘Autism Can’t Speak’; ‘Stop Human Carnage’; ‘Dial 800 77477’; ‘Who ate my Shuwa?’ and ‘Kahwa Anyone?’

The above topics clearly raised social awareness among the general public and blends with the tradition of Oman. It was great of B&W to rope in the world renowned autistic savant George Widener and the dream girl Hema Malini along with her girls to come and raise awareness on key causes? Who would have thought that George Widener and Hema Malini would come and perform here in Oman, and that too for a charity cause? Special kudos to B&W for making all of this happen!

K.R.Anand, Wadi Kabir

To commissioner, with love My dear commissioner, I became a ‘guide’ under your guidance And I always will be, wherever I go.

You taught me so many new things Which I will use throughout my life And you made me energetic!

You found the leader in me!

You taught me how to face challenges And climb over obstacles!

I respect you, I salute you and am forever grateful to you for all the things you have done for me, my beloved commissioner!

It’s time to say good-bye and hard for me to bear your departure from SLSM, but in my heart you’ll always be there!

A very big Thank You! (Guide Indeevari Senanayake, 1st Oman Girl Guides, Sri Lankan School, Muscat, SLSM)

Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Black & White 11

Xclusive

Oman's oldest tree... huge Baobab (Mashuu) is 32 This reportedly the oldest living tree in Oman. It is located in Zahaimi village

Cover Photo: Najib Al Balushi

For a razor-sharp mind

Openness helps in business

14

20

Anwar Ali Sultan in a freewheeling chat with Black & White

Seven quick tips to a razor-sharp mind...

Bitter Batter harassment has 44 Staff become the norm in one

56

of the Indian schools here, a school source revealed recently

We are all born natural and it is probably during the process of growing up that we unwittingly spin from natural to artificial

Contents Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC Black & White Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos Office location: Hatat House, Office no: 212, II Floor Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496 Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Printed at Mazoon, Muscat, 12 December 1-31, 2010Oman

Are you a natural woman?

BPA Consumer Audit applied for December 2009

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

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Priya Arunkumar Adarsh Madhavan Beneek Siraj Najib Al Balushi Swithun Fernandes Aloni Mehta

All about X, Y & Z

Boo to armchair critics!

By Adarsh Madhavan

I don’t like armchair critics.

Maybe it is because I don’t like myself.

When I get a bit weary with myself and the world (whatever the pecking order), I ease myself into an armchair and start nit picking the world and its imperfections.

After I have had had my spell, I am more relaxed.

After the venom is out, then I slowly move out of the chair and curl myself into sleep mode or, at times, spiral into self pitying.

I understand why I blame others incessantly because I am to blame myself. I am a man of many imperfections and yet, when it is acutely necessary to realise that myself, I simply end up pointing fingers left, right and centre. But, this has to be done. It has to get out of the system and that is why I do it, even though I don’t call that an excuse.

I am not saying that all of you should forgive me for my behaviour and excuse me for throwing up venom…no. I am merely saying that I am as frail, as unsound, as weak and imperfect as the one who sits on the chair and shoots venom. Don’t forgive me, but don’t crucify me either. I ain’t that bad, you see. I may not understand the drive and sentiments of all the armchair critics, but I can certainly sift from the venomous to the not so venomous ones and I can relate to some of the benign critics because I am standing on the fringes of their brotherhood, peeping in but not keen to enter.

Everything and everyone gets criticised. Even the best and the worst. That is the order of things. If it comes into the public eye, it has to be criticised.

Forget the ones who really analyse and do a great work of looking at the pros and cons of each issue.

They are real. They mean well. The others are, well, mean!

Scribes here and elsewhere have a reason to be slightly down under the weather. Especially when some of the popular ones in India let their morals sink in a sea of moolah and the bad name travels, making its way to the sedate journalistic realms here too.

But, that is where I beg to differ. The scribes here are not in any way less talented, skilled or lack news sense or do not have that drive to get the story.

We are in a different situation here and we are not endowed with that freedom to fire at will.

Here, we have to double check more than just the sources. We have to be on our toes in many respects and most importantly, it is not the story, but whom we are crossing that matters. What if they are advertisers?

Can we sustain in the long wrong run after stepping on the toes of some important advertisers? We know how we have struggled this last one year since inception – and we did not even step on anyone’s toes, or forget that, even raised a tiny hint of protest against anything or anyone on any issue!

And yet it was tough to keep ourselves float in this media pool. We have stayed clear of controversies, but we are yet to benefit from such conscious policies.

There are those who have laughed at us and called us sissies because we did not encourage even small contros. But, we did not fall for the usual bait of contros, even when we knew there was lot of meat in it. The point is, not now. We will take a bite of that later.

And yes, the media scene is much better than what it was many years ago. Some of the stories that the local dailies are writing today could not even be imagined many years ago.

Yes, we are not there yet, but we will reach there gradually. And that is the way to go about it. So, it gets to my throat when people who have neither sense nor sensibility try to find fault with the scribes here, run them down and generally look down on them. Some of them even laugh at our tribe stating that we haven’t got the spunk to take up a cause or raise a pertinent issue. Sit on our chairs for a day and you will know that we haven’t been characteristically warming it for posterity. There is much more to it than meets the eye.

In the meantime, of course, air your plaints, or sit back and take potshots.

When we get our chance, we will return fire too…like I did just now. editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Black & White 13

OPENNESS is an asset in business

Playground

Some 37 years ago, a young Omani man was given the keys of 13 Mazda cars, all parked under a large tree in Darsait, and told to look after them. And look after them, he did. Today, the Mazda name is not just synonymous with the ‘Zoom Zoom’ spirit, it has managed to cast ripples of excitement in Oman’s automobile industry and the then young Anwar Ali Sultan --- who was entrusted with the charge of looking after the auto division (now Towell Auto Centre) of W.J.Towell & Co. (LLC) --- is now the director of the company and also chairman/director of close to a dozen other companies. Time has sped and things have changed drastically.

14 14December December1-31, 1-31,2010 2010

Black & White 15

Playground

Business means a lot of things, from goodwill to sustainability to money and profitability. Money is important too sometimes, but not always. I would prefer as Anwar, to be known for my goodness and kindness, than for money!

16 December 1-31, 2010

“I STARTED MY CAREER WITH THE responsibility of looking after the car division of W.J. Towell, and I can proudly say that I did my best!” Anwar Ali Sultan Mohammed Fadhel tells Black & White in a recent freewheeling chat.

Today, he is not just a well-known businessman, but also known for his work and responsible role as the consul general for the Consulate of Denmark as well as the Royal Norwegian Consulate General.

THOSE DAYS WERE DIFFERENT Business during the days before the renaissance was quite different and tough, Anwar Ali Sultan said adding that Oman was not blessed with modernity then, as it is today.

“There were limited resources and opportunities.

So, there was no chance for us, nor businesses to grow in any manner. Besides that, the country was not developed in any way. I still remember, going to Ruwi was like going to Dubai! We used to go to Darsait as an outing.

“Muttrah was then a business stronghold. That was the area to go for all banking and customs work.

MODERN-DAY MIRACLE “Look at Oman today! Under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, our nation has been transformed into a modern-day miracle! Today, the doors are all open, giving ample opportunities for all and businesses are flourishing.”

As a person who has seen both the old and the new, he values what Oman is today. “The younger generation needs to learn about their roots and history, and then they will learn to cherish their nation and its resources today. When you learn about your nation, its heritage, culture and foundation values, you will be responsible towards your country,” Anwar Ali Sultan stressed.

always walk in to my office and meet me. In my earlier days, when I just began my career, I had hands-on experience in PR, human resources, administration… it helps make a difference to know all aspects of running a business to successfully run a business establishment.

I would like to add that my openness has enriched me with long serving staff and team members,” he said, taking the example of his office secretary, Alwyn, who he said has been there for “so many years that I have lost count”.

BUSINESS DREAMS Anwar Ali Sultan is a born businessman. “Business has always been in my blood and in my dreams and so naturally my inclinations towards the business world. So, I would day that I made it my dream career!

Even as a small boy, I used to tag along with my dad to the office and that later on became a habit, which stuck. Looking back over the years, I can proudly say I am where I wanted to be. Business today requires more than degrees and management policies; you need to take a humane approach to hold on to long-term values.”

KNOWN FOR GOODNESS, THAN MONEY Business means a lot of things, from goodwill to sustainability to money and profitability. More importantly a business is complete when it gives back to the society, that means, add social responsibility to business too.

In the rush to create wealth, most people forget their values, their social responsibility, their need to give back to society etc. “Money is important too sometimes, but not always. I would prefer as Anwar, to be known for my goodness and kindness, than for money!”

BLESSED TO BE A CITIZEN As for himself, Anwar Ali Sultan is a proud Omani and says he is blessed to be a citizen of this country.

“I consider myself the most fortunate to be an Omani. I have been in Oman most of my life, from primary school to high school. It is only for higher studies that I had travelled abroad.”

FAMILY TIME Despite his hectic business schedule, Anwar Ali Sultan makes sure that he spends every possible free time with his family. “Every successful career also requires a proper balancing act. If you clearly discipline yourself, you will not have to carry office baggage home. You will have a successful career, only if you learn the art of time management. I have always ensured that I don’t carry my work home. “My four children are all grown up today, pursuing either their careers and/or education. So, I am a content man, family and career wise.”

OPEN-DOOR POLICY At his office, Anwar Ali Sultan keeps an open-door policy. “I believe that the open-door policy I have adopted has taken me a long way in establishing business, associates and a strong, able team. I chose openness as a means to reach out to my team, and to the market. I am always accessible to my team. You can

A DIFFERENT HOBBY Anwar Ali Sultan used to have a variety of hobbies as a child, but not now. “I used to collect stamps. I also love photography. As a teenager, I pursued another hobby: I used to have a log book, where I record air travel miles… I am not recording it anymore, but as of 1980, I had logged 74, 529 miles…”

Black & White 17

DON’T work long hours if you are

Men health

OUT OF SHAPE

18 December 1-31, 2010

We all do it. We go in for extra time in the office to get that piece of work done and soon this becomes a habit, especially among men, who feel that they have better pulling power. Have you considered the impact it would have on your health in the long run?

WORKING OVERTIME RISKY Working overtime can have an effect on your health. People who regularly put in overtime and work 10 or 11 hour days increase their risk of heart disease by nearly two-thirds.

Earlier research had found that those who worked three to four hours of overtime per day ran a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack.

One or two hours’ overtime made no difference to people’s health, however.

OUT-OF-SHAPE MEN AT RISK People who spend more time at work have less time to exercise, relax and unwind. They may also be more stressed, anxious, or have depression.

Now, more importantly, it has been found that out-of-shape men who work long hours more than double their risk of dying from heart disease compared to non-fit men working fewer hours.

The study also found that when men are fit, working long hours doesn’t boost heart risk at all.

59 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO DIE Compared with men who worked less than 40 hours per week, unfit men who worked 41 to 45 hours a week were 59 percent more likely to die of heart disease, although they were not more likely to die of other causes.

Compared with unfit men, those who were physically fit and worked longer hours were 45 percent less likely to die of heart disease and 38 percent less likely to die of other causes.

Being both unfit and working more than 45 hours per week more than doubled a man’s risk of dying of heart disease compared with those who worked less than 40 hours per week.

WORKING LIVES CAN INFLUENCE What all of this succeeds in raising is the question about how our working lives can influence our risk of heart disease.

Until researchers understand how our working lives can affect the risk to our heart health, there are simple ways to look after your heart health at work, like taking a brisk walk at lunch, taking the stairs instead of the lift, or by swapping that biscuit for a piece of fruit.

Black & White 19

Men read

7

20 December 1-31, 2010

methods to have a RAZOR-SHARP MIND (or at least a mind‌!)

MEN, DESPITE THEIR GREATER PHYSICAL STRENGTH and their ability to withstand greater stress and pressure, are also vulnerable in many ways because they are also more prone to self abuse.

The belief in their own strength sometimes make them think they are infallible, but the danger of burning themselves from both ends can be sorted out if they took a bit more care of themselves.

HYDRATE YOUR MIND What you should bear in mind is that your brain can get addled if it is fed with lot of rot.

Excessive alcohol and caffeine is also rot.

The other thing to understand is that your brain is 80 percent water, and if it’s not hydrated, your neurons can’t perform properly. Drink eight sixounce glasses of water a day.

SEVEN HOURS BEAUTY SLEEP Napoleon may have had enough with two or three, but ideally, an adult requires a proper seven hours shut eye. Science shows that people who sleep for seven hours exhibit significantly more brain activity than those who don’t.

Lack of sleep inhibits learning, concentration, and memory, experts note.

MAKE YOUR BRAIN PURR Cat, you are not. But, you can still make your brain purr if you get into some easy breathing techniques. Experts have claimed such meditative belly breathing techniques are set to give you a calm, clear, stress-free brain.

Inhale slowly, allowing your stomach (not your chest) to rise, and then chant a meditative word

as you exhale. Repeat for 10 minutes.

DANCE BRAINY DANCE One of the best brain stimulating activities is dancing. In fact, many have claimed that there are few activities that stimulate as wide a variety of brain systems as dancing does. Dancing requires everything from coordination and organisation to planning and judgment.

IDIOT, STOP WATCHING! It may sound corny, but it is true that the one who watches the idiot box too long might become an idiot.

Men who watch TV for more than two hours a day may have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who watch less, research notes.

STOP TV AND START READING The best advice any man can give another is to reduce TV viewing and replace that with some good reading. But, again, experts note that reading is good for your brain only when it involves storing and retrieving information. Many advocate that reading groups are beneficial, but not all men may grab that. Reading groups are promoted because the “the social aspect of book groups add another dynamic that bolsters cognitive functioning”.

KILL THE ANTS! Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) inflame the areas of the brain responsible for anxiety.

They also increase the production of stress hormones, which kill brain cells. Whenever an ANT enters your mind, write it down and devise a plan to correct it!

Brain is 80 percent water, and if it’s not hydrated, your neurons can’t perform properly. Drink eight six-ounce glasses of water a day Black & White 21

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Tomorrow never comes…?

f

he ft

wall

By Adarsh Madhavan

“Okay, now, I want to ask you something…” my mother said, speaking from her home in India, one recent evening. I knew what was coming and I tried to sidestep it as usual. “Your grandson wants to speak to you,” I said, neatly butting in, before she could complete her sentence. As my mom and my son spoke for a few minutes I racked my ever-befuddled brains to think up of a proper excuse to say for I knew what she was going to ask the moment I got back on the line.

My mom was smarter. She asked my son: “So, when are you coming to India, Appu?” My son ditched me: “Tomorrow,” he said, without any hesitation.

For him, anything that had to happen, happened tomorrow.

And this was my line too, for some years now I have been saying the same thing: “I’ll come tomorrow!”

And my son was singing the same old ditty: tomorrow. Like father, like son.

Except…

Tomorrow never came.

Tomorrow has not come since the last several years and yet my mother is not tired of asking. She keeps on trying.

She is the only one in this whole wide world who still has faith in me. Now, tomorrow is an arena of confusion for me as I am unable to give her a date. I am not able to go and I can’t seem to find the right words to say this to her and instead end in a mute and emotional conflict.

What can I say, for I don’t know when I will go, and nor am I ready to go as yet.

“Hope everything is alright with you,” my mother would then ask, almost implying that it was because I was not alright that I have not been able to go back to India on leave.

“No, no, I am perfectly alright, everything is alright, don’t worry, I will soon let you know as to when I can come. There is no point in asking me this every time,” I told her gruffly. I am always rough with words, especially to her. Who else can I be rough with? I wouldn’t dare be rough with anyone else.

My mother just lets me be. I am gruff and rough with my dad too, but then, because of a malady in his ear, he hardly hears most of the things I say.

Sometimes, when I’d have raised my voice because he was not hearing what I was telling him, he would cut in and ask

me why I was shouting! But, that is all!

My dad never asks me why I haven’t gone on leave all these years. No, not that he has given up on me, but, he rarely gets into these issues.

When I go, I will go, that is all, there was no point in asking me, I guess that is what he thinks. But, sometimes, he asks and I will again lie soooonnn.

Now, what ensues after such calls is that I am enveloped by a dark cloud of depression, which finally succeeds in raining over my parade. They say that there is no point in living if you can’t take care of your old parents and in my case, I am seared by the guilt of two crimes, not taking care of them properly, and also not even going to visit them.

As a son, I am a waste. I have hardly fulfilled my duties and I know it is all too late for any reprieve in this regard. But, I always keep hoping beyond hope that something good will happen; that somehow I will be able to make amends with fate and I will somehow do something remarkable for my parents.

Deep within me, I know there is nothing that I can do, yet, I keep hoping. But, hoping, thinking, wishing, praying, does no good to people who are not only very old, but also ailing, like my parents.

Each day is an enormous challenge and the only thing that keeps them going is the thought that by the end of the year, they would have something to look forward to: seeing their beloved children again. It would be worth the wait, even though they had waited for a year. But, in my case, my parents have been waiting for a year, another one, yet another one and yet…

And yet, tomorrow never comes… adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com Black & White 23

Journalism means never having to say sorry

Sunny side up

By Bikram Vohra Barkha Dutt was sold down the river by NDTV. If this was the slave era, Prannoy Roy would have got a good price for the wench. He still won. What he did get for his cold-blooded murder of the Dutt icon was a one hour self indulgent exercise in marketing his channel as a citadel of virtue and Dutt be damned. Take her away, she’s damaged goods. For graceless TV mediated by a dreary Editor lady that no one paid any attention to this was tough to beat. If Barkha did not realise her bosses served her up for supper on a show that pandered so crudely to the concept of ‘honest’ journalism I am surprised.

What was the deal? What was the threat? What feverish armtwisting went on before Barkha Dutt surrendered. Get on that show or lose your job? That’s probable. Why else would the channel conduct this gratuitous exercise unless some genius decided, look let’s make money out of her misery. They even sponsored the show.

Any reasonably self-respecting member of the fourth estate watching this nonsense would have flung his plough away in disgust and taken up banking. We have all suffered on the tip of the spike and spiked our juniors in return.

Consequently, it was like we were witnessing a purge or a cleansing more befitting Henry II for Thomas Beckett, not the meaningless drivel of a complete nonissue in the cosmic sense. The four media clowns who interrogated Barkha Dutt wore robes spun from piety and were so fey and cute that they made you laugh with their sermons and soda water approach to eviscerating their target while pretending to lofty heights of probity.

Get out of here.

The top tier of Indian journalists are poncy little self appointed celebs who love to play lobbyist and be seen by the right people in the right places. They largely feed at the trough of affluence or trot tamely down the corridors of power seeking scraps. They want to be on Page 3, they are insufferable in their cocoons of power balanced only by the 24/7 asskissing they engage in with their proprieters (now, that’s a show, Prannoy) so they can save their mangy little jobs and these four made one sick to the stomach. You would think we were monks in the media the way they were spraying their aerosol 24 December 1-31, 2010

Bikram Vohra, internationallyknown Gulf based scribe

values. Come on, guys, wake up, none of you, of course, have ever cancelled a story on orders from upstairs, dumped another because Marketing dicked you over, taken a freebie flight or vacation, made a little extra on the side or even reworked staff copy because the way it was going in it would have offended a friend. Damn it, you would never spike a story because… because… because. Seeing as how at least one of these four was allegedly drummed out of a job under a rather shady tenure abroad following a whistle-blowing from one of his own staff, the sanctimony rang so patently false that I felt sorry for Barkha Dutt being crucified with holier than thou claptrap.

I don’t particularly like the woman, not that she cares.

I think she is shrill, obnoxious, bloated with selfimportance, arrogant and opinionated to a fault but that still gave NDTV no right to set her up for sacrifice in this fashion. That is bad form and unethical.

I cannot believe she willingly went on that show. I think the stink in the aftermath came from three points: The compere lady whatshername who killed the show with her lack of erudition and her spiel about the interrogation being unedited. Gee, no, really, wow, that’s awesome, you great temple of journalism.

The idiocy of Barkha Dutt in agreeing to do this show which was a circus designed to slake a media thirst for blood since 99 per cent of them would love to have had the power and profile of a Dutt but are handicapped by their mediocrity. I am sure she was browbeaten into submission, there was no call for her to clear her name, no reason at all.

The panchayat type ugliness of the prejudice on display by the panel and the tedious replaying of boring tapes made for dull watching and there was no conclusion just babble.

And one more factor. That Dutt tangled herself in a web of confusion by taking the sackcloth and ashes route and apologizing. Never do that. No one remembers why you apologized…they only remember that you did. Bad move, Barkha, you were indicted not by the peers but by yourself. You should have told the world to go to hell in a basket and walked tall.

You know why Vinod Mehta never came to the party?

He was smart enough not to be the fifth clown.

BankMuscat hosts Vale Columbia Centre board meeting Oman comes under the spotlight as a model for sustainable development as BankMuscat hosts the Vale Columbia Centre, a global think-tank on the environment and sustainable foreign direct investment on Sustainable International Investment Advisory Board meeting. The meeting on the theme ‘Partnering for Progress’, to be hosted at the landmark new headquarters of BankMuscat, assumes great significance and marks a new beginning for Oman in attracting sustainable foreign direct investment (FDI). Sheikh AbdulMalik bin Abdullah Al Khalili, chairman of BankMuscat, is a founding member and the only Arab member on the Vale Columbia Centre Advisory Board, which is a leading forum for discussion by scholars, policy makers, development advocates and other stakeholders of issues related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the global economy.

Bryan Adams LIVE ALIVE Entertainment and HiFM are bringing the hugely popular Bryan Adams to Muscat for one night only on December 18 at the Muscat Intercon.

Bryan Adams is one of the world’s most highly acclaimed musicians whose career has spanned more than three decades. Constantly in demand, the celebrated rocker is on the road over 150 days a year playing rock n’ roll favourites (“Summer of 69”, “Run To You”, “18 ‘Til I Die”, “It’s Only Love”, “Somebody”, “The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You”) to sold out audiences on six continents. Bryan is currently touring in support of his most recent CD, Bare Bones which is released on November 16, performing both stadium shows as well as critically acclaimed acoustic concerts in both Canada and the U.S. Darren Shortt, HiFM Radio expressed his thanks to their sponsors, Nawras, Oman Air, National Bank of Oman, Land Rover and OUA – a concert of this size would not be possible without their support. "This will be one of our largest events to date and a great night out for everyone,” he said.

Tickets are available at OUA MQ, Bose Qurum CC, SCS Azaiba, MHD Land Rover Azaiba and Al Gazal, InterContinental or for more information log onto www.hifmradio.com.

Famous knee and arthroscopic surgeon to visit

Apollo Muscat Dr C. Lenin, famous knee and arthroscopic surgeon from Apollo Hospitals (AMC), Chennai, will be visiting Apollo Medical Centre, Muscat, as part of the regular Apollo Arthroscopy & Knee Clinic, from December 17 to 19. Dr Lenin is visiting the AMC for the fourth time.

Sandeep Kumar, Ceo, AMC said: “In the last three visits, Dr Lenin consulted

325 patients and has performed 10 ACL reconstruction procedures very successfully.

“All 10 operated cases were Omanis and they were able to walk the very next day of surgery as Dr Lenin adopts Hamstring Tendon Graft, which ensures fast recovery.”

Contact 24787766, 24788263,24788265.

Black & White 25

Al Araimi Complex hands over the key of Jaguar XF The three-month shopping extravaganza at Al Araimi Complex has come to an end with the announcement of Said Rashid Said Al Saidi as the winner of the grand prize of Jaguar XF. Uttam Kotian, manager advertisingmarketing, handed over the key at the Complex last week in the presence of Hilal Al Hosni, PR in-charge. Other winners included Sanjaya Maktedar and Faisal Hussain Al Habri who won a Longines watch each, courtesy Al Felaij Watches. Thirteen other lucky winners won LCD’s, laptop and Al Araimi shopping vouchers worth RO50 each.

New miniature displays at Bait Al Zubair Museum As part of a number of events to mark the 40th National Day, Bait Al Zubair Museum unveiled its new miniature displays under the auspices of Salim bin Mohamed Al Mahroqi, undersecretary of the ministry of heritage and culture for heritage.

The new displays are situated both internally and externally – inside Bait Al Bagh you can see intricately made miniature forts, and castles and outside there is a miniature landscape with mountains, wadis, aflaj, terraced agriculture, mud-brick settlements and even mini people going about their business. Both attractions are aimed at children and offer a unique and charming experience to all visitors.

Khimji Ramdas

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honours its employees Khimji Ramdas has announced a special bonus for all its employees along with the salary for November 2010. The company has equitably recognised the contributions made at all levels, and has given a uniform bonus to all its employees. Khimji Ramdas has more than 1600 nationals in its 3000 plus workforce across all regions in Oman.

Kanak G Khimji, director, Khimji Ramdas said, “As a people-powered company, our focus has always revolved around harnessing the 26 December 1-31, 2010

potential of our human capital to enhance their productivity. It’s been our constant endeavour to groom our employees to take up higher responsibilities and positions in the

future. Khimji Ramdas is proud to be a part of His Majesty’s vision, and reaffirms its commitment towards building a bright future for the people of Oman.”

Commitment needed to achieve cost effective

healthcare for all

Some private medical clinics are unnecessarily requesting investigations and prescribing medications to patients, the head of Fathima Healthcare Group, remarked here recently.

“In just a year’s time of our operations here, we have found many claims where procedures and investigations don’t match the patient’s complaint,” Dr K. P. Hussain, managing director and Ceo of Fathima Healthcare Group (Oman, UAE, Qatar and India) told the media.

Some patients also play truant, seeking false sick leaves from doctors, he said, noting that such practices must end to ensure proper medical care for the deserving.

It was time to open the doors to proper and safe medical practices and the time was also ripe to

introduce a compulsory medical insurance scheme, which will help blue collar workers residing in the AGCC to avail of free medical services, as and when required, he added.

“There has to be a commitment to achieve cost effective, comprehensive and affordable healthcare for all in Oman, and this will, in turn, be of benefit to the needy,” Dr Hussain, stressed, noting that their group has a time-tested and well practiced insurance product in association with major insurance companies, which is successfully running in many AGCC countries.

“We are known for our cost effective, comprehensive and affordable medical insurance for all,” he said.

Contact: drkph@fmchealthcare.ae

Muscat Sisters to perform in India Raadhika Venkatesh and Saanika Venkatesh fondly called as the 'Muscat Sisters' would be presenting a bharathanatyam recital at Thiruvananthapuram on December 18 at 6.30pm at the Koothambalam, Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan, Nanthencode under the aegis of the Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan, a Unesco approved cultural organisation under the patronage of the department of culture, government of Kerala.

The twin sisters Saanika and Raadhika commenced learning the classical Indian dance form of Bharathanatyam from the tender age of four and have been trained in this classical art form for the last 10 years in Oman.

Muscat Singers Christmas Cantata This year, The Muscat Singers will be accompanied by the Muscat Brassworks to present “A Christmas Cantata” by Daniel Pinkham on December 10 at 4pm, The British School Muscat, main hall.

The repertoire will also include festive pieces from around the world and there will be plenty of opportunity for the audience to join in with the more well known songs.

Black & White 27

Nawras BlackBerry offers Nawras, unveils more choice for customers with ‘more for less’ in three fantastic BlackBerry® plans that are now giving greater benefits and value than ever before. Recognising that customer needs vary, the plans have been designed to reflect this with all three options ensuring that customers will continue to benefit from excellent quality and added value. Subscriptions start from only RO 9 per month and each plan naturally includes Nawras’ award-winning, pleasingly different customer service.

Air India change in schedule on Delhi/Muscat/Delhi sector Air India has rescheduled its timings on Delhi / Muscat / Delhi sectors on flights IC885 / IC886 with effect from December 4, 2010 to March 26, 2011.

IC 885: Departure DEL 1455 Hrs - Arrival MCT 1700 Hrs – daily IC 886: Departure MCT 1800 Hrs - Arrival DEL 2205 Hrs – daily The airline will now be operating brand new Airbus A320 Aircraft with personalised audio visual inflight entertainment system nonstop Daily on Delhi / Muscat / Delhi route.

Contact the Air India help desk on 24762100 or 24762111

New building for

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Indian School Jalan Indian School Jalan has achieved a milestone in its history with the laying of the foundation stone for its new building on the plot of land allotted to it in Jalan Bani Bu Ali by His Majesty’s government.

Anil Wadhwa, ambassador of India and Sheikh Hilal Ali Soud Al Habsi, the wali of Jalan Bani Bu Ali were the chief guest and guest of honour respectively on the occasion.

28 December 1-31, 2010

Muscat Pharmacy wins THREE awards The 6th annual workshop on Good Pharmacy Practice for pharmacists working in the private sector in Oman was conducted by the ministry of health. The workshop was attended by pharmacists and assistant pharmacists from all over Oman. The ministry attaches great importance to the pharmaceutical continuing education program in the country.

At the workshop three categories of awards were announced. The awards were given for the best pharmacies (three), best pharmacists (three) and the best assistant pharmacist (one) Muscat Pharmacy was the only pharmacy which won awards in all the three categories. Jaideep Mahajan of Muttrah souq branch won the best pharmacist award and Widad Salim Said Al Rasbi won the best assistant pharmacist award. Saif Bin Ahmed Al Rawahi, undersecretary for administration and financial affairs, ministry of health distributed the awards in the presence of Sawsan Jaffer, director general of pharmaceutical affairs.

B.S.Mehta, managing director, thanked the staff for their commitment in their work which gets duly recognised. He said, “I would personally like that all the branches of Muscat Pharmacy and their staff pharmacists and assistant pharmacists win awards by keeping high class standard in running the pharmacy within the frame work of ministry of health regulations."

NBO supports first CSR event in Oman National Bank of Oman announced the bank’s support for the launch of the first corporate social responsibility (CSR) project in Oman. Titled ‘Sustain Oman’, the event is being organised for AIESEC members, from different parts of the Arab world, including Oman. The AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run organisation currently present in 110 countries.

The AIESEC Oman was established in 2007 and provides local students and fresh graduates, the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial, leadership and professional skills amongst a global network of peers and companies, by taking part in leadership roles and internship programs.

Aisha Al Kharusi, NBO’s head of strategy and CSR said: “The NBO is very proud to support the first CSR event organised by the youth themselves.

We are honoured to stand hand in hand with future leaders and share best practices.

The CSR is a very interesting area and we believe it is an integral part of our business strategy. Furthermore, at the event, we will be looking at defining CSR for the Oman market. What may suit corporate America might not be appropriate for our organisations, sectors and geographical areas.”

Oman Air renews partnership with Ahmad Al Harthy for 2011 Oman Air has announced its renewed commitment to support Oman’s international motor racing sensation, Ahmad Al Harthy for the 2011 season. One of the very few racing drivers of international standing to emerge from Oman and the Gulf region, Al Harthy has recently ranked 4th with five podium finishes in the United Kingdom’s pinnacle motor racing event, the Porsche Carerra Cup GB Championship in the Pro-AM 1 Class, and participated in the iconic Le Mans racing circuit in France.

Spicy Village Star Chef Hunt concludes The Grand finale of the Star Chef Hunt was held at Spicy Village Rusayl recently.

Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa was the chief guest.

The Star Chef Hunt began with the salads being done first. This was followed by starters, dessert, rice and noodle dishes, and main Course.

Many audience members won spot prizes of basmati rice, sponsored by Al Ghazal Rice.

The panel of judges comprised 15 judges, all connoisseurs of food, across different nationalities, from Omanis to Indians and Western expatriates. The judges had to rate

every dish on a scale of 1 to 50 on various parameters, ranging from presentation to aroma, ingredients and taste.

The entire process was certified by chartered accountants, Morrison Muscat, to ensure that it was fair in every aspect. Ameer Ahmed, Manappat Group managing director

gave away the prizes.

Prizes included gift vouchers from Damas Jewellery, gift vouchers from Sea Pearls, state-of-the-art LCD TVs. Samsung Microwave Ovens and Sleep Ezze mattresses from Poly Products.

The winning recipes will be published in a special Spicy Village cookbook and will also be included in the Spicy Village menu at all outlets, for the next one year. Any time these dishes are ordered, the winner gets 20 per cent royalty, for the next 12 months!

Thus the creator of the dish can earn as much as RO300 per month, from sales at all Spicy Village outlets!

Black & White 29

What’s in a NAME?...

By Dr CK Anchan

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

Think about the last time you named a child. For several days--maybe months--you focussed on finding the perfect name. A company name is important for many reasons. It’s the first thing a consumer comes in contact with. And, as you probably know, first impressions count.

A name is also the single most visible attribute of your company or product. It’s the cornerstone of all advertising, printed on all company materials and packaging. A good name portrays a personality, stands out in a crowd and is memorable.

The name you ultimately choose will reflect who you are, your company’s personality and vision. But more importantly, it must unforgettably embody the promise of your product’s main benefit to your potential customers.

In the age of the internet, where global communication is instant, you might think such product name mishaps don’t happen anymore, but they do. Recently, Google was sued by a Chinese company because the Chinese transliteration Google had chosen to use, GuGe, was already the proprietary name of Beijing Guge Science and Technology, the plaintiff.

A bad name isn’t the end of the world. There are many companies and products with less than exciting names. But a name that’s hard to spell, pronounce or remember will require more expenditure to educate and explain your business to the consumer. By contrast, companies such as IBM and Sony have spent millions creating a brand name that is now recognised and understood. Take Rolls Royce, for example. It’s a round, full-bodied name that simply sounds luxurious--perfect for the company’s product.

Management talk

So where do you start when choosing a name for your new invention or business? Experts agree, the first step is to make a list of your competitors’ names. Then look for any industry trends on the list. For example, firms that provide legal, accounting or advertising services have a long tradition of using the founders’ last names. The name you’re looking for should be unique.

Naming is a key aspect of branding. The name you ultimately choose will reflect who you are, your company’s personality and vision. But it should stand out from the crowd. Where to begin? How to do it…

(Continued on next issue...)

30 December 1-31, 2010

In Black & White

In Black...

Everything happens in our society through word of mouth and we realise that this is a powerful medium, which needs to be tapped further.

POWER OF WORDS Everyone likes a tale. Even today, in the age of the Internet, SMS, MMS, DVDs and iPods, if you find your grandpa or grandma weaving a tale of the past to their grandchildren, you will find even yourself sitting along with the kids to hear these stories.

Stories of the past, the present (and the future) are always intriguing and some of them, even if you heard them before, are worth hearing several times.

This is the point we want to emphasise in Black & White’s journey since the last one year.

We want you all to read the stories of Oman. The tales of this wonderful country. Not just people, not just places, not just faces, facts or even fiction, but the tales that encompass them all and bring in that special touch of humanity, of understanding, of care, of abilities, of the will to live and love…

TRAIL OF TOIL… We have left behind one whole year of toil and travel, where we have attempted to capture the essence of Oman in our own small way. The B&W has trailed a path of goodwill and exploration, bringing out shades of humanity, of culture, of traditions from all parts of Oman. Our quest continues… be it to rise up to an occasion or to reach out to the society… We have done our bit to society and we have tried to raise awareness on pertinent causes in Oman. We promise that is just the beginning. The years to follow will see more concerted attempts from our end to raise awareness on important causes.

WORD OF MOUTH During our trek, we have realised the power of the word of mouth. Everything happens in our society through word of mouth and we realise that this is a

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief powerful medium, which needs to be tapped further. One tale provokes another and we also have people from far and near calling us up to tell their tales. We accommodate whatever we can.

GRAND OLD TREE OF OMAN When my young friend, Saeed, called to tell his tale of an old Mashuu (the Baobab; abode of Rafiki, the old and wise baboon in Lion King) tree in a little village of Al Zahaimi, in Liwa, I thought it is going to be just a big tree, some 50 years or100 years old… The B&W team set off to explore and met the interesting villagers who told them a different story…But, I am not going to tell you more details and want you to read the story in the following pages…

Happy reading and in case you stumble on any stories, let us be the first to know…

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS I and the B&W team would like to pass on our congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the occasion of the 40th National Day! God bless His Majesty!

& White Black 31 Black & & White White 31

B&W Xclusive 32 32December December1-31, 1-31,2010 2010

Magic of the

MASHUU

Black 33 Black & & White White 33

B&W Xclusive

A brisk wind lifts the leaves of a very old Baobab tree in a mountainous region in the northern part of Oman. The wind peaks and then as suddenly, it dies. In the sudden stillness beneath the tree, an old lady, who claims to be 90 but looks only around 60, is intently hammering a small pointed stone with the help of a larger one on to the trunk of this tree.

34 December 1-31, 2010

Black & White 35

Locals believe that if they were to hammer three stones into the trunk, their pains would come down and problems would be resolved

MASHUU TREE We were in Al Zahaimi village, some 36kms from Liwa. The Zahaimi village is a small but beautiful oasis in the middle of a stark mountainous area. While the greenery of the area alone might woo in tourists or anyone looking for something to gladden their eyes and hearts, one of the most important reasons for them to visit would be this huge Baobab tree, the only one in the north of Oman, and if we heard it right, the oldest tree in Oman and reportedly the region too (but, this last has to be confirmed).

B&W Xclusive

It could also be the largest, girth wise. As we later realise, you need to have around 40 adult male hands (single) to go full circle around the tree.

The Mashuu tree (as it is known in Arabic) is in a spot called Al Ghobra in Zahaimi. A 14kms dirt trail from Fazah village (where the black top ends), which is around 22kms from Liwa, takes you to Zahaimi, this rich, 36 December 1-31, 2010

green date palm village.

NAIL THREE STONES TO END PAIN After Moza Zarhan Nasr Al Raisi, 90, had hammered one stone into the tree, she picks up two others and does the same. She was demonstrating to us how she had done the same thing early that morning. Her left ankle was painfully swollen and so going by the legend of Zahaimi, if the locals of that village had some ailment or some personal problem, they were to hammer three stones into the trunk of the tree and their pains would come down; problems would be resolved.

After she finished nailing the stones to the tree once again, she sat down under the tree and bade us to sit before her. On the other side of the tree, facing the route we had travelled to reach the village, there was a small, natural falaj with water flowing steadily.

The fruits of the tree are velvety outside and hard inside

The roots of the Mashuu spread like tentacles around the tree. Apparently such Baobabs can live for thousands of years, but grow very slow. Their horizontal roots are known to extend for 10metres from the tree.

HEALING TALE As the water from the falaj babbled on melodiously playing in tune with the rustling of the leaves on the Mashuu and the surrounding date palm trees, Moza steadied her back on to the broad and strong tree trunk and then slowly detailed its amazing healing features: “I had to literally drag myself here today. My left ankle was hurt and swollen.

The moment I reached here, I nailed three stones on to the Mashuu trunk and look at my ankle now, the swelling has come down, the pain too,” Moza tells Black & White. The foot did not look swollen at all, and if it was swollen in the morning, it was not so now in the noontime when we met up with Moza.

PAIN KILLER Moza, as well as Saeed bin Abdullah Al Raisi (who drove us to the Baobab tree site) and many others believe that this unique tree will kill pain if stones and nails are hammered into the trunk.

Others noted that if you insert a grain of sand in its massive trunk, your ailments will be cured. “Because of this, any local person with a toothache rushes immediately to this tree and inserts a grain of sand into it, after which the pain is either significantly reduced or disappears altogether.

Attempts have been made to grow other Baobab trees from its cuttings, but they have not been successful,” a report also noted.

IF YOU ARE NOT MARRIED… “This tree is part of our daily life, our village, our history, tradition and our ancestors,” Moza said. “We believe it is our tree of good luck because of its

mysterious healing properties.

What started as a healing tree for toothache has turned out to be a cure of many of our pains and woes.

Whatever we wish for, the tree gives it to us. Though it doesn’t give us fruits and flowers, it blesses us with its magic.”

Like she noted, it was known not for just killing pain, the Mashuu is more of a wish tree. “The unmarried; those with business problems etc. come and nail stones or other pointed stuff and soon their problems end, wishes come true…we don’t know how, but it has happened so many times,” Moza stressed.

TREE IN PAIN? Did the tree really have magical powers? Could it really cure the ailments of people? If so, how? And if the story is true, wasn’t the tree being inflicted with pain when these stones are pierced into its trunk?

Black & White 37

Zahaimi village is a small but beautiful oasis in the middle of a stark mountain area

B&W Xclusive

A closer look reveals more than just stones…hundreds of nails (big and small), used bullets, were hammered into to all the reachable portions of the trunk. Wasn’t this bad for the tree…? No one had answers for that.

tree is here for at least a thousand years. But we have no means of knowing,” Moza said.

AGE: THOUSANDS OF YEARS? Moza had no clue about Mashuu’s age also. She claimed she was herself 90 years old. And, her father, grandfather and their grandfathers have seen this tree growing.

FRUITS NOT POISONOUS The villagers do not know how the tree sprouted up from that spot. It is one of a kind and does not multiply through seeds or flowers. “We have tried to cut saplings, tried even planting branches, leaves, dried flowers etc. but nothing happened.

The fruits of the tree are velvety outside and hard inside. We know it is not poisonous, but nothing more.

Who planted it there; how did it come up; when did they first start noticing that it has always been there…? No clue about this either.

“I do not know the age of this tree.

I only know what my father had told me when I was a very small child. He grew up playing under it.

His father and grandfather too. The elders in the village tell that this

“The tree is as old as Zahaimi village, if not more. Few years back some ministry officials came up and did some research, but I do not know what it is all about. The villagers respect this tree and we feel it is Mother Nature’s gift to our village. For us, this tree is history and tradition. As a child I played under it…I grew under its shade.”

38 December 1-31, 2010

Some baobabs are known to be many thousands of years old. But, this is difficult to verify as the wood does not produce annual growth rings. But, radiocarbon dating could provide age data. The ministry officials (who had visited the tree some years ago) may have done radiocarbon dating.

PUBLIC PROPERTY The tree was flanked by small farms on either side of it. One of the farms was owned by Moza.

She grew fodder for the village’s livestock.

“I don’t think this tree belongs to anyone in particular, this is ‘public’ property! Many people from far and near villages come to see the tree, which is very uncommon in Oman.

We villagers believe that there isn't any other one in the nearby regions. This could be a variety that is unique to only Oman too,” she noted.

Saeed bin Abdullah Al Raisi is dwarfed by the large Mashuu

However, many reports note that the Baobab trees are found as a small group together in a small area just northwest of Mirbat, high-up against the steep slope of the Dhofar Mountains in Wadi Hinna (Hannah).

Their nearest relatives are found only in East Africa.

What this could indicate is that “these trees represent the remnants of a much more widespread population or, more likely in view of age-old trade connections with East Africa, that somebody took a seed and planted it in this area”.

in the nearby villages. A freelance mechanic, and an able driver, Saeed had ably glided the 4WD over the steep mountain trek and had brought us straight to the tree.

TREE TALES PASSED DOWN Then, it was Saeed bin Abdullah Al Raisi’s turn to talk. Saeed, is a young man, in his early 20s. But, he was someone who knew the village and the area around it like the back of his palm. He hailed from the nearby village of Majhal and used to live there till his early teens, after which he moved out to seek work

40 ARMS WIDE “The last time I spoke about the tree to some of the elders in the village, they told me that it has been here in this village for many hundreds or thousands of years. My great grandfather played under the tree too. “Many villagers visit the tree when they have a toothache or any wish to be fulfilled. The trunk of the

“As a small boy, living in the neighbouring village of Majhal, I used to come here often with my family and friends. We do not know much about the tree, all we know is that it is hundreds of years old. The stories of the tree were steadily passed on to the youth by the older generations for the last many hundreds of years.

tree is quite large and stands 40 arms wide (going around the whole circumference). That means, 20 people can round it off. The height of the tree is still not measured. Some ministry officials had come down many years back to check this tree and even Oman Television had done a story on it many years ago.”

TAAL RAFIKI Since all the villagers in Zahaimi were out on errands and work in nearby villages, there was no one else to counter check the points we had gathered and so, we decided to move on, leaving this magnificent Baobab or Mashuu tree to itself.

Perhaps, in the night, the ghost of Rafiki (Lion King fame) might be swinging on its branches and scrunching on the nutritious fruits, known to have more vitamin C than oranges and exceeding the calcium content of cow’s milk.

You never know.

Black & White 39

Thirty-nine year old Abdullah Kadim Said Al Raisi, school employee, and also an Al Fazah native says he often takes his kids there. “The Mashuu tree is considered as a picnic spot for many of us. Our kids love the tree and as a family we go to see the tree, not just when we have a wish or a toothache, but at other times too. The tree has no fruits or sweet smelling flowers, but it is a wish tree for all of us. We have never seen any other similar tree in Oman or anywhere in the region. We villagers believe it is one of a kind.”

B&W Xclusive

Sixty-five year old Abdullah bin Saleh Al Raisi, a retired school employee is a native of Al Fazah village, 14kms away from Al Zahaimi. The Mashuu tree is very famous in this region.

They claim that it could be thousands of years old, but they have no official records of the same. “Other than its age, it does not have that many useful properties, but, its fruits are quite harmless. We believe it is unique to the region. It can cure a toothache, though…”

The majestic Fazah fort (Fazah village) is a landmark on the way to Zahaimi village

40 December 1-31, 2010

Culture and myths surrounding Baobab • Tabaldi is the name of the Baobab tree in Sudan and its fruit is Gongalis. Baobab’s trunk is used as a tank to store water. People in west Sudan use the hollow in the trunk to save water in the rain season. Gongalis is used to make juice or to cure stomach and other diseases.

• Baobab trees are also seen in the mountain region of Saudi Arabia, near Al Baha • Rafiki, in The Lion King, makes his home in a baobab tree.

• Ernst Haeckel mentions “monkey bread-fruit trees (Adansonia)” in his The History of Creation (Chap. 29), and claims that their “individual life exceeds a period of five thousand years”.

• The owners of Sunland Farm in Limpopo, South Africa have built a pub called “The Big Baobab Pub” inside the hollow trunk of the 22 metres (72 ft) high Sunland Baobab. The tree, which is 47 m (155 ft) in circumference, is reported to have been carbon dated at over 6,000 years old.

• The Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab is named for the Baobab Club in Dakar, which in turn takes its name from the tree.

• Singer Regina Spektor has a song called “Baobabs.”

• Baobabs are cited in The Little Prince as a tree that may “split” a small planet into pieces.

• The Savanaur Baobabs, three trees of 14 to18 m girth, believed to be 5000 years old, can be found in Savanur, Karnataka, India.

Black & White 41

Elephant tree

“THE BAOBAB (Adansonia digitata L.) belongs to the family Bombacaceae. It is unmistakable in the field, given its strange appearance and barrel-like enormous trunk, which tapers into branches. When the leaves are shed, the tree gives the impression that it had been planted upside down,” says Seyad Farook, who has experience in the botanic field, having been previously involved with botanical work in the department of biology and the botanical garden at the Sultan Qaboos University.

“According to an Arabian legend, the baobab’s strange appearance is due to the devil plucking up the tree, thrusting its branches into the earth, and leaving its roots in the air. It is a deciduous tree whose rounded crown is bare during the dry season.

The large, dark, green leaves are like the fingers of the human hand, with 5 (seldom 7) oblong blades, hence the specific name, digitata.

The flowers are pendulous, white, large and solitary. They are about 15 cm across when open at night and emit a scent attractive to bats which pollinate them.

The sour scent also attracts certain flies and nocturnal moths. The large,

B&W Xclusive

Live and let Liwa

WITH ITS 58 VILLAGES, Liwa is 270 kms from the Governorate of Muscat, just beyond the Wilayat of Sohar and on the strip of coast that ends at the Wilayat of Shinas. It has numerous castles, forts and towers including Liwa Fort with its three towers, the recently-restored Qazah Fort - a fine threestorey citadel 15 metres high and 14 metres wide with four rooms on each floor - and Awlad Ya’rub Fort - an architectural gem in the village of Harmul.

Liwa’s white coral limestone mosques are an unusual feature of this area with their ventilation holes like small windows high up in their walls. Some of these mosques have attractive minarets; the prettiest is the minaret of Al Bahlul mosque in Hillat Al Husn.

white, oval fruits are provided with a dense coat of velvety hairs, and are gourd-shaped, spongy, acidic, and farinaceous. The fruit is edible and contains a pleasant, cool-tasting mucilaginous pulp in which seeds are buried, and each fruit hangs from a thick stalk. The seed coat is hard and drought resistant.”

The name baobab comes from the Arabic plant name Buhibab, while the generic name is after the French Botanist M. Adanson (1727-1806).

The tree is more known for its girth than height: trunks attain a diameter of 9 m (30 ft) in some cases, and are hollow in the centre.

The bark is rough and greyish, and since it resembles the hide of an elephant, the tree is popularly known in Sri Lanka as “aliya-gaha”

by Sinhalese (aliya = elephant; gaha = tree), but Tamils refer to it as “Perukka”.

Catholics in Mannar a region North West of Sri Lanka call baobab the “Judas Bag” given the 30 seeds its fruit contains. Monkeys love the fruit and hence the tree is sometimes known as the Monkey-bread tree, Farook, who has worked in the fauna and flora research projects in Sri Lanka, said.

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

42 December 1-31, 2010

This trunk of a fossil tree was discovered by PDO in Al-Huqf in Al-Wasta region dating back to the Permian period – 260 million years ago. It was erected in April 1989

Black 43 Black & & White White 43

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

Bell the cat

Nitternatter

Seeb school parents unhappy about SMC

44 December 1-31, 2010

Staff harassment has become the norm in one of the Indian schools here, a school source revealed to Bitter Batter the other day. But when staff is being harassed, it is important to know who is doing the harassment?

The school authorities themselves?

The sources did not want to reveal.

“It is all out there in the open. Just visit this school and you will find out all the details,” the source tells us, adding that most of the parents plus many staff themselves were aware

of this harassment issue. In fact, the media were also aware and have approached the ‘victims’, but they ran a mile saying “no comments”.

It is understood that the staff being harassed are so fearful of not just losing their jobs, but also their names being dragged in the mud and have therefore decided to keep mum.

Now, the reigning question is who is going to bell the cat? Who will make the move to save these victims of harassment?

Now, here is a post from Salih Thacher, one of the key persons who had campaigned to bring about the Seeb Indian School, which came into being some years back.

According to Salih, who is also a popular commentator, the parents of the Indian School Seeb are now disheartened by the way the school is run by the school management committee.

The nearly 2700 students strong Seeb School, which came into being some seven years back, went through a long and hard struggle to get a permanent building. According to Salih, “the previous principal, T. Premkumar (who is now in Kuwait), was a shining example of not just excellence in teaching standards, but also having the capacity to move things in unison with teachers and parents.”

But, after he has left, the school is in a dilemma over who should fill his shoes, a hard act to follow, yet, not impossible, Salih said, adding that the automatic choice of both parents and many teachers was the vice principal.

But, the SMC thought otherwise and this is the reason for the rising resentment among parents and well wishers like Salih. “It’s learned from reliable sources that the SMC is planning to recruit a principal from India offering a huge salary, much more than what was given to the previous principal. I personally think that not considering the vice principal for the principal’s post is an injustice towards a personality, who had served both ISM and ISAS for more than two decades. He is a most senior and experienced teacher at the Seeb school!”

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

Pay and get abused

Ah, bored with school news? Here is something from a couple and two kids who had gone on an overnight stay atop a mountain tourist spot here in Oman. The couple was in their early 50s, while the two boys were around 16 and 14, respectively.

“It was a nice, cool spot, with a fantastic view, but, boy, the staff, including the manager, were cold and distant and at times, even rude…Right from the moment we reached there we felt something was amiss as the staff seemed to dismiss us as though we were scum. We tried to be polite and understanding and took it on our chest throughout the day, even when we were served a very late lunch, but, when my boys told sometime just before dinner not to make noise as “it was a very exclusive tourist spot with selective guests” by the manager himself, I lost it,” the father of the two boys told Bitter Batter. The boys were romping around in their

tent when the manager walked to their tent and told them to “lower the volume”. ‘That got my goat and I went and gave that manager a piece of my mind and warned him if he ever said a word again to that effect, I would sock him in the eye!’ The manager got the message and the family was treated well after that. “But I am still seething.

We are right in the middle of nowhere and we have paid for the whole stay and instead of treating us well, they are trying to abuse us. I did notice that foreigners (tourists) were being treated quite well though,” the father noted, bitterly.

Black & White 45

Seyad Farook, ophiologist/ field herpetologist at the Sultan Qaboos University

By Seyad Farook Snakes are legless animals with a long, flexible body covered with overlapping scales. Snakes are reptiles, a diverse group of animals that also includes lizards, turtles, and crocodiles. Snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards and share many characteristics with this group— particularly the so-called legless lizards, which have tiny, almost imperceptible legs. But unlike most lizards, snakes have thin, forked tongues, and they lack external ears. And while most lizards have movable eyelids that periodically close to protect and lubricate the eyes, a snake’s eyes are always open, protected by immobile, transparent scales.

Like all reptiles, snakes are cold-blooded, or more correctly, ectothermic—that is, they cannot produce their own body heat. Instead, they rely on the sun to heat their bodies and then regulate their temperature with behavior.

Because they do not rely on energy from food to generate body heat, snakes can survive on an extremely meager diet. Some wait for months between successive meals, and a few survive by eating a single, large meal just once or twice a year.

Nature's Quest

When they do eat, snakes swallow their prey whole rather than biting off small pieces. Many snakes have specialised jaws that enable them to swallow animals that are far larger than their own heads. Although uncommon, some snakes, such as the African rock python, have been observed eating animals as large as an antelope or a small cow. With about 3000 species belonging to about 18 families, snakes are a large and successful group. They owe much of this success to their versatility—snakes occupy habitats ranging from underground burrows to the tops of trees to ocean depths as great as 150 m (490 ft).

They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and although they are most abundant in tropical areas, many survive in regions marked by extreme cold. The range of the European adder, for instance, extends north of the Arctic Circle. The only places without snakes are parts of the polar regions and isolated islands, such as Ireland and New Zealand.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF SNAKE Although all snakes have a long, cylindrical body, many species boast unique modifications suited to particular habitats and lifestyles. Burrowing snakes, for example, have muscular, stout bodies and solidly built heads that they use to push through soil. Sea snakes have flattened, paddle like tails for swimming, and the long, thin shape of many arboreal, or tree-dwelling, snakes provides agility when navigating between branches. Some snakes, including pythons, retain characteristics that reflect their evolution from lizards or from lizard like ancestors. These snakes have traces of hind limbs called spurs, which are usually more prominent in males than in females.

The smallest snakes are the Blind Snakes and Thread Snakes. One member of the Blind Snake group, the Texas Slender Blind snake, reaches just 13 cm (slightly more than 5 inches) in length when full grown and weighs less than 2 g (less than 0.1 oz). In the Caribbean island of Barbados the smallest snake in the world was discovered only three years ago. It is the Barbados Thread Snake whose length is no more than 4 ins. The largest snakes are the Anaconda and the Reticulated Python, both of which grow as long as 10 m (about 33 ft) and can weigh up to 250 kg (about 550 lb).

Among most species of snakes, females are larger than males. These large snakes are not found in Oman as believed by several people. There is no truth in this.

(Continued...)

46 December 1-31, 2010

motris.livejournal.com

By Thomas Snyder

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

Black & White 47

Kidstuff 48 December 1-31, 2010

All kids favourite – the heavy set, pudgy red – clad old man who sneaks into the house from the chimney to drop gifts to the children… Here are some of the interesting facts about Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle or Santa, which ever name you would like to call.

Different names of

SANTA CLAUS In the United States and Canada, his name is Santa Claus. The American version of the Santa Claus figure received its inspiration and its name from the Dutch legend of Sinterklaas (a Dutch variant of the name Saint Nicholas).

• In China, he is called Shengdan Laoren • In England, his name is Father Christmas, where he has a longer coat and a longer beard.

• In France, he’s known as Pere Noel • In Brazil and Peru, he’s called Papai Noel • In Morocco he is known as Black Peter • In the Netherlands, he is called Kerstman • In Finland, he is called Joulupukki THE AMERICAN IMAGE of Santa Claus was further elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast, who depicted a rotund Santa for Christmas issues of Harper’s magazine from the 1860s to the 1880sDecorated Christmas trees in homes date to 1605 in Germany.

CHRISTMAS TREES: THE FIRST AMERICAN patent for a Christmas tree stand was not issued until 1876, and stands didn’t hold water until 1899.

IN 1841 PRINCE ALBERT (German husband of English Queen Victoria) brought the first Christmas tree to England to Windsor Castle.

IN 1842 DR CHARLES FREDERICK Minnegerode brought the first one to America in Williamsburg Virginia.

Tongue twisters Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs Black & White 49

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

Circulation

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

50 December 1-31, 2010

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

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

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

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

SALALAH

SOHAR

NIZWA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FREE FORTNIGHTLY MAGAZINE AVAILABLE ALL OVER OMAN ON 7TH & 21ST

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

Black & White 51

Your stars ARIES March 21-April 20 Social events and group invitations may be quickly cancelled early this week. Property agreements and home roles may be confusing. Detailed discussions will eventually bring the desired results: be patient with the annoying questions of loved ones. Expect sultry invitations.

CANCER June 22-July 23 Financial information or new business statistics may be the source of heated discussion this week. Competing ideas and public debate may now be necessary for business growth: watch for valuable breakthroughs in the coming weeks.

Expect last minute social changes.

LIBRA September 24-October 22

Horoscope

Workplace agreements and financial promises will be unreliable this week: pay close attention to changed dates, times and locations. You may also be asked to help solve the past errors of a fellow worker or business partner.

Someone close may wish to relive old memories or events.

RAJINIKANTH (BORN DECEMBER 12, 1949) is an Indian film actor, media personality and cultural icon.

He also worked as a producer, screenwriter, and playback singer. Rajinikanth is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, for his contribution to Indian cinema. Post-1978, he became known as the "superstar" of Tamil cinema.

TAURUS April 21-May 20

GEMINI May 21-June 21

Emotions will be unpredictable this week: expect loved ones to over react to new social information or create an atmosphere of mild confrontation.

Little of this can be avoided: for the next 10 days long term relationships will need to be openly discussed and defined.

Watch for close friends or long-term business partners to actively seek approval from outside work sources or new friends.

Much of this will be short lived: refused to be distracted by fresh information or changed schedules.

Although minor emotional conflicts may be bothersome.

LEO July 24-August 23 Public decisions and new information from authority figures will now clarify recent power struggles, misunderstandings or business competitions. Use this time to foster solid relations with colleagues: much now depends on your ability to forget yesterday’s emotional losses.

SCORPIO October 23-November 22 Romantic celebrations and joint social invitations will be pleasing this week: for the next three to four days expect past conflicts or group misunderstandings to quietly fade.

Expect the next few weeks to bring a steady emotional expansion to previously delayed relationships.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19

News travels fast: before mid-week expect loved ones and close friends to openly discuss recent social events or planned celebrations. Group events, short term travel arrangements or social announcements may all be an ongoing theme for the next three weeks.

A new social understanding between friends or romantic agreement may fall neatly into place. Don’t look back: recent feelings of misgiving and doubt will now dramatically fade. Wednesday through Friday also accent powerful memories of past authority figures, parents or older relatives.

52 December 1-31, 2010

VIRGO August 24-September 23 Dreams, insights and sudden flashes of wisdom will be difficult to ignore over the next few days. You may encounter a rare message from a distant friend or past lover. Avoid long term agreements, if possible: information and new home proposals.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 Fellow workers may be easily distracted from important tasks this week: before mid-week expect past mistakes to escalate or become briefly unmanageable.

Issues of pride, seniority and employee rights may now be a concern: avoid group discussions or office gossip, if at all possible.

PISCES February 20-March 20 Friends and close relatives may be strongly attracted by fresh romantic options this week: social creativity and sensuality may now be a compelling influence in new relationships. Silently observe: even though loved ones may ask for your opinion, tempers and sensitivities are now unpredictable.

Cooking

Quick Breads for

By Praba Iyer

IT’S THE HOLIDAY SEASON. You have invitations to many parties. What would you take as a gift that your hostess will truly appreciate? A store-bought gift? Or an easy to bake, homemade loaf of dates and nut bread, that simply smells divine?

Quick bread is said to have originated in North America after the invention of baking powder. Until then breads were made with yeast, requiring long fermentation time and tedious kneading. Quick bread is made with flour, eggs, butter, sugar and flavourings in the form of fresh fruits (banana, strawberries, blue berries), vegetables (zucchini, carrots), dry fruits (dates, cranberries, raisins), and spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg).

Different kinds of quick breads include fruit and nut breads, muffins, scones, coffee cakes. One of the oldest quick breads is the dates and nut bread that is said to date back to the 1900s.These breads can be served for breakfast, with evening tea, or as a dessert.

They can be served as such or with accompaniments like a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

The batter takes less than an hour to whip up, and involves just three steps.

Sifting all the dry ingredients together. Whipping the butter and sugar and adding the eggs and flavourings, and folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without over mixing.

Enjoy your baking!

Praba Iyer is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She was the Associate Chef at Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason, SF. She teaches custom cooking classes in the bay area

Pumpkin Ginger Bread Ingredients: • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour • 1 ½ tsp baking soda • ½ tsp salt • ½ tsp dry ginger powder • ½ tsp ground cloves • a pinch ground cinnamon • ¾ cup butter, softened • 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed • 2 large eggs • 2 cups of canned pumpkin puree • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated Method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9 by 5 loaf pan. Sift all the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, dry ginger, cloves, cinnamon into a small bowl. Mix well. Whip the soft butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until its fluffy.

Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, fresh ginger and mix well. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture in two batches until combined.

Be careful to not over mix. Pour batter into greased loaf pans and place it in the center rack of the oven.

Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature and then turn the pan upside down to remove the loaf out of the pan.

Slice and serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

To make muffins – grease muffin pan and place batter in individual muffin holes and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Cool and serve.

Black & White 53

To Oman we belong...

Laila, Omani graduate student of Nizwa University

By Laila Ibrahim Obaid Al-Gharbi Oman we belong… This phrase, or this thought, nor this noble endeavour is in anyway mine alone. We are together in this. We, meaning, a unique team of highly motivated people who have started promoting the brand new idea of having a platform where everyone can express him/herself using videos and photos.

It is a new idea that aims to provide a link for Omanis living outside Oman, studying abroad and the like, to share their thoughts. Not only that but it also aims at encouraging talented people to share and showcase their various talents by the means of a video.

So, who are we? We are the people living in this beautiful and peaceful land called Oman...and we all would like to send our thanks and express our gratitude toward His Majesty the Sultan in a brand new way, especially in the wake of the 40th anniversary of the Sultanate.

Oman We Belong offers the perfect means for all of you Omanis and nonOmanis also to express themselves. It gives you a space to upload your unique experience of belonging to Oman by taking part in this campaign.

In the meantime, the team is working on collecting videos from people in which they share their words and feeling to His Majesty on the 40th National Day. The team have already promoting the idea through the website so you can log in easily and start uploading your own message to His Majesty because at the end there will be a selection for the best 40 messages to make a film out of that to be gifted to His Majesty. As you are reading my words, I hope you all are as excited as I am and do join us on the website soon.

It is one simple and effective way to express the feeling of belonging and sharing your feelings about this wonderful country with others. Let us hope that you join us in this endeavour and become one of this website’s effective member!

Learning curve

Together we will make a positive change in the community by promoting ourselves properly but differently. Finally, to know more about the team, and the campaign you just need to visit this website www.weeebelong. comand and you will feel the difference yourself.

Looking forward to seeing you in the website and don’t forget our slogan, ‘To Oman We Belong’! lalgharbi@yahoo.com

54 December 1-31, 2010

It's my life

Unknown Saviour

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

By Vandana Shah

Sweat dripping down on my forehead, a nervous tic, facial muscles contorting involuntarily into a sad worried expression and still a distinct beat of the heart turning into a loud thump for the fear of missing a flight ...Why? All because of a car breakdown at 4am and of course no taxi in sight. And suddenly like magic ...a stranger appeared and offered me a lift on a two wheeler and I made it just in time–three minutes to spare for the flight. I didn’t even have time to even ask her name So I christen her the 'Unknown Saviour'.

When we go through life without our blinkers on we meet so many of these people who are willing to go out of their way to help us. I am sure all of us at some stage have met them in our life-someone who gives us a useful tip before an interview, a useful guidance in a foreign land which becomes a life saver for us in impossible situations.

Something which makes us remember them and thank them and the irony is we don’t even know them at all .What do they expect in return… absolutely nothing. They completely defy the deafening wails of people chanting… “The world is changing… people have become selfish… everyone wants something and no one wants to help anyone anymore.

How do their pessimistic chants explain the actions of 'Unknown Saviours?'

I personally believe that they help you expecting nothing in return and for them it’s probably a good deed that they perform reflexively. They have their own little cycle of good deeds going on and are earning and creating their heaven on earth rather than waiting for the Creator’s Heaven.

Perhaps they have themselves been the recipients of someone else’s good act and want to repay the kindness.

They completely endorse the fact that basically all human beings are good and we are HUMAN and somewhere we have done God proud and he hasn’t made an error in making us his topmost creation. So go ahead and be an Unknown Saviour for someone…you won’t regret it Till next time love and hugs.

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

Black & White 55

Shape n sound 56 December 1-31, 2010

Are you ARE YOU A NATURAL WOMAN? We are all born natural and it is probably during the process of growing up that we unwittingly spin from natural to artificial. Circumstances may have played a hand in this or there must be something inherent that turns women on different courses of life – one, on the natural course, and the other, not so…

WHAT IS A NATURAL WOMAN? Yes, what is a ‘natural’ woman?

The definition is as wide and deep as the person themselves. Despite any preconceived notions, natural women are not a mystery. They are women who are comfortable in who and what they are. They can be versatile. They can be driven. They might choose to be a homebody, a factory worker or a model.

No matter what they are and do, natural women are always themselves. The most beautiful women always are.

NOT AFRAID OF EMOTIONS Have you ever thought why? Well, natural women have an aura about them.

They find comfort even in their own insecurities. They don’t have to flaunt “I am who I am.” It flows effortlessly from them. They are not afraid of their emotions. They will even share a laugh with you over their flaws. Natural women form deeply based relationships. They don’t depend on cosmetics, perfumes and fashion. They see them for the most part as accessories instead of necessities. An unnatural woman will seem to start out that way but it fades away over time. Their actions come from what they want not who they are.

SHE CARES Natural women exude a sense of confidence even in their worst moments.

They will wake up in the morning and

not have to run to the make up table.

They glide into the day. Everything is performed with an “I care” aura. They don’t look for glory in what they do and who they are. Yet, their appreciation of recognition is deeper felt and more profoundly expressed.

WHO IS A NATURAL WOMAN? She can be anyone because she always is herself. She is a woman not afraid to lead with her heart. She is a woman who when she cares about you, there is no looking back or over the shoulder. She relates with true lasting emotions. They won’t be swayed. Her feelings are real, worn on her sleeve, and etched in stone.

WOMANLY BEAUTY Women like to feel beautiful. The women’s beauty industry is a mega billion dollar juggernaut that blankets the modern world as we know it. Still, there is more to beauty than cosmetics, clothes, perfumes and accessories. Natural women hold the key to real womanly beauty.

Fashions come and go but we know that it makes sense to look good naturally. And that means making the most of the health and beauty boosters nature has so kindly provided us with – from fresh air to fresh fruit and vegetables to aromatic herbs. It makes sense to make use of these natural products to enhance your beauty.

NATURAL WOMEN ARE ALL AROUND The beauty of a natural woman shines through. To behold one, you have to open up your eyes enough willingly enough to see the person. When you do you will see natural women are the most beautiful women. You will also see they are all around you.

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BANANA

Shape n sound

The Morning

58 December 1-31, 2010

DIET

Good morning! Have you ever considered taking the banana diet, the Morning Banana Diet, that is?!

THE MORNING BANANA DIET SHOT TO dietary prominence from the moment former opera singer Kumiko Mori announced that she had lost 15 pounds with this simple diet.

With this announcement, the diet took Japan by storm.

The Morning Banana diet was developed by Hitoshi Watanabe, who studied preventive medicine in Tokyo, and his pharmacist wife, Sumiko. The diet has since gained popularity by word of mouth, web sites, TV shows, magazine articles, and a book written by the Watanabes.

Dieting, as they say, is an international obsession, but can we really lose weight by eating bananas?

WHAT YOU CAN EAT The Morning Banana Diet is a super simple plan. For breakfast, you have only bananas and room-temperature water. Then, you can eat whatever you like for lunch, dinner, and

snacks, as long as you don’t eat after 8 pm. The only restrictions: No ice cream, dairy products, alcohol, or dessert after dinner, and the only beverage you may have with meals is room-temperature water. One sweet snack is allowed mid afternoon.

One of the most popular aspects of the plan is the lack of emphasis on exercise. Dieters are advised to do it only if they want to, and even then, it should be done in a manner that is the least stressful.

WORRY FREE This is one worry-free diet. And, it is simple and free. More importantly, you have nothing to lose, but a few pounds. Give it two weeks. If the Morning Banana Diet doesn’t work for you, then you can move on to another diet, knowing that you haven’t been taking dangerous drugs or supplements, you’ve been eating a natural, nutritious, high fiber food, and you haven’t restricted your diet with extreme food limitations.

TO START TODAY, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS: • Buy bananas at your local market • You can eat more than one, and in fact the inventor of the diet often ate four (smallish Philippines) bananas in the morning, but don’t stuff yourself to the point of fullness or discomfort.

• Eat only raw, uncooked, unfrozen bananas.

• Other fruit may be substituted.

• If you are still hungry 15 or 30 minutes after your banana, you can eat other food.

• Dinner must be eaten by 8 pm at the latest (6 pm is better).

• The only beverage allowed at most meals is water, preferably mineral or filtered.

• The water must be at room temperature, not chilled or hot.

• The water should be drunk in small sips and not used to wash down food.

• There is no quota of water to drink, but you should not drink it in excess.

• Chew your banana and other food thoroughly and be mindful of its taste.

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Psyche 60 December 1-31, 2010

S T A N D BY your man Lady, it is high time that you stand by your man.

For, he has been standing by you since a long time now and he has satisfied your emotional needs, now, time to consider his case too…

Everywhere you hear or read about what women want and everywhere there are articles and pieces on how to please a woman or appease her.

Whoa…are men dead? Shouldn’t we also hear or read about what men want to hear from women?

WOMEN OFTEN QUESTION men’s emotional needs and frequently reduce the essence of men to having one thing on their minds, all the time!

Evolutionary psychology has proven otherwise.

Men have emotional needs too, albeit not as much as women.

Before we consider what your man would like to hear from you, let’s first consider the most vital key to proper communication; effective listening.

Although we’re discussing what your man wants to hear from you, we also want to ensure that when your man does communicate - even though it may be on rare occasions - that you’re able to detect what he truly wants to hear from you. God gave all of us two ears and a single mouth so that we may hear twice as much as we speak! Effective listening will enable you to pick up on those warning signs that his emotional needs are not being met.

SUPPORT HIM Support him in any endeavour he sets out to do. There has to be a

great woman behind every great man. You (women) need not be so dramatic, but, it would be great to have your support in all our endeavours.

The truth is that we can do amazing things with your support. With your love, support and encouragement, we can just about accomplish anything.

ACCEPT US AS WE ARE Most of the time women are very keen to change their man rather than accept him as he is (of course, if he is a hopeless wreck, it is a different story). Acceptance from a loved one outside of the immediate family, for many of us, is the essence of a romantic linkage, and yet many relationships fail for this very reason, due to couples not accepting each other in every shape or form. Don’t try and change your man. Accept him for who he is, or move onto someone more compatible. Thinking of him as a pet-project to place your passion into moulding him will only drive him away, whether it’s emotionally (likely to occur first) or physically.

UNBREAKABLE BOND Support, love, acceptance and all works well when you both are a team. A love relationship should be built upon the foundations of solid communications, mutual missions and a shared vision.

It’s a tough world out there, and yet it only seems to get increasingly tougher. Just because we’re men doesn’t mean every ounce of burden should be placed upon us, even though at times we insist it!

Sometimes, we simply want to hear you say things that elicit an intangible bond, which if shaped properly, is unbreakable.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Love us, no matter what. Love moves the world. And, it will move us, surely. Hearing those special words of love from an ultra special person is great.

But, saying those words and meaning them and that too even when your man may have blundered, or worse, even failed is the hallmark of unconditional love…the truest and arguably the only form of love.

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Taken for a ride…

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar

Yalla, lets go!

Without warning, I lurched forward toward the ground, and then rose several feet into the air as the almost full-grown camel stood up, snorting his oversized nostrils and batting his long eyelashes.

He was a very handsome camel, well decorated and adorned with traditional and bright coloured accessories and a saddle.

Camels are pretty big animals and getting on it is a little daunting at first. The scariest part is when your camel stands up or sits down with you on it. There’s a sense that you’re going to fall off the front.

They stand up on their back legs first so you lurch forward and then they stand up on their front legs while you hold on tightly.

After you’re on the camel it’s pretty easy going.

But, the best part is when you are up and standing, you feel on top of the world.

Yes, you sit tall and look down on others; it does sometimes feel very good.

Ali, the camel owner, walked the camel around and brought me back to where I started in 10 minutes.

I was in a cheerful mood, so I bullied my friends, who did not want to take a camel ride.

It was not the first time I had taken a camel ride, so I was comfortable.

By nature, I get in to all sorts of things at the first go, the warnings come later…

Not always, though.

This time, the warning bells rang

immediately.

The camel refused to kneel down.

He stood tall.

Whatever Ali did to make it bent his knees was in vain.

He was adamant.

Normally he is very responsive to me; don’t know why he is stubborn today… Ali was very apologetic.

All were watching now, some grinning, some laughing aloud, me a little nervously.

I was not amused. In fact, I was very nervous.

What else can you be when you are sitting on top of a camel who is very stubborn and refuses to kneel down?

The pleasure of the ride wore off in a jiffy!

At that height, I could not even kick myself.

At the start he was very charming, graciously consenting to let me on his back by kneeling down.

As I climbed on to the sitting camel, he looked meek and accommodating.

After the ride probably, he changed his mind.

No matter what Ali and his friends did, the camel wouldn’t budge.

It was time for me to look UP at friends and ask for help!

They grinned back at me and said, well, you asked for it, make your own way down…

I guess, when you are left with no choice, you take the only way out!

I did, I jumped… all the way down. priya@blackandwhiteoman.com