Black & White mag Issue 36

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Cane and able p32 9-22 Dh-Qa'da

Vol.2 Issue 36IIOctober 7-20, 2011

Beware the anger of a patient woman

All about X, Y & Z

By Adarsh Madhavan

Anonymous mails, harassed teachers, accusations, counter accusations... it is not unusual to have such situations in schools, especially Indian schools here. It is but natural in any set up, especially huge ones, to have situations and people who/which are good, bad and ugly…But, a certain Indian school seems to have totally ignored the attempts of one of its teachers to overturn the alleged injustice done to her.

For the last one year, this teacher has been sidelined, pushed to a corner and pushed from her school to another one and tarred and feathered without being given a chance to clear her name, she claims. Or if, as she says openly, if she is at fault, punish her. But, no, there seems to be a cloak and dagger play, the lady claims, adding that the real players were deftly pulling the strings from behind the scenes and she was being caught in the crossfire of some vicious school politics.

A year or so back, this teacher was accused of sending anonymous hate mails to her school and some senior school authorities. She was questioned by the top school officials and warned not to do the same. When she protested her innocence, they dismissed it by saying that they had ample proof of the same and told her to desist from her acts or face the music.

She was ready. She was ready to face the music, sing the song and even be crushed by raging boulders of punishment if she was indeed proved to have committed the crime she is accused of, but until then, let her be…don’t nail her as a criminal until she is proven to be one, she pleads.

She pleaded with the immediate school authorities, but they had nothing to do with her.

She pleaded with the top school officials in charge of the particular school, and they said nothing was clear, they needed more time. By this time,

she was losing it. She could not focus on her work or on anything…yet, no one gave her any allowance.

Once criminally accused, always a criminal…as the harassment from the school authorities (as she claims) continued, her mental and physical condition deteriorated; she was hospitalised on several occasions and today, with her total confidence eroded, she has became a pale ghost of herself.

And not just her, even her husband was said to be involved and even he was berated by the school authorities concerned. Now, if she was indeed a ‘criminal’ as they accuse her of being, she was willing to go to take any punishment; she was willing to be punished as per the law of the land, she says, but no one seems to be interested in her case. She has even taken the case to the Indian embassy, but still, no movement. Is it because she is a non entity; just an ordinary teacher with no contacts, no power, no wasta?

The media is ready and supportive and wants to take up her case and do all they can to help not only her, but bring this issue out into the public so that justice is done. Even here, in our case, we do not want to point fingers and say the school is at fault or someone is behind this…our simple question is: why is it that no one seems to be listening to this lady?

Why is it that no one wants to help? Anywhere else in the world, this issue would have been sorted out in days, or at least in weeks…here, it has taken more than a year and the woman is still in the same position that she has been in when she was first accused. If she is at fault, prove it and punish her.

If not, let justice be done. Justice delayed in such an issue is indeed justice denied…Will someone show mercy on her, give her some relief? Like she implores: “Punish me if I am wrong, but if not, free me from these ugly blame game!”

The lady has been really, really patient so far.

But beware the anger of a patient woman! editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

4 October 7-20, 2011

Xclusive

Cane and able

32

Bitter Batter you were 48 While holidaying‌ Did you know that while you were holidaying, there were those who did not enjoy even one day of respite?

62

With a cane, the visually challenged are able. The long white cane is a simple tool, effective in allowing the blind and visually challenged to maneuver and navigate the world independently.

Women talk more on the phone?

Does your wife speak on the cell phone more than you do? It is not just about women talking more on the cell phone; the tragedy is that women talk more on the cell phone while driving

14

Men do good

Contents

There are a lot of men out there who have recognised the feel-good factor of doing a good deed because it makes them feel happy

Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC Black & White Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos Office location: Hatat Complex A, Office no: 212, II Floor Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496 Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Printed at Mazoon, 6 October 7-20,Muscat, 2011 Oman

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 Shannon D'Souza Swithun Fernandes Priyanka Sampat

THE GIFT OF KINGS WWW.AMOUAGE.COM

Black & White 7

Black & White 9

Injustice in Islam The importance of justice in the life of a believer in Islam has to be considered as his topmost priority while dealing with routine matters. The story ‘Untold Quranic story of Justice’ (Black & Whiteissue 34) takes a glance into its importance. “…Allah Commands Justice, the doing of good and liberty to kith and kin and He forbids all shameful deeds, injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition…”(The Holy Quran: Surah An –Nahl (The Bee): Ayyat:90) After the revelation of the above verse of the Holy Quran, which is repeatedly reminded to us by the Imam during the Friday sermon on a regular basis week after week, a true Muslim is left with no choice than to resort to justice.

Justice and always justice through out in all field of life.

Injustice in Islam is considered the deed of a traitor and not of a Muslim.”

Mohammad Osama Rawat, Ruwi.

Let’s spread the message

Readers Column

I appreciate the team of Black & White for bringing about awareness in the society. Congratulations!

It’s so good to learn about the camel milk and its benefits.

Fortunately, Oman has a large number of camels which can bring about better health and living, with increased awareness.

Lillian’s story about her love for these camels was exhilarating. The names of the pets are too cute!

Information about camels that was shared was new and interesting to me. People should break the myth that camel milk is unhealthy. The article said that it contains anti-bodies that may help to fight cancer, HIV, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and many other diseases. The only thing to be taken care of is – take it slowly so that the stomach gets time to digest it.

Oman has a lot of camels around, but a number of people do not know the benefits of its milk. We should take initiative and spread the message across, be it through websites such as Facebook or through printouts or pamphlets which can be distributed around. To get the message around is what we want! Let’s do something for the society!

Charu Pant, Khasab

10 10October October7-20, 7-20,2011 2011

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Please include sports I am thrilled to read the article about a revered tradition that is rapidly vanishing (Drums of Ramadan, issue 35). Your magazine’s editorial pieces are always worth reading. The presentation is very attractive. I appreciate the idea to project a part of Omani tradition and culture and the impact of modernity on the social customs and tradition.

While appreciating the high standard of the selected articles, I would also like you to include sports in future editions. I wish Black & White a great future!

S. A. S. Naqvi, sports consultant, FMEC/OHA

Burning issues have to be addressed

Readers Column

You have rightly said that being in the Gulf countries we have to abide by the law of the land. But then journalism will die a slow unannounced death.

There are burning issues, which need to be addressed with inquisitive journalistic acumen. There needs to be a follow up on articles of reason and action. There are several issues, which need sincere attention by the media, at least the print media, which is more accessible.

The road accident rate in Oman is alarmingly high. The loss of life is significant owing to careless and rash drivers. The country of our residence is losing future generations in hundreds each month. It will cause a terrible irreparable loss to the well being of the society. The drug menace is clear and present danger for the youth. Few drug peddlers are put behind bars and find mention in the paper and that is all. No campaign is there to spread awareness. Children with special ability are not getting the best of care. There is nothing, which is against the law. Keeping quiet will further worsen the situation.

A thought-provoking article once in a while won’t hurt with a focus on the social issues. We face the same challenges as faced by the citizens of the country.

The media shall own the responsibility of taking action sincerely, with resolve and with compassion.

Rajwinder Singh Osahan, Muscat

Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

12 12October October7-20, 7-20,2011 2011

Black 13 Black & & White White 13

Men read

Men do

14 October 7-20, 2011

GOOD

THERE IS SOMETHING great about doing good. Do good and you feel good. So, if you want to feel good and be happy then try to make someone else feel good. “I never used to be interested or bothered about helping others, but I learnt to do good from my sister,” says Sam Sebastian, a computer programmer.

“Since the last two years, I have been seriously involved in social work wherein I take great effort in rehabilitating poor people to their hometown. Now, everyone is in praise of my good deeds, but it is not the name that I am after…very few people realise the sheer amount of good feeling that I get by doing it -- it’s so heady! I want to do it more and more!”

Sanjay feels that the ‘thank you’s’ he gets out of a good deed are a great form of self-inspiration.

“When someone says thank you, I feel that I have given something or done something which someone else appreciates and it is an instant spur of joy. I am happy! Soon you realise that this simple way of getting happiness can be seriously pursued and today I am a great believer in charity and doing good!”

That is two of them. But, there are a lot of men out there who have recognised the feel-good factor of doing a good deed. And, the truth is, it actually makes them happy.

Brightening someone else’s day can actually make you feel good. It is great to make someone smile and although this seems to be a woman’s forte, it has been increasingly found that men are slowly getting into the

charity and ‘do-good’ bandwagon.

In case you are feeling that it is a tough task to brighten someone’s day everyday, just relax. There are so many ways to spread a bit of sunshine. “Sometimes, all you need to do is to say that you are thinking of them. Just telling them that we hope they are doing well or a warm hello itself are mood boosters,” notes David Sawyers, a philanthropist.

“Being nice is not that hard. You just need to set your mind and well, your heart to some tasks and then you will soon get into the groove,” he says.

LEND THAT SHOULDER “But, before you let them lean on you, make sure that you have the patience not just to understand why they are weeping, but also to listen.

Listening is something we don’t do and that is the first sign to show that you care. Everyone likes to know that someone cares and wants to know about them. Just imagine yourself having a totally frustrating and lonely day and then out of the blue some bright friend comes and cheers you up! That is the same with others.

Everyone has a bad day and there are people out there for whom every day is a bad day,” Sawyers notes.

Cheering up someone who has a bad day always helps and it will also cheer you up.

“So, in this respect, everything works, right from a mere hello, or giving a ‘thinking of you’ card to small and timely gifts,” Sawyers says. He feels that gifts are always a great mood enhancer. “Receiving a gift is always something that can make you happy. And, don’t worry, giving a gift is also equally rewarding!”

Sawyers goes on about the importance of complimenting someone on their looks, abilities, success, achievement and the like. “I remember my colleague saying that he felt good when I complimented him. He was going through a divorce and then he had somehow clinched a good order and since everyone knew that he had personal problems no one seemed to take the first step to congratulate him, but I just went and slapped him on the back and told him that he had done a great job!

He melted!” recalls Shanon, an ad executive at a local publication.

FUNNY JOKES Tell a funny joke to brighten someone’s day. This works especially well if you see that a friend is down. Making someone laugh can definitely brighten their day and put them in a great mood.

Giving off feelings of laughter is also contagious. You’ll find yourself, and anyone else listening, laughing as well. It’s almost impossible not to smile when you hear others laughing.

KIND TASKS Be kind and helpful to someone to brighten their day. Hold the door open when someone is behind you, offer to help carry groceries, or ask a coworker if you can help them at work. Think of kind tasks you can do to help others lighten their load and feel better. Helping others is a gratifying effort also. You can’t help but feel good by brightening someone’s day in helping them.

Everyone needs some sort of help and if you pay attention, you’ll find people who can use your help.

Your Heart is Safe in Apollo’s Hand

P. O. Box 1097, Al Hamriya, PC 131 - Sultanate of Oman. Tel: 24787766, 24788263, 24788265

Better get

FASHIONABLE! MEN ARE FASHIONABLE, we say. But, honestly, do we know the rules that govern men’s fashion? We better, because women judge us by our looks – sorry, clothes! Men have to look good; men have to dress well; men have to be fashionable, otherwise they are going to get ignored by women. That is the truth, whether we like it or not! While being good looking is God’s gift to mankind, there are certain things you can do to look good. Agreed, you can’t suddenly wake up as a handsome man, but you can most definitely dress well; look fashionable!

What is stopping you from trying to be fashionable? Nothing, except that you cannot in the bargain look gaudy! Dressing to suit the part is the first rule of the game. If you aspire to be the Ceo of a company, then you have to start young. No open-toed sandals. Sometimes, you have to look the part. So, ensure that you have the basics of any business wardrobe in place. So, here are some time-tested pointers for fashionable dressing, but remember that it starts right down from your socks.

SOCK IT UP! Men should always wear dark socks with dark slacks and dark shoes. Dark brown or tan socks look nice with khaki pants. The socks should match the shoes that the man is wearing. White socks are only appropriate for extremely casual events such as going to the gym and working in the yard.

COLOURS OF LIFE Now, men, learn to colour it well too. You should pay attention to the colours you wear. “Make sure the colour combinations are kept simple. Attractive pairings include a mix of natural hues of browns, tans, greens, and off white.

Another good looking combination includes black, gray and shades of white and blue. Men should never wear colours that clash. This includes red and purple, red and yellow, and black and dark blue,” noted Ashley, a fashion expert.

THE RIGHT PATTERNS Another tip for men’s fashion is for men to make sure that the patterns match. They should pair ties with shirts and be sure that the combinations go together. For instance, a striped tie can go well with a solid-colour dress shirt.

Men should not pair striped ties with checkered shirts or checkered ties with striped shirts. Clashing patters can make an outfit too loud, which draws other people’s attention to the clothing instead of the man.

Men read

SHOES Men need to check that their shoes do not get worn down too much on the bottom or on the leather upper. Polishing shoes every once in a while can help make an outfit look spectacular. Shoes should always match men’s belts.

Using the same colour leather for the shoes and the belt makes the outfit look professional and fashionable.

(More next issue)

16 October 7-20, 2011

Black 17 Black & & White White 17

Simplest exercises ever

BELIEF IS EVERYTHING If you believe you can, you can and if you think otherwise, well, then that is it! But, then understand this: the biggest obstacle to fitness is self belief and self talk. Health and fitness is important at any age.

as well as cardiovascular exercise, the better. If you are starting a new fitness regime in your 40’s, don’t worry. No one has said that you cannot turn back the years. Making sure that you are doing the right thing is perhaps most important here.

As we get older and look to keep in shape, the emphasis on what we do and how we do it becomes more important; as our lives get busier, we have more responsibilities and less time. Achieving the best possible results in the quickest amount of time is important as most people don’t have hours to toil away in the gym.

START WALKING, THEN JOG First walk and then jog, and mind you, both are great ways to getting fit. First casually start walking in your neighbourhood, in the woods, on the beach or wherever you want for an hour three times per week, then gradually jog in between.

Also, remember that having short term and long term fitness goals will help you to stay motivated. It is important to be able to control your body weight so performing a full press up is often the goal for a lot of people.

Men health

Another key point to consider is that the earlier you start a regular fitness routine, the better it will be in the long term. As you age, muscles become weaker if they are inactive for a long period. The earlier you start a structured training programme, including a mix of resistance work

18 18October October7-20, 7-20,2011 2011

Walking and jogging has many benefits, such as: making you less stressful; increasing your lung capability; strengthening your heart; toning your muscles and giving you a better and healthier look.

FIT A GYM INTO YOUR PLANS Now, don’t start frowning, but going regularly to a gym or getting a membership in a fitness center makes it easier to stay motivated when working out. In a fitness center, you train together with other people with the same goal as you and this will boost your inspiration and encouragement to continue when the

hard time comes. In addition you will work out with modern and up-to-date training equipment and last but not lease a qualified staff of workout experts being there for you.

HANG OUT WITH SOME WEIGHTS If you are already put walking and jogging in the agenda, then, the next step to getting fit is to develop your lean muscle, which can be done with weight training. This will not only develop your muscles and build a great shaped body but also balance out your workout routine, thus making your fitness better rounded. Go to a gym and get advice from a trainer to put together a training programme that makes sense for you.

TIGHTEN THOSE ABS Six-pack abs anyone? Well, there are some who may not actually think of getting six packs, but, if you can start some exercises to get your ab in a better shape, why not: • Lay down with the back on the floor with bended knees • keep your feet flat on the floor • cross your hands across your chest • curl your torso, rolling from your sternum toward your hips

You should start up slowly with 10 crunches with 3 repetitions. Put another way; do 10 ab crunches, then wait a minute and do 10 more, wait another minute, and do the final 10 crunches. After a while, increase both the number of sets as well as repetitions slowly.

TIME FOR SOME SQUATTING Squats are another simple to do exercise with splendid results for your calves, glutes, quads and hamstrings.

Here’s what you do: - stand with your feet spread apart about two feet - bend your knees a little - start squatting toward the floor very smoothly without going all the way down.

Black 19 Black & & White White 19

O

When your dad cries…

By Adarsh Madhavan When my dad cried, no one cried with him.

And no one heard his cries.

Not even us, his children, miles away from home…

I have never seen him cry. Never heard him; not even behind closed doors.

Like most men, he may not have wanted to show that particular form of emotion.

Maybe he believed that men should not cry.

I don’t know, maybe he believed that men should not show that type of emotion…

But, recently, he broke down. He broke down so badly when his faithful companion of so many years left him.

Alone.

His pain cut to his heart but I know that he wouldn’t even know how to share it. He has always kept his feelings in such matters to himself and even if he broke down, this would have been the only vent to his bottled up sentiments for the last so many years.

Off the wall

I don’t know how it feels. To lose the only bit of sanity you were clinging on to…to lose the only form of companionship a man of his age had. When you are old, you need someone young along with you. And his pet dog was that – a bundle of fun, mischief and protection.

Most importantly, a responsibility.

Minty or Britney (as my niece used to call the Pomeranian mix) was all that. For us, she was a dog, a lovable

all ew h t ff

pet of course, but for my dad, a raison d’etre.

From morning to night, Minty was beside him. He fed her, bathed her, took her out; talked to her, fought with her, complained to her, cajoled her and even unveiled his issues, problems and helplessness to her. For she never ever judged him. Never said that he did not hear what she said. Never looked down on him. She never barked up at him and she never complained to him and she never let him down. But, like everything, she had to go.

For days in a row, she had stopped eating, not even had a drop of water and everyday my dad took her to the vet, gave her injections fed her intravenously, used everything within his power to save her. And he almost did. Minty raised her head on that fateful day, tiredly licked some liquid but then gave up. She had to go.

But, she’d never know the vacuum she left in his life.

She died after 11 long years and that is quite a long time in dog years, we consoled mother who was herself crying her heart out. “Now, we have got no one,” my mother said and later she told me how my dad was weeping. “Never-seen-him-like-this!” mother said her voice breaking. I did not want to imagine. I tried to put that out of my mind, tried to give strength to them, tried to talk them out of this major blow in their lives…nothing worked. They were heartbroken. And I had no clue as to how to mend a

heart that was shattered. When this tragedy hit them, they began to get desperate as many of the aged do.

They wanted something to be done immediately and we were all so far away, even to offer a shoulder or draw them close to our chest. We, like most children, were far away, leaving our parents to fend for themselves, especially when they needed us the most.

In this long-distance relationship with parents, this is how it has always been. We are never there for them, even when it matters the most.

In my case, that is how it has always been and I am up with an impossible task of leaving everything I have here and go back. And I can’t do that. All of us, the children, desperately tried to find someone to stay with them, or some domestic help, but, somehow that never seemed to work. And we can’t just keep anyone. “Keep some stranger and they will knock your parents down, and make of with all the valuables,” everyone advised.

I stared at them quietly and told them: They are the valuables; they are our precious ones!

They stared back at me and retorted: “If they are so precious, how come you left them back home?” adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com

20 October 7-20, 2011

www.omanonlinesearch.com

Coming Soon!

Oman's first comprehensive online directory

More details: oos@blackandwhiteoman.com

Badr Al Samaa basketball team wins third position The Filipino Community Social Club concluded its ‘2011 Winter Basketball Tournament’. Badr Al Samaa team finished the tournament in the third place out of the 12 teams from different companies fighting for the title. The team players have been credited with individual awards apart from the team winning the third position.

The exemplary players of the Badr Al Samaa team are Anthony Tjheon Alim who received ‘2011 Best Small forward / Mythical Five’ title, Antonia Tan bagged ‘2011 Rookie of the year’, Rudy Castres named the “2011 most defensive player of the year’ and the Henry Abling winning the ‘2010 Rookie of the Year’. The team members and officials thanked their sponsors Abdul Latif, managing director, of Badr Al Samaa group of hospitals for their continous support

Khimji Ramdas

Ramadan gifts to employees

Wordpress

Khimji Ramdas announced its annual Ramadan gifting to all its National and Expat Muslim employees for Eid celebrations.

The families were given Family gift hampers containing consumable items together with Moulinex products for its bachelor staff.

22 October 7-20, 2011

for the team. The other sponsors are: NPI pharmaceuticals, Tabuk pharmaceuticals, Khimji Ramdas and media sponsor Times of Oman.

Edible Arrangements

in Muscat City Centre Edible Arrangements®, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh fruit arrangements announced that its new Muscat City Centre Mall store is now open for business.

Edible Arrangements® Muscat City Centre, located on the first floor, east wing, welcomes customers seven days a week from 10am to 10pm Saturday to Thursday and 2 to 10pm on Fridays, and is now delivering its fresh fruit bouquets to homes and offices across Muscat and throughout much of Oman.

Customers can also place cash and credit card orders by simply calling the store on the toll free number 800 74646 (or 24 556 006), or ordering via the website www.EdibleArrangements.com.om.

AlShaima Ali AlRaisi, owner and managing director of Edible Arrangements® Muscat, said: “We are delighted that our Muscat City Centre store is now open for business. We have been planning our opening for many months, and now we are able to offer our exquisite fresh fruit arrangements to customers in Muscat and beyond.”

BankMuscat wins top Asia award For the second consecutive year, BankMuscat has won Asia’s 'Best Brand Award' in recognition of building a successful global brand.

The award lauded BankMuscat for consistent innovation and leadership in building brand. The second CMO Asia Award for Excellence in Branding and Marketing recognised

100 top notch organisations across Asia. The award ceremony in Singapore was attended by over 200 senior corporate leaders. Mohammed Mubarak Al Hassani, head of corporate communications, said: “The BankMuscat brand is associated as a prolific innovator wherein the first association with the brand is the

element of innovation. BankMuscat understands the relationship between brand equity and key value drivers in the business model and views brand management as a key element to enhance value for all stakeholders.

The brand valuation helps in planning a framework for long-term strategic marketing investment.”

Crest & Oral B Oral hygiene

Campaign

Crest & Oral B 'Pass on a healthy smile' is an initiative by the Oral Care brands Crest & Oral B, to improve awareness on Oral hygiene in public in Oman. As part of the campaign, Oral B & Crest, in collaboration with Kim’s Oman Hospital and Al Essa Dental Clinic will be conducting free dental check-ups for the residents of Oman in Lulu Bausher from September 21 till October 7 and Carrefour Seeb from October 20 till November 2 from 5 pm to 9 pm. This is a yearlong initiative aimed to conduct free dental checkups across Oman at various points in time. Mohammed Ali Faruqi, brand manager, Oral Care, Arabian Peninsula said, “The findings underline the need to continue a consolidated effort to educate consumers about oral-care and its impact on overall well being." “The campaign builds on our six year history of community outreach initiatives across the UAE. This year the campaign reaches out to more countries in the AGCC, providing the public’s of Oman, KSA and other Gulf countries access to free check-ups,” added, Adil Ghouse, CEO, Khimji Ramdas consumer products group.

Lulu opens its 95th store at Nizwa Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed al Saadi, minister of commerce and industry, inaugurated Lulu’s newest landmark at Nizwa, at a glittering ceremony in the presence of dignitaries and officials from the government and the private sector.

This marks Lulu’s 10th venture in Oman and the 95th in the region, following an aggressive expansion policy that saw it opening several new stores in the cities and wilayats during the past ten years. It reinforces the policy of the Lulu group’s dedicated efforts to spread its network throughout the length and breadth of the country, creating vital connect with consumers.

With plans of reaching 100 stores by the end of the year, Lulu is all set to embark on an aggressive growth plan for, says Yusuffali, managing director of Lulu Group.

Black & White 23

Khimji Ramdas farewell to Anil Wadhwa

Wordpress

Khimji Ramdas LLC gave a grand farewell to Anil Wadhwa, the outgoing Indian ambassador of India to Oman, at a glittering ‘Jai Ho’ event held at the Majan Ballroom, Al Bustan Palace Hotel recently. It was attended by the captains of industry and the who’s who of Muscat.

It was a double celebration with Khimji Ramdas also celebrating India’s victories in the 1983 and 2011 World Cup. The audience were treated to a big surprise with the captain of the 1983 World Cup win Kapil Dev and other key members of the team, Syed Kirmani and Madan Lal being present. Former test cricketer Ashok Malhotra, member of the Indian team that won the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985 was also present.

Speaking at his farewell function, Wadhwa, said, “I had come here as the ambassador for three years. Getting an additional year was a bonus. I thank one and all for the love and support in carrying out my duties for a little over four years. I will shortly take up my new assignment in Thailand.”

24 October 7-20, 2011

IndiGo to Mumbai

for OMR 88 IndiGo, India’s fastest growing airline has announced service on Muscat – Mumbai sector effective October 10.

Muscat will be the fourth international destination on IndiGo’s growing network.

IndiGo will operate four flights a week between Muscat and Mumbai with a promotional return fare of OMR 88 on the route. Both corporate and leisure travellers will now have the opportunity to experience the matchless on-time performance IndiGo is synonymous with in the Indian skies.

IndiGo has recently launched its international services with daily and direct flights from Delhi to Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore. The initial response of the flights has been good so far and the carrier hopes that it will be able to replicate its domestic success in International market as well. The carrier’s expansion in the international skies will further consolidate its position as the fastest growing low fare airline.

Speaking on this achievement, Aditya Ghosh, President IndiGo said, “We wish to thank our customers

for their enduring trust and support and are extremely excited about the upcoming international launch.

Muscat is a key market for us and large Indian population which is based in Oman can experience IndiGo product offerings.

IndiGo is committed towards providing affordable fares to the growing market of frequent travelers in Oman and likewise, offer increased daily flights in future. We are diligently working with the authorities to get additional rights to cater to the growing India-Oman traffic.”

Electroman’ success at Infra Oman 2011 Electroman took advantage of the Infra Oman 2011 exhibition to showcase some of its portfolio of systems. In business since 1979, it initially concentrated on defence matters. The full scale development of the commercial/industrial side of the business has been active for the past 10 years so, Infra Oman 2011 proved to be an excellent opportunity for them to demonstrate their capabilities.

The company was very well supported in its fire detection, prevention and suppression business by its suppliers with representatives from Tyco, Kidde, 3M, Xtralis and Firetrace helping out on the stand. The spectacular Novec 1230 gas suppression demonstration and the fully functioning MX system caused particular interest to delegates and passers-by. On the telecommunications and electronics part of the stand, representatives from Epos (point of sale equipment) and Allied Telesis (active switches) helped the in-house team explain the company’s capabilities.

Also, the joint venture that Electroman is establishing with the German company Kern Systems evoked lot of interest. Kern Systems were demonstrating, with a revolving surveillance camera, the ability to send secure SD/HD imagery over the GSM network without use of the internet. To complete the portfolio, equipment support was provided by Panduit (structured cabling), Codan (HF radio), Tait (handheld radio), Stentofon (Audio/Video Intercom) and Veilux (CCTV).

Bob West, general manager, Electroman said that the response from the delegates had exceeded all his expectations.

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OIFC join hands with Al Rahma to serve the community

Oman Investment & Finance Co. (OIFC) has donated diverse range of home appliances to special needs community people in association with Al Rahma team (formerly known as Oman Al Khair). The OIFC’s association with Al Rahma represents a step of

the company’s ongoing journey with regard to social responsibilities and community initiatives.

The OIFC’s contribution confirmed the company’s commitment in serving the community: “We firmly believe on the importance of serving those in need people, and this assistance is only an expression of OIFC’s conviction in the importance of community service. Hence, this contribution of home appliances is expected to serve about or over 150 members of the community,” says an official.

Al Rahma team is a voluntary organisation formerly known as Oman Al Khair team, based in A’Seeb, designed to help needy and orphans families, and to organise projects concerned on implementing charitable contributions.

Mazda to receive ‘Euro NCAP Advanced Award’ Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that it’s ‘Rear Vehicle Monitoring system’ (RVM), which is available in the European Mazda3 (known as the Mazda Axela in Japan), would soon be receiving a ‘Euro NCAP Advanced Award’ at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Established in 2010, the Euro NCAP Advanced award recognises new safety

technologies that are proactively developed and introduced by automobile manufacturers.

Annurag Chawla, head of marketing and communications, Towell Auto Centre (TAC) says, “The winning of this global accolade is great news for us at TAC, because the RVM function will also be available in our new Mazda CX-5 model, to be launched early next year."

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NBO launches Himayati home insurance plan National Bank of Oman (NBO) launched Himayati home insurance plan, the most comprehensive and simple home insurance plan for NBO customers in the Sultanate.

Himayati home insurance has been arranged by NBO in association with AXA Insurance (Gulf) B.S.C., exclusively for NBO customers.

The NBO Himayati home insurance provides families with an easy and complete insurance solution for household contents and personal belongings with premiums starting from as low as OMR3 per month!

NBO customers can take optional cover benefits for 26 October 7-20, 2011

‘important documents’, insurance of ‘domestic helpers’ and ‘building’ cover, all at an unbelievable low cost. A free basic travel insurance is provided for those opting for the annual payment plan. Commenting at the launch, Harsh Munjal, NBO’s general manager – retail and private banking said: “This is yet another significant initiative from NBO that will provide our customers a highly useful product designed to give them personal security. Himayati home insurance is simple to understand and easy to buy and will be available through NBO’s extensive network of branches.”

Travel City and Travel Point

honour staff

Travel City LLC and Travel Point LLC recently honoured two Omani staff members - Saleema Mohammed Al Hajri and Nabila Fadhal Rehman Qudr Ullah, for rendering dedicated and sincere service to the organisation during the Holy Month of Ramadan. This special trophy was bestowed during a grand iftar evening that was organised for all the staff members of the company. The management as well as the respective line managers lauded both the lady employees for their voluntary decision in staying back post the Ramadan working hours, to ensure that there was no hindrance in the smooth functioning of the organisation’s activities, owing to the presence of fewer staff during this time. They were commended by the group general manager, Sunil Prabhakar and the commercial director, N.E.M. Cherubim, who presented the award winning staff with a custom made trophy of appreciation, a special acknowledgement letter written personally by the board of directors of the company, and an increment in salary.

Starbucks Oman hosts community iftar for Wadi Al Mayh village Starbucks and its Omani partners recently hosted a traditional Iftar for the community of the Wadi Al Mayh village in celebration of the holy month of Ramadan and as part of the ongoing community connections programme running throughout The Middle East. This is the second community activity Starbucks has conducted with the village, following an initiative in which Starbucks provided the impoverished community in the cut-off village with essential relief food packages, following the devastating Cyclone Phet.

Oman Drydock successfully delivers Pacific Trader Oman Drydock Company S.A.O.C delivered successfully on time the repaired German ship 'Pacific Trader' as being the first ship of its kind (container ship) to enter the dry dock, the ship has a capacity of 1,608 containers. It took thirty-nine days (39) and different maintenance actions carried out by Oman Drydock Company to repair the ship.

The ship entered the dock on July 14 for many maintenance works, which included painting and renovation of certain segments in addition to important reparation in seven major tanks and multiple various technical actions managed by a professional team of specialised technicians and engineers working in an environment where the highest quality standards must be achieved.

The 'Pacific Trader' is considered to be the first ship to go through different operations of reparation since Oman Drydock Company started its operations on April 25 comparing to the 16 ships that completed their maintenance in the dry dock of Al-Duqm.

Servico, the ship supervisor appreciated the involvement of Oman Drydock Company and presented his thanks for the achieved work and on time delivery in spite of the important number of reparations.

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The Box Appeal 2011 collects

800 boxes

The maiden initiative of The Box Appeal in Oman has resulted in the collection of 800 boxes that were handed over to Dar Al Atta for distribution.

The charity campaign created and run by Radisson Blu and Park Inn Hotels in the Middle East, started on August 15 and officially concluded on the September 30.

This was the first time the Muscat hotels participated with organisers citing that the response from the local community was "overwhelming".

The recipients have been identified by Dar Al Atta and belong to Al Amal School for Deaf, Child Care and Handicapped Center, Majan College and Technical College. Delivery of the boxes will soon take place with the assistance of DHL Express.

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Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor musical nite Professional singers and musicians in Muscat will be presenting a musical evening to pay a tribute to both these legendary Kapoors on Friday, October 14, 2011 at Le Grand Hall, Al Falaj Hotel at 6 pm. Sargam Events– a group comprising Dipti Raval, Jayesh Raval and Jagdip Bhatia – has been constantly on a hunt for singers and musicians in Muscat. With a deep passion for music, they have presented a few programmes to the music lovers here. Singers like Haider Naqvi, Parth Kotecha, Murli, Hari Menon, Praveen, Akshara Mohan and Kavitha among others will be performing. The show will feature songs of Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor and will also include a few dances by local dancers. Entry to the show will be by invitations only.

Contact: Dipti (9962 2057), Jagdip (9521 3710) or Jayesh (9985 3307) for invitations (subject to availability).

28 October 7-20, 2011

Several other local companies supported the campaign including Mazoon Printing, Publishing and Advertising, Creative Communications Advertising and Marketing, Muscat City Centre, Qurum City Centre and Merge 104.8. Dubaibased creative agency, North55 designed the 2011 logo.

100 years of NIVEA 2011 marks the centenary of NIVEA Crème – the cosmetic cream that has for decades been a symbol of trusted care for millions of happy customers – and we are asking you to join us in discovering 100 years of our skin care heritage and expertise in body care.

Whether it’s the creamy formula of the original NIVEA Crème, with its unmistakable fragrance, or the silky smoothness of the NIVEA Moisturising Body Lotion, the NIVEA family today contains around 500 skin and beauty care products that are enjoyed by customers in more than 200 countries.

NIVEA first entered the Middle East region in the 1950s with Jordan, Syria and Bahrain being the first countries in the region to find the NIVEA products on their shelves. Ramniklal B. Kothary & Co. LLC., a group established since 1935 are pioneers in distributing the finest global brands in Oman.

Beiersdorf AG is proud of the 40 years long associationwith Ramniklal B. Kothary & Co. LLC. The brand NIVEA is a household name for skin care in Oman.

Hyundai & OTE Group launch new

models

OTE Group and Hyundai unveiled two sensational new models – the all-new 2012 Azera a premium large sedan and the all new Veloster, a new concept in a car that combines the style of a coupé with the functionality of a hatchback. The function also witnessed the raffle draw of 1kg gold for the recently concluded ‘Strike Gold with Hyundai’ Ramadan promotion.

Jonghyun Choe, ambassador of Korea, graced the occasion with BT Shin - head Hyundai ME head quarters along with the luminaries from the press, businessmen and loyal Hyundai customers.

BT Shin congratulated Sheikh Saad Bahwan and all dedicated staff of OTE led by Cyrus Vevaina for creating a new historical record of monthly sales this August through the great effort and endeavours.

He added “I also would like everyone here to join me in sending our warmest congratulations on the successful business relationship between Hyundai and Oman Trading Establishment for 20 years since year 1991, during which OTE has always been staying closely with Hyundai as a faithful partner and companion."

Contact 800-77007

Concert of Colours from October 17 to 24 Concert of Colours, a contemporary art exhibition organised by the Omani Society for Fine Art, will showcase paintings by prominent and world renowned artists from Pakistan and will run from October 17 to 24. The exhibition is an effort to bring to the art lovers in Muscat a diverse collection of works of 16 prominent artists. The exhibit will be showcasing the work of several talented artists including; Babar Azeemi, Ali Abbas, Dr Khalid Mahmood, Salman Farooqi, Ishtiaq Sandhu, Masood A. Khan, M. A. Bukhari, Shafique Farooqi, Amina Ansari, Mansoor Rahi, Irfan Hassan, Mubashir Iqbal and Iqbal Hussain.

Among which the work of renowned

artists Bin Qullander and Asad Farooqi will be displayed, both of which have been known for mastering their skills in contemporary calligraphy. In addition to which modern miniature art will be displayed by Amir Kamal, renowned for his contribution to revitalising the classic tradition of miniature art.

The exhibition is open for public viewing from October 17 to 24 from 9 am till 1pm and in the evenings from 4.30 pm to 8.30pm at the Omani Society for Fine Arts in Qurum (behind Shatti Cinema). This exhibition also aims to raise awareness and gather support for the Oman Hereditary Blood Disorder Association which is a registered Omani charity.

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Tweeting and retweeting…

By Nasser Al Azry You must have had the chance to read about Facebook and Twitter in my last column. I want to finish some few lines about Twitter before I close the chapter.

As you are aware, Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts. Twitter allows upto 140 characters, which are known as ‘tweets’.

Twitter maybe just five years old but it gained immense popularity with over 200 million users as of 2011, generating over 200 million tweets and handling over 1.6 billion search queries per day.

Known as the SMS of the Internet, it can only go from strength to strength.

Now taking off from my last column, let me complete the lines on other aspects of tweeting.

Retweet - Retweeting is when you tweet someone else’s tweet to your followers. This helps your followers find useful information.

It’s also a sign of respect, and it can help you build credibility and develop your network on Twitter.

To retweet, simply type RT @ and the person’s username (to give the person credit), and then copy or type the tweet.

For example, type “RT @Bob45 CEO will make big announcement today. Stay tuned!”

You can also retweet directly on the Twitter website without the need to copy or type the tweet.

If you want to give a person credit for a link or idea, you can also say “via @Bob45” in your tweet.

Motivation basics

Tip 1: Before you retweet, make sure it’s on a subject that you want to be associated with.

Don’t just retweet for the sake of it!

Note: This also applies to Facebook.

Personal use 30 October 7-20, 2011

Although it’s easy to find yourself spending too much time on Twitter, the site offers some great benefits to help you grow professionally.

For example, you can: STAY INFORMED ABOUT INDUSTRY TRENDS - Follow people or organisations that lead your industry. This allows you to stay updated about your field. Trade publications and magazines often have informative Twitter accounts as well.

NETWORK - Establish and strengthen professional relationships. Twellow can help you find industry-specific groups and people to follow on Twitter.

BRAINSTORM - Ask your followers for ideas - or, if your team is on Twitter, brainstorm back and forth. This is especially useful when you’re working with a virtual team, or when you don’t want to spend time getting together for a meeting.

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER - Some people use Twitter to find new jobs or training opportunities. Organisations often post jobs on Twitter, so this is a great way to see openings quickly. Networking through Twitter can also lead to some great career and learning opportunities.

Tip: If you’re concerned that Twitter will distract you from other work, specify certain times to check your timeline, or use Twitter to take a break from other more demanding tasks.

Organisational use There are several ways to use Twitter to help market your organisation: Branding - Help to establish and grow your organisation’s brand and image etc.

In Black & White

In Black...

This event is the first of its kind in Oman and is an attempt to provide a world class concert with a charity theme Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief YANNI…NOT TO BE MISSED! Don’t miss it!

Whatever happens, don’t miss the Yanni Live in Concert show at the Grand Hall of the SQU on October 26. Not because we are organising it…but such events are rare to come by and let us not let go of such a grand opportunity to witness one of the greatest living musician in action.

The response to the concert is overwhelming! And do you know, we did not even publicise the event, until very recently. This event is the first of its kind in Oman and is an attempt to provide a world class concert with a charity theme. In solidarity with the theme, 200 to 300 visually challenged people will be attending the concert. So, be there to show your support to the visually challenged as well as to an event that is set to catapult Oman to a global arena on the musical front.

WORLD SIGHT DAY The second Thursday of every October is observed as World Sight Day. It is a day where loads of activities are held to create awareness on the plight of the visually challenged. As a media, we are doing just that. Create awareness, promote solidarity and contribute in some way to the visually challenged.

Come join us, make that little extra effort, spend some time with them.

The B&W team has gone the extra mile to speak to people who are providing selfless services individually and professionally. Oman, as a nation, has been quite ahead in eradicating avoidable blindness. More is needed in terms of infrastructure, roads and facilities to integrate them into the daily routine.

NOT A HANDICAP Personally, I empathise with the challenged. He/she has never seen the world. But, when they smile, I feel inspired, look as us, we have seen it all and lived it all and yet we forget to smile! Blindness is not a handicap. There are quite a few in this world who has proved that. Look at world famous artists and writers. Almost in every field there are some great visually challenged ones too… The great Egyptian writer Taha Hussein, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder, to name a few…

MAKE THEM INDEPENDENT There is this little story that remains in my memory for some reason…I saw the television footage about a visually handicapped man who was at the World Trade Centre during 9/11. He had a trained dog, which took him around.

He also used a cane. In spite of the visual challenge, he was independent. On that day, it was taking time for him to climb down the stairs, so he let his dog go away… but the loyal animal refused to. In fact it went all the way down the stairs and came back for his master… my question is: why should a visually challenged person be dependent on his relatives? Why can’t we give him the option of a cane, a dog, and even streets that enables him to move freely?

Let that be the thought of the week…

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B&W Xclusive

With a CANE, you’re ABLE 32 October 7-20, 2011

Try this simple experiment: Today morning, blindfold yourself. Or, just shut your eyes. Then, get up from your bed and try to walk towards the direction of your bathroom. Oh yeah, you have been doing that for the last so many years and you know the way like the back of your palm. Or, so you claim.

So why is it that you have stepped on your son’s toy truck, stumbled on your own shoes, then walked straight into the locked bedroom door, fumbled at the bathroom door, dashed against the sink, couldn’t find your brush or toothpaste and nearly slipped on the wet floor and didn’t know what to grab on to…? In short, for some moments, you had no clue as to what you were doing; you couldn’t see and you felt as though you have lost all your faculties in that temporary form of blindness! You couldn’t even walk from your bedroom to your bathroom without fumbling and nearly killing yourself…

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B&W Xclusive 36 October 7-20, 2011

AROUND 20,000 VISUALLY CHALLENGED Next time you bump into a visually challenged person, remember what it is like for him/her. Life isn’t easy for those whom God has given no sight.

But, let us not make it even more difficult for them.

Let us not drown them in a sea of sympathy, but instead, let us try to understand them better.

One, let us respect them for what they are able to do and what you are unable to do for even just a minute.

Blindfold yourself and you will find that you are virtually handicapped from doing so many things that you have taken for granted. And then, you expect the visually challenged to walk out from their homes and into the streets?

There are around 20,000 (*) visually challenged in Oman and other than the very few who are able to handle themselves, the rest are, to use a bad phrase, virtually in the dark.

HAVE CANE AND YOU ARE ABLE They need not be.

That is what we are propounding here. They need not be. Their degree of suffering or discomfort can be reduced considerably if they just adopt some easy ways to help themselves out of their darkness.

Before we get into that, let us also try to understand that the problem of blindness better. Blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exists. “In Oman, the environment is not exactly blind friendly,” notes Her Highness Sayyida Sharifa bint Khalid Al Said, consultant at the Omar bin Al Khattab Institute for the Blind. “We do not have public transport, no dedicated paths, no provision of canes and certainly no dog-guides in Oman!”

She strongly advocates the visually challenged in Oman to start using canes. “Globally, the usage of a cane is advocated and I believe it should

be the same in Oman too,” Sayyida Sharifa said, adding that mobility instructors was also needed to train the blind to use canes.

In short, with a cane, you (the visually challenged) are able. The long white cane is a simple tool, effective in allowing the blind and visually challenged to maneuver and navigate the world independently. By tapping shoulder-to-shoulder while walking the cane finds objects on the path such as stones, poles, benches, and trash cans/bins etc. When you are holding the cane in front of you, you are less likely to walk into or off of something. Whether the object is a wall, chair, stairs or a person, it will be located by the cane before your body runs into it.

The cane can also help you identify doors, objects like tables or trash bins or empty chairs etc. The white cane allows the visually challenged to be mobile in a manner equal to their sighted peers. “Simply put, the white cane is a mobility aid that will help the person to find a safe way in front of them,” Dr Rajiv Khandekar, an advisor to the ministry of health (MoH) and programme manager, eye and ear health care, department of non communicable disease control, directorate general of health affairs, MoH, said.

The cane is thus a healthy, safe option, which will bring great relief and become a seeing eye to the visually challenged. But, why are there so very few takers in Oman?

And why aren’t the visually challenged using the cane and tapping their way out of their darkness? (*) “If we apply World Health Organisation’s definition, which is :best corrected vision less than 3/60 in better eye, one percent (1%) of the two million Omani population – that is 20,000 persons, will be considered blind. Also, according to the Oman eye study – 2005 – ‘Blindness by Gender’, the projected blind is put at 22,500.)

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Angel of the Blind The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.

They must be felt within the heart -- Helen Keller

What do you do when a woman stares right back at you? Avert your eyes? We did that. For some moments she stares at you as she answers your query and for that moment, our eyes connect. We could see her clearly, but she doesn’t... Nothing unusual in that except that Her Highness Sayyida Sharifa bint Khalid Al Said is visually challenged.

SHE DOES NOT SEE like you and I. And that is just an inconvenience, she tells us in her crystal clear voice.

She sits across us on a chair at the Omar bin Khattab Institute for the Blind where she works as a consultant and answers every question – however stupid (“There are no stupid questions, she asserts!)

– with a smile!

Nothing seems to faze her, as she crisply answers all queries lending us an insight into her unusual life.

There is no anger, no bitterness, no hesitation and most of all, no regrets.

It is an unusual life, well led and a lesson in it for each and every one of us. It is not only her warmth, but also her glowing spirit that she shared with us -- a spirit that will surely live within us and everyone she bumps into.

B&W Xclusive

If you are visually challenged, then that is just an inconvenience…an obstacle, not a disability. That is the strong message that Sayyida Sharifa wants to send across to those visually challenged, or rather anyone, in Oman.

38 October 7-20, 2011

live an almost normal life doing my daily chores like any other sighted person, from dressing up to doing the shopping on my own.

“After living with the support of a cane for many years, I suddenly have to be dependent on people, here in Oman. I am scared of dogs; otherwise I would have taken a guide dog too. When I started using the cane, I knew where I was going; in fact after a while you know where you are going and yes, I believe that there is an angel always looking after you…”

WHY PEOPLE, WHEN YOU GOT CANE? Sayyida Sharifa added: “Here in Oman, our environment is not blind friendly. It is more of a lifestyle that makes us, the visually challenged, depend on our family members. No public transport, no paths, no canes, always have to be with someone.

There is hardly any mobility training here and it is very painful to note that no steps are taken to promote the usage of cane.”

And they (the visually challenged) don’t need sympathy. They don’t need any favours. They don’t want anything but your understanding, Sayyida Sharifa stresses in this brief interview with the Black & White.

MOBILITY INSTRUCTORS NEEDED Stressing on the need to have a mobility instructor, she said: “A mobility instructor can do wonders for you, make you feel much freer to move around and make your life a little easier.

ANGEL ON A CANE That said, Sayyida Sharifa also advocated the use of canes in Oman.

She has been using a cane during her stay in America.

“In spite of my disability, I used to

The visually challenged in Oman are hesitant to use the cane because of stereotype. But, it is of absolute importance that the visually challenged need to move on with their lives independently.

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The public are scared of the challenged; they should understand that physical disability is a condition that is neither contagious nor infectious. If we are short of one sense, we are naturally compensated with other abilities and better senses to manage life better with the shortcomings

ADVOCATE CANE USE “Globally, the usage of cane is advocated and I believe it should be the same in Oman too. The only way is to create an environment that would make them more confident and free to live. That is my only wish,” she said noting how she felt quite independent while using the cane. “It helped me predict what was going to come in front of me!”

B&W Xclusive

Sayyida Sharifa lost her sight when she was 10 (until then, she had sight). “When I was a child, I could see. But, I slowly lost my sight by the time I was 10. I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa. It is an eye disease in which there is damage to the retina. My family was put up in the US and I would today say I was fortunate enough to be in an environment that allowed me to 40 October 7-20, 2011

pursue my education, complete my Master’s and a doctorate and learn to be independent. I would call my blindness ‘inconvenience’, rather than a disability!”

Although she is in the field of education, being a consultant, she tells us that she never wanted to be a teacher. “I never wanted to be a teacher. In fact I wanted to have a career in the field of the specially challenged -- help them, create awareness and better their lives.”

SHE IS SPECIAL Sayyida Sharifa makes no bones about the fact that she cannot see.

But, she adds that although that was a challenge, she just learnt to climb over it. And this is what she wants to share with every other visually challenged person in Oman.

That is the flame, or the torch, she wants to pass on to others. “I am special and I know what is hard and difficult and how to take life head on. My life has been a learning experience for me and I would like to use that life curve to help the special needs people. I believe I have the firsthand experience.”

“The public are scared of the challenged; they should understand that physical disability is a condition that is neither contagious nor infectious. If we are short of one sense, we are naturally compensated with other abilities and better senses to manage life better with the shortcomings.”

LADY EXTRAORDINARY One thing does set her apart from many though.

Sayyida Sharifa is a lady extraordinaire. Someone for whom no task is impossible. And this spirit is evident in her life, especially in the multitude of achievements she has garnered over the years: “Today I can very proudly say that I am the first Omani visually impaired person to get a doctorate (Columbia University). Not just a PhD, I have a double post-graduate degree in special education to my credit. Right now, I am working as a consultant at the Omar bin Al Khatab School for the Blind in Mawa’leh.

I hope to do meaningful service to the community in my own small way.”

BEING BLIND IS EXPENSIVE Every accessory available for the visually challenged is expensive; the Braille’s, audio equipment from audio calculators to computers to everything is expensive. “Life is very challenging for the visually challenged, not just because they have to lead their lives in the dark, but also because of the affordability of some of the items for daily use. Members of the community have to step in to take responsibility of the less fortunate and help the special ones lead a normal life by making it easy financially, physically, mentally and socially.

LOVE COLOURS The blind are not dead, she asserts. “They are people with the same emotions, same likings, same desires, same wants and needs like any other sighted person. The fact that they have never seen light or the world is sad, but something we all have to live with. But, I could see when I was a child and so I know what colours are. I love red and as every other woman, I love to dress too, thanks to my sister who makes sure that I look how I have to, or would like to. She quietly checks with me, ‘what is your day today? Official, casual? What would you like to wear today…?’ My family has been very supportive and they have treated me as an equal, so I never grew up with any complexes as sympathy was devoid in their approach to me and I was not dependent on them.

BLIND DON’T NEED SYMPATHY Being visually challenged is just an obstacle, not a disability, Sayyida Sharifa reiterated. “Being visually challenged is a state that cannot be understood by a sighted person theoretically.

We don’t need sympathy, we need understanding. We need help; we need facilities that could make our lives less dependent. The public need a constant reminder that visually challenged are normal human beings in all other aspects, in fact being one of the kind, I can say they are better human beings.

I wish for a society where community members take up a little more responsibility on their shoulders to ease the inconvenience of the less fortunate and help the specially challenged get integrated to the society,” Sayyida Sharifa said.

NORMAL LIFE, NORMAL HOBBIES Whatever the case, she is brimming with confidence and only a positive aura emanates from her. “The visually challenged can also live a good life. I do. I am an auditory learner, meaning I don’t know Braille and I don’t write. I learnt everything through audio, by listening.

I watch movies; the last movie I watched is ‘Eat, Pray, Love’; I love Julia Roberts…I listen to music, even read books. In fact I read quite a lot. I am quite good at multi tasking. I can talk to two people in mobiles at the same time! Our sense of hearing is quite exceptional…perhaps God has his how own of compensating us for what we do not have…”

MILES TO GO Sayyida Sharifa is indeed blessed. Not just with confidence, but with lots of patience, energy, strength, courage and more importantly with enormous cheer.

Interview over, she beams at us, bids us farewell and then taps her way back in the corridors of the institute for some other mission. “I have my hands full and I have miles to go…” she says as a parting shot.

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B&W Xclusive 42 October 7-20, 2011

Never say blind Dr Rajiv Khandekar is quick to burst a myth.

Not all of those among the visually challenged are fully blind, he says.

“People with visual challenges have vision problems due to multi various reasons. They cannot be called blind,” says Dr Rajiv, advisor to the ministry of health (MoH) and programme manager of the eye and ear health care, department of non communicable disease control, directorate general of health affairs, MoH.

“THERE ARE MANY who are in the low vision category. People misunderstand and categorise the low vision as blind and take away their right to be normal. Low vision is a complex area within the field of visual impairments. Individuals with low vision can have very different amounts of vision and ways of seeing,” he says in this interview with the Black & White.

A LITTLE ADJUSTMENT Low vision can be defined as chronic disabling visual impairments that can be to an extent corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or other equipments. It has its greatest impact on reading and seeing fine detail, but contrast-sensitivity losses, dimming of vision and blind spots. A little bit of adjustment in their seating, lighting and even the position they walk can change their vision dramatically. Technology has progressed so much that with simple gadgets, the low vision can actually see and live an independent life, have a career and a new life.

The major difference between low vision and blindness is the person’s attitude toward his or her visual impairment. People who confidently identify themselves as blind have accepted blindness as a personal trait.

People who identify themselves as having low vision tend to struggle with trying to function as if they were normally sighted. It is not unusual for people with low vision to try to conceal their visual impairments and avoid challenging situations in order to avoid appearing incompetent.

They will avoid using technology and alternative methods in public that identify them as blind.

But with a little bit of awareness, education and rehabilitation, their lives can change for good. No matter what level of vision a person has, it is not a barrier to living a free and independent life, notes Dr Khandekar.

MOBILITY TRAINING “Orientation and mobility training is of crucial importance to many people with vision impairments.

Mobility training helps to develop skills required to move around safely in the environment. Some people with vision impairments have enough residual vision to move around independently. Other people may require a mobility aid such as a long cane which will help the person to find a safe way in front of them,” Dr Khandekar said.

WORLD SIGHT DAY Globally, the second Thursday of every October is observed as World Sight Day. Earlier, it was observed as White Cane Day. It is not a day of celebration. All member countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) conduct activities for creating awareness on the issues related to eye sight. There are many partners in this endeavour, from Unions to NGOs. In Oman, the Ministry of Health is the main stakeholder.

The vision 2020 programme is one such outcome. In 1999, the Ministry of Health with the technical collaboration of the WHO held a planning workshop, prioritised the eye diseases and formulated the strategies for Vision 2020, Oman.

VISION 2020 Basically, the vision 2020 programme ensures that the members and partners of World Health Organisation commitment Black & White 43

to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020. The four priority diseases to be eliminated were river blindness, trachoma, cataracts and childhood blindness. River blindness is found in pockets of Africa and not prevalent in Oman.

“The main focus in Oman was trachoma and we can proudly say that in 2007 Oman became one of the first few countries to reach the criteria of WHO to successfully eliminate blindness due to trachoma.

We are under the observation period currently and awaiting certification by the authorities. After complete elimination of incidences of blindness due to trachoma, we should be able to maintain the percentage and criteria too,” Dr Khandekar said.

B&W Xclusive

TRACHOMA “Trachoma is an infection in childhood that leaves one blind at a later age. We have successfully managed to eliminate it here in Oman. The rapid socioeconomic developments in Oman and reinvestment of the income into infrastructure, education and health were the major reason for the drastic

44 October 7-20, 2011

decline of active trachoma. The trachoma control programme started off in 1983 and in 1991 it became the ‘Eye Health Care Programme’.

The survey results in 2005 indicated that the trachoma incidences were declining. “Trachoma was indeed a major hurdle we had to overcome, which Oman did successfully. The regions which had prevalence of trachoma in high numbers were Dhakliyah, south Batinah and north Sharqiyah. Ironically the Dhofar region never had any trachoma cases, we cannot attribute any reasons though,” Dr Khandekar said.

DIABETIC RETINOPATHY Every year a theme is chosen for the World Sight Day. “This year it is diabetic retinopathy, which is damage to the eye’s retina that occurs with long-term diabetes. Most often, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms until the damage to your eyes is severe.

Figures state that there are 130,000 diabetic in Oman and a good 75000 are identified. With diabetics spreading rapidly, it still remains the biggest challenge. Uncontrolled

sugar levels cause eye problems resulting in blindness at a later stage of life. Having more severe diabetes for a longer period of time increases the chance of getting retinopathy, which is also more likely to occur earlier and become more severe if your diabetes has been poorly controlled.

Almost everyone who has had diabetes for more than 30 years will show signs of diabetic retinopathy.”

HONG KONG IS DISABLED FRIENDLY A little bit of thought put in the regular engineering and architectural planning can create a safe and disabled friendly atmosphere in any country, Dr Khandekar notes. “I attended a seminar in Hong Kong that left me amazed.

The country is so disabled friendly, the roads, streets, and with mobility instructors… A visually challenged can very safely live an almost normal life, walk around safely, cross roads, travel in public transport, shop and do the daily chores with their canes… an environment alien to Oman!”

Giving low vision a vision in life In fact, that is the mission of Salim Al Harbi, a senior personnel of eye and ear health care, department of non communicable disease control, directorate general of health control, ministry of health (MoH).

“I attended training at the L V Prasad Institute in India in low vision management and understood that with the help of some gadgets, people with low vision can change their lives dramatically.

“There are three types of people: the absolute blind, the ones with low vision (*) and the sighted. But people generally categorise all of them in to either the blind or the sighted, which is very unfair,” lamented Salim who seem to have dedicated his life to bringing vision to the visually challenged, especially the ones with low vision.

“What looks like some kind of a lens or a software can actually change their lives from being confined to a room to a full-fledged life with family and career. I can give you examples of many who were suffering from low vision problems, but with the help of the right gadgets are today completing their education, working, and living a very normal life.”

Salim also said that it was sad to note that out of ignorance and lack of awareness that made people of low vision suffer without an end.

“The community has to support these visually challenged people by making the environment friendly to them. A little bit of change in the engineering and some simple introductions in the planning stage can change the lifestyle of the visually challenged.” (*) Low vision is a specific visual condition that primarily affects people 65 years and older. It is defined as having difficulty seeing, even with corrective lenses or surgery.

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

Black & White 45

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Management talk

Boss management

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

By Dr CK Anchan “When your boss is happy with your performance, your stress is much less.” “Happy wife, happy life.” The same could be said about having a happy boss. Dealing with the boss is an art by itself. There is a quite a difference if you start looking at your boss in a positive way, Consider boss as a human being. Don’t project him as a super human being. He is like any other individual who has his own likes and dislikes. You as an employee need to exhibit human skills.

Act professionally. Whatever may be the situation in your workplace, department, section, act professionally. Don’t let your mood swings affect your productivity. It is very likely that your boss’s attitude is affecting your performance, try ignoring all these distractions.

Don’t just come with problems, come also with solutions. Problems usually have several aspects. It is usually a gap between an objective and the result; there are options to close the gap; there is a choice of one option to be made; key tasks, dates, people and resources needed must be defined. On which of those steps in problem solving do you want your boss’s input? Just be clear on what input you want rather than come with the stressful -“I have a problem…”

Choose the right moment to avoid procrastination: not only save her time by focusing on big issues, but choose the right moment to do so. If you present an issue at the wrong moment, the chances are the boss will procrastinate. Prepare for your meeting: first, because the advantage is to the one who is prepared, second, because the preparation helps you reduce the time taken to come to the central issue. Analyse your performance. Try to

understand the reason behind boss’s anguish.

The first solution is an honest analysis of your actions & behavior. “One must realise that most times employee’s poor performance is what irks the boss. Appreciating sincere efforts and bringing employee’s slip offs to notice is much expected of a boss,”Look for a mentor in other managers or more skilled peers to seek important advice and expand your work experience. A mentor is someone who can help you in many ways, from offering a shoulder to cry on to arriving on important decisions at work front.

Yes, you have preoccupations, problems to solve and issues to tackle. However, while your time is entirely devoted to them, do not expect your boss’s time to be also. The more simple the problem or issue at hand is, the less time you should have her spend on it: prepare, summarise, and synthesise information and options. Do not confuse your more frequent problems with the most important ones.

Choosing to be happy at work means avoiding negative conversations, gossip, and unhappy people as much as possible. No matter how positively you feel, negative people have a profound impact on your psyche. “People quit jobs because they feel they can’t cope up with their difficult boss. That’s not the solution. If you realise that your boss’s attitude is affecting your peace of mind, talk to him. Tell him exactly what you need from him in terms of direction, feedback and support in a polite manner.

Remember: never confront your boss in an emotionally-charged rage.

More tips in the next issue Black & White 47

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:

Bad taste…

Nitternatter

‘Appams’ equal to gold?

One incident during the Holy Month of Ramadan left a bad taste in our mouth.

And surely in the mouths of all those who attended this little Iftar affair. No, no, the food was fantastic, no complaints about that.

Our little grouse is to those who organised a media Iftar during last month’s Ramadan and promptly forgot to stop their speech about their company virtues even when the prayer call came to break the fast. Normally, Iftars are quite promptly begun when the prayer calls come, but the organisers of this meet seemed to have forgotten the norm. Those who were present at the event felt quite embarrassed and even incensed by the manner in which it was conducted. The lady continued on extolling the virtues of the company she represented when the prayer call came and even though the guests stirred disturbed by what was happening, she went on and then stopped when she realised that something was amiss. She came from a neighbouring country, but didn’t they observe Ramadan there?

Reports of bad food, hiked prices on food during the Holy Month have also come in. We are not going into the details, but would like to skim the issue thus: what would you do if you ordered some ‘appams’ (hoppers, pancake) from a well known restaurant close to the Eid day and was shocked when they discovered that the bill was going to burn a small hole in their pockets.

What happened? Appams cost have come up like gold prices? There are ways to cheat, but the restaurant took the safe way out by giving full plate rates instead of single appam rates. For instance, you can go and buy a single burger from McDonald’s but, what if they charge for a whole meal?

Gotcha? That is what happened to these appam buyers and look at what happened to another team that went and bought some hot, spicy biriyanis for Iftar one afternoon from a well known eatery in Ruwi. They broke the fast and then hungrily heated the biriyanis to be stumped by the foul smell coming from the food. The biriyanis were spoilt and there went their Iftar meal in foul-smelling smoke. The only good part is that these people did not lodge a complaint to the restaurants concerned and just kept mum – probably in the true spirit of the month.

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

48 October 7-20, 2011

While you were holidaying…

Did you know that while you were holidaying, there were those who did not enjoy even one day of respite?

Did you know that while you were gallivanting off to lovely camping sites, away from the madding crowd et al, there were dedicate people out there who could not leave their duties precisely because they were duties and could not be avoided! Yes, some of the ones on duty could surely be on shift, but, there are some who are unable to enjoy even shift because there is no one to replace them, even temporarily and they are forced to work, holiday or no holiday. Yes, the show has to go on and on and on…

Red, red mango Sorry folks, back to the supermarket once again, with a quick nip, tuck and complaint and we will be off: Okay, let us conclude with this little tale of a lady who went to a hypermarket, picked a red, red – no, not apple, but a mango. And not one, but three of them. Although she would hesitate to buy a kilo’s worth of mangoes for OMR2.5, she still went ahead and bought this mango, which cost her OMR1.5 per piece (she bought three, which cost her OMR4.5), because she was bowled over by its red appeal and unbelievable aroma.

“I took it home and it literally lit up our home and the fridge was smelling so good.” Unfortunately, like most things, it fell apart in the main department – taste, as the good lady found out later when she cut it up. To her dismay, it tasted quite below the ordinary. “I bought it for OMR1.5 and it tasted like 100 baisas!”

Talk of expectations!

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Interesting facts about BLACK BEAR Did you know that black bears could actually be black, blue-black, cinnamon, brown, dark brown or even white in colour? Here are more interesting facts about the black bear: • Black bears weigh an average of 125 to 600 pounds • Black bears have colour vision and a keen sense of smell • Black bears are very intelligent animals. They have outstanding long-term memory and their navigation ability is considered superior to that in humans. They are all individuals and often share friendships, security and resources.

• Black bears use sounds to express a range of emotions. When they are relaxed they make a variety of grunting sounds and when frightened, they make a loud blowing noise.

• Black bears are excellent swimmers and can swim about 1-1/2 miles in fresh water.

• Contrary to popular misconception that black bears cannot run downhill, they are in fact very good runners and can run uphill and downhill as well as on flat ground equally fast.

• Lean bears are known to run at speeds exceeding 60 kilometers per hour, which is way faster than any Olympic sprinter.

• A black bear standing on its hind legs is not about to charge; it is merely attempting to see and smell whatever it is that has piqued its curiosity.

• Black bears are in fact gentle and tolerant animals that can be empathetic, playful, joyful, social and fearful.

• Black bears thrive best in large forests, which offer them a wide variety of foods to choose from. They enjoy a mix of fruits, acorns, assorted nuts, succulent greens, meats and insects.

• Bear attacks on humans are extremely rare. A person is 180 times more likely to be killed by a bee and 160,000 times more likely to die in a car accident. Most injuries from black bears occur when people try to feed, pet, or crowd them. Bears will nip or cuff bad-mannered humans, as they will bad-mannered bears. They are very strong and powerful animals; bears should always be treated with caution and respect.

Kidstuff

Tongue twisters The big black bug bit the big black bear, but the big black bear bit the big black bug back!

50 October 7-20, 2011

Black & White 51

Your stars ARIES March 21-April 20

TAURUS April 21-May 20

GEMINI May 21-June 21

It’s highly likely that you’ve got to find a balance between the demands of your family and your work, in order to keep everyone happy. You could be spending money on a holiday before too long.

You have a love of home and a deep appreciation for security and the private life.

The full moon falls in the area of your chart devoted to the mind, which may be a little You’ll also find it easier to get on with the people you rely on in life, and it will be a particularly favourable time to reach agreements with them. You’ll need to be very strict when it comes to spending money.

If you’ve been bogged down in a financial fog lately, you’re now in a very good position to do something about it once and for all. You’ve realised that you can’t carry on like this for much longer. This is a time to enjoy and appreciate your ties to others, and to seek and promote harmony in the interaction.

CANCER June 22-July 23

LEO July 24-August 23

Tie up any loose ends that are currently littering your life. Having a good clear-out and throwing away any belongings you no longer need will be very therapeutic. Should you be asked to combine business with pleasure then do so, because there’s a touch of luck about this. Whether you do so or not is entirely up to you.

This is not a time for stressing yourself out. If you are able to, rest up for a couple of days and it will soon pass. There could be a lot of stress in your encounters with friends and acquaintances. You could get impatient with them if they aren’t functioning at the speed you would like.

VIRGO August 24-September 23 Write down your plans and stick them in a prominent place so you can’t help but notice them - because your friends and acquaintances will unite to make long-term goals and dreams seem more possible and able to be realised. You may be able to excel in whatever kind of work you do.

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

Horoscope

By Thomas Snyder

52 October 7-20, 2011

SOLUTION:

MARSHALL BRUCE MATHERS III (BORN OCTOBER 17, 1972), better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition. As well as being a member of D12, Eminem is also one half of the Detroit hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, with Royce da 5'9".

LIBRA September 24-October 22 Should you be fed up with your current job, you might start thinking about finding something that’s better paid or more emotionally rewarding. Events over the festive period could change your outlook, so do not try to look too far ahead or make a premature decision.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20 The longer you leave things, the worse they’ll get - so don’t drag your feet any more. Bite the bullet and do whatever you know to be necessary. A more dynamic phase in your career is about to begin. Because you are so down-to-earth and focussed, you can overcome resistance to your plans.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 Your popularity is on the increase and your social life will keep you pretty busy. There could even be occasions when you’ve had more than one invitation and are so spoilt for choice.

The singletons amongst you could find that this is the time when your single status changes and you fall in love.

SCORPIO October 23-November 22 You’ll have to be careful if you’re supposed to be saving money, because whenever you feel down you’ll want to splash out on something that makes you feel better. A need to prove yourself can lead to all kinds of challenges, can lead to a new you that leaves the old behind like an outgrown shell.

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19 Should your social circle have shrunk recently for some reason, you’re now in the best possible position to do something about it. Consider joining a club or organisation that caters for some of your interests, so you’ll already have something in common with the people you meet there.

PISCES February 20-March 20 There could also be a strong rapport between you and someone who’s either much older or younger than you, but neither of you will notice the generation gap. New horizons may be beckoning but you need to shore up your position first, so deal with what is happening around you.

Black & White 53

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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

54 October 7-20, 2011

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

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

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

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

SALALAH

SOHAR

NIZWA

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOTELS Crown Plaza Hilton Salalah Hamdan plaza Dhofar Hotel Salalah hotel Haffa House Redan Hotel Al- Hanaa Hotel BAMSIR hotel Al- Jabel hotel Al- Nile suite (Saada) Salalah Marriott 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

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Black & White 55

SCRAMBLED

EGGS

Cooking

They are the most common and easiest breakfast choice for many! Yes, easy to make, versatile, and healthy, there is no limit to what you can make out of scrambled eggs. The basic recipe uses a small pan coated with a bit of butter or nonstick spray for easier turning. For healthier scrambled eggs, use egg whites rather than whole eggs since the cholesterol is almost exclusively in the yolk.

56 October 7-20, 2011

Spicing Up Your Scrambled Eggs The mild flavour of scrambled eggs is easily enhanced by mix-in ingredients. You can add on anything you choose to: from cheese to sour cream, peppers, tomatoes, onions, spinach, or mushrooms, seafood, meat‌ anything! Here are few options:

CHEESE SCRAMBLED EGGS Ingredients: 2-3 eggs 50g (about 2 level tablespoons) cheese milk butter

Method: Simply crack eggs into a bowl, add grated cheese and as much milk to your liking. Place butter in a hot frying pan and wait until it has melted.

Empty the contents into the hot pan. Leave for about a minute to settle, as would be done if making an omelet.

WITH LETTUCE RECIPE Ingredients: 12 eggs, beaten 1 head lettuce, washed and shredded fine 4 tablespoons butter Seasonings to taste

Method: Cook lettuce and butter slowly for about eight minutes in a frying pan. Add the beaten eggs and seasonings and scramble together.

WITH TUNA FISH Ingredients: 1/4 cup tuna fish (canned), flaked 12 eggs, beaten 3 tablespoons butter Seasonings to taste

Method: Cook the tuna fish and butter for a minute in a sauce pan. Add the seasonings. Add beaten eggs and scramble together.

WITH SAUSAGES AND TOMATOES Ingredients: 12 eggs 6 sausages 2 tomatoes, chopped 3 tablespoons butter Seasonings to taste

Method: Fry the sausages with butter in a frying pan for about five minutes. When done, remove the sausages and slice them. In the same frying pan, combine the tomatoes and seasonings. Let it cook for about five minutes.

In the meantime, beat the eggs. Add the sausages and tomatoes. Then scramble.

Black & White 57

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It's my life

The happiest place on earth Vandana, award winning author (‘360 Degrees Back to Life')

By Vandana Shah

Joyrides, screams, shouts, movies, cartoons, fireworks, food, merchandise and smiles lots of them and happiness... Unbelievable amounts. This is the happiest place on earth and its Disney...

Disney...Disney..!

Having visited Florida and the Disney world there yet again I thought what does it take to make one happy, maybe a little fun, smiles, joy at simple things a return to our childhood and just being stupid even of it means wearing Disney ears even if you are 80.

Walt Disney had the power to dream and of course give action to them by creating places in the world where people are always smiling and he’s transformed the lives of millions of people by making them realise that smiling is really simple and it really can fill your heart with joy. Why be unhappy when you can be happy?

Returning to a slice of your childhood is what the Disney experience imparts us... times when we were carefree, could be foolish and laugh uninhibitedly and of course didn’t know stress and were focussed on eating, sleeping, making friends with a bit of school thrown in.We bore no grudges and just went on about our lives without a care in the world.

Why cant we all create a miniature Disney World of our own and be happy there if not throughout the day at least for some time a day and never ever be mean to anyone there or even for that matter return to our uncomplicated childhood. We all have been given the powers of Walt Disney but we never ever use them instead we waste our time being evil and happy and spreading this unhappiness around. Lets stop take a moment and just create our own cheerful world.

So another hooray for Walt Disney!

Till next time love and cheers.

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

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

Black & White 59

walk

Healthy women

STOP YOUR CAR, OR PARK it in a safe spot.

Get out and start walking! There is no exercise that is better than this – walking. Okay, you are not a walk enthusiast and you really find it hard to put one feet before the other. Agreed. We are not pushing you. But, can you at least start small? For instance, if you are the kind that gets into a taxi or a bus, then get off it one or two stops early and then walk the rest of the way to your destination. Or, if you drive your own car or is chauffeur driven, make it a point to get dropped several distance from the actual spot you have to go to.

Or start even smaller: arranged to be dropped or park your car at the farthest corner possible of the shopping mall that you frequently visit.

You may think such acts may not constitute as full fledged exercise, but these kind of everyday activity can really be considered exercise, fitness experts note.

Shape n sound

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator can really make you healthier and fitter, notes many experts. Walking is one of the simplest, easiest and most effective forms of exercise and women need to stop talking and start walking. As one of the simplest exercises, walking does not require any equipment other than a good, supportive pair of walking shoes. The other thing to bear in mind while you walk is that exercise does not have to be hard to be effective.

And weight loss is not the only benefit from a walking programme. “Regular walking helps lower cholesterol, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, increases bone strength, and improves circulation. What you got to do is to try and take some extra steps every day and this will help you maintain a healthy body,” experts note.

Now, before you start walking, take a quick trip to your doctor, especially if you have not been active for sometime and then safely get into a 60 October 7-20, 2011

why don’t you?

walking programme, or if that sounds too tedious, just walk!

Doctors say that if you have been sedentary for some time, then start slowly. Start walking three times a week at a stroll for 20 minutes and then slowly increase it to five (times a week). Ideally make each session last upto 30 minutes, when you have found your groove.

Once you have got used to the walking frame, then the dominant factor of a walk exercise is speed. It maybe okay if you can walk long distances, but then if you just amble along then it may not be effective…

And, please note, you don’t have to wait till your retirement to reap the benefits of walking. The key point here is the earlier you start, the better.

And the more you walk, the better. Walking does not only make you feel great, it also helps you get a better memory. There is also a theory that aerobic exercise boosts mental performance and short-term memory by increasing blood flow and therefore oxygen to the brain.

Okay, if you have made up your mind to start walking, here are some basic rules to follow: • Walk with a buddy whenever possible.

• Carry your name, address, and a friend or relative’s phone number in your shoe or tied to a lace.

• Wear a medical bracelet if you have diabetes, an allergy, or other condition.

• Carry a cell phone and let a friend or relative know your walking routes.

• Avoid deserted or unlit streets, especially after dark.

• Do not use headsets that prevent you from hearing traffic; and walk against oncoming traffic.

• Wear reflective material and/or carry a flashlight to others can see you.

• Carry a whistle or noisemaker in case of an emergency.

Black & White 61

Women read 62 October 62 Occtobe Oct O obe ob b r 7-20, 7-20 20, 2011 20 201 20 2 01 1 01

Women

TALKonMORE a cell phone?

By Cyril Wright

DOES YOUR WIFE SPEAK on the cell phone more than you do? Okay, don’t say this in front of her, but, at least sign up for the ‘women talk more on cell phone – period’ club! It is not just about women talking more on the cell phone; the tragedy is that women talk more on the cell phone while driving.

Whether this is true or not, for the moment, we are going to believe that they are more talkative than men on the phone when driving or not. Period.

driving. Sometime, the ones at the receiving end are men, who get overtly emotional and crash while arguing with their women!”

Go out on the street and check it out yourself. I dare you to dispute this fact of life. Women talk. Women talk more than men. Women talk more than men on the phone and women talk more than men on the phone while driving.

The truth is we cannot multitask and we should not be multitasking while we are driving. But, tell that to the ones who do that out there on the roads.

Unfortunately, there are many out there who don’t make driving the number one priority. Instead, they go about it as though driving is the lowest among the list of priorities while they are well, actually driving.

Is this true of women drivers in Oman? Statistics on this may not be available, but if anyone can dispute this theory with succinct facts, I am ready to write a piece eulogising women drivers and their ability to not speak while driving. For the moment, let me praise the skills of women drivers who have the ability to drive as well as speak over the phone. And also manage to avoid accidents. How about that?

While men also indulge in the habit of speaking over the phone while driving, women have one advantage over them in that they don’t cause as much accidents as their male counterparts. How they manage this is not known, but one thing is clear that it could probably be because they are on the other side of the phone.

A theory propounded by a traffic expert is this: “Women may not be better drivers, but they are more careful – even when they are driving and speaking on the phone. They are not as careless as men and do not have the devil may care attitude in them, which is the prime cause of accidents on the roads.

“Women talk on the phone while driving. They talk about anything and everything under the sun, even gossip. They admonish, fight, argue and criticise while

The cell phone scourge is everywhere. Everyone – just about everyone is on the cell phone and it depends on the nation you are in, but ideally, cell phones should be banned while driving or at least limited to emergencies.

And since we are on the subject, let me also add that it is not just phoning that some people do while driving – they eat and drink, they make up their faces, and some are even known to read or watch movies while they drive (forget about listening to music).

Some people are so incensed about this and are now campaigning to get a ban on the use of cell phones while driving. Do we require such a ban? If things get ugly, even I would support such a ban. I believe the only way to use a telephone in a vehicle is to move the car to a safe spot, park it and then talk it.

The distraction that these phones cause – even the hands free ones – is very serious and dangerous.

Keeping up with a phone conversation, while driving, should be banned. We got along fine before we had these contraptions available and no phone call is worth putting other innocent people in danger.

Alright, this piece started off heaping blame on women who use their cell phones, I would like to end it on a solid note blaming everyone – man, woman and teenager – for using a cell phone while driving.

Black k & White 63

Be MOST WOMEN ARE UNHAPPY with their figures.

Ask any woman, even the ones who are quite fit and fab are often prone to see something wrong with their figure somewhere.

“I feel okay, yet, I think my stomach is not all that flat. Although I am quite slim, I still feel that a lot has to be done to reduce my stomach,” says Nasreen, a fitness fanatic.

Anitha feels that she has the right figure, but is unhappy with her hips. “I wish they were smaller,” she sighs. Samantha is always worried about her weight. Although her friends see her as real skinny, she still says that she has to lose lot of weight.

Somehow she is never satisfied.

“I am not totally dissatisfied, but I really wish I had the ideal weight,” Samantha says.

Priscilla sums it up right: “I think that almost every woman is insecure in one way or another with her body... I am no different.

I love certain aspects of my body, but don’t expect anyone else to feel that way. I don’t like my legs, as they got big with working out, and I don’t like my stomach…I just wish that I could lose a little more weight.”

Priscilla’s initial comments are true of most women. However fit they are still, they still want to look a bit more better, which is not entirely wrong, but get difficult when they are obsessed by the thought.

Shape n sound

Dieting, losing weight and worrying about weight on your body are fine as long as it does not become an obsession.

OBSESSION A local dietician recalls how a 30-year old woman got obsessed by her body weight and began on a dangerous diet that almost took her life. “This is against the whole concept of dieting. People should embark on a diet to lose weight and there should be a comfortable balance between dieting, losing weight and maintaining a healthy body,” the dietician notes.

BE COMFORTABLE A psychologist also notes how dieting and losing 64 64October October7-20, 7-20,2011 2011

happy weight sometimes become part and parcel of relationship crunches. “Some women are forced by their spouses to lose weight. This is indeed a personal issue, but I would say that you should be comfortable with what you want to do and what you are. If you feel as though you are happy being a little bigger then some people then yes, you should be happy in whatever figure you are in. However, if you want to go on a diet because it would make you feel even better then by all means, go on the diet but, do it for you and ONLY for you, nobody else,” she advises.

DON’T OVERDO First of all try to be comfortable with your body. If you are not and are keen to achieve a certain goal, then be at it in a judicious manner. But, don’t obsess about it. It is quite distressing to see women slave away at their workouts, aspiring to perfection in their technique yet not achieving their body shaping goals.

WORK HARD, BUT DON’T OVERDO IT. It is not wrong to desire for a slim, shapely body, which gives you the physical confidence you crave.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this desire and there is also absolutely no reason you need to resign yourself to “healthy at any size” if you don’t want to. But, to achieve your ideal, it will take a commitment to your vision and dream. It will take discipline of diet. And it would, by all means, take a lot of resolve.

DIET CHOICES Also remember that there is a small percentage of the population that truly has a metabolic disorder that interferes with weight loss. And there are those with thyroid issues, deepening the challenge. But these are not the biggest obstacles to fat loss and achieving desirable weight and body composition goals. Being trim, fit, strong and energetic are such worthwhile activities for improving the quality of your life. But, you should make the right dietary choices, and develop the strength of mind to achieve your ideals.

Just remember that, “you cannot beat or out train a bad diet and you do not, most likely, have the body of your best friend who can eat whatever she wants and still be thin”!

Black 65 Black & & White White 65

Asking for nothing

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar He stammered.

Not always.

Not when he was playing Not when he was arguing Not when he was gossiping.

Only when someone asked his name…

He could never say his name.

Neither could he say ‘electricity’.

He was pretty normal and could talk without any hitch otherwise.

Couple of words seemed to put him in trouble always.

The worst part was his name.

If someone asked him his name, he would fluster and turn pale.

I used to feel very defensive when someone mocked at him or mimicked him.

After all he was my bench mate in school.

Every time someone asked him his name, I would spurt it out before he even attempted.

I never wanted anyone to even know he had a stammering problem.

Sitting next to him, I felt inferior in some way that was unexplainable.

It was as if I was stammering, not him. I still remember an occasion when one of the bigger boys bullied him to telling the word electricity a 100 times! Poor fellow was in tears and I being a girl could not help him in any way with the bigger bullies.

He was crying when he said I’d like my teachers and my school mates to know what causes stammering and what emotions I feel when I’m stammering.

I am not doing it on purpose, neither am I a joker!

I went home disillusioned.

Angry with someone I could not put a finger on.

Why should he stammer?

He is just like any one of us.

I didn’t not go to school the next day.

As a child, I could not understand why a class topper, a singer that too, could not say his name.

He would sometimes in a pensive mood tell me, I get so nervous, and my heart beats faster.

It is as if I am handicapped and the whole world knows about it, I am not able to speak at all.

Handicapped was too big a word for me then, am sure he didn’t know too There must be a way out, we put our heads together; we worked out a deal, whenever I was around, I would do the talking; I was good at talking if not anything else!

Agreed upon, we became good pals, sharing a secret no one else knew.

Probably because of him, I learnt to be a little better human being.

He used to tell me, if you want to help me, be patient.

Don’t speak for me, allow me the space and time to complete.

Please don’t rush me to the end of my sentences and don’t try to guess what I am going to say. It is endlessly frustrating when people do that and can make my stammering worse.

Though I did not understand a word, I got the message.

He needed understanding, a little bit of space and a little help to stand on his own.

But on his own.

I guess it is easy to give, especially when someone is asking for nothing? priya@blackandwhiteoman.com