Black & White mag Issue 53

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Oman now a cultural hub p8

Mama haters are no good... p50

FREE Fortnightly

Team Oryx A 'formula' for success

p26 23 Muharram - 24 Shafar

Vol.4 Issue 53

II December 7, 2012 - January 6, 2013

Xclusive

Team Oryx - A 'formula' for success 26Oman will launch its first ever student formula one racing car next July (2013). A group of students of a well-known private college in Oman are all set to put the country on the student formula racing map with their single seat racing car, which is being designed and produced at the college’s exclusive workshop. Once launched, it will be the first of its kind, not just in Oman, but in the AGCC, the students behind this unique project reveal.

42

Bitter batter

Holidays, holidays, holidays...

Everyone these days are bothered about only holidays. Holidays announced? Do you know when they are going to announce the holidays?

Contents

let bad habits 12 Don’t become a habit...

Are you the type of man that indulges in bad habits like smoking and drinking, cussing in front of people, leaving empty containers everywhere, using more glasses and cups than necessary, leaving the toilet seat up…?

Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC Black & White Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos Office location: Hatat House A, II Floor, Suite No: 212, Wadi Adai Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496 Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com at Oman 4Printed December 7, Printers 2012- January 6, 2013

54

Steps you can take to prevent cancer

The key factor in prevention is avoidance of many habits. Change is the word. Try to adopt some lifestyle changes and you can lower the chances of acquiring many types of cancer.

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

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Priya Arunkumar Adarsh Madhavan Beneek Siraj Priyanka Sampat

All about X, Y & Z

The supplements’ man

By Adarsh Madhavan I may not remember the very first press notes that I had done, but, I do remember one of the early ones. A shocking disaster. Since I had to help out on the paper’s supplements front, I had to go and get all the company profile and information etc from specific companies and that used to be a double chore. One, there was nothing exciting about writing for supplements and the other thing was that it was not journalism work. But as a novice, I had to go up the ladder the hard way. And it was hard. Since I was not journalist material and since I had this double edge sword of shyness and reticence, every meeting was a natural disaster.

I used to hate the thought of meeting such people and get details from them about the company’s highs and lows (and you can’t write about the latter) and also get exact quotes, sometimes from company heads and other times from the marketing guys who always indulged in plenty of gobbledygook.

Marketing speak is still all Greek to me and it is a kind of mindset. But back to what I was saying: Working on supplements really made me want to get some health supplements myself. The endless waiting for the company heads to see me; and when they did, forcing me to finish my interview in a fraction of a second and still write “loads about them”; the frivolous manner in which the information required is provided and when we carry them in the same aforesaid manner, they will criticise us; unnecessarily creating protocol (read barriers and obstacles) for the supplements writer so much so he/she will be unable to really get succinct information to write about…the list is endless and as boring.

But, this meeting that I write of now has nothing to do with all of the above. It was a comedy of errors by the clown of all scribes that existed in Oman then. Had no clue what to ask; what to say; what to do…the jovial general manager of the company took me to meet a crowd of

Europeans all suited and booted. During those days I had a bit of a problem meeting jacketed and booted people. Somehow, I felt like an alien in front of them and it reflected on my behaviour, which besides being nervously reticent also became blunderingly clownish. So, I sat petrified before these big guys – all of the principals of the brand that this local company was dealing with – and melted and melted. I had no questions to ask because I was overawed by their presence. But, since the general manager was such a sweet, jovial man, I managed to escape the whole session without having to do much. But, when I sent them back the miserable piece that I wrote, they (not the general manager, someone way down the order) called me back and told me very politely that they will be sending something else; they did not want what I wrote. And oh yes, then there was this other company personnel, who after receiving the first draft called me back and abused me for the “swill that I wrote”.

But, my only ticket to fame was the matter that I wrote about a then famous shipping company for a shipping supplement. It was one of the most idiotic pieces I had written then; in the sense, it was PR matter and I delved on melodrama. But, not only did the company head approve it; he was full of praise for it and sent a note to the advertising head that it should be carried in toto. And then all hell broke loose. The editor handling the supplements called me and blasted me for writing trash but he couldn’t trash it, because he had strict instructions not to do so and thus I was the only one on whom he could lump his frustrations. I took it silently for sometime and then at the end declared: You write in the old, traditional form of journalism, but I have new ideas and new ways of writing. I represent the new generation of journalists! The poor man could not argue with me. But, when I reflect, I hang my head in shame: it had nothing to do with journalism. Nothing at all! editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Black & White 5

Silver industry will not die Silver jewellery (issue 52) has a fantastic feel, which no other jewellery can give. And, Omani silver jewellery has an unusual and magical feel that has to be experienced. There is a huge difference between merely looking at it and wearing it. Silver jewellery is widely available in Oman and it is said that the art of silver jewellery making is dying in Oman. But, I feel that a lot is being done to not only encourage the art of Omani silver making, but also in preserving the jewellery.

Of course, a traditional art is always in danger of drowning in a sea of modernity, but in Oman, there is a delicate balance between modernity and tradition and thus this is one industry that is not going to die!

Tarik bin Saif Al Sharji, Seeb

Resurgence of silver jewellery It is quite refreshing to read about the exploits of Omani women (issue 52). Yes, you are right about seeing more men taking up this craft than women and souqs, which host plenty of silver items, do not have women engaged in the craft. But, there are women coming out of the Public Authority for Craft Industries (PACI) who are now getting engaged in this craft. Thanks to them this unique craft form will attain resurgence in Oman!

Sharifa Salem Al Kindi, Al Khuwair

Reader's column

Writer’s connection The story ‘Wagging tale from Bausher’ (issue 51) was quite interesting! I am an avid reader of printed material, be it a newspaper or a magazine or a book. Just holding a book or a newspaper in hand develops connectivity with the writer. Through social media networks like Facebook, I have been able to connect with so many lost friends and distant relatives. I am now connected to a friend with whom I shared the same desk in school way back in 1971! Amazing indeed!

Rajeev Varma, Seeb

Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Customers become part-time packers Customer engagement is the buzzword for all businesses today for customer attraction and retention. Hypermarkets in Muscat have worked out a novel way to increase the engagement levels of customers – co-opting customers as part time packing staff at the billing counters for the goods purchased by them.

This unique model is very efficiently facilitated by their packing staff by ensuring their constant absence from the packing counters! As to the implications if there are any mishaps to the goods while being packed by the ‘ untrained’ amateur packers (customers), presumably the management of the hypermarkets probably stand committed to compensate customers for doing what was not essentially their duty in the first place. A win-win situation for all customers get co-opted into the business to become ‘cusellers’, staff engagement levels among the packing staff go up by the shifting of their work to a supplementary (substitute?) workforce (customers), the hypermarkets get a cost-free shifting work force! With a backward integration of this process, a day may well come when customers get to prepare their own bills and manage their payments into the cash register at the billing counters of the hypermarkets! !

Dr K. Rajesh Nayak, MBD

Oman watch 8 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

Oman now a cultural hub:

ROHIT WALIA World class musicians gig with budding Omani talent in a serene and beautiful setting with a totally appreciative crowd. This has been the winning story of the Global Fusion where artists and audience blend on a common ground where talent flows in line with never-ending applause.

The same combination whipped up sweet magical music at the Global Fusion’s recent concert held at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa’s amphitheatre. The fifth edition of the Global Fusion, which was brought to Oman by Sarasin-Alpen (ME) Ltd, Dubai, together with its investment banking associate, Alpen Capital LLC was a success and the crowd was thankful that they had a chance to listen to top musical stars and totally appreciated the performance by a young Omani – Hassan Jumaa Sangour Al Balushi -- who mesmerised them on the mizmar (a type of wind instrument). Post event, B&W spoke to Rohit Walia, executive vice chairman and Ceo, Sarasin-Alpen and Alpen Capital Group about their successful Global Fusion and tried to envision its future.

Black & White 9

Oman watch

Excerpts: Is there a bigger aim – other than entertainment/customer relationship – in bringing Global Fusion to Oman? Is there any intent to send home any message to the public through such an event?

Global Fusion is our flagship event and is the outcome of our patronage to the arts. It is a private client event and we use this opportunity to provide an entertaining evening to our clients with the best in world music. We also want to support the local communities in every country that we organise the fusion in. This is why we try to identify a talented local musician and give them an opportunity to perform with world renowned names at our fusion concert. We first organised Global Fusion in Muscat in 2008 to announce the launch of our operations. Over the years, our business activities have evolved and we have established a presence in this welcoming country and I am happy to note that Global Fusion has evolved with it as well.

received excellent feedback from them on this musical event. If they do have any suggestions, we are always happy to look at them. We have tried doing something different every year with our fusion concerts and this has been well appreciated by clients.

What were the main highlights of this year’s (fifth year) Global Fusion?

This year we had a very exciting line up lead by the sitar maestro – Niladri Kumar. We also have a Swiss representation through the Alphorn player Eliana Burki, which is one of a kind. We have among the remaining line up excellent musicians from all across ranging from Abbos Kosimov on the Doyra from Uzbekistan or Chloe Arnold who is a tap dancer from the USA. We were also happy to host the Omani talent - Hassan Jumaa Al Balushi - on the mizmar.

Briefly track the evolution of the Global Fusion in Oman and in what areas has it bettered over the years?

This is our fifth Global Fusion concert in Muscat and our 17th concert across the AGCC. We have had over 80 international musicians working with us over these past few years.

We are happy that Global Fusion is a recognised brand among artistes and more and more international names want to collaborate with us on this concept. Each of our concerts are centered around a theme and every year we try and do something different. In every country we also showcase a local musician and provide them an opportunity to perform with internationally renowned names. Global Fusion now also has a visual element to it and we incorporate dance with fusion music which is also appreciated by clients.

What has been the feedback of your clients for the previous concerts and have you received any suggestions from them; have you tried to incorporate the same?

Our clients have always loved our fusion concerts and we have always

How different is Global Fusion from the usual concerts and events held in Oman? How would such events help the music scene in Oman or in general the events profile of this country?

Global Fusion is a unique concept put together by us. We bring together musicians from all around the world and encourage them to put together an amazing musical performance.

Most people are surprised when we tell them that this event is organised in house and not by someone external and that most of the musicians are collaborating together for the very first time. When we started organising fusion concerts in Oman in 2008, musical events such as Global Fusion were rare in Oman but now we are happy to see Oman grow into a cultural hub.

Don’t let

BAD HABITS

become a

Men read

HABIT…

12 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

Are you the type of man that indulges in bad habits? Bad habits like smoking and drinking, cussing in front of people, leaving empty containers everywhere, using more glasses and cups than necessary, leaving the toilet seat up…

Man, you are then asking for it! These are not exactly habits that the woman in your life would like you to cultivate and these are not the things that she would like you to see doing. Yes, everyone does something wrong every now and then, but if the bad habit becomes a habit…you are going to drive her crazy and away! Some men do not evolve from their bachelorhood to being a married man and this can be really difficult for a woman to contend with.

Your wife is not going to like it if you are the type that leaves dirty dishes in the sink, leaves the toilet seat up, does not show chivalry, bite your nails or pick your nose (yuck)…

If you are determined to change, then you can really drop the bad habit, but it is not easy to let go. Still, if you do, you are going to reap in the benefits, mostly long term!

Bad habits are basically stemming from a variety of deeper problems that men have not had the chance to look into, but when these manifest in such silly problems, remember that you also need to do a soul search, or maybe ‘shine that torch to your inner selves’.

Also, start from the basics and don’t make BIG promises to yourself even before you begin. But, when you realise that you really want to change, then you have taken your first ever step. After this, make it a pact to yourself that come what may, you will change your bad habits. You need to be really passionate about this decision and you should not just do it because, well, “everyone else is doing it” and because someone else wants you to do it. Nope. That is not how you go about it. You must work yourself up in such a manner that you should have a great desire to break that habit and make that a top priority. Otherwise, it is not going to work.

SMOKING YOURSELF OUT Of course, in today’s world, there are so many methods to stop yourself from smoking.

But like everything else, you need to make that move yourself, emanating from your own genuine desire to stub the habit. The incentives are too many. Your woman is going to love you for the difficult decision that you have taken. More importantly, you will lose that unwanted guilt you have within you since the time she told you to quit the habit and wouldn’t. If you have a family – with kids – then stopping the habit is not just a matter of doing it right, it is a duty! So, go ahead and stub it for good!

CUSSING NO GOOD Some of you may have a problem with profanity. Seriously. Swearing is a real bad habit. But, if you realise that it is indeed a bad habit, then make sure that you will end this problem. What you need to do is to think up innovative ways to break this habit: what you need is to reward yourself for good behaviour. Whenever you feel that you have managed to escape using a swear word, please put in a rial or some baisas in a jar. And when you save up for a month or two, use it to buy a gift for yourself.

Most importantly, try to be aware of your problem at all times. If you always think about your swearing issue, you will not let it leap out of your mouth. Also, learn to speak and write slowly. In short, slow down your pace. When you slow down, you will realise that you are able to form proper words and sentences which are not liberally splattered with profanity. The more you practice it, the more you will be able to finally control this urge to cuss.

Black & White 13

I have a plan

Sunny side up

By Bikram Vohra

Bikram Vohra, internationallyknown Gulf based scribe

I make lots of plans. Each one of them is a gem. It looks so good on the first take, zooming through the stratosphere, guaranteed to be a big hit. I can see the money rolling in and then I won’t have to go to my bank manager and ask for a topping of the loan, which is already well overdue. I can see people pointing to me as I walk past and say, see that guy, that’s Vohra, made a million with his brilliant ideas, like that hotmail guy who was in town this week. Great plans, really, full of potential and ready to take the world by storm.

But my plans always get into stormy weather. Either they break a wing or go into a nose down dive and end up looking like one of those crumpled light planes in those news pictures you see after they have crashed on the ground, one little hopeful tail sticking up out of the debris. I know the feeling.

Like this plan I had last month. It was one of those hundred percent surefire things and the people who were interested in it had three meetings with me and it was now just a question of signing the deal.

So, I am already planning how to spend the money and then what happens, the big chief has to leave for London, the chap who knows the financier gets flu and the contact I have says let’s put it on hold and now it has been six weeks and I am the one out in the cold.

Think of it. There are people out there who have plans that just take off. A couple of meetings and everything jells into place, their principals do not get flu or sudden desires to swan off to London and spoiling all these wonderful plans. They break even in the first three months, make profit from then on and shift from their apartment to a villa and buy a car with a computer and go 14 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

from Saharanpur to St Moritz for their vacations.

Me, well it is like Mr Lennon said, life is what happens to me when I am making other plans. I don’t know what category you belong to but I have this sneaky feeling that there are others like me whose plans either just sit in the ground, or go up ten odd feet then bump back on earth and fold up. For us types, let’s face it, there is really nothing wrong with the basic idea we are just not lucky, we just don’t belong to the plan brigade.

The one problem it does cause is one of credibility. For example, if I turn to my wife and say, I have an idea she makes these rude little sounds in the lower part of her throat. Then she leaves the room.

I have mentioned in passing that it isn’t polite to leave the room when the husband is talking but it hasn’t had much impact. Every now and then I happen to say that I have this plan and it is certain to work and once we are rich she can shop to her hearts content and never have to avoid calls from the credit card companies and she takes it very badly indeed. Her face pales and she grips the end of the chair and says, not again, please let’s just bumble along in our present desperate manner, no more plans, anything but plans.

See what I mean, we failed plan types don’t get support. Dash it, at least give us some dollop of praise for trying. So, okay, some of them come unstuck and some don’t even start but how do you know that one day one of these babies will not pan out and become a high flyer.

Who’ll be laughing then?

That’s why I say to all of you whose plans are doing the dirty, keep them coming, you never know what’s around the corner.

As she lay dying…

As she lay dying, unable to even lift her head or open her eyes, the karate kids leapt around her, making guttural sounds from their throats and some of their deadly feet landing just inches away from her nose, swatting dust into her nostrils…yet, she never woke, and her tail never wagged.

As my Sundari lay dying, I watched from a distance, helpless as ever, or with the usual excuse of not being able to do anything constructive when bogged down by a crowd. Too many people in a home can also be an overwhelming affair. At least a dying dog should have some kind of privacy. But, she, my faithful companion of nearly nine years, had no such complaints.

She did not have any qualms that we went about our way while she slowly inched her way to an endless sleep. After two unsuccessful surgeries to remove her mammary gland tumours in a space of six months, and the third set of tumours reappearing, I was left with the usual veterinary advice: look we have done all that we could; she is an old dog and we cannot operate on her the third time. We have to let her be and look at taking the next step when the time comes. In the meantime, make her as comfortable as possible; give her everything she wants; indulge her, love her, give her even the things you would normally avoid …

That was like asking a prisoner for his last wish… What would be her last wish, I wondered. When I asked her, she looked at me and weakly wagged her tail. So, I did what I could. Fed her the best; walked her to her heart’s content or at least to her limit because she was going, you see. Each day, slipping into that dark bottomless pit, little by little. Hobbling out into the open with her grandson one day, then unable to move the next day, then not even raising her head the next, crying as she tried to relieve herself…bit by painful bit, she was sinking…and the more she sank, the more desperate I got. Wishing for the impossible. Hoping and praying for a miracle. I indulged in all whimsical fantasies as she lay, dying.

I scoured the net to see if there were any unusual remedies for dying dogs of this nature. They tempted me with plenty. Cottage cheese, flaxseed oil mix; fish oil…I did what I could but my heart was not in it. Each day, the same routine, painkiller pills in the morning and night...

So that I could go to my office, concentrate, do my work,

O

By Adarsh Madhavan

wall he t ff

come back home, go shopping, take my child out, buy him toys, laugh and be merry. Crack a joke, pull a fast one on someone, shout at another, eat proper food, go to sleep at the right time… all this while death rattled around my dearest dog. Some nights, she saw him, dark deadly Death, prancing around her and she would attempt a weak but a bark nevertheless. It scared him for a moment and then when she lay her head down again, he came back with an even vicious force.

I told another young vet to come and see her; pay a home visit. He did. He was enthusiastic. He gave hope, and even though I knew better, desperate, I clutched at that straw. A day was fixed to give her one last stab at life; one final surgery. I was game. I could take the risk; it was not me who was dying! Folks at home knew she was sick, but they were not seeing death buzzing around her like flies…like I did. So, they went about their daily grind. For all of us have things to do; projects to complete; money to make; responsibilities to attend to…dying is for the well, dying. Even Sundari’s grandson, although sensing something was quite a miss since a long time, still went about living his little doggy life. And one late night when I made that stupid mistake, giving my own skeptical heart a glimmer of hope, she suddenly went berserk with pain, crazy pain, so much so I summoned the vet back in the dead of night to quickly end everything; end her crazy pain with his shot of kindness, but it seemed to go on and on... Finally, he asked me to close her eyes as he did what he had to do. And I closed my eyes too, like always, and let my most devoted pal go. But it is never easy to let someone like that go. adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com Black & White 15

Two workshops to enhance professional development among language specialists The ministry of education organised two educational workshops to upgrade the teaching standards and levels of the specialist language teachers, especially English, recently.

The workshops were arranged by Siham Ahmed Al Riyami, deputy director for educational programmes and curriculum at the directorate of private schools.

The main aim was to upgrade the level of professional development for all language specialists, especially English, Siham Al Riyami said. “The workshops were arranged to emphasise the importance of coordination between the international edu publishers and organisations with a view to reducing the load at the education ministry on professional development.

“It also aims to strengthen the coordination between the private and government schools,” Siham said. Those attending the workshop included: English language

16 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

supervisors, English language trainers and teachers from the government and special needs scholars.

The workshops were conducted by two trainers, Stephen Graham, training and development manager and James Ferguson, training and development consultant.

Graham is an educator with a wealth of teaching experience. “He is a truly inspirational presenter who is passionate about educating children. Stephen lives in the real world and knows the issues confronting educators,” Siham said.

James, meanwhile has extensive experience in working in a diverse range of schools and settings during his career. "He is committed to improving student achievement through targeted professional learning. His recent teaching and leadership roles in schools ensure he has a realistic understanding of current educational priorities and programmes," Siham said.

Advertising International Company is now ADINC DDB Advertising International Company LLC (ADINC) a leading advertising agency in Oman and part of the Omzest Group has signed an agreement with DDB Worldwide, making the agency the exclusive representative of DDB in Oman.

DDB is part of Omnicom Inc the world’s leading global advertising and marketing communications services company. The winner of 82 Lions at Cannes this year, DDB has consistently been rated as one of the leading creative agencies in the world by the Gunn Report (Nov 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), the International Advertising Festival (June 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011), Campaign (Nov 2007, Nov 2010), Spikes Asia (September 2010), Campaign Asia Pacific (December 2010), BusinessWeek (Feb 2008), and Global Effies/WARC (June 2011) as well as the European AME awards (2011).

Of the new association in Oman, Ehringer says, “DDB was among the first international networks to establish its presence in Oman way back in 1996. And it continues to be an important market for us.

When choosing a partner in any market, we look for compatibility with our beliefs and values, strong local reputation of the agency and the group it belongs to and most important, the talent of its people. In ADINC we believe we have found it all and look forward to breaking new ground in this market with this new partnership. ADINC DDB clients will

now have access to global network support, a vast corpus of knowledge and skilled resources to help grow the value and influence of their brands. Radha Mukherji, has been the face of DDB in Oman for the last 16 years, so we are happy to have her back on board full time as the Ceo of ADINC DDB to make the transition smooth and seamless.”

Adds Radha Mukherji, Ceo ADINC DDB, “ADINC has been one of the leading agencies in Oman since it was set up in 1991, with several national and international awards to its credit."

'Sugar Clinic' in Oman Aimed at combating the rising threat of diabetes in Oman, IMC Muscat announced it has entered into an agreement with Asia’s largest healthcare provider Apollo Hospitals Group, India to bring world class diabetes care format offered under the brand 'Sugar Clinic' to the residents of Oman.

This state-of –art clinic would aim to offer comprehensive care under a single roof spanning from consultation, education, comprehensive diagnostics, eye care to foot care. On the sidelines of the World Diabetes Day- in-line with the IDF theme -Diabetes Education and Prevention – the Center also announced the launch of a screening programme focusing on screening

and education.

The campaign open through the month of November focuses on early detection and timely diagnosis of prediabetes and type-2 diabetes using a state-of-the-art-FDA approved non-invasive screening device. This innovative technology ensures a faster, safer and a more efficient screening process.

Screenings have already begun with the launch of the campaign and are available for residents of Muscat to avail at the IMC located at Ruwi.

Speaking on the occasion Shyam Sailesh, executive director, IMC

said, "Prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Oman is reaching epidemic proportion. It is of concern that unlike our counterparts in west – we seeing a lot of young adult individuals getting affected by diabetes in our country. we are very passionate about defeating diabetes in this part of world and we are happy to have received support from the Apollo Hospitals Group, India in this endeavour."

Black & White 17

Aster kids group The first Aster Kids Group was inaugurated at the Grand Hyatt Hotel with a massive turnout of over 200 children and families. In attendance was the chief guest for the evening, Dr Yasmin bint Ahmed bin Jaffer, general director of the family and community health department. Specialised in mother and childcare, she has been a known name in the ministry of health for almost three decades and continues to serve the society.

She was joined by Dr Alia bint Mahmood Al-Khasaibi, undersecretary office for health affairs, directorate of private health establishment affairs.

The Aster Kids Group is an initiative of Al Raffah Hospital in Oman, itself a part of the Aster Hospital group, one of the largest networks of hospitals in the AGCC. Seeniya Biju, chief operating officer of Al Raffah

Hospitals, and the driving force behind the Aster Kids Group concept, said: "Our mission at the Aster Kids Group is to empower children to be the brand ambassadors of their own health as well as that of their families and their community. We hope to encourage and nurture our younger generation to adopt a healthy lifestyle in a fun way."

Children’s Day celebrated at ISD Children’s Day was celebrated at Indian School Darsait recently.

The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India.

In the primary wing, the little ones were treated with chocolates and entertained with a variety entertainment programme by the teachers who took over their roles in conducting the assembly in the

auditorium. They presented an anecdotal skit, melodious songs and colourful dances. But the showstopper was a fashion show put-up by the teachers, which turned out to be a huge success.

Earlier Dr Subhash Nair, the officiating principal, paid a floral tribute to Nehru. Leena Francis, vice principal (primary) reminded them of the children who are deprived of their basic needs.

She also made them take a pledge to change themselves into the best citizens of India.

Children’s Day celebration was organised at senior school also.

A special assembly was held at the school auditorium in which the teachers conducted the procedures of the day. The students, in turn, mesmerised the audience in grand style with a folk dance and a western fusion.

facts about the festival of lights.

The gala of five days festival was depicted through the scenes of Lakshmi Pooja, New Year greetings

and Bhaidooj. The main highlight of the event was the foot tapping dances the students of the three classes did with diyas and candles.

Wordpress

ISD primary glitter for three days The primary and kindergarten section of ISD celebrated Diwali in a traditional style. The decoration of arena with diyas, rangoli and lanterns created a festive mood. The tiny tots of KG II C and the little ones of grade IV D and III C presented their special assembly with fervour and energy.

The children narrated the essential 18 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

Dakhiliyah governor meets HSBC Bank Oman official Dr Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Saadi, the governor of the Dakhilyah governorate, met with Alan Jarman, head of retail banking and wealth management and Amour Mubarak Al Hadhrami, Al-Dakhiliyah district manager at HSBC Bank Oman S.A.O.G. in Nizwa recently.

During the visit, Jarman shed light on the bank’s latest developments and updates associated with the recent merger with Oman International Bank and reiterated HSBC Bank Oman’s commitment

to the Sultanate and its people.

Jarman also informed Al Saadi that the integration process is on track and is scheduled for completion before end of year including systems migration and refurbishment and rebranding of OIB branches. HSBC Bank Oman currently has the second largest network in the country consisting of 88 branches and provides a comprehensive range of banking and financial services to more than 400,000 retail customers and 10,000 commercial clients.

Hyundai Veloster named 'best hatchback' Hyundai has won the Best Hatchback award for its uniquely designed Veloster at the 2012 Middle East Motor Awards (MEMA), one of the most prestigious automotive award ceremonies in the Middle East.

This year’s Middle East Motor Awards were held in Sharjah, UAE recently.

The selection process was overseen by 17 highly respected automotive journalists and experts from across

the region, including UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Tom Lee, head of Hyundai Middle East’s Regional Headquarters, commented: “With the Veloster we wanted to create something new, a car that boasts its own personality and creates individuality, redefining its segment with its 2+1 doors and more technology than expected in a hatchback. The award is testament that we have been successful with the Veloster, which is already proving a big hit across the Middle East, especially with young buyers.”

The OTE Group is the exclusive dealer of Hyundai’s range of vehicles in Oman.

Contact 800-77007.

Omantel 'unlimited' Mada packages Omantel has launched new enhanced Mada plans and introduced the all-new Mada Liberty Plus package recently. The new packages provide comprehensive solution and freedom for Omantel customers to communicate through voice, messaging and mobile broadband at affordable rates while availing special discount on international calls.

Announcing the launch, Haitham Abdullah Al Kharusi, vice president of

consumer business unit at Omantel said: “We are pleased to launch the new Mada packages which is a direct response of listening to the needs of our customers ensuring that we continue to enrich the market with innovative products that help bring our customers closer together across the country.”

“The new Mada packages give our customers the opportunity to connect to a community of more than 2.7 million Omantel subscribers, access

the internet on the go with our mobile broadband service and moreover get up to 30 per cent discount on international calls to any destination.”

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Maserati GranTurismo Sport The GranTurismo Sport improves on Maserati’s tradition of offering rich sporting character and high performance while also delivering comfort for four adults and effortless elegance and sophistication. An evolution of the GranTurismo S and the GranTurismo S Automatic, the GranTurismo Sport delivers a range of technical features that enhance its sporting character, both inside and out. Unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the GranTurismo Sport has been designed to stand out from the coupe market with aerodynamically efficient design upgrades derived from the MC Stradale. While its headlight shape remains the same, Maserati has fitted them with new lighting technology, including LED Daytime Running Lights. Capable of sprinting to 100km/h in only 4.7 seconds and reaching 300km/h, the GranTurismo Sport carries the latest evolution of Maserati’s all-alloy, 4.7-litre V8 engine, boasting 338kW (460CV) of power.

Available with both six-speed automatic and electroactuated transmissions, the GranTurismo Sport also delivers a new generation of the Sport Skyhook active

damping system and dual-cast brakes for maximum stopping power. It sits between the GranTurismo and the GranTurismo MC to provide the mid-point of the GranTurismo model range. The GranTurismo Sport carries on the traditions of the GranTurismo, which has been one of the most successful cars in Maserati history.

Since its launch at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, around 15,000 GranTurismos have been delivered all over the world. Last year the 2700 GranTurismo sales accounted for 44% of Maserati’s total. The United States was once again the leading market with almost 900 GranTurismos sold in 2011, followed by China and Italy.

Celebrate unique birthday parties at Ashok’s Grill House A recently opened family restaurant in Wadi Kabir is offering a fantastic time for kids wanting to celebrate their birthday parties. Ashok’s Grill House (above Al Maya supermarket in Wadi Kabir) has come out with a special birthday party offer to woo in kids to their outlet. “We are charging just OMR1.200 per kid as part of our birthday party special offer,” Ashok Laungani, owner of this and the parent restaurant, Grill House in MBD, said.

The offer includes snacks and beverages plus decoration. Ashok’s Grill House comes from the kitchen of the popular Grill House, located in CBD, which has been tantalising taste buds since a long time now. Families in Wadi Kabir area not only have a brand new eatery to look forward to, but, their children also have a chance to enjoy a unique birthday celebration option.

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Luxury spending on the rise in 2012 The American Express Middle East Luxury Spending Tracker surveyed a random sample of 1,000 residents drawn from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. It found that residents of Qatar are the biggest buyers of luxury goods across the Middle East, closely followed by consumers in Bahrain.

As the biggest luxury buyers, Qataris spend up to $5,000 a month on 20 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

luxury goods, while consumers in Oman and Jordan are the most conservative shoppers spending less than $250 per month. “Consumer attitudes towards spending have begun to improve significantly and there is a noticeable rise in spending on luxury goods and experiences across the region,” said Mazin Khoury, chief executive officer, American Express Middle East.

Nawras partners with WhatsApp Nawras has partnered with WhatsApp, the leading crossplatform mobile messaging service in Oman and globally. This exclusive marketing agreement gives Nawras the opportunity to introduce new services based on this extremely popular messaging platform.

WhatsApp is already being enjoyed by more than a million customers in Oman.

Martin Lyne, Nawras chief marketing

officer, said, “WhatsApp has quickly become a very popular alternative to SMS for messaging, allowing customers to communicate instantly with contacts across the world.

With this cross platform reach we will introduce further choice and flexibility for Nawras customers using WhatsApp.” He added, “Today we have launched an exclusive weekly WhatsApp data plan which provides customers with 50 MB of WhatsApp data as well as 50 SMS for just 500 Baiza per week.

Customers can dial *141*23*81# to activate this exciting plan. We will also be launching a number of exclusive smartphone plans with increased data allowances as our

innovation continues to enrich the daily lives of people in Oman.

This is the same vision that has inspired the creators of WhatsApp to make an application that people love to use and together we can make communications easier, more versatile and always a rewarding experience.”

All-New 2013 Nissan Altima Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, the exclusive importers and distributors of Nissan vehicles in Oman, unveiled All New Nissan Altima 2013. The completely re-engineered Altima is poised to become the new benchmark in the hotly contested mid-size segment. This game-changing model will raise segment standards to new highs with its upscale styling, “class above” features and globally recognised levels of safety. The all-new 2013 Altima is a modern and charismatic vehicle over-delivering on the fundamentals earned over four generations and two decades, for quality and reliability and class-above in innovation, fuelefficiency, dynamic performance and premium style.

“All new Nissan Altima 2013 is a complete technological package – overdelivers on the basics, boasts features and innovative technologies never seen in its class

before. The new Altima also offers outstanding drive, enhanced handling, acceleration and thoughtful technology solutions not currently found in the segment”, explained a senior spokesperson. www.nissanoman.com or www.facebook.com/sbanissanoman.

Turkish national day

celebrations

Turkish ambassador, Kerem Ahmet Kıratli, recently hosted a grand reception to commemorate the 89th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey. The reception, which was held at the Grand Hyatt, saw top government officials, including Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, minister responsible for foreign officers, ambassadors and many other officials present.

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Veteran journalist Alfred D’Cruz honoured Veteran journalist, author and historian, late Alfred D’Cruz, 91, was honoured posthumously at the 20th National Awards by the Journalist Association of India (JAI), under the flagship of the Journalists Federation of India, with the Lifetime Achievement Award at a well-attended award presentation ceremony at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi, India, recently.

Handpicked by the then British Editor Sir Francis Low way back in 1947 at a time when Englishmen were at the editorial desk, Alfred D’Cruz was the first Indian journalist to work at the editorial department of The Times of India, Mumbai. During his stint with The Times of India, Mumbai, India for 40 years from 1947 to 1987, Alfred D’Cruz worked with luminaries such as R.K. Laxman, Mario Miranda, Frank Moraes, Khushwant Singh, M.V. Kamath, M.J. Akbar, Girilal Jain, Behram Contractor alias Busybee, among others. His

son Sunil D’Cruz, who is based in Muscat, accepted the award from Satya Bahin, former member of the Congress Working Committee. Also present on the occasion were H.K. Sethi, Secretary-General and Kusum Chopra, President of the Journalist Association of India (JAI).

The Wave, Muscat new retail centre The Wave, Muscat, recently held the official ground breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on Marsa Village Retail Centre in the presence of the Wali of Seeb, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Busaidy, members of the executive management at The Wave, Muscat and representatives of tenants who have committed to the centre.

With a diverse retail offering, striking architecture and a welcoming ambiance, Marsa Village Retail Centre will provide a convenient everyday shopping experience for the residential development and reinforces the community appeal of The Wave, Muscat.

Michael Lenarduzzi, Ceo, The Wave, Muscat said: “The Marsa Village Retail Centre will be the main retail and commercial focal point within the development,

creating an opportunity for job creation at the heart of the development, giving back to the wider community in Muscat and Oman. The Wave, Muscat’s assets span diverse sectors and create a variety of opportunities: from the golf and marina operations to the hotel and hospitality industry, The Wave, Muscat is fast becoming the catalyst for long term growth and employment in Muscat.”

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Mediate 2013 to launch For the fourth consecutive year, Sabco Media has announced the upcoming launch of Mediate 2013.

Mediate is a distinctive hybrid media directory specialised in profiling a wide arrange of Oman-based businesses operating within the local media and communications world. Commenting on the upcoming launch, Eihab A. Abutaha, chief executive officer at Sabco Group - Communications stated, “Over the past four years, Mediate has proactively evolved to suit the various needs and requirements of media and communication professionals across the Sultanate.

Since its inception, Mediate has firmly positioned itself as the key reference guide for the local industry and 22 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

an effective branding platform through its trusted, comprehensive and value-adding information.”

Omran launches Zaree Omran, launched its corporate social responsibility programme ‘Zaree’ in Khasab. Inaugurated by Sheikha Safiya bint Hamdan Al Shehhi, member of the state council and chairperson of the Omani Women Association in Khasab, Zaree is an income generating project that will sell special tour packages exclusively to female tourists who wish to visit Khasab Castle and embark on a cultural experience of a lifetime. Established by Omran in association with the ministry of tourism and a group of local women, the programme aims to empower communities in Wilayat Khasab to become economically self-sufficient and self-employed.

Maitha Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary at the tourism ministry says, “Every Wilayat tells a unique story and we are pleased that the first chapter of Zaree will be written in Khasab.

Choosing the iconic Khasab Castle to be at the heart of the program’s activities links Zaree to Oman’s rich history. We have reached out to our global offices to ensure that the programme extends to a wider audience through strategic tieups with various cruise and tour operators.

The tourism ministry is working closely with Omran not only to promote Khasab as a destination but also to give tourists an opportunity to

explore Oman and develop a deeper understanding of our traditions and customs.”

At the launch event, Eng. Wael bin Ahmed Al Lawati, Omran Ceo said, “With around 50 cruise ships carrying between 400 to 4,000 passengers each expected to arrive in Khasab over the course of this season, there is no doubt that the Wilayat was the perfect launch pad for Zaree.

The interaction between the women of Khasab and the women of the world will channel a cultural dialogue between civilizations, one that will make their visit even more memorable and meaningful.”

NBO re-launches 'Al Amaal' National Bank of Oman has recently re-launched its Al Amaal Child Savings Account with reinvigorated and exciting features to encourage all the parents to save more towards children’s future. “Oman comprises of a very young demographic and approximately 40 per cent of the population is below the age of 15. As one of the leading banks in the country, we are obligated to tailor our products and services to meet, if not exceed our customer’s need”, said Harsh Munjal, GM retail, private and overseas banking, NBO. The Al Amaal account is a unique child savings account that bears an interest rate of 1.5 per cent per annum thereby giving the parents a complete financial security for their child’s future. It is also loaded with free life insurance and permanent disability cover for the parent or guardian for up to RO50,000 and provides free standing order payments from the parents account to the child's account.

“As the first child savings account in Oman, NBO has established a correlation between saving money and

being rewarded for it. Such an incentive to save sets us apart and distinguishes NBO from the market,” said Hana Al Hinai, head of product development, retail banking division. Al Amaal account requires a minimal deposit of RO50 and is offered for children aged 18 years and under. Parents with children aged 12 years and above will receive a free debit card and monthly interest payments will ensure that a customer’s saving for his child keeps increasing the longer they save.

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Suzuki offers Suzuki has always been conscious of keeping its prices very competitive. 2013 is poised to offer customers more value than ever with unmatched features and special price offer on all variants of 2013 models and even more bargain deals on certain 2012 models. While the stylish Celerio GLX A/T is now available from as low as RO 3,495 net, Swift DZire Sedan GL A/T is for just RO 4,395.

The SX4 SEDAN 1.6L GLX A/T will cost RO 5,395 net and the ever popular Swift H/Back STD A/T, RO 5,595.

The newly launched Swift DZire Sedan, is not only practical and cost effective; it is also equipped with great interiors and exciting features that makes it stand out in the entry level of sedans. Available in variants of GA, GL and GLX models, the DZire is equipped with the latest K-Series engine delivering an impressive 95 bhp gross with Dual Airbags and ABS as a standard safety option. Due to the low cost of ownership, the Swift DZire has been a runaway success with most of the Rent-aCar companies, major corporate companies and the

Omani as well as the Expatriate community in Oman. For the price, this vehicle goes to define the true meaning of ‘Value’.

Contact: 99242103 or 99268023

The Sultan’s School 'Tree day' celebrations To mark this year’s Tree Day, students in years four, five and six at The Sultan’s School took part in plant-themed activities and lessons dedicated to highlight their importance and beauty.

The youngsters were joined by Kindergarten students to plant trees in the school grounds, while budding writers were encouraged to express their appreciation for them through poetry. All students had the opportunity to buy plants of their own to take home to feed, water and watch grow as they learned about the value of trees. They were

given coconut juice and date milk to illustrate the natural health benefits that they provide. The message of the day was reinforced as the social studies club distributed their monthly magazine, which was dedicated to Tree Day and filled with facts, information and stories about caring for trees and their role in the environment.

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International textiles and garments exhibition 2012, sohar P.D. Nath, managing director, Silver Star Corporation L.L.C. has announced their upcoming exhibition International Textiles and Garments Exhibition 2012 24 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

from December 1 to 7 at Oman International Exhibition Centre, Sohar. Silver Star has created a niche in the exhibition industry in Oman and has organised a series of trade fairs and exhibitions including single country exhibitions like first Omani Products Exhibition, five Indian trade fairs, Indian diamond

and gold jewellery exhibition, international diamond and gold jewellery exhibition, consumer fairs including Global Village in Muscat Festival since the past few decades successfully with sizeable participation for the development of trade, industry and commerce in Oman.

In Black & White

In Black...

Team Oryx members are going to create the firstever formula race car in Oman and the Middle East. These kids mean business and they are our true leaders of the future Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief

A RAY OF LIGHT If you are sitting at a coffee shop with friends and someone in the group tells you that they are going to build a car from scratch, you are going to laugh into your cup and spill your coffee. Sometimes people would like to amuse you with jokes. But, believe it or not, this is a fact and it is as true as this unique project is shaping up in a private college right here in Oman.

It is neither amusing nor a joke as there are 25 serious young Omani engineering students – and their supporters -- out there who are committed for life to bring out a formula one car in a matter of months and race it at a prestigious racing circuit in the United Kingdom.

Often, we have pondered on the reality of the world out there where the industrial countries are thriving, Japan being a case in point. The 70s and the 80s saw various countries like Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan raise their economic profile with fast-paced industrialisation.

Then, we wonder what is it that they have which we don’t? We export oil, but we import almost everything else as our manufacturing sector is still in its infancy.

These students are not only serious and committed; they have an inner flame within them that is spurring them to excel not only in their field but for the cause of the nation. They want to raise not just their own profile, but the country’s profile with this unique venture.

And what they need is not laughter but support, and our motivation and strength. We should also in some way contribute to this endevour of national proportions. Good luck Team Oryx! And merry Christmas and Happy New Year, dear readers!

This is why we see a bright ray of light in the darkness with the endeavours of youngsters like those in the Team Oryx, who are going to create the first ever formula race car in Oman and the Middle East. These kids mean business and they are our true leaders of the future.

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B&W Xclusive 26 December 7, 2012 - January 7, 2013

Oman will launch its first ever student formula one racing car next July (2013).

This dream will be realised thanks to the supreme efforts of a group of students of a well-known private college in Oman. These young leaders of tomorrow are all set to put the country on the student formula racing map with their unique single seat racing car, powered by a Yamaha R6 motorbike engine, which is being designed and produced at the college’s exclusive workshop. Once launched, it will be the first of its kind, not just in Oman, but in the AGCC, the students behind this unique project reveal.

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B&W Xclusive 28 December 7, 2012 - January 7, 2013

A ‘formula’ for success

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SERENE SURROUNDING The scene outside the sprawling campus of the 17-year old Caledonian College of Engineering (CCE), one of the premier private colleges in Oman, is a picture of tranquillity. Cars are slowly plying in both directions before the CCE, and although there was limited parking, visitors still managed to find a spot. Inside, students and faculty members, walk with a very serious and studious disposition, all going about their tasks in a very dignified and single-minded manner. It is a picture of academic serenity.

TRUTH OR CHIMERA? But, walk a little towards a select corner of the CCE building and you will see an animated group of students aged 18 to 25 – all in striking red workshop overalls – in a riot of words. They seemed so intense in their verbal arguments that one would think twice before venturing into their midst. From a distance, one would believe this was some verbal spat between sworn enemies. But give it some time and the war of words will automatically end and the group will file out of the workshop, laughing, joking and fooling with each other like any college students. What? Weren’t we all just witness to some heated argument amongst this lot? What happened?

PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE Witnesses to the group’s animated discussions reveal 30 December 7, 2012 - January 7, 2013

that this is an almost regular scenario in the unique workshop facility of the CCE. However, these students from diverse platforms and equally different backgrounds, Omanis and expatriates, and with totally dissimilar thoughts and ideas are bound together by one singular outlook – a passion for innovative excellence and entrepreneurial enterprise. It is this spirit of endeavour that has united these students and making them strive for excellence, despite all odds and challenges.

FIRST EVER FORMULA RACING CAR Their aim is to build and race the first ever formula racing car at the Student Formula competition, which is the largest student motorsport in the world. The competition is organised under the umbrella of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and administered by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

These students' mission is to build the first ever formula racing car and partake in the Student Formula racing competition at the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom in July, next year (2013).

NEW WORKSHOP FACILITY The CCE recently inaugurated a workshop to provide support to Caledonian Team Oryx - the 25-member student team - to build a single-seat racing car to take part in this prestigious international competition. The car will cost around OMR60000 and the team has already

received sponsorships and funds worth OMR33000 from various sources, the students said.

The Student Formula competition is an annual race attracting 3000 participants racing over 130 cars and representing universities from more than 30 countries.

CREATION OF THE ‘BABY’ “This is where our ‘baby’ is being created,” declares Haitham Al-Saqri (project and team leader), waving at a large platform in their single-room workshop at the CCE. The platform had a rough sketch of the actual chassis (bottom) and parts and other elements of a car were strewn around.

Haitham was giving us an idea of their workshop when he mentioned the above.

Others in the room included Maitham Al-Oraibi, administration leader, Syed Haitham, Sulhil Chalapron, Mutassim Al Mujaini (Engine Leader). These were the core team and the rest*, who filed in at regular intervals, stood around, respectfully, while the key members spoke about their pet project.

Somehow, it didn’t actually feel as though it was a simple college campus workshop – there was an aura of solemnity and sincerity surrounding the students and the usual flippancy that is usually associated in such college settings was totally missing.

JUGGLING ALL ODDS But, when your mission is to design, build and compete for the first time (first higher education team from the Middle East to participate in this competition) with a formula racing car, and strive to be the first team in the Arabian Peninsula to participate in a prestigious competition and also handle an intense academic study schedule, it is not easy going. “It is not easy – but we are not daunted,” Haitham said, when asked how they were juggling both the rigours of a tough work schedule and uncompromising academic studies. “But, then that is the main axiom that our whole work revolves around – we wanted to push the boundaries and we believe that is what we are achieving here.”

INITIAL SPARK TO FLAME The initial idea for the project sprouted in the early days of February this year (2012). The response to that was beyond their expectations. “We had a fantastic response from the students of our college.

“There was a panel set up for short listing the team and here we are a select team of 25 engineering students, supported by the faculty, advisers, sponsors and well wishers. We are 24 boys and one girl student, with six core team leaders taking the lead,” Maitham Al-Oraibi explained.

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circuits, one in Bahrain and the other in Abu Dhabi. But our region does not manufacture or produce formula cars, it is getting exported and worldwide events happen here.

This made us think and that is the basis of the formula car project. The initial idea sprouted in our minds in February this year and by end of March we had shortlisted the 25 team members. Students from all streams of engineering came forward to join and an advisory panel shortlisted the final 25 member Team Oryx.”

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BIGGEST STUDENT CHALLENGE “Everywhere in the world they say youth is the future of the society.

So we, the youth, felt it is time we took up that responsibility seriously and strive to make a difference to the future. We have taken up the responsibility of the biggest student challenge ever attempted, not just in Oman, but in the whole of Middle East,” Haitham stressed.

EAM ORYX “We named our team ‘Oryx’, because the Arabian Oryx is a unique identity to the Arab world. The project selected was to create a formula student car and participate in the Student Formula racing competition in the UK. This is going to be the first ever attempt by a student team in Oman and the Middle East.

“We wanted to attempt and do something out of the box than the regular engineering projects. As 32 December 7, 2012 - January 7, 2013

young and budding engineers, we feel that we can do much more than limit our skills and thoughts to bookish endeavours.

“And as engineering graduates, out of college, we would still have to fight it out in the open market for our careers. Our technical qualifications will be incomplete if we are not good in marketing, management and organising sectors.

This project is going to equip us with the mental attitude and ability to handle all aspects of a project, from administration to management to marketing functions.”

NO FORMULA CAR PRODUCTION IN THE REGION The main members also gave a brief about the student formula racing competition and how from the understanding that a need existed here their idea germinated.

“In our region we have two formula

CRAZY ENGINEERS VS TEAM PISTOL Projects of all kinds happen in a college campus and the CCE is no different. Recently, there was an attempt to prove engineering excellence through creativity when students put in teams to display their engineering creativity.

Two student teams ‘Crazy Engineers Vs Team Pistol’ displayed their engineering creativity by making a Khanjar and a robot respectively.

They were given the tasks to creating something out of junk and waste materials. The teams did well and their creations also had a message.

Team Pistol created a traditional Omani Khanjar out of waste material, retaining the traditional design and merging it with modernity, giving the message that Oman is a nation that has adapted modernity, while retaining its traditional identity.

Crazy Engineers created two reading robots, calling it ‘Mustafa & Mustafa’, both reading, learning...conveying a message that there is no end to learning! These projects were created with an intention to motivate the students and make them realise that engineering can be of use in day to day life, the team members explained.

THE PROJECT The CCE inaugurated their new centre for creativity and innovation, recently. As part of the same spirit of innovative excellence and

entrepreneurial enterprise, the college also launched this workshop, thereby establishing support to the Team Oryx.

The workshop was opened by Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Zakwani, executive director, Industrial Innovation Centre. “A centre such as this is not about the building and the facilities alone – it is about the spirit of endeavour that is fostered therein. The Team Oryx racing car project is an embodiment of our determination as a college to provide support to students who have a good idea and who want to make that idea become a reality,” noted Jenny Walker, the associate dean of professional development, CCE. The CCE and the Industrial Innovation Centre is providing the major part of the team’s sponsorship. “We are supported by members of our faculty and we would like to thank every one of them who have backed us in this venture of creating the first ever formula race car. It is going to cost us OMR60000 and we have successfully raised OMR33000 through sponsorship and wellwishers until now. We are still approaching corporate and companies for reaching our target. We are hopeful and confident and look forward to making this project possible. As a group of 25, we have to rely only on our intellectual abilities and determination to succeed. We are proud of each other and our core team has the exposure and learning to create the car,” the members said.

NO MORE IN THE COMFORT ZONE They added that as students they were normally learning quite a lot of theory and were also protected by parents at home and guided by teachers in the college. “Most of us like this comfort zone and score good marks and successfully complete our education. But, does education and learning end there or when you get a job?

NO! Learning never ends and unless we start putting education in to practical use, think beyond the conventional methods, we cannot excel or create. We will remain theoretical geniuses, unable to put learning in to use for ourselves and for the society. This project will make us face challenges in a healthy manner, understand and share knowledge and propel ourselves in to the global arena of students and competitors. Knowledge is a weapon every student gets armed with, and what does an unused weapon do? Get rusted and wasted! We want to prove ourselves and our knowledge. The project is not a fancy idea to indulge in. It is a responsibility we have taken up, not for winning a prize or for personal glory. We are taking up the responsibility of being the youth of the nation and bringing name and laurels to our nation,” the team members said.

COMPETITION VISITED But, were they aware of the huge responsibility they had taken up? Do they consider it an uphill task now or are they confident?

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“We know we have taken up a big responsibility through this project. While we believe that our confidence is our strength, we didn’t want to be naive amateurs in this project. We visited the Silverstone Circuit in the UK and experienced the whole process of selection and participation. The organisers were very helpful because we were the first Arab team.

By doing so, we learned the critical points of creating a race car, and noted down the most common errors and omissions that could happen.

It is rightly said that when you know the competition, you are half way through it. We made a checklist, asked and learned the processes and have decided to avoid and prevent the common lapses. This was like a small rehearsal for us and we hope to pass all the normal hurdles of creating the right weight, size and texture of the car. What we felt proud about during this visit is that we were actually able to help out some teams in correcting their shortcomings and put them back on track. We were not lost in there, we knew what they were all doing and learned whatever we could in the process. We are sure we will be able to perform better because of the direct interaction we have had.”

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24 MINUTES TO GLORY With such efforts, the team not only declared their

34 December 7, 2012 - January 7, 2013

driver. “Our team member, Shamla Al Kindi, will be there with four other core members for the final competition,” Haitham said.

CHALLENGES GALORE The team members all chorused that they were lucky and proud to have a genius design engineer in their midst. Unfortunately, Togay Yuvanc (design leader), who has designed the car as well as the logo of their team, was not present, but the members pitched in with their favourite member’s exploits.

seriousness for the project, but also stressed that they were more confident knowing what they were going to face in the competition next year scheduled from July 4 to 7, 2013.

“Team Oryx members will be there a week before the event starts. The event has standards, rules and regulations. They are of course easy to learn and follow; the car we are building has to be 250kgs, the driver 77kgs and 190cms height. Every little detail is specified and all we need to do is to follow.”

But, while they aimed high, they were also quite practical proving that all of them had a clear head above their shoulders.

“We are not just thinking of winning -- we would ideally hope to be among the top 20 positions. Last year saw 147 teams from 50 countries and the coming year will once again have over 100 teams from many countries. Our deadline is two months ahead of the event, so we can practice the five stages of the competition,” the members said.

THE FIVE STAGES ARE: • Design analysis test • Scrutiny • Tilt testing (dynamics) • Business logics (marketing case plan) • Endurance test The total testing time is 24 minutes where five drivers are required, which includes one lady driver too. According to the competition rules, one out the five drivers has to be a lady

“Togay has, as a hobby, been designing cars for the last six years and has created an exclusive design with all related features for this competition.

Our core team also has Haitham (Saqri) who has seen and participated in formula car races.

There are two more members who are good at modifying cars. Team Oryx has students who are talented in different fields and all of it put together makes this a winning team. Though we are all from different streams of engineering, we have taken up equal responsibility and created four departments categorised under mechanical works and administration. The mechanical side takes care of design, engineering, electrical and mechanical aspects while administration takes care of general administration and marketing. We also created a Gantt chart and we have a five hourly work schedule everyday to meet up with, five days a week.

“As of today, we are on schedule. Our college has invested in us and provided a workshop suiting our requirement and this has given us an additional boost of confidence and a sense of belonging. Today, we are here at our campus workshop working with the bend saw. We know we have quite a few challenges to meet, from car parts shipped in internationally to raising funds to complete the project. We are optimistic and confident that we will make it to the end!”

THANK YOU ALL “Team Oryx would like to thank Jenny Walker who was instrumental in Team Oryx being put in place; she has been an inspiration to our team.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Amutha Kannan, Dr Ahmed Al Balushi, our acting dean; all our sponsors and well wishers who have supported us till now.

We hope to receive more corporate support and this will help us realise this dream project and help us place Oman on the international fast lane.”

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Bravest member of Team Oryx She is what you may call the ‘lone ranger’, but she is certainly not the odd one out.

Shamla Al Kindi, who is the marketing leader of Team Oryx, is a cheerful, confident and positive young lady.

Some of the team members noted how initially they silently wondered whether she would adapt to the rigorous daily schedule that the team maintained ever since they took up the project. But, as is the saying, Shamla was always the first one to come and the last one to go and always shining with positivity. Today, the same team members say that she is the “bravest one of them all”. She was ready and raring to go for the big competition when we met her.

HAVE AN OPEN MIND “I am very proud to be a part of Team Oryx. I am in the marketing function and am a civil engineering student. It may sound odd that a civil engineering student is part of the team that is creating a formula race car, and is also going to be a driver in the final stages of the testing. But, that is how it is going to be. For me, it is a great opportunity to represent the students, and be part of a global project that will put Oman on the world map. I hope to make the team, my college and my nation proud. As a female student, the opportunities are galore and with an open mind and the creative energy, anyone can be a performer. I am glad that I am part of this fantastic team and hope that I will be a right and live example to all the girl students out there. Omani women have all the opportunities to excel and prove themselves and we should make the right use of the opportunities by being confident and brave!”

B&W Xclusive

Formula Student Formula Student is a student engineering competition held annually in the UK. Student teams from around the world design, build, test, and race a small-scale formula style racing car.

The cars are judged on a variety of criteria. It is run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and uses the same rules as the original Formula SAE with supplementary regulations.

36 December 7, 2012 - January 7, 2013

The 2012 Formula Student event was held at Silverstone Circuit in July 2012.

There are four entry classes in Formula Student, designed to allow progressive learning. New teams to the event can enter a car in any class they choose.

Cars are judged on a variety of static and dynamic events including: Design, cost, acceleration, sprint, endurance and fuel economy.

Team Oryx Members 1.

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Haitham Al Saqri (project & team leader) Togay Yuvanc (design leader) Shamla Al Kindi (marketing leader) Maitham Al Oraibi (administration leader) Mutasim Al Suqri (welding leader) Al Mutassim Abdullah Al Mujaiui (engine leader) Essam Al Muqadam (suspension leader) Ahmed AL-Badri (fabrication leader) Nooh Mubark Al Bulushi Khalil Ahmed Al Farsi Syed Haitham Hisham Qassim Ahmed Rashed Al-Rahiliy Humaid Al Toqi Krishna Prasannan Jaifer Sulaiman Mohamed Ali Al Farsi Laith Sultan Al Rashdi Abdulrahman Al-Jahdham

20.

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Asif Muhammed Navab Debjyoti Chowdhury Sulhil Chalapron Nadhim Ali Al Rawahi Faisal Al Siyabi Ahmad Al Ghdani

Text: Adarsh Madhavan & Priya Arunkumar Photos: Ben

Black & White 37

Have a great life ahead...

By Dr CK Anchan

We all have a mental picture of who we are, how we look, what we’re good at, and what our weaknesses might be. We develop this picture over time, starting when we’re very young. The term self-image is used to refer to a person’s mental picture of himself or herself. A lot of our self-image is based on interactions we have with other people and our life experiences. If you want to feel better about yourself, the first thing you need do is stop being your own worst enemy! Even the most successful people have to deal with disappointment, but they’ve learned how to use it to get to the next level of life.

Management talk

Accept that you will make mistakes because everyone does. Mistakes are part of learning. Remind yourself that a person’s talents are constantly developing, and everyone excels at different things — it’s what makes people interesting. View mistakes as learning opportunities. If you realise that you’re unhappy with something about yourself that you can change, then start today. If it’s something you can’t change (like your body appearance), then start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.

Stop getting down on yourself when things don’t go the way you would like. Feeling better about yourself will take some work, buy you can do it if you’re serious about it.

Don’t let that little voice inside your head say, “I can’t do it” or “I’m going to mess up.” If you let that voice continue, you’ll eventually believe what it says..If you’re used to focusing on your shortcomings, start thinking about positive aspects of yourself that outweigh them.

Remember that the world is not out to 3838December November 7,72012December January 6,6, 2012 2013

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

get you and it does not punish you. You do that to yourself. Learning to focus on other opportunities or in another direction can give you some perspective. Aim for accomplishments rather than perfection.

Think about what you’re good at and what you enjoy, and go for it.

Don’t let life’s changes throw you off track, but remember that most extenuating circumstances are temporary. Gain more clarity by staying the course and channeling your energy in a positive direction. Desire can be a powerful motivating tool, but wanting something too much can be very painful and very expensive, so don’t live beyond your means or covet the unattainable. Seek your desire, but keep your integrity.

Believe in your inner resources, no matter what, and you’ll grow from the experience.

I believe that the answers usually lie within and you are probably smart enough to figure out what you need to do. Give yourself a little time and have patience. Learn to access and direct your strengths to the highest good for all concerned. Believe that your strength and intelligence can help you deal with anything.

You do not have to be who you are today, and your life is not scripted. Changing how you feel about yourself means creating a strategy, gathering some new tools, and making yourself into the person you want to be. A good way to start is to stop doing things that hurt. Enjoy spending time with the people you care about and doing the things you love. Relax and have a good time and avoid putting your life on hold. Have a great life ahead...

By Dave Green

5

ŠThomas Snyder

3 4 8 6 9

4

9 6 7 1 5 2 6 3 7 6 2 5 4 3

2012 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

7 8 6 3 2

7/04

Difficulty Level

By Dave Green

6

9 8 5

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2 6

7 2

ŠThomas Snyder

1 3

1 9 6 Difficulty Level

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2012 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

5

7/05

SOLUTION: Difficulty Level

5 7 4 1 9 3 2 8 6

1 9 6 5 8 2 4 3 7

Difficulty Level

7/05

8 3 2 4 7 6 1 9 5

3 6 7 9 2 4 5 1 8

9 4 1 3 5 8 6 7 2

2 5 8 6 1 7 9 4 3

4 8 5 7 6 1 3 2 9

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2012 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

1 2 3 4 8 6 9 5 7

4 5 6 7 2 9 1 3 8

7/04

7 8 9 1 3 5 4 2 6

8 9 5 3 4 1 7 6 2

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2012 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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

Black & White 39

it is‌

40 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

• Mosquitoes are attracted to the colour blue twice as much as to any other colour.

• Butterflies taste with their hind feet.

• African Weaver Ants can carry prey weighing more than 1000 times their own weight, hauling it back to their nest for food.

• A cockroach can live a week without its head. It only dies because without a mouth, it can’t drink water.

Cockroaches have at least 18 knees.

• Cockroaches are some of the most ancient insects. Fossil records show their relatives have been around, virtually unchanged in appearance, for over 350 million years.

• The largest spider in the world is a species of tarantula found in South America Theraphosa leblondi - where one specimen had a leg span of over 11 inches.

• Honeybees may make 10,000,000 trips to gather enough nectar to make a single pound of honey. The total distance traveled by all the bees to create this much honey may equal twice the distance around the world.

Their activity for this single pound of honey means a total distance flown of 55,000 miles and over 2,000,000 flowers visited.

• The wings of honeybees beat over 11,000 cycles per minute, but their average flying speed is only around 15 miles per hour.

Tongue Twisters The big black bug bit the big black bear, But the big black bear bit the big black bug back!

Black & White 41

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:

Gold salesmen losing shine

Kidstuff

Holidays, holidays, holidays…

42 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

Some of the salesmen in one of the leading jewellery shops seem to be either underpaid or are not getting time out to finish their lunches, especially during festive occasions like Diwali. Otherwise, why do they display gross and uncaring behaviour when potential buyers come in and show interest? Some of the Asian salesman portrayed typical ‘don’t-care’ behaviour and had some of the buyers storming out of their showroom. While salesmen in most of the gold shops are known to display exceptional polite and at times cheerful behaviour, some, like in this well-known Indian jewellery showroom located in a sprawling hypermarket, displayed real bad behaviour, showing total disinterest in the buyers, mumbling vague replies and literally yawning and fiddling on their mobiles instead of properly attending to queries. At one point, one salesman did his traditional rude nodding of the head to a query asked by a buyer who almost walked out. The latter has promised to never ever step into this jewellery shop again. Why are gold salesmen behaving thus?

Probably because they know that despite the hike in gold prices and whatever the cost or whatever behaviour they may display, people will still keep coming back. In other words, arrogance! But, such arrogance will have a price to pay, sooner or later. Watch out!

Everyone these days are bothered about only holidays.

Holidays announced? Do you know when they are going to announce the holidays? Why haven’t they announced the holidays as yet?

When is the next holiday? How many days are we getting this time? Only two? What a pity! How can they give us a holiday on Saturday? Saturday is my holiday! This is not right! We must complain to the authorities concerned!

Why is it that we are only bothered about the holidays; how many days we will get; etc, etc... Why is it that we are in the least bit concerned about the fact that the more we shut down our businesses for holidays, the more we are going to suffer? Why haven’t we looked into the fact that if we don’t work, we are going to lose out big time?! The more we shut down, the more our businesses are going to lose…

By the way, when is the next holiday…?

Wadi Kabir residents on the vigil

Not fair

Residents in Wadi Kabir area have issued a warning: take care of your cars friends because car thieves, or rather car burglary, are on the rise! Burglary in cars used to be a thing of the past but, it is slowly rearing its ugly head once again, folks from Wadi Kabir claim.

Two cars were broken into and some minor items were stolen from that, the folks revealed. This happened in the dead of the night and thus it was impossible to detect or prevent it from happening. Earlier, quite a number of untoward incidents have occurred in the Wadi Kabir area and some of the residents in some locales were even wondering whether they should shift. But, fortunately, good sense prevailed and with the authorities swiftly taking concerted action things were restored to normal.

And it has been quiet ever since. Very very quiet! But, like the proverbial quiet before the storm, the incidents have begun again and the residents are worried whether more of it would follow.

Wadi Kabir is generally considered to be a residential area with expatriate and Omani schools and various supermarkets and medium type restaurants dotting the landscape. So, few of the residents would want to move from there. But, they are on the vigil and have vowed to take care.

All is fair in love and war, they say. But, is it fair when members of the media turn nasty and try to damage the reputation of their competition? This unwanted behaviour is not displayed by scribes, but others in the media; some from the advertising side, others from the distribution end.

Those from the advertising side are known to bad mouth their competition and the distributors turn even nastier by discreetly picking the competition’s publications from supermarkets/hypermarkets other showrooms and dumping them in garbage bins!

This is not fair!

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

Black & White 43

Your ARIES March 21-April 20 With the confidence you are exuding you can achieve the impossible. All you have to do now is to decide where your priorities lie and, more importantly, with whom as your chance to excel makes this a week you will not forget in a hurry.

CANCER June 22-July 23 Channelling your energy into your creativity gives you a much needed emotional outlet, but early morning absentmindedness could lead to delays and mishaps so try to focus more. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

TAURUS April 21-May 20

GEMINI May 21-June 21

The new moon at the start of the week kick starts a new phase of co-operation over partnerships, and either brings someone new into your life, or sets a fire under existing relationships. Friendships bond more securely too.

Keep your expectations over work money and love realistic or you’ll be left disappointed when things don’t pan out the way you’d wanted. Be careful of crossed lines in communication over work or money matters.

LEO July 24-August 23 Although subconsciously you feel that everything will be ok and things will turn out for the best, you still have to get from A to B, and its that which could prove stressful for you. You’re still suspicious of someone aren’t you?

VIRGO August 24-September 23 Others see you as a guru or leading light in many subjects, so they tend to listen to your advice when you give it out. Be direct and honest when someone asks you for your opinion this week. They have a lot riding on it.

DAME JUDITH OLIVIA 'JUDI' DENCH, (BORN 9 DECEMBER 1934) is an English film, stage and television actress. Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She branched into film work, and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer; however, most of her work during this period was in theatre. Not generally known as a singer, she drew strong reviews for her leading role in the musical Cabaret in 1968. Her film appearances were infrequent until she was cast as M in GoldenEye (1995), a role she continued to play in James Bond films through Skyfall (2012). She received several notable film awards for her role as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown (1997), and has since been acclaimed for her work in such films as Shakespeare in Love (1998), Chocolat (2000), Iris (2001), Mrs Henderson Presents

Horoscope

(2005) and Notes on a Scandal (2006), and the television production The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2001).

44 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

stars LIBRA September 24-October 23 Dreaming about money doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get it, so let go of pie in the sky schemes and focus on the slow and steady means of gathering cash. Hard work and saving. Make economical changes and be practical.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20 There’s a lot to be gained from getting on with others, but for that you need to be totally honest with yourself. Are you prepared to do that? Warts and all? The new moon stresses the need for friends in your life. Make the effort.

SCORPIO October 24-November 22 The moon in your sign at the start of the week gives you the green light to map out the next few days and it feels great being back in the driving seat again. Don’t be afraid to try new methods of doing things at work. It’ll work to your advantage.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 You’re not initially prepared for background problems that seem to rise from nowhere this week, but as long as you don’t over react, over reach or exaggerate you’ll weather the storm. Avoid false hopes. Keep it real.

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19 Be responsible when it comes to career matters or the needs of parents or elderly relatives as a cavalier attitude will only lead you into problems. Old structures are crumbling. Time to build new foundations.

PISCES February 20-March 20 If you’re uncertain as to what decisions to make this week, think with your head but lead with your heart. You’re all about making new starts so hold your nose, jump in at the deep end and embrace what fate brings you.

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BLACK AND WHITE MAGAZINE, OMAN

It's my life

Bye bye, adios, ciao, sayonara…

Resolutions

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

By Vandana Shah My left palm formed a vise like grip and encircled my right wrist, which seemed to have developed a life of its own. The fingers were like Usain Bolt before his Olympic dash just itching to zip ahead. The right and the left hand struggle continued for some time and out came sputtering my New Year resolutions when my right hand broke free.

The left hand admonished the right hand and said, “Do not write out yet another new year resolution where you will be thinner, eat healthier, lose your temper less, write more, love more, embrace your relatives, pray more, spend less, exercise more, look better, be at the top of your game… the list is endless and is repeated by you ad nauseam every year”. The right hand continued to listen.

The left hand continued, “For a change why don’t you just embrace yourself the way you are, fat or thin, good looking or ugly, bright or dumb, good in one thing and bad in another, dark or fair,angry or calm. You don’t have to be superwoman 24 hours a day and always be on top of things. In fact, you are fine the way you are and don’t need 20 New Year resolutions for you to become a completely new person.

Sure we all can do with some self-improvement, but that is a step-bystep process and woven seamlessly in your daily life. It’s the feeling of inadequacy that somehow you are less than what you should be which accompanies making these resolutions and that also leads to the dismal success rate of these resolutions.”

The right hand interjected and said, “No more resolutions. Just love yourself the way you are.”

The right hand clasped and interlinked its fingers with the left hand and both of them hugging each other said “Happy New Year”!

Love, hugs and prayers and wish you a splendid New Year!

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 47

Fish

Black Bean Sauce

Cooking

S.Velmurugan

Ingredients ½ lb sole fish fillet, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 small onion, chopped 6 dried chilies, without seeds 2 Tbsp black bean sauce 2 green onions 3 tsp ginger 1 green bell pepper, diced ¼ tsp fish sauce ½ tsp white sugar ¼ tsp sesame oil 6 Tbsp olive oil

48 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

Method In a large pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is heated, place onions, pepper and chillies and stir fry briefly, 3-4 minutes.

Add cut fish in skillet and stir gently, cooking for 2 minutes.

Add black bean sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, and sugar and continue cooking until fish is brought to proper temperature.

Remove from heat, garnish with green onions, and serve.

Water melon Barfi Syeda Basarath

Ingredients: cashewnut - 250g, sugar - 100g, mawa - 50g ghee - 1tbs, green & red food colours 1/4tsp each, cardomumm seeds 1/2tsp.

Method Powder cashew nut. In a pan add ghee, cashew powder, mawa, sugar.

Cook on medium flame till sugar melts. Keep mixing while on flame to make a smooth mixture. let this mixture cool. divide it into 3 parts. Add red colour to one part and green to second and third remains white.

Now take the green part and flatten it. Take the white part and flatten it. Put the white part over the green part. Now make a sphere of the red part and put it over the white part. Close the green making a sphere so that when its cut , it appears like watermelon pieces. Cut into four-five piece, sprinkle cardamom seeds and serve.

Mama haters are no good

Opinionated

There are two types of men – the mama’s men (we spoke about this in the last issue) and we have the mama haters. As a wife, you might feel slightly okay with the latter, but, do bear in mind that if there are chances that if she is rude and bad to his own mother; he could do the same to you. Just a thought to ponder!

LIKE MAMA, LIKE WIFE If your man is not close to his mother, then subtly try to find out why. There are so many reasons why he is not close and got himself estranged from her. This can be a variety of reasons – some genuine, some not. It is the latter we are worried about. For instance, if there are no genuine reasons and he is just a spoiled kid – grown up into a spoilt man – who has neither the patience, time nor the heart to be with their mother, then it is a different story. That means he doesn’t value his relationship with his mother, who after all is a woman. If it is not borne about some real and genuine relationship problem owing to something very personal, then it can be forgiven, but otherwise imagine the situation for a woman in your 50 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

man’s life. Will she face the same problem? Will your man treat you the same way he treats his mom? Think.

HE WHO BERATES …

Yes, sometimes, some mother’s may have been terrible to their sons. They may have done something horrible to their son and they must have grown with that anger and perhaps, hatred even. But, as a grown up man, he should let bygones be bygones. Most importantly, he should never berate his mother. Badmouthing the woman who gave birth to you is unfortunately not a man’s way of dealing with life. Everyone has fights with their parents and they might even tend to badmouth them once in a while. But constant badmouthing them, especially the

mother? This clearly shows that he has no respect for women. He needs to drop it or you drop him!

The same thing applies when he is disrespectful and nasty to the first woman in his life. Admittedly, she was pretty awful to him in the past and there are even genuine reasons for his anger. But, when in public, there is decorum to maintain, not just for society’s sake, but for himself; for his mama’s sake. If he is nasty to his mom in front of you or others, make sure that you don’t join him with your silence. You need to tell him to stop being mean and vicious to his mother, at least in public. Ask him directly how he could be so callous to his mother in front of you and/or everyone? Tell him honestly that you fear by this behaviour that he may not hesitate to berate you in

public too.

LET MAMA CLEAN UP! Now, this last is something you can easily cure (unless it has reached mammoth proportions). There are some men who think that their mothers are mere maids. There are many men out there who still expect their moms to ‘pick up their trash’ and clean after them. It is a fact! He is also the kind who does not handle his adult responsibilities well and it can range from anything small like filling up an application to a real major responsibility like commitment.

On the small scale front, this problem can be handled easily because these are basically men who are immature and lazy. Now, you can handle that right?

Black & White 51

Steps you can take to

prevent cancer

Shape n sound

Modernity has brought in its wake a newfound confidence in tackling the dreaded disease. Especially among women. Confidence is good, but over confidence is deadly, especially when you are trying to prevent the disease or handling it incase you are afflicted. Let us look at the prevention side of it: The key factor in prevention is avoidance of many habits. Change is the word. Please try to adopt some serious lifestyle changes and you are lowering the chances of acquiring many types of cancer.

52 December 7, 2012- January 6, 2013

FAMILY HISTORY Early warning signals should be scrutinised properly.

Also, check out whether there is a family history of cancer. If so, it may put you at greater risk than others.

So, you have to double your checks and in fact get early screenings and look up every unusual symptoms or suspicious spots on your body. Those having a family history should generally bring in a sense of alacrity in them and start their check ups immediately.

There is no need to panic, but there is every need to be serious about your health. Many cancers like breast, colon, ovarian etc are known to be hereditary also.

40? GET A MAMMOGRAM So, get yearly mammograms. Experts note that every woman over the age of 40 should get a mammogram every two years, if not every year. But, for those having a family history, this does not hold good. They have to start earlier and also they need to have regular monthly check ups. Regularly check your breast for lumps.

EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE As in every advice, this is something that you cannot do without. Exercise. The more you exercise, the better you will feel. The better you feel, the better you will be.

Exercise succeeds in lowering your risk of developing many illnesses and this includes heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It is recommended that you need to put in at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week.

EAT RIGHT You are what you eat. Get that into your head. The less animal fat you consume, the more chances you have for reducing the risk of contracting many types of cancer. The good part about exercising and keeping to a low fat diet is that you can also reduce chances of being obese. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that obesity is also a risk factor for cancer.

STUB IT If you are a smoker or you are in line for a lot of secondhand smoke, then be aware of one simple fact: smoking kills. Lung cancer deaths always show a high percentage among cancer deaths and ideally every effort should be take to stop smoking. And indeed, it is something that we can all do. In fact, smoking increases the risk of many other cancers too. So stub it if you have the habit and if you are facing secondhand smoke, then ask them to stop it too. The sooner the better.

SUN SCREENS Everything in moderation, that is the key and so, keep yourself out of the sun during peak hours. If you are into outdoors big time, then make sure that you apply sunscreen. If you are into swimming, then get waterproof sunscreen.

PAP SMEARS It is important that you get regular pap smears because they are good at detecting any unusual changes in the cervix. It has been found that regular checking can actually aid in preventing cervical cancer.

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E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com, Website: www.albahja.com Black & White 53

No more resolutions

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar Busy making New Year resolutions, my friend asked.

Why, do I look like I need any resolutions, I retorted.

You could do with a couple of them, she grinned.

Like what?

Like, maybe stop retorting, back answering, reacting, maybe be a little more diplomatic and keep an open mind perhaps…? Now she was definitely pulling my leg I thought!

She made me look like a monster of some sorts, negative, irrational and boor headed!

So much for diplomacy!

No one makes resolutions for behavioural habits, and habits could even be genetic.

I sounded defensive, but I voiced my opinion. I am good at voicing opinions, am totally opinionated!

Now, people tell me that I should do away with that too.

I call it freedom of expression. What is the point in mincing words, when you can be frank and tell people what you think? You sit in meetings, conferences and brain storming sessions… And you are asked to voice your thoughts and when you do so, you are termed difficult and prejudiced!

I have finally decided this year.

I will not change, I will not do away with habits and behaviour I am comfortable with.

It definitely takes an open mind to accept our faults and short comings.

So I believe I have an open mind. And being opinionated is not a bad thing at all.

It takes quite a few years to get an opinion, chew on it and keep that opinion.

In fact I believe it takes lot of courage and maturity to know what you want to say, to be strong in your opinions. To look at the positive side, people become professional

consultants and get paid a fat sum for their opinions.

I will not make a resolution because it is the last few days of the passing year and most of them are busy making a wish list for Christmas or a resolution list for the New Year!

If it is one resolution we all have to make, it should be that we will look at our flaws, faults, bad habits, and failed ambitions, and resolve to do better in the future, every single day and not at the end of the 360 plus days we passed by.

As a kid I was consistently reprimanded for two little flaws – being talkative and biting my nails. So, I used to religiously make up my mind every year end to reduce my talking sprees and stop biting nails. Years have rolled by and these two resolutions remain broken year after year.

It can be empowering or even trendsetting to “just say no” to certain unwanted habits, but parting ways with a longtime vice is likely to leave you feeling deprived and fraught in the long run.

As we all vow to do a whole host of things most of us will not follow through on, this year my resolution is not to make a resolution.

I have no resolutions to make.

I don’t want to change.

I don’t want to believe that I am stuck in the ways I currently behave.

I am not stuck at all; I am finally what I want to be. And I cannot convince anyone why I am how I am.

The secret to change is to reform our desires. Though they say desire is the root cause of all misery, who can survive without desires?

And we rarely do what we don’t want to do, then why is it people keep asking what’s your resolution going to be this coming year? priya@blackandwhiteoman.com