Black & White mag Issue 58

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Men cry ‘real’ tears p8

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Back to school p24 27 Jumada II - 27 Rajab

Vol.4 Issue 58IIMay 7 - June 6, 2013

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Xclusive

24 Back to school

Education creates a better society…The social status of a woman and her family is enhanced when the lady of the home is educated. Whatever the age, whatever the limitations, every woman should come forward and study.

Woman’s empowerment with knowledge and proper guidance is very essential in today’s world. No country can prosper if women are left behind.

12

“Be a man!”

“Be a man!” This simple statement reverberates in our being, long after our meeting with the once controversial Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Akhtar.

Contents

to live longer?

10 Want Get marrried It has been proven that married men live longer than their single, unwed counterparts. In fact, a large population-based study from Finland has shown that being unmarried increases the risk of fatal and nonfatal heart attack in both men and women whatever their age

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

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52

Self help industry thrives on women

Self-help books are a genre that is ever popular even today. But, truth be told that if women stop reading them, all these self help writers would be without a job and would be forced to write books on how to cook better for your family

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

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

Is your article rewritten?

By Adarsh Madhavan

I don’t know about the reports that appear in the newspapers today. Have they have been totally edited or rewritten? I remember the time when some of my news reports were totally rewritten.

During the early days as a cub reporter, I enjoyed doing my reports so much so I thought I was king.

The pleasure in interviewing someone, or collecting tidbits of information and then slowly collating them into one big whole report is a fantastic experience. All the terrible doubtful moments spent to get a lead and then finally typing it and the rest of the article flowing like a river in spate, words swarming around the lead like bees to a honeycomb and making it wholesome… it is like creating a whole new world.

Sometimes, as a reporter, you may go over some of the lines, marveling at the fact that you actually wrote that particular turn of phrase. There are times you could go off track, but, you are king, right? You cannot make mistakes! And you are so protective of your lines you might probably bite off some smart guy’s head, who will rudely point out that particular usage of yours was totally archaic or the fact that the word you used to describe anger was strictly not a newspaper usage, and would have rather found better place in a novel or a poem.

When I slowly got the hang of putting together words into a readable report, my confidence and arrogance grew until one night, the sub editor of a local page, who was always needling me, came and asked me in sign language what was my problem with my report; why hadn’t I filed it as yet? Deadline, deadline, deadline, he indicated. Filing late night stories are always a problem. Because, you will have the editor, the subs and even the office boy coming and asking you if the story was done even before you have typed a line.

That was not a good day for me and the words were stuck in my head and I could not bring out the lead although I knew what I wanted to say. I knew I could

get it done, but my colleagues kept streaming in and asking me different queries and I was getting totally mad. At this stage the sub came back and asked “how big is the story?” I mumbled something to him, but he would not go. “You know,” he sneered, “you better do it fast otherwise will carry just a paragraph…”

I ignored his comment but he went on. “Make it a direct lead, don’t bring a delayed lead otherwise I will have to rewrite it.” Then I blew a fuse. You will not do anything of that sort, I said turning to him with my usual nighttimeno-lead-anger. He seemed taken aback a bit, but since that day I found my stories getting either dropped, relegated to remote corners, or even completely rewritten.

I remember one tough story that was completely rewritten; it was on a sensitive subject, and perhaps I may not have got a gripping lead, but the one that the editor made is still fresh in my memory. He had written it so well that I just couldn’t take my eyes off it. Of course other than the fact that the same English alphabets were used, not even one word or phrase (ah, perhaps the name of the official that was quoted!) was mine. That was quite a turning point for me and I strived since then to reach that level of newspaper writing. I couldn’t, of course, match it.

Since then I began to accept that my brave attempts at reports and articles could always be made to fit the newspaper standards. I had a bad experience of course which made me believe that I was simply being victimised, but then the truth was that any report that a reporter file could actually be redone for various reasons.

This is something that a new reporter, freelance scribes (some of them at least) or citizen journalists would never understand. Most of them would feel hurt, angered and insulted when the lines they made up so carefully and painstakingly are either snipped or rejected. But, what they fail to understand is that it is nothing personal. Just a newsroom necessity. editor@blackandwhiteoman.com May 7 - June 6 5 B&W 2 0 1 3

Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Want to watch all performances My friends and I have made a pledge: we are going to watch every Yanni show in Oman as well as in the other AGCC states whenever this great musician performs. Of course we would like to be part of all his shows, but then, that is impossible.

What is difficult but definitely possible is that we can watch him perform anywhere in the AGCC region. We have promised to do this and whichever part of the world we are in, we will come and witness this magnificent musician perform! God bless you Yanni!

Salim Al Harbi and friends, Seeb

Come back Yanni Watching Yanni perform was an almost out of body experience.

His music is so fabulous. You can just feel it. It is so alive; so lively and so wonderful! We had such a great night! Yanni, we want more, please come back!

Abdullah Al Habsi, Al Khuwair

Spring clean our hearts Why do we keep dirt in our hearts when we know very well that it is going to kill us? I loved Vandana’s (‘Broom me out – issue 57) column very much. It was quite a thought provoking piece and I really enjoyed reading it. I am particularly fond of the line, “if we can spring clean our hearts everyday with the vacuum of forgiveness there will be none of the slipperiness that slime causes…”! Somehow we tend to keep hurt, anger, pain, jealousy, envy, suspicion and what not in our hearts and we slowly succeed in hurting it and killing it. It is high time that we go for a spring cleaning – of our hearts and minds!

K. A. Rahman, Al Ghubrah

Excellent article Excellent article Vandana (issue 57) – keep it up!

Pinky, Muscat

Reader's column

Young at heart I have always wondered why women lie about their age.

What is the big deal? Why do they have to lie? Your article (Never Ask a Lady…issue 57) seems to indicate that all women tend to lie about their age – as a general statement, yes, I agree. But, in the same breath, I would like to disagree because I know many women who have never ever lied about their age. I can take the case of my own family members – my mother, my sister, my wife…

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none of them have ever lied about their ages. My mother is 59 and she openly says it. But, in other ways the article is right. Age is just a number. I know it because none of these women that I know ever acted as though they were old. Women have to realise that whatever their age, they must learn to be young at heart.

W. Clifford, Qurum

One and only Yanni There is only one Yanni – one and one only! I was not fortunate to see the show when Yanni came to Oman in 2011. I kicked myself for not having been able to view the show then, but I guess it has been worth the wait – I have been to the best show of my life and I am lucky to see this great artist perform right in front of me. I have seen countless videos and have always enjoyed the music Yanni makes – but, it is nothing like seeing him perform live before you. You forget the world! You are caught in the whirl of Yanni music! I can’t wait to see him perform next time here. Three cheers to Yanni and three cheers to the Black & White for bringing this great artist to town.

Akbar Raza, Ruwi

Unrepeatable miracle

Out of this world

I have watched Yanni on both occasions here – the first in 2011 and now in 2013. Both were unique and completely mind blowing performances. I really think Yanni is an artist you can watch countless times, because each performance is an unrepeatable miracle!

Komal Vineet, Wadi Kabir

It (the Yanni concert) was simply out of this world!

Fabulous! No words can describe this unique musical experience! Yanni is always amazing, but the performers along with him were equally wonderful. I don’t want to miss any of his shows in Oman!

Sanjith Aaron, Qurum

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MEN CRY ‘REAL’ TEARS

by Ajithkumar Deb

Men read

Men cry – this has already been established and today it is almost a cliché to even talk about it (*). But the controversy that is brewing is on the topic that when men cry, they cry real tears. Is this true?

Unlike women, some of whom are known to cry ‘crocodile tears’, men cry for real. So say men.

Does this mean that the salt on women’s cheeks, when they cry, tastes different?

It is a big statement that men are making here. There is a degree of acceptability when it is said as men don’t usually cry. So, when they do, it makes headlines. At least it used to and although it doesn’t make the front pages these days, it still raises eyebrows and it still makes more news than a woman crying.

Men are known to be the less emotional type and so seeing them being reduced to tears actually washes our minds clean of any stray thoughts that they are faking a cry.

Why would men ever want to be known that they are real cry babies in life? They wouldn’t. So, it is a case in point to consider that when men cry, it is quite often seen as a proof of his sincerity, honesty and integrity.

It is not known why women’s tears are quite often viewed as manipulative, illogical and false? Is it because they cry too much and they have crossed the line where their tears had a vulnerable and submissive quality to them. There was an era which saw tears clearly befitting a woman than a man. But May 7 - June 6 8 B&W 2 0 1 3

women seem to have outdone it and they seemed to have earned a bad name for crying. Derisive comments like, “it is typical of women to shed tears as a last resort” and “women can cry and win” have been the outcome of copious tears by women over the years. While women argue that they have more reasons to cry than men, it still hasn’t given that respectability or the attention it used to give them before.

While many men would like to hold on to their emotions and would like to project the ideal of the tearless male, it pays to note that this is the metro-sexual age (or are we past that?) where men are into most things that they would not have been doing many years ago and so, yes, we have seen the slow, but sure, feminisation of men and it is a matter of time we see men also crying and bawling their eyes out on various issues, even the fact that someone has stepped on their toes. Fine, let us not be trite. We still expect men to cry less than women, but there have been various instances, at least in politics, where high profile women were not given their due, despite their tears while this was not the case with top men in power.

There seems to be an underlying understanding, nay, compassion for

men, when they breakdown. It seems as though many feel for men when they cry; seeing the stoic, stony man, suddenly melt seems to move many men and women alike who feel that it is more real. It is as though we automatically understand that women shed tears over literally everything and men would normally cry only over significant issues. So, there is this genuine feeling that men are crying because something important has happened and not just because someone jilted them or spoke harshly at them (a la women)!

But whatever said, over the top emotional displays would not be entertained. These days men are encouraged to let loose, but that doesn’t mean that they should end up in a blubbering mass of tears.

Such displays would make everyone look uncomfortable. My point is simple: if men want to cry, or in the rare times that they cry, let it be done in a dignified manner. And let them not do it too frequently, otherwise they will reach the same sad status that women are in today when you walk past a crying woman without even a second glance. That would be a crying shame! (*) B&W had carried a feature on the topic of men crying several issues back.

Men read

You men want to live longer? Then, get married!

This seems to be the new mantra for men who are looking for new means to extend their lives. This also seems to be a new way to woo recalcitrant men to the altar. But, it is not false news. For research does suggest that marriage is good for health – especially for men.

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Want to live longer?

GET MARRIED!

by Ashley Haydn

It has been proven that married men live longer than their single, unwed counterparts. In fact, a large populationbased study from Finland has shown that being unmarried increases the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart attack in both men and women whatever their age.

Conversely, say the study investigators, especially among middle-aged couples, being married and cohabiting are associated with “considerably better prognosis of acute cardiac events both before hospitalisation and after reaching the hospital alive”.

The study, published early this year in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, was based on the FINAMI myocardial infarction register data from the years 1993 to 2002.

The study included information on people over the age of 35 living in four geographical regions of Finland. All fatal and non-fatal cardiac events - known as “acute cardiac syndromes”, ACS were included and cross-referred to the population database. “Our aim,” said the authors, “was to study the differences in the morbidity and prognosis of incident acute coronary syndromes according to socio-demographic characteristics (marital status and household size).”

The register recorded 15,330 ACS events over the study period of ten years, with just over half (7703) resulting in death within 28 days. Events occurred almost equally among men and women.

However, the analysis also showed that the age-standardised incidences of these ACS events were approximately 58–66 percent higher among unmarried men and 60–65 percent higher in unmarried women, than among

married men and women in all age groups. The prime reason for men living longer in a married atmosphere is easy to understand. Imagine a man experiencing chest pains in a congenial family atmosphere as opposed to living alone – the former man gets immediate attention and is quickly taken to the hospital.

It has been proved beyond doubt that most men tend to ignore any ailments that they come across and tend to put off going to a doctor or seeking medical attention. But, in a marriage, the woman, who is more importantly a better caregiver will surely send her husband to the doctor even if it is a mild symptom afflicting him. This can work both ways, but let us focus only on the man here.

In fact, extreme cases of men ignoring their ailments include stories of men running up flights of stairs just to prove that they do not have any heart ailments have been recorded. In general wives tend to look after their husband’s health than vice versa, some reports suggest.

Married women make sure that their men attend routine medical appointments and also down the medications they are supposed to take, without fail.

There are also statistics to prove that married people get to the hospital an average of “30 minutes sooner than their unmarried peers”.

The Finland based study found out that being unmarried or living alone is known to increase total and cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular disease incidence.

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“Be a man!”

Oman watch

The once fastest bowler in the world flexes his muscles, looks down at his feet and then looks straight into your eyes when he says this: “Be a man!”

This simple statement reverberates in our being, long after our meeting with the once controversial Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Akhtar.

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Oman watch

Shoaib, dubbed the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ (he hails from Rawalpindi in Pakistan), was once the most fearsome bowler in the cricketing world, also one of its most controversial sons.

The 38-year old former cricketer, who is the first to cross the 100-mile barrier twice, was in town recently to promote a blood donation cause in Oman. He was brought to Oman by Super International, which had partnered with the Ministry of Health (MoH), to organise the 7th annual walk (*) for blood donor awareness at Al Sahwa park, in Seeb.

Although he spoke briefly to the Black & White at the Crowne Plaza, where he was put up, he touched upon all things non controversial and almost nothing on cricket.

His brief tete-a-tete with B&W illuminated the other side of this hell raiser on the sports field. Many forget that despite being riddled with controversies, Shoaib had always kept his head and played the game like a man and also managed to break records.

Whatever happened outside the field never affected the cricketer who was always a tearaway bowler, an honest, straight-in-the-face talker who called a spade a spade and even when he had to bear the brunt for it, always took it in his stride.

He shrugged his broad shoulders when he was asked about his perennial love affair with controversies: “Well, who does not get caught in controversies? If you are famous, everything you say or do becomes a controversy; and if you are too famous, then you will be in a lot of controversies. So, I don’t think much of it!”

Shoaib’s confidence is quite contagious. He does not allow you any room for weakness and says that whatever situation you are in, you have to get out of it and “never May 7 - June 6 14 B&W 2 0 1 3

give up” on your dreams. Only the weak give up their dreams. “No, you’ve got to be a man!” the fiery erstwhile bowler stresses.

There is a raw, physical energy that seems to emanate from him and perhaps that is why he is mostly caught in the whirl of controversies. It is an energy which can put most of whom he meets on edge, especially when you have the wrong intentions. Otherwise, his air of self assuredness is something you can bask in.

The famous bowler’s eyes glistened a bit when he spoke about his friendship with Aziz Khan, a tongawala outside Lahore Railway Station. The latter had helped him, given him a space to sleep at a time when Shoaib was penniless and desperate. Shoaib’s promise to Aziz (for helping him) was that he would come back to him once he joined the Pakistan team, a promise he kept.

Shoaib smiles lightly when asked about this friendship.

“I made a promise and I kept it. I went and saw him after I got into the national team and I also did what I could to assist him,” he says not revealing what help he gave Aziz Khan. Apparently, he had looked after him and his family very well.

Excerpts: Who is Shoaib Akhtar?

Cricketer! First and foremost a cricketer – everything else after that!

Someone like you can always be an inspiration to many out there who are in the crossroads of their lives both in the field of sports and otherwise…You have gone through tough times too, but that did not deter you…

I would place great emphasis on physical activity…it is a must! It is very important that we encourage children and the youth to play and be physically active. Physical activities, games and sports bring about positivity and goodness around; it makes the youth more responsible and accountable. Youth should invest their energy on their dreams, work hard, rather than waste their time sitting in front of televisions or computers... Life is all about moving ahead, about motion, activity... it is never too late to start an activity or create a group.

Tell us your interest in Oman and about your visit here?

This is my first visit to Oman. I was in Dubai as part of a promotional campaign; I was invited from there to Oman to spearhead a blood donation drive. So, I thought why not? It is sad to note that many youngsters here are tragic victims of road accidents and the alarming rate of accidents have created a significant demand for blood.

I wish and hope my presence will make a difference. It is our responsibility to save lives, and donate blood, but more importantly it is a requirement to channelise the energy of the youth to something positive rather than speeding on the roads. The youth have a responsibility towards the nation and the community they live in. I hope in a small way I can contribute to the development of cricket in town, we are in talks with authorities to start an academy, train and coach those interested in playing good cricket...

Oman is such a beautiful country and it has a youthful population. I feel that the residents should encourage sports and games and lead youth towards positivity.

Games and sports play a good role in teaching responsibility, teamwork, discipline, self-esteem, accountability, leadership qualities, and the ability to accept challenges in life, generate healthy competition, develop a “never give up” attitude.

One piece of advice to all those who want to come up in life…?

Never be afraid to dream…Every stage of life is about progress and evolving. I believe in dreaming. Dreams are vehicles which will take you to your goals. Never be afraid to dream. Dreams have the power to make you a man in the real world. Be street-smart too, but chase

after your dreams. Every child dreams, grows up with the dreams; your childhood ends when you realise your dreams. Be calm and focussed, the more silent you are, you can listen to your dreams. I have many dreams, and will continue dreaming until I breathe. I have realised my dreams out of sheer hard work and will continue to do so... I am a content man, dreams is not about being greedy. It’s about having a purpose in life!

Has the Shoaib of yesteryear changed today?

Change is imminent: Life is all about evolving. When I look back, I know I have evolved. Every human being has to change at least once in 10 years. You cannot act like a 10 year old when you are 20 and when you are 30 you cannot still aspire to be 20. Evolve, grow up and stay focussed on your goals.

Is success and achievement the final goal and destination? What after that?

Then it is time to give back to the community. Giving is a process that begins the moment you start to earn.

When you get things from the community you live in, it is a must to give back to the community. It is a social responsibility to pass on whatever possible – even if it is a small amount. Every one of us have a capacity to live and let live. The world becomes a better place if we can share a little bit of burden for others, share and care for those under privileged. Remember however rich you are, even if you live in a palace, you can only sleep in a single room. You may walk around for hours in your palatial home, but as an individual, all you need is a bed space to sleep. It makes more sense to give away to the underprivileged than to waste it on cosmetics and other superfluous spending. You will get more blessings and goodwill by doing so! (*) event was not held owing to bad weather May 7 - June 6 15 B&W 2 0 1 3

O

Should I cover my son’s eyes?

wall he t ff

Off the wall

By Adarsh Madhavan When the cinema screen erupted with mindless violence, sex, etc., my mother would shield my eyes. I would still try to peek through her clenched fingers, but to no avail. I could only hear the weird noises from behind the wall of fingers.

After the non viewable scenes were played out, she would let me watch. Her palms would never be too far off for any offensive scenes, which my tender age did not permit me to view.

But, within few years after that, bunking classes, I watched the same type of violence and whatnot in thatched roof theatres in my hometown in Kerala. I don’t know if the violence shaped me, or whether I became an uglier person because of such viewing. But whatever, over the years I became a kind of softie and definitely took a particular distaste for mindless violence and onscreen ugliness. I am unable to watch gore, deadly scenes of violence and mayhem where characters butcher each other as though they were swatting flies. It is not just the violence alone, but the aftermath of the violence, where bloodied bodies are strewn around like in a battlefield, have become unbearable to watch. I know that if we don’t have the stomach to watch it even, now would we find the courage to come in face to face with such horrors? Terrible things happen around us, but then, if our future belong to people with steel stomachs and iron fists and if the world need those who can walk through violence like they were taking a mid-morning stroll in their garden, then I might be preparing my child wrong.

For I am shielding him from ugliness spewed out on the small screen. Although I have not introduced him to the big screen as yet, he is hooked on to the small and he can live on cartoons. But then there are times when he gets to see movies other than cartoons. That is when we realise that the stuff we have been used to watching, crazed violence; men and women clinging together and doing well, what they ought to be doing in such situations and the like and then we think, is this right for a five-year old? Because we don’t know, we change the channels at that appropriate moment,

just when the protagonist lifts that menacing scythe to bring it down on his former friend turned betrayer’s hand (they show a close up of the cut hand later) or when they show the innards of a massive shark’s mouth that is about to gobble up a woman’s pale leg; or when a member of a beggar-racket group gouges out a boy’s eye to make him a petty beggar for life; or when a group of terrorists jump on a woman to openly molest her while her family watches…the list of horrors is seemingly endless, but the point is should I let him watch these ugliness on the screen?

Make him stronger to face the real world out there?

For, there is no denying it. These things happen in the real world. These horrors; these killings, these plunders, these murders, these rapes and torture are happening in the real world and no horror movie can actually bring out the reality that is happening just out of our windows. Will I, by shielding my little one, from the screen violence, ultimately make him a softy, a sissy, a coward who will cower under the weight of real happenings out there when he has to face the world? Will he run away from the tests of time because I make him look at the world with rose coloured spectacles? Am I doing it right by switching channels when a man and woman turn the heat up with their romance; or when a man chokes his woman by the neck? When, how and which are the occasions that I should shield my son’s eyes?

Evil exists in the world. Bombings, killings and utter mayhem are all out there and even these real aspects are screened on the small screens too, so it is not just the movies. But, whenever the screens erupt in violence, I switch it back to Tom & Jerry. It is better to make him watch Tom being beaten to near death by a cunning Jerry than watch him recoil in horror over some torn limbs. I could be wrong, but I have no choice… adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com

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Cadillac sponsors Yanni live in Oman Cadillac was the 'Official Car' for the recently concluded Yanni (World Without Borders) concert in Oman. The event, which was held at the City Amphitheatre, witnessed a capacity crowd and everyone went home mesmerised by the musical magic of Yanni and his talented artists. The Oman Trading Establishment (OTE), who are the official dealers of Cadillac in Oman, said that they were happy to be the support sponsor for this sellout event that attracted 5,000 fans. “Yanni is a phenomenon and we are happy to be part of this event,” a spokesperson from the OTE said.

Energizer Automotive Batteries summer offer Sayarti has just launched a wider range of Energizer Automotive Batteries that are suitable for all types of passenger cars, commercial vehicles and trucks and buses.

To reassure the customers on the longevity of the batteries, Sayarti is presenting customers a special introductory offer of 18 month warranty on all Energizer Automotive Batteries purchased and installed professionally at any Sayarti outlets.

Mohammed Balushi, Sayarti manager, said, “We’ve all experienced battery failures, especially in the hot summer months. It is a real inconvenience when the car won’t start and you’re left in the sweltering heat. The biggest challenge for battery manufacturers who market their products in the Middle East is to make the battery withstand high ambient temperatures.”

Sayarti is the official distributor of the recently launched Energizer Automotive Batteries, with a product range covering passenger, commercial and truck batteries in the Oman market.

The Pizza Company opens its

first outlet in Muscat

The Pizza Company opened its doors at the Muscat Grand Mall recently. The well-known pizzeria, founded in 1981, pioneering Italian food concept in the East has opened its first branch in Oman under the management of Emirates and Bahrain International Restaurants.

Me & Mom event a big success The ‘Me & Mom’ event, being conducted for the third consecutive year, was held recently. “Our event – held in celebration of the mother and child – was a huge success!” said Nipa Shah, the event coordinator. The event, which included plenty of games, quiz and activities, was held at the Dosa Plaza. “Everyone had a lot of fun with delicious brunch,” Nipa said. Other attractions include face painting, henna, tarot card reading, and plenty of prizes and gift hampers.

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alizz islamic bank appoints Shariah supervisory board alizz islamic bank S.A.O.G announced the appointment of its Shariah supervisory board at the bank’s second general meeting held at the businessmen hall at the Capital Market Authority.

His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin As’ad Al Said, chairman of the board, board members, and a number of

shareholders were in attendance.

The newly appointed supervisory board consists of Sheikh (Dr) Mohammed Abdul Rahim Sultan Al Olama, Sheikh Dr Osama Mohammed Saad Bahar and Sheikh Nasser bin Yousef bin Nasser Al Azri. These prominent Shariah scholars are qualified individuals who collectively bring a wealth of experience in jurisprudence, Islamic finance, research and banking.

“As we move closer towards becoming operational, the newly appointed Shariah supervisory board will prove to be a tremendous asset given their caliber, diversity and wealth of experience in Islamic law. They will work closely with us to ensure that we deliver sophisticated banking solutions that adhere to the principles of Shariah and are designed for every life stage,” said Sayyid Taimur Al Said.

The BMW concept X4 The world premiere of the first BMW X model (the BMW X5) in 1999 saw the BMW group call into being the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) segment – one in which BMW X models remain the market leaders. The BMW X3 and BMW X1 were likewise the first SAVs in their class and continue to set the pace among their rivals today. This development took on a new dimension in May 2008 with the introduction of the BMW X6 – the first Sports Activity Coupe (SAC). This still unique concept brought together the rugged looks of a BMW X model with the emotional aura and sporting character of a BMW Coupe for the first time. The enduring popularity of BMW’s first SAC is borne out by its consistently high sales figures. The short history of the BMW X range is already a successful one. Since

the first BMW X model took to the stage, average sales across the BMW X line-up have progressed on a constant upward curve: one in four new BMW cars is now a BMW X model.

Wordpress

Octal inspires Salalah College of Technology students

Octal was recently invited to present the company’s effective deployment of SAP R/3 networking systems to IT teachers and students at Salalah College of Technology (SCT). Greeted by an overwhelming response, the college is now keen to incorporate Octal’s expertise into the curriculum as an ongoing case study to supplement the students’ coursework.

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Vinod Vidya Sagar, Octal’s head of IT applications, delivered the presentation. He explained, “At Octal we have created an efficient matrix to integrate sales orders within the production and accounting departments for streamlined processing in order to increase our competitive edge. As the company continues to grow and make significant strides in both local and international markets, we had to create a secure, reliable, and scalable system to log orders and maintain high visibility across the whole supply chain. Using SAP R/3 has enabled us to integrate the entire operation under a single process that deals with different languages and currencies while securely storing our customer information to drive business growth.”

Sugar – diabetes management center His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said officially inaugurated the Sugar Apollo Clinic for Diabetes at a special gathering that was also attended by Sangita Reddy, executive director, Apollo Hospitals Group, India recently. Sugar Clinic Muscat is the first international Sugar Center of the Apollo Group outside India and is in collaboration with the International Medical Centre L.L.C., Oman. Sugar Clinic – Muscat offers a host of services which includes - full-time endocrinologist and diabetologist, diabetes foot clinic-equipped with latest screening capabilities, diabetes eye clinic – manned by a full time ophthalmologist and equipped with stateof-the-art non-mydriatic Fundus Camera, dietician and physiotherapist. With an eye for education the center has a team of trained diabetes nurse educators who work closely with clinicians and individuals availing care at the center. Sayyid Shihab said: “Diabetes is a growing menace in the country and I wish to congratulate Apollo Hospitals and the International Medical Center team

for initiating a unique concept to tackle diabetes for the residents of Oman”.

Elucidating the concept of Sugar, Sangita Reddy, said: “Sugar is a unique offering, which follows a structured care pathway and a multi-disciplinary team approach to work with the individuals affected with diabetes to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life."

Bank Sohar ‘Mystery Sahara’ credit card Offering more value to its customers on its wide range of credit cards, Bank Sohar has launched an exciting new campaign where 90 lucky customers get the chance to win high value gifts over the next three months. For every purchase of OMR30 or more using Bank Sohar credit cards (internet, classic, gold and platinum), customers will get a chance to win a ‘Mystery Sahara gift’ in a monthly raffle draw. The bank will give away a total of 90 gifts

to the lucky winners as part of the promotion, which runs from April 15 to July 15, this year. Thirty gifts will be given away at each of the three draws, conducted monthly during the promotional period.

Commenting on the latest promotion,

R. Narasimhan, DGM and head of retail banking at Bank Sohar said, “Bank Sohar has a large number of credit card customers and we are always looking to acknowledge and reward them for their patronage with exciting promotions. Our latest promotion follows the stellar success of our ‘cash back promotion’ we ran last year. This new promotion will be held over three months and we will be giving away OMR 20,000 worth of prizes.”

Sharjah road shows The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority has unveiled a series of road shows in cooperation with Air Arabia across the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries, beginning April 17 to woo the massive and constantly growing population of AGCC and Arab tourists. The countries on the SCTDA’s itinerary include Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to SCTDA director general, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa.

Sharjah’s popular airline Air Arabia has joined hands with the SCTDA in the AGCC campaign. The first stop on the road map was Oman on April 17 where leading players of the country’s travel and tourism industry came together at a workshop and dinner in Muscat hosted by the authority. The guests were briefed about Sharjah’s tourist attractions and numerous options and opportunities offered by the emirate for the Omani and AGCC visitors.

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HSBC Bank Oman training efforts HSBC Bank Oman S.A.O.G.’s customer-facing employees have recently concluded a customer service representative training workshop entitled ‘Frontline First’ that combined operations, systems and product knowledge training exercises. The three day training workshop aimed at arming employees with the necessary tools, skillsets and learning materials that empower them to serve customers with the highest standards of professionalism, care and utmost

attention to detail.

Ali Al Abri, head of human resources at HSBC Bank Oman said, “One of our top priorities at the bank is to continually improve our level of customer service in order to further enrich the overall HSBC banking experience. This is achieved by taking our staff training and development very seriously because of our deep belief that if employees have the right tools to deliver results and achieve their full potential, our business performs better.”

Millennium resort hosts ‘media weekend getaway’ Millennium Resort Mussanah, one of Oman’s leading lifestyle destination resorts, recently invited members of the press with their families for a fun filled ‘Media Weekend Getaway’ in Mussanah. During the two day visit, guests enjoyed a variety of activities including a special tour of the resort and its multi-purpose facilities, participation in a number of water and sports activities as well as a mini golf tournament challenge for children and adults.

Photocentre

Second Mouawad boutique at Opera Galleria

For photography enthusiasts looking for a high-end compact that delivers outstanding images even in low light, the game-changing Olympus Stylus XZ range stands out from the crowd.

Photocentre, the authorised distributors for Olympus in Oman, has bolstered the range, with the addition of the slender Olympus Stylus XZ-10. “The XZ-10 offers an ideal combination of optical brilliance, fast lens response, pocket-sized design and the usability required to shoot and share every day on the fly,” said Mohammad Al Farei, managing director of Photocentre. “It has all the technology needed for capturing exactly those rich colour shots you want with low noise, irrespective of shooting conditions.”

The XZ-10 comes in black, brown or white and is now available for sale from Photocentre, retailing at OMR199.

Contact: 24565305/24571708.

Mouawad, the luxury jeweller and watchmaker, officially inaugurated its new boutique at Opera Galleria, Muscat’s new prestigious shopping destination recently. The new showroom is the second for Mouawad in Oman’s capital and the first to be designed according to the new generation store concept. The grand opening was attended by both local clientele and VIPs and was honoured with the visit of popular Yemeni singer and television host, Arwa as well as two generations of Mouawads. “I am very excited to be here today to celebrate the opening of Mouawad’s second boutique in Oman. Oman is a fast growing market and the appetite for luxury in general and for jewellery in particular is growing; it has always been a very important market for us and we wanted to cater the increasing demand of our local clientele,” commented Pascal Mouawad during the opening event.

Wordpress

Lightweight Olympus XZ-10 at

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Nawras honoured at 2013 Dubai Lynx Awards Nawras was recently honoured at the 2013 Dubai Lynx Awards for its free WiFi activation service promotional video entitled ‘Piggybacking’. In addition to being shortlisted in eight categories, Nawras and the company’s advertising agency, Leo Burnett, took home a Silver Lynx award for use of digital media and a Bronze Lynx award for consumer services.

Omar Nazih Azar, Nawras head of branding and campaigns, said, “To reflect the capabilities of our new WiFi service, we partnered with Leo Burnett, winner of 2012 and 2013’s Dubai Lynx Network of the Year award. Together we created an activation campaign that illustrates how easy it is for customers to use the new WiFi service at Muscat Grand Mall.”

Musthafa and his wife Almana of the law firm Musthafa Almana recently flew down from Dubai along with the delegation to award S.A.S. Naqvi, sports consultant during the UTSC Hockey tournament held in Muscat.

Writing is essential as a means of learning At the conference for English Language Teaching at Sultan Qaboos University held recently, Dr Peter Waters, English lecturer at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) demonstrated how to implement current research on the educational value of writing. His workshop entitled “Writing to Learn” emphasised that writing is essentially a means of learning

not merely a record.

Dr Peter, who has worked in Oman for many years, has a firm understanding of the teaching practices and learning needs of students within the Sultanate. He argues that despite the widespread use of the digital media, the art of writing should not be abandoned or given a secondary role in education.

Mitsubishi announces ‘last price deals’ General Automotive Company, the official dealers of Mitsubishi in Oman, is now offering its most popular models, the Lancer GL, Lancer EX, Galant and Pajero’s, with new all-time-low fixed pricing.

Commenting on the offer, Mark Tomlinson, general manager of General Automotive Company said, “This really is a great deal for anyone interested in a new Mitsubishi, and the practical ‘last price’ assures customers they’re getting the absolute best deal available on a new car.

We guarantee that no negotiations or bargaining skills are needed, the customer can just walk in, choose the car that they like and drive away in their

new Mitsubishi safe in the knowledge that they’ve received the best deal possible, without the need for negotiations. That means no hidden costs or gimmicks to worry about and all vehicles included in the offer have been clearly marked in the showroom.”

The ‘last price deal’ covers all versions of the Lancer GL, Lancer EX and Galant, aside from the saloon models, GAC also have some Pajero’s included in the offer but these are of very limited availability and preference will be given on a first come basis.

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Omantel Toastmasters Omantel Toastmasters Club is one of the major initiatives promoted by Omantel in a bid to enhance speaking and leadership skills of its staff. The initiative also aims at enhancing their self-confidence and communication with others.

The club was established in June 2011 by a group of the company staff to be the 17th club from among 20 toastmasters club in the Sultanate affiliated to U.S based Toastmasters International (TMI) Omantel Toastmasters recently hosted Lance Miller who has been 'on-the-road' for Toastmasters since becoming the 'World Champion of Public Speaking' in 2005, from among 28,000 competitors representing 90 countries.

The club currently prepares to take part at the ‘District 20 PR Awards’, in which 80 clubs from Middle East will take part. The competition categories include press articles, websites, social networking, periodical newsletter and marketing ads.

‘No Flying Yoke’ wins Red Bull Soapbox Race The team titled ‘No Flying Yoke’ claimed the top podium spot at the first ever Red Bull Soapbox Race held recently at Bausher Sand Dunes and with it an all-expense paid trip to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi along with an exclusive paddock walk to experience the F1 garage and the chance to meet the Red Bull Racing Team. “It was a really good day and very fun. We had no expectations and we just wanted to make it a fun day out for the kids and the family - winning was just a bonus,” said Gary Witherspoon team member for No Flying Yoke.

Team scores were based on three criteria including speed, showmanship and creativity. The panel of judges included Oman’s acclaimed race car driver Ahmad Al

Harthy, radio and TV personality Murtadha Al Lawati, TV personality Ibtihal Al Zadjali and Sulaiman Al Rawahi.

Wordpress

Oman Pharmaceutical Conference 2013 The Oman Pharmaceutical Conference 2013 was recently organised by Oman Medical College at the college campus, Muscat with the theme “Advances in Drug Delivery systems and Pharmaceutical Care Practice”. The conference was inaugurated under the auspices of Dr Sultan bin Ya’arub bin Qahtan Al-Busaidi, advisor of health affairs, Ministry of Health (MoH). Dr P. Mohammed Ali, the honorary president and chairman of the governing council of Oman Medical College, dignitaries from the MoH, and ministry of higher education graced the occasion. The keynote address was given

by Ph. Sawsan bint Ahmed bin Jaffar, director general, directorate general of pharmaceutical affairs and drug control.

The two-day event accredited by the Oman Medical Specialty Board was attended by more than 400 delegates including pharmacists, assistant pharmacists, May 7 - June 6 22 B&W 2 0 1 3

students and other healthcare professionals from Oman and other AGCC Countries. The conference provided a variety of events including plenary lectures, workshops, panel discussions, pharma exhibition and poster presentations highlighting research in the field of pharmacy.

In Black & White

In Black...

Education is a tool that can change the destiny of a nation. Although Illiteracy was a major hurdle in the earlier days, today we can be proud that the country has fought it to a great extent Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief EDUCATION WITH PURPOSE Education has no limits! The more you learn, the more you realise not just how little you know and how much you need to know but also, you understand that whatever you learn is like a sip of the ocean from a remote corner of the globe. There is so much that you need to know. And, the limits to education is all what you set yourself and that is why there is a need for all of us to learn, and that too constantly.

EDUCATION – A STEPPING STONE When His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said took over the reins of Oman in 1970, he introduced the literacy programme for adults, with an aim to groom the citizens of Oman to participate in the growth and progress of the nation. He knew that education was a stepping stone in the building of a nation.

Education is a tool that can change the destiny of a nation. Illiteracy was a major hurdle then, but today we can be proud that the country has fought it to a great extent.

UNLOCKS HUMAN POTENTIAL What does education do? It teaches us how to think scientifically, rationally, logically and well, mathematically. It opens the door to various unknown facets of life. Most importantly, a classroom teaches us how to think socially. We are finally what we know and learn. And literacy unlocks human potential and helps us pull ourselves out of poverty and oppression and better our lives. It helps us to think big and better our lives in all spheres.

BLAME PARENTS Over the years of travel and education, I have come across different countries and various educational policies. There are countries that have made it mandatory for a child to finish high school. School authorities in such countries do not take it lightly when they find students wasting precious time instead of studying and learning.

In fact, they blame the parents of such students and hold them responsible for their children’s irresponsible behaviour. The truth is that if we ensure that every child attends school, there will be no adults left uneducated!

WOMEN LITERATE The B&W team met up with some senior women who have bravely undertaken the task to finish off their incomplete education, even if it meant learning with their own children. The department of continuing education at the ministry of education is doing a commendable job by taking literacy to the villages, to the doorstep of the villagers, with an aim to eradicate illiteracy amongst womenfolk there. More than 200-odd women from the villages near the Muscat region completed their third grades and collected certificates at a function held recently. As they say, an educated woman in the family keeps generations educated! Let us wish the womenfolk a better life through literacy!

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B&W Xclusive May 7 - June 6 24 B&W 2 0 1 3

Back to

School

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“Are you ready for dictation?” asks Fareeda Al Balushi, a young volunteer teacher, to her morning class held in a spacious hall of Jabr bin Zaid mosque, in Al Hail.

“Yes!” chorus the enthusiastic, youthful Omani students.

The door to the hall opens and a ‘student’ rushes in and takes her seat, a bit flustered for coming in late.

She quickly surveys the scene, pulls out the required textbook and a sense of relief floods in her, quite visible to the onlooker – she is now on par with the rest of her classmates.

Well, this sounds as normal as any classroom in town. Walk into any Omani classroom and perhaps you will see a similar scene: a semi-composed teacher and his/her nervous students.

However, the difference in this class is that the students are older than their teacher and all of them are ladies. Almost all of them are mothers, perhaps, even grandmothers. And they seemed more confident than their younger counterparts.

That may not be unusual, but the enthusiasm of this set of senior students is simply infectious. They were really gung-ho about their morning class and eager to learn.

We stood at a quiet distance and soaked in the scene. The most unusual part of the scenario is the fact that many Omani women have taken the responsibility of getting back to school. And they seem to be loving every moment of it.

A CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE Fareeda wrote that day’s date on the board and then asked her students to open a particular page in that book. The students promptly did that. “Yesterday, I told you about the dictation we are having today – are you all ready?”

“Yes!” the ladies chorus.

“WRITE THE WORD ‘COME’!”

One of the students quickly came forward and wrote on the board. Then Fareeda went on to ask her students to write other words, ‘help, party…’ etc.

The student scribbles a ‘u’ at the end of the word ‘part’ and then quickly corrects it to ‘y’ when her teacher asks the other students to correct it. “Pee aaa are tee why!” they chorused.

More questions and the students’ hands shoot up, eager

to be the first one to give the correct answer. There are mostly hits and of course some misses. But, on a whole the students appeared to be quite bright and more than their abilities, it was their zeal to learn that stood out.

As we soak in this animated ambience, enjoying the familiar buzz of a classroom, Khayria Ahmed Al Zadjali, head of the department of continuing education, ministry of education (MoE), stands next us, beaming. She has every reason to feel proud. It is no mean feat of the ministry to get these ladies back to school.

She noted how the children of some of the ladies were studying in the same class as their children. “Both (the senior and junior students) had no problem with that. And we are very happy with the interest these ladies have shown,” she said of the students, most of whom were from Al Hail area.

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"Most of the ladies started out without even knowing how to hold a pen. Now, we can proudly say we have achieved more than our target of eradicating illiteracy in the villages,” Khayria Al Zadjali proudly noted

The students are part of the MoE’s literacy villages’ project, a very recent concept aimed at decreasing the number of illiterate people in Oman within a short space of time. It aims to encourage all sections of society to participate in the battle against illiteracy and involves the entire village community. The curriculum is the same as that used in the MoE day schools in addition to some support programmes related to life skills. The life skills curriculum is delivered by the ministry of religious affairs, ministry of health, Royal Oman Police, Civil Defense and other organisations in or close to the village.

B&W Xclusive

For some days, the B&W team quietly viewed various students from different classes and schools and discovered a whole new world filled with eager women who were trying hard to regain the education that they had lost. Admittedly, it was a difficult task for both the students as well as the teachers, but the strongest bridge across this chasm was the unbridle enthusiasm displayed by the students, many a teacher’s fond dream.

LET THE WOMENFOLK BE LITERATE “With an aim to empower women with education, the literacy villages’ project expanded towards eradicating the high illiteracy percentage of womenfolk in the villages.

The older women did not have the opportunity to attend normal day schools. Even if some did, they had to drop out of schools owing to family obligations, marriages or living conditions. When the MoE kick started the literacy villages’ project, after the 2003 statistics, many men came forward to take part in the adult literacy programmes,” Khayria Ahmed Al Zadjali noted.

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But, as is the case, men and boys could travel far and wide and even stay in hostels to pursue their studies, while women and girls fell back and remained at home, unable to follow suit. Women had many family obligations to attend to and could not come to a particular location allocated for studies. “The population was very minimal in the villages and it was not wise to build a school, hence ministry of continuing education set up study locations at local mosques or seblats or even at sheds at remote villages to facilitate group studies under the supervision of a local educated girl candidate, trained by our team. All accessories, books, stationeries were provided by the department including training and supervision by a trainer from the department,” Khayria Al Zadjali explained.

205 WOMEN COMPLETE THREE YEARS OF STUDY “This year we have an achievement we can be proud of. From the villages of Muscat region, 205 ladies have completed three years of study and also finished Grade 3. We will be awarding certificates in May and after this successful completion, these 205 ladies will go straight to Grade 7. We, at the department of continuing education, feel very optimistic on their performance and perseverance. These ladies have successfully completed their three years of study, despite facing many challenging situations. They have attained their goals because they dedicated themselves to finishing their tasks and achieving their grades.

Most of the ladies started off without even knowing how to hold a pen. Looking at the current scenario, we can proudly say we have achieved more than our target of eradicating illiteracy in the villages,” Khayria Zadjali proudly noted.

The vision was to halve the illiteracy percentage by

2015, but Oman has excelled itself by achieving the target by 2013 itself, she added.

“We choose a local lady who has completed her high school and train her to teach the ladies of that particular village.

“Books and stationeries are provided and a location is chosen. Initially the womenfolk are taught the Holy Quran, so that they can get used to the right way of praying and living. The MoE has set books and curriculum for the adults’ education and that is followed for the first three years. There are some villages where ladies sit together in ordinary sheds and learn.

The timings are flexible and it is decided by the group themselves. A supervisor from our department will be available initially almost all days, then once a week, to supervise the schedules and help the local teacher manage the new group. We have found that many of these ladies are very intelligent and learn all subjects very meticulously. There is one lady in Quriyat village who is very good in Mathematics.”

Muna Al Zadjali

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B&W Xclusive

Innovative night schools The Umama bint Al A’as School in Al Khoud is quite a huge one. A heavy silence enveloped the large premises of the school when we strolled in during one recent early evening -- post school hours. But, as we pitter pattered to one segment of the school we discovered nearly a dozen students huddled in a classroom listening attentively to a teacher. They were so engrossed in their work that neither the teacher nor the students paid attention to us standing in the doorway.

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After some time, Muna Ahmed Al Zadjali, principal of the night school at Umama Al A’as and Khayria Zadjali knocked and we all entered. The students, led by Sundus Ibrahim, a science teacher, were all happy to let us into their world, telling us how they grabbed the opportunity to get back to school.

FAMILY WILL LEAD A BETTER LIFE Sameera Al Maskery works at a bank, but she is determined to finish her education as that will give an automatic career boost. “I am currently pursuing my grade 10 and hope to pass and obtain my certificate this year,” she tells us. She began attending the evening classes two years back with an intention to complete her studies and thereby progress in her career. “Currently I am working in the customer service department of a bank here in Oman and upon completion of this course and after obtaining the certificate, I will be in a much better position in my career. This will be an ideal stepping stone.

Personally I feel every woman should educate herself, not matter what her limitations are. A woman holds her family together, brings up the children and if she is also educated the whole family will be able to lead a better life,” Sameera opined.

B&W Xclusive

DAUGHTERS PROUD OF MOTHER Fatma Al Balushi’s case is slightly different. She had done her basic education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but was not able to complete her education owing

to various reasons. The moment she found an opportunity she was back to school.

“Currently I am in my late 30s and have two daughters studying in grades10 and 11, respectively. Owing to many reasons, I could not complete my grade10. But thank God, I am in the process of completing it now. I love to learn and my family is very supportive. Hopefully, I will complete and obtain the certificate successfully. My daughters feel happy and proud of me,” Fatma said.

MOUNTING THE ARABIC CHALLENGE Nasra Abdullah Mohammed finished her higher secondary in Tanzania. However, Arabic remained a challenge to her. “So, I took a special course on Arabic. I am studying for the last 18 months and it has been a real enlightening experience for me. I hope to finish my grade 10 this year.”

MAKING UP FOR THE LOST CHANCES Maryam bint Essa, in her 40s, started off her education from Grade 1, virtually starting from scratch.

She has seven children, three of whom are in secondary school. She has been working hard and hopes to finish her grade10 by this May. "I love to study. But family responsibilities and various other related reasons prevented me from attending school during those days. But, that is alright; I am not going to cry about the past. I am happy I got the chance and am determined to complete my studies.”

Khayria Al Zadjali (second from left) along with her team at the department of continuing education

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No age for education This is the age of women, like no other. At least in Oman. Knowing the potential of developing education among women, the MoE has been keenly pursuing the task of educating their lot. “It is a lot of hard work for everyone concerned – the educators, students and their teachers,” notes Muna Al Zadjali, who is also a social worker. A social worker, guide and student counselor in the morning and an educationist in the evening, Muna runs on full, with not even time for herself. “It is a full time responsibility,” she avers.

Today, these students are her inspiration.

“There is no real age where you can stop learning or educating yourself. These students are the best example of that,” Muna said, as she introduced us to students from another classroom in the same school.

“Life teaches you at every stage and every woman should get educated. All limitations, hurdles are only excuses. If there is a will, there is a way. It is a universal truth that education enhances human capacity and unlocks talents and abilities. Education creates a better society too…The social status of a woman and her family enhances too when the lady of the home is educated.

Whatever the age, whatever the limitations are, every woman should come forward and study. Woman’s empowerment with knowledge and proper guidance is very essential in today’s world. No country can prosper if women are left behind. It is time we ensured every girl is educated, so there will be no illiterate woman tomorrow!”

EDUCATION IS A CHALLENGE “Education is a challenge for every woman,” Deena Al Ajmi said. “She has lot of responsibilities to meet with and gives a low priority to education when she is young.

Also, access to schools was not also easy; it only allowed boys to attend. But, all women should understand education uplifts her lifestyle, opens her mind and equips her to make a better lifestyle for her family members. I study with my children and they are actually happy that I am pursuing my education. I am also a working woman,” she added.

LEARNING IS A BLESSING Another student, Zareena Al Balushi, smilingly noted how her son was in the same class as hers. “Now, I am competing with him (her son),” she smiled again. But, on a serious note, she added that it was quite a relief to have her son in the same class as they could discuss various subjects together.

“Now, I have no regrets. Learning is a blessing,” she said.

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Celebrating education

B&W Xclusive

A felicitation programme was held recently by the department of continuing education, MoE, to celebrate the completion of Grade 3 by 205 women from the villages of Muscat region.

Twelve teaching supervisors were awarded at the function

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Attitude and business...

By Dr CK Anchan

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

Business is about people. People need to be motivated, they need to be inspired, and they need to feel like they’re wanted and needed. That their contribution is of value. They need to be in a situation where the work environment is pleasant to come to every day so they can take the world on and be successful. In a global market, etiquette assumes more importance as you develop business relationships with people from different cultures. The people with whom you interact can gauge the level of your professionalism by the lengths to which you go to exercise proper etiquette.

If you don’t set the right tone, if you don’t have the right attitude, why should anyone else have the right attitude? Here’s where we all really get ourselves in trouble. Just by changing your thoughts, you can change your attitude. Realise that you already have the power in within you to change.

“The satisfaction and happiness you derive from life depends on your aims, attitude, and actions. Those who wait for life to supply satisfaction and happiness usually end up with boredom and sorrow instead," says Dennis Gaskill.

The attitude you project in your encounters with people throughout the business day can determine the degree of success of those encounters.

When you approach people – employees, customers, vendors – with respect for their differences and for their values, you build a foundation for a future positive business relationship. Business attitude reflects feelings, beliefs and values.

Follow business etiquette when you write business letters, express appreciation for customer loyalty, provide customer service and introduce your product or service to potential clients. Similarly, be sure to follow rules of etiquette when you talk on the phone, communicate through email, interact in person and represent your company. In international business relationships, do your homework. Know time zones, working hours, religious and secular holidays, and table manners.

Management talk

Be aware of your thoughts at all times. Concentration is the power to overcome those negative thoughts. Your feelings are what you make them. If you focus on what is missing in your life, you will prolong that lack. Instead switch your thoughts to something positive, reflect about something good in your life. Be positive.

As quoted by Ziggy Marley, “you can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”

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5 7 1 2 1 9 8 8 4 5 3 5 2 4 6 4 7 7 2 9 3 4 7 8 9 2 5 5 2 1 6

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

ŠThomas Snyder

By Dave Green

7/16

Difficulty Level

5 2 7 3 5 6 8 1 4 2 9 3 1 7 9 1 3 7 8 4 4 6 9 1 Difficulty Level

2 5 8 6

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

ŠThomas Snyder

By Dave Green

7/17

SOLUTION: Difficulty Level

4 7 2 9 3 1 6 8 5

9 1 8 6 5 7 2 3 4

Difficulty Level

7/17

6 5 3 4 2 8 9 1 7

5 3 1 7 9 2 8 4 6

2 8 4 1 6 3 7 5 9

7 6 9 8 4 5 3 2 1

8 4 6 3 1 9 5 7 2

3 9 5 2 7 4 1 6 8

1 2 7 5 8 6 4 9 3

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

3 9 8 2 6 1 5 4 7

5 6 4 8 3 7 2 1 9

7/16

7 1 2 5 9 4 3 6 8

1 4 5 7 2 8 6 9 3

2 3 7 9 4 6 1 8 5

9 8 6 1 5 3 4 7 2

4 7 3 6 8 2 9 5 1

8 2 9 4 1 5 7 3 6

6 5 1 3 7 9 8 2 4

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.

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Our daily bread‌. Fun facts on

BREAD

Kidstuff

Did you know that bread has been around for centuries? Experts believe the first grinding stone was invented by the Egyptians around 8000 B.C.

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• Bread is probably the one food eaten by people of every race, culture and religion.

• An average slice of packaged bread contains only 1 gram of fat and 75 to 80 calories.

• One bushel of wheat will produce 73 one pound loaves of bread.

• During the 1700s, the Earl of Sandwich gave his name to the sandwich: meat between two slices of bread sandwiches account for 50 per cent of bread consumption • Breaking bread is a universal sign of peace.

• In ancient Egypt, bread was a form of currency used interchangeably with money • Napoleon gave common bread its name when he demanded a loaf of dark rye bread for his horse during the Prussian campaign. “Pain pour Nicole,” he ordered, which meant “Bread for Nicole,” his horse. To Germanic ears, the request sounded like “pumpernickel,” which is the term we still use today.

• One bread superstition is that if you put a piece of bread in a baby’s cradle, it will keep away disease.

• In Russia, bread (and salt) are symbols of welcome.

• Superstition says it is bad luck to turn a loaf of bread upside down or cut an unbaked loaf.

• 2,357 number of feet the longest loaf of bread measured on record in the U.S • Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400F! That kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.

• Flat breads were first baked from the crushed grains, but later it was discovered that adding yeast made the bread rise

Blake the baker bakes black bread

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We have been thinking of it since quite sometime now.

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

Not a laughing matter Thank God there wasn’t any problem posed by the tremors that was felt in Oman when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit a sparsely populated mountainous region of Pakistan’s Baluchistan province recently. The tremors did not cause any damage to any buildings and other properties in Oman.

But, then a variety of events followed after that. One was the panic that was felt among many and understandingly of course, because it was not a joke. Many people felt a rumble, and some felt their cupboards, chairs, beds were rattling for some seconds, but there were those who felt nothing, yet seemed to find it quite funny that people got scared and came out of the buildings that they were in.

The moment that these people realised that there was a tremor, they trooped out of their buildings and stood out, because that was the safest thing to do in such situations.

When residents of a well known residential cum office building felt the tremors, there were many who did not feel them at all. Which is fine and it can happen, but what is distressing is the way the latter look down upon those who actually felt the tremor. They seem to find it quite funny that some folks experienced the tremor and they found it quite

hilarious that many fled their offices to the relatively safe outdoors. The idea was to move away from the buildings in the event of a tremor that causes such damages.

There was nothing wrong in doing that and it is not a cowardly act or something that was “sissy”. It was just plain common sense to come out of a building when tremors are on. Of course, they did not feel it, but is that cause for laughter? Anything could have happened if indeed the tremors had continued, but thank God it did not!

Laugh, enjoy, but not when there is a situation of concern.

In such situations it pays to know who has the last laugh!

Nitter natter

Missiles of misinformation Such natural episodes are subject for big discussions, but if these stay at that serious level, it would be fine. There is nothing wrong in discussing the various possibilities of such incidences. After all, it is a tremor. And there is every reason to have concern. But, what should not emanate from such incidences are the false stories; tales and rumours of various types and some of which are going to cause unwanted fear in the market. Why do people who have no clue of anything simply go around passing tales of important issues that they do not have any idea of? Perhaps, they are hallucinating, but whatever the reason, their fertile minds should not play host to such rumours, nor should they propel them into the market like little missiles of misinformation.

Such acts are simply testing the patience of the authorities concerned.

April 7 - May 6 40 B&W 2 0 1 3

Biggie event to come?

Talking of half truths. There are many in the game that resort to such tactics, especially when there is competition involved.

The current in thing to do seems to be organising mega events. Since we are in the game, we come across many who openly compete with us. This happens despite making it clear to them that our entry into this market was incidental and we had no interest in event managing as such. Being a media, our events have a cause, and since they are cause driven, they do not fall into that category of commercial events. Yet, there is this unspoken competition which exists and we tend to feel a bit awkward in dealing with the same. Like the other day, one of them mentions that they are going to bring a ‘biggie show’ here and have fixed up a date and also claimed to have booked a popular venue in town. Now, that is good for we need big shows in town as they raise the profile of a country as an event destination. But, casual enquiries revealed that no bookings have been made at any such centres. Wonder why they say such things to us when we are nowhere in the game and are not interested either.

Weekend prices?

Have you noticed this, there are some supermarkets that will remove all price tags during the weekend? From Saturday to Wednesday/Thursday, they feature the price tags on the items and from Thursday to Friday or maybe only on Friday these price tags suddenly cease to exist. Not even on one item. This was told to us earlier by a shopper and currently, two others have said the same thing. We haven’t seen it as yet, but will look around and see if all supermarkets do this. As far as we know, this is a practice by only some rogue supermarkets. The good ones stay good.

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

May 7 - June 6 41 B&W 2 0 1 3

Your ARIES March 21-April 20 Interesting developments with friends and family makes it a dynamic week to get ahead, so stop walking down memory lane or taking too many nostalgia trips.

Let the past go and focus on the future. Your imagination is a source of wonderfully creative inspiration.

Use it.

CANCER June 22-July 23 Venus enters beautiful loving Taurus and sets the emotional tone for the coming week, but the moon in your sign early in the week confuses your emotional barometer as you range from edgy to stable, then erratic to calm. Don’t buy into old insecurities.

TAURUS April 21-May 20

GEMINI May 21-June 21

Venus enters your sign and makes you happy and satisfied with the simple pleasures of life. You’ll get caught between a feeling of insecurity and stability mid week, but things will level out by the weekend when you’re surrounded by the people who love you.

Using your imagination is a valuable asset this week, so put it to practical use. Being resourceful will have a happy impact on your budget so keep your finger on the pulse.

Emotional chemistry between you and someone new causes sparks of passion. Enjoy.

LEO July 24-August 23 Do whatever it takes to make work relationships more harmonious as there’s something in the air that requires everyone to pull together. If there’s a chink in the armour, plans could all fall apart.

If you miss out this time it’ll come around again. Be patient.

VIRGO August 24-September 23 Communications have more of an emotional than an intellectual undertone, and you’re not sure if you like it. Mixing friends with money is never a good idea, so when someone puts you on the spot it may lead to bad feelings. Find a way to say no without ruining the friendship.

Horoscope

WILLIAM MARTIN "BILLY" JOEL (BORN MAY 9, 1949) is an American pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer.

Since releasing his first hit song, 'Piano Man', in 1973, Joel has become the sixth-best-selling recording artist and the thirdbest-selling solo artist in the United States, according to the RIAA. His compilation album Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 is the third-best-selling album in the United States by discs shipped.

Joel had Top 40 hits in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, achieving 33 Top 40 hits in the United States, all of which he wrote himself. He is also a six-time Grammy Award winner, a 23-time Grammy nominee and one of the world's best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 150 million records worldwide. He was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame (1992), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1999), and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (2006). In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary, with Billy Joel positioned at No. 23. He stopped writing and recording popular music after 1993's River of Dreams, but he continued to tour extensively until 2010.

May 7 - June 6 42 B&W 2 0 1 3

stars LIBRA September 24-October 23

SCORPIO October 24-November 22

Money matters are never far from your thought processes.

You seem to think there’s a windfall coming your way as you can feel it in your bones, but that’s not to say you should spend it before you get it. Fix breakdowns of communications at home over the weekend.

Venus in Taurus brings sensual, sexy laid back people into your life, which is great if you’re foot loose and fancy free, but could be dangerous if you’re already partnered. Don’t do anything to get your fingers burned. Use the sun/ Mars energy over work issues.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19

The moon in Cancer brings an emotional sensitivity to your dealings with partners and family members. Maybe its time to speak from the heart over issues that have upset you in recent years, but you will have to put your hand up to things you‘ve instigated too you know.

Spring is in the air so you’ll turn your attention to making your home zone the most comfortable it can be. Your home life is happier these days and it shows. Good.

Be sceptical about a get rich quick scheme a friend tells you about.

Avoid it like the plague if you’re wise.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 Brush up on your people skills and you’ll find you have all the tools you need to make great headway in your career and social life. Be constructive over yourself expression as there’s a fine line between being proud of your achievements and being a blowhard.

PISCES February 20-March 20 Confused about money matters? At sixes and sevens over a tax situation? It may be time to consult with the professionals. Don’t sweep money matters under the carpet. The stars make you stubborn during the weekend, but try to meet others half way here.

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E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com, Website: www.albahja.comMay 7 - June 6 43 B&W

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It's my life

Queen of the world Vandana, award winning author (‘360 Degrees Back to Life')

By Vandana Shah Stop doing that, this is the tenth time I am telling you…I will not tell you again…This is my last warning…I am sick and tired of telling you the same thing…Ok, I’ll make some mango milk shake for you just the way you like it…

Please don’t go to bed hungry…If you are angry don’t take out your anger on food…Just a few clippings of sentences that the most important and lovable person in the world speaks. I needn’t spell it out but am still gonna say it because I like the way it rolls on my tongue…MUMMMMMY. Only a mom can be shouting at you and still loving you at the same time.

She’ll be concerned about your food, your boyfriend/girlfriend, cooking for you, setting deadlines for late nights, still get up to open the door when you are late and then reprimand you the next day about stretching the deadline and still you know you can patao(cajole)her to let you go out nightclubbing… yet again. She’ll bore you to death about lectures about reforming your life but always be the first to praise you and be ready to strike anyone down if they dare speak up against you.

She is the biggest buffer between your dad and the strict discipline he imposes and helps you to just break a few more rules, escape the scathing admonishments and even wheedle a little extra money for buying something you covet.

Words only provide a passing glimpse of what MUMMMMMY means to me but a Biiig Bear Hug is the beginning of that relationship which can’t be topped.

This Mother’s Day let’s go out there and envelope Mum in all our love, and make her feel the Queen of our hearts and the world.

I’m sending mine to heaven where my mom is.

Till next time Love and Hugs

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

May 7 - June 6 47 B&W 2 0 1 3

Easy and simple

Cooking

Tired of packing your basic tuna or chicken sandwich for lunch? Get creative and keep it simple... your sandwiches at home or at the office can be as sophisticated as any other sit-down meal. These sandwiches will reshape your existing ideas of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible. Get excited!

May 7 - June 6 48 B&W 2 0 1 3

Cinnamon raisin grilled cheese sandwiches Place 1/2 sliced apple and 2 slices deli-style turkey meat on one slice 100 percent whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread. (Sprinkle lemon juice and cinnamon on other apple half and save for a snack later.) Top with 1 slice reducedfat cheddar cheese. Place in toaster oven with a plain slice of bread. When cheese is melted, remove both halves from toaster and sandwich together.

Spiced-tofu sandwiches Ingredients 2 tablespoon(s) coriander seeds 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) fennel seeds 1 teaspoon(s) whole black peppercorns 1 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper 1 dried bay leaf, crumbled 1 tablespoon(s) sweet paprika 1/2 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil Extra-virgin olive oil, for the grill 4 clove(s) (large) garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt 28 ounce(s) (2 14-ounce blocks) firm tofu, drained, each one cut crosswise into 4 slabs Salt 8 brioche buns, split 1/2 cup(s) mayonnaise 1/4 cup(s) barbecue sauce Lettuce, for serving Pickles, sliced, for serving Red onion, for serving Tomatoes, for serving

Directions In a skillet, combine the coriander and fennel seeds, peppercorns, crushed red pepper, and bay leaf and cook over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant, one minute. Transfer the spices to a grinder and let cool. Add the paprika and finely grind the spices, then transfer them to a bowl and stir in the 1/2 cup of olive oil. Stir in the garlic paste. Arrange the tofu in a baking dish. Spread all but 1 tablespoon of the spice paste over the tofu. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.

Light a grill and oil the grates. Season the tofu with salt and grill over moderate heat, turning, until just heated through, 10 minutes.

Grill the buns until toasted. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise and barbecue sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon of spice paste. Spread the mayonnaise sauce on the buns and top with the tofu, lettuce, pickles, red onion, and tomatoes. Close the sandwiches and serve.

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Shape n sound

STOP

STEREOTYPING WOMEN

Sheena always had an aggressive streak in her. And this usually came to the fore when she got excited. Being a born leader, she knew how to lead and she knew how to make people sit up and listen when she talked, but her mother would always tell her to be less aggressive in her approach and try “to be more like a woman”.

This used to disconcert her earlier, but over the period of time, she used to take such comments in her stride. And it was not just her mother alone; there were plenty of advisers who used to tell her to “tone herself and speak and behave like a woman”. Sheena could take it, but for lesser mortals, this type of behaviour was “unacceptable in women”.

Why? May 7 - June 6 50 B&W 2 0 1 3

ways, but, in general there are more women who hesitate to take the step towards self promotion because somehow they have been fed with the belief that women should not speak up all the time; they have to behave more like women…what in the world is that? What does behave like women mean?

STOP FLESHING THE CARICATURE Does it mean that they should be unassertive, apologetic people pleasers? It is high time that women stop adhering to that caricature. If women have no problem in being forthright and assertive with their children and the partners at home, why is it that they cannot adopt the same strategy in the workplace too?

It has been proven beyond doubt that women can handle any type of responsibility and they are mostly in control of themselves. But, it has been found on more occasions than one that they have to prove themselves many times to move ahead in the workplace, whereas men do not have to wait that long to climb up the career ladder, at least in their office.

WHY ARE WOMEN “TOO AGGRESSIVE”?

Why is it that most women are targeted as being “too aggressive”, “too dominating”, “too rude” etc when the same action by a man in the workplace would not even fetch a raised eyebrow? Whatever aggressive behaviour that men display at the workplace is never even considered wrong unless they actually do wrong? Women only have to be a bit assertive and they are suddenly considered a threat; not displaying the right womanly behaviour and totally wrong. That is when realisation sinks in: this is a world where a man is complimented for being aggressive, and it is an insult when we say the same thing

to a woman? Does this women need to change and women who are beginning to assert themselves need to duck under the cover of false modesty? Not at all. Despite whatever modernity that has gripped us, there are certain stereotypes that both men and women adhere to and which are wholesomely accepted by society. So, women who try to break that myth are always considered to be loud, aggressive and what not.

CAN’T TOOT THEIR OWN HORN It is also a fact that women are not always able to trumpet their accomplishments; they are bad at self promoting. Of course, there are men who are not good at self promoting either. It does work both

GIVE THEM A CHANCE There are simple ways to get noticed and rewarded at work, but since most cultures see women in a more passive role anything out of the ordinary is considered to be too “unwomanly”. This is the stereotype that women need to make a collective effort to shatter. And companies should also consider mentoring and women who have the mettle to lead instead of pandering to their traditional stereotypes of men above women on the job front.

Things are changing and they will change, but there are plenty of polished, highly talented and strong women out there who can fit into a leader’s role with consummate ease, yet are languishing because of a want of an opening. It is time we give these women a chance!

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Self help industry thrives on women

Shape n sound

by Sue Kasey

May 7 - June 6 52 B&W 2 0 1 3

Self-help books are a genre that is ever popular even today. But, truth be told that if women stop reading them, all these self help writers would be without a job and would be forced to write books on how to cook better for your family.

Ask any self help writer and he or she will tell you that they would not be able to exist without women. This is not a derisive remark. Women are indeed the biggest supporters of self-help books. And the good thing is that women are not closet readers of self help. They do it openly and they discuss it and they also thrive on them.

If you say not all women are into self help, then that is right. But it is also right that many women are into self help. And as is the case, it is when their lives are in turmoil that they tend to lean on self help. Until then, even the most confident of women who would never have relied on self help would slowly reach out.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH Catherine Denver explains why she reached out for self help. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had only a passing interest in books on strengthening marriages and relationships, but I never thought that I had to work on salvaging my relationship with my husband until the dreadful truth hit me that my marriage was not actually working â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dave (her husband) was seeing someone and it came as a shock to me. Suddenly, 10 years of my marriage dissolved in a matter of seconds. I tried my best to pull it together and I did not just want to let go.â&#x20AC;?

But, it was just a matter of time that she did and she remembers reaching out to a self help book on marriage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, I found it too ridiculous to read it after my marriage had collapsed! So, I just threw it!â&#x20AC;?

However, some weeks away, she began to consume other self help books, especially on self esteem.

Somehow her life had fallen apart and she was then turning out to things which she would have laughed at earlier.

It was then that she realised that self help books were no laughing matter. You can publicly ridicule them, but if you are not reading them after everyone has slept, how could you account for the huge sales? All of the popular names are still selling and even the ones who are no longer there are still selling.

MORE WOMEN INTO SELF HELP BOOKS To say that majority of them were being picked up by

women would sound wrong, but that is the truth. It does not mean that women who pick them are less confident and under the veneer of confidence and self assurance lie a woman who is just about to crumble would be so far away from the truth. It is not about lack of self confidence; it is the need to improve. Men are mostly into books that are of a different genre altogether. They do read self help, but, they are more into books that do not delve on the emotional factor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that they leave it to their women.

A DIFFERENT AGENDA The latter have a different agenda. They want to not only score on the competitive front, they also want to understand their highly evolving selves. They want to improve their relationship with everyone, be it their man, their children or even on the social front. They want to find out a way to succeed on all fronts and are not just content to beef up on one front only, unlike men.

MENTAL MAKEUP Go to any relationship seminars and you will understand what I am saying. The majority would be women and the men that are there would have obviously been dragged there by their women. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t blame the men because, it is part of their mental makeup and it is also how they have been programmed over the centuries. Perhaps, men still find it hard to admit that they need help â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of any sort â&#x20AC;&#x201C; while women do not fool themselves that way. Whatever the reasons, it is to the benefit of the huge self help industry.

Poem $ JODPRURXV Ó?RUDO IUDJUDQFH VLPLODU LQ VW\OH DQG LGHQWLW\ WR 6FDUOHWW E\ &DFKDUHO Top notes Ě&#x17E; MXLF\ FLWUXV WHD OHDYHV DQG KRQH\VXFNOH Middle notes Ě&#x17E; ULFK MDVPLQH DQG VZHHW KRQH\ Base notes Ě&#x17E; VPRRWK ZRRGV DQG PXVNV

E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com, Website: www.albahja.com May 7 - June 6 53 B&W

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Should we be celebrating at all?

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar He sits there facing a camera and says from today my movies will have the heroine’s name before the hero’s name... “I believe not just in equality, I believe women should be always in front!”

Well, will that make any change in the daily lives of any single woman?

Will it even make a difference to the actresses’ involved? Will she be respected or paid more?

Should all the womenfolk stand up and say: wow, he saved our souls?

Someone else was stating that there is a growing tolerance for women! And that there are many who now consider their daughters are at par with their sons and actually want daughters?!

I was born a girl. Not unwanted. Not “tolerated’’. But immensely blessed with a mother who gave me an identity; a mother like every other living being. A mother who grew her children with equal tolerance, choices, morals and attitudes... She never let knew me know that I am born in a ‘gender’ that was low and underprivileged. She was proud of herself.

Probably in today’s scenario, I may have to reword to that I am one of the ‘fortunate female’ of the species who grew up with freedom of all sorts. I could eat what I wanted, sleep when I wanted, and choose a career, a dress, a thought, a smile, a glimpse, a life I wanted!

All because I was fortunate enough to be blessed with a mother, who grew me up with every choice she gave to her two sons, made me what I am today. Unassuming, silent, but strong and resilient, that she saw us through all the worse stretches of our lives.

It is ironic that the world celebrates Mothers’ Day while looking down and abusing the female of the species which she represents too. Mother is probably the only commonality that binds all of us together and when she is celebrated why can’t a daughter, sister,

wife, friend, colleague be celebrated and respected?

So why should I or any woman accept any of the comments that go around against women, not just by a bunch of ignorant male chauvinists, but also by well educated broad minded people, who openly believe in the ‘equality’ of sexes?

I am brought in to this world by a woman, grew up as a strong individual by a woman again.

But, when I look around I see only a few fortunate, while the majority of the womenfolk are tolerated, abused, exploited, deprived even in their own homes! I am left with no choice other than to accept with a heavy heart the truth, the bitter truth, that I am not an equal. ‘We’ are not equal. Yes, we women are tolerated, sometimes accepted, sometimes successful.

And the ugliest truth is that only a few mothers succeed, while a lot of mothers fail!

Fail to bring up their sons and daughters with equality, self respect and sensitivity; fail to instill in them the responsibility of taking the society forward with fairness and in goodness; fail to grow them up as unbiased individuals; fail to teach them the fact that they are not superior or inferior to any other being; fail to teach them to live with pride and dignity.

It is the same mothers we celebrate, who crave for a son and kill their daughters in their womb.

It is the same mothers we celebrate, who hold their sons with pride and dignity, while looking down on their daughters...

It is the same mothers we celebrate, who ask for dowry for their sons’ wives...

It is the same mothers we celebrate, who feed their sons better food and deprive their daughters...

It is the same mothers we celebrate, who failed to protect her own species!

Should we be celebrating at all? priya@blackandwhiteoman.com

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