Black & White mag issue 30

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The good, the bad & the ugly p28 16 Rabi' II - 2 Jumada

Vol.2 Issue 30II March 21- April 20, 2011

Atlas Shrugged?

All about X, Y & Z

By Adarsh Madhavan

What if we all went on strike?

All of us…what if we all stopped our work and just walked away from it all?

For, the campaign here is earthier and there is no mysterious element in it. Also, the chief protagonists of these Oman campaign do not abandon work.

The story in Ayn Rand’s groundbreaking novel, Atlas Shrugged, explored the consequences when the ‘men of the mind’ went on strike, refusing to allow their inventions, art, business leadership, scientific research, or new ideas to be taken from them by the government or the rest of the world. It was a story where leading innovators, industrialists to artists, refused to be exploited by society…

At least, not the ones who are sitting in front of the Majlis Al Shura and many others in Sohar, Barka etc! They make sure that they finish their work and then come and participate in the peaceful protests after their jobs are done. They are not here to teach anyone a lesson; or to strike against work and/or paralyse a country…that is the beauty of the genuine protestors in Oman. And that is the main reason why most of their demands are met with alacrity.

There was a difference there. It was a different type of protest, where they disappeared from sight abandoning mute edifices of their own creation.

There the strike was by “stopping the motor of the world” by withdrawing the “minds” that drove society’s growth and productivity. In their efforts, these men of the mind hoped to demonstrate that a world in which the individual is not free to create is doomed, that civilisation ceases to exist where men are slave to society and government, or so says the novel’s prime hero, John Galt.

As we confronted the glut of information we had gathered while visiting and soaking in the sheer electric ambience of these protests, we are of many minds: Could we go ahead and carry these lines, the strong words of protest, or should we tone them down? Will we be questioned by the authorities concerned if we quote some facts raised by these protestors? Will we lose the support of the corporates against whom some of these protestors have made allegations…?

Ayn Rand’s novel title is a reference to Atlas, a titan of Greek mythology, who is described as “the giant who holds the weight of the world on his shoulders”. But, the novel speaks of how if the weight on the shoulder of Atlas gets too heavy, he would be told “to shrug”.

But, it is not our voice. We stand as a neutral media and attempt to give a slice of what had happened, what is happening and a small indication of what could happen in the future. As we write this, our little heads wonder about the campaign for media freedom too.

Here, in Oman, if we can, for a moment, ignore the vandals and hooligans who destroyed property and set ablaze vehicles and the like, and also those who protested without any rhyme or reason, then, we come to the cream of the lot, the intellectuals, or to borrow a phrase, the “men of the mind” who fought to rectify some flaws in the system, we may find an element of similarity. But that is where it ends.

Did that fizzle out? The bang ended in a whimper?

While we witness changes in many walks of life in Oman now, and after having dusted the cobwebs of many a tried and tested rule, will we, the members of the press/media, still return back to things as they were, or will we be empowered with a newfound sense of freedom too? Would we also be able to shrug the burden of self-imposed restrictions in our line of work? Could we, the non- Atlases…shrug? editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

4 March 21- April 20, 2011

Black eyes This must not happen to Oman…It cannot happen in Oman. Yes it can happen in India, it can happen in America, it can happen in China, it can happen in Egypt and Libya…but, it shouldn’t happen in Oman. Protest, yes, but why should the protesters go on the offensive path?

Why should they burn buildings, vandalise, destroy and act like hooligans? That is not protesting. That is being ugly. How can anyone think of destroying the edifices of this beautiful country? Oman is not like any other nation. It has always sought to keep a unique identity of its own and suddenly, as though someone cast a black eye on it, this happened. Yes, it has happened and yes, the protesters have every right to protest, but, should they burn down buildings; should they try to attack government offices, burn cars…?

Sadashivan .S, Seeb

Camels aplenty in Barka, Musannah, Sur… I refer to the letter ‘Camels everywhere’ on the Inbox page (issue 28) and very sincerely suggest that the writer take her children towards Musannah on the Sohar route.

They will surely be able to get to see live camels and enjoy themselves in the presence of these ships of the desert.

Do you know that the best racing camels are still bought at higher prices than Mercedes/BMW luxury cars?

There are plenty of camel farms in between Barka and Musannah on both sides of the road. My personal experience reveals that the farm owners and the workers render warm welcome to all of those who are interested in taking a close look at a live camel. One can get chance to see live camels on the Sur route as well as near Sharqiya Sands and Al Kamil area.

I would also suggest that she arrange a visit to Salalah during the Khareef season this year and I am sure her children would be overjoyed to see hundreds of live camels roaming around the festival area on both sides of the road leading to Nabi Ayyub’s tomb Mohammad Osama Rawat, Ruwi

66March March2121-April April20, 20,2011 2011

Seeing is believing!

It is unbelievable! Never in my life would I believe that protests like this would happen in Oman. Even if it happened in the neighbouring countries, I would still say that it is okay, but never in my wildest imagination would I think that it would happen to Oman. If I was not in Oman and if I was not an eyewitness to these incidents myself, I would never believe it was happening. Now, frankly, I don’t know what to say‌ Anitha Bhaskaran, Barka

Unknown I'll tell you about a place that I have known Where the wind blows all night.

Where you hear the moaning, high and low, Where there's no such thing as light I always sit at the same spot Where was once a bleeding tree.

When I go there, I think a lot; And see what it does to me: I laugh, then cry, then scream, then shout Yet they still don't believe the lie.

If you don't know what I am talking about, Then take a look at the sky: Whether its colour is black or white Is unknown; because it's blocked

by a large cloud that wants to imprison me in the night A room that is forever locked.

"Stop," I cry. "Go away!

Please don't rain in here!"

The cloud laughs, a sound so gay, He asks, "Why are you living in fear?"

I feel astonished; Wasn't it he Who made it rain? And so, He sighs and says," You made me, If you don't fight, you'll never know."

Never again will I tell lies, I know I can't go on with feigning.

I shake my head, I wipe my eyes, Then suddenly, it stopped raining.

Maisoon Alpha Al-Mahrouqi, Muscat

Mail your views and opinions at editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Black & White 7

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Xclusive

The good, the bad and the ugly

28

Well, who would have ever imagined that the protests in other parts of the region would seep into tranquil Oman? Omanis were never known as a nation of protestorsâ&#x20AC;Ś

Cover Photo: Najib Al Balushi

Do you look your age Bitter Batter

16

our passports 48 Wanted: There has been this debate

Contents

going on about who should be holding the passport of an expatriate. Most companies are known to hold the passports of their expatriate staff and they have their own reasons

As you get older youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to start looking your age.

But there are some things you can do that will help you keep younger, or at least look younger. As a man this may not be as much of a worry as it is for a woman, but it can still be a concern

No more blue lights in the bedroom

58 Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC Black & White Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos Office location: Hatat House, Office no: 212, II Floor Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496 Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com Printed at Mazoon, Muscat, Oman 12 March 21- April 20, 2011

Surveys have shown that women are more likely to have insomnia than men. But could your insomnia be due to the blue light in your room?

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

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

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Fight

STRESS Men health

like women

It is easy to understand why men with stress donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to seek help from a therapist.

Seeking such help is akin to revealing that they have a problem which they cannot handle. And that is a sign of weakness.

14 March 21- April 20, 2011

MEN ARE NEVER WEAK! And if they try to seek the help of a therapist, then it means that there is some kind of weakness. So, naturally, they don’t want to be seen talking to them or seeking their consul.

But when such a misguided ego is in place, how will they be able to surmount this challenge? Men are already in a quandary as they are not able to handle stress like women. Again, that maybe open to dispute, but, it is understood that men and women handle their emotions differently.

So, the way that both genders handle stress is not in many ways different, but, in general, women appear to handle it better than men. Again, like we have said above, men try to ignore stress instead of dealing with it. But, this is where men get in severe trouble. It could also throw light on why men are prone to severe depression. The stress becomes too much for them to ignore and by this time, many will resort to self medication, or even try to engage in various risky escapist methods.

Stress is more stressful for men. If they had the chance to find help in a discreet and confidential way, then they will unveil everything and seek proper consul, but most will not agree to seek help otherwise. But, there are some tips that we can get from women.

TALK IT OUT For instance, talking. Women who are stressed out, talk and have a healthy outlet for their pent-up feelings.

Similarly, men can also discuss their stressful feelings with someone they trust and who will listen without being judgmental or press their own points of view on you.

Talking helps. Even if it doesn’t offer concrete solutions, somehow the stress levels clambers down when you give it a verbal outlet. Try it out!

EXERCISE YOUR STRESS AWAY Now, there is nothing bigger than exercising to lower the non salutary effects of stress. What you have to do is to listen to your body’s signals and then find ways to reduce the stress. But, what kind of exercise? Experts note that ideally men should try to get into yoga, meditations etc.

Yet, what has to be borne in mind is that if you actually

do some proper exercises, stress levels will automatically come down. Try it.

ONLINE SOLUTIONS Another way to reduce your stress is to find an interest, hobby or activity where you feel in charge and call the shots. If you really feel out of control, don’t stay silent and alone! Seek guidance from someone who is qualified to help you get through the obstacles, and move forward again. If you can’t find someone qualified in your neighbourhood or you don’t feel as though you can talk to someone, why not try a qualified internet counsellor?

DON’T OVERDO IT But, don’t overwhelm yourself: If you are stressed and overwhelmed, perhaps you are trying handle too many things and all art the same rime. Rid yourself of extra duties that aren’t necessary or important. Learn how to delegate and how to say “no” without feeling guilty. Ask for help if you need it.

GET AWAY! You do not have to be a Houdini to engage in some weird escape act. But, you could really get away from it all. A change, when your stress levels have hit the ceiling is required. It can be a great spirit booster. And, again, you don’t have to hop on a plane and spend an awful lot of money on a major vacation, perhaps an interior trip, or even more simpler, just get away from it all at your own home. Find a quiet corner, either in one of the rooms in your home, or just get into a warm bath…

HELP OTHERS IN TROUBLE Now, the trick is to understand that there are many others who are far more stressful than you are. However stressed you might be, just understand that there are 1000s of others who are far worse off than you. They maybe jobless, penniless, and in severe stress situations and would even be juggling personal tragedies along with their other pain. Aren’t you much better off than them and just imagine you go out and start helping these poor souls. Or, at least, get into the volunteer mood and make your own life better by making someone else’s life better!

As they say, by helping someone else, you will tend to forget your own troubles.

Black & White 15

Do you look your

AGE?

Has someone said that you look your age?

Well, I am not trying to add salt to the wound, but then, you know, perhaps, you do.

The sad part would be that you don’t even know why…

AS YOU GET OLDER you’re going to start looking your age. But there are some things you can do that will help you keep younger, or at least look younger. As a man this may not be as much of a worry as it is for a woman, but it can still be a concern. In fact, with men being more conscious about their looks, their necessity to be young these days, it looks like it is the need of the hour for many men, especially when the market seems to be offering jobs for those who appear young. The point here is that looking young at any age can be a plus.

Now, what have you discovered in the mirror lately? Crow’s feet? Laugh lines? So, why aren’t you smiling?

You can’t because you can’t turn back time, and reverse the signs of aging. We all want to look and feel younger but, most of us believe that by just wishing to look young alone would give us the elixir of youth.

That won’t happen. What do you want? A young mind in an old body, or, an old mind in a young body? You need to have both. So, you need to work at it. If you suddenly feel that you are aging, or looking your age, then, here are some steps to recapture your age.

Men read

STOP BEING A COUCH POTATO Eat right and exercise! It’s so easy to get caught up with your career or whatever it is and forget about eating right and exercising. So, you want to 16 March 21- April 20, 2011

remain young? Then, stop being a couch potato!

Say no to drinks and smoke.

Is there a need to say this? Everyone knows that drinking and smoking can dry you up and also adds years to your looks. So, just don’t do it, if you want to stay young. Stay away from both vices.

DRINK WATER Drink water. Drink, plenty of water.

Get at least eight cups of water a day. When you get up in the morning drink a big glass of water. Just make it a regular habit, like brushing your teeth. Water is an absolute necessity to keep yourself looking and feeling young.

THINK YOUNG Don’t think old. Don’t think that you are over the hill, or even accept it if someone tells you that “it is not for you”. It is for you. Okay, sometimes, you maybe afflicted with some kind of pain. Just believe you’re young and the small aches and pains are just normal things that happen to anyone.

It doesn’t matter that they come with age. Be tough and keep tough, stay young.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW Try to learn something new always.

Don’t think you know everything, keep learning. There’s always something new to learn about.

Thinking you know everything is death to your intellect.

Black & White 17

Dreams to reality

From the heart

An Omani’s homage to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said As a very young girl, growing up with my cousins, I loved listening to the stories my grandmothers told us about a distant country that was our homeland – a country called Oman.

It was their dream to go back and spend their days there.

My cousins and I were fascinated

by Oman Al Habiba; stories of life there and glimpses of Oman’s history and we too dreamed of reaching this magical but remote place.

We were therefore very excited one day to hear our elders’ discussions.

Oman had a new Sultan who had invited all Omanis to return from far and near.

The Sultan promised that unnecessary restrictions in Oman would be removed so Omanis could transform their lives into prosperous ones with a bright future. He promised that Oman’s glorious past would be regenerated so that our country could take its respectable place in the world.

Well, we reached this land of our dreams and, for the past 40 years, our family and so many families like ours have seen such rapid progress, unmatched by any other part of the world. We have experienced progress to an extent that our grandmothers could not have imagined. In 1976, when I was a young lady, I used to drop my very young children to school in Ruwi and drive on to my office. (Just a few years earlier, none of that would have been possible in Oman.) For me, the short drive to school used to take about half an hour; even longer on a rainy day. From there to my office, 18 March 21- April 20, 2011

also in Ruwi, it took almost the same time. I worked at the Oman United Agencies (OUA) for many years and before that at Al Fahya Shipping Agency Company, for a total of 22 very enjoyable years. We always had a very friendly and helpful team.

Initially, in addition to us Omanis, there were more English and Indian people. As time went on more and more Omanis joined the team and we continued to be like a happy family in the office. The years passed, more highways and roads were built and despite the huge increase in cars and buildings, it took less time to reach Ruwi.

This year, I am so proud to see and use the new roads and the Expressway, either with the family or driving my car. They cut down the driving time and also offer a much better driving experience.

We see the great mosques, schools, colleges, roads, hospitals, malls and at the same time we see gardens, flowers, lawns and beautiful buildings with distinctive character suitable to our culture. All this has happened in a relatively short time and many people may not realise just how much our lives and human potential have been transformed.

Progress is true progress only if human values are retained during rapid material development. Oman was always a warm country and still remains one. Here I am not talking of the climate, but of my pride in the human warmth and kindness of our people and their large-hearted willingness to share happiness and overcome differences. Even

Zakhiya Yahya Ahmed Al Kindi

when I see the sweet kids in my grandchildren’s schools, I am so happy to see the loving glow in all their faces. I fondly wish the younger generations of Omanis, boys, girls, young men, young women, the best in everything they try, keeping up our tradition of warmth and kindness.

This human warmth has not become a casualty of progress as happens in so many towns, cities and countries, but has instead thrived as Oman progressed. That is what makes Oman special, not just to us Omanis, but to every visitor. Many people who have lived in so many different parts of the world have commented on this as the most noticeable impression of Oman.

We see the respect that Oman gets from leaders around the world and also from tourists and residents who benefit from Oman’s development mixed with traditional values. They recognise that Oman, an oasis of peace, has regained a position of eminence on the international canvas.

As a citizen, I am very proud of Oman Al Habiba and grateful to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and so are my family and fellow Omanis.

We all wish for many more peaceful years of progress ahead, Insha’Allah.

Every day I read these words written by an unknown poet that I have framed and kept in my home: “It takes a thousand years to build a great city, but just one great leader to build a great nation” We are so lucky to have him and wish him a long life and very good health. Amin!

Good ol’ days Poring over old photos…

My friends and I spill out of them -- thin, fat, hairy, weird, snobbish, arrogant, young, peppy, full of beans…

“Look how thin you were…”

“Yes, but in the same old horrible shirt of yours…”

“Finally managed to get rid of it? Ha!” “See how short my hair was…”

“Mine was long!”

“But, you don’t have anything now!”

Good old days, when friends were friends…

When everything used to surround them.

When you loved them all.

When they loved you all.

When you lived for them.

When they lived for you.

When you used to think you would die for them.

When you used to think they would die for you…

“But, in this photo you look younger…”

“I was young, I am young…”

“Please, take a good look at yourself in the mirror and then take a look at this pic! “…you actually look young and boyish here! Now, migod, do you get scared when you look in the mirror?!”

Yes, good old days when we all used to look young, when we all used to be free and used to have fun and frolic, yet were responsible, kind, warm and sensitive. The days when we were there for each other and used to pledge that we would be there for ever…

“My God, we used to eat so much then, didn’t we?”

“Let me put it this way: we could eat

so much, not like now!”

“What are we eating here?

Fish? Crispy, crunchy kitchies!”

“Kitchies? What are kitchies?”

“Chicken, yaaki, you forgot we used to call them kitchies for fun…”

“Ohhh yes! Kitchies!”

O

By Adarsh Madhavan

Remembrance of things past.

Moments weighing light on significance, but swelling the heart with memories.

Unforgettable, yet forgotten; remembering, but also forgetting…

“Gosh, can’t figure out where this one was taken…Anyone know when and where this was taken?”

“Abdullah’s flat?”

“Nah, Abdullah’s flat did not have plants…”

“Ranjith’s home?”

“Could be, but he is not in the picture!”

“He must have taken the picture!”

“But, I am in the picture. I never ever came to Ranjith’s home, so can’t be his place?”

“That place looks too familiar, where could it be?”

“Remember when you broke the lamp in Saniya’s home?”

“Ha ha ha, yes of course!”

“Her husband threw a fit! We could never enter there after that…”

“It was an accident!”

“You are an accident!”

“Ha ha ha…”

Why do we grow up to be morose, bereft of sanity and love and why do we complain so much?

Why do we depend on lies, like crutches, which we use to hobble

f

he ft

wall

over a minefield of errors and mistakes, one of which might suddenly blow us all up?

Why do we forget the past; wipe the present of all those lovely moments we have had and think that we can never be young again?

Can’t we be young again, when, unlike what people say, everything mattered, but, we still managed to make it look so simple and neat?

And today, we pick up our memories, crumpled from time, and then try to run over them hoping we could iron out those almost-forgotten moments and replay them, just for a few laughs?

“Look at that sheer joy in that smile of yours; you really had a good smile…”

“I still have a good smile.”

“Now, you look like you are smiling through a constipation!”

“Ha! Now, I remember, you always used to have stomach problems… you would eat and download at the same time, ha!”

“I still have the same problem, but, it is not a laughing matter anymore!”

“Nothing is a laughing matter anymore!”

“You are right. Everything is painful today…Everything!”

But, not these memories.

Not these smiling, happy people that we were…

Push them back into the photos.

Don’t taint them with your touch! adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com Black & White 19

BankMuscat business incubator

BankMuscat launched its fourth business incubator in the wilayat of Mirbat under the auspices of Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed al Guraibi, wali of Mirbat. The bank's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative aimed at creating jobs for women will benefit 75 beneficiaries under

the social security umbrella in the wilayat who will be trained in photography, beauty services and hand-made traditional Omani cap. On completion of the training, BankMuscat will also financially support 10 women from the incubator to start their own businesses.

Damas unveils 390 exclusive bridal

sets during luxury jewellery event

Wordpress

Damas International Limited (Damas), unveiled 390 exclusive bridal jewellery sets during its luxury jewellery event recently at the Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai. A total of 26 jewellery sets from the new 'Zaffa' collection was modelled during a fashion show at the invitation-only event, attended by up to 200 guests, including VIPs, fashion industry personalities, and brides-to-be.

Damas partnered with the Emirati fashion label DAS Collection and the international designer Walid Atallah, who provided the wedding gowns and abayas used in the fashion show.

20 March 21- April 20, 2011

Nawras creates

17 per cent more jobs Nawras is committed to creating 150 new jobs in a move that will see the company’s employee numbers jump significantly with an immediate increase of 17 per cent.

Under the guidance of the ministry of manpower and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Nawras is currently holding events to interview invited job seekers and to provide them with all the information they need to join this award winning full-service provider.

“We are delighted to have this great opportunity to grow the Nawras family even further and to provide rewarding careers for so many more young people in our exciting business of serving the people of Oman with pleasingly different communication services,” said chief executive officer, Ross Cormack.

Muscat Eye Laser Center customer service Muscat Eye Laser Center recently enlisted the services of Dubai-based training specialists Spearhead Gulf Ltd who laid on an intensive training programme for the benefit of the center’s ‘customer service champions’, as they are informally

known.

During the two-day programme, participants were introduced to a gamut of techniques designed to sharpen their prowess in effectively positioning reiterating the center’s strengths in the market.

“This is the fifth training programme conducted by Spearhead Gulf in as many years for our customer service managers and executives,” says Dr Maria Claria Arbelaez, the center’s internationally acclaimed corneal transplant and refractive surgeon.

New City Seasons Hotel opening soon in Muscat With four properties already operating in the UAE, the Al Ain based City Seasons Group of Hotels is now due to open a fifth hotel in Muscat. Located in the diplomatic area of Muscat, the City Seasons Hotel Muscat is a modern and contemporary deluxe hotel owned by the Bin Ham Group. With 269

spacious rooms and suites the City Seasons Hotel Muscat is a fine blend of Arabian hospitality and modern facilities. Its meeting facilities, seven function rooms and a large ballroom for up to 350, are expected to attract meetings and conference organisers, educational and cultural groups as well as local weddings and gala

LG unveils premium line

dinners. “A report published by the World Travel and Tourism Council predicts that Oman will become the third top tourism growth market in the world this year attaining a 7.8 per cent compound annual tourism growth rate through 2020,” said Tim Van Veen, executive assistant manager, City Seasons Hotel, Muscat.

up at MWC 2011

Suzuki showroom opens in Sur

LG Electronics (LG) returns to Barcelona this year to introduce two new flagship devices at Mobile World Congress: the LG Optimus 3D, a stunning supersmartphone with unparalleled 3D performance, and the LG Optimus Pad, a true Android tablet optimised with Honeycomb OS designed to offer the full viewing experience of a tablet while still being easy to hold with one hand.

Moosa Abdul Rahman Hassan LLC recently opened an exclusive showroom for Japanese brand, Suzuki in Sur. It was inaugurated by Ali bin Ahmed bin Meshari Al-Shamsi, wali of Sur, in the presence of top officials from the government and private sectors.

“Opening a 3 S (sales, service and parts) facility in Sur is part of Moosa Abdul Rahman’s plan to ensure premium service and convenience to our valued customers across Oman, right from presale to after-sales. It reiterates our commitment to provide them with the highest quality of customer care that adds to their overall motoring experience,” said Viren Agarwal, Ceo. Black & White 21

Mahindra Satyam signs deal with Omran

Mahindra Satyam, a leading global consulting and IT services provider, recently announced that its Oracle Practice has signed a contract with Omran, the company mandated by the government of Oman to deliver major projects and manage tourism assets and investments, in association with Bahwan IT, Mahindra Satyam’s local partner in Oman to implement Oracle ERP. “We selected Mahindra Satyam as our partner for the Oracle ERP implementation because we recognised its excellence and competence and the result of years of global Oracle experience,” said

Eng. Wael bin Ahmed Al Lawati, chief executive officer, Omran.

Speaking on this occasion, Bobby Gupta, vice president and head of Mena, Mahindra Satyam said, “This contract is a manifestation of our ability to provide specialised solutions in the field of e-governance and also underlines the upshot of our strategic partnership with Oracle and our expertise in implementing enterprise ready Oracle solutions. We look forward to helping Omran deliver fast, accurate business decisions and provide exceptional value to its numerous employees more effectively.”

Radisson Blu Hotel renovation The Radisson Blu Hotel is celebrating yet another milestone in its exciting history with the completion of the hotel renovation. After an extensive upgrade, the hotel has now launched 153 fresh and modern new rooms.

There are two different room styles to chose from, 'Ocean', a joyous celebration of the colours of the sun, sea and sand, with reflective ripples of white and light to create an ambience of elegant comfort.

The Ocean rooms are complemented by the 'And Relax' styled rooms, designed to de-stress and to soothe all the senses. And Relax is

ultimately chilled-out with bright and uplifting shades of raspberry that contrasts against carved wood to enhance the emphasis on calm.

Marko Hytonen, area vice president of The Rezidor Hotel Group and opening general manager of the hotel 11 years ago, has joined general manager, Michael Jacobi and his team to celebrate the launch of the new rooms.

“It is great to have Marko here to share with him the positive developments in the hotel. These excellent new facilities, combined with the dynamic team here in the

Radisson Blu, give us the fire power to underline the hotel’s position as the first choice business hotel in Muscat. There is no doubt that “the future is Blu,” said Michael Jacobi.

Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern visits Oman

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Al Qurum Jewellery, the official dealers of Patek Philippe, the pioneering watch makers loaded with an armament of historic convention and cutting-edge technology is proud to welcome the president of Patek Philippe Thierry Stern for the first time in Oman. The Swiss-based firm and the only manufacturer that crafts all of its mechanical movements according to the strict specifications of the Geneva Seal is considered by experts as the finest and most elegant time pieces. Commenting on the momentous occasion, Hamza Ali Awadh, the director of Al Qurum Jewellery said, “Stern is here in Oman and it is a real honour for us to have a person of his prominence come and visit us.

22 March 21- April 20, 2011

Another successful fusion for Sarasin-Alpen and Alpen Capital Sarasin Alpen and Alpen Capital, Oman, hosted their fourth annual Global Fusion concert at the ShangriLa Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa recently. The event was a huge success and was attended by the organisations’ clients in the AGCC as well as leading personalities from the region.

The concert led by the world famous sitarist Ustad Shujaat Khan saw spectacular performances by master musicians such as Rahim Al Haj, Taufiq Qureshi, Patrick Possey, Yogesh Samsi, Michael Glenn, Firas Shahrstan and Manjari Chaturvedi on Sufi Kathak dance.

One of the highlights of the fusion concert was the performances of

NBO ‘free of charge’ savings account

‘Free insurance’ to Omani job seekers

Omani musicians from the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra – Saleh Hadid Al Mukhaini on the viola as well as a female Omani musician Ilham Salim Al Toqi on the violin.

Ustad Shujaat Khan was felicitated at the concert and inducted into the Global Fusion – Hall of Fame for his contribution to Global Fusion as well as to world music. Rohit Walia, executive vice chairman and Ceo, Sarasin Alpen and Alpen Capital said “We are amazed at the response we receive for the Global Fusion event. We are glad that our attempt to bring something new and different to our clients proved to be successful and the concert was enjoyed by one and all.”

In support of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s latest initiative to provide jobs for 50,000 Omanis in public and private organisations, across the nation, the National Bank of Oman (NBO), has taken the lead, by offering a ‘free of charge’ savings account, with additional features for all unemployed citizens.

The savings account will offer the following features: It will be a noninterest bearing account. Accounts will be eligible for entry in Al Kanz prize draw, as per the terms and conditions applicable.

There is no minimum balance required to open the account and no minimum balance charges will apply.

Account holders will receive a free

ATM Card; free accident insurance cover (death + permanent total disability (PTD) up to OMR5,000 (for the first year only); and no transaction limit - no restriction on the number of deposits and withdrawals at the bank’s branches. However, ATMs have a OMR500 limit per day for withdrawal. Hassan Shaban, NBO’s chief marketing officer said: “We are totally committed to supporting His Majesty’s vision and the government’s newest initiative, for nationals.

The NBO will do everything it can, not only to support the initiative, but also to go that extra mile, in making the best service available for all the citizens of Oman.”

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NBO Al Kanz regional and branch draws National Bank of Oman (NBO) recently held its Al Kanz regional and branch prize draws, for February 2011. The NBO announced a guaranteed winner from each region, for OMR25,000 and a guaranteed winner from every branch, for OMR1000.

The first draw event was held in NBO’s hamriya branch, where NBO announced the regional and branch prize winners for Muscat South, Muscat North, and Batinah regions.

The exciting event was well attended by guests including, chief guest Muhammed Perwez Muhammed,

NBO customers, and other senior management members and staff.

The second draw event was held at Falaj Daris Hotel, in Nizwa, where the regional and branch winners for Dhakhiliya and Dhahira, Sharqiyah and Dhofar Regions, were announced.

Renna new mobile

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internet packages

Renna mobile announced the launch of Renna connect, internet packages recently. Customers can enjoy high speed internet access through their phones and on their laptops with the best prices in Oman. “Our team is continuously working on improving customer offers and packages that reflect customer lifestyle and business needs.

"Our internet prices have been developed to provide great value for staying connected with unlimited usage,” said Joakim Klingefjord, Ceo, renna mobile. Renna connect offers three different packages that can be used either daily, weekly or monthly.

Renna pay as you go package (shortcode: P30) offers unlimited internet for a rial's subscription fee to unlock 10 baisas per megabytes tariff for a period of 30 days. This package has been designed to provide attractive internet packages for smart phone users as well as light internet browsers.

24 March 21- April 20, 2011

Beach clean up As part of the environmental commitment, the InterContinental Muscat management and staff organised the third beach cleanup recently. The team was led by Khalid Al Balushi housekeeping department supervisor. The entire team spent the full Thursday morning and collected over 18 garbage bags full of broken glasses, wooden planks with nails sticking out and debris all thrown on the beach. The beach cleanup is done every two months as part of the InterContinental commitment to keep the environment clean.

By Dr CK Anchan

Management talk

Education – an essential investment

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

The process of education does not start when a child first attends school. Education begins at home. One does not acquire knowledge from a teacher; one can learn and receive knowledge from a parent, family member and even an acquaintance. In almost all societies, attending school and receiving an education is extremely vital and necessary if one wants to achieve success.

that a person is not in the proper sense till he is educated. It is through education that knowledge and information is received and spread throughout the world. It is an investment, as well as a commitment and a responsibility. Education develops the ability to discern right from wrong in situations and experiences that one may go through in conducting one’s life

These days, competition has become so stiff that having a college degree is not a passport to landing a good-paying job. If we are able to hammer this fact to our children, then they would strive to be better equipped academically and aspire to get the best education they can. When the proper time comes for them to seek a job, they will have the confidence that their folks strove hard to give them a good education. It’s their ticket to success in life.

The kind of education, which enables the young to cope best with the world, then, is one that does not presuppose the mere idea of human progress and blind faith in science and technology. The education has to bring into relief the idea that humans now have to define themselves differently from what they have in the past, and it must be one that enables them to find their direction which is not dictated solely by their material needs and desires.

The importance of education cannot be neglected by any nation. And in today’s world, the role of education has become even more vital. It is an absolute necessity for economic and social development of any nation.

The quality of human resource of a nation is easily judged by the number of literate population living in it. This is to say that education is a must if a nation aspires to achieve growth and development and more importantly sustain it. This may well explain the fact that rich and developed nations of the world have very high literacy rate and productive human resource. In fact these nations have started imparting selective training and education programmes so as to meet the new technical and business demands of the 21st century. Real education needs to be goal oriented for practical life.

Good education gives you the background to learn all life and to adapt to life’s ever changing needs. Education always should aim in making you strong.

The education has to be premised on the idea that nothing is forever certain, and that there does not exist an objective, clear cut answer to every question. Thus, the aim of the education is that the thoroughly educated are capable of thinking critically and of projecting ahead what has not been seen before.

Education has an immense impact on the human society. One can safely assume

The ultimate education of highest value is the education of sharing love with your parents, family members, friends and teachers. To love ALL! Life will be your school, this planet shall be your classroom, and all people on this planet shall be your teachers and evaluators! To create society where we all live in harmony and peace and take care of Mother Nature.

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Let us not let our nation down!

B&W In Black Xclusive & White

If someone asked you not to look, you could just shut your eyes and then you wouldn’t see a thing. The same with smelling. Don’t breathe through your nose and you won’t smell a thing. But how do we stop hearing? The most obvious answer is to use an external device and cover your ears, but, even then, sounds still enter.

MOST OF THE TIME, YOU would have no control over what you hear.

And when you hear something, automatically, the mind reacts and responds to what is being heard. A sound mind will filter the grains of truth from the chaff of untruth which you must then discard.

However, there is a profound difference between hearing someone and listening to someone. Hearing is something we all say that we do. We say we hear what others say when they have complaints. However, how well do we listen? Have we been listening? Just because someone was “heard” doesn’t mean the person who heard them was “listening”.

The complaints that are now coming to the forefront in so many businesses, including the government sector, are not new complaints. We are starting to learn that most of the concerns have existed and have been voiced for a good number of years. Upper management heard the complaints, but did they listen? Did the complaints register in their minds?

Did they listen to what was being said or did they merely hear it?

In many cases, if upper management had sincerely listened in the first place, and then reacted and responded to what had been comprehended through active 26 March 21- April 20, 2011

listening, it is probable that Oman would not have seen nearly so many protests as what we have experienced.

Our wise leader took our nation to great heights, from darkness to light, from sickness to good health and gave us all a better life from nothing. So, when I first heard about the protests, I was shocked and then understood that it was pent-up frustrations spilling out. But then, I later became totally saddened by the flow of events which were punctuated with violence and death.

How did Lulu hypermarket burn?

How did the protests start? Who triggered it? Was it because of the Tunisian revolution? What Mohammed Bouazizi did in Tunisia was for a different reason. Are protests as infectious as a game of football? Is our country gripped by a protest fever? And, why and how did Abdullah Al Ghammlasi die?

A true protest against injustice does not employ injustice or violence; rather, it should demonstrate peace, integrity, patience, and dignity. It must reflect a respect for human life, and, overall, recognise the inherent nobility of every human. Oman’s protests appear to be a call for a new and improved society but also appear to lack planning and vision.

Many now complained about

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Editor-in-chief the government. Just who is “the government”? The government is comprised of tens of thousands of Omanis who are expected to carry out their duties following a system and policies; our fathers, our mothers, our brothers, our sisters, our cousins, our neighbours and our friends.

These are not people from an alien planet; rather, they are from among us. So when people complain they are not being treated well by “the government” they are complaining about our family members, our neighbours and our friends.

So why do we do this to one another? Why do we not perform our jobs well? When a citizen arrives in a government office for assistance, is it because he or she wants to be there? No, it is often because he or she has no choice but to come there.

In many ways the government is there to provide a service to these customers, and yet, the persons there to deliver the service often lack customer service skills and even appear, at times, to lack desire to perform their job well.

Oman is a unique nation, unlike any other AGCC country. We have no reason to resort to violence, loot or kill. Ours is a peaceful nation, green, clean and it took us 40 solid years to build it to where it is today. I wonder

"As I pen these thoughts, my mind involuntarily slips back to one worrying thought: protests, sit-ins and demonstrations are not the Omani way of life; it has happened, but, if I may voice my feeling and the feelings of many others, I would say that the time has come for it all to end…even if it needs to be by force!

Protests, genuine, or otherwise, have already made its impact, now, the time has come for all of it to subside, and to get on with the march of development… "

if our young generation realise that the older generation did not have even 10 per cent of opportunities that they are enjoying today. Instead of protesting, the earlier generation toiled hard for the common cause called Oman. Isn’t it time to get back to that?

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has heard and listened to the demands of many. He has acknowledged their concerns through the reshuffling of cabinet positions, a bevy of new jobs, reforms and various other promises.

And yet, protests continue.

Demands have increased in quantity and decreased in reasonability.

What more can the protesters reasonably ask for?

Protesting should not be about “give me”, meaning, “give me this, give me that.” Why have so many become “give me” people? We should work hard to earn the right to have what it is we want. There needs to be balance. There needs to be compromise, especially when trying to reach an agreement.

Please remember that Rome was not built in a day and certainly not Oman! It would take us all many years to rebuild the nation, repair the image and contain the economic downslide the protests have brought in its wake. Isn’t it time now to move ahead, work in peace and unison, regain the lost reputation and

economic stability to return Oman back to its original glory?!

Again, look at the side effects of the main protest. Citizens of many companies in Oman have joined in the protest, but many are now raising unethical and impossible demands.

Even the voices of the genuine ones are drowned in the clamour of the unreasonableness of others.

And, unlike the main protestors, like those protesting before the Majlis Al Shura building, these private sectors are on strike and hampering work. In effect, what are they doing?

They are destroying the livelihood of another citizen, another Omani? So, what should such a citizen do? Also protest?

Why are Omanis fighting against other Omanis? Why are we fighting each other and making a laughing stock of ourselves? And, not just us, but for the whole world to see?

Shouldn’t the voice of reason within their group talk to them and make them realise that unjust, unreasonable demands cannot be met? If it does not happen within them, shouldn’t the voices of reason in the society try to make them understand the mistakes they are making and the damages that they are bringing to their own brothers and sisters?

Surely, in the current environment, no private sector company will

ignore the just demands and will be more than willing to come halfway to meet their genuine requests.

However, protesting is about the art of compromise, not merely to get everything one wants. Sometimes something has to be given up to gain something else.

Or maybe the request can be responded to exactly as asked for, then again, maybe it will be given in an altered form. It has to be a win-win situation and it has to be to the benefit of both sides, and not let the balance tilt to one side only. If employees got everything they really wanted, the business would be run into the ground. But because there is compromise, the company remains open, employees jobs are secure, money flows into the business and, thus, into the pockets of employees. But if one protests without compromise, the money can’t flow.

C’mon, dear protestors, my dear fellowmen and women, my brothers and sisters, we are all one and we are part of a big family called Oman under a great leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Let us not, with our immature actions let down our leader or our nation. And, during this period, His Majesty has not even made one appearance on the national television; he did not make any promises, but just acted!

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Imagine Oman in 2021 or 2022. Ten or eleven years from now.

An ocean of serenity. A rich nation populated by happy, content and peaceful people… led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, one of the most magnanimous, sagely and visionary leader ever. A country sans corruption, sans exploitation of the poor by the rich, sans unemployment, sans stirs and protests, sans any major problems save for those encountered in the day-to-day walk of life.

B&W Xclusive

And… Just imagine bumping into some of the current reform activists, a decade or so from now. For instance, Sultan Hilal Al Habsi, one of the chief protagonists of the current people’s revolution (pro-reform sit-ins before the Majlis Al Shura building). Imagine finding out that he has now become a wellknown and capable minister.

We then learn that the honourable minister has just signed, on behalf of the Omani government, a major agreement between Oman and an European country in the gas sector; just imagine meeting Majid Mohammed Al Minji (another main

Ali Al Ba’adi

28 March 21- April 20, 2011

activist), who is now a very respected member of the Majlis Al Shura, and had recently conducted a world tour, meeting with high ranking parliamentary officials of various countries…we could go on…

But, you get the drift? Problems and other related niggling issues would be there, but the Omani media will be applauded for being a free, strong and independent one, having the courage to report on things as they are and how they should be without fear or favour…

Can’t imagine it?

Well, who would have ever imagined that the protests in other parts of the region would seep into tranquil Oman? Omanis were never known as a nation of protestors…

It was almost like an earthquake, but the grounds did not shift. It was not a tsunami, but there was an outpouring of sentiments and passions as large as that. Is it a revolution? If so, against what? Why

did it take so long to erupt? It is not a revolution against the leader, so, it is against those below; it is against general corruption; lack of jobs; the system; lack of freedom…

So, are they all happy now with so many sops being given?

Have the freedom seekers wondered whether what they are doing was going to hurt their own leader; do they really believe that they could save the nation by protesting against certain wrongs in a land of so many rights?

Have the genuine protestors, or the ‘people of the minds’ realised that their voices of dissent has actually set an alarming trend of protests in every sector of the industry too, some of which border on pure selfish interest and some that can never be met because of their impossible nature…?

So, we come to the crux of the matter: the protests in Oman have got their own good, bad and ugly sides… As we delve into that, we will also try to piece together this all-important puzzle of the happenings that led to this wave of protests.

As far as Oman is concerned, history has happened and is happening before our very eyes…let us try to record it for posterity.

From where did the spark come?

What was the spark that ignited the actual flame of protests in Oman?

Like Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia, a young Omani, Hilal Al Alawi, would have also set himself alight, had it not been for his friends who averted this attempt. Here below, Ali Al Ba’adi, an employee of Sohar port, and a close friend of Hilal Alawi, gives us a glimpse into the origins of the protest in Sohar. It is entirely his version, as told to Black & White.

Hilal, 20 plus, is a resident of Saham. He is married with one daughter. He is earning a salary of OMR220 and has a bank loan to be repaid. Although a resident of Saham, he is employed in Muscat.

He has been trying to get himself relocated to any place in the Batinah region without any success. He was

constantly checking with the ministry of manpower in Sohar for this purpose, but none of his attempts proved successful. Finally, things reached to a head when his repeated pleadings with a Sohar manpower official also fell on deaf ears. Then, Tunisia happened, or it could be a combination of events that finally put the thought of a drastic way out in the mind of the desperate and totally frustrated Hilal Alawi, Ali Al Ba’adi tells Black & White. “He threatened to immolate himself with a full bottle of petrol!

Here below, he gives the sequence of events: February 18, 2011, Friday, 7.30pm On the night of February 18, Hilal called me on my mobile and told me he was going to kill himself. He expressed his frustration and said he

was tired and did not have the heart to continue with his life anymore.

Naturally, I was shocked. I advised him not to do anything and told him to meet me the next day in Saham (we both come from the same place).

When we met, he told me how he was totally frustrated with his life and as he did not see any way out, he wanted to take his own life.

A way that he knew was to self immolate and make his death an example of the desperate situation that many like him were in! But, I convinced him not to take any drastic step, saying life was very precious and Oman was not Tunisia; I promised that I would accompany him to the ministry of manpower the next morning. Hilal wanted me to see with my own eyes the bad treatment meted out to him and his friends by the ministry officials.

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People from far and near, friends, relatives, young and old, poor and rich, all came in and joined the protest and a small protest of 150 people had by then became a revolution February 19, Saturday, ministry of man power, Sohar, 8am Early morning we, around 150 of us from Liwa, Shinas, Saham, Sohar (Batinah region) led by Khalid Al Hamdooli, gathered before the ministry of manpower. We met the ministry officials, and after many arguments, we were assured of a positive response on Saturday February 26th.

B&W Xclusive

February 26, Saturday, ministry of man power office, Sohar, 8am At 8am all of us, approximately 150 in number, met at the ministry premises. But, this time, the officials were rude and told the group to get out of the office. A frustrated Hilal, who was still carrying a bottle of petrol with him, threatened to douse himself with the inflammable liquid.

We stopped him once again.

We decided to sit before the manpower office shouting “(we need) employment, (better) salaries”! A Majlis Al Shura member came to pacify us, but we did not trust him; soon, we decided to shift our protest venue from the manpower office to the Sohar roundabout to gain better access to the public vision and also in the understanding that our voices had better chances to be heard…

February 26, Saturday, Sohar roundabout, Sohar, 10am We sat at the roundabout shouting the slogans ‘salaries! employment!’…

A police official approached us and told us to go to the police station and complain. We dismissed this advice and told him that we had no belief in them. Soon, the protest took on a more serious dimension when we decided to block the roundabout and stop the traffic.

30 March 21- April 20, 2011

February 26, Saturday, Sohar roundabout, Sohar, 4pm “At around 4pm we heard some unusual sounds from the Lulu hypermarket and all of us rushed there. We knew something was amiss and we were right. There were some youth throwing stones at the hypermarket. So we quickly formed a human chain and stood before the building, telling these youth not to indulge in anything violent and start peacefully protesting like we have done.

I would like to stress here that these vandals were not from our group (the 150). Khalid Al Hamdooli, our team leader, used a microphone and told everyone to settle down and not to resort to violence. We moved back to the roundabout.

Our hunch is that Lulu was burnt and vandalised so that we would be blamed for these acts and then that will silence our voices! We contacted the authorities concerned to help, but they told us that they had no orders to come and protect Lulu.

February 26, Saturday, Sohar roundabout, Sohar, 8pm The crowd swelled from 150 to around 1000 by 8pm. More people poured in.

February 26, Saturday, : Sohar roundabout, Sohar, 10pm As it got late, we decided to call it a day. The majority of the crowd dispersed to their own homes. I slept in my car, because it was cold.

Around 50 others settled down for the night on the grass itself.

February 27, Sunday, Sohar roundabout, Sohar, 3am Suddenly, by 3am, everything

changed. Law enforcement officials pounced on the protestors (who were sleeping), beat them up and took them to the Sohar police station.

I managed to escape because I was in my car; some of my friends also managed to run away. Some hours later, by around 7.30am, those who had run away were picked up from their homes. My friend Khalid Al Hamdooli was picked up from our (Sohar Port) office at 8am.

February 27, Sunday, Sohar roundabout, Sohar, 9am Friends who returned to the roundabout were appalled by what had happened. They called out to their families, friends, and whoever they could think of.

They then vented their collective ire to the authorities concerned and demanded the release of the detainees.

Angry family members and the authorities concerned argued, fought and soon it became violent. Family members asked the authorities concerned as to what crime these protesters had done and whether, we, as citizens, did not have a right to express ourselves peacefully.

Those arrested were transferred to Samail prison in the morning hours itself, but were later released in the same evening (7pm).

The reason for the release was ideally prompted by the sad death of Abdullah Al Ghammlasi, who was shot dead (six others injured) and the consequences that followed after that.

People from far and near; friends, relatives; young and old; poor and rich, all came in and joined the protest and a small protest of 150 people had by then became a revolution!

Abdullah Mohammed Al Yahmadi

A glimpse into the sad demise of an innocent man How did Abdullah Al Ghammlasi die? Was he part of the protests…? Mystery surrounds the death of this innocent man. But, there is one version given by none other than his nephew, one of the protestors, and also the person called to identify the mortal remains of Abdullah Ghammlasi who was in his late 30s.

Abdullah Mohammed Nasser Al Yahmadi, a 25 year old nephew of Abdullah Ghammlasi, gave us his version: “My maternal uncle (Abdullah) was a real estate broker and had lot of dealings with the ministry of manpower and other related government offices.

“Early February 27 morning (a Sunday), after the arrests of the protesters from the Sohar roundabout, the families and friends took to the streets to vent their ire.

My uncle was just an onlooker, standing at the edge of the road, watching the protests… Suddenly

things began to get out of hand and the authorities employed the usual means to disperse the crowd, which included shooting.

The next thing we know, we find my uncle lying on the road, shot twice, in his chest and in his stomach. We were all shocked and paralysed.

“It was the most devastating and saddest day for his family. He is married, but has no kids. His father had passed away long back and one of his brothers is working at the ROP, Saham.

My uncle was a resident of Jheelabdulsalam at Saham. The family are inconsolable and have still

not come to terms with his death. I, being the relative, was called in to identify his body at the hospital.

“We are now protesting against the unjust means used to suppress us, killing our own and injuring others (another six).

Our demands are simple: we would like to call for an investigation into the shooting orders given to quell an unarmed public!

The six injured are hiding because they fear that they will be targetted too, because they all have telltale bullet wounds! We need justice! We believe that no one is above the law!”

Black & White it 31

History unfolding January 17, 2011. This was the day some Omanis made a peaceful rally in the ministry area in Muscat, raising their voice against corruption, the need for better employment opportunities etc. A historic moment, hopefully captured in posterity because that was the first-ever protest that was made this year before the country was rocked with the unusual people’s revolution. Never before had anyone taken to the streets to protest against corruption or corrupt officials… It was unheard of. It was unusual. But, it happened.

A SINGLE FLICK THAT SPARKED THE ARAB FLAME They say that a single flick of a young man’s little plastic cigarette lighter in Tunisia in mid-December had sparked the flames that has now swept across the Arab world. In Oman, another such single flick of a young Omani would have sparked a bigger flame had he been allowed to go ahead with it. That single act of sheer desperation would have had a devastating effect on the people here. Thankfully, such a situation was averted by friends of the young, frustrated man. But, the desperation that drove this young man to almost commit such an act of self immolation seems to have been the catalyst; that sparked a revolution in Oman, the likes of which has never ever happened in its history. But, it should be stressed that the 'revolutionists' only want to change their lives, not the leader. The voice of dissent was already heard in a gentle way in Muscat itself when some dissidents began their protest in the prime area where ministries are located in Al Khuwair in mid January (January 17, 2011) and then suddenly before anyone knew it, could control it, Sohar happened. A terrible mistake happened. An innocent man got killed. Abdullah Al Ghammlasi’s untimely demise proved to be a turning point. The spark that was earlier drowned suddenly reignited in a wholesome fury. Sohar 'burnt'.

People of the minds speak “If by the mere force of numbers, a majority should deprive a minority of any clearly written constitutional right, it might, in a moral point of view, justify revolution” – Abraham Lincoln According to the intellectuals who were protesting before the Majlis Al Shura building in Muscat, it was a minority that was pulling the wool over the eyes of the majority and that justified revolution. Their anger is directed against this fact.

But, then a far-sighted and people-loving leader immediately gave what his countrymen and women were clamouring for. Corrupt officials were sacked overnight and a sea of change suddenly swept in. But, for the intelligentsia, that was not enough. No, they were not challenging their beloved leader; instead, they wanted his approval, consent and support for a greater cause – a change in the constitution. They want a doctrinal or a policy change and a law that views every citizen equally. They not only want freedom of expression, but they also want a free media. They don’t want heads to roll, but they want accountability. If a proper law is in place and it is deemed that no one is above the law, then whoever is in a position of power will not be able to misuse it.

B&W Xclusive

For the uninitiated, here is a chance to view up close and personal the protestors themselves through the eyes of the Black & White team. Hear their desperate (some of them) voices and judge for yourselves whether what they are saying is right or wrong. We have reserved our comments and brought you the voice of the protestors: 32 March 21- April 20, 2011

Voices: Majlis Al Shura parking lot. March 9, 2011, 10.40 am Ahmed Mohammed Baqer Al Ajmi From: Amerat; Age: 40 plus Profession: formerly taxi cum driving instructor; unmarried Current situation: Homeless and penniless

NOTHING TO LOSE “I am an Omani citizen, but, I do not have a land or a home of my own; could not afford to marry and have been to jail many times for nonpayment of my personal loans.

My car insurance has expired, so has the registration. How long am I going to live like this? I don’t know; but I can no longer exist like this.

I do not fear to raise my voice any more.

There is no one to ask me why it is so hard for me to live? No one…

I started the protests because I had nothing to lose. Nothing at all.

I love my country and my ruler and I am sure that however small my protests, however feeble my voice, my leader will hear it and rescue me from this mess.

It may sound small to many, my demand is to waive off my personal loan, because I have no means to pay anything; an Omani is entitled to a piece of land, until date I haven’t heard of anything…

I sat here on the first day with two others; look at the movement today.

My mite to the protest is for the future generation. I hope and wish that our wise leader will hear me and people like us. We are poor, but, there must be a way out for all of us. Why should the rich get richer and the poor, poorer? Asking for a change is the only way… let Oman never have another desperate Ahmed like me ever again!”

Said Ahmed Al Rawahi

Waleed Al Balushi

From: Sumail ; Age: 24 Profession: Loader; married

From: Seeb; Age: 22 Profession: driver

I DON’T WANT MY KIDS TO BE LOADERS AND COOLIES “I have been working as a loader/porter for the last six to seven years. I joined on daily wages of OMR5 a day and lobbied and begged to get a permanent employment contract with the company I worked.

It took me a year to get my employment contract! Not for more money, only for a permanent job. I still work for daily wages, which means we do not get any facilities.

Today, I am sitting with my compatriots because of a naked truth that hit me suddenly: I will live and die as a porter!

I have no means to educate my children or give them a better future with the pittance that I get!

Would you want your children to grow up and earn daily wages, because you could not afford or have any other means? Our future is bleak…

My demand is to have a policy in place, which will ensure poor citizens like me to get a fair chance to question people in power on any alleged foul play.

There should be some sort of support system and if there is one, how will a citizen like me know what my entitlements are?

The officials of the ministry of manpower are not sympathetic and they treat us like beggars.”

FEAR OF THE FUTURE “I left school to fend for my family.

I am a 22-year old driver and I feel that even after 20 years I would still remain a driver. I don’t see any future before me. I have been totally frustrated and have been keeping these pent-up emotions in me for a very long time. But, I never had the courage to speak out before. Today, another fear, the fear of the future, has overtaken my inherent fear. When Ahmed Al Ajmi sat here on February 28, I joined him. We were just the two of us. At first people didn’t know what was happening, then slowly people understood what was happening and they began to join us here at the Majlis Al Shura. It was as though we were all destined to raise our voice together. What happened in Sohar made us feel that we are all suffering the same pain! We are very proud of Oman and our beloved leader, and we want him to hear us.

At 22, I am up against a wall, not educated, not able to meet mine or my family’s needs, what will I do for the future? I don’t want money to be rich -- I just want a decent life!”

Black & White te 33

Ahmed Saleh Al Akbari From: Ma’awela; Age: 26 Profession: Businessman

JOBS WON’T HELP Where are our growth prospects?

I am educated, come from a good financial background, and am enterprising enough to run a small business. But I see no growth prospects as I don’t know who will support me. Whom can a citizen approach? We are all scared even to whisper… But, then one spark of revolution in Sohar, all citizens got united and what you see today is a new chapter in Oman. If this didn’t happen, it would have been a worse situation and quite a bleak future for all of us. We are grateful to the changes by our ruler, we love him immensely and we humbly urge him to hear us out.

Salem Rashid Said Al Sinani

B&W Xclusive

Age: 39 Profession: Businessman

MANY QUESTIONS, NO ANSWERS “All of us have a unified voice today and we need to be heard.

There are things that many citizens don’t understand. I agree. But why are these roads being built one upon one? Who makes these tenders? Who wins them? Why are the roads broken in a short timeframe and rebuilt again?

Why don’t the authorities have a long-term plan? There is no transparency anywhere!”

34 March 21- April 20, 2011

Waleed Al Habsi Age: 37; Profession: Businessman

A SILENT, YET STRONG PROTEST “We are not here to scare the society or threaten anyone. We are humbled and grateful to our beloved leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, for reaching us to where Oman is today.

I believe that asking for freedom of expression; for our basic needs and the need to live with dignity is not a crime. And when the mass raises its voice, we are aware of the side effects too. A rosy picture has been painted to date and every one in authority has put a blanket over the common man’s woes, by saying that everything is okay.

But, it is not true. We all know that it is not true. What is true is that the people who are sitting here are not asking for petty needs; we are here for the future of our younger generation, and we have no intention of harming anyone – neither our people, nor, our society.

We are here supporting our compatriots and we sincerely hope our voices will be heard by our great leader. We attend offices and business in the morning hours and join the sit-ins with the unemployed and affected in the late evenings.

We know our business will be affected and the world is watching us, but when you are up against a wall and have no other direction to go, what will you do? We do not support the violence or the vandalism and we have a team who ensures that peace is maintained so that our nation remains calm and peaceful. And we will be the first ones to stop the miscreants.

Yes, every action has a reaction too and we know that the normal business will be affected, and the road blocks will cause traffic woes to everyone, but we believe that change will sweep over everything.

We had no other choice, if we don’t raise our voices now, no one will ever hear us; those in authority have chosen corruption and personal gains over the nation’s growth, why don’t you ask the corrupt and the rich ones the same question? When they were looting our nation, why didn’t anyone ask them? Why was there no law to safeguard our nation’s richness from their dirty hands? Why ask us questions on responsibility?

Why don’t the media and press ask those in authority about the damage caused by selfish and vested interests and by corruption?

SALUTATIONS TO HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN “Our heart and soul is bound to our ruler. This protest is not against him.

He has given us and our nation his wise guidance and leadership like no other leader in the world; but his ministers and those in authority have been the wall that have blocked us from him; from our sufferings and the truth. In just three days and 13 minutes, he removed those corrupt ministers showing us his understanding for his public. Our salutations to him.

OMR150 FOR THE UNEMPLOYED, 200 FOR EMPLOYMENT “No, this is not true. There are conditions that apply in order to get the OMR150. No unemployed person is going to get the money transferred directly to his account; the manpower office will give you three job opportunities in a month’s time and if you say no to all three, you forfeit your chance to get the benefit. Only if the manpower office fails to get us chances will we get the money.”

Sultan Hilal Al Habsi Ad hoc team leader and speaker

WANTED: A SYSTEM CHANGE "We are proud to be Omanis and really proud of our beloved leader. He is always in our hearts. We are not fighting against him. We are protesting so that our voice will finally be heard. We know the true picture.

The ministers were portraying and painting a rosy picture that everything was hunky dory, but if that was so, why are some of the citizens still starving; why are they in utter penury? Why are they having tears in their eyes? We are not demanding money and jobs for all; we are not saying that expatriates should be removed, no, our demands are very simple: we need a policy that will bring in economic and social equality; a policy, which will safeguard and protect citizens and give them their basic fundamental rights of freedom and expression… it is long overdue.

Every country has corruption, unemployment and poverty, but our country is a very young one and has very little population. We cannot afford fear and distrust. This will break our society. As a country that has leapt to progress in a short 40-year span, thanks to our wise leader, we want to be responsible citizens and take the progress forward.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN “Every nation goes through changes. That is not revolution, it is evolution. What happened in Sohar only escalated the protests. Abdullah Al Ghammlasi became a martyr for us, he died for this nation. He was not a protestor, he was an onlooker, but destiny took its course and he gave his life. Look at a future where the citizens are plagued by fear, mistrust, illiteracy, frustration, poverty… do we want it? Today you are talking about economic loss, tourism loss, image loss (because of the protests), but aren’t you looking at the wrong priorities? Do you want tourists to come and see our frustration and poverty? Do you want the world to see that everything is not as rosy as it is painted? Our helplessness, our mediocrity, our lack of talent and confidence?

ENTITLEMENTS FAIR AND TRUE Every Omani is entitled to a free plot. But, how many of us have got it? Why do we wait years while others with wasta get prime plots at a short notice? Why do ministers and other officials’ children and siblings get all facilities?

Why does an oil rich country like Oman have povertystricken citizens who live in shacks?

OUTSIDE WORLD KNOWS WHAT OMANIS DON’T It is all out in the internet and the international media as to how our corrupt ministers have amassed wealth for themselves and have looted the nation! So isn’t the world watching that? Isn’t the nation’s credibility compromised when the whole world sees such wrongs being committed? The country’s economy is also affected when those in power loot its wealth.

No one notices that, but when the production stops, everyone remembers that the nation is going to suffer in the coming years, but what about the suffering of the citizens in the last few years and what about the damages done to the economy by sucking it dry; siphoning off funds to personal bank accounts elsewhere? What about non productive and senseless tenders and contracts signed for personal gains? Aren’t they de-stabilising our nation?

LOCAL MEDIA IS A FARCE "For a minute forget salaries, bad economic conditions, poverty and unemployment…why should we, in a modern world, live in fear of even expressing our feelings? We cannot even talk freely. Even the local media is a farce, you cannot write about what is happening. We do not have a live television channel; only what the authorities want us to see is shown… but, for, how long?

TODAY, THE MINDS ARE WITHOUT FEAR "This protest did not start just because of the Sohar killings, it was long overdue. People used to sit in the Majlis and whisper about these things for many years, but now it just happened that all the barriers have been broken and our fears have subsided… what is the actual fear all of us have? Fear of pain? Of death? Well, we saw that in Sohar; we are ready with a mind without fear and unshaken belief in our one and only true leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. May God bless him always!

Black & White 35

This means precious LNG was sold at a cheap price of $1 per Mmbtu at the international market and the irony is that no one can terminate this contract. The funny part is that we buy LNG from a neighbouring country at a rate of approximately $4 per Mmbtu for domestic use, swallowing losses silently… is this not a national waste? Why isn’t anyone investigating this? This is not just my request, but my protest! I remember I was accused of being ‘pro government’ when I made these comments and was then forced to leave my service. My colleague, Nashat Al Mugheiri, shed tears of blood when they were signing the deal.

Many of my colleagues spoke and discussed about this, but no one had the strength to talk aloud. The management had only lame excuses like the LNG had no value then etc… if LNG was so low in the international markets, why sign a deal? Could it not have been used domestically, instead of later buying it at a higher price from another country? It could have been used to create local industries.

Majid Mohammed Al Minji Former employee of ONLG, now businessman

B&W Xclusive

FULL STOP TO ALL SHADY DEALS Who decides on selling our precious oil and gas (LNG) at an underpriced rate, that too, on a long-term basis? Won’t that kill our economy? It pains us to see that a few benefit personally by selling the nation’s precious property at throwaway prices. No questions are asked, and there are no panels, no systems to ensure a fair deal. Today when we protest, questions are asked, we are criticised bitterly, but when these shady deals are done, no one even blinks, or even raises a little finger. No one talks about it, or about the loss to our nation; that loss is also in billions and trillions… My demand is to investigate into the previous LNG deal with a foreign power generator, where (he alleges) LNG was sold at a throwaway price of $2 per Mmbtu, which includes shipping charges too!

Salim Al Khalasi Profession: Auditor (private sector)

36 March 21- April 20, 2011

OIL CAME FROM ANCESTRAL REMAINS They say oil came from dead dinosaurs, but I believe it came from the remains of our grandfathers, ancestors… it is our right, our treasure; our property… no one has any right to use it for personal gains! I know this is a serious allegation that I am making, and, I am aware of the consequences. If I am proved wrong, I am ready to face any consequences that might arise, but, what if I am right? I hope our leader looks into all national wastage and thereby help secure the future for our younger generation. I hope the Majlis Al Shura (interview done before the Shura was given audit and legislative powers) gets more rights. I have filed for elections from the Mudhaibi region.

To stand up for a cause is not cowardice; it is not escapism or shirking of responsibility. It is bravery. The brave fight for the society, the wise lead them and it is someone else finally that enjoy the fruits of the revolution… I am here with my fellowmen to do my bit. Let us put a full stop to all shady deals that affect this nation!”

A LIFE WITH DIGNITY “What are my compatriots asking? A right to live with dignity, a right to voice their needs, a right to a policy for the nation, a right to end corruption, a right to transparency…I am in support of these demands, not personally for me, but for my compatriots. I am educated, settled, and earning a good living. I have been exposed to living in other countries and have been educated and fortunate enough to earn and make money. Many may look at the protests being made here as mere demands for financial support, but, more important is the right to freedom, the right to express oneself.

SULTAN QABOOS, A GREAT LEADER He is the father of our nation. These protests are not against him. We are fortunate to have our Sultan as our leader, but unfortunately those in power misused their powers and looted the nation and its citizens of their basic rights. This is indeed a historical moment and I didn’t want to be a spectator, I wanted to be part of the protests. There is a famous proverb that sums up this revolution: “Brave and crazy men spark off a revolution, wise and sagely men hold it together and finally, the cowards enjoy the fruits of someone else’s sweat, toil and blood…”

Barka: March 9, 2011 9.16pm

Jamal A. Karim Al-Hooti administration head

A PUBLIC COURT Every citizen requires the basic right to freedom of speech. Look at the protesting crowd, they are responsible, most of them are employed too, they finish their work in the morning hours, while their unemployed compatriots hold the fort at their own respective protest grounds. In the day it is just a handful, by evening we see thousands, in fact one day it crossed 11,000. It is not like how you see it: there are teams to handle administration, information, public relations, discipline and even finance. Team leaders travel and address the group. The stage is open and anyone can get up there and speak. This system is made so that things don’t go out of control.

It is not us who break things and burn public property. The burning of Lulu hypermarket is still shrouded in

A HISTORICAL MOVEMENT Oman is witnessing a historical revolution, flaming from a spark in Sohar.

Probably if Abdullah Al Ghammlasi was not shot dead and the others injured, we would not have risen in this manner. That shocking death of an innocent man made us all think: When will we get enough courage to stand up and speak?

Revolution happens this way in every country, we are not unique. Look at the scene today, the public, the world do not know what happened or how it happened? All of them think it is the same Arab fever of protest… no! Oman’s protests are unique. People were suffering silently for many years. The poor remained poor and the rich richer. Again, it is the same everywhere, but Oman, a small country with very small population should not be looted and drained by those in power. There should be a basic right given to all citizens, not to protest, but to maturely voice their demands. If we never ask, we will never get.

Ask around, you will see that a man died and no one even knows who died!

Some say two died, some say three, while others say one. Who died? Who killed? So what is the local media’s role and responsibility? Shouldn’t the citizens know what is happening in their own village, city and country?

We want our beloved leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, to see the real picture. Let His Majesty meet the public directly and listen to their woes… we only believe him, not anyone else.

mystery. Team leaders from Sohar come up to Barka and before the Majlis Al Shura building to speak and share experiences. There are protesters in over 30 cities spread all over Oman. Applications are collected from all citizens. Some of the protests are for small and petty demands, but when one starts speaking, everyone does. The frustrations over the years have been growing and the sparks in Sohar, lit the fire of revolution. This is change sweeping over Oman. The young cannot be ignored. Every citizen here today wishes for a clean nation, a transparent and accountable government and a right to a better life with dignity. We are not trouble makers, we are simple citizens who waited patiently for years and then realised that if no one is going to ask for our rights, we have to do it ourselves…

Salem Al Busaidy lawyer/legal advisor

Black & White 37

PEACEFUL PROTESTS "The youth of Oman are not ungrateful; we know what we have today, thanks to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, our wise ruler. We appreciate the phenomenal progress of the last 40 years. Barka did not witness any untoward incidents; we are very careful to keep the team in control.

During the first stage of the protests, the protesters blocked the roundabout and said let us make noise, break things, and then someone will notice us, hear us out.

They covered their faces, but we students stopped them and said violence is not the

Qatada Al Hooti engineering student

way; instead of blocking vehicles, let us peacefully sit in at the parking lot and here we are sitting since the start.

BETTER LIFE WITH EDUCATION We want to be educated and also properly trained so that we can be better qualified.

We want better jobs. It is not possible to get a better pay and facilities and a good life if you are a school dropout. Other countries in the world invest in their youth, and it is the youth that is going to take us forward.

With good education and training, we will have a better attitude to face the world."

Sohar Port roundabout: March 14, 2011, 10am At the Sohar port roundabout, one segment from the large crowd that gathered there wanted to speak to us, the others were totally opposed to that. As they argued, we were told that we should consult with the authorities concerned who were present a safe distance away. We went to them to explain who we were and why we were there, but they told us that we need to get permission from some other authority and they whisked us away (in our own car) to a nearby camp, and after sometime, told us that we did not need any permission to do what we were doing and so we were taken back. By this time, the gathering was reduced to just under 100. We spoke to the serious ones among the lot:

Ahmed Said Mohammed Al Maamari 32 years, teacher, Liwa

MISUSE OF POWER "Why do the officials of the ministry of manpower send the people of Al Batinah region to Muscat for smaller jobs? Why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they be employed in the same region?

Who decides on this? And why? There are many international companies in Sohar, but, why is it that only a chosen lot from the Muscat area are getting these cream jobs? A person from Al Batinah region finds it very difficult and expensive to maintain his family in Muscat or he has to stay away from his family.

That gets frustrating too. We believe that those who are in power, misuse it to their convenience. We have many in our midst who have lost out on good jobs and pay scale because of the manpower officials. Even when the companies have the budget to pay the staff a good scale, the ministry intervenes and says, the minimum wages are OMR140, why pay more?"

B&W Xclusive

Ahmed Mohammed Hussain Al Balushi 39 years old, unemployed

INNOCENT, YET PUNISHED "I was just driving (in his Nissan Altima) through the Sohar roundabout area on February 27. I was not part of the protests, but just slowed down to see the protestors at the roundabout.

My only crime (if you call it a crime) is that I stopped and stared at the protestors and then next thing I know, I was picked up. It was not just me. Many others were also picked up. I noticed that even some under-15 year olds were picked up too.

We were released only after intervention from the highest authorities in Oman.

Since then I have been sitting here. What wrong did I do? How can they do this to innocents? I am angry and I demand justice!"

38 March 21- April 20, 2011

Sohar roundabout: March 14, 2011, 11am

From left, Said Nasser Al Mukbali (26 years, bus driver/unemployed), Aiman Abdullah Al Shibli (24 years, driver/unemployed), Hussain Mohammed Al Ajmi (21 years, unemployed), Sultan Mohamed Rashid Al Mukbali (22 years, unemployed)

WAITING FOR GODOT After completing a teachers’ course, you have to wait for a long period (three to four years) for a job, or, if you are desperate, you compromise and take up any job, which is the current scenario in Oman.

The officials of the ministry of manpower treat us like beggars.

We are not looking for alms. It has to stop. We need a job for our livelihood.

We want to delete the word ‘wasta’ from our dictionaries. We, the protesters, are common people who have no wasta. All that we can do is to sit and protest patiently and peacefully until our voices are heard by our beloved ruler.

WHY DID ABDULLAH AL GHAMMLASI HAVE TO DIE? He was just a silent onlooker, recording the historical happenings on his phone when he was shot and killed. He was shot twice.

Today, he is a martyr and we need to know who shot him? We will not move from here until justice is given!

There are several others (around six) who have bullet injuries.

We are not armed terrorists and we do not want to break, damage,

demolish or kill… we want to be heard! We want a better life! We blocked the Sohar roundabout not to stop production or with the intention of creating panic.

What happened on February 26/27th should never be repeated.

We do not know the vandals and hooligans who get in under the same pretext of protest and damage property and create havoc; we keep a watch and channelise traffic, we allow genuine traffic: from ladies to families and those on their way to hospitals and clinics.

TRIAL FOR THE CORRUPT No one is above the law. When those responsible at the helm of affairs tend to forget the law and look for personal gains only, then, they should not be forgiven.

We want those corrupt ministers to be taken to trial. Accountability should be a clause for the common citizens as well as those wielding power.

We, the common people, trusted our government-appointed officials.

And so, when we learn that they are cheating us, looting the nation, we are totally heartbroken. They are killing the nation!

WHO BURNT LULU? We were sitting at the roundabout and shouting slogans. We did not move out of our place at all and we never indulged in looting and vandalising… So, the question is who burnt Lulu and blamed it on us (the protesters)?

We want the authorities to investigate… everything is not what you see, there is lot that is not seen by the common eye. Why would the poor, unemployed protesters burn down an establishment that is not only providing employment to our own brothers and sisters but also allowing us to buy everything we need under one roof? Why would we do that? We are not that foolish to burn our own livelihood!

NOT AGAINST ANYONE We are not here to take away anything by force. We want a system, so that we can secure a future. We want a decent life and the means to it. We want to remove the words wasta and favouritism from every office. We respect the expatriate population and we know there are many who are underpaid and ill treated like us. Maybe our protests will change their lives too!

Black & White 39

Sohar roundabout: March 14, 2011, 11.30pm

B&W Xclusive

Ismail Al Muqbali 29 years, PDO staff

WHAT HAPPENED ON FEB 27 AND 28?

Oman is our own home. We cannot go anywhere else. No sane person will burn their own home. We think it is time to speak out and stand up for our nation. Out of frustration that built up since many years, a group of young unemployed came to Sohar roundabout to voice their grievances, in the hope someone will listen.

But, what started as a green march, turned to violence and even resulted in death. As many as 50 people were arrested and their families got

40 March 21- April 20, 2011

agitated. Probably that caused the spark. Many got injured and hurt, and that proved to be another turning point. We are not here as trouble makers, every citizen has a right to live a life with dignity in their home country. So why not Omanis? We were suffering yet patient. Many of us lived miserable lives.

Education is very important for the youth and their future but because of bad economic conditions some of them were forced to drop out of schools. These youth will turn out to be a burden on the nation tomorrow.

If we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stand up now, our children will suffer and our lives will be mired in poverty.

Why should those with wasta and power become richer and enjoy all facilities, while there are those who have to live on just OMR40 per month? This has to change. Social equality is a must. And it is possible only through a strong policy by and for the nation.

We are not into violence, nor even bad behaviour; all that we will do is to make our voices be heard. Violence will never get us anything. We want an independent investigation to be done on what happened on February 27 and 28!

GRATEFUL TO OUR LEADER We are grateful to our ruler who has granted us many of our demands.

We hope to realise all.

We have summarised our demands in to three main points: 1) Corrupt ministers and officials should be put on trial â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everyone needs to be accountable 2) Legislative powers to the parliament and members should be people elected 3) A blue print for reducing unemployment and thereby increase the standards of living We hope Oman has more freedom and a free media. Today it is a joke.

While international media publishes all news and happenings in Oman, our local media writes only what they are told to do!

If there is no freedom of the press, how will the society be aware of the local happenings? Society will thrive on gossips and rumours and that will create more panic and havoc in the minds of the youth. It is a vicious circle. Media should complement the society and be a watchdog.

Ali Al Muqbali, 34 years, deputy finance manager

EVERYTHING IS NOT ROSY Look at us. The majority of the lot gathered here are young. We are all here after our office hours. Do you think we will be sitting here if everything was happy and good? If you are happy and relaxed would you come here, every night? The younger generation are not fools; they are smart and they want change. Look around, you will see even the physically challenged, the old, the sick and even children coming in.

Some days the crowd can go upto to 6000 or 7000. I am employed, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want my compatriots to be unemployed. I am here to support them. After all, what are they asking for? A life with dignity? A nation without corruption?

A life without fear? Is that too much to ask for?

Yahya Mohammed Ibrahim Al Balushi 26, gym trainer

INNOCENT VICTIM "On February 27, at 3am, I was going to my gym when I was stopped by the authorities concerned, somewhere near the roundabout and roughly dealt with. Our gym session starts at 5am and so I was just heading towards there after a late night dinner. I had nothing to do with the protests or anything. Maybe it was my fate, but why? Why was I put through that ordeal? What wrong did I do? Is there a rule that you cannot move about at 3am? I was finally released at 8pm the next day.

The incident really shook me. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want such a thing to happen to anyone in this country. I do not want this to happen to any of my family members or friends. There should be transparency and accountability. And I need to know why innocents get punished?"

Black & White 41

The Good, the B

They are good, some said. Bad, others said. Ugly, declared some others. S protestors in Oman. Without much adoâ&#x20AC;Ślet us look at the good, the bad a GOOD: The new found freedom to speak out: the mouths were stitched; no one could talk or express themselves before; only cowardly whispers were heard around. It is good to speak up for what you think is right. People are listening too. That is the best part. What the public voiced was mulled over, accepted with justice and implemented too, at an unbelievably short timeframe.

BAD: The unreasonable demands. Demands that keep on coming and the sheer lack of information in the market is bad. We are all kidding ourselves when there is no freedom of press! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a joke. With internet and active social medias readily available in our mobiles, and with the public having complete access to immediate breaking news etc., here, the media is still far, far behind!

UGLY: The ugly part is the cost of these demands and changes. It is definitely going to cost someone. All these changes and reforms cannot be done without the money power. So the cost of these changes will be reflected in our industries and society itself. Therefore, all of us have to bear it too!

Mohamed H. G. Habib, FCAA Entrepreneur

Khalil bin Abdullah Al Khonji, Chairman, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry

B&W Xclusive

My message to the protesters in both the public and private sectors is to please respect the existing labour law. The law, as enshrined in the labour law, permits you to raise your voice, but only after a notice period of 21 days to the management concerned. It is not legal to call for a strike or a protest one fine morning. Staff should give a notice to the management with 21days notice. Authorities will be forced to take action if these instant sit-ins continueâ&#x20AC;Ś 42 March 21- April 20, 2011

Bad and the Ugly

So, there is something good, something bad and something ugly about these and the ugly side of these protests through the voices of these respondents: GOOD: The sit-ins have uncovered our weaknesses as businessmen, institutions, organisations and also on the governmental front… It showed us in a peaceful manner the power of the ordinary people.

People’s power can be positively used to trigger and change any society. It showed us that our youth have grown up with the ability to lead a change. The sit-ins have brought out a unity amongst the citizens of the nation. Under the wise guidance of our unique ruler, Oman has handled a crisis with a high level of maturity containing the damage without bloodshed, killings or any negativity. No country in the world can boast of peace that we are blessed with. These protests have only proven that Oman is still a very peaceful country.

BAD: Any sort of protest will have its own adverse effects, even if it is going to be a short-term one. The changes implemented, the increase in wages, allowances is certainly going to take a toll on the annual budgets of all sectors.

UGLY: The selfishness of a segment of the protesters takes away the real positive spirit of the peoples voice. Petty demands, selfish claims with a focus of personal gain will bring out the ugliness in these protests.

Saleh Mohammed Al Shanfari, Chairman, A’Saffa Foods SAOG

GOOD: There is a wave of protests all over the AGCC region and even in the world over.

Oman is a part of the world and it is only natural that these protests would happen here. The public voice has to be heard. But, what is happening in Oman is totally different from what is happening anywhere else. There is no power struggle, no violence, and we are coming out of it with minimum damage. We will emerge out of this phase as a stronger and unified nation. We must understand that freedom is a collective responsibility.

BAD: When will it stop? The protests and sit-ins have opened many eyes. But this cannot continue indefinitely. It has to stop and we have to move on… otherwise the economy of the country will be negatively affected.

UGLY: Oman’s impeccable reputation of the last 40 years as the most peaceful and tolerant country in the world has been affected, even if it is for a short term. We need to clean it up and we need a think tank that can put the reputation of our country back to its past glory!

Black & White 43

“Ask yourself: Who shall prevail? circumstances or us?”

We have to prevail, rise over the circumstances and move ahead! We will emerge stronger, because we cannot tarnish the reputation of the country. What more can you ask? Most of the demands have been met by our ruler through his resilience and wisdom. Let not the goodwill and peace be lost in the ‘entitlement mentality’. Decide prudently and choose the contributing attitude!

In times of conflict, painful experiences and incidents happen, but it is only wise to move on… rebuilding the nation’s lost reputation will take much more years than it took to reach where we are today!

GOOD: It is an eye opener for many of us indicating the need to transform. Our younger generation are ready to express, voice their opinions and see transformation and be involved in it. It is a wakeup call, echoing change for the decision makers to gear up to make way for radical changes to take Oman to the next era.

Sheikh Khalfan bin Mohammed Al Esry, Omani scholar

BAD: Oman as a country has its own identity, its own rich tradition, culture, values and principles and imitating, copying a trend in the region or demanding a change not specific to our country is bad. We do not have to create unrest because the other AGCC countries are. These sit-ins should be meaningful and pertaining to our country only.

UGLY: Opportunists taking advantage of the unrest and creating doubts,

violence and disrupting the common man’s daily life. Indulging in looting, destroying public property, creating rift between the citizens and the government, between leaders and followers, between the old and new and inciting violence through social media, internet and international media are some of the ugly sides of this protest.

Lack of correct information is also ugly, which will create rumours and unnecessary panic.

B&W Xclusive

Protests will improve Oman’s situation – OPINION POLL A random B&W poll revealed that many of the respondents believe that despite the current state of suspended animation, where the protestors are continuing to make their demands and the authorities have not yet clamped down upon them, these protests would actually herald in positive change. Around 61.5 percent of the respondents of a straw poll claim that Oman’s situation would only improve post protests as opposed to 38.5 percent, who believe it won’t. Are these protests, the true voice of the people? Well those who believe that these protests reflect the true voice of the Omanis number around 53.8 percent of those involved in the random poll, while the others, 46.2 percent, believed otherwise. Not all respondents believe these protests are a result of external influence, in fact, around 59.3 percent feel that it is not due to any external interference, while, the remaining 40.7 percent still suspect the presence of foreign hands. An overwhelming 63 percent however believe that these protests will ultimately tarnish Oman’s international image; 37 percent feel Oman’s image will remain sacrosanct.

44 March 21- April 20, 2011

Will Oman’s situation improve because of the protests?

Does protests reflect the true voice of the Omani people?

Royal Decrees have covered almost all demands During the initial period of the protest, barely a week passed by without a Royal Decree being issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

He has, since the protests started, shuffled the cabinet, changed key ministers and high-profile officials, given audit and legislative powers to the Majlis Al Shura; vowed to create 50,000 jobs and promised unemployment benefits of OMR150 per month…He has also boosted state pensions and payments for families receiving state social security.

His Majesty the Sultan also announced benefits for the students of Higher College of Technology. The students, whose homes are 100 km away from the place of study, will be now given OMR90 allowances while those living at a less than 100 km distance would get OMR25 allowance.

The Royal Decree issued stated the reason for rise in these stipends as “to achieve further development and provide a decent living”.

The Diwan of Royal Court, on the orders of His Majesty, the Sultan, decided to set up an independent authority for consumer protection in the country. It has also been decided to study the possibility of establishing cooperative societies. His Majesty the Sultan has ordered review and reform and has promised to place the interests of the people above all others. In fact, almost all demands have been met with, which is once again a testimony to the magnanimity of the leader of Oman.

A glimpse of some of the Royal Decrees issued in the aftermath of the protests:

Are these protests a result of external interference?

Will it tarnish Oman’s image in the international arena?

* Royal decree (25/2011) regarding the independence of the Public Prosecution * Royal Decree (26/2011) establishing the Public Authority for Consumer Protection * Royal Order -- His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has issued his Royal Orders to freeze the rule according to which the social security salary is suspended in case a member of the social security family gets a job. * Royal Decree (28/2011) appointing the Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court * Royal Decree (29/2011) appointing the Minister of the Royal Office * Royal Decree (30/2011) appointing the Secretary General of Royal Court Affairs * Royal Decree (31/2011) restructures the Council of Ministers. * Royal Decree (32/2011) appointing the Secretary General for the Council of Ministers * Royal Decree (33/2011) appointing the chairman of the State Audit and Administrative Institution * Royal Decree (34/2011) appointing chairman of the Tender Board * Royal Decree (35/2011) appointing an Adviser at the Diwan of Royal Court * Royal Decree (36/2011) appointing an Adviser at the Ministry of Finance. * Royal Decree (37/ 2011) appointing undersecretaries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries * Royal Decree (38/2011) dissolving the Ministry of National Economy * Royal Decree (39/2011) granting legislative and audit powers to the Council of Oman.

Black & White 45

“We were only paid OMR15 per month!”

“In 1970/71, our monthly salaries were around OMR15 – but, we had no problem. We did not think of ourselves then. We only thought about the nation and our countrymen; we only thought of the future of our country and its people…

Professionally or personally, there was only one cause: Oman!”

Sayyid Hilal bin Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Busaidy

B&W Xclusive

That was Sayyid Hilal bin Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Busaidy, a former colonel (ministry of defence), giving his views to the Black & White on the protests.

SIT-INS NOTHING NEW “These sit-ins are nothing new,” Sayyid Hilal Al Busaidy tells us. He recalls the time in 1971, when he came face to face with around 500 to 1000 protestors. “I was coming from one side on the narrow Riyam road, while they came from the other side.

They told me that I should go back, but I told them there was no way that I could do that. They had to let me go because I had urgent work to be done on the other side; they gave way.

Their protest was no different: they wanted better lives, jobs, more freedom…but, remember, this was 1971! It was a different era, and we were just on the beginning of the trek towards a better life.For all of us, it was new portfolios, new responsibilities and the public were assured that changes will sweep the nation and it did. But, no reform, or change process can be achieved with a flick of a finger! Just like

46 March 21- April 20, 2011

progress and growth, changes and reforms have to be slow and steady, only then it becomes stable.

in every Omani’s agenda, be it personal or professional. There was a common cause – Oman.

MINOR PROTESTS “Today’s protests cannot be called a revolution of huge magnitude, it is just a minor one, something that got built up over the years of frustration, corruption, lack of accountability and of course the youth’s nonappreciative attitude. They do not know what it took to bring the nation to this stage of growth and progress.”

Sayyid Hilal recalls how a government job, he and many others in his department held in 1971, could fetch him only a measly OMR15 a month. “But, we did not think of it that way. We did not complain or create any problem as we know there was no budget at that time.

YOUNGER GENERATION DON’T APPRECIATE Somewhere down these years, the older generation forgot to teach the younger generation the ability to appreciate. So we are to be blamed, not the young ones. Remember it is always easy to raise your voice and demands, but it is very tough to prove yourselves once the demands are met. Freedom is not a joke, it is a responsibility that requires 100 percent dedication; otherwise the society will be destroyed by the same freedom they were clamouring for!”

ONLY ONE CAUSE: OMAN "And we had no time to think of ourselves. We toiled day and night in the harshest circumstances possible, with just one thought: Oman is our nation and we should all put in our mite so that our future generations can reap the fruits of the hard labour.

The nation was the top priority

OMANI VS OMANI Sayyid Hilal also said: “There is no enemy here, no foreign invasion. It is Omani Vs Omani. One Omani citizen is looting, another one is suffering.

Who should we fight against?

Corruption is like cancer, which spreads slowly and kills the parent body. It takes a lot of strength and dedication to stay away from corruption and work for your society and nation.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions quoted and expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Black & White. We do not endorse any views/opinions in the content

Look at a small child going to the souk to buy a toy, he will come back and try to hide that little change from his siblings or parents for himself.

Who teaches him that? But, if the elders pass on enough values and virtues, the child will grow up to be a responsible citizen. What are we?

Question yourself…before you say you are a Muslim, you are an Arab, you are an Omani…. Remember, you are a human being first! If you have no empathy or responsibility towards your fellow being, you will transform yourself into a monster.

Who is the government? Omanis!

Who are the ministers? Omanis! Who are you fighting against? Omanis!

Tomorrow there will be another generation to fight you too… There is no government without people and no people without a government.

EXPATRIATES’ CONTRIBUTION “Also, expatriates in Oman have contributed their mite to the progress of this nation in their own way. Yes,

it is a give and take. They toiled and they were given their dues, but, show me one Omani today who will work free for his nation. They will work only if they are paid and now they want more payment for the same job done?”

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE HONEST “Say what you see! Speak out the truth, but, make sure it is the truth!

Under the guidance of our wise leader, Oman has reached a stage where every citizen enjoys much more than their basic needs. But, unfortunately, there were some in the government who took care of their personal needs only and this is the prime reason for the current uprising.

If the advisors of His Majesty were honest enough to speak the truth, our leader would have seen the true picture earlier. Accountability is a must for people in power. And this applies for the people too. Every citizen should do his duty to his homeland. If a citizen keeps his

home, his street, his village clean, the whole nation will be clean. Like they say about charity, it should begin from home and individually.

The walis are in charge of their regions, they should keep their regions intact and healthy. We are very fortunate that Sultan Qaboos is our leader. During the early days he was present physically at every stage to run the show. As the nation grew he delegated responsibilities and it was those who were given the power that misused it.

NO MAGIC WAND “No nation is built in a day; there is no magic wand to progress, development, or prosperity. If you work hard without an attitude problem, you grow; otherwise you remain where you are. It is easy to sit down and ask for more, but, very hard to maintain what you got.

Ask wisely, because if you get it, you should know what to do!” he stressed.

Not democracy, but price rise But, is it for democracy, or is it just a protest against price rise; about the inability to make both ends meet in a fund-less environment? Whichever way we look at it, people are clamouring for money; for employment, which again is about money and corruption and so on…therefore the base of the protests could actually be money, or rather, the lack of it.

An Omani lady social worker had this to say: Almost all of the demands by the protestors have been met.

Now, if someone asks me why these people are protesting, I must confess: I do not have a clue!

No

Corruption, More PENSION benefits, more

WAGES, more EMPLOYMENTS, less

EDUCATION,

more ACCOUNTABILITY, Less for the PRIVATE SECTOR, More

SALARY, more EQUALITY with expatriates,

More interest Free loans, Waive off LOANS, Low MARKS, less SUBJECTS, More MATERNITY leave, Less FEES, More

HOLIDAYS, More STIPENDS, More ALLOWANCES, More More, More, MORE, MORE, MORE, MORE, MORE…

No

END

to it

?

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

Black & White 47

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

Wanted: our passports

Nitternatter

Not to the manner born

48 March 21- April 20, 2011

There has been this debate going on about who should be holding the passport of an expatriate. Most companies are known to hold the passports of their expatriate staff and they have their own reasons; we are not even getting into that. While a small campaign is on to make it the right of the employees to retain their own passport, some aggrieved souls have approached us with some interesting points: “We don’t mind our employers holding our passports,” these employees told Bitter Batter. “But, most of the time, when an emergency strikes, especially during a Thursday or Friday, and an employee has to fly back to his or her hometown on an urgent basis, then the problem erupts.

For, what happens is that the PROs are never available during these emergencies. What has happened with our company in recent times is that these PROs shut off their phones

during the weekends and there is no way to get in touch with them and the worker would have to go through trying moments to get their passports out…”

Honkkkkkk! A woman walking alone at a public spot was honked at rudely by a heavy vehicle driver. Normally women would just lower their head and walk away, but this was a fiery woman and she went up to the driver and asked him what was his problem?

She was not exactly in his way and she was not disrupting him in his line of duty. So what was the problem?

She did not have any manners, the driver declared? Uh oh, here was a woman who was totally, impeccably dressed in a very respectable manner and so what manners was this man talking about? The war of words

went on till the man became rude and despicable in his own manners and told her some very insulting things. She was shocked yet found her composure and said she would report him, to which the man dared her. She finally found a person in authority, but, the latter said he was on duty for another purpose and could not get into this matter. By the time the irate lady got hold of another person in authority, the driver and vehicle had disappeared, not without a last hoot too. The sad part was that in the hullabaloo, the lady forgot to take down the number of the vehicle.

So, our question is, can’t this be avoided?

Whose passport is it anyway?

Why do employers retain their employees’ passports? *Safekeeping! *To ensure that they do not leave the country without employer’s knowledge. *Employers also maintain that some of their expatriate staff have been vested with great amount of authority and also control key parts of the company assets and holding a passport was the only way to ensure that they have something in hand in case of misuse.

Perhaps some lawyers out there can give us the right way out of this passport issue…?

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

Sorry, no loans please, they are protesting

Heard in the market: Ahmed (names changed to maintain anonymity) was desperately in need of a loan to stem a money shortfall. So he approached his usual money lender in town, recently.

Since he usually took money from this lender, he thought it would be a cakewalk to get the loan again this time, but then, he suddenly noticed a change in the money lender’s tone and approach. The latter seemed quite brusque and rude and did not seem to entertain the request, which was apparently a small one. What happened, the man who needed the money wondered out aloud. Why was there sudden a change in the mindset of this lender? As a recipient, he had always made sure that he returned the money on time and he also gave the

required interest. In fact, the lender used to chase him up claiming that he had loads of funds and would loan whenever required. Suddenly, what had changed? After much persuasion, the lender finally spilled it out: the current unrest in town did not bode will with money lenders. They feared a bigger fallout of the same, which they said would finally hit the lenders’ market and they would not be able to collect in time.

Until the dust settles, there would be no loan transactions, he categorically said. “But, but, the protests are about something else. Moreover, it is so peaceful, clear and straight. Why should we give a twist to the same,” he asked, but his words only fell on deaf ears. Why do people always see negativity in everything?

AJAY ENTERPRISES PO BOX 54, PC 100. TEL : 24815485 FAX : 24815490 E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com website: www.albahja.com

Kidstuff

The smallest insect in the world, the Tanzanian parasitic wasp, is smaller than the eye on a housefly

50 50March March2121-April April20, 20,2011 2011

Fun Facts about Three out of four creatures on the planet are insects; they out number all creatures.

For every person on the earth, there are two hundred million insects. One square mile of rural land can hold more insects than there are human beings on Earth.

Insects would outweigh all creatures if they were put on a scale. (Insects vs all animals) Over 900,000 known species of insects exist throughout the world.

The smallest insect in the world, the Tanzanian parasitic wasp, is smaller than the eye of a housefly.

The largest insect is the goliath beetle, which can grow up to four and half inches long.

Ants can lift over 50 times their weight.

Fleas can jump the equivalent of a football field.

They have adapted to live and survive among all groups of organisms: mammals (flies, mosquitoes), plants (bees, butterflies, and fungus ants), arthropods (aphid tending ants). They have adapted to live in all types of habitats except for the ocean: desert, artic, marsh, prairie, streams, lakes, deciduous forest, conifer forest, residential areas, cities, rain forests, and caves.

Humans eat insects.

Live beetles are tethered to people as live jewellery.

The mayfly (Ephemoroptera) has one of the shortest life spans. Adults only live for a few hours after emerging from the water.

The queen termite lives the longest, 10 to 15 years.

For every human there are one million ants.

A flea can jump about 200 times the length of their body, which is about 13 inches. This is the equivalent to a six foot tall human jumping nine hundred feet.

Butterflies have taste sensors in their feet and taste their food by standing on it. Although all species of butterflies have six legs, some keep their front legs tucked up under their body most of the time Crickets and katydids have ears on their legs.

The average bed contains between two million to six million dust mites.

Tongue twisters A big black bug bit a big black dog on his big black nose!

Black & White 51

Your stars ARIES March 21-April 20

TAURUS April 21-May 20

GEMINI May 21-June 21

Emotional security in long-term relationships and ongoing home commitments will this week be briefly challenged. Expect a trusted friend, relative or romantic partner to propose unreliable home solutions or a quick change to romantic or social plans. Essentially, a loved one will test your loyalty.

Friends and lovers are ending a fairly lengthy era of lingering emotional obligations. Unproductive ideals and deep issues of selfconfidence will begin moving steadily forward: expect obvious progress.

Later this week business and financial communications will lead to complex opportunities.

This week accents unexpected communications from business officials, investors or large agencies. You may now enter into an unusual negotiation concerning new assignments, long-term contracts or complex financial and property ventures. All will take longer to complete than anticipated.

CANCER June 22-July 23

LEO July 24-August 23

After several weeks of business delays and workplace setbacks, bosses and managers will now offer new promotions, creative assignments and fast progress.

Although duties are expanding, still expect minor miscommunications or errors concerning time schedules.

VIRGO August 24-September 23

A recent wave of low energy and private social doubts will now fade. You will end an unproductive relationship or make peace with yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotional memories. Astrologically, all of this will trigger a fairly intense phase of social growth and optimism.

Work officials will seek out your talent and creativity early this week. Recently derailed projects or complex assignments may be an underlying concern. Offer your skills and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look back: at present, a recent phase of hidden agendas and draining workplace politics is ending.

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.

1 5 9 3 4 6 8 7 2

7 4 8 5 1 2 3 6 9

2010 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

2 6 3 7 9 8 4 5 1

2010 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

8 1 2 9 6 4 5 3 7

Horoscope

8/19

4 7 6 2 5 3 9 1 8

8/18

3 9 5 8 7 1 6 2 4

Difficulty Level

6 2 7 4 8 5 1 9 3

52 March 21- April 20, 2011

8/19

9 8 1 6 3 7 2 4 5

7 1

Difficulty Level

5 3 4 1 2 9 7 8 6

4

7

Difficulty Level

1

9

8/18

6

1 2 8 6 5 9 7 3 4

2

2 3

6 4 3 1 7 8 2 9 5

5

2010 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

9

4

7 9 5 2 4 3 8 1 6

3

5

1 7 8 5 3 8 6 7 4 3 6 5

2 3 1 7 8 5 6 4 9

7

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

4 8 6 9 2 1 5 7 3

9

9

9 5 7 4 3 6 1 2 8

2

4 1

7

3 6 4 8 1 7 9 5 2

6

6 1

8 7 2 5 9 4 3 6 1

7

3 9

5 1 9 3 6 2 4 8 7

8

8

2010 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

6 3

SOLUTION:

By Dave Green

Difficulty Level

By Dave Green

DAVID BLAINE (BORN DAVID BLAINE WHITE; APRIL 4, 1973) is an American illusionist, magician, and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records.

Theatre owner James Nederlander as well as The New York Times have referred to Blaine as a modern day Houdini.

LIBRA September 24-October 22 Early this week a previously strained relationship will experience powerful moments of breakthrough. Honesty, intimacy and social confidence are returning: use this time to openly discuss recent miscommunications. Family members and romantic partners are now more able to understand subtle emotions.

CAPRICORN December 23-January 20 Family discussions and home communications may be briefly disrupted this week. Work and home loyalties may be slightly in conflict this week. Planetary alignments also indicate that this brief phase of divided interests is actually the precursor to a two to three week period of rapid career growth.

SCORPIO October 23-November 22 Over the next few days a recently silent or withdrawn business partner may introduce unexpected ideas or powerful suggestions. New workplace tasks or job assignments will now, and in the coming weeks, bring complex and surprising rewards. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to explore all ideas and options.

SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22 Romantic invitations and social discussions may be emotionally intense and demanding this week. Expect a friend or lover to openly challenge the thoughts, ideas or needs of a mutual friend.

Minor disputes will quickly fade but, at present, may seem unusually dramatic.

AQUARIUS January 21-February 19 Home based business ventures and private financial negotiations will work in your favour over the next few days. Unique legal definitions and financial documents may play a key role. If so, study all time sensitive contracts for minor errors. At present, a friend may need to describe their past regrets.

PISCES February 20-March 20 Someone close may now ask for shared home agreements or unique financial arrangements. .

A close friend will now reveal their past feelings and long-term goals.

Sensuality, romantic intrigue and complex social proposals may also be a key theme. Stay open to fast emotional changes.

AJAY ENTERPRISES PO BOX 54, PC 100. TEL : 24815485 FAX : 24815490 E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com website: www.albahja.com

A fervent call to Omanis Laila, Omani graduate student of Nizwa University

By Laila Ibrahim Obaid Al-Gharbi

Learning curve

The world has changed so dramatically.

People too. However, truth is an unchanging reality. There is always truth and that may cost others a lot to experience, but not us. I mean the people in Oman. After 40 years of glory and development; after contributing so much to nation building and making life so much easier for all of us, why are we up in arms against the same system that has done so much for us? What is happening to our beloved country?

Oman is a great nation and it is governed by such a wise and great leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. I would say that we are truly blessed!

So, what we should ideally do is to pray to God to inspire His Majesty to make Oman better and better. But how?

Right now we are seeing young Omanis protesting against the policies that they were governed by for the last 40 years.

Now, it seems as though they were not happy with all the achievements and developments in the society so far.

I am not saying that you should keep silent and never make your voice heard!

But the way you protest also makes a big difference. It is not easy to see our own people destroying buildings and roads, which have taken so many years to build.

It is not easy to see people celebrating the 40 years of glory and thanking His Majesty for all that he has done for Oman during the last four decades to suddenly go into the streets and then start protesting and destroying public and private property!

I believe that there is always truth behind everything. And from my point of view, the

truth behind all of these reactions is that we are not being honest with ourselves.

Yes, honesty should always be there and in every aspect of our life as long as I believe that I am a citizen and have rights.

I have the right to speak about my rights, but who gives me the right to destroy?

My call to my peers and the youth is simple: Oman is your home, a peaceful abode. Oman is your shelter, which has always kept its arms open for you and has only given and given... Oman is your mother who not only cares about you, but, also protects you. So what have you given back? Forgive me if I say this, but, if protesting and destroying is all that we know, and that is all that we have to give back, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it better that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do anything at all?!

Always remember, Oman is your peaceful abode and there is no place in the whole universe that would care about you like your own country. So, let us not destroy that.

I am grateful to His Majesty for all that he has done and I pray to the Almighty that he is always in good health and happy enough to constantly inspire us to better heights.

And, this is not my voice alone; for, there are thousands out there who are sad at the happenings in Oman and I just felt the need to voice my opinion on the same.

My dear friends, Oman is yours, so please take good care of it. As a citizen you must fight for your rights, but do it in a peaceful manner. We must build and not destroy and we must protect our wealth, which is this beloved country, and not malign or attack it. lalgharbi@yahoo.com

54 54March March2121-April April20, 20,2011 2011

By Praba Iyer My favourite faculty of the food kingdom is the edible fungi or mushrooms as they are known to all. Mushrooms are low in calorie, high in proteins, fiber and a great source of minerals (Thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid) too. It is so versatile, that its spongy quality helps in absorbing any and all flavours. Mushrooms have been a part of Asian and European cuisines and now as it is commercially farmed in sterile and protected environments. More cuisines like Indian and Mexican have started including mushrooms in their menus. The most common types are white button, crimini, portabella.

Of course who can, out rule the 'diamond of the kitchen' in French cooking, also known as the Truffle, an underground fungi that is one of the most expensive foods in the world.

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

Here are some mushroom recipes to cook and enjoy.

GRILLED PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS 2 Portabella mushrooms, rinsed and cleaned.

Marinade: • 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar • 4 cloves of garlic chopped fine • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil • Juice of one lime/lemon

• 1-2 drops of hot sauce • 1 tbsp parsley chopped • salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Place the mushrooms in a bowl bottom up and pour and baste the marinade all over. Set aside for 1-2

hours. Fire up the grill or broiler and place the mushrooms bottom up and baste with marinade and grill until its soft. Turn and grill for a few more minutes. Remove and use it in a sandwich, or serve as is with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It is a great substitute for meat dishes.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Vegetarian Filling • 1 tbsp butter • Mushroom steams chopped fine • 2 shallots chopped fine • 2 small garlic cloves chopped fine • a pinch of crushed red pepper • ½ cup bread crumbs • ¼ cup parmesan cheese • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped • 1 Tbsp basil chopped • Salt and pepper to taste

place all the mushroom caps, top down. Chop the stems and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and sauté onions, garlic, Mushroom stems, red pepper for a few minutes until cooked and water is evaporated.

Remove and cool. Mix in the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and herbs. Check seasonings.

Fill the caps in the baking dish with this mixture and drizzle the leftover butter on the mushrooms. Bake at 400 degrees until mushrooms are soft (10-12 minutes)

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a baking dish with butter and

Crab Filling • 1 cup of crab meat • ½ cup mayonnaise

Large button or crimini mushrooms, rinsed, stems removed and saved.

Butter for greasing baking dish.

• ¼ cup green onions/scallions chopped fine • 2 cloves of garlic chopped fine • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese • ½ cup bread crumbs (¼ cup for sprinkling) • 1 Tbsp of fresh parsley • 1 Tbsp of fresh basil • Salt and pepper to taste Method: Mix all these ingredients in a glass bowl and check seasoning. Fill the mushroom Cups with this mixture and sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs on top and bake it for 12-15 minutes in the oven until top is golden brown. Serve warm Black & White 55

Cooking

Flavourful Fungii

Venoms that affect blood

By Seyad Farook

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

I think the difference between poison and venom was clearly delineated in the last column.

Like I have said earlier, although venoms are generally not toxic if swallowed, I would strongly recommend against any attempts to drink venom. Just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even think of it. Here is some more information on the various types of venom: HAEMOTOXIN (BLOOD-AFFECTING VENOM) This venom affects the clotting process of the blood. Haemotoxic venom is more life threatening than cytotoxins because it affects the body systematically. It is quite slow to act on the body and may take several hours or even days for the symptoms to start presenting themselves.

The bite would include haemorrhaging (bleeding) from the wound but more commonly the haemorrhaging occurs internally. Signs of internal bleeding would be discoloured skin, bleeding gums, the passing of blood in the urine, bloodshot eyes and headaches. Death would result from a massive internal haemorrhage or renal (kidney) failure.

Local pain and swelling often accompany other symptoms. This could be a sign of cytotoxin present in the venom.

OMANI SPECIES The Oman snake species that possess haemotoxin as a primary venom is the Saw-Scaled Vipers (Carpet Vipers) of the genus Echis and the Horned Vipers or Sand Vipers (Genus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cerastes).

56 March 21- April 20, 2011

It's my life

GODFATHER?

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

By Vandana Shah “Yes, you heard me right, you need a G-O-D-F-A-T-H-E-R to succeed. Do you want me tell you again or has it got through your thick head”? shouted my friend in the midst of a discussion regarding the recent spate of upcoming billionaires and businessmen in India.

“It’s the same in every field, even if you are a good actress or singer still you need the BIG FISH’S PATRONAGE to make it to the big league. Vandy for once stop being blind and look all around you and just accept the truth instead of being overly idealistic.”

But when I view the world not only through the rosy coloured spectacles but also through the prism of facts I see otherwise. I see the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet who just didn’t have any so called patrons to help them to breakthrough. I think they have done quite well for themselves, to put it cheekily. In fact Bill Gates even didn’t complete his education and just carved his own way through.

More recently Mark Zuckerberg the iconic hero of Facebook and the world’s youngest billionaire has proved yet again the absence of the need of a Godfather. He had an idea and ran with it and in fact was even reluctant to even get in to venture capitalists so forget the so called “people who can make or break you”.

Closer home Sharukh Khan, the king of many hearts, and for sure my heart, again came into the film industry on his own steam with no filmi father propelling his career ahead. His flops and hits are his own and he is where he is because the public loves him and his work not because of some shadowy figure sponsoring and ensuring his success.

The concept of Godfather is in my opinion a case of sour grapes and is only circulated viciously by detractors who are more often than not failures. It is not only humiliating to those who have the talent, grit and determination to succeed but also a deterrent to those who want to make it on their own and sometimes end up listening to these stories which are as true as fairytales.

There is only one GOD FATHER –God who is our Father.

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

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SURVEYS HAVE SHOWN THAT women are more likely to have insomnia than men. But could your insomnia be due to the blue light in your room?

Studies note that insomnia feeds on the minor details of modern life, like the soft blue glow from a cell phone, PDA, or digital clock resting on your bedside table. The short waves of blue light may interfere with sleep, these studies have revealed. So: Turn off TVs, computers, and other blue light producers an hour before sleep.

Cover any blue displays you can’t shut off. That is the first thing to do to get a good night’s sleep. But, then there are other small things to consider too, like avoiding naps; avoiding the clock; pillow adjustment etc…

However, bear in mind that sleep tips are nice when your insomnia is fleeting. But if your sleeplessness persists for at least a month, it’s time to delve deeper into what’s going on. Insomnia may be a symptom of an underlying problem. Depression is notorious for causing insomnia, as are other medical conditions, such as acid reflux, asthma, arthritis, and some medications. Chronic insomnia deserves a closer look and evaluation by a doctor, experts suggest.

AVOID NAPS Napping makes matters worse if you have trouble falling asleep. But if you must nap, keep it brief, 20 minutes or less -- and do it early in the day. Any shuteye within eight hours of your bedtime can sabotage a good night’s sleep.

So: When an afternoon slump hits, go for a short walk, drink a glass of ice water, or call a friend.

shape n sound

AVOID THE CLOCK When you glance at the clock in the wee hours of the night, your sleep will suffer. You worry about how few hours are left before your busy day begins. Clock watchers should put their alarm in a drawer, under the bed, or turn it away from view.

So: Use black tape for the blue LED digital clocks on the bedroom DVR. ADJUST THE PILLOW Mild low back pain may not wake you, but it can disrupt the deep, restful stages of sleep. A cushy solution is to place a pillow between the legs for better alignment of the hips and reduced stress on the low back. If you

58 58March March2121-April April20, 20,2011 2011

wake tired with a stiff neck, blame your pillow. Pillows that are too fat or too flat cause problems. Your pillow should be just the right size to support your neck in a neutral position.

SLEEP ONLY Experts say sleep should be the only pastime pursued in the bedroom. Don’t balance the checkbook, talk on the phone, or watch TV. Everything about the room should be associated with rest and relaxation.

SET YOUR BODY CLOCK Go to sleep and wake up at about the same time every day -- including weekends. This routine will put your brain and body on a healthy sleep-wake cycle. In time, you’ll be able to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly through the night.

So: Get out in bright light for 5 to 30 minutes as soon as you rise. Light is the most powerful regulator of the biological clock.

CUT THE CAFFEINE Coffee in the morning is fine for most people, but as soon as the clock strikes noon, avoid caffeine in foods and drinks. And don’t forget about less obvious sources of caffeine, like chocolate, colas, tea, and decaffeinated coffee.

EXERCISE RIGHT Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality, as long as you don’t work out too close to bedtime. A post-workout burst of energy can keep you awake. Aim to finish any vigorous exercise three to four hours before you hit the hay.

So: Gentle mind/body exercises are fine just before sleep. Yoga, tai chi, and similar routines are a perfect, sleep-inducing nightcap.

EAT RIGHT AT NIGHT Avoid heavy foods and big meals late in the day; they tax the digestive system and make it hard to get highquality sleep. Some people do well with a light evening snack of sleep-inducing foods. Complex carbs and dairy foods fill the bill, such as cereal with milk or crackers and cheese.

So: Finish any snack at least an hour before bed.

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Psyche

Flossing is a highly effective method for removing plaque on tooth surfaces your brush canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reach very well

60 60March March2121-April April20, 20,2011 2011

How to

kee g n p smili (despite aging tooth)

By Dr Sam Adams THE OTHER DAY, Angie came to me with yellow (grey) teeth; her lips were thinning and she seemed to have lost the ability to smile.

Now, Angie is not that old, but, time’s effects on her smiles seemed to be quite hard to be repaired, yet, with good old technology in my hand, there are ways and means to fight tooth discolouration and, well, any tooth-related problems.

Women have special needs when it comes to their oral health. That’s because the physical changes they undergo through life-things like menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth, breastfeeding and menopause-cause many changes in the body, some harmful to teeth and gums.

Lesions and ulcers, dry sockets, as well as swollen gums, can sometimes occur during surges in a woman’s hormone levels. These periods would be a prime time to visit the dentist.

Birth control pills have been shown to increase the risk of gingivitis, and hormone replacement therapy has been shown to cause bleeding and swollen gums. Gum disease can also present a higher risk for premature births.

Some research has shown that women may be more likely to develop dry mouth, eating disorders, jaw problems such as temporomandibular joint disorders, and facial pain-all of which can be difficult from a physical and emotional standpoint.

Taking care of your oral health is essential, and can go a long way to helping you face the physical changes in your body over the years.

The two best defenses against tooth decay and gum disease are a healthy, well-balanced diet and good oral hygiene, including daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing and rinsing.

Most public drinking water contains fluoride, but if you are unsure of your water supply, then use good quality mouth rinse containing fluoride.

SUGARLESS GUM A good way to help your oral health between brushing is chewing sugarless gum; this stimulates your body’s production of saliva, a powerful chemical that actually neutralises plaque formation and rinses decay-causing food particles and debris from your mouth. Here are some simple tips to add a sparkle to your smile.

TWO TO THREE MINUTES BRUSHING A MUST Brushing is the best way to remove cavity-causing plaque and other debris from your teeth.

Plaque, a colorless, sticky substance, reacts with the bacteria and decaying food particles in your mouth and when left on the teeth long enough, begins to erode the enamel.

It is recommended that you brush your teeth three times a day, usually after meals and before bedtime.

Many people simply brush for a few seconds, spit, and place the toothbrush back in the cup. It is very important to spend at least 2 to 3 minutes brushing your teeth. This helps to ensure that the brush doesn’t miss hard-to-reach or often neglected surfaces.

You should replace your toothbrush at least four times a year - more often if you have been sick.

FLOSS CAN REMOVE PLAQUE Flossing is a proven method for loosening debris from hard-to-reach surfaces of your teeth and gum lines. Next to brushing, flossing is a highly effective method for removing plaque on tooth surfaces your brush can’t reach very well.

Another benefit of flossing is increasing blood circulation in your gums. Gum stimulation is a necessary means of keeping your gum tissues healthy; strong gums are the foundation of your teeth.

Floss once a day. Many people find that flossing at night is an easy bedtime routine; moreover, nighttime flossing helps to protect your teeth during sleep, when harmful plaque can do a lot of damage.

Don’t be alarmed if your gums slightly bleed the first time you floss. This is normal and will cease when your gums become used to flossing.

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Blame it on the season?

Hooked

By Priya Arunkumar Sigh!

It’s in the air, all around.

Maybe its infectious, no vaccines against it as yet.

Everyone seems to be irritated, frustrated, finding faults under a magnifying glass.

There is no reason, if you actually look at it.

Two days back my real estate agent calls me up and says, “maam there is a small complaint against you.”

Can you pass by our office?

Curious, I asked what it is all about.

It’s about your doggie, he barks!

Couple of other tenants in your building also feels your doggie shouldn’t be barking!

It disturbs them, they can’t sleep and your doggie also scares their kids!

He is right. A valid complaint it is; you cannot say there is no reason this time.

Well, my doggie barks! But only when someone touches my door!

You can’t expect a dog to speak?

He is just a two-year old, trained, and very adorable doggie. The funniest part about him is that he does everything what my daughter does, sans the barking.

Well, she yells too!

Now, how do I handle this?

I have had no problem for the last two years and have shifted home just 20 days back.

New tenants, new neighbours, but same old family, you can’t change your family members because your neighbour doesn’t like it, can you?!

If you had a crying child, what would you do?

Or what would you say to a neighbour who complaints first, before they actually get to know you and your dog, of course?

The message is clear and loud: I am unwelcome!

And they are dog haters or my doggie is genuinely a troublesome one.

It’s a new home and my doggie is just getting used to his new abode.

I wish he barked when I am at home; he is not a regular full time barking dog.

Look at his schedule: He lifts his one eyelid, to give me a 'bye' look at 5.45am, when I wake up.

But very dutifully, gives me one tiny little wag of his tail before digging his head under his pillow.

Yes, don’t be surprised, he sleeps on a pillow.

He will wake up only at 10am, on a weekend and on week days at 2pm when my daughter returns from school; without her, he lies down in a corner forlorn and lost.

Lunch time is another commotion, and then it is afternoon siesta time!

It is only at 6pm he is up and active and then he has company.

Dinner at 9pm sharp and after that he will bring his pillow to announce his bedtime!

If we are too busy to listen to him, he will place the pillow at our feet and sleep.

The last two days, I am looking at all communication channels to let my doggie understand that he should NOT bark, even at the little time he chooses to make other sounds.

Lady folks crowd together in the mid afternoon and gossip away loudly amidst rollicking laughter; no, they are humans, they can. It is their right to argue, mock, yell, shout, scream.

How can a poor four-legged creature ask for freedom to make a few barks?

No answers, no solutions.

We all get to speak and air our grievances, why not a doggie? priya@blackandwhiteoman.com