OMAN’S LARGEST CIRCULATED WEEKLY — 46,760 COPIES
VOL 10 ISSUE 77 / JULY 6, 2017
PG10
THIS WEEK IN OMAN
SKIN CARE FOR MEN
AROUND THE HOUSE
WHEN SWISS MET SWAHILI
The heat can cause havoc on your skin. We’ve got the down-low on how to maintain your skin this summer. PAGE 12
Everyday objects, exotic words. Bet you didn’t know what these household items were called in Arabic. PAGE 14
Vanessa Mehri was born Swiss but raised Swahili. How this shaped her food dream is truly amazing. PAGE 16
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HI WEEKLY
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Give us a shout with questions, comments, compliments, complaints, or just to say “Hi” Founder Essa bin Mohamed Al Zedjali Chairman Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali CEO Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Editor Scott Armstrong scottarmstrong@timesofoman.com felicia@timesofoman.com
Executive Features Editor Felicia Campbell Features Production Editor Swati Dasgupta swati@timesofoman.com Research/Copy Editor Ashish Dubash shruthi@timesofoman.com
ashishdubash@timesofoman.com
Associate Editors Salim Hamood Al Afifi Shruthi Nair
salim@timesofoman.com
Digital Editor gautam@timesofoman.com Gautam Bhargav Viswanathan Chief Creative Officer Adonis Durado Associate Art Director Waleed Rabin Graphics Editor Antonio Farach Design Editor Sahir K.M. Lead Designer Geri B. Sonny Designers Antonio Ismael Sandiego Gregory Fernandez Director of Digital Television Joe Morrison Photography MMG Photographers Chief Sales Officer Richard Pakenham
richard@timesofoman.com
Production Manager Shafi Shaik On The Cover Design by Geri B. Sonny For general inquiries or comments: HiWeekend@timesofoman.com
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HI WEEKLY
THE WEEKEND LINEUP
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What are you doing this weekend? Tweet us @HiWeekly_Oman; tag us in your weekend instagram photos @hiweekly_oman; or share with us on FB/hiweekly
Your calendar of the hottest events happening in Muscat this weekend
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THURSDAY 9.00pm Cheers to Live Music Enjoy your favourite drink and listen to the live strums of Route 66’s band playing a mix of songs of their most famous playlists. OMR10 cover charge for entry. Route 66, Qurum +968 2469 9946
10.00pm Party with the Best Party like there’s no tomorrow with DJ Ahmed Pharaoh and K-Noise at the On The Rocks. Free entry before 11pm for the guys, and free all night for the ladies. On The Rocks +968 9798 3333
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FRIDAY 12.00pm Take a Trip Into Darkness
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Fancy spending your weekend exploring the underground? The two-day cave exploration is set to (literally) give you a peak into darkness. Participants will explore, dine, and sleep inside the caves. Prices start from OMR260, and pick-up/drop-off can be arranged. Note that this trip is physically demanding and requires some experience. Twenty3 Extreme +968 9068 9823
4.00pm University Seminar Join fellow students at the ibis Hotel and take part in Heriot-Watt University programmes where you get to know all about the university, from admissions to majors offered. ibis Hotel, Al Khuwair +968 2448 9890
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SATURDAY 8.00pm Laugh It Off Head to O’Malley’s for a night full of entertaining jokes and a lot of fun. The comedy stand-up show will feature Saudi comedian Khalid Khalifa, with appearances from local comedians Amr, Vikas, and Kush. Entry is priced at OMR2, and it is for 21+ O’Malley’s Radisson Blu Muscat +968 2448 7777
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THERE’S PLENTY OF NEWS THAT MADE WAVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA THIS WEEK. HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE WERE TUNING IN TO, FIND GAUTAM VISWANATHAN & SALIM AL AFIFI
GO TO TIMESOFOMAN.COM/HIWEEKLY FOR VIDEOS AND MORE
TR EN DI NG
THIS WEEK
TOP TRENDING VIDEOS: The sequel to the cult-film classic, Jumanji, is here, and it’s been making waves all across the Internet. It’s in theatres this December. timesofoman.com/hiweekend.
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YO U M I S S E D I T
STEPHEN COLBERT goes bananas over Donald Trump’s treatment of Mika Brzezinski. Cyberbullying is just not done from the leader of the free world. timesofoman.com/hiweekend
ALEC BALDWIN is back, and this time he’s impersonating ANOTHER President. It’s a much nicer one, though: he’s portraying George Washington. timesofoman.com/hiweekend
TRENDING MUSIC CALVIN HARRIS DROPS A FUNK ALBUM The world’s highest-paid DJ released his full length, star-studded album on June 30th, celebrating new sounds in the land of funk and disco. timesofoman.com/hiweekend
SURFERS IN HAWAII have created an infinity wave pool on the beach. Using nothing but their hands. It’s pretty awesome, truth be told. timesofoman.com/hiweekend
#popularhashtag TRENDING MOVIE DESPICABLE ME 3 HITS THEATRES One of the funniest animation films has arrived. The flick made quite an entrance with more than 190 million dollars worldwide in less than two weeks. timesofoman.com/hiweekend
TRENDING FASHION MENSWEAR SHOWS FOR 2018 This season’s shows have showed nothing short of extravagant ensembles that scream high fashion, but keep that sporty and edgy feel to them, and fashion lovers are enjoying every minute of it. timesofoman.com/hiweekend
#AstonVilla #JohnTerry #Wimbledon
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ZIPPING THROUGH THE CLOUDS STORY SHRUTHI NAIR • PHOTOGRAPHY SALIM AL AFIFI
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ZIPLINE, MILLENNIUM RESORT MUSSANAH OMR 5 +968 2687 1555
When asked about the one superpower that I would like to have, my answer has always been the ability to fly. Something about challenging gravitational force and the feeling of sweet freedom while feeling the swift breeze has always lured me towards doing activities that bring me close to flying.
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o I was (figuratively) on cloud nine when I got to know that the nation’s first zipline was coming to Oman. And the cherry on the cake was that it was in a beautiful hotel set against a breathtaking backdrop. So one weekend I decided to drive to Mussanah, which contrary to popular belief, isn’t too far from Muscat. On reaching and being thoroughly impressed by the Millennium Resort Mussanah, I walked straight towards the vast marina that the entire complex was built on. Frantically searching for the zipline due to my uncontainable excitement, I finally spotted the tall tower that reassuringly held the 175m long zipline cable. I had to wait for the sun to go down before getting to experience it, though, while the general manager of the resort eagerly shared his passion for adventure sports and his keenness to bring different activities to Oman, considering the potential of this gorgeous country. The zipline was the first of his many ambitious adventure endeavours, having given the utmost importance to technical and safety details. The resort’s team are fully trained and certified to the highest international standards by Arrampica, a UK based adventure sport service provider.
As the sun turned little less harsh, I climbed the tower, adrenaline already gushing through my system. I was greeted warmly by the staff, who gave me a few quick instructions before securing me in the harness, safety belts, and helmet. I climbed another flight of stairs, which was where the starting point of the zipline was. Considering I had put on a few pounds in the last few months, I was a little worried if the cable would be able to take my weight. But that turned out to be a pointless concern as, apparently, this cable could hold a 10 ton truck. I was at the very edge of the tower, knees bent, with the widest grin on my face, when I suddenly felt a gentle push from behind me and there I was, mid air, arms wide open and flying free. I could feel the warm wind brush against my skin and the thrilling speed ramped up my adrenaline. I zoomed over the huge swimming pool, across the park, watching the gorgeous marina on my right. But just before I was helped out of this joy ride by the team that was waiting for me, there was a sudden jerky brake that made me squeal and then laugh, putting a great stop to my 10 second thrill that felt like at least a few minutes of absolute fun. And that is how this zipline gets ticked off my bucket list of adventure sports that I was fortunate to try in beautiful Oman. —shruthi@timesofoman.com
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By Salim Al Afifi
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Having a great skin routine that keeps your pores perfectly tight in this heat wave is crucial, as your skin is bombarded by fire-hot conditions, harmful rays of light, and a ton of humidity, which makes investing a couple of bucks on skin products all worth it. Like women, men too need a proper skin regimen that fixes skin problems and even prevent them from happening, and if you are someone like me, cursed with an oily or combination skin. Here are a few face routines that worked wonders on my skin. STORY SALIM AL AFIFI
CLEAN IT
MASK IT
Having too much oil on your face makes you look like someone who doesn’t shower, we wouldn’t want that. So cleanse it twice a day, morning and night. Accumulated oil and dirt can cause your pores to become clogged, and that means acne and a whole lot of other skin problems. Build a long-lasting friendship with cleansing foams and make them your priority once you wake up, and before you go to bed. Avoid using products that contain harmful materials and instead look for natural products that won’t strip away your face’s natural moisture.
Masks are popular and important in the world of skin care. Use them at least twice a week. You can go old school with traditional masks that are made of powders, or you can try mask sheets from The Face Shop at Oman Avenues Mall, which are surprisingly effective with immediate refreshing results. I prefer to use a mask sheet as I don’t have to wait for 100 years to remove it. And, they also absorb excess oil and leave your skin clean and shine-free.
MOISTURISE IT
SHIELD IT
Some folks confuse moisture with oily skin, there’s a significant difference between the two. You can posses an oily but dry skin, which is even worse than a well-moisturised oily skin. Use lotions for your skin type, as they will keep your skin hydrated, and note that skipping lotions will cause your skin glands to produce more oil to cope with the dryness, which is a double disaster.
Your shaving session is not complete after that splash of cold water, no sir. Aftershave is what protects a man’s skin as it keeps the moisture in and prevents irritations. And, it gets rid of that tight, dry feeling that braces your skin after using razors. When it comes to aftershaves, quality matters, as cheap ones can leave you looking all tomato red. —salim@timesofoman.com
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RANDOM WORDS
Interspersed with the Arabic conversations overheard throughout the capital city, even native Arabic speakers might be surprised to hear some unfamiliar words. Though Arabic is the official language in the Sultanate, there are all kinds of words and phrases that are purely local. Here’s your monthly primer from Salim, Hi’s Omani Editor. — hiweekend@timesofoman.com ILUSTRATION ISIDORE VIC CARLOMAN
Zlaagh
El Malla Socks
Bowl
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Hozz
Water Pipe
Tafaq
Hunting Gun
Dreeshah
Window
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Taste a Swiss-Swahili Kitchen STORY SALIM AL AFIFI • PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED
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ying and going to food heaven is something that happens to me every time I indulge in Swahili food, especially when I dive into my absolute favourite dish, cassava in coconut cream. Coming from a background that blended Swahili and Omani cultures together, I don’t get to try authentic food from the land of gold as much as I get to eat rice dishes here, as these treats have become celebratory dishes that my mom only serves when we have a ton of guests in our household, or if we feel like getting creative in the kitchen. I’m talking sweet bananas bathed in coconut goodness and a bit of chili, red kidney beans dipped in pools of organic palm oil with fire-hot pili pili moni chili, and crushed cassava leaves stewed with homemade peanut butter, sending me straight into a food coma. This week, I had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa Mehri, who is as passionate about food as I am.
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KEEP UP WITH VANESSA MEHRI Website: swahilifood.com YouTube: Swahilifood Instagram: @swahilifood Get her Cookbook +968 9977 1164
How did I meet Vanessa you ask? I was on my daily Instagram ritual, scrolling (and probably judging) random folks online, when I came across a video of Her Highness Sayyida Mayya Al Said who was standing with an uber-cool young Caucasian woman. She spoke fluent Swahili in a thick, killer accent, as if she were from the island of Zanzibar. Intrigued, I just had to meet her. After a couple of coffees with Vanessa and her hubby, I learned that she was Swiss-born but Kenyan-raised. She moved to Mombasa with her mother at the age of four after they’d visited and fallen in love with the land and its jovial culture. She was then enrolled at an all-Kenyan school where she studied and learned Swahili. Today, Vanessa cracks up the Kenyan lingo like nobody’s business, although she might racially belong to Switzerland, culturally, she is a Kenyan at heart. “My friends nicknamed me an inside out Oreo: You’re white on the outside and black on the inside,” said Vanessa in giggles. But that wasn’t all that fascinated me: It was her love for making the nation’s food. When Vanessa was little, spending some time experimenting in the kitchen was atop her list of fun things to do. She even tried making masala tea at the age of six, but ended up burning her mother’s favourite curtain. Growing up, she was influenced by the customs of Kenyan cooking and developed a taste for their coconut-filled dishes. She began putting her hands to work and try out local treats, paying visits to villages in the interiors of Mombasa and learned from the best on how to make proper Swahili food. “My family always made me cook
for them, as they love the food I make,” she expressed. After getting married and having a child, Vanessa started cooking food for corporate companies, which ignited a fire of wanting to make her passion a fruitful vocation. She began writing stories for lifestyle magazines before publishing Swahili Food Made Easy, a cookbook that offers you recipes of the best Kenyan dishes and desserts, tweaked with a bit of a Swiss touch, and made so easy, that everyone can follow them. Her goal is to introduce Swahili food to western cultures. “We have Thai food out there, we have Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican too, why can’t Swahili food have its place out there as well?” asked Vanessa, adding that her European descent might encourage people in that part of the world to start watching her YouTube videos, read her cookbook, and start appreciating the goodness of Swahili cuisine. What sets African food apart for Vanessa is that it’s made with mostly local and natural ingredients. “They take what they have and utilise that, that’s what I like about Swahili food culture,” said Vanessa. The young woman also tried food marriages wherein she’d mix Swiss and Swahili cuisine. Her dearest experiment is pairing chocolate desserts and puddings with chili and cardamom. It is a taste I am yet to savour, but looking forward to. Meeting Vanessa made me realise that it is not always about where you come from, it’s about where you are and how you’re influenced by the environment you grow up in. Her heart belongs in Kenya, forever and ever. — salim@timesofoman.com
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Muscat Media Group hosted an Iftar party for staff and family at the Cave and Oriental Printing Press office. — Photos by Talib Al Wahaibi and Purushothaman K.
IN FOCUS DO YOU WANT TO BE IN FOCUS? SHARE YOUR PICTURES WITH US ON FACEBOOK.COM/HIWEEKLY
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National Life And General Insurance hosts Iftar.
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Infoline hosts Iftar for customers and employees at Hormuz Grand Hotel.
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Oman Avenues Mall celebrated the end of the ‘Together this Ramadan’ campaign.
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Muscat Gujarati Samaj, Gujarati Wing of Indian Social Club conducted its annual blood donation drive at the Temple Hall, Darsait.
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SUDOKU
HOW TO PLAY Fill empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column, and area.
Level | Easy
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Level | Moderate
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Level | Difficult
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PLAY AND WIN SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF OUR SODOKU POST ON FACEBOOK.COM/ HIWEEKLY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN VOUCHERS FROM PIZZA MUSCAT. SOLUTIONS & WINNERS POSTED EVERY SUNDAY.
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