Woman Abroad July 2012 by Ty Usana

The Editorial Team

Hello there - and welcome to our July edition of Woman Abroad. Penny Destro Executive Editorial Consultant

A big thank you to all who wrote with comments and suggestions following our first edition. We’re glad so many of you liked it, and have taken on board all your suggestions. In future editions we hope to give you exactly what you want – and meanwhile, we hope you will all find something to enjoy in our pages.

Tyrone Usana Art Director / Photographer Anne Collins, Kate Thomason Contributors

This month, apart from introducing you to our gorgeous cover girl, Justine Kwaan, and our accomplished Man of the Month, Sami Razek, you can read about a most remarkable lady, Her Highness Sayyida Shariffa; you can find out how much you know about diamonds – and discover the pleasures and pitfalls of salsa; decide if cosmetic surgery is something you can face –and learn how to keep your make up looking good on the hottest days.

Shallu Matharu Business Development Manager Pooja Umesh Web Designer Al Roya Press & Publishing (SAOC) Publisher Abdullah Al Taie Editor-In-Chief

As well as all this you have the chance to win a fully catered dinner party in your own home! What can be better than entertaining your friends without the hassle of cooking? Do keep your comments coming – and don’t forget to make use of our Soapbox page to tell everyone about your pet project – or just to let off steam. We are also seeking short story writers, so if you‘ve always wanted to see your work in print, now’s your chance!

A Crème de la Crème Supplement

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+968 96128533 / +968 99822501

Have a great month! Email: editor@womanabroad.net

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In this issue… 04 10 16 22 26 30 34 36 42 44 50 54

Our Cover Girl This is Justine Kwaan

Anne Collins explores The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Salsa

Is it possible to Eat yourself Slim? At your leisure Messing About in Boats Beauty Holding Back the Years – Part two My Story – HH Sayyida Shariffa, A lady of vision Diamonds are they a girl’s best friend?

Meet our action Man of the Month, Sami Razek How to Cut your carbon footprint Do it the British way Etiquette UK

Fashion Get the 50s look

Weekend Break Take a jaunt up the Jebels

60 62 68 70 72 76 78 80 82 84 88 90

Soapbox expat pension freeze

Your Health Top of the Sickie Stakes – Stress Keeping Up Appearances Summer make-up tips

Book Club Reviews

Pet Talk Keeping them cool Coffee Time Tale Keyed Up

22 50

Penny’s Point of View A Queen among Queens Muscat Midwife Emotional Preparation for Childbirth

A problem shared… Is he too young for me? Puzzle Pages brain-training!

Monthly Horoscopes Introducing Stellar Bella

Global Gourmet Cuisine plus your Star Prize Competition

OU may well have seen Justine Kwaan around Muscat as she’s spent many years in Oman – and with her exotic looks she’s very hard to miss. Woman Abroad asked her about her life – and unsurprisingly, “Jaz’’ as she known to her friends, told us some fascinating facts. WA: Can you please tell us where you were born and something about your family? JK: I was born in London, at the old Westminster Hospital which is next door to the Houses of Parliament! I’m a Londoner but I’m not a Cockney as it isn’t within ringing distance of the right sets of church bells! My mother is though and has family tales of Docklands prize fighters and the notorious Krays! Further back, the Irish side fled the potato famine and my Lithuanian/ Polish great grandmother told of her fear of Cossacks until her death. My father is full Chinese but was born in South Africa to a family that had fled the Boxer Rebellion two generations before. The Kwaan family has a written family tree that goes back to the early 13th Century and as with most Chinese family names there are recorded ancestor histories – our forefather, Guan Yu was an important general who died in the 3rd Century but was later deified and is still commonly worshipped in Southern China!

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WA: When did you first travel abroad?

WA: Where did you spend your childhood?

JK: In 1973 we came to Oman. I learned to walk, talk and swim over here and was the first white toddler to be seen in many villages in the interior. My father swears it’s true that the Wali of Nizwa offered him 20 prize camels for me but it’s such a cliché that I can’t be sure! My mother had her 25th birthday on the Embassy dhow at the Damaniyat Islands; my father learned to waterski at Bandar Jissah – with the added risk of all the sharks in the open water and I quickly worked out how to charm ice creams out of the officers on R&R at the old SAF beach.

JK: Not long after our return to a wet and miserable British spring I asked when we’d be going to the beach and was taken to the Victorian Eltham Swimming Baths. I didn’t swim again until I was 7! We lived in a lovely part of London, Blackheath, with huge open spaces and the glorious Greenwich Park. Childhood was so different in the 70s – we had so much freedom to roam and would disappear all day on our bikes. At 12 my family moved back to the Middle East, but this time to Riyadh – and I went off to a lovely small boarding school in the same village as my grandparents.

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I took a gap year between school and University and had an amazing time living here, working at various jobs that included a restaurant maitre d’ and an editorial assistant against the backdrop of the first Gulf War. I was at a pool party at the old British Embassy in Muscat on August 2nd 1990 when the Ambassador came out to inform us that Saddam Hussain’s forces had just invaded Kuwait. The months before the war began were fascinating – every day a new ship would be in the port, Marines in the InterCon pool, Italians in the tape shop!The Omani people were truly lovely during those months, tolerant beyond all measure and accepting of everyone.

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WA: Did you know what you wanted to do when you had finished your education? JK: I decided while studying chemistry at Uni that I wanted to go into advertising. It’s hard work, long hours and stiff competition, but always different and full of opportunity. I work in account management which is the centre of the agency hub – we liaise with the clients, turn their problems into briefs and ensure that the creatives, media and production turn the solutions into reality. I worked in London for 15 years before coming back to Oman and visited some wonderful places with my clients. The hard work is worth it when you get paid to dive in the Cayman Islands or visit Moomin Island in Finland!

WA: You obviously like travelling – do you have a favourite destination? JK: I spent 48 hours in St Petersburg one summer and definitely want to go back and explore properly – what an incredibly beautiful city! I also absolutely loved Sydney and if it weren’t quite so far away I’d really consider it as a place to live and work- it has the perfect combination of the energy of a city and the soothing effects of the harbour. I also love the desert, the serenity of a huge horizon, and visited the Grand Canyon a few years ago – it’s really, properly awesome – I’d like to go back and raft that section of the Colorado River. The thing is there are so many places to go and things to see. I’d love to visit Mongolia, and Argentina, and the Sea of Cortez, and, and, and! WA: What else do you like to do in your spare time? JK: My quality of life has increased exponentially since I came back to Muscat, I have my evenings back! I sing with the Muscat Singers, have time to cook dinner for friends, practice Reiki and try to exercise! At weekends I love to explore Oman again, especially as new roads have opened up new areas. When I was younger for example, Barr al Hikmann was too much of an expedition but now its wildness isperfect for a long camping weekend. I’m also lucky enough to have many friends with boats and a Friday spent snorkelling at Bandar Khayran is absolute heaven. WA: What made you decide to come back to Oman? JK: After 15 years working in London I grabbed the chance to ‘come home’ when it arose! I had a great set of friends here who I’ve seen regularly on visits over the years and my parents live in Dubai so there was a solid support network in place before I made the leap.The change from city to country life was a welcome one but I do get my fix up in Dubai regularly – you can take the girl out of the city… I think that Oman must have an intangible something special because so many people come back, to visit, to work, for good. There’s a sense of community and permanence here that is too often lacking in the nomadic world of the expat.

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WA: Would you like to stay in Oman, or do you think you’ll settle somewhere else? JK: With the quality of life and the year round sunshine I’m loving living in Oman for the moment but whatever happens in the future, I know that this country will always hold a special place in my heart and I’ll always want to come back here regularly. WA: Have you achieved your ambition? If not, what would you like to do, ideally? JK: I’ve been lucky enough to have a great career – where I’ve really been able to get out as much as I’ve put in – and had the opportunity to move to Oman and let lifestyle play a more balancing role. However, I never really intended to work for so long – I’ve always wanted to be a wife and mum and would love for that to happen in the near future – the body clock is ticking and the work/life balance that you can achieve here in Oman has really highlighted this missing element in my life. I enjoy work but would perhaps consider a more consultancy based role if I wanted to put having a family into the fore. I’m beginning to get involved in some pro bono marketing work which is immensely satisfying and love that there are so many opportunities here to network, to contribute and to give back, especially to a country that I love so much. WA: Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? JK: Ten years ago I’d never have expected to be back in Oman and still working in advertising. Life is such a fun journey and all these twists and turns are unexpectedly entertaining so I’m not really focusing on a plan. I hope to have a family by then, to be lucky enough to have the support, follow my interests and to carry on adding skills and knowledge – I love to write and would like to do more of that. I learned to play the piano as a child and would really love to be able to sing and play at the same time, probably something bluesy and soulful! More of the same then, with a few exciting additions! Thank you for talking to us, and we wish you the best of luck!

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Anne Collins explores the social salsa dancing scene in Muscat

“ONE, two, three, (four), five, six, seven . . . ONE, two, three, (four) five, six, seven . . . Come on, everyone, let’s mambo!” Finding yourself on the dance floor holding hands with a complete stranger, desperately counting under your breath in an attempt to get your feet and hands to do what your brain is dictating, is a daunting experience. Especially if you are no longer in the first flush of youth, conservative by nature and more comfortable at the edge of a party, watching other people dance rather than being part of the floor show yourself.

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Instructor Fernando and his partner Bannia

What are you doing in a salsa class anyway? Maybe you heard about salsa from friends or saw it on TV and felt you just had to try it; maybe you’ve come out of an unhappy life experience or relationship and are looking for something new. A friend of mine took up salsa because he was fed up being marooned at dinner parties, trapped into listening to strangers’ endless stories of what their kids were doing at college. Salsa, he decided, was much more fun. Or maybe you just love the music. Whatever the reason, there you are in a beginners’ class with people of all nationalities, sizes and shapes . . . and all looking equally dubious.

Make no mistake, salsa is not for the faint-hearted. There will be times when you lose all confidence in yourself and your abilities, and your ego is sent right back to junior high school. Many dance classrooms seem to have mirrors that make everyone over the age of 25 look old, fat and ugly. In addition, fear of rejection on the dance floor is a factor for both guys and gals – or salseros and salseras, as those in the know refer to male and female salsa experts.

Photography by Richard Woodhead

Say you’ve attended several classes, you’ve learned some basic moves, everything is going well, you’re proud of your progress, you’re in the throes of the salsa bug. You now feel ready to spread your wings by showing off your new found skills at one of the popular salsa venues in Muscat such as Senor Pico’s, Rock Bottom or Trader Vic’s. But be prepared for some shocks. The first is that, at first sight, nothing you’ve learned in class seems related to anything anyone is doing on the dance floor. The second is the realization (which you may already have suspected in class, but pushed to the back of your mind) that salsa is mostly a young person’s game. It appears that everyone on the dance floor is young, hot and good-looking, and the few who aren’t make up

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for it by being fabulous dancers. And they make it all look so easy! One’s instinct is to turn tail and flee. And some people do. Experienced salsa dancers forget how intimidating the scene can be for a newcomer.

But if you can get past this, there are some great experiences waiting out there. Something that you have to keep telling yourself is that salsa, like everything worthwhile in life, demands a certain level of commitment. No one is born a great salsa dancer (with the exception of the entire Cuban population, of course) and the people you see moving so effortlessly on the dance floor will certainly have put in the practice. Good salsa dancing is fantastic to watch. It incorporates footwork, body and arm moves to produce a vibrant and exciting dance. The basic step, the mambo, can be easily learned. Salsa is led by the man with the woman following. The best kind of male partner gives you clear signals which leave you in no doubt as to what you should do.

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Photography by Richard Woodhead

Once you have plucked up courage to be on the dance floor or more likely, been propelled onto it by a well-meaning friend or dance instructor - hazards quickly become apparent. Some dancers do not seem to realise that they are in a confined space, and in their desire to shine, take up far more floor space than they should by flinging out their arms and legs. A friend stopped going to Trader Vic’s because she got stepped on so much, and I had an elbow in my eye on one occasion. On another I experienced a new sensation – hair used as a weapon! A girl’s long hair lashed right across my face as she moved her head around. The effect was like a whiplash, but she and her partner danced blissfully on, completely oblivious of the effect on those around them. One becomes full of admiration for the brave waitresses at Trader Vic’s who sally forth across the crowded dance floor with trays piled with cocktails and calamari, risking life threatening collisions at every turn.

Photography by Richard Woodhead

Los Heraldos Negros

Of course, bad things happen. There are the awful occasions when you screw up your courage to ask someone to dance, only to be refused. One male friend gets fed up with girls pretending to have foot injuries to avoid dancing with him. Like European footballers, they seem to recover miraculously 30 seconds later when he sees them out there on the floor, dancing with a hotter (naturally!) partner. Another friend was dancing in his beginner days with a girl who, after about a minute, told him, “This isn’t working for me” and walked off leaving him alone on the dance floor. A blow to the ego indeed! It helps to remember there may be many reasons why someone doesn’t want to dance – they may be tired, or have sore feet, or just need a drink. It’s also very annoying to find oneself lectured by one’s partner – “You’re not dancing to the beat,” “Stop trying to lead.” Such instructions should be reserved for the dance class, not for a social dance environment where the main idea is to have fun.

And salsa should be all about fun. If you can weather the kind of storms mentioned above, it can be very rewarding. Apart from anything else, it’s a great way to work out and keep fit, and flexible. Then there is the sheer joy of the music itself and listening to a live Cuban band – what a treat. There are also other dances like bachata (lovely but very sexy – be warned!) and merengue which are not as demanding as salsa, as well as rueda, a kind of enjoyable Latin barn dance. It’s a wonderful feeling when, from panicking that you cannot remember ANY salsa move, you realize that you and your partner have got through a whole routine using a variety of moves, and not only survived the experience, but actually enjoyed it – and, on occasion, even got a round of applause (yes, honestly). The rewards and pleasures of salsa do far exceed the pitfalls. As Samuel Beckett said, “Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order.” So cast aside your doubts and fears, muster your courage, join a class and hit the floor. You may surprise yourself!

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1 2

6 7

9 10

Look at your partner not at your feet.

Try and develop a feel for the music.

Smile sometimes – you’re supposed to be having fun, remember? Be considerate of other dancers around you. Don’t invade their space. Don’t use your partner as an excuse to show off your superior dancing skills.

It’s OK to refuse someone a dance, but you must NOT dance that track with anyone else.

● Latin Dance Muscat www.LatinDanceMuscat.com Latin Dance Classes for Kids And Teenagers Every Thursday 4 OMR per person Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm For further information, email info@latindancemuscat.com or call 96148863

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Salsa clubs get very hot. If you sweat easily, take a change of top and a towel. Don’t drink too much. You won’t be able to concentrate. Alcohol and salsa don’t mix. Wear comfortable shoes – not too tight, or too loose. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

● Muscat Holiday Inn, Al Khuwair Latin Dance Classes for Adults Every Saturday 4 OMR per person Beginners 6:30 - 7:30 pm Improvers 7:30 - 8:30 pm Intermediate 8:30 - 9:30 pm Every Tuesday: Beginners 7.30 – 8.30

● Oman Salsa Group www.omansalsafestival.com British School Muscat (Madinat Sultan Qaboos) Latin Dance Classes for Adults every Sunday 4 OMR per person All levels (Beginners to Advanced) 7-10pm For further information email: omansalsagroup@gmail.com or call 99326632

Hanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Slimming and Skincare

prides itself with a one stop centre for all your beauty & lifestyle needs. It offers permanent hair removal treatments, hair growth treatments, anti-ageing treatments for skin problems and weight loss programmes.

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Woman Abroad discovers the truth behind diet without exercise

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

F IT SOUNDS too good to be true, it probably is – at least that’s what granny used to say. Though nowadays there are all sorts of diet foods, pills, potions and procedures which purport to render you slender, can you really do it with no physical effort at all? If the word ‘’exercise’’ is a series of four-letter words to you (jump, leap, bend, walk, lift, move) then you’re on the right page. Weight loss is all about calories, that is, the energy value of the foods you eat. Simply put, if the food you eat generates more energy than you use, the unused energy will turn to fat, so in theory just eating less food will allow you to shed pounds. So let’s start by examining the low-calorie diet which directs you to eat the right foods, take regular small meals (4-6 are recommended) – and not snack in between them. Strictly speaking this is a ‘’Healthy Eating Plan’’, but for many of us, following it is easier said than done! The right foods, of course, mean little or no red meat, a minute amount of fat and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, so buying whole grain bread and cereals, low or non-fat dairy products and skinless poultry will put you on the road to a snake-hipped new you. If you’re going to stick to this regime it’s essential to plan ahead so you always have

low-cal foods at home and to take to work. A sure-fire diet-buster is having a snack attack and grabbing a candy bar from a dispenser, so make sure you’re stocked up on fruit and nuts (unsalted) as chocolate might satisfy your sugar craving momentarily, but the potassium in a banana will give you a real energy boost. Other tips are to eat slowly, chew everything well, and use a small plate to make your reduced portions look bigger.

If you’re catering for a family or perhaps you just hate fiddling about with food (you might be surprised at how many put their hands up to this one!) then ready-prepared diet foods could be for you. There is a growing choice of calorie-counted meals in Muscat supermarkets – delicious desserts too, and don’t forget your no-cal canned sodas and sugar-free cordials – though water is best. On the subject of drinks, there are the (mostly) liquid meal replacement diets some of which are on sale locally such as Slimfast ™, and others like the Cambridge Plan™ now available through an agent here in Oman (GSM 99319038 Landline: 24614261 8am-5pm). Since the Cambridge Plan

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was introduced into the Middle East it has become very successful with one Pakistani woman losing 100kgs (220lbs)! With these diets you can replace all or some of your meals with a milkshake or soup that contains a measure of vitamins and minerals as well as meal replacement bars and snacks. You can also try a variety of diet teas – and green tea has long been thought to be a successful slimming aid. If this doesn’t appeal there are pills, but these are no longer available from local pharmacies, and are only now prescribed for extreme conditions and closely monitored under medical supervision. One such capsule containing the scary sounding sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate greatly reduces your appetite so you don’t feel hungry, while others allow you to eliminate the excess fat you’ve eaten. Given the choice we think we’d rather give up consuming fatty foods entirely (well, maybe!). As with all medication there are side effects which can be unpleasant, and they aren’t suitable for everyone. If you’ve dipped into every diet going and are still considered to be clinically obese, as a last resort there is the Gastric Band and other surgical procedures designed to reduce stomach size and consequently reduce appetite, but as with all surgery there can be serious health risks and complications.

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There are now quite a few weight loss clinics in Muscat which offer a range of therapies from nutritional weight loss programmes and supplements to body treatments for inch loss, all supervised by experienced consultants. If you’ve tried fat reduction from the inside, try doing it from the outside: the alternative to potion is lotion - cellulite reducing and massage creams that will reshape you and reduce that unsightly orange peel. We at Woman Abroad couldn’t wait to try them but unfortunately think most of us have left it too late and you really need someone else to do the massaging. Well, that could be a plus. One type of ‘’body wrapping’’ is another treatment which claims to shed inches from your lumpy bits and is still used in some spas. Your body is tightly wrapped like an Egyptian mummy in bandages or plastic wrap and as a result of water

elimination, you may lose inches and weight – but this is strictly temporary, not a long term solution. It lasts longer if you don’t drink – but beware of dehydration. So is it possible to lose weight while lazing around? Well, perhaps, but every diet plan we’ve studied recommends regular exercise, and undoubtedly if you’re trying to lose weight you’ll speed up your metabolism and it will drop off much faster with physical activity – also it will tone up any skin that’s sagging like a balloon after a birthday party. You will feel healthier, fitter – and best of all, fit into that frock that’s been hanging in your wardrobe for when you’re “slim again”. Diet without exercise? Yes, it is too good to be true.

● eat little and often (4-6 times a day) ● keep healthy snacks handy at home and work ● use a smaller plate – it makes small portions seem bigger ● drink a large glass of water before you eat ● drink iced water – it uses up more calories ● eat slowly and chew everything well

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Kate Thomason gives us the lowdown on wake-watching

ITHOUT doubt the beauty of Oman is breath-taking; there is so much to see that it is simply impossible for one to run out of things to do. With mile upon mile of pristine white beaches and waters with seemingly endless visibility teeming with wildlife, a wonderful way to discover Oman’s coastline is by boat. There are many charter trips available for dolphin watching, snorkelling or even dinner cruises, but there is nothing better than “setting sail” under your own steam and heading out to wherever your fancy takes you. Boating is an increasingly popular pastime so if becoming a boat owner is something you are considering, we’ve compiled a few simple tips to assist you on your way. Before you make that final

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decision to buy a motorboat you will need to figure out exactly what you are looking for - and this will naturally depend on what your main priority for the boat’s use will be. Once you have decided what you are looking for, then comes the fun in tracking it down. For a novice it can be a fairly involved and complicated process, but don’t let that dissuade you; if you have gone the car-buying hoop, you should have no trouble buying a motorboat.

Decide your maximum budget As with a lot of hobbies, buying a boat can be very expensive and maintenance costs are generally on-going. As there are so many options available

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it’s wise to thoroughly research your needs and decide on your maximum budget. Once you’ve done your research and you start shopping around, make a point of visiting the marinas. It’s useful to get to know the marina staff as they are more than likely to know of any boats that are for sale and usually their history. Remember to factor in berthing costs, which vary depending on the size of the boat you finally purchase and whether you choose to a wet or dry berth. Also bear in mind that annual insurance and other additional costs will not normally be included in the actual purchase price. When you buy a motorboat, you need to check the hull integrity

and condition of the motors and accessories such as the satellite navigation system. These can be expensive to replace depending on the model you choose-but is an absolute necessity. Once you have found a boat you want to purchase and taken it for a trial run, the negotiations can begin. Give it a thorough inspection before agreeing on the final price. When the purchase is completed you will need to register your details at the marina where you will berth your boat, and with the ROP. Where to go? Most weekend sailors, especially novices or those with children, tend to stick fairly close to the shoreline. A favourite destination is

the Bandar Khayaran reserve which is about 40 minutes from Bandar Al Rowdha Marina. It does get busy so an early start is advisable if you want to ‘’bag’’ your own private bay for the day. The coastline vista is truly dramatic and the early bird will usually be treated to a small dolphin escort and the exciting prospect of sighting turtles. Naturally the more confident you become, the further afield you will explore. A word of warning though from an experienced sailor, keep your eye on the tides or you could find yourself marooned very quickly and have to wait several hours for the tide to come in again. Happy sailing.

Where to find boating activities ● Marina Bandar Al Rowdha – (General enquiries) 24737286 (ext 224) ● Boats for Sale: www.dubizzle.com and www.apolloduck.com ● Boats for Private hire and Tours: (Al Raheeb Marine Tourism) 93853546/93853567 ● Glass –bottom boat and Tours www.gulfleisure.com ● Dolphin & Whale Watching: www.omandiving.com and www.marinaoman.com ● Semi-Submersible trips (Al Khayran) – 24737288 (ext 203)

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years Holding back the Going under the knife (Part Two)

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

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AST month we talked about non-invasive facial procedures, and in the second part of Holding back the years we take anti-ageing techniques a step furtherâ&#x20AC;Ś

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

OK, so you’ve spent a fortune on face creams, you’ve cleansed and toned and exfoliated, but another birthday passes and you look in the mirror only to discover that the years have not been kind: what Mother Nature gave you, Father Time has ravaged. So what more can you do? Well, there’s one option left, and it’s not cheap you could go under the surgeon’s knife. Cosmetic surgery, once the prerogative of the mega-rich, is now more affordable and more acceptable to us ordinary mortals, and it’s not only undertaken to make us look younger. We know of someone in her fifties who had a lifelong phobia about her nose – she opted for a nose job (rhinoplasty) and has fizzed with new found confidence ever since.

BEFORE

AFTER

Despite the current world recession – or perhaps because of it – some unemployed people, particularly in the United States, are having antiageing procedures to enable them to compete in the ever-decreasing job market. It may be a sad indication of our times, but it nevertheless reflects the pressure on us all to keep looking young and healthy and there are four main facial surgeries to achieve this. If you feel baggy eyes are causing you to look older than your years, you can opt for blepharoplasty, better known as eyelid surgery. This can be performed as part of a face lift, or on its own and can be carried out on either the upper lid, the lower lid, or both. It involves removing excess fat, skin or muscle from around the eye and can be done as a day-case either under local or general anaesthesic. Non-dissolvable stitches are

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BEFORE

AFTER removed three-five days after the op, dissolvable ones will normally disappear in a week to ten days (this is one occasion when mirror shades could be excused). Any scarring is soon virtually invisible. Perhaps you’re hung up on your wrinkled forehead and craggy brow line? If so, a forehead or brow lift could be for you. This procedure – which has become increasingly popular with men – smoothes the forehead and elevates floppy eyebrows, leaving you with a subtle, alert and more youthful appearance. Nose reshaping can be done under local or general anaesthetic depending on the procedure – sometimes the surgeon can work from inside the nose so there are no visible scars at all, and sometimes there’s a small scar on the underside of the nose. An overnight stay in hospital is generally necessary, but patients whose job isn’t strenuous may resume work within a day or two. Rhytedectomy is the medical name for a full face lift. This lifts a wrinkled forehead and drooping brows, tightens sagging jowls and gets rid of loose skin and fatty deposits under the jaw. You could also choose to have implants to change or enhance the shape of your cheeks, chin or jaw line. It normally requires a general anaesthetic. Incisions are made around and behind the ears and into the temple with care being taken so any

Choose your surgeon with care. Investigate his experience and qualifications, and if possible, speak to someone he’s worked on – it’s your face he’ll be cutting after all, and if he’s competent he’ll be happy to have you check him out. Woman Abroad can’t recommend any specific clinic as we haven’t tried any of them personally – yet – but here in Muscat you can have all the treatments mentioned at a variety of private hospitals and clinics. BEFORE

AFTER

scars will be camouflaged by the hairline and the skin’s natural creases. Muscle and tissue are then repositioned and secured with sutures or glue (a special surgical variety!) and excess skin is trimmed away, then the incisions are closed and covered with sterile gauze. After one or two days the bandages come off; after a week the sutures or staples are removed, and after 2-3 weeks the incisions are healed. Some bruising and swelling can be expected and is treated with pain medication and cold compresses. The full benefits of the procedure are experienced in about six-twelve months – and you’ll see the years rolling away. It goes without saying that anaesthesia and surgery of any kind carry risks. Cosmetic surgery is elective – in other words, it’s your choice, and therefore it’s even more important that you consider the consequences of your decision, and follow medical advice. You need to be in good health and to be cognisant of the expected outcome of the procedure you are hoping to have (for example, you’re not going to come out of surgery looking like Catherine Zeta Jones or Scarlet Johanssen!). There are deluded people who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgery in an effort to look like someone else – and there are unscrupulous surgeons who will take their money: also, we’ve all been bemused by ageing celebrities with “wind-blown” faces and lips that look as if they’ve been pumped up like a bicycle tyre, so beware!

So if you’re satisfied you’ve found the right surgeon for you, and you have realistic expectations, then go ahead. Why grow old gracefully when you can turn back the clock? ● In Part Three of Holding back the years we look at cosmetic procedures for improving your body

Facial Surgery Facts • it makes a noticeable difference • it lasts for years • it can usually be carried out in one operation • it doesn’t require regular maintenance • recovery can take longer • it’s expensive

woman abroad • July 2012

HER HIGHNESS SAYYIDA SHARIFFA:

A LADY OF VISION by Anne Collins Photo by: Reginald Reed

er Highness Sayyida Dr. Shariffa bint Khalid Al Said is legally blind. After living most of her life in the United States, she returned to Oman two years ago. Her most remarkable feature is not her blindness, but her spirit. No one is going to dictate to this feisty and intelligent lady what she can and cannot do. Sayyida Shariffa has dedicated herself to raising public awareness about the blind in Oman and improving facilities for the disabled. She is living proof that, to quote the inspirational slogan of Adidas, the German sports clothing manufacturer, ‘’Impossible is Nothing’’.

woman abroad • July 2012

Sayyida Shariffa sits serenely in a chair in an apartment she shares with her sister in Muscat, wearing perfect make-up and an outfit of gorgeous blue green colours. She has beautiful large brown eyes and a clear, crisp voice. She speaks calmly and without hesitation, and with absolutely no trace of self-pity or regret, as she talks about her remarkable life. It also quickly becomes clear that she has an excellent sense of humour. Vision loss and blindness can happen to anyone, regardless of age, race and nationality. It is impossible for a sighted person to imagine how devastating it must be to experience total or partial loss of sight. Sayyida Shariffa was blind from birth. At the age of 10, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition which affects the retina, causing progressive degeneration and incurable vision loss – news that would have plunged many weaker souls into despair.

‘I’m the kind of person who enjoys a challenge, who doesn’t give up and doesn’t take no for an answer’

Independent Living The young girl’s early years were spent in Oman, where she didn’t go to school, but stayed at home reciting the Koran. But after 10, her life underwent a huge change when her father was posted to the UN in New York. Suddenly she found herself in a country that, unlike Oman, had excellent facilities for blind and other physically challenged people. For the first time, she was able to discover the joys of independent living. Although her family was very supportive, she chose to live away from them in a boarding school dormitory. Later, she shared apartments with friends and also lived on her own for long periods.

Photo by: Reginald Reed

‘I’m not saying it wasn’t tough – it certainly wasn’t all peaches and cream,’ she recalls. ‘But I’m the kind of person who enjoys a challenge, who doesn’t give up and doesn’t take no for an answer. I loved my life in the US. People wonder how I could live on my own, without even a maid to help me, but I did. I did my own cooking and cleaning, and my own laundry. I went out to shopping malls and to cafés with friends, I went to the theatre, and to Broadway shows. Yes, I took chances, but I really believe I had angels looking after me. The most difficult days for me were the snowy days – and believe me, when it snows in New York, it really snows. But I believe they would be difficult for a sighted person too.’

Photo by: Reginald Reed

Having lived in the US for so many years, Sayyida Shariffa is finding it somewhat challenging to adapt to life back in her home country. ‘Although a lot of positive changes have taken place in Oman since the ‘90s, it is still not a blindfriendly place. There just aren’t the facilities here to enable a blind person to be independent. Getting around in the US was very easy. I could get on a bus, take a taxi, walk, take a plane. I could call a cab to take me to the airport and once there, I could manage fine on my own. If I go to the airport here, somebody always rushes forward to hold my hand or ask me if I need a wheelchair. Why should I need a wheelchair? There’s nothing wrong with my legs!’

Photo by: Richard Woodhead

Impressive qualifications Sayyida Shariffa’s dedication and commitment are impressive. So are her educational qualifications. She has four degrees in special education, including two Master’s degrees and EdD from Columbia University, which she obtained in 2010. She is the first blind Omani to obtain a degree from Columbia University, and the first blind Omani with a Doctorate in Education, specifically in blindness and visual impairment. She is an auditory learner who doesn’t use Braille and doesn’t write. Her chief professional goal is to become a pioneer of special education in the Middle East. As she says, ‘After all, what better person can give you an insight into the field than someone who has experienced it themselves?’ Sayyida Shariffa has been working as an educational expert at Oman’s only Institute for the Blind, the Omar Bin Khatab Institute in Mawaleh, which takes blind students from kindergarten right through to Grade 12. From September 2012 she will be working with the Ministry of Education, also as an educational expert, evaluating and developing the state of special education for the blind, deaf and mentally challenged in Oman. She is also Chairperson of the Board of PETRA (Para Equestrian Therapeutic Riding Activities), a role which she very much enjoys. Last year PETRA initiated a highly successful project, teaching blind

woman abroad • July 2012

‘Apart from our blindness, we are normal human beings in every other way’ Photo by: Richard Woodhead

students to ride. Another project is being a founding member of a new organization for professional women in Oman, to help them with such projects as starting a business. This amazing lady is not short of ideas about how facilities for the blind can be improved in Oman. ‘Take ATM machines, for example. In the US, there are auditory ATM machines which speak to you, so a blind person can use them without any help.’ She has been approaching banks in Oman to try and interest them in installing similar machines here, but without success so far. ‘They’re just not interested,’ she says sadly. ‘They assume a blind person has no reason to want to get money out of machines. And of course, it would be expensive.’ Using a cane is another big difference between Oman and the US. ‘Lots of blind people in the US use a cane. It’s a great way of getting around. A cane enables you to predict what comes in front of you, and negotiate your

woman abroad • July 2012

way safely. But you don’t see people with canes in Oman. They wouldn’t know how to use them. So we need to train mobility instructors to teach people to use canes. Canes do wonders in increasing your selfconfidence and enabling you to be independent.’

Raising awareness Sayyidda Shariffa wants to raise public awareness of the visually challenged and encourage people to treat the blind normally. ‘Apart from our blindness, we are normal human beings in every other way. The blind don’t need sympathy; they need understanding and facilities that can make their lives more independent. Some people are scared of the physically challenged because they are different. They don’t always know how to deal with us, so they treat us as if we are invisible. But the public should understand that physical disability isn’t contagious or infectious – in fact if we are defective in one sense, our other

senses and abilities more than compensate for it. She pauses, then adds mischievously, ‘You know, sometimes I play dumb and pretend I’m retarded. I love to test people out.’ We’ve talked about Sayyidda Shariffa’s professional goals, but how about her personal ones? It seems she has quite a few. ‘I want to continue travelling the world and experiencing different foods and cultures. I’d love to travel more in Europe, and especially to islands – I’ve got a bit of a thing about islands. People ask, how can I see what places look like? But the answer is that I can see them very well - in my heart! I like water too, I love to be in it, relaxing, it’s very therapeutic. I also enjoy listening to a good book.’ Ah! Speaking of books, has she ever thought of sharing her inspirational life experiences with others? She laughs. ‘Well, maybe one day, if I can find the right person to write it down.’ Let’s hope she does. It would make a terrific story.

OASIS LIFE STYLE MARKAZ AL BAHJA

SAT - THU: 10AM - 10PM FRI: 2PM - 10PM

www.iddesignoman.com

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend… or are they? Last month gemologist Debbie Sutherland A.G. told us how to spot a fake gemstone – now she tells us all about those most coveted stones - diamonds

E all know about the 4 ‘c’s, clarity, cut, colour and carat. But what else should you know before you buy?

Colour

COLOURLESS

NEAR COLOURLESS

FAINT YELLOW

Diamond grading ranges from D-Z for colour. Between D and H you can expect a dazzling white diamond but from K onwards the colour becomes very slightly yellow. When it comes to buying a good colour you really should take into account whether or not the diamond fluoresces. If it does, this will change the colour of your diamond while outside in sunlight and your lovely white diamond will look very slightly brownish not ideal when you have paid for a good colour!

VERY LIGHT YELLOW

LIGHT YELLOW

FANCY COLOUR

When it comes to those grades from K onwards then the opposite applies. Because they already have a slightly off-colour then fluorescence actually makes them look a better colour in sunlight.

Clarity

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Even one tiny inclusion that you can barely see under magnification is enough to give the stone a VVS-1 or 2 depending on where the inclusion is found. If it’s the smallest dot imaginable but under the table of the stone then it has to be graded a VVS-2. Diamond grading is ridiculously severe and incredibly subjective. This is why diamond grading labs have a minimum of three gemologists to grade a diamond. One to have the deciding decision as two gemologists will not always agree If you can’t afford the best colour and the best clarity grade when buying a diamond, then firstly go for the best colour you can afford with no fluorescence. Then worry about the clarity grade secondly. Anything in the D-H colour range is a perfectly good choice and a VS clarity grade on a well cut stone is fine. Think of it this way - you will always notice how white your diamond is but you’re not ever going to notice what inclusions it has!

Treatments: Laser drilling: Diamonds can be subjected to laser drilling to remove dark inclusion spots. After they have been drilled the diamonds are immersed in sulphuric acid to bleach out the dark inclusions. Laser drilling is easily detected under magnification. (Loose stone)

A few diamond terms: • Dispersion: The breaking up of white light into the spectral colours - The fire. • Scintillation: The sparkle from the surface of the stone as it moves. • Brilliance: Light entering the stone and reflecting off the facets and returning to the eye - The life of a stone and very dependent on the quality of the faceting.

Diamonds (synthetics, treatments & simulants) Synthetics: Synthetic diamonds have been around a long time but only recently have they been able to produce colourless diamonds over 1 carat. Before this it was mainly fancy coloured diamonds that were being lab created in substantial carat sizes. Makers of lab created diamonds have a laser inscription on the girdle with their company names and no deception is intended. There is a very large market for lab created diamonds and luxury lab created coloured stones in the U.S. A true synthetic stone has the same physical and properties as a natural so separation is done magnification with the of inclusions.

exactly optical stone under study

Fracture filling: Exactly the same process as lead glass filled rubies. This is not a durable treatment as the filler breaks down with household detergents and under the jewellers torch if repairs are needed eventually leading to a lowered clarity. A fracture filled diamond will not withstand ultrasonic cleaning. Fracture filling is easily detected under magnification. (Loose stone) Irradiation: Used on a synthetic or natural stones to alter the colour. As naturally coloured fancy diamonds are extremely expensive and collectable, not to mention rare, this is a big problem. There are sometimes visible signs of irradiation, but if not, advance gemological testing equipment is needed to separate from untreated material. Irradiated black diamonds start off as low quality boart (bort) - this material would usually be used for industrial purposes but after irradiation to black it is then used for jewellery purposes. A very cheap diamond but very effective in jewellery and although I prefer my stones not to be irradiated I must admit to quite liking white and black diamond jewellery. Unirradiated black diamonds do exist but are very rare.

Very bright pink irradiated diamonds are in the marketplace but started off as low quality colourless stones. Irradiated pink melee are available in a few different shades of pink but none of them look anything like a natural pink diamond colour. Natural pink diamonds from the Argyle Mine in Australia are extremely rare. The small melee sizes are very, very slightly pink but bigger carat sizes have a much better saturation of colour. Natural pinks of size are so expensive that they go straight to auction! High Pressure Heat Treatment (HPHT): HPHT is used on brownish diamonds to change them to colourless stones. It can also be used to enhance coloured diamonds. This treatment can only be detected by the use of advanced gemological equipment. Diamonds should have their treatments disclosed if it alters the durability of the stone or lowers the value. Laser drilling, HTHP and irradiation lower the value although they are durable treatments. Fracture filling is not durable and lowers the value. Simulants: A simulant is a stone either natural or man-made that is used to imitate. Gemological testing makes it very easy to separate between a natural diamond and a simulant. Commonly found natural stones used as diamond simulants:Colourless topaz, Colourless sapphire, Zircon. Commonly found man-made stones used as diamond simulants:Synthetic Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia, YAG - Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Not to be confused with natural garnets). GGG - Gadolinium Gallium Garnet, Strontium Titanite, Synthetic Rutile.

woman abroad • July 2012

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

Although Sami Razek has just made a movie, you’ll find him wherever there’s any action. Having lived in Oman almost all his life, he’s renowned for his love of all things sporty and adventurous. He is a true action man – but as Penny Destro discovered, his talents don’t stop there.

HOUGH I have known Sami Razek for some time, I have to confess that despite the generation gap, as soon as he opens his mouth the rich timbre of his voice makes me wish I was twenty (OK thirty!) years younger. His manly build and good looks are apparent from his photographs, but that voice would set most female hearts a-flutter – and his manner is always solicitous too – though I can’t help but wonder if he’s just being kind to the elderly! Anyhow, enough of my pipe-dreams… Sami was born in Leicestershire, England, the younger son of an English mother and an Egyptian father who brought him and

his brother, Ayman, to Oman when he was just eight months old. ‘Growing up in Oman was wonderful,’ he recalls. ‘There was so much freedom – and we were never allowed to sit indoors, so I’ve always been used to doing outdoor things.’ Having started his education at the PDO School, before he was ten he was sent to a boarding school in the UK. ‘In fact I went to more than one because it was discovered that I was dyslexic and needed special tuition,’ he says candidly. That he eventually went on to Coventry University and obtained a degree in Business Administration (Financial Derivatives) is proof that this battle with words can

be overcome. ‘I still struggle at times,’ he admits. ‘Mind you, whoever called it Dyslexia must have had a sense of humour because no one with the problem could ever spell it!’ His first real job was at the Al Bustan Hotel (now Ritz Carlton) where he spent a year working as a water-ski instructor. ‘It was a challenge, starting at 6am and working six days a week. I was the only qualified lifeguard at the time and had to organize everything, including the annual raft race. Obviously I drove the boat, and one day a German tourist asked me if I would take him on a tour round the bays which was something no one did then - so you could probably say it was one of the first boat tours!’ He’s obviously a bit of a waterbabe – so what’s his favourite watersport? ‘Wakeboarding,’ he says immediately. What-boarding? ‘It’s a cross between surfing and skiing,’ he explains. ‘It came about because there were days when surfers couldn’t surf because there were no waves, and others when skiers couldn’t ski. It also combines

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snowboarding techniques. It’s great fun!’ He also enjoys kite-surfing. Eventually Sami had a seven hour ‘’rolling’’ interview with International bankers, Merrill Lynch in Dubai – this entailed the interviewers taking turns to grill him – apparently to see how he reacted under pressure. He was successful and was lined

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up for a prestigious job when, sadly, 9/11 happened and the job no longer existed. He then returned to Oman and worked as an Independent Financial Advisor – a job he loathed, but happily, along came a guy who recognized Sami’s potential. He was setting up Oman’s first E-commerce company, OmanTraderNet (ONT); Sami joined him and found a job he loved.

Since then he has worked in his brother’s property business in Dubai – and is currently employed by The Oman Construction Organisation (TOCO) managing logistics and is very happy to remain there. ‘No two days are the same,’ he says. As you can see from the photos, his hobbies aren’t confined to the water.

and effort. His latest pride and joy is his 34-year-old Chevrolet (pictured) which has just had its first run up Boushar dunes. ‘It’s not finished yet,’ he says. ‘I’ve got some bits coming from the States for the suspension as it’s not quite right.’ Having ridden in it, I can verify this! So when did his love of anything mechanical begin?

‘I started playing rugby when I was 16, but I took to it and after only seven months I made the school’s First Eleven.’ In the past he has played in the Dubai 7s with both The Muscat Rugby Club and the PDO Pirates. Recently he’s had operations to replace the Anterior Cruciate Ligaments in both his knees – thanks to injuries received on the rugby field. Of course it hasn’t entirely put an end to his involvement in the sport: he has just started playing touch rugby with the PDO Pirates. ‘Unfortunately, that’s as far as it

will go,’ he says.‘But Ayman has had a much more interesting rugby career than I have - he played for England School boys (Under 16 and 18) and has also represented the Arabian Gulf against full teams such as New Zealand, France and Wales!’ Sami also likes cars and has had a couple of ‘’projects’’ on which he’s spent much time

He laughs. ‘I was one of those kids who always had a screwdriver in his hand. I used to take things apart and rebuild them – not that it necessarily made them better!’ And acting? ‘That began at school. I played Sweeney Todd and Marc Antony. I also played drums in a band and loved that.’ With his mother, Judith, being the Director of the Muscat Amateur Theatre. Sami soon found himself on stage again.

woman abroad • July 2012

When he was about 19 he was in a Ramadan Special film about the travels of an Omani envoy in the early 20th century. He played an American – but regretfully it was a non-speaking part and he didn’t even get to say ‘’Hi!’’ In recent times, his reputation has grown since he was offered a leading role in Oman’s second-ever feature film, Aseel. He plays a white man lost in the desert who is rescued by a young Bedu boy. ‘It was filmed over a period of 17 days in Ibra and on the Wahiba Sands,’ he says. ‘I believe in giving things a go and I really enjoyed it.’

woman abroad • July 2012

Were there any particularly memorable moments? ‘Oh yes! On the last day of filming when we were shooting in the desert I had to ride a camel. They commandeered one from a passing Bedu – and it was very twitchy. I mentioned this to the Assistant Director and he said it was a good sign because this meant it was a racing camel. As I was hoping for a fat, lazy camel, all I wanted to know was how to stop it! Anyhow, I eventually managed to mount it and was trying to convey my concern to the Bedu owner when the director yelled ‘’Action!’’ The Bedu walloped the camel and it raced off like a bucking bronco with me clinging on for dear life. It must have done 300 yards in 15 seconds -then it stopped abruptly and I landed headfirst in a sand dune! The Director then asked me why I fell off…! Luckily they got all they needed and I didn’t have to repeat the scene.’

Sami is well travelled and loved Namibia. He says he’d like to explore more of Africa – and particularly wants to go to Cuba. Any other ambitions? ‘Well, I believe there’s still much history to be uncovered along the coast of Oman – and I’d like the chance to hunt for some undiscovered wrecks and ruins.’ I’m amazed that no lucky woman has snapped up this charming yet modest guy - and marched him down the aisle! ‘One day,’ he says. ‘It’s not that I’m not looking - but I guess I just haven’t met the right one yet. Mostly I manage to remain friends with my ex-girlfriends!’ I don’t find that at all hard to believe… Now, I have three unmarried daughters…I wonder…

woman abroad • July 2012

Cut your carbon footprint and shrink your utility bills

ID you know that only one per cent of water on the Earth is fit for drinking? Confirmation of the scarcity of water sources, the constant increase in consumption and the frequency of droughts purported to be due to climate change have made the quest to preserve this life-giving liquid a top priority the world over. Here in Oman, in the year 2000 His Majesty Sultan Qaboos decreed that water should be defined as a national asset to be protected. (Royal Decree 29/2000)

Every drop counts

Despite the high cost of producing energy, we are very fortunate. It’s a fact that most of the world’s population has to walk for three hours to fetch water. Conservationists say that if we do just one thing a day to save water it will make a big difference – because every drop counts. Do dirty cars really matter? Think of the saving if cars stayed coated in dust. Highways look beautiful with their velvet grass and colourful flowers – but it would surely make a huge difference to the area’s water consumption if these cultivated verges were allowed to return to their natural state.

In a country which is one of the hottest in the world, annual rainfall ranges from a few millimetres to 300mm over the northern mountains, but as the evaporation rate is very high, water loss exceeds the gain. Groundwater sources are extremely limited, and back in 1976 the first of manypower and seawater desalination plants was commissioned. However, the demand for desalinated water is projected to double by 2016. Desalinated water is produced in conjunction with electricity under the auspices of the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) which has pledged to invest over RO 8 billion in new power projects to meet the country’s growing demands. On the domestic front, two-thirds of household water is used in the bathroom. But it is agriculture at the top of the list for consumption. The amount of water used for irrigation depends on the crop and the method of cultivation as well as on the climate of the region. For example, higher value crops like bananas and coconuts grown in Salalah use less water than crops in the North of the Sultanate. The traditional falaj system is still used in many rural areas, with some estimated to be over one thousand years old. Wells are also used to supplement the aflaj for irrigation.

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There’s also one instant way to save electricity: turn up the thermostat in hotels, restaurants and public buildings. In the heat of summer it’s great to be able to eat in a cool place – but it shouldn’t be necessary to wear thermal underwear! And while they’re at it, perhaps they could turn down the Musak/CD player too: at least you’d be able to hear yourself speak, though we’re not sure it would save much energy! The authorities in Oman are obviously doing their best to solve the power and water problems with millions invested in new technology, but we, the consumers, can also do our bit to preserve these precious resources – and in doing so, not only save ourselves some hard-earned cash on energy bills, but gain a few gold stars for our contribution to the global green economy.

Ways to Save Energy

● use energy saving light bulbs as they use four times less energy, and last ten times longer ● don’t set the temperature on your air-conditioning units too low ● close curtains when the sun is on a window your A/C will use less power ● use fans when you can – they use less power than A/C ● pack your freezer tightly, defrost it regularly, don’t open the door too often – and never leave it open ● as with your freezer, don’t leave the door open, and defrost it regularly ● don’t place fridges and freezers too near a heat source like a cooker or in the sun and don’t run them colder than necessary, and never put hot food in either of them

● fridges with side by side doors are less efficient ● when a room isn’t being used, turn off the lights ● dust light bulbs - a film of dust can block half the light ● don’t leave appliances on standby. Switch them off at the wall socket and be aware that if a power-pack or charger has a light on – it’s using power! ● fill washing machines and dishwashers – one full load is more efficient than two half-loads and wash in cold water or no more than 30C ● if you have a tumble dryer, use it only when absolutely necessary. Part-dry first – or hang washing out when you can ● don’t recharge your laptop or mobile phone unnecessarily – wait until it’s almost out ● when cooking, use the correct sized pan for the ring, and cover it. Cook several dishes at once in a steamer ● use a microwave – it’s more energy efficient. Or grill outdoors! ● consider having solar panels fitted to your roof to heat water ● insulate your domestic water tank, and turn down the thermostat if the water’s too hot ● use solar-powered garden lights ● go to the mall – and use their power to keep cool! ● only boil as much water as you need ● turn off the tap when cleaning your teeth – it can save 5 litres ● fix leaking taps. One tap dripping for a week equals one bath ● put a stone/rock in your toilet cistern – it can save you 3 litres per flush ● don’t flush unnecessarily! ● wash fruit, vegetables and crockery in a bowl, not under a running tap ● shower rather than bath. A five minute shower uses one third the water of a bath. You’ll save about 400 litres a week ● Share a shower! ● if you have a bath, don’t fill it to more than 20cm – and use the waste water to water the garden. ● in your garden, don’t plant flowers and shrubs that require a lot of water, but if you already have them, fit an irrigation system with a timer.

woman abroad • July 2012

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

When you are born and bred in a country, it’s very easy to forget that to visitors your culture may seem strange - if not downright peculiar. Yet most visitors don’t wish to offend their hosts, and are happy to abide by the customs of the country. Unfortunately, sometimes they have no idea what is expected of them. In this series of ‘’Etiquette’’ Woman Abroad aims to point out the foibles of countries that readers might visit – and hopes it will help to ensure that a long awaited holiday doesn’t turn into cultural nightmare. This month we look at Etiquette in the United Kingdom (UK) – so for all would-be visitors – or those who think they know the country famed for its ‘’stiff upper lip’’ – read on.

woman abroad • July 2012

he UK consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and though they each have their own capitals, the accepted capital and largest city is, of course, London which is multi-cultural and home to about 14 million people.Naturally this is the place that most visitors head for, and quite rightly as it has so many world famous landmarks and historic monuments. London, however, like most cosmopolitan cities, is not the ‘’real’’ Britain, but you don’t have to go very far from the capital to find yourself in the middle of England’s ‘’green and pleasant land’’. Whether you travel by road or rail, acres of fields and woodland line either side, and there are some spectacular National Parks from Exmoor in the south to the Cairngorms in Scotland. Indeed there is nothing better than being in the countryside on a British summer day. But there is the snag – English summers are as unpredictable as any other season, which brings us to the customary conversation of the British:The Weather There are four seasons Spring (March to May) There is a chance of some fine weather, but it is not unheard of for it to snow, even as late as May, though this is unusual.

Autumn (October to November) Leaves on trees begin to die and fall off, and it starts to get frosty in the mornings.

Summer (June to September) This is the warmest time of year and occasionally temperatures can rise to 30C. Most likely they will be between 20-27C.

Winter (December to February) It is cold and it may snow. If it’s windy the wind-chill can make it seem much colder.

Currency The currency in the UK is Pounds Sterling (GBP). There are coins of £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p 1p Banknotes start at £5. (Don’t be surprised if they check your note in a shop if you offer one that is £50 or more. This is because there have been forgeries of larger denomination banknotes) At the time of going to press, £1 is the equivalent of about 620 baiza - £10 = OMR6.200

woman abroad • July 2012

The Weekend This is always Saturday and Sunday. Shop opening hours are reduced on Sundays, and some remain closed.

at midday. The ‘’full English breakfast’’ which consists of a ‘’fry-up’’ of eggs, bacon, sausage, beans and bread, is rarely served in an average British home, with most people opting for a bowl of cereal and some toast and fruit juice.

National Holiday On National Holidays (sometimes called Bank Holidays), most shops remain closed, and some tourist attractions may be closed. The main holidays are: January 1st – New Year’s Day March or April – Good Friday (this changes every year) March or April – Easter Sunday May (first Monday) – May Day May (last Monday) Spring Bank Holiday August (last Monday) Summer Bank Holiday December 25th – Christmas Day December 26th – Boxing Day

Food There’s a wide variety of cuisine available in most cities and small towns. Also in the larger places you will find restaurants and supermarkets that sell halal meats as well as dishes and ingredients from all around the world.

Clothes Even for Brits, deciding what clothes to take to the UK is a headache. You always need something to protect you from the rain – from May to September a light waterproof will suffice, but at any other time of year when rain may be accompanied by icy winds or sleet (this is frozen rain and more unpleasant than snow!) a heavier coat is necessary. In winter take a scarf, gloves and boots too. At other times of the year you’ll need a light woollen jacket – if you’re in doubt, just imagine that you’re in Oman during the ‘’winter’’ months (December – March). If you’re lucky, you may hit a heatwave when light clothes are all that’s necessary – but don’t count on it. Generally, whatever time of year you visit, you’ll need something warm – but all hotels and guesthouses have central heating.

Breakfast is normally eaten between 7am-9am, Lunch between 12-1.30pm and Dinner (the main meal) between 6.30pm - 8pm. Sometimes the main meal is eaten at midday, with a light meal taken in the evening. On Sunday it is traditional to eat roast meat and vegetables

woman abroad • July 2012

Time Time in the UK is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) which is normally 4 hours behind Oman. But from March to late October, clocks are advanced one hour (it’s known as Daylightsaving time). During this period the country is 3 hours behind Oman. This is worth remembering when you’re making a phone call back home!

Tipping Most hotels include a service charge, as do many restaurants, but if a service charge is not included it is customary to give 10-15% of the bill. Taxi drivers always expect a tip of this amount – but tipping is not compulsory. Woman Abroad does not recommend tipping if the service is bad or the waiter/driver is rude or unhelpful.

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Driving Driving is on the left and the wearing of seatbelts is compulsory in the front and back seats. If you hire a car you will be given one with manual transmission unless you state that you require an automatic – and they’re more expensive. Petrol is very expensive (at present almost OMR1 per litre), so it could cost you OMR100 to fill your tank! Road signs are in miles, not kilometres (1.6km = 1mile), and the highest speed limit is 70mph (112kph). Take care in towns and villages as the limit changes constantly from 40mph to 30 mph – and there are speed cameras everywhere. Drivers in the UK tend to be very polite compared to many other parts of the world, and traffic police strictly enforce the laws. Drivers only change lanes when it’s necessary – not to overtake on either side. If there is a filter from two lanes to one, they take turns to enter it. If they are in the inside lane and vehicles are entering from a slip road, they move over to the next lane to allow them to get onto the motorway safely. At junctions they don’t drive down the outside and then push in at the front of the queue. Bad manners on the roads are frowned upon – and are likely to be reported – or caught on one of those ubiquitous cameras!

● leave your accommodation without a waterproof coat/ jacket or an umbrella if you’re intending to walk. In England it can rain at any time. ● push to the front of a queue. If you see a queue, join it at the back! ● clear your throat noisily or spit in any public place. ● cough or yawn without covering your mouth. ● pick your nose in public. ● kiss someone when you are introduced. ● ask a woman her age or how much she weighs. ● ask how much someone earns. ● stand too close to someone when you’re speaking to them. ● speak with food in your mouth. ● talk or use your mobile phone in a cinema or theatre. ● throw litter/garbage in the street – you could be fined!

● Manners are very important to Brits and you should always say ‘’please’’ and ‘’thank you’’. You should say ‘’excuse me’’ if someone is in your way or you want their attention, and ‘’sorry’’ if you bump into someone – even when it’s not your fault! ● In winter it can start to get dark at around 4pm, and in summer it may still be light until almost 10pm. ● If your car is parked outside overnight from November to March you will probably have to scrape ice from the windscreen in the early morning before you can see to drive anywhere. ● If you need to use the toilet, don’t ask for the ‘’bathroom’’ or ‘’restroom’’. In The UK a bathroom is a room with a bath, and a restroom will only confuse. Ask for the toilet, or the Ladies or Gents. ● It is acceptable to shake hands with men or women when you are introduced to them, but some people just smile and acknowledge you without shaking hands. This is no longer considered to be rude, however, they will rarely refuse to shake your hand if it is offered. ● If you’re catching a bus, make sure you have small change ● If you have an appointment, don’t be late – it’s considered very bad manners to keep people waiting ● Generally speaking, Brits are friendly and helpful to visitors – so don’t worry if you get it wrong – they’ll probably be much too polite to let you know!

woman abroad • July 2012

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

get that sweet, nostalgic look of the fifties all you need are the perfect accessories, like these yellow platform peep-toe pumps, and a straw hat with a bow of the same colour. Finish the perfect outfit with a clutch or straw bag for that perfect holiday feeling. Wear sunglasses in that wonderful cats-eye shape of the era, and finish off the look with silver earrings with starburst drops, or a large rose gold necklace. Everything you need for that 50s look is available at H&M.

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

Enjoy a refreshing jaunt up the Jebels E

VERYONE who knows anything about Oman is aware that the Khareef brings greenery and refreshing breezes to Salalah from July to September, and visitors - more than 300,000 of them - flock from all over the GCC to enjoy it. But wonderful though it is, this is not the only place in Oman to offer cool adventures during the hot summer. Another great option for a weekend break at this time of year is a visit the Jebels (mountains) where the temperature is much cooler and a welcome change from the stifling city. Roads cut into sheer rock rise and wind up the mountains and the scenery changes around every bend. Towering rock-faces with unbelievable striations seem to change colour and texture depending on the light - sunrise and sunset are particularly fascinating. Little wonder Oman is known as the geologists’ dream. An expedition to Jebel Shams (Sun Mountain) and the ‘’Grand Canyon’’ is singularly exceptional. Jebel Shams, the highest peak in the Al Hajar range – itself one of the highest ranges in the Middle East - rises to over 3,000 metres (almost 10,000feet), at which height the purity of the air is tangible.

woman abroad • July 2012

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

Nizwa Fort For this you need a 4-wheel drive vehicle, and though the trip can be done in one day, more comfortably it takes two. If you don’t want to drive yourself, there are specialist companies who can arrange either. You head towards Nizwa, a fascinating town and ideal base for exploring this part of the Interior. Friday morning is market day featuring a livestock auction and many intriguing stalls selling copper goods and hand-made pots. Nizwa Fort is worth a visit too. Like many other forts in Oman, it was built in the 17th century - and designed to keep out the heat. You’ll be amazed at the difference in temperature inside these historic buildings, even on the hottest days. The fort, set among date palms, is a monument to early engineering prowess, anathema to mortar-based warfare, and one of Oman’s finest examples - the largest on the Arabian Peninsula. Started in 1668, it took 12 years to complete, and beneath the battlements of its central tower which soars to 115 metres, hides a plethora of secret shafts, false doors and a warren of twisting stairways intended to impede the enemy. At its highest point - which allows a panoramic view of the surrounding area - four cannons remain, as well as a selection of rusting, locally made cannonballs. Continuing to Jebal Shams along Wadi Ghul, you’ll come to the village of Ghul, renowned for its traditional weavers who create geometric patterns coloured with red, black and brown vegetable dyes. High on the right hand side stands the modern, concrete village, but on the left is its ancient, abandoned predecessor which seems to melt into the cliff-face, barely visible in certain lights.

woman abroad • July 2012

Grand Canyon On the last part of the journey the scenery becomes really spectacular, and eventually levels out with the track skirting the Grand Canyon and its vertical 1,000 metre drop to the wadi below. And here on this plateau, 2000 metres up, the temperature is cool enough for camping - and many do. With undersea fossils at your feet, breathing truly fresh air, it’s easy to forget the summer heat; you really do feel as if you’re on top of the world. It is possible to climb down into the canyon, but is not a venture for the faint-hearted or unfit – remember you have to climb back up again!

Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) is another spectacular peak which rises to 2,300 metres above sea-level. It’s black-top all the way to the summit, but you must drive a 4X4 and there’s a Royal Oman Police (ROP) checkpoint just beyond Birkat Al Mauz where you must show your driving licence or identification, and you’re given a list of guidelines for your journey – a reminder that this is not a tootle round the countryside but a venture on a rugged mountain where the only smooth thing is the road. The drive is dramatic and sometimes hair-raising but the scenery as you reach the top is worth it. It is a must for all visitors: in the Middle East, sand and deserts are common-place – a green fruit-bearing mountain is not. Yet on the Saiq Plateau which has around 300mm of rain annually, are terraced villages which produce an amazing array of fruits.

woman abroad • July 2012

Pomegranates For the farmers of villages such as Wadi Bani Habib, Shuraijah, Al Ayn and Saiq, pomegranates are the year’s most valuable cash crop. This fruit with its glossy, leathery skin and gem-like seeds has been cultivated for over 5,000 years and in August and September Jebal Akhdar is the place to find them. However, this is the final stage of a process that began in February with the pruning of the trees. For the hill farmers in their scattered communities, conditions are harsh. In the winter months night temperatures fall below 0°Centigrade and snow is not unheard of. But as the days start to heat up, in May the trees bloom with beautiful bright red flowers heralding the harvest to come. Peaches, apricots, plums, figs, olives, almonds and roses are also grown. The

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production of rosewater is a thriving cottage industry in these lofty villages, sustained by its continuing use in halwa, tea, confectionary and cosmetics. On Jebal Akhdhar there are hotels, picnic and viewing areas, mapped walks like no other, and above Wadi Bani Habib lies an abandoned village set at a perilous angle on the side of the mountain. To city-dwellers it seems impossible that families once lived, worked and raised their children in such a place. The mountain villagers are happy to see visitors, but it must be remembered that these panoramic plains and old stone cottages are their homes, and should be treated with respect. That said, when temperatures in town are soaring, here in the mountains the air may be cooler but you can be sure of a warm welcome – and scenery which is quite unforgettable.

Tips to make your trip a success ● Make sure you have a full tank of fuel ● Check your spare tyre before you go ● Always take more water than you think you’ll need ● Bring your Driving Licence/Resident’s Card ● Ask before you take photos of people and their property ● If you picnic, don’t leave rubbish

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

ETTING towards that age when pensions become a subject of interest, I was recently sent news of an online petition protesting the unfair fact that many Britons who live abroad have their retirement pensions frozen. In simple words this means that (depending where you choose to retire) your government pension will remain the same for as long as you live – or until you return to Great Britain. I was astounded to learn this. UK State Pensions are generally decided by the level of mandatory National Insurance (NI) contributions one has made while working. Presumably would-be pensioners have also paid tax for most, if not all of their working lives, so why should they be penalized for opting to pack their bags and enjoy their autumn years in the sunshine? Even more bizarrely, this grossly unjust practice is an international postcode lottery. If you retire to an ex-Commonwealth country, you might imagine that you would be one of the chosen whose pension rises alongside those of the Motherland. But you’d be wrong. There are approximately 11 million UK pensioners and one million have opted to live overseas. Just under half a million of these are awarded annual increases by the UK government because they live in places like Bulgaria, Latvia and Lithuania; others who have fecklessly selected to settle in ex-Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand make up 98 per cent of the frozen pensioners. Unsurprisingly, the Middle East and Asia are also places to avoid if you want what is rightfully yours. According to one report, it would cost the UK Government less than one per cent of the annual NI budget to right this wrong, but they have consistently resisted. In March 2010 after an eight-year legal battle, the European Court of

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Human Rights rejected an appeal from a group of pensioners by an 11-6 majority. Inflation-proof pensions only apply to pensioners who live in the European Economic Area and fifteen other countries. A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) apparently said its first responsibility is to support pensioners residing in the UK. I wonder, in Benefit Britain, how many of these pensioners have never paid a penny in NI contributions or tax – yet many of yet those who have are being short changed. Non-residents were said by a European judge ‘’not to have contributed to the UK economy’’ - but neither are they a drain the National Health Service, nor taking advantage of Free Public Transport and many other benefits given to resident pensioners. Many expats have maintained property in the UK and paid for their children’s education, so have certainly contributed to the economy – and then some. One of these days I hope the British government will get its act together and reward ordinary people who have paid into the scheme and never claimed state benefits. At present Britain is renowned for being the country of choice for asylum seekers, real and imagined, as well as treating delinquent teenagers to holidays in the sun. Yet if you, a working Brit, want to retire to distant shores you’d better take care with your choice of destination. It’s shameful that more than half expat pensioners are denied their just rewards for a lifetime of hard work. If you are a British Citizen, no matter what your age you can’t afford to ignore this issue. Some of your compatriots who retired abroad are given as little as £6 per week – because that’s what they were awarded when they retired – and they’ve had not a single increase in the years since then. I’d be very interested to learn if other countries have similar discriminatory policies. ● The petition, END THE UNFAIR FROZEN OVERSEAS PENSION POLICY, needs 100,000 signatures by September to go ahead. If you want to sign go to: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/ petitions/16387#- and encourage all fellow expat Brits to end this rip off.

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

ATEST figures show that stress is becoming the major cause of absence from work across the globe. According to one survey, in the UK alone this amounts to about two million hours being knocked off the annual production rate per annum, while in the USA this rises to an astronomical 300 million lost hours. In today’s world most of us are under pressure in at least one area of our lives, be it in the workplace, financial worries or family problems. We all feel stressed from time to time, in fact a little pressure is good for us and helps to keep us motivated, but if we allow it to get on top of us it can very soon lead to serious health problems – and early death. The medical symptoms of stress include muscle tension, headaches, palpitations, sweating, dry mouth, stomach pain and being irritable or depressed; it also weakens the immune system making us vulnerable to viruses such as the common cold and influenza. Back pain – also a front runner in the sickie stakes – is another condition which is often stress related. Backache for which there is no obvious diagnosis – and which has sometimes been

woman abroad • July 2012

put down as psychosomatic - is often caused by muscle tension due to stress. Depression and anxiety are typical manifestations, as are digestive disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In recent years stress has been linked to asthma, and even diabetes in men. Ultimately, of course, it can cause high blood pressure which in turn can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

To begin to deal with the problem before it gets out of hand we have to identify the elements in our lives causing pressure. If you answer ‘’yes’’ to any of the following questions, you are probably already suffering from stress: Do you take work home with you? Are you always rushing to do things? Do you have no time for exercise or relaxation? Are you always trying to do several things at once?(Though it’s a fact that women are programmed to multi-task more successfully than men!) However, these are all things that can create stress – so don’t ignore the symptoms. If you are sleeping badly, feel anxious or depressed, have difficulty concentrating or have problems

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eating or swallowing, you need to address the fact that stress is compromising your health – and affecting the quality of your life – and probably that of your loved ones too. Some people are stressed because of working long hours, doing boring, repetitive tasks or having more responsibility than they feel they can handle. More and more of us nowadays worry about job security, or lack of opportunity to progress. If the most stressful part of your life is your job and you are unable to change it, try to focus on the parts of the job you enjoy, and ensure that you have a life outside work so that you can focus your emotional energy on the good things and worry less about the bad. Having a hobby that you enjoy or participating in physical exercise are great stress-busters – in fact anything that helps you to relax and takes your mind and body away from the source of your stress is good – though surprisingly, reclining on the sofa and doing nothing are not recommended! Learning how to relax physically using a mentally active process is considered to be the most effective technique. When we are stressed the body’s natural “fight or flight” chemicals kick in – which is great if you have to respond to a real emergency, but it can wear

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your body down if it’s often being activated because of nonemergency stress. To counteract this response we need to re-balance the system by using techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and yoga, all of which reduce the stress hormones by bringing down the blood pressure and heart rate, and relaxing the muscles.Experts recommend setting aside at least ten, if not twenty or, ideally, thirty minutes a day in order to practise these procedures. Incorporating them into your daily routine – perhaps first thing in the morning – can seriously enhance your health and quality of life.

● Exhale though your mouth pushing out as much air as you can – the hand on your abdomen should move in, while again, the hand on your chest should move very little. ● Continue to breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth with your stomach rising and falling.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Deep breathing Deep breathing is easy to learn and can be done almost anywhere. The idea is that the more oxygen you inhale the less tense and anxious you feel. ● Sit comfortably with your back straight and put one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen. ● As you breathe in deeply through your nose, the hand on your abdomen should rise, while the hand on your chest should move very little.

Progressive muscle relaxation is another technique that needs no expert tuition and is a very potent stress-buster. It involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in the body, starting with your feet and gradually working your way up to your face. It’s best done when you can get really comfortable (no shoes). Initially you focus on your right foot then tense it, squeezing as tightly as you can, hold it for a count of ten then relax and feel the tension flowing out. You then do the same with your left foot, legs, abdomen, back, neck and facial muscles.

Meditation Meditation can be self-taught and requires a peaceful environment and a comfortable position, though walking meditation is also possible. It involves you maintaining your concentration on something in the present moment without being too analytical about it – being aware perhaps of the rhythm of your breath, or the beat of your heart. You can also use a meaningful word or phrase (a mantra) which you repeat to aid concentration.

Ten Signs of Stress

● Change in sleeping habits ● Feeling anxious or depressed ● Change in eating habits ● Becoming angry ● Being moody ● Digestive upsets ● Backache ● Headaches and dizziness ● Being easily upset ● Becoming forgetful

Yoga Yoga is a renowned medium for relieving stress. You need to join a class or get a private instructor, but it’s believed that classes that focus on slow steady movement and gentle stretching are the best stress busters. In today’s busy world whether it’s your family, your boss or your finances getting you down, you have to keep a lid on the pressure – so make sure your safety valve lets you know when it’s time to get away from the heat - and learn how to chill out. ● Look at www.lessons4living.com and try the Stress Test to see whether or not you should be worried. But don’t stress out about it!

Top Ten Stress-busting Tips

● Eat a healthy diet ● Do physical exercise ● Don’t smoke ● Limit caffeine and alcohol ● Get sufficient sleep ● Stick to a budget ● Discuss your problems ● Try relaxation techniques ● Get a hobby ● Know when to stop!

woman abroad • July 2012

AL SAHWA TOWERS, AL ATHAIBA ✆ 24617401

SAFEER PLAZA,

SOHAR ✆ 26853038 | JAWHARAT A’SHATI, COMPLEX ✆ 24694922

Kate Thomason tells you how to keep your make-up looking cool on the hottest days

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

PICTURE the scene. You’ve had your hair freshly coloured and coiffed, you spend ages carefully applying your makeup, one last slick of lip gloss and you’re ready for your night out. After an hour or so you head off to the rest rooms to check all is well only to discover that your exquisitely applied visage has slid gracefully down your face and you look more fright night than fair lady - not a pretty sight. Living in Oman with its wonderful year-round sunny climate brings many pleasures, but panda eyes and gooey lipstick are not among them. So how do you manage to avoid such pitfalls and keep your makeup looking fresh and natural in hot humid conditions?

Starting with your moisturiser, try to avoid those that are sticky or oil based. Instead opt for a sun-protection pre-moisturiser such as Clinique’s Super City Block which contains SPF 25 or 40. Follow this with a light fluid moisturising lotion such as Clarins Hydraquench lotion with SPF15 or Max Factor’s Ageless Elixir 2 in 1 foundation and serum. Replace your usual

eye base with an eye primer instead to minimise eye makeup creasing. Before applying any makeup, apply a primer to provide a smooth base. If you can, switch to a tinted moisturiser as these are less likely to melt and run on those humid days. An additional application of mineral foundation will cover any stubborn blemishes; I like Bobbi Brown’s new Skin Foundation Mineral Makeup.

No panda eyes Eye makeup can be really challenging but with the help of eye primer the shadow has a base to cling to and lasts longer, while creasing is kept to a minimum. Go easy with the application; powder shadows last longer than cream eye shadows and there is a wide choice of long-lasting products to suit all pockets. Once you have applied your eye-liner, it can be set in place with a light application of powder shadow. Make your mascara waterproof and if you can bear it, try not to apply to your lower lashes. A tried and trusted favourite is mine is Dior’s Diorshow Black Out it really works – not a panda in sight.

With faces exposed to the sun on a daily basis it’s difficult to avoid acquiring even the lightest of tans. For this reasons bronzers are a much better, and more natural looking option. I love Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick Compact - it’s a great investment and lasts for ages. Keep the effects looking fresh and natural by applying to the points of your face where the sun naturally hits it; you’ll need a brush with long, loose fluffy bristles. I have photographic evidence of bronzer applied with a brush with denser bristles – believe me it’s not a look to aspire to. Last, but not least, try ditching the lipstick as these tend to go tacky and look messy. Instead switch to a sheer lip gloss, with an invisible lip liner that will stop the colour from bleeding. Opt for nude, neutral and pastel colours which will be more in keeping with the lighter look of the rest of your makeup. There is a great choice out there including Maybelline’s Colour Sensational Lip Gloss or Clarins Colour Quench Lip Balm which come in of shades to suit all skin tones. Complete the look with a light spritz of evian facial spray which is widely available and can be used throughout the day as a rescue remedy to keep your makeup looking fresh if you feel a meltdown coming.

woman abroad • July 2012

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton Published by Platkus

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks Published by Hutchinson

A difficult read from the banking and shares perspective, and I’m not sure I completely followed the monetary wheeling and dealing all the way down the line. The sub-plots however, are intriguing, plenty to inwardly digest and mull over. The characters are an interesting, eclectic group of people to get to know and, mostly, dislike! They are credibly described and thrown together to mix and mingle authentically. Sebastian is excellent at drawing “real” people. The plot follows the interwoven paths of a politician, footballer, Muslim pickle tycoon, Investment and banking guru, embittered book reviewer, female tube driver and various disgruntled and wayward teenage children. In light of the recent banking crisis, this could be quite a popular read for venting! Covering most topics from religion, fanaticism and greed to parenting and relationships, stick with it. I thought it quite insightful and, at times, highly entertaining.

Jacqui O’Neill Sunset Oasis by Taher and Humphrey Davis

It is school sports day and all the children are outside. One mother, Grace, notices a plume of black smoke against the brilliant blue sky. The school building is on fire and Jenny, her teenage daughter, is trapped inside. She runs into the building to rescue her. They survive – just. Afterwards, Grace must find the identity of the arsonist. So the bare bones of the book is a whodunit. This works. It is a compulsive page turner and will keep you guessing until the end. Oddly and surreally, mother and daughter are able to talk to each other while in a coma in an out-of-body experience and together, as spirits, they try to solve the crime. This narrative style could have ruined the book but it is possible to suspend disbelief. It enables Grace to eavesdrop on all the characters which makes the technique interesting. But it really works because Lupton is able to develop the mother/daughter relationship very quickly which would have been unconvincing in a more natural setting. The mother/ daughter relationship – not the crime - is the life blood of the book. Lupton also describes the dynamics and undercurrents of a happy marriage and loving family in a style that is both witty and moving. Each character is incredibly real. Lupton even makes the criminal three-dimensional rather than a literary trick of most whodunits. The way men love but cannot communicate is tenderly recreated through the father and his eight-year-old son. At the heart of all the characters and the plot are the themes of love and sacrifice. That is what drives Grace into the burning building, pushes the plot along and makes the tale so moving. It is not just a must-read. It is a book to be read and reread (perhaps with hankies).

Jenny Benfield

Published by Sceptre

Sunset Oasis is the winner of the International Award of Arabic Fiction. The novel is set in Egypt at the end of the nineteenth century during British colonial rule. Mahamood, a disgraced civil servant, is posted as district commissioner to Siwa Oasis, an area of pyramids, isolation and uprisings. The last district commissioner had been assassinated and Mahamood expects this to be his fate. His Irish wife, a keen scholar, insists on accompanying him. The tale develops from there: Ancient culture. Desert. Trailing wives. Tribal politics. An ambitious attempt to explore Egypt’s colonial history across the centuries. And it has a haunting narrative that creeps from despair into hope and back again to loneliness in the arid yet mystic desert atmosphere. It promised to be a book that you could learn from, as well as enjoy. But it fails. The characters are stuffy and the relationships are stiff. This may be a fair representation of married couples at the end of the Victorian period and it echoes the tedium of the desert but it makes dull reading. It is not lack of plot. Almost aware that the book is lacking life, rather than going deeper the author randomly tosses down additional plot lines like shrubs that grow weak shoots then wither away due to lack of attention. The wife’s scholarly quest. Catherine’s sister who pops up in the desert with a fatal condition.A local woman’s oppression and suicide. The different story lines fly about and fall back like grains of sand in a wind. It makes it difficult to see where the book heads. This discontinuity exacerbated by having five characters narrate the tale: Mahamood, Catherine, Catherine’s sister, a local dignitary and for some unfathomable reason, Alexander the Great. This created a disappointing ending with too many loose ends. It would have been better if he had stuck to the tensions of colonial rule. Unless you are a real fan of global literature, I would give this book a miss. 72

woman abroad • July 2012

Jenny Benfield

COMING SOON

woman abroad • July 2012

VERHEATING (heat prostration) can kill an animal – and it will have a slow and painful death. Common sense rules that we abide by in Northern hemisphere summers are necessary all year round in the Middle East. So never take chances with your pet’s well-being – even on days when the sun is behind the clouds, or in the cooler months.

Leaving a pet in a vehicle even for a short time is probably the worst thing you can do – and it can be lethal. Despite windows being cracked open to allow in some air, the inside of a car can become like a furnace in a very short space of time. In some countries it is illegal – but you shouldn’t really need a law to tell you what is the sensible option. Just don’t do it – ever. When you’re travelling with an animal in the car, remember he needs the air conditioning as much as you do – and don’t forget to bring water and a bowl for him to drink from – even on short journeys as he can very quickly become dehydrated. In the summer months, it’s kinder to keep your dog inside

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in the cool. But if you feel you have to walk him, keep it brief and go in the late evening or very early morning. Never keep him standing about – the roads and pavements retain heat and can burn his paws. If he is reluctant to go out, don’t force him. Old and overweight animals and those with short noses such as Persian cats, Pugs, Pekinese and Bulldogs are especially vulnerable to the heat and should be kept indoors in all but the winter months (December-March).

Don’t take your dog to the beach unless there’s plenty of shade (and make sure dogs are allowed). If he goes in the sea, rinse the salt water from his coat as this can cause skin irritation – and don’t forget to take the drinking bowl and fresh water.

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

If it’s possible, buy animal friendly coolant for your car instead of ethylene glycol: this often leaks beneath the vehicle and a thirsty cat could drink it with dire and agonising consequences. In any case, in this climate it is a kindness to put a bowl of water close to a garbage bin or other place where you know strays gather. Not all dogs are good swimmers, so although yours might race to jump in don’t assume that he has the natural ability. If you take him on a boat, ideally he should have a flotation device – and again, sea or swimming pool, rinse his coat and try not to let him drink the water or he could end up with a nasty stomach upset. If your animal has a heavy coat, having it shaved to about 2.5cm (1 inch) all over will help prevent overheating – but don’t shave it down to the skin; this makes him vulnerable to sunburn and gives him no protection from the heat. And don’t forget,

If you live in an apartment, take extra care at all times, especially when it’s too hot for your pet to go outside. Curiosity will take him to open windows and balconies and the consequences can be fatal if there is nothing to prevent him from falling. Fitting window screens and netting over balconies will stop him toppling to serious injury or worse. Most important of all is to always make sure your pet has a good supply of fresh water, especially if he is fed dry food.

If his diet includes wet/fresh food, cover it up and put it in the fridge if it’s not all eaten: if the flies don’t infect it, ants will be swarming all over it within minutes. No matter how vigilant you are, sometimes an animal will suffer from dehydration or heat-stroke – and it’s vital that you can recognize the warning signs. Excessive panting and difficulty breathing are the obvious ones. Increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness and sometimes diarrhea, vomiting and collapse can quickly follow. In the early stages, if it’s not possible to get him safely to the veterinary surgery, as with a person in the same distressing circumstances, bring him into a cool environment, give him small amounts of water frequently, and sponge him with cool (not freezing) water. If he is still in distress, call your veterinarian. With a little common sense, your pet will survive the summer in good health be fit to enjoy the great outdoors again in the cooler months.

Name: Darling Age: 6 months

dark-coated animals are like dark clothing – they absorb more heat. In this climate, cats should be brushed frequently, not only to prevent tangles but because they moult prolifically and it prevents furballs.

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Will you give her a chance? This fully vaccinated and neutered female has been at the clinic since she was tiny. If you can give Darling or any other animal a home, email info@muscatvets.com or ring 24562263

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

‘WOW! Get a load of that cute profile!’

Roused by her colleague’s excited tone, Jess swung away from her computer screen before she had time to think and found her gaze following Tina’s – which was riveted to the taut backside of a tall, dark stranger who chose that moment to turn around. For a moment he seemed startled, then a broad smile spread across his face and Jess felt her stomach lurch as she spun back to her desk, flustered and unaccountably breathless.

Jess cringed, convinced she could feel a draught from Tina’s fluttering eyelashes, but somehow managed to shoot the new guy an apologetic smile and give Tina a glare for making her sound like some sort of nerd. ‘Bye, Jess.’

As she fought to hide her confusion, head down, feverishly tapping her keyboard, she could hear Tina going into manhunt mode.

She turned in the direction of his voice and found herself being regarded by a pair of sparkling brown eyes.

‘Hi, you must be the new guy in the IT department. I’m Tina Collins. It’s really great to meet you...’

‘Bye,’ she muttered, unable to stop herself staring at his sleek outline as he walked away.

‘Tom Robertson…I can see I’m going to enjoy working here if all the girls are lovely as you two…’

‘That’s what I call a hunk,’ drooled Tina. ‘Definitely worthy of my very best efforts.’

Jess sighed: if only she had Tina’s confidence. If only she had the nerve to blatantly chat up any half-personable male who crossed her path - and this one, this Tom, was more than half-personable; he was downright gorgeous. Even his voice was sending tingles down her spine…

‘But what about Dave?’

‘Who’s your shy friend then?’ ‘Oh, that’s Jess - she’s into anything mechanical and she can always sort out her own computer problems too, but me, I’m a complete waste of

space when it comes to the technical side of things, I need a pair of expert hands when my program crashes.’

woman abroad • July 2012

‘Dave who?’ Tina replied dreamily. Jess shrugged and returned to her work, resigned to yet another course of instruction on ‘’How to Catch Your Man’’. Well, it was all right if you looked like Tina with her long, blonde hair, big blue eyes and a figure to die for, but when you had dark, unruly waves, eyes that were neither green nor grey – and a figure more like a beer glass than an hourglass, it was a different story.

Not that Jess wanted to get through boyfriends like Tina did – she’d be very happy with just one man, a man who wanted what she wanted, who would share her dreams, her passions…

‘Thanks, but I can’t, it’s my club night tonight.’

The following morning, within half an hour of Tina’s arrival her computer had developed a mysterious fault.

On Friday Tina took off her coat with a flourish to reveal a sexy leather micro-dress teamed with high leather boots that gave Dressing Down Friday a whole new meaning.

‘Let’s have a look then,’ Jess said amiably rising from her seat. Tina looked horrified. ‘Sit down you idiot!’ she hissed. ‘Don’t come anywhere near this machine – I’m calling the IT department…’ Jess realised Tina was dressed to kill – or perhaps stun is a better word, she thought dryly as the gorgeous Tom entered at a gallop only to stop as if he’d hit a brick wall when he came face to face with Tina. Having enveloped the entire office in a hastily sprayed cloud of Obsession, she had adopted a glamorous pose, long legs crossed alluringly, and was looking up at him as if he was the proverbial knight on a white charger. Jess looked on in grudging admiration as the crusade went into top gear, recognising gloomily that Tom would undoubtedly succumb sooner or later to Tina’s not-so-hidden charms. However, as the week wore on it became obvious that Tom was going to be no easy victim – in fact Jess could have sworn he had a hunted look about him whenever he was in Tina’s presence. ‘Do you know, I practically asked him outright to come to Flames with me tonight and he said he’d promised to go to a meeting at some boring club he’s just joined,’ she said disgustedly after a contrived encounter at the photocopier. ‘Yuk! You don’t suppose he’s a closet anorak who collects stamps or something? I mean, he’s such a hunk - and nice with it – almost too nice… Anyway, I’ll give him until the weekend. Why don’t you come to Flames tonight Jess – they’ve got a new DJ – and the drinks are half-price until ten.’

‘Oh yeah, I forgot,’ Tina said taking a mirror from her desk drawer and examining her perfect features.

‘What do you think?’ she asked, slinkily gliding round the office, and Jess desperately tried to think of an honest comment. ‘It’s…sensational.’ ‘Well I hope so – it’s the real thing and cost me an arm and a leg, but it’ll be worth it if it does the trick with Tom. You see, I met a friend of his ex and she told me he was really into leather.’ Jess opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. Late that afternoon she dived for the cloakroom when, in what was obviously a last ditch attempt, she saw Tina deliberately disconnect her printer cable and once more call Tom to come and fix it. Ten minutes later when Jess returned in her outdoor clothes, Tina was spitting with anger. ‘Well that’s it then. I knew he was too good to be true. And his passion for leather is bordering on the unhealthy - I asked him if he liked it and he said yes, all his friends wore it, but then he said there weren’t many women who could put up with all the oiling and greasing that goes with it. Pervert! What…?’ Jess zipped up her all-in-one and picked up her crash helmet. ‘Well, there’s leather, and there’s leathers,’ she replied nonchalantly as she looked out of the window and waved, hearing the throaty roar of a motorcycle in response. ‘And I think Tom is into leathers, particularly girls in leathers…’

| Penny Destro

woman abroad • July 2012

A Queen Harmless among Queens talk? I AM not a Royalist; I’m not always totally loyal to Britain because of some of its pathetic policies and social security scroungers; however, I think HM Queen Elizabeth II is wonderful. During last month’s celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee, it was pretty obvious that I am not alone. For sixty years, this woman has been an example to us all. I remember pictures of her as a young girl, a beautiful bride – and then, from the moment the crown was set upon her head, a regal monarch. Despite turmoil and tragedy within her own family, The Queen has never put a foot wrong and never crossed the invisible line that trips up so many minor aristos and public figures when things go awry. At her coronation she vowed to do her duty, to serve her country and its people, and she has done exactly that. She has represented the United Kingdom all over the world, and at 86 years of age, continues to do so. She is an inspiration to us all and a role model to every head of state (how fitting that one of her most enduring relationships is with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos).Let us also not forget His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, now age 91, described by his wife as ‘’quite simply, my strength and my stay’’and who has stood firmly at her side (or as protocol demands, two steps behind) all her reign. Though it certainly rained on her parade, the pageantry for which Britain is renowned didn’t falter, and Her Majesty did her duty as she always does, with serenity, charm and dignity. She is a Queen among Queens. She makes me proud to be British.

woman abroad • July 2012

IT is official - men talk just as much as women. EURO 2012 may be over but of course this is old news to anyone who has ever been near a group of males discussing football. I’d never have believed a match that lasts 90 minutes could be discussed for five hours. It is a talent which transcends nationality. But while a discussion before a match may be worthwhile - because all fans think they know better than the team manager, it is the after-match analysis that gets me. The TV experts are bad enough, but the armchair pundits take the tin cup. Of course they have a right to air their views, but they can’t change anything after the match, and it’s highly unlikely Roy Hodgson or Roberto Di Matteo will be ringing to ask their opinion on team decisions any time soon. But I suppose it’s a harmless pursuit - and when all’s said and done, it’s only a game…

The price of robotic skills HAVE you ever thought about what essential items you would take if you had to live on a desert island? Apart from a bottomless makeup bag and never ending supply of chocolate, my laptop is the one thing I couldn’t live without - assuming my island also had a power supply. It is my lifeline. It makes my work easier; it allows me to communicate with friends and family; it allows me to find out everything I want to know – and some that I don’t.

I spend half my waking life sitting in front of a screen – no wonder youngsters find it so addictive. But because my life began a long time before home computers were the norm, after a time I realise something’s missing. Somehow cyber-relationships are no substitute for the real thing. So I abandon my techno-friend and go in search of human company. Much worse than Repetitive Strain Injury, eye problems and insomnia, some of today’s young cyberaddicts are displaying anti-social traits, grunting at parents, unable to drag their eyes from the screen, gulping food down and racing back to their console.If not nipped in the bud, these youngsters are in danger of becoming socially dysfunctional. And friendless. But they have one phenomenal skill - a reflexive reaction that’s positively robotic. Just ask any parent who’s accepted a computer game challenge. Or watched them texting.

A memorable scent I’VE just heard something very interesting to all who are worried about developing Alzheimer’s (and that’s a huge percentage of those over 55). Apparently one of the first signs is when you can no longer distinguish the smell of strawberries. It may just be a marketing ploy thought up by strawberry growers – but I’m not taking any chances, I’m off to the fruit stall to sniff some out.

● Any comments? Put ‘’Mailbox’’ in the subject line and send them to: editor@womanabroad.net

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

Woman Abroad is delighted to introduce Muscat’s only independent midwife, Karen Wilmot RM, RYT

S a midwife I hold deep trust in women’s natural ability to give birth. I believe that birth happens best when we place more awareness in our hearts than in our heads. Your baby was conceived with love, nurtured through pregnancy with love and birth is literally a labour of love. There is no doubt that physical and mental preparation is necessary throughout pregnancy, but don’t neglect the emotional shifts that are occurring. First Trimester This is a time of great excitement, anticipation and anxiety. The fear of miscarriage prevents you from sharing your news and instead you overwhelm yourself with information about what to expect, how you should be feeling, what you should and should not be doing and eating. You are more than likely not feeling anything much except mild to severe nausea and an irresistible urge to lay your head down and sleep in the middle of the day. Second Trimester Often said to be the best trimester. At last, you really do look and feel pregnant. Towards the halfway mark you feel the first fluttering of movement and everyday is more joyful as the feeling grows and becomes more noticeable. Pregnancy aches and pains are starting to manifest and unless you have someone you can confidently discuss these with and get reassurance, they can be a cause for unnecessary anxiety. Your senses are heightened and you hang on to every word from your care giver. Third Trimester Your belly is large and starting to get uncomfortable. By now you should have attended a birth preparation course to enable you to understand the process of labour and birth so that you can spend the last few weeks using this information to prepare yourself emotionally for the intensity of the birth experience. The thought of embracing the pain and intensity of birth may seem foolish, especially in a world where so much technology is available to avoid it. It is a basic survival tool to avoid or fix pain that is life threatening. But normal

woman abroad • July 2012

labour pain does not need fixing. The difference lies in how we perceive the pain of labour and how embracing the experience rather than fighting it and fearing it can make it an empowering one. The power and intensity of your contractions cannot be stronger than you, because it is you. Differentiate feeling pain from suffering pain and spend time practising various techniques that will assist you in labour. Remember that you are not alone in your fear of childbirth. A recent survey revealed ten common fears experienced by women in the third trimester. 1. Not being able to stand the pain 2. Not being able to relax 3. Feeling rushed or fear of taking too long 4. Pelvis not big enough 5. Cervix won’t open 6. Lack of privacy 7. Being judged for making a noise 8. Being separated from baby 9. Having to fight to have your wishes respected 10. Having unnecessary intervention Take a moment to read through these fears and then jot down a score next to each one on a scale of 1 to 10. A score of 1 – not afraid at all A score of 10 – extremely afraid Now take the statements that scored high – extremely afraid and explore the basis of the fear by asking the following questions; • What attitudes and beliefs influence this fear? • Where did this attitude and belief come from? • Is this fear based on personal experience or someone else’s story? • If it’s someone else’s story – is that story relevant to you and your circumstances? • How much of this fear is based on environmental factors (where you will be giving birth) and can you overcome that? If so, how? Now take it one step further and ask yourself: • How does keeping this fear/idea or belief work for you? • What would you do differently if this fear disappeared? Don’t worry if you cannot find the answers – the understanding comes through asking the questions, delving deeper into your assumptions and questioning your beliefs. Let go of expectations and outside influences in order to make space for the innate wisdom you hold deep within your birthing body. If you have any concerns you can contact Karen on her website www.pregnantinoman.com

YOUR ADVICE: Dear JPS, JPS writes: Is he too young for me? I am a divorced woman of 40 and I have fallen for a man 13 years younger than me. He seems quite serious and has hinted that he would like to make the relationship more permanent, but I am worried about the age difference. He says that he is not worried at all and that the age doesn’t matter. What do you think? Can relationships with such an age gap work on a long-term basis?

woman abroad • July 2012

A relationship with a younger man can be great, and I’m not just talking about the physical side of things! In my experience, younger men are less demanding and more appreciative. Many younger men also find older women very attractive – good news for us ladies! Especially these days when many of the old taboos have gone out the window. However, if you are thinking long term, a note of caution. You do have to consider that you are at different stages of life. You don’t say whether you have children. At 27 your man may feel he doesn’t want children, but what if he changes his mind over the next ten years, and leaves you for a younger partner? Be honest with yourself. Are you prepared to take that risk?

You need to talk with your man about what his expectations are. You say he seems “quite serious” but has he really thought things through? If he seems unsure, then beware. Having said that, I knew of a woman in her 80s whose long term partner was in his sixties when she died, and who was absolutely devastated!

Thank you to all who gave their advice. We hope this helps, JPS. Now please turn your attention to the following problem from‘’Confused Friend’’:

Meanwhile, go ahead and carpe diem - you lucky thing, you!

-Annabel

Dear JPS, I am married to a man 10 years younger than me, and have been for over 20 years. For us it works absolutely fine, but I think a lot depends on the attitudes and aspirations of both of you. The way I see it, there is only one major stumbling block - as your man is still in his twenties, will he want children? And are you willing and able to have them? If you can both answer these questions honestly, and are of the same mind, then I can’t see why the age difference is a problem. Good luck!

-Erica

Dear JPS, Age is just a number! As long as you truly like each other, enjoy one another’s company and have goals in common, what’s the problem? Enjoy!

-Layla

Hey JPS, I can’t see that there’s any problem at all – who needs an old workhorse when she can have a young buck? Lucky you! Go for it! Any more where he came from?

-Susie

I need some advice. I think that my best friend’s husband may be seeing another woman. I’ve seen him a couple of times with a woman in his car, and my daughter says she saw him in a restaurant with a woman one evening. From the description I think it is the same woman. Also he seems to have become very smart and trendy in recent months. My friend says he is working late a lot of the time now, but she doesn’t indicate that anything is wrong with their relationship, and seems oblivious to any problem. Now she’s told me he has to go away on a business trip – something he never usually does. Do you think I should tell her what I know? ● If you think you can help ‘’Confused Friend’’, or you have a problem you’d like to share with other readers, please email support@womanabroad.net. Your advice may be published in next month’s edition.

woman abroad • July 2012

ARROW WORDS Transmission cogs

Homeless child Wheel shaft

Owned Zones Insistent

Drat!

Bartered

Wheat tip

Bashful Waist ribbon

Abate

Deeds

Allow to

Skilled

Chock

Make well

Bob head

Aden is there

Short while

Might Wilier Conger

Walk in water

Poems

Seasoning

Actor, -- Alda

Warded (off)

Running behind schedule Bedouins

Treatise

EACH of the colours in our pyramid represents a letter. You can decipher the six words reading across from left to right with the help of the given letters.

Touchy © Lovatts Media Group Pty Ltd

SQUARE SHUFFLE

STEPS

Take one letter from each colour to make up 4 four-letter words that are all different colours. We have given you the first letter to get you started. Every letter must be used once only.

s 1001 Media Group Pty Ltd

N N

Sheep's cry

Lord Pre-Soviet emperor

Hoard

Pained bark

N N

Perched

Croquet clubs

Noisy summer insects

S Fresh

Glimpse

W African country

Echo

Altering one letter at each stage to form a new word every PYRAMID POWER ANSWER: Ass, Anti, Satin, Geisha, time, Antenna, Hesitantthe change word on the top line to the word on the bottom.

LINE

PYRAMID POWER 136 © Lovatts Media Group Pty Ltd

CAST

TUCK

©Lovatts Media Group Pty Ltd

woman abroad • July 2012

STEPS SOLUTION: Line, Lane, Cane, Case, Cast, Cask, Task, Tack, Tuck.

TwoWayTeaser CRYPTIC CLUES

11 12

Across 10. Flyer featuring royal angler (10) 11. Be careful not to waste jam (8) 13. Roadside sign seems to be out of order (12) 14. Badly wanted disc containing glowing review (6) 16. Having Salvador perform vocals behind vehicle is deliberately damaging (11) 18. He checks that accounts given are accurate (7) 20. Respond to directions inside and re-create scene (2-5) 22. Surprisingly, sons never caught us showing anxiety (11) 23. Live-in doctor (8) 26. Early ape confused when an extra day is added to calendar (4,4) 30. Very successful beginning to initial pilot training? (6,5) 31. Leaders get the shakes when speaking (7) 34. Dent somehow keeps Rod from being trampled (7) 35. He treats diseased limbs (4,7) 36. Disturbing thirst to get to the top (1-5) 38. Unofficially taken from the album (3,3,6) 41. Note: Mint may be used in first aid cream (8) 42. Station with up-to-date artistic style (10)

14 15

26 28

40 41

Down 1. Kids very disturbed on seeing person falling from plane (8) 2. Innocence proclaimed according to one interpretation (2,1,5) STRAIGHT CLUES 3. Mia Farrow covered a great distance (4) Across 4. His work includes non-fiction prose pieces that move Tess? 10. Kookaburra relative (10) I say! (8) 11. Use sparingly (8) 5. Edited versions of manuscripts about dreams (9) 13. Haphazard (12) 6. Go up and down like Mr Geldof (3) 14. Hungered for (6) 7. Callous opportunist makes some serious errors (4) 16. Wantonly destroying (11) 8. Exclusive view of investigator (7,3) 18. Business books examiner (7) 9. Offer is about to turn into a way of dealing 20. Re-stage (2-5) Two Way 063(11) with tough cuts (10) 22.Teaser Edginess 12. Developed red legs, by all accounts (7) 23. Inhabitant (8) 15. Organise plea or conditional release (6) 26. 366-day cycle (4,4) 17. Gave up on a group with one lead drummer (9) 30. Auspicious opening (6,5) 19. Paper said, “Out! Get lost!” (9) 31. Rulers (7) 21. The night before, five were in Europe 34. Stepped (on) (7) looking disheartened (3) 35. Expert arborist (4,7) 23. Reputation for keeping quiet turned into loud denial (10) 36. Casual garment (1-5) 24. Any Goths in trouble remain silent (3,7) 38. Confidentially (3,3,6) 25. Journos in Georgia do some snooping (6) 41. Medicinal balm (8) 27. Mountain tree slashed when sled goes (3) 42. Reactionary architectural 28. Finish knitting while actors are on leave (4,3) approach (10) 29. What you pay to listen (9) 31. Has doubts about supposed criminals (8) 32. Most keen to see lover collapse (4,4) 33. Beaches feature in Dan’s nude frolics (4,4) 37. Barges made for sheep (4) 39. Piccadilly statue is a bit of an eyesore from the back (4) 40. Farm worker? (3)

Down 1. Parachutist (8) 2. To a degree (2,1,5) 3. A long way off (4) 4. Author of analytical dissertation (8) 5. Amendments (9) 6. Comedian, ... Hope (3) 7. Consumer (4) 8. Detective (7,3) 9. Hammer for pounding meat (10) 12. Registers (7) 15. Prisoner’s word-of-honour (6) 17. Derelict (9) 19. Fade from view (9) 21. Day preceding (3) 23. Disavowal (10) 24. Utter not one word (3,7) 25. Nuzzling (6) 27. Remains of a fire (3) 28. Untie mooring lines (4,3) 29. Mental focus (9) 31. Possible culprits (8) 32. Capsize (4,4) 33. Desert hill (4,4) 37. Smashes into (4) 39. Greek love god (4) 40. Tiny insect (3)

woman abroad • July 2012

1 Fill the grid1so that5 8every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains 1 5 digits 9 the 8 1 to 9. : 7 4 2 5 6 4 1 8 3 7 9 8 3 9 7 2 6 5 4 1 2 4 8 3

18 77 2 6 8 3 6

7 5 1

7 4 1 355 9 8 296 4 9 2 6 7 5 1 398 5 7 63 9 8 1 2 6 4 9 6 15 8 214 367 9 5 8 4grid5 so6 that 7 every 9 1 2 1Fill3 the column, 1 66 7 every 889row 2 and 4 513 every 3x3 box contains the 9 2 5 1 3 4 6 8 7 digits 1 to 9. 4 2 4 6 3 3 8 7 5 9 621 8 5 7 6 9 1 3 4 2 5 4 19 62 98 37346 23 81 75654 3 19 6 2 5 4 7 938 5 7 4 1 8 9 2 3 6 Fill 6 the 8 2grid4 so3 that 7 every 1column, 554 18893 7 9 1 every 5 2row 6 and every 3x3 box contains the 4 3 5 9 1 8 6 2 7 2digits 91 to 9.7 8

Sudoku Level 5 Solution

Sudoku Level 4 Solution

9 94 8 3 2 5 9 1 61 6 4 77 8 7 1 45 3 84 1 6 9 2 8 23 1 76 7 2 5 59 4 8

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

9 8 5 4 82 3 5 3 9 67 6 2 6 3 1 4 8 9 7 2 3 5 4 8 6 4 5 1 6 3 13 2 2 5 7 6 2 7 4

6 3 9 2 8 5 4 1 7

7 4 5 6 1 3 8 9 2

S I K I N A Y D I S E I V A N S E R E E V E

R E F U T A T I O N

1 2 5 4 8 6 9 3 7

R S I

S A Y N O T H I N G

A E G F I S H A S O R G A N Y D A L I S B S N A C T N I D E N T O O I N G S T E I D D E N G O I R T A A T M E N T S T

5 4 2 6 7 9 1 3 8

7 2 5 3 4 6 8 1 9

8 1 7 5 3 2 6 4 9

9 6 3 8 4 1 7 2 5

9 6 1 2 5 8 4 3 7

R E V I S I O N S

R S N E

C A R S T R O F F F P

B U C O N S E M B E E D C R A R P G A U D I E R I R V O U S N S L A L E A P Y A P T S H E I T U A E E S U R G N P T H E R E C I C R O S T MO D N S S

P R I V A T E E Y E K E E L O V E R

T V E N E D E O R I S S E A R S H S A O N D R D U R N E

Two Way Teaser 063

6 8 4 7 9 3 2 5 1

Sudoku Level 2 Solution

6 4 7 5 9 3 1 8 2

3 5 9 1 2 8 4 6 7

9 3 8 1 7 2 5 4 6

Sudoku Level 3 Solution

9 6 3 8 4 1 7 2 5

7 2 1 4 5 6 8 9 3

5 1 2 3 4 9 7 6 8

8 1 7 5 3 2 6 4 9

1 9 8 3 6 4 5 7 2

7 9 4 6 5 8 3 2 1

3 4 8 7 9 1 5 6 2

5 4 2 6 7 9 1 3 8

2 7 6 9 8 5 3 1 4

8 6 3 7 2 1 4 5 9

9 6 8 4 7 9 3 2 5 1

4 3 5 2 1 7 9 8 6

3 7 9 8 6 4 2 1 5

3 5 9 1 2 8 4 6 7

1 7 6 8 2 5 9 4 3

SOLUTIONS 4 5 6 2 1 7 8 9 3

7 2 1 4 5 6 8 9 3

4 5 3 6 1 9 2 7 8

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

6 5

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

2 8 9 4 3 7 6 5 1

7 4 2 3 6

6 5 8

93 9 17 1 2 642

9 6

2 7 6 9 8 5 3 1 4

6 9 7 5 8 3 1 2 4

3 5 8 1 2

8 5 6 7 3 9 1 2 4

TwoWayTeaser Solution

1 3 1 7 4 2 4 7 1

3 5 2 1 7 9 8 6

8 3 4 1 6 2 7 9 5

8 6 9 5 1

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

I F E RN E D S E OD U N D E S S S A A T Y

3 4 8 7 9 1 5 6 2

5 1 2 9 7 4 3 8 6

7 4 5 6 1 3 8 9 2

9 6 1 2 5 8 4 3 7

G H A N A

6 3 9 2 8 5 4 1 7

7 2 5 3 4 6 8 1 9

S WA A X L E S D A H AGG L D E A E A L N EME N L A T E N WA R E T S AMA A R L B T E S

1 8 2 4 9 7 5 3 6

1 7 6 8 2 5 9 4 3

E A R A D R E A P C T S I H C Y A Y D E S A L L S P Y E S A R

1 2 5 7 8

7 3 9 6 8 2 4 1

4 5 3 6 1 9 2 7 8

Sudoku Level 1 Solution M O M E N T

5 6 4 3 9 7 4 1 3 2012 9 2 6 7 3 9

9 1 8 3 2 4 7 6 5

2 8 9 4 3 7 6 5 1

every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

STEPS SOLUTION: Line, Lane, Cane, Case, Cast, Cask, Task, Tack, Tuck..

2 6 4 5 7 1 9 8 3

6 9 7 5 8 3 1 2 4

Rating:

7 5 6 5 6 8 1 3 3 1 5 8 6 5 2 9 7 7 5 8 9 9 2 1 6 7 8 6 4 the grid8 so that every 3 Fill column, every row and 6

SQUARE SHUFFLE SOLUTION Bowl, Dish, Fork, Tray.

2 4 3 8 6

8 3 4 1 6 2 7 9 5

every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

9 8 5 4 3 6 1 8 5 4 2 7 6 3 1 2 5 2 5 6 1 7 6 2 7 4 1 6 Fill the grid so that every 5 column, every row and

1 Rating:

PYRAMID POWER ANSWER: Ass, Anti, Satin, Geisha, Antenna, Hesitant

2 8 7 woman abroad • July 4 5

3 8 1 9 8 4 9 7

9 7 5 Rating:

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and Moderate 4154 every 3x3 box contains the ©9.Lovatts Puzzles digits 1 to

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

Rating:

4 3 8 9 1

9 Rating:

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

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woman abroad • July 2012

Sorry! We printed the wrong horoscopes last month and apologize for any confusion caused. From this month we are all lucky to have Leading Light astrologer Stellar Bella to guide us.

ARIES (March 21-April 20) Uranus and Saturn have stirred up the very roots of your psyche and caused you to really review your life – including your relationships, career and lifestyle generally. The Cosmos is now aligning certain planets to allow you to regroup and in some cases refill your depleted soul. All Arians have felt frustrated to the max, hemmed in, and bored - like you are simply going through the motions in life. When you don’t have that positive feeling of progression in your life you’ll feel suffocated and lost. You (like every else) just wants to be happy and fulfilled. In fact more so because you are an Aries and you need a life of adventure and excitement to feel truly whole. So the conundrum you have is this: Do you stick with what you’ve got now (better the devil you know) or make some changes? So long as your intentions are authentic and you do it YOUR WAY, you can’t fail! TAURUS (April 21-May 21) Have you thought about your “friend’s” situation lately? Do you still have the group you had, say a decade back, or are you surrounded by folk who you are connected to, but are not truly close someone who really cares about you rather than your role or you as an adjunct? You will be thinking about this issue this month (as Neptune continues to play games in your house of friends) because some friends may have gone AWOL or are playing hard to get. Apart from that, you want more from them these days - not just someone to break bread with - but someone who helps raise your consciousness and can show you new ways of thinking (and even a new outlook). A greatly improved lifestyle setup is in the pipeline but you do need to take some action yourself to facilitate this of course. The need for this will be even more apparent by month’s end because July promises to be flat out. GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Well Jupiter arrived mid last month and you’ve still got Venus in your sign so things are looking up (which is great news because you’ve not felt so hot lately!). You’ve just started a great new cycle so it’s timely to begin afresh in some areas of your life. Given the year you’ve just had you may need to reflect on your ideals and your principles and what you really value in life (and for some Gems you may need to throw ethics and morals into the mix as well!). But you’ve got the “Jupiter” world laid out at your feet for months to come so it’s up to you to take advantage of what’s on offer. Change your career, where you live (and with whom if need be), take up a hobby, have a child, make amends with people you’ve fallen out with…you get my drift…and with Jupiter’s magic, your family, working and love life will improve considerably.

woman abroad • July 2012

CANCER (June 22- July 23) Thank God (and not a moment too soon!), July actually is rather pleasurable. Better still you can enjoy improved fortunes in your career and business life, and key people will be in your corner and appear to go out of their way to assist you and because of this beneficial energy from the Cosmos, your circumstances will improve out of sight. You’ll also be able to communicate exactly what is on your mind and how you feel - something that you’ve been unable to convincingly do until now (or was it that no-one was listening?). This month is the height of your solar cycle so it is all about you. Promote your aims and aspirations because you will have others attention. The Cosmos is doing everything it can to emancipate you, and in July you will get all the support you need. In fact you’ll have some real peace (which has been sorely absent for a long time) and genuine hope. The healing has begun! LEO (July 24-Aug 23) Always in the month before the start of your new cycle (as in your birthday) it’s a time of clearing the slate and making room for all the fresh opportunities that will come your way so consider July as a month in which you prepare your “wish list” and lay the groundwork for the upcoming year. While you’ve got some planets lurking in the 12th house of the subconscious and the hidden depths, don’t fall into a funk, or let insecurity and doubt get the better of you. Not that it ever would, but you can get a bit waylaid with some negative thoughts or self-doubt. There is too much that is wonderful developing around you now, and August should bring a wonderful triumph that will reinforce just how right you’ve been. This validation alone should be enough to inject you with the energy to deal with all the opportunities coming your way. You will be inspired over the coming months. VIRGO (Aug 24-Sept 23) Something is bugging you at the moment, but try and be ZEN about it and besides, this month shifts into a very social mode for you; you’ll be flavor of the month in most quarters. There could be prestige invitations and lots of displays of how popular and well liked you are, and many of these folk will be on the “same page” as you. It’s also helpful for your emotional and mental peace to offload and share some of your “issues” so it’s important that you are expansive and sharing. But whatever is getting under your skin, whilst it might be impossible to ignore, there is no need to fan the flames either. So instead of wasting negative energy getting all het up about it, use your logic to understand that a solution has to be reached, that’s a given. And if that’s a given, why waste your time worrying. Life is 1% of what happens to you and 99% how you react to it… (the 99/1 principle).

LIBRA (Sept 24 - Oct 23) You’ve noticed it in recent weeks, the shift from struggling and feeling a bit shaky to holding your own and being on solid ground. In fact it’s much better than that; you have influence and power now! In fact you are quite in the spotlight and there has been a very positive development or change. You’ve been curtailed by indecision, anxiety (and have probably have been at odds with another’s views). But now you have released the chains that bind, and have let go of all that (unnecessary) baggage and in doing so have risen to the top! This is such a favorable month for you and especially in your home and/or love life (and they are not mutually exclusive!). Expect the unexpected, but there will magical news, unexpected surprises and thrilling encounters - and something that you unearth (or discover) can serve you very well also. But you are in a new and very positive life direction. SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22) You’ve let go of the angst you were feeling last month, and have altered some of the frameworks of your life. You’ve also had a few necessary discussions in certain quarters and that has improved the status quo and your outlook. Besides even if you’ve been feeling a bit melancholy and “down” those feelings shouldn’t be avoided. Anyway in July, life is certainly picking up and dare I say even seems promising. Perhaps you’ll be travelling to far off places or learning new things, but whatever you are doing it will be exciting and above all rewarding. Foreigners will figure more in the picture and you will broaden your outlook and mental horizons by sharing and exchanging ideas with people from diverse backgrounds. You’re tired of the humdrum routine and you want to blast through some new frontiers so proceed at full speed and don’t get waylaid. It’s your life so what are you waiting for?! SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 - Dec 21) Money is your bête noir but also your fixation whilst Pluto remains in this sector of your chart. Circumstances dictate that in July this will be more of your focus (again). If money has been your downfall or if you’ve sacrificed too much of “who you are” in trying to hold onto - or get your hands on - the mighty dollar (or whatever currency it may be); then it’s time to readdress your values. That said, it will be somewhat harder for you to maintain any kind of levity and focus in your business world because your hormones are in overdrive. Better still, along with the great sex comes a fellow philosopher – your idea of heaven and the perfect partner! So uncharacteristically when some business colleagues ask you to join in an opportunity or align yourself with them in some way, you’re going to say no - just for the hell of it! Better a friendly refusal than an unwilling consent…

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Professionally you’re on the up and up, but chances are you’re morphing into a workaholic and with the hours that you’ve been putting in at the office I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re worn out. You’ve also become a bit obsessed about your health and this may be because you realize that you’ve got to take better care of yourself. Try and eat well, sleep more and rest more because you’re going to need to restore and replenish. There could be a situation in your life that is not serving you well and July is an ideal month to identify exactly what that is, and what you can do about it. Try not to become too radical, because there are signs of arguments and drama but by the same token you don’t have to say “yes” all the time. Your perspective may be a bit off kilter as a result of your renewed, so bear that in mind in all of your actions. At least your love life is healthy and in some cases on fire! AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19) You’re rather aligned to Capricorn this month (and you could equally read their scope) because you too will be flat out. But this is more because of an increased workload and responsibilities coming your way rather than any selfimposed workaholic tendencies). Efficiency is doing things well and effectiveness is doing the right things well, so make sure your energies are focused in the right quarters and not dissipated. Still acknowledging and realizing the reality of a situation is half the battle, and instead of feeling mad and bad, welcome and relish the fact that the more exposure to a problem actually reduces the fear and anxiety. Don’t allow the problem to become more important than anything else in your life – don’t be driven by your issues, but rather led by your dreams. The main thing is to change your thinking so you don’t use the same mindset that created it in the first place! PISCES (Feb 20 - March 20) July will be an enjoyable month, which is a welcome relief from the stresses and strains of the past few months. You’ve been “on hold” or fixated on achieving (or getting) something and your focus has been directed in this quarter. Whether or not that has been realized doesn’t seem to have an impact on the quality of your social life, because that will explode. It could be a new love, a new circle of friends or perhaps your “ambition” has come to fruition. Travel, lots of socializing and a flurry of invitations sums up July and it also augers well for the birth of something bigger than yourself! This could be a child but also the birth of an idea, project or a new direction. Towards the end of June you had an epiphany and this may be the result of a disclosure (or even a leak) that changes how you view a situation in July and perhaps someone’s words have revealed the soul within...

woman abroad • July 2012

ZIMA Catering Services has been in business for only a year yet has already earned a growing reputation in its field. This is undoubtedly due to the talent of owner Salma Noor Al Bulushi who leads a team of experienced food industry professionals, and is assisted and advised by her sister-in-law Olga Mokrowiecki who acts as her Catering Manager. The company’s aim is to offer menus that are varied and creative, and it is this policy which has seen the business expand from a two-woman outfit doing everything themselves to a professional kitchen complete with fully-trained chefs and an army of helpers. ‘We planned and built up our team gradually,’ Salma, an Omani National, tells us.

woman abroad • July 2012

The two women are obviously friends and have a great respect for one another’s skills. ‘Olga has some wonderful ideas – she makes the best gourmet dishes,’ Salma says. ‘And Salma is great at Omani food - and at delegation,’ laughs Olga. They listen to one another’s opinions and always say if one of them isn’t happy about something. ‘Sometimes we are on the phone to each other twenty-five times a day!’ Their very different cultures (Olga is Polish/ Australian) ensure that the company can offer a wide variety of cuisine, and they’re happy to make any dish suggested by a client – even if they’ve never heard of it! Olga also likes to experiment and invent her own dishes. Although their main business is corporate, they also take on private parties such as children’s parties, family functions and weddings – and for the hostess who wants to impress without spending time in the kitchen, they will fully cater a dinner party. Now that’s what we call luxury! Azima’s corporate experience includes providing breakfast, lunch and dinner five days a week for the canteens of a large international company, as well as staff events and VIP occasions for many other multinational companies. They have menus for events, canapés – and an impressive range of gourmet dishes. They have catered for as many as three hundred and fifty guests, though say one of their most rewarding events brought a smile to the faces of two hundred children from a local orphanage. ‘We were privileged to take part,’ Olga says. ‘It gave us an opportunity to help the event sponsors give something back to the community.’

woman abroad • July 2012

Eco-friendly As well as providing such a mouth-watering range of food, the company is very aware of the need to raise hygiene standards in the industry and works tirelessly to ensure cleanliness in all aspects of its operations. Needless to say, the kitchen in South Al Hail is equipped with state-of-the-art appliances and the hygiene products used are of a professional catering standard – all fully compliant with municipality regulations. Being eco-friendly is also very important to these innovative ladies. ‘We always try to use locally grown or produced ingredients. We get re-usable bags, save electricity where we can – and we take care what chemicals are flushed down our drains,’ Olga states. Salma adds ‘All our meats are halal, and we are trying to build up good relationships with the farming community to get the best quality produce.’ Azima works closely with others in the field, including the Tourism College, and aims to recruit young Omani candidates and help them build up an infrastructure for the development of Omanis in the catering domain. ‘This is something we would be very proud of,’ says Salma. Woman Abroad wanted to know what they like most about working together. ‘We learn such a lot from each other,’ Olga says without hesitation, and Salma nods in agreement. With this degree of co-operation between two talented and dedicated women of differing cultures, it is hardly surprising that Azima has become so successful in such a short time – a success we have no doubt will continue to grow.

woman abroad • July 2012

MENU: Canapés Welcome Drinks

MENU: V.I.P

A Selection of Stylish Mocktails

Appetiser Canapés

Cold Canapés

• Anchovy Butter and Caviar on Crostini • Mozzarella, Slow Roast Tomato and Fresh Basil • King Prawns in Herb Garlic Butter

Assorted Rolls, Arabic Bread

• Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese on Oatcake with Fresh Dill • Anchovy Butter and Black Caviar on Crostini • Mini Prawn Cocktail with Avocado • Slow Roast Tomato, Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Olive Oil Salad

Entrée

Hot Canapés

• Sirloin Steak with Pepper Sauce • Chicken Cordon Blue • Crushed Potatoes with Olive Oil • Pan Fried Salmon with Fennel • Dill Rice • Pasta with Olives, Basil and Tomato • Wilted Spinach with garlic Butter

• Wild Mushroom Risotto Balls with Fresh Basil Pesto • Feta and Olive Mini Quiche • Caramelized Onion, Goats Cheese and Tomato Mini Tart • Chicken Mini Pies with Tahini

Bread

Dessert • Cheeses Platter with Walnuts, grapes and Crackers • Mini Tiramisu • Mini Cream Caramel • Fresh Fruit Platter

Dessert • Mini Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce • Mini Tiramisu • Mini Cream Caramel with Raspberry and Almond Biscuit

Cheese Platter (optional) A Selection of Cheeses, Fruit and Crackers

Drinks

Stylish Mocktails Fresh Fruit Juice

Assorted Fruit Juice Soft Drinks, Water

If you love entertaining, you’ll love this! Having a dinner party catered by someone else and not having to slave over a hot stove is the ultimate luxury - and Azima is offering one lucky reader

a fully-catered dinner party for up to six people!

The winner will have a choice of menus, and the food will be professionally cooked and served in her own home*. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this great prize is answer the following question(s).

1. What is the highest number of guests Azima has catered until now? 2. Where did they cater for 200 children? 3. What is Penne? Please email your answers to editor@womanabroad.net with ‘’Azima Competition’’ in the subject line. The competition is open until 31st July 2012. The winner will be picked randomly from all correct entries, and notified by email. *Sorry Muscat area only.

woman abroad • July 2012

MENU: Events Salad • Avocado Salad • Penne Salmon and Spinach • Mixed Greens

Appetizer Honey Roast Chicken Wings

Bread Assorted Rolls, Arabic Bread

Entrée • Thai Prawn Curry • Chicken with Mushrooms and Cream • Stir Fried Vegetables • Oriental Rice • Pasta with Pesto and Parmesan

Dessert • Tiramisu • Cream Caramel • Fresh Fruit Display

MENU: Events Salad • Mexican Salad • Shrimps Cocktail • Greek Salad

Appetizer Chicken Fingers with Dip

Bread Assorted Rolls, Arabic Bread

Entrée • Steamed Vegetables • Pasta with Pesto and Parmesan • Chicken with Rosemary • Grilled Fish with Crème Sauce • White Rice

Dessert • Chocolate Cake • Baboosa

woman abroad • July 2012

woman abroad â&#x20AC;˘ July 2012

OMR 50* THE BEST DEAL IN DHOFAR REGION IN KHAREEF 2012 MAGICAL MONSOON AT SALALAH MARRIOTT RESORT Celebrate this monsoon season with the whole family and enjoy luxury inspired by nature at Mirbat beach. Your cool summer escape package includes: Overnight in a Deluxe Room including breakfast Prices are per person in a Double Room including all taxes Complimentary airport transfer from / to Salalah International Airport Complimentary shuttle bus transfer to Salalah Festival upon request Escape to Nature - Book now!

* Valid until 31/07/2012

* Valid until 31/07/2012.