Y Magazine #379, July 16, 2015

Ramadan Giveaways

WIN AN LG SMART TV AND MORE Aflaj crisis

Free!

ARE OUR ANCIENT WATER CHANNELS DRYING UP? News: WORLD’S BIGGEST SOLAR PLANT BEAUTY: Less Is Best DESTINATION: Nizwa By Night

EVERY THURSDAY

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JUL 16 - 22 2015 / ISSUE 379 • WEEKLY

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Y WISHES OUR READERS PEACE AND HAPPINESS

HOME SAUCED

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NOVEMBER 24 / ISSUE 258

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SURFIN’ SAFARI

42

HOT GADGETS

44

COMPETITION

EDITOR’S

NOTE

It’s the final week of our Spirit of Ramadan giveaways and we’ve saved the best prize till last – a 42-inch LG smart TV! For details on how to enter, turn to P26. And to check if you are a winner, go to P28. Good luck!

THE BAROMETER GOING UP

RAINFALL The rains have finally arrived in Salalah, with residents breathing a collective sigh of relief after experiencing days of extremely high humidity created by the cloud build-up.

GOING DOWN

CAR IMPORTS At least for expats, after a ruling by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry that will restrict second-hand car imports to just one per expat per year.

THIS WEEK… Team Y has welcomed back Matt, our Art Director, after his threeweek break in the UK and South Africa, is trying to shake off a nasty flu and has been catching up with friends overseas by playing Call of Duty online with them.

Welcome to Y Magazine – your top guide to the best of Oman every week.

Fast forward

L

iving in Oman, we understand just how important water is to our daily lives. The recent acute water shortages in Muscat and surrounding areas have heightened our appreciation of this precious resource.

But did you know that the country’s ancient aflaj water systems are also facing a crisis?

Since pre-Islamic times, the aflaj (plural for falaj) have brought water from the mountains for farmers to irrigate their fields, while isolated villages rely on them for their water needs.

But in our cover story this week, Y finds that the unregulated pumping of groundwater is beginning to deplete aquifers – and causing aflaj channels to run dry.

While some may blame climate change, others say it is nothing more than greed.

Elsewhere, we head to Honolulu in Postcard, spend an evening in Nizwa for Iftar in Destination and check out some fun summer gadgets in Y-Fi. And just a reminder that Y will be taking a short break for Eid Al Fitr and will not be published next week (July 23). But we’ll be back, bigger and better than ever before, on July 30.

Eid Mubarak!

editor@y-oman.com

Ways to get your Y fix Online: Visit y-oman.com for even more inspiration.

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Sayyida Iman bint Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi MANAGING EDITOR Felicity Glover DEPUTY EDITOR Kate Ginn ART DIRECTOR Matthew Herbst FOLLOW US ON:

SUB-EDITOR Matt Blackwell PHOTOGRAPHER Shaquel al Balushi INTERN Deeba Hasan DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Feroz Khan

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JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

03

contents

JULY 16 - 22 2015

Your Oman 06 Iftar With Deeba

Female-Only Iftar 08 Voice Of Oman

Felicity Glover 10 News

New Solar Plant For Oman 14 Gallery

SABCO Centre

11

15

This Week

Feature 20 Oasis At Risk

Oman’s Aflaj Under Threat 26 Ramadan Giveaways

Win An LG Smart TV

17 Movie Listings

Terminator Genysis

17

#FYI

10 Most Expensive Cities In The Middle East For Expats

20

16 Gallery

Charitable Fashion 18 Gallery

Reflections Of Ramadan

Cars and Adventures 38 Destination

Iftar In Nizwa

Food and Drink 30 Food Feature

Sauced From Home

30

Health and Beauty 32 Fashion

Fashion Fest

40 Outdoors

Koooora Football Tournament 42 Postcard From

Honolulu 44 Y-Fi

Fun In The Sun

34 Beauty 46 Photo Of The Week Less Is best

Man Of Many Colours

35 Health Avoiding Middle-Age Spread

45

33 IN THE NEXT ISSUE...

HEART PROBLEMS / POSTCARD FROM / SPIRIT OF RAMADAN WINNERS / MOVIES / Y-FI / NEWS

My IN THE FINAL PART OF OUR RAMADAN SERIES, DEEBA HASAN VISITS THE HOME OF AN OMANI FAMILY FOR AN ALL-FEMALE IFTAR GATHERING, WHICH PROVED TO BE AN INSIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE

I

wanted to take a slightly different approach to my final Iftar feature, and so decided against another family gathering, instead opting for female-only Iftar, held at the home of Tariq al Barwani.

I reached the house in Mawalah on a windy Sunday evening and was welcomed and escorted in by Tariq himself, who introduced me to his wife, Nashat, before making himself scarce. Ahead of me were the three smiling faces of Hamida, Aziza and Fatma, all Nashat’s cousins, who had children of their own with them.

We broke our fast in a simple manner with a delicious variety of dates, mixed nuts, laban, baklava and Omani coffee, before moving into a separate room to pray.

Before heading to the dinner table, we chatted over some mint tea and sambosas.

Nashat’s cousins were full of life and I was captivated by their joint recollection of time spent together when they were teenagers. “We were the closest in the family, always hanging around with each other,” Fatma tells me. “I used to sleep at Nashat’s place as a teenager and when it was time for me to go, Nashat used to pack her bag to sleep at mine. When we were done with my house, we both would go to Aziza’s place for a sleepover and finally to Hamida’s, so it was like a chain,” she laughs.

Despite having full-time jobs as well as demanding roles as wives and mothers, the foursome still make a point of meeting over coffee or lunch at least once every two months.

“This is our second gathering during Ramadan, the first one was held at my place,” Fatma says.

With conversation flowing easily, we slowly moved to the dinner table and found a

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feast waiting, all prepared lovingly

by Nashat. After sampling a bowl of the chicken and sweetcorn soup, I tried some of the meatball and potato curry Fatma had contributed. It was delicious; a lot like the curry we make in India, except it was served with my favourite Omani chapatti, which is quite distinct from its Indian counterpart and a lot more flavoursome. There was also a selection of Omani minced meat pies and some prawns on offer.

After dinner, Nashat surprised the kids and the rest of us with some chocolate ice creams before announcing that more dessert would be on the way in the form of umm ali. I normally don’t eat umm ali, but made a point to try this one and was glad I did; it was absolutely fantastic and a great way to end the meal.

Nashat is the head of marketing at a telecom company in Oman and a busy woman. While we were chatting, she told me that in previous years she used to attend every gathering she was invited to, which was quite hectic for her.

However, from this Ramadan onwards, she’s decided to focus on smaller gatherings where she can spend quality time with the people she meets. She is also trying to spend more time with her family. “I am in the office from 7am to 1pm.

I get home and make sure that my husband, kids and myself get a refreshing nap from about 2pm to

4.30pm. When I wake up, I head to the gym for a while and when I get home we plan simple meals for Iftar,” she says. “After Iftar, we pray, have dinner and then pray Tarawih.

I am trying to pass on what I have learnt from my parents to my own children.”

When she was younger, Ramadan was a time full of surprises for Nashat. “We didn’t have many responsibilities as kids and so for us, Ramadan was an indication that Eid was approaching and all the presents that come with it,” she tells me. “The family used to gather a lot more back then. Our favourite cartoon shows were aired during Ramadan and it was a relaxed time, but now that we have grown up, we try to focus more on the spiritual side. As the lady of the house, I have the responsibility to gather our family under one roof.”

Nashat also narrated a story to us that highlighted the way that Ramadan can change people’s attitudes and behaviour for the better. “I saw an old neighbour of my parents when I was buying groceries for today’s gathering. I

used to see him quite often but we never spoke. However, today in the supermarket he came up and spoke to me for a while, just because it was Ramadan.”

Time spent with Nashat and her cousins seemed to shoot by and it was almost 10pm before I knew it. I was about to leave when, in keeping with her childhood memories of Ramadan, Nashat revealed she had one more surprise up her sleeve and gifted us all with a small bottle of Oud perfume; a reminder that sometimes it’s good to never grow up.

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

THE VOICE OF OMAN FELICITY GLOVER ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME

correspondence ECO WARRIORS Dear Y team,

W

hy is it that the older you get, the faster time flies? As a child, I remember that everything took an eternity – from waiting for school holidays to start to feeling that I had to wait forever until my next birthday.

These days, of course, I no longer look forward to turning a year older.

Yet, ironically, the time between my birthdays seems to go faster and faster as each year passes.

In fact, time is flying so fast that occasionally I feel overwhelmed to the point that I am no longer enjoying the present, but worrying about the future – unlike when I was a child and lived purely for the moment.

I see the same in my daughter, who, at 12, lives for now rather than worrying about tomorrow.

The simplicity of childhood is a wonderful thing, where time doesn’t matter and tomorrow doesn’t happen until, well, tomorrow.

Recapturing that simplicity is difficult once you are an adult, more so as you have so many more responsibilities – perhaps a young family to take care of, a job, loans to pay, food to buy, school fees to worry about… it all adds up.

But if there’s one thing that I have learnt over the years, it is about making the most of your time rather than worrying about how fast it is getting away from you.

And for me, that means quality time with my loved ones to create wonderful memories for tomorrow – and the years to come.

NEXT WEEK:

AL SAYYIDA MAYYA AL SAID

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JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

We of the project team at Al Ansari, Muscat, share our special thanks to Y for making the magazine available for free on smartphones and tablets.

We follow a “paperless office” policy in the attempt to protect Mother Nature and reduce our consumption of this resource.

We are regular readers of Y Magazine through mobile apps and wanted to say good job to the team for their effort in taking steps to protect nature.

The main advantage of reading Y Magazine digitally is that we can surf whenever we get leisure time and do not need to search for a hard copy. Reading the interesting articles from Matt and Deeba during breaks in our hectic schedule provides real refreshment and has given us a lot of positive energy.

We perform group discussions within our

‪‪RONNEIL SALES VALIENTE‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬

WE ASKED:

“Should people be educated about the dangers of overeating at Iftar? If so, how?”

Yes, people should be educated. They should avoid eating fried items to break their fast and instead, start with a juice followed by nutritional food.

WRITE TO US AND WIN A VOUCHER

Thanks and yours, Rejith Nair, Muscat

They should also avoid eating late at night, which will create digestive problems.

DEBATE OF THE WEEK

‪JAISHANKAR VENKATRAMAN‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‪ ‬

team on Y Magazine debate topics, movies, health, beauty and Y-Fi features during our tea breaks. It’s real fun and helps us unwind.

We once again thank Y for this innovative idea and for making changes to ensure the magazine attracts the young generation.

People who are fasting for Ramadan should definitely be educated about overeating during Iftar, since it can lead to indigestion and other gastrointestinal problems. As a registered nurse, my suggestions to them would be to eat normal sized, nutritious meals during Iftar and Suhoor and avoid foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar, such as cakes, biscuits and chocolates. They should choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils rice and grains and drink plenty of fluids, like water and fruit juices, and avoid caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, energy drinks or cola. Excessive exercise should also be avoided during fasting times and they should consult a healthcare professional before changing medication regimes for Ramadan.

‪JASON FELIX NORONHA‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‪

It is a well-known fact that too much of something good can be bad. The effects of overeating are well documented in various media and in today’s digital age, where almost everyone is

Dinner for two at Le Jardin restaurant

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connected to the internet, social media can play a big part in educating people about good food, the right quantities and what to avoid. Whether it’s at Iftar or otherwise, we need to respect our body rather than treat it as a garbage bin. Eat right and enjoy life.

‪SPARSHA VYAS‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

Yes, people should be educated about the dangers of overeating during Iftar.

It becomes a mindset that fasting for 15 hours or more is a licence to overeat.

Although most of us are aware of the consequences of overeating, some measures can help one and all. On a personal level, self-control can add to the spirituality of the Holy Month of Ramadan, while at the family level, food prepared for Iftar should be organic and served in graceful limitation. At societal level, it’s the moral responsibility of commercial and noncommercial outlets to serve fresh, healthy food for Iftar. The food authorities can check the quality of food being served. At a national level, radio announcements should be made before and during Ramadan, making citizens aware of healthy eating.

‪‪‪‪‪SYED BOKHARI‬‪ ‬‬‪

The Holy Quran says that we should adopt and practice the habit of sacrificing our worldly diet for a spiritual one not just to keep ourselves physically fit, but to overhaul our bodies. It has been proven that overeating creates all sorts of problems when you have been fasting throughout the day.

WWW.Y-OMAN.COM

inflammation, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Ramadan is a month of self-restraint and a time to remind ourselves of the unfortunate masses that do not have enough food to fill their stomachs, yet we indulge in huge feasts. Always remember that Ramadan is a month of fasting, not feasting.

‪‪MICHAEL RAMIN‬‪ ‬ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

Not only should people be educated about the dangers of overeating during Iftar, they should be made aware of the true spirit of Ramadan, which is a time for reflection, spiritual renewal and peace. It is a time to seek Allah’s forgiveness and share his blessings with family and friends. It’s also a time for renewing faith and purifying the heart and soul. If you are aware of and stay true to all these, overeating during Iftar will never happen. Why fast the whole day and then compensate for it by overeating during Iftar? The spirit of fasting is lost that way.

‪‪‪ISSA BORJA‬‪ ‬‪ ‬ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

Yes, definitely. Eat moderately, especially when the stomach is empty and proper nutritional food should be served to absorb the nutrients required by our body.

/YTABLOID

‪SUMMERA ZAFAR ‬‪ ‬ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

@YTABLOID

Overeating at Iftar is such a terrible feeling.

Being bloated, stuffed, sick and unable to move around really goes against the spirit of fasting. When breaking their fast, a lot of people don’t really think about how much they are eating and the effects of particular foods and cooking styles. I think television campaigns and radio adverts in multiple languages could help people in making wiser eating choices for Iftar. The Government also plays an integral part in educating people about their health and wellbeing. I think simple leaflets should be distributed in public places to create awareness of the dangers of overeating.

/YMAGAZINE

People need to be made to think twice before eating what they like.

Ultimately, the choice comes down to the individual, but educating people is definitely a big yes.

‪‪‪GEORGE HORJ‬‪ ‬‪ ‬ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

I think it’s a shame that so many people overeat at Iftar and the fact that tempting buffet spreads are laid out each night all over the capital doesn’t really help. At the end of the day, being educated about how and what to eat is a step in the right direction to combat this issue. I think there should be posters and billboards giving advice and warnings through strong images and thought provoking words to get people to think about what they consume when they break their fast.

New Debate: “Should a regulatory body oversee airlines to monitor high airfares?” Tell us on Facebook or Twitter and be in with a chance of winning dinner for two.

BADR AL SAMAA VISA MEDICAL STAFF were spotted with their favourite Y Magazine in Al Khoudh

‪GAUTAM ANAND ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

The Holy Month of Ramadan is a period to chasten up the body spiritually, mentally and physically.

Prayers, devotion and dedication help in enhancing spirituality and mental robustness. The daylong fast detoxifies the body, so the food eaten during Iftar should be chosen wisely, keeping in view its nutritious value rather than succumbing to temptations. People have to be careful about their intake of salt, fat and calories as large meals take a long time to digest, creating an extra workload for the stomach, which in turn builds up fat stores in the body. When we eat too much at once, we are stretching our stomach beyond its normal capacity.

Overextending the stomach’s capacity repeatedly through overeating not only causes considerable discomfort, but also leads to health hazards in the long run.

A little wise thinking can help to avoid overeating.

‪ANILA KHAN‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

Iftar gorging has now become a common feature of our society, but remember that those who eat too much too quickly at Iftar are prone to acute stomach

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JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

09

YOUR

OMAN

Gallery

Interview

NEWS

LARGEST SOLAR PLANT

PLANNED FOR OMAN

O

man will soon be home to one of the world’s largest solar plants that will be used to extract heavy oil, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and the US-based GlassPoint Solar have announced.

A statement released earlier this week on businesswire.com said the 1,021-megawatt solar thermal facility would be built in South Oman to harness the sun’s rays to produce steam.

The steam would be used in thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to “extract heavy and viscous oil” at the Amal oilfield.

The plant, called Miraah (Arabic for mirror), is expected to deliver the largest peak energy output of any solar plant in the world and underscores “the massive market for deploying solar in the oil and gas industry”.

“PDO is proud to lead the industry by deploying solar-powered oil production at an unprecedented scale and level of efficiency,” PDO managing director Raoul Restucci said in the BusinessWire statement.

“The project will provide a significant portion of the steam demand at Amal and is an important part of PDO’s production plans.

“The use of solar for oil recovery is a long-term strategic solution to develop PDO’s viscous oil portfolio and reduce consumption of valuable natural gas, which is needed elsewhere to diversify Oman’s economy and create economic growth. It also will displace diesel and higher carbon intensive power generation and oil burning in future

NEW STRETCH

OF HIGHWAY

OPENED

T

he Al Batinah Expressway project is well on the way to being complete, with the Ministry of Transport and Communications this week opening the first 18-kilomtre stretch of the highway.

According to a report carried on Oman News Agency (ONA), the opening of the first part of the expressway, which includes four lanes in each direction, links Muscat to Barka.

At a total of 272.5km, the Al Batinah Expressway is a strategic project for the Ministry that begins at the end of Muscat Expressway in Al Fulaij, in the Wilayat of Barka, and ends at Khatmat Milaha, in the Wilayat of Shina.

“The project includes a number

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thermal projects.”

According to the statement, Miraah will provide a sustainable solution for EOR steam, which is currently produced by burning natural gas. Once complete, Miraah will save 5.6 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) of natural gas each year, the amount of gas that could be used to provide residential electricity to 209,000 people in Oman.

The statement added that PDO had been working with GlassPoint since 2010 on a successful pilot scheme at Amal to test the commercial viability of solar steam, which produced 50 tonnes of steam a day. The seven-megawatt solar steam pilot will continue to operate at Amal alongside the full-scale development.

The project is expected to break ground this year, with steam generation from the first glasshouse module slated for 2017. Once complete, Miraah will

deliver more energy to the customer than any other solar plant in the world. The project is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by over 300,000 tonnes annually – or the equivalent of taking 63,000 cars off the road, the statement said.

“This project has the potential to make Oman a world centre of excellence for solar EOR with obvious benefits in terms of job and training opportunities for Omanis, building a robust Omani supply chain and attracting further foreign investment, whilst building a reliable and sustainable proposition for solar EOR worldwide,” Restucci added.

“What we are aiming to do is secure greater recovery of oil while at the same time reducing our energy consumption and our costs. We are confident this is going to be a win-win and sustainable project for PDO, GlassPoint and the Sultanate.” interchanges to meet the needs of traffic to the different wilayats in South and North Al Batinah Governorates,” ONA said. “The road also includes box culverts to ensure usability at all weather conditions.”

Meanwhile, five people were killed in an accident last Sunday (July 12) between two vehicles in the Al Jawabi area, in Jalan Bani Bu Ali Wilayat, a spokesman for Royal Oman Police (ROP) said.

“The accident took place between two vehicles at about 4.38am,” the ROP spokesman was quoted by local press as saying.

He added that the five victims were Omani and included an 80-year-old man.

The ROP has repeatedly called on motorists to drive safely and abide by traffic rules to avoid accidents.

However, with the Khareef season in Salalah now under way, experts fear that accidents will increase.

MINISTRY MOVES

TO PROTECT

TRADITIONAL DRESS

T

he Ministry of Commerce and Industry is cracking down on the misuse and commercialisation of traditional dress, putting out a call to the public on its Twitter account to report offenders.

According to local press, the move comes after a mussar, the headdress worn by Omani men, was spotted in a local market brandishing a football club logo.

This has led to the Ministry issuing a warning to companies against the use of “such sartorial practices”, saying that it would confiscate offending items, as well as take legal action. The Ministry has also called on businesses to stop offending Omani

customs and respect the local identity by not importing such products into the Omani market.

The Ministry has created a hashtag – “talk to us”, or “khidmat hadithna” – as part of its campaign for people to report any such violations, a move that has been well received by the public as various complaints were made through the hashtag for possible legal action.

Although the Public Authority for Craft Industries (PACI) has regulations protecting the designs of Omani khanjars, there are no defined rules for attire so far. This is not the first time that designs of Omani traditional dress have been altered or changed to suit commercial demand.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past, when some companies have tried to modify traditional dress such as the kuma, mussar and abaya, embedding into the design certain logos of international sporting clubs.

“There have been previous attempts to deface Omani kuma, dishdasha for males, and abaya for females,” Ahmed al Mamari, a Muscat resident who has been critical about the new trends, told a local newspaper. “The parties concerned in the Sultanate always screen the markets and stop any attempts to damage the Omani legacy.”

Another social commentator said: “Omani identity is a ‘red line’ that nobody must dare to touch.”

Meanwhile, social media has been lit up by the debate to protect Oman’s traditional dress designs, with strong reactions from many people opposing the trend. Some comments were fuelled by anger, while others expressed their disappointment that the identity of Omani traditional attire had been misused, which reflected their values.

HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al Bakri, the Minister of Manpower, also announced the same Eid holidays for private sector employees.

“The decision allows employers and employees to agree on work arrangements to compensate this holiday, if necessity arises,” he said in an announcement published on the ONA’s website. “The employees whose weekly off days coincide with the mentioned holiday should be compensated as well.”

Meanwhile, the Government has declared Thursday, July 23, a holiday for all public and private sector

employees to celebrate Renaissance Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the day His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said ascended the throne in 1970.

Elsewhere, some of Oman’s GCC neighbours have also announced their Eid holidays, with government employees in Saudi Arabia enjoying the most with a total of 12 days, while its private sector has been awarded six days.

In Qatar, the public sector will have 11 days off, beginning from July 15, with work resuming on July 26.

A

s Oman prepares to celebrate Eid Al Fitr this weekend, the Government has announced that public and private sector employees will enjoy a five-day break starting from today (July 16).

In a statement issued by Oman News Agency (ONA), HE Sayyid Khalid Bin Hilal Bin Saud Al Busaidi, the Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, said the Eid Al Fitr holiday for employees of ministries, public authorities and other Government departments would begin today and work would resume on Tuesday, July 21.

“The Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court extended his congratulations to His Majesty the Sultan on this blessed occasion, praying to Allah the Almighty to protect His Majesty, grant him good health, happiness and a long life,” the ONA report said.

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JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

011

YOUR

OMAN Bite Sized OUR WEEKLY SLOT TAKES A LIGHTHEARTED LOOK AT A NEWS ISSUE OF THE WEEK.

MEET THE

MULTI-

MINIONAIRES

Who – or what – are they?

You must have been living under a rock for the past couple of years! We are referring to those cute yellow Minions who made their acting debut in Despicable Me and have gone on to become superstars in their own right.

Are they rich?

Not quite – they are, after all, cartoon characters. But it is safe to say that their copyright owners are raking it in, with experts tipping their latest movie, Minions, to break box-office records and topple Frozen from the number one spot.

Frozen is being challenged?

They must be seriously popular.

They are. Income from spinoff Minion merchandise is going through the roof and hit £1.1 million (RO654,767) last week alone. In the same week, Frozen only managed to rake in £750,000 (RO446,407). The banana-loving Minions, led by Kevin and Dave, have certainly hit on a winner.

So what’s next for them?

More merchandise and we’re sure that there will be a sequel to Minions, which is being voiced by Hollywood stars Sandra Bullock, Steve Coogan and Pierre Coffin.

Don’t say: “Let it go.”

Do say: “Bee doo bee doo!” (in Minion-speak, that means fire!)

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Gallery

Interview

NEWS

REEM ISLAND KILLER EXECUTED

T

he woman found guilty of murdering an American teacher at a popular mall in Abu Dhabi last December has been executed, Abu Dhabi’s Attorney General for State Security Prosecution, Ahmed al Dhanhani, said earlier this week.

Alaa Bader Abdullah al Hashemi was executed on Monday (July 13), al Dhanhani said in a statement published by state news service WAM. Al Hashemi, 31, was found guilty of the murder of Ibolya Ryan, a US citizen, who she stabbed to death in the women’s toilets at Boutik Mall on Reem Island. The State Security division of the Federal Supreme Court handed down the death sentence on June 29, according to The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi.

“The UAE, with the Grace of Allah, over its history has been and will always remain a haven of safety and stability, and it is a model of correlation and societal peace,” Judge Falah al Hajeri said before announcing the verdict last month.

Al Hashemi was also found guilty of making a handmade bomb that she left outside an apartment owned by an Egyptian-American doctor, who lived

A WEEK IN PICTURES

along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi.

“The accused tried to detonate a homemade bomb near the door of the apartment with the intention of killing all the tenants, but it did not explode,” the WAM report said.

“She was also accused of illegally collecting prohibited explosive materials and of having assembled these without a licence… [and] was convicted of having established and managed an email account with a false name to disseminate activities of the terrorist organisations.

“The accused committed these crimes to spread terror and with an intent to cause death and provoke terror among the people and threaten the State’s security.”

HEADLINING STORIES FROM THE REGION AND BEYOND

It was three times lucky for world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic, who beat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon men’s final 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3

Legendary Egyptian actor Omar Sharif, who starred in the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, was laid to rest in Cairo on Monday after suffering a fatal heart attack at the weekend.

He was 83

Eurozone leaders have finally clinched a US$95 billion bailout deal with Greece to keep the near-bankrupt country in the EU and avoid what many have described as a “Grexit”

Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has given his jailers the slip, escaping from the Altiplano Federal Prison via a hidden tunnel built under the shower area of his cellblock

YOUR

MAGICAL MUSIC

OMAN

THE RAMADAN CELEBRATIONS CONTINUED AT SABCO COMMERCIAL CENTRE LAST WEEKEND WITH EVENING PERFORMANCES OF TRADITIONAL OMANI MUSIC

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GALLERY

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2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

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Source: Mercer’s 2015 Cost of Living Survey

Dubai

YOUR

C H A R I TA B L E FA S H I O N

OMAN

SHANGRI-LA'S BARR AL JISSAH RESORT & SPA HELD A FASHION DAY AT THEIR AL MAZAAR SOUK RECENTLY, RAISING FUNDS FOR AL RAHMA CHARITY TEAM

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GALLERY

MOVIES MOVIES FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TIMES, GO TO: City Cinema: citycinemaoman.net Al Bahja Cinema: albahjacinema.net VOX Cinemas: oman.voxcinemas.com Star Cinema: Tel +968 24791641

Pressure

Terminator Genysis Time travel films will melt your mind.

It’s like the law. The latest addition to the Terminator franchise doesn’t disappoint, opening in 2029, with Judgment Day having happened and all but a handful of human survivors wiped out in a nuclear annihilation.

The leader of the remaining revolutionary humans, John Connor (Jason Clarke), sends his best man, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), back in time to protect his mother, Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) from an attempt on her life at the hands of the machines.

Sounding familiar? Well, due to a glitch in the process, everything is flipped on its head and this is where the time-bending madness begins.

Sarah knows who Kyle is and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator has become like a father figure to her, training her for this day. The trio must

then learn to trust each other and work together to avert the oncoming apocalypse.

Certain scenes from the first film are faithfully recreated, leading to a younger Schwarzenegger fighting his older self, which will have series fanboys buzzing with excitement, while providing the rest of us with a good old dose of 1980s nostalgia.

After the lukewarm response the third and fourth films received, director Alan Taylor had his work cut out, but seems to have succeeded where previous attempts failed, gaining the approval of series creator James Cameron. However, with key plot points revealed in the trailers, a lot of the suspense has sadly been sucked from this reboot.

Review by Matt Blackwell

P RE VI EW

ROSEWOOD LANE When radio talk show psychiatrist Sonny Blake (Rose McGowan) moves back to her hometown, following a family tragedy, she can’t help but notice the bizarre behaviour of the local paperboy. Fellow residents are terrified of the cunning sociopath and with good reason, as it turns out he may have a connection with several local murders.

IN W O T E C N A CH R U O Y B A R G TS E K C I T A M NE I C Y T I C O TW

Repairing a broken oil pipeline 400 metres below sea level is routine work for the film's four-man deep-sea dive crew, but when they become separated from their ship in a heavy storm, panic and paranoia start to set in as the air starts to thin. The film’s cramped setting is it’s biggest

strength, creating a palpable feeling of claustrophobia, but it’s also its biggest weakness, with the film in need of strongly written characters once the initial thrill dies down. Sadly, this is where Pressure falls short, despite passionate performances from all involved.

The Pact 2 It’s June Abbot’s (Camilla Luddington) job to clean up grisly crime scenes. But when she starts to become plagued by vivid visions of a gruesome killer who appears to be mimicking the murders of the “Judas Killer” from The Pact, she must enlist the help of Annie (Caity Lotz) and Stevie (Haley Hudson), survivors from the first film, to put a stop to the hauntings. The original film was a sleeping creeper hit, although the sequel merely recycles old ideas, with little elaboration on what would appear to be key points in the plot.

Bollywatch BAHUBALI

This period action drama is marking itself out as a muchwatch, being filmed in two parts, released in multiple languages and becoming the most expensive film in Indian cinema history in the process.

It tells the tale of two warring brothers who are battling for control of an ancient kingdom and has been likened to an Indian version of Troy, 300, or Hercules.

TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE TO WIN, just answer a question based on the week’s cinema reviews and send your answer to info@y-oman.com, along with your name and contact information.

Tickets must be collected from Y’s Seeb offices in person only. For the rest of the terms and conditions, see voucher.

Contact: Movie enquiries 24607360

Brought to you by

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION How many people are in the deep-sea dive crew?

LAST WEEK'S WINNER George Horj

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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YOUR

OMAN

GALLERY

Ramadan

Reflections

RAMADAN 2015 HAS BEEN A COLOURFUL AND ENJOYABLE TIME OF REFLECTION AND PRAYER. HERE, WE LOOK BACK AT SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE IMAGES CAPTURED BY OUR PHOTOGRAPHER, SHAQUEL AL BALUSHI, OVER THE PAST FOUR WEEKS

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Ali al Muharbi (right) says the flow in the water channels he uses to irrigate his date palms in the Omani desert has been decreasing.

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Photo: Fred Pearce

OASIS AT RISK

Since pre-Islamic times, the country’s aflaj have brought water from the mountains and made the desert bloom. But now, unregulated pumping of groundwater is depleting aquifers and causing the long-reliable channels to run dry. Fred Pearce reports

I

t was 47 degrees Celsius. Make that 117 the village of Al Farfarah, about half an hour’s degrees Fahrenheit. In mid-May, the desert drive inland from Muscat. Roughly two kilometres of northern Oman may have been the hottest of underground tunnel deliver 12.8 litres of cool place on the planet. But in the shade of the mountain water every second to channels that oasis, the temperature was dramatically cooler. Ali irrigate 40.5 hectares of date palms. Under the al Muharbi, in his white robes and beard, beamed shade of the palms grow bananas, fruit trees, winter as he showed me around the date palms. All were leafy vegetables, and forage crops for livestock. irrigated by water gurgling down a channel dug But al Muharbi says that flows in his falaj are many centuries ago to tap underground water in declining. And in many villages, the unimaginable is the nearby Hajar Mountains. happening: the unfailing springs are drying up.

In Oman, these magical waters conjured from the A decade ago, UNESCO designated five of the most arid land imaginable are best aflaj in Oman as World called “unfailing springs”.

Heritage Sites. They have Even in the worst droughts, plaques, receive royal visits, flows persist down the and are on the tourist trail. underground tunnels to the But when I visited one of surface channels that course the famous five, Falaj Althrough the villages and fields.

Malki near the town of Izki, These pre-Islamic feats of I discovered that only two of hydraulic engineering remain its 17 channels, which extend the only water supply for for a total of 14.4km, are still many villages. Even large in use. And their water is little towns owe their existence more than a dribble.

THE AFLAJ HAVE TO BE to the perpetually flowing Some blame climate change. waters. The systems, which But the droughts here are no MODERNISED OR THEY remain independent of the worse than they have ever WILL DIE, BUT THEY state and are run entirely been. The real problem, in Izki MUST REMAIN IN by village communities, are and elsewhere, is that farmers COMMUNITY HANDS. known individually as falaj, and are sinking private boreholes collectively by the plural aflaj. with pumps in upland areas “The aflaj may be the most ancient communitywhere the aflaj tap the underground water. The run systems for managing water in the world,” says boreholes lower the water tables until they are below Slim Zekri, a water economist at Sultan Qaboos the aflaj, leaving the tunnels high and dry. Aflaj, University in Muscat and a devoted fan. Some which flow entirely by gravity, are self-limiting: they tap natural springs; some capture water in gravel tap the aquifers but cannot empty them. Pumped beneath the beds of wadis; but the largest and most boreholes have no such limits — they keep sucking “unfailing” are those that are connected to the until all the water is gone. They are sabotaging tunnels that bring water down from the mountains. the aflaj.

Similar to the ancient qanats of Iran and fogarra in This is a tragedy of the hydrological commons.

North Africa, they have survived into the modern Private greed is wrecking a sustainable and world better than either. collectively managed water system that Until now. archaeologists say has been delivering water in this Al Muharbi is the manager of the falaj that waters area for 5,000 years. The oases are drying up. The

Falaj source

Photo: Shaquel al Balushi JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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The flow in Oman’s aflaj has decreased dramatically. In some areas, the channels are no longer in use Photo: Fred Pearce

THE EXISTENCE OF PRIVATE WATER RIGHTS THAT CAN BE TRADED MAKES THE SYSTEM MORE EFFICIENT AND ALLOWS THE COMMUNITY TO BE SELF-RELIANT, THEY COULD OFFER IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR THE WORLD IN HOW TO MANAGE SCARCE WATER RESERVES

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date palms are crashing to the ground. Waterless villages are being abandoned.

The pity is that, when their supplies are not disrupted, the aflaj still work remarkably well. Most that I saw were well maintained and had unclogged channels. Engineering features such as siphons, storage tanks, and raised aqueducts were in good working order. Management systems were also in place.

Al Muharbi’s falaj in Al Farfarah is typical. It has some 50 owners – descendants of the people who first put up the money or dug the falaj. For six days a week, the owners each have established rights to water coming down the channel.

Timeshares range from half an hour to 15 hours, which is enough to irrigate 500 palm trees. The shares are bought and sold, as some families subdivide land and water for the next generation, while others buy out absent owners. In Al Farfarah, a permanent right to 30 minutes of falaj flow a week costs around RO1,155.

The water on the seventh day is open for purchase by those without an established share, or who want more water.

Al Muharbi oversees regular auctions in front of the village mosque. Prices vary according to the time of day and the season, but average about RO1.9 for 30 minutes of water — perhaps a tenth of the cost of the desalinated seawater now being brought to many villages for drinking. The auction fees pay for al Muharbi’s work, running repairs and charitable activities in the village, such as buying equipment for the school.

Zekri, the economist, thinks these simple water markets are the key to the long-term success of the aflaj. “The existence of private water rights that can be traded makes the system more efficient and allows the community to be self-reliant,” he told me. “They could offer important lessons for the world in how to manage scarce water reserves.”

Certainly, on the evidence of my visit, the complex management systems for sharing the water appears to be widely adhered to. The water entering the village is accessed first for drinking and domestic use, then for the mosque or school, followed by communal bathing cubicles and washing, though soap is banned. Water from these sources returns to the main channel, before heading for the fields along complex networks of channels.

I watched in Al Farfarah as farm workers meticulously kept to their schedule, blocking and unblocking irrigation channels

using old rags held down by stones. One water owner berated her workers for not getting water to one palm tree. It could have been a scene from a thousand years ago. But things are changing in the villages.

Nowadays, the water distribution is timed with watches. But al Muharbi, who is 65, was keen to show me the traditional method used when he was younger. He held a tall stick erect in the village square. As its shadow moved and reached marks in the square, orders would have gone out for which channel should receive water. At night, he remembered using the rising and setting of the stars as a clock. British researcher Harriet Nash found that as recently as a decade ago, eight villages still distributed water according to the stars. None do now.

There are other changes. With desalinated seawater now often supplied to villages for domestic use, day-to-day survival no longer depends on falaj waters. Some locals no longer know the rules. Travelling the villages, I saw signs in Arabic and English warning against bathing in delivery channels, and banning the washing of cars with falaj water.

With young Omanis moving to the cities for work, the old men left in charge employ contract workers from South Asia to work their farms. As we walked the channels of his falaj, al Muharbi was silently followed by his Bangladeshi factotum, Mohammed Islam, who carried a small spade to remove silt. He told me he had been living in the village for five years now.

From the air, the green splashes of date palm plantations clearly mark where aflaj still water the land. A government inventory in the 1990s found just over 4,000 aflaj, of which 3,000 remained in use. They delivered about 916 million cubic yards of water and irrigated some 25,900 hectares, up to half of the country’s fields. In an effort to protect them, the government imposed a ban on sinking new wells within three kilometres of aflaj water-collecting zones. But existing wells are still emptying many aquifers.

Last year, ministers warned that a quarter of the aflaj had stopped flowing since the inventory, and a third had seen a sharp decline. They promised a programme of restoration, bringing in engineering companies to clean out and line the water tunnels. But it is not clear how much difference that will make if the aquifers are emptying. And the initiative underlines how indigenous skills have disappeared.

Until the 1970s, a tribe called the Awamir specialised in

The Falaj and the community

Second source beneath terrace

Open access shafts Channel emerges from tunnel Open access shafts Channel lined with local cement Mosque

Mother well in wadi

Aqueduct carrying channel over tributary wadi First access point for drinking water

Village Quarter

Mosque wash place Fort with channel Cistern, with channels for through flow

Date palms Alfalfa Wheat

First major distributary location of temporary dams to divert water

MAIN WADI

The water serves different purposes as it flows through a village JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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Dry falaj

Photo: Shaquel al Balushi Photo: Shaquel al Balushi

In Oman’s villages, drinking and domestic needs are the priority uses of water from the aflaj system.

Bathing in the channels is not allowed Photo: Fred Pearce

Photo: Shaquel al Balushi repairing collapsed tunnels. But they gave up because there was no money in it. Now the government’s contractors send in foreign labourers to do the repairs. They are brave enough to crawl down dangerous collapsing tunnels, but they lack the traditional skills, says Abdullah al Ghafri of the University of Nizwa, who has been researching aflaj for 20 years.

The problem, he says, is that a falaj water tunnel is not simply a conveyor of water. It is also a receiving chamber for water percolating from the rocks above. Unskilled repairers often line the tunnels with concrete in places that receive water during wet times. That seals the tunnel off, killing what they came to cure.

Al Ghafri wants to set up a research center to increase knowledge of the hydrology of aflaj and preserve the secrets of traditional management. “We need to interview the last Awamir tunnel diggers before they are gone,” he says. He also wants to conduct the first investigation of the conservation value of the aflaj. These systems are the only permanent sources of water in many areas, yet their ecology is largely unknown. There could be an Omani equivalent of the blind white fish that famously inhabits Iranian qanats.

But the key to keeping the aflaj may be economic. The low price of dates, their main crop, means nobody makes money from traditional aflaj any more. The oases of Oman 024

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For 5,000 years, the aflaj have provided water to villages in Oman. These systems remain the only water supply for many villages.

Photo: Fred Pearce

may be green and cool, but they no longer make economic sense. Most agree that they need higher value crops.

Al Ghafri plans an experimental farm at the UNESCO-listed Falaj Al-Khatmeen near his Nizwa campus. He wants to try out using falaj water for aquaculture, hydroponics, and growing vegetables in greenhouses.

Another need is to make more efficient use of falaj water. Zekri says much of it is wasted because it flows constantly to the fields, whether or not it is needed. Farmers routinely over-irrigate. The answer, he says, is to install gates where the tunnels exit the mountain, so flow can be stopped.

He is also looking for a village that will try replacing traditional timeshares with smart metres to encourage water conservation.

“The aflaj have to be modernised or they will die,” Zekri says. “But they must remain in community hands.” He would like to see the land watered by each village falaj managed as a single farm. The owners would work as a cooperative, pooling their water rights and employing professional staff. But none of this will work, he says, unless the private wells emptying the aquifers are brought under control – perhaps by extending the existing community management of aflaj to include them.

This is a radical agenda. Persuading the government will be hard.

Persuading farmers and the elderly custodians of the aflaj like al Muharbi will be harder still.

Back in his house, al Muharbi and I sat cross-legged on the floor while Mohammed handed out the year’s first crop of dates and tiny cups of tea. I asked him what he thought the future held for his falaj. His smile for once slipped.

“The younger generation aren’t interested,” he said. “It won’t be maintained. It could dry up one day.

Perhaps soon.” It is a fatalism that could yet consign the unfailing springs to the history books.

Yale Environment 360 originally published this article. Visit their website at e360.yale.edu

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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The Spirit of

THE HOLY MONTH IS ABOUT SHARING AND GIVING AND Y HAS A FINAL

Win a Smart TV! It’s safe to say we’ve saved the best for last with this 42inch LG Smart TV rounding off our Ramadan giveaways in spectacular style. Bridging the gap between television and computer, Smart TVs allow you to watch all your favourite shows, as well as surf the web, stream music and post updates to social media, all on a stunning HD 1080p LED screen. To enter, send a photo showing how you beat the heat to Y’s Facebook, Twitter or Instagram platforms before July 27. But you have to like or follow us to confirm your entry and use the hashtag #YRamadanGiveaways.

Meals at Mokha This week, the Grand Hyatt Muscat hotel is giving away dinner for two people at its elegant Mokha Café, which overlooks the hotel’s picturesque gardens. To enter, get down to the Grand Hyatt and take a selfie enjoying yourself somewhere in the hotel’s grounds. Post your photos on Y’s Facebook, Twitter or Instagram platforms, tag the relevant Grand Hyatt social media accounts and include the hashtags #RamadanakHyatt and #YRamadanGiveaways before July 27. Note: bookings must be made in advance. Voucher includes soft drinks only.

For your chance to win an RO50 voucher to spend at SABCO Commercial Centre, just answer this simple question: What luxury car has been available to win by shopping for RO15 throughout Ramadan? Post your answer on our Facebook or Twitter account using the hashtag #SparklingRamadan and #YRamadanGiveaways or email us at editor@y-oman.com before July 27 to be included in the draw.

Win a Sparkling Reward 026

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

Ramadan BATCH OF SPECIAL TREATS LINED UP FOR LUCKY READERS

Get Fit

As Oman’s largest health and fitness club, Horizon Fitness helps thousands of people change their lives every day and has been doing so since launching 18 years ago. With 23 locations across the country, there’s sure to be a branch close by, no matter where you live, and we’ve teamed up with them to offer one lucky winner a year-long all location membership. To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, send us your best mid-workout photo either at the gym, at home, or out and about. Send your entries to editor@y-oman. com before July 27 to be included in the draw.

Mercedes-Benz is a brand synonymous with luxury and the premium car dealer is offering one lucky reader the chance to always travel in style with a piece of branded Mercedes-Benz luggage. To enter, just answer this simple question: What is the name of new crossover model added to the Mercedes-Benz range?

A GLA B) GT S C) GLK D) CLA Send your answer to editor@y-oman.com before July 27 to be in with a chance of winning.

Travel in Style

Fine Dining

Its restaurants have some of the most alluring settings in Oman and Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, is offering a lucky reader the chance to sample them with a dinner for two at the sumptuous Al Khiran, with fantastic views overlooking the water. To enter, simply answer this question: Which state event took place at Al Bustan Palace in the opening year?

Email your answer to editor@y-oman.com before July 27 for a chance to win. Voucher includes soft drinks only.

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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The spirit of

ARE YOU A WINNER OF ONE OF OUR FANTASTIC GIVE

Dell Laptop Winner

Y was flooded with entries for this week’s star prize, the Dell Inspiron 15 laptop. We asked you to send in your most creative photo of you at work or play, featuring Y Magazine in some way and you certainly didn’t disappoint, with wacky images coming in from around the country. We had great fun sifting through all the entries and seeing the various inventive ways you guys like to use the magazine. It was a hard choice but in the end, our editor Felicity went for Mizaan Udeen’s picture and its playful use of perspective. Congratulations Mizaan! Don’t worry if you didn’t win this time round, you’ve got one final chance to bag a prize.

BEST OF THE REST

Here is a selection of pictures sent in by our readers that didn’t win, but impressed Y’s editor. Is your photo here?

Wi nn

er

Merzia Vajid

Waheeb Khan

Abdullah Zaidi

Dexter Artieda

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Orvs Diaz

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

Ramadan

WINNERS

B•O•X

EAWAYS CELEBRATING THE HOLY MONTH?

LAST WEEK’S WINNERS

Congratulations to the following winners!

Grand Hyatt Muscat

GRAND HYATT Mohammed Harrasi for his image (left)

MILLENNIUM RESORT, MUSSANAH

Sarwat Mohammed

Ann Catherine for guessing it was answer B) Ladiesonly pool

SABCO CENTRE

S Lakshmanan for knowing that oud musicians performed at the centre from July 9 to 11

Reuel Bombita Pante

ENGINE ROOM, HORIZON

Abdul Aziz al Qadri for knowing that the Engine Room runs four programmes

Kimberly Samonte

AL BUSTAN PALACE

Mizaan Udeen

Ronak Bhatt

Sparsha Vyas

Ramsey Antao for knowing Al Bustan Palace was built in 1985

STEAK ESCAPE

Stuti Kumar

Renu Kumar

Ali Babar

Brian Martis for knowing that Steak Escape launched in Oman in January 2015

BREADTALK

Fatima Faizuddin for knowing that BreadTalk’s mango cake is called Mango Empire Princess Naranja

Michael Ramin

Gopa Kumar

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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FOOD AND DRINK

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Trend

New Restaurant

Reviews

HOMEMADE HEAVEN

Many basic sauces and accompaniments, such as pesto can be easily made at home, providing enjoyable alternatives to what you buy in the supermarket.

SPONSORED BY

TREND New Restaurant

News

SAUCED FROM HOME Forget store-bought sauces – for deliciously healthy alternatives, try making them yourself

G

etting your family together around a delicious, home-cooked meal is easier when your kitchen is stocked with better-foryou ingredients. For home cooks looking to delight taste buds and satisfy appetites – start with the sauce.

“Knowing how to prepare basic, simple sauces is an important culinary skill,” says registered dietitian Sarah-Jane Bedwell, author of Schedule Me Skinny. “While you probably can find store-bought versions, homemade sauces will taste better, cost less and be better for you, especially when made with high-quality ingredients like fresh herbs and canola oil.”

Whether your family prefers a rich white sauce or a fresh pesto, knowing how to create basic sauces allows you to whip up a dinner you’ll feel good about serving.

Creamy mac and cheese is the ultimate in kid and adult-friendly comfort dishes, featuring a classic bechamel “white sauce” – one of five traditional French “mother sauces” that have spread to other cuisines.

The use of heart-smart canola oil instead of butter to make the roux, however, significantly reduces the sauce’s saturated fat content.

Classic pesto is another healthy recipe that will become a staple in your kitchen repertoire. With origins that trace back to Genoa, Italy, it’s perfect served alongside cooked wholewheat noodles, stuffed vegetables, soups, stews, salads or sandwiches. Canola oil provides a mild taste that lets the flavours of basil and garlic shine in this delicious uncooked sauce. Plus it stays free-flowing in the refrigerator due to the oil’s low saturated fat content.

Introduce basic sauces to your family meal routine and reap the palate-pleasing results. For these and other great recipes, visit canolainfo.org.

Classic Pesto Ingredients: § 1 cup sweet basil leaves, washed and dried completely § 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated § 1/3 cup pine nuts § 5 garlic cloves, peeled § 3/4 cup canola oil § 1/2 tsp salt § 1/4 tsp pepper

Method: § In a food processor combine basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and 2 tablespoons canola oil; blend. As blending continues, slowly add remaining oil so sauce emulsifies. Add salt and pepper to taste. § Label with date and keep refrigerated. Use within 1-2 days.

Creamy Mac and Cheese Ingredients: § 2 cups elbow macaroni § 5 tbsp canola oil § 1/4 cup all-purpose flour § 2 1/2 cups milk § 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese § 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese § 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese § 1 tsp garlic powder § 1/2 tsp paprika § 1/2 tsp dry mustard § 2 tbsp canola oil § 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Cook over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened.

Pour sauce over macaroni, mix and add to large casserole dish. § In skillet, add 2 tbsp canola oil over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and brown. Spread over macaroni and cheese. Bake at 175ºC for 30 minutes. Serve.

Method: § In pot of boiling water, lightly salt water and add macaroni; cook until tender. Drain and set aside. § In a saucepan, heat 3 tbsp canola oil over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make roux.

Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, garlic powder, paprika and dry mustard.

This week’s winner For your chance to win a RO10 voucher, simply come up with a new idea for a tea, coffee or smoothie flavour that would give Chatime customers a taste sensation. The competition will run for 12 weeks and every winner will go forward to be considered for the Grand Prize. Send your entries to info@y-oman.com by July 27.

Jun Ray

Winning flavour:

Honeydew and orange smoothie with a crunch of wild blueberry

JUL 16 -22 / ISSUE 379

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HEALTH& BEAUTY BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

The kaftan top was all over the spring/summer catwalks. Pull together a carefree summer look with this Next number. Just add denim flares and a pendant for a nod to the 70s revival.

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JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

Health

Beauty

FASHION

FASHION

These stacked tribal bracelets from Matalan are a stylish way to do festival jewellery.

From RO4.5

FEST Who needs all the mud, music and mayhem?

Even if you don’t set foot at a festival, the trends filter down, says Penny Fray

Zara’s airy crochet top is perfect for wearing in warm weather gigs.

This pretty boho piece is fairly sheer, so we suggest teaming it with a tonal camisole if you prefer extra coverage.

From RO15.5

W

hen it comes to festival dressing, anything goes.

Headdresses, hot pants, fringing and flowers are all added into a melting pot of summer essentials. But the biggest trend of the music scene is the Bohemian look. Inspired by the legendary Woodstock Festival in New York and the free-spirited 1970s that followed, this season’s staples include retro denim, crochet and fringing on absolutely everything.

Don’t panic if the decade that style forgot isn’t you. Look to cool girls like Alexa Chung, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne for inspiration with denim cut-offs, a leather jacket and lots of attitude. It’s all about looking like you’re with the band.

Of course, modern festival style is about combining practical dressing with your own look and being paparazzi ready at all times, so don’t forget flats, sunglasses, wipes and dry shampoo.

Crafted from supple suede, Isabel Marant’s black vest is intricately embroidered with colourful silk. It’s the designer way to reference this season’s haute Bohemian mood.

From RO970

Fringing moves with your body and looks great when you dance. Plus, it’s the biggest trend of the season. This bag from Mango ticks all the right boxes. From RO48

This 70s inspired denim skirt from Pretty Little Thing is a key silhouette this season.

Cut to sit on the waist, it has a cool buttoned front that can be worn open or closed, depending on the event. We like it best with a simple top and a pair of clogs. From RO9

Forget flimsy flip flops. Saint Laurent’s tan clogs are the ideal shoes to team with folk-inspired pieces. Comfortable, practical and über hip – what more could a girl want? From RO318

HEADLINING LOOKS

The secrets behind festival dressing:

1. It might look effortless, but to pull off the perfect boho look takes meticulous planning. Google this year’s Coachella and Glastonbury events for inspiration. 2. Look in Oman’s souqs for floaty kaftans, tribal-inspired jewellery and embroidered bags. 3. Get ahead of the curve with a floral mini dress – they’ll be all the rage come autumn.

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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HEALTH& BEAUTY

BEAUTY

Health Fashion

LESS IS BEST

Follow these top tips to get rid of that cosmetic clutter and streamline your beauty routine

S

SCAN OUR QR CODES WITH ANY QR READER APP

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JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

omewhere in her home, almost every woman has at least one drawer, cabinet or box overflowing with beauty products, and this can translate to a cluttered and outdated beauty routine. But now is the time to get organised and replace tired habits and products with something better.

“Streamline your beauty routine and clean out cosmetic clutter. Less is best for a woman on the go,” says beauty expert Mickey Williams.

“Whether you’re trying to get your kids out the door in the morning, or prepping for a day of big meetings, no one wants last season’s products to slow down her beauty routine.”

Williams has teamed up with Dove Advanced Care Deodorant to offer these beauty tips for a fresh start: Give your colour palette a seasonal update.

Adjust your make-up palette to play off of the brightness of summer. Maybe you aren’t ready to dive into the matte marsala lip trend, but adding a bright gloss to your lips or a shimmering shadow to your lids will perk up your skin tone and awaken the face.

Short sleeves mean it’s time to change your deodorant.

It’s sleeveless season and now is the time to replace your deodorant with one that goes beyond odour and wetness protection. “I like Dove Advanced Care Anti-Perspirant/ Deodorant because it will keep you feeling fresh and confident for up to 48 hours, and nine out of 10 women agreed it made their underarms soft and smooth,” Williams says. “Plus, it’s available in a bunch of light floral scents – perfect for summer.”

Switch up your moisturising routine. The heat is getting unbearable and you need to keep your skin hydrated. Try swapping the thick face creams you relied on in the winter for a gel to seal in your favourite serum. They hold mega moisture and offer hydration in a lightweight formula. There are even gels with SPF so your skin can stay protected and moisturised.

Throw out old nail products. Nothing says summer like a pretty pedicure, but if you’re using last season’s products, you could actually do more harm than good.

Bacteria can grow on old manicure and pedicure products like nail files and pumice stones, so make sure you buy new ones for summer. Store away those dark winter nail polishes and bring out the bright reds, passionate pinks and vibrant violets.

Following this advice from Williams is a great way to freshen up any beauty routine and embrace summer. Visit dove.com for more information. * BPT

Beauty

Fashion

HEALTH

AVOIDING

MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD Take advantage of new scientific findings to help you live a long, healthy and fit life

T

here are many ways you can stay fit and promote a long, healthy life. And you probably know about some of them, particularly those habits that are widely discussed in the media and by doctors. However, scientists have recently made new discoveries that can help you activate weight loss while gaining control over deadly ageing processes.

Beyond eating a well-balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise, how can you facilitate a healthy body weight?

Your Body’s Enzymes Can Help

New research indicates that when certain enzymes in your body are functioning properly, certain ageing processes, such as weight gain, can be slowed or even reversed. One enzyme, in particular, known as Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is being highlighted by medical researchers. AMPK is an enzyme found within every cell and serves as your body’s master regulating switch, determining body fat composition and how long you will live. When switched “on,” AMPK triggers the use of stored energy from fats, enhances removal of fats and sugar from the blood, increases production of mitochondria, and

reduces inflammation and cellular “junk”.

“When AMPK is more activated, it can help protect you against obesity and diabetes and many degenerative processes can be reversed,” says Dr Michael A Smith, senior health scientist for Life Extension and host of Healthy Talk on RadioMD.com.

Smith likens the processes that AMPK promotes as “cellular housekeeping”, warning that when these processes don’t work, dysfunctional cells can accumulate and create problems like weight gain and chronic inflammation.

Setbacks

As we grow older, cellular AMPK activation decreases, weight gain often follows and we are more likely to succumb to the destructive factors of ageing. Additionally, excess calorie consumption impairs the enzymatic activity of AMPK. Unfortunately, most humans today suffer chronic nutritional overload, say experts.

Solutions

Researchers have discovered four ways to boost the body’s AMPK activity: ● Exercise: AMPK activity increases with regular vigorous exercise. ● Restrict calories: By taking in fewer calories, you create increased AMPK activity as cells sense a requirement to function more efficiently. ● Metformin: One of the drug metformin’s most beneficial mechanisms is to activate AMPK. This is one way it lowers elevated glucose. However, most physicians only prescribe metformin for type 2 diabetes, making access to this drug difficult for most people. ● Botanical Extracts: Two natural agents, the Chinese herb Gynostemma pentaphyllum and trans-tiliroside derived from rose hips, have been shown to activate AMPK, reducing belly fat, cholesterol, blood sugar, and insulin levels. You can supplement your diet with an AMPK activator to turn off many damaging effects of ageing.

More information can be found at LifeExtension.com/activateAMPK. Over the years, you don’t just have to quietly accept weight gain and the effects of ageing. Take advantage of the new scientific findings that can help you promote a long, healthy and fit life. * StatePoint JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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GRAB IT BEFORE IT’S GONE GET YOUR FREE COPY OF Y AT THE FOLLOWING DISTRIBUTION POINTS… Capital Region Azaiba • Amara Dermatology Clinic • Audi showroom • Bentley showroom • Costa Coffee • Al Fair • Jaguar Showroom • Jeep Showroom • Al Maha Petrol Station • Mazda showroom • McDonald’s • Mitsubishi Showroom • Oman Arab Bank • Oman Oil Petrol Station • Peugeot Showroom • Range Rover Showroom • Sayarti Auto Care • Shell Select • Skoda Showroom • The Sultan Center • Volkswagen showroom • Volvo Showroom • Yamaha Showroom Bawshar • College of Banking and Financial Studies • Dolphin Village • Modern College of Business and Science • Muscat College • Muscat Private Hospital (Emergency and Outpatients) • Oman Medical College CBD • Al Maya Hypermarket • Alizz Islamic Bank • Bahwan Travel Agencies • Bank Sohar • Copper Chimney Restaurant • Costa Coffee • HSBC • Lama Polyclinic • NBO • Oman Arab Bank • Standard Chartered Bank • Woodlands Restaurant Darsait • Indian Social Club

• •

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• •

Pizza Hut Saharz Beauty Salon • Starbucks Al Murtafa’a • Bank Muscat • KFC • Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club Muscat International Airport • Caribou Coffee • Majan Lounge • Plaza Premium Lounge Mussanah • Millennium Resort Muttrah • Shell Petrol Station Qantab • Al Bustan Palace • Marina Bandar Al Rowdha • Oman Dive Center • Shangri-La Qurum • Al Araimi Complex • Balance Health & Fitness • Bank Nizwa • BMW showroom • Burger King • Chili’s Restaurant • Crowne Plaza • Finland Eye Center • Fun Zone • Gloria Jean’s Coffees • The Jungle Restaurant • Left Bank • McDonald’s • Mercedes-Benz Showroom • Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant • Nandos • Nissan Showroom • Oman Oil Petrol Station • Pizza Hut • Qurum Commercial Complex • Ras Al Hamra Club • SABCO Centre • Second Cup • Starbucks • The Sultan Center • Tche Tche Café Rusayl • Knowledge Oasis Muscat -1 • Knowledge Oasis Muscat -2 • Knowledge Oasis

Muscat -3 Knowledge Oasis Muscat -4 (ITA) • Middle East College • Omantel • Waljat College of Applied Sciences Ruwi • Apollo Medical Centre • Kamat Restaurant • KFC • Khimji’s Mega Store – Swarovski Showroom • Khimji’s Watches • KM Trading • Oman Air • Oman UAE Exchange • Oman Trading Establishment • Saravana Bhavan Sarooj • Al Fair • Al Masa Mall • City Cinema • Ayana Spa • Cosmeclic • Emirates Medical Center • McDonald’s • Shell Petrol Station • VLCC Wellness Sawadi • Al Sawadi Beach Resort Seeb • Golden Tulip Hotel • McDonald’s Shatti Al Qurum • Bareeq Al Shatti Complex • Caribou Coffee • D’Arcy’s Kitchen • German Eye Centre • The Indus Restaurant • InterContinental Hotel Muscat • Jawharat Al Shatti Complex • Kaya Skin Clinic • Muscat Eye Laser Center • Oasis By The Sea • Second Cup • Starbucks • VLCC Wellness Sifa • Sifawy Boutique Hotel SQU • Diplomatic Club •

•

College of Economics and Political Science • Students Banking Area • Reception/Canteen Wadi Kabir • Al Maya Hypermarket • LuLu Hypermarket • Muscat Pharmacy • National Hospitality Institute • Pizza Hut • Shell Petrol Station Wattayah • Ahli Bank • Best cars • BLS International Services • Chevorlet/GM showroom • Ford Showroom • Hatat House • Honda Showroom • Hyundai showroom • Kia Showroom • Lexus Showroom • National Travel & Tourism • Passage To India Restaurant • Shell Petrol Station • Subaru showroom • Suzuki Showroom • Toyota Showroom The Wave • Almouj Golf • Costa Coffee • Oman Sail • Shakespeare & Co. • The Wave Head Office Other Regions Barka • Al Nahda Spa and Resort • LuLu Hypermarket Nizwa • University of Nizwa Sohar • Centrepoint (Splash) • Crowne Plaza • National Gift Markets • Ooredoo • Pizza Hut • Safeer Mall • Sohar Beach Hotel • Sohar Port and Freezone • Sohar University

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Postcards from

Outdoors

Y- F i

CARS AND ADVENTURES

SUNDOWN AT THE SOUQ

As Iftar approaches, you can sense the expectation in the air, as people buy last-minute additions to the meal that marks the breaking of their fast.

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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CARS AND OUTDOORS ADVENTURES

D E S T I N AT I O N P o s t c a r d s f r o m

Y- F i

Outdoors

Destination

IFTAR IN NIZWA

CONTINUING HIS SERIES OF EVENING AND NIGHTTIME SHOOTS, SHAQUEL AL BALUSHI TAKES A TRIP TO NIZWA TO EXPERIENCE IFTAR IN ONE OF OMAN’S OLDEST CITIES 038

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

L

ast week was the first time in my life I have visited Nizwa during Iftar time in Ramadan, so as I was making my way towards Oman’s old capital, I didn’t really know what I would find waiting for me.

I normally stop by in Nizwa when I am camping in the area, especially if I’m with friends who haven’t seen the fort before. This time around, it was just before sunset when I arrived, a little after 6pm.

Nizwa Souq is known to be quite active, occupying a sprawling area both inside and outside the walls of the fort complex. Artisans and craft makers dominate the majority of the shops inside the walls, selling silver items such as khanjars for which Nizwa is famous, as well as other little tourist trinkets. Venture beyond the restored walls, though, and you’ll find separate souqs housed in newer buildings for fruits and vegetables, spices, meat and fish, all of which are normally bustling with activity.

As soon as I parked my car, I realised that there was a very different feel in the air to normal.

It wasn’t quite Iftar time yet and so there were still a few people out on the streets, but everyone seemed in a rush to get from here to there, tying up their last bits of business with souq traders before hurrying off with their contributions to the breaking of the fast.

I followed two people as they made their way from the fruit market and managed to capture my favourite image of the day. I saw an Omani gentleman carrying his purchases in a bag on his head, taking help from a friend, yet just a few paces behind was the lone figure of an elderly Omani woman doing exactly the same, although she required no help and was able to walk very elegantly, with enough confidence to hold her

hand on her hip as she went along.

The predominant impression I got was one of exhaustion; we are getting towards the end of Ramadan now and I guess that the physical and mental effects of a month of fasting are beginning to make themselves known.

Amidst all this, I glimpsed the figure of an Omani in national dress through a gap in a wire fence serenely making his way through the crowds with a bag of samosas and a smile on his face. He looked incredibly chilled and definitely on my wavelength.

There were a couple of restaurants open, with people sitting around tables, all waiting expectantly for the call to prayer to sound across the city.

As the call to prayer neared, the souq went very quiet and the traffic disappeared from the road. That’s one thing I liked about this particular shoot – I was able to capture a different side to Nizwa; it almost reminded me of an abandoned town at times.

In several of the shots, I accidentally included the minaret of the nearby mosque and when I noticed this, I wandered closer to shoot it specifically. It was like I was being drawn towards it, the closer Iftar came.

As the call to prayer sounded, I ventured inside the mosque and joined dozens of others as I broke my own fast on laban and dates.

After praying, I captured a few more shots of the surrounding scenes, but then headed home.

When I was

travelling to Nizwa, the traffic was pretty hectic; it was a Thursday and people were understandably eager to get back home. In contrast, the drive back was a dream, with everyone spending time with his or her family, just as I was racing towards Amerat to do myself.

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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CARS AND OUTDOORS ADVENTURES

G N I N N I W

S Y WA

r 10 games e v o t u o it d le tt a e teams b madan id a s R a s a n B e v a e s W 0 a 1 r r o e o Aft th, the Koo n o M ly o H e th and finale, r t g u a to n w o througho d e m ns Cup ca io p m a h weekend C e te th a r r e o v p o r l o Co o h c S rnational te n I t a c s u M t a ld he 040

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

id-30s venturing into the m espite temperatures strong crowd turned out to and high humidity, ak-off that would see the team watch the 10pm kicle Oil take on Shell Helix from Areej Vegetab e the overall winner of the uld decid in a spectacle that womadan Corporate Champions Cup. Koooora Wa Bas Ra a one-minute silence was held to pay Prior to the match, yadi, a player from the Sayarti team Sh respect to Zakaria alin a car accident on his way home from d die y all who tragic scored a hat-trick. a match in which he served and chief guest Saleh al Farsi, With formalities ob mani Football Assocation, having met O deputy head of the the team’s players, Davis Rizzolo, an of ch ea h’s referee blew and greeted ol coach and the matc ho Sc er cc So al sen y.

Ar oceedings under wa the whistle to get pr 00 was riding on the outcome of the A prize of RO2,0 eej, clad in green, and Shell, kitted s match and so both Ark yellow, were understandably cautiou ar m de e tra on of eir th re in su t ea ou tes, trying to get a m in the opening minu re few and far between in the first half, we another. Chances ent to hold on to possession for as long with both teams conthope that their opponents would slip up as they could, in the th half of the and let them in. ed watertight and wi Both defences remain s still nil-nil. It came down to the wa match over, the scorepire their players to achieve greatness, ins to s he ac co ’s m ate speeches as tea visual aids in passion using clipboards andwater to rehydrate after 20 minutes of the players took on g conditions. k a chord, as running in demandin hes said must’ve struc Something the coac t of the blocks firing on all cylinders, ou the two teams came ends early in the second half. It th bo at s ce an ch th oid a penalty wi ms were eager to av seemed that both teame began to flow more, becoming shootout and the ga the process. increasingly open in Badar, the coach of the Areej team, During a chat with d been confident of success coming ha he revealed that theyt, given that the lads had been practicing into the tournamen for the past six months. As the second e and playing togetherlikelihood of penalties loomed large, th half waned and the y between the guys in green began to cohesion and synergk rattling the woodwork before a rocket show, with a free kic t bulge mere minutes before the final of a shot made the ne through the whistle. fficient to see Areej tory. “It was a su s wa it , gh ou en Sure ht vic d clinch a hard-foug s final few minutes anw I feel very happy,” was all a breathles no d uld an co , h m atc eej tea great m ni, captain of the Ar Mohammed al Miha to the podium to receive his winner’s manage before takingphy on behalf of his team in raucous medal and lift the tro celebration.

D

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

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CARS AND ADVENTURES WAVE RIDER

Hawaii is the birthplace of modern surfing and its waves, which are some of the best in the world, attract thousands of global visitors annually.

TOP FIVE THINGS TO DO: 1. Learn how to surf, or at least give it a fair try 2. Visit the highly informative Polynesian Cultural Centre 3. Enjoy snorkelling in the clear waters of Hanauma Bay 4. Dance the night away at one of Waikiki’s many top-notch nightclubs 5. Visit the centre of Oahu and its many pineapple plantation fields 042

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

Destination

Outdoors

Y-Fi

POSTCARDS FROM

Marjorie Lopes recommends

HONOLULU, HAWAII W

hat do you think of when someone says “Hawaii”? Hula girls?

Surfing championships? Palm trees, volcanoes and pineapples?

Those are just some of the images I associated with my ideal p i c t u r e o f H a w a i i , a p l a c e t h a t h a d i n t r i g u e d m e fo r a l o n g t i m e .

The archipelago of volcanic islands is the only American state that isn’t actually located in the Americas - as it sits within the Oceania region, in the Central Pacific Ocean. After a long history of selfgovernance, several political changes made it the final addition to the United States in 1959. Nowadays, the group of islands is h e a v i l y l i n k e d t o t o u r i s m a n d fo r a g o o d r e a s o n .

Oahu is home to Hawaii’s biggest city, Honolulu, as well as its most famous beach, Waikiki. Nicknamed “The Gathering Place”, this is the heart of Hawaii, with flights from all over the world landing at its airport.

Aside from its beaches, Honolulu has an interesting variety of a tt r a c t i o n s a n d n e i g h b o u r h o o d s . I t s C h i n a t o w n w a s b i g g e r t h a n w h a t I had imagined, and even its “Wall Street” area - Bishop Street - w a s fu l l o f s k y s c r a p e r s a n d b u s i n e s s m e n w a l k i n g a r o u n d i n s u i t s , s o m e t h i n g u n i m a g i n a b l e t o m e b e fo r e g o i n g t h e r e .

It’s a great place to spend a few days lazing around on the beach, or to get more active, through learning how to surf, enjoying other w a t e r s p o r t s o r t a k i n g t o s o m e o f O a h u ’ s g r e a t h i k i n g t r a i l s fo r stunning panoramic views of the island.

HANAU MA BA Y IS A SNORK E L L IN G PARAD IS

E

My favourite place

Driving around the island to check out different beaches and getting away from Waikiki’s hustle and bustle was definitely a decision I am happy to have taken. There are countless beaches worth checking out, some of them offering incredible sunsets, great snorkelling and the unique opportunity to watch professional surfers in action. Snorkelling in Hanauma Bay is an experience not to be missed, and Banzai Pipeline is the perfect place to observe surfers breaking into waves more than 20 metres high.

U EL D S IN OA H PI NE A PP LE FI

Highlights

Oahu manages to combine incredible landscape with very rich history and culture. Mixing Japanese, Korean and Chinese migration along with the culturally rich original Polynesians who resided there turned the place into a truly diverse land. The Polynesian Cultural Centre is filled with insightful exhibitions about Hawaii’s past and the traditional music and dance performances held at the end of the visit are truly entertaining. For those interested in history, the memorial at Pearl Harbour is an informative source, providing details of the historical incident that put Hawaii in the spotlight during World War Two. As mentioned previously, Hawaii’s beaches are incredible – you can easily spend most of the time just enjoying their beauty, sunbathing and swimming.

Lowlights

It took a long time and a lot of effort to pinpoint any lowlights of Honolulu. It’s a big, busy city, hosting a fair number of visitors throughout the year and, at times, the crowds at beaches such as Waikiki can affect the plans of travellers looking to do nothing other than relax. Much quieter beaches are within easy reach, though, making this potential “lowlight” easily manageable.

Souvenirs Shopping in Honolulu is a full on experience. There are countless shopping malls worth visiting as they are beautifully designed with many outdoor areas ideal for strolling around. The taxation in the State of Hawaii is lower than the rest of the country, making prices more affordable than those in the continental United States. Souvenir shops selling summer dresses, flower lei necklaces and macadamia nuts can be found around Waikiki beach at surprisingly reasonable prices.

Where to stay Honolulu is lined with hotels of all ranges and travellers can choose from youth hostels and camping grounds to incredible five-star properties. The Halekulani Hotel is one of Hawaii’s most well-regarded properties, boasting elegance and style for those looking for a luxurious experience.

I found the Outrigger chain of hotels to be excellent value, offering spotless four-star properties just a few steps away from the beach.

HAWAII IS THE SPIRIT OF SUR UAL HO FING ME

JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

043

-FI THE TECH IN YOU

Postcards from

D e s t i n at i o n

Y-FI

FUN IN THE SUN Just because you are heading to the beach or lazing by the pool, it doesn’t mean you have to leave your gadgets behind, writes Felicity Glover

GOOD VIBES

DEEP DIVE The Sea-Doo GTI Sea Scooter might be popular with divers, but there’s no reason why beachgoers can’t ride the waves with this fun device. It’s cheaper than a jet ski, but more fun as you power through the water at speeds of up to 5kph. The Seascooter can take you up to 30 metres in depth, while its battery lasts about two hours, ensuring you will be king – or queen – of the waves in no time. From RO173 at amazon.com

Protecting your smartphone while at the beach or by the pool is a no-brainer these days. After all, our phones can withstand a lot, but a combination of water, sand or even a misguided ice cream can cause havoc on the operating systems. The H2O Vibe universal waterproof case can be used for a variety of smartphones and is certified to 30 metres in depth, all the while maintaining full touch screen functionality. A day out at the beach has never been so much fun. From RO3.85 at amazon.com

BUMPER BOAT Floating around the pool on a lilo is so passé these days – especially if you have a Banzai Motorized Bumper Boat to create a little poolside buzz. Think of a classic bumper car, only these ones float. Get a couple and you’ve got an afternoon packed with carnival-style fun as you race about the pool shooting the water blaster at your friends. It’s simple to operate, while a 12V motor uses eight D-size batteries to provide aquatic propulsion. From RO32 at amazon.com

EDITOR’S PICK

SOUND WAVES

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POOL PARTIES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN THANKS TO THE MARGARITAVILLE FLOATING POOL SPEAKER, WHICH CONNECTS TO YOUR BLUETOOTH-ENABLED DEVICE AS IT BOBS AROUND THE POOL PLAYING ALL YOUR FAVOURITE TUNES. WITH EIGHT HOURS OF POWER, YOU CAN PLAY, PAUSE AND TURN UP THE VOLUME WITHOUT LEAVING THE POOL. IT ALSO HAS A BUILT-IN FM RADIO, WHILE A MULTI-COLOURED LED LIGHT REFLECTS DOWN INTO THE WATER, GIVING YOUR PARTY THAT ESSENTIAL CLUB ATMOSPHERE AS THE SUN GOES DOWN. LET THE PARTY BEGIN! AVAILABLE AT FRONTGATE.COM FOR RO28.80.

JULY JUL 1603- 22 - 09/ ISSUE / ISSUE379327

SUN SAVER So you’ve slapped on the sun cream, but have frolicked in the waves for hours and lost all sense of time. Is it time to reapply or head indoors for some relief from the burning rays of the sun? The Oregon Scientific EB612 Portable UV Monitor is a handy little device that tells you how strong the harmful UV rays are, as well as how long it will take before your skin starts burning and the strength of sun cream you should use to protect yourself. It also monitors the temperature, has a countdown timer and digital clock.

Essential in this day and age of skin cancer awareness. Available from amazon.co.uk for RO7.5.

NEW

App of the Week

WATERFI WATERPROOFED IPOD SHUFFLE SWIM KIT

Sharing music might be cool, but there are still times when you have no choice but to keep your favourite playlists to yourself, such as when you are exercising and swimming. With this in mind, Waterfi has taken the humble MP3 player to the next level for exercise junkies with the 2GB iPod Shuffle Swim Kit, which it has managed to waterproof down to a depth of 64 metres. The company says it has “internally insulated” the iPod Shuffle through its “durable and unobtrusive” technology, allowing users to swim longer and, ahem, sweat more. The iPod Shuffle also comes with Waterfi waterproof short chord headphones. From RO60 at waterfi.com

BEACH SAFETY With more than 1,700km of coastline, it’s safe to say there are some amazing beaches in Oman. However, there are also dangers present and many residents of the Sultanate are unaware of beach safety. The Beach Safety app helps beachgoers learn about the dangers of rips and even if there are sharks or stingrays about. The app comes with an inbuilt safety checklist, as well as videos on how to spot rips.

Free for all iOS devices.

HOT DIGGIDY DOG! Poolside snacks at home have never been easier or more delicious thanks to the Maverick Hero Hot Dog Cooker, which can steam up to six hot dogs in as little as nine minutes. And when they’re done, the device will bark and turn itself off. All that’s missing is the wagging tail, but still, the kids will love it – not to mention the hot dogs it produces.

Simply load it up, switch it on and voila, lunch by the pool is ready in minutes. From RO8 at amazon.com JULY JUL 03 16 - 09 22 / ISSUE 379 327

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PICTURE OF THE WEEK Man of Many Colours: Ramadan has been a time of peaceful reflection and an opportunity to carry out charitable deeds. Now, we move forward together into the colourful celebration of Eid Al Fitr and all the joy that comes with it.

Photo by Shaquel al Balushi

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JUL 16 - 22 / ISSUE 379

LEMAN Red Caran d’Ache. Swiss Made excellence since 1915.

Khimji’s Watches, Al Ufouq Building, Ground 2, Building # 2825, Way # 3036, Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman www.khimjiblog.kr.om carandache.com