Y Magazine #390, October 15, 2015 by SABCO Press, Publishing and Advertising

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OCT 15 - 21 2015 / ISSUE 390 • WEEKLY

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COMPETITION Are you an F1 fan? Y has a great competition this week thanks to effect®, the mental energiser drink, and National Mineral Water Company. Turn to page 11 for details on how you can win two tickets to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

THE BAROMETER GOING UP

RAIN The tropical depression that has formed in the Arabian Sea is moving towards the coast of Oman, weather experts say, and could bring rain to Muscat and the Interiors over the three-day weekend.

GOING DOWN

HEALTH AND SAFETY A stomach-churning report that a fast-food chain in Muscat has been using its cooking oil for three days is disappointing, as it puts consumers at risk. But unfortunately, we have no idea which chain it is to avoid going there.

THIS WEEK… Team Y has been catching up with old friends, caught the latest Hollywood blockbuster, The Martian, and enjoyed a night playing some old-fashioned games. Jenga, anyone?

Ways to get your Y fix Online: Visit y-oman.com for even more inspiration. Smart device: Catch up with Y on the go by scanning the QR code below

EDITOR’S

NOTE

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

Fast forward

t’s been a contentious issue for many residents over the years – the unregulated rental property market in Muscat. Having experienced unreasonable landlord demands in my recent search for a property closer to my daughter’s school, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a landlord’s market out there. And I’m not the only one, as our cover story this week reveals. Being forced to cough up a year’s rent is outrageous, more so as it is the landlord who is benefiting from the bank interest that large sum of money attracts. Worse, many landlords think that once they’ve got the rent sewn up, that is where their responsibility ends towards the upkeep of the property. What I’d like to see is a united front from renters – the more we refuse to bow down to these demands, the more likely we will see change. But that also has to be backed up by an industry regulator, which will ensure the rights of everybody – tenants and landlords alike. Elsewhere, we turn night into day with the pyjama look in Fashion, continue our search for the Sultanate’s talented artists to enter our Portrait By A Nation competition and launch a new event for college students with Y’s Coolest Fresher. Have a wonderful week and stay safe on the roads over the holiday weekend! Got the OMAR App? Then hover your device over any pages marked with the OMAR symbol to see the video

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:

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SUB-EDITOR Matt Blackwell

PHOTOGRAPHER Shaquel al Balushi

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Feroz Khan

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Write to us at Y Magazine, SABCO Media, PO Box 3779, Ruwi 112, Sultanate of Oman. OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

contents

OCTOBER 15 - 21 2015

Features 20 Rental Rip Off Tenants Held To Ransom 24 Portait By A Nation Join Y’s Art Contest

Your Oman 06 Coffee With Deeba Heather Neil 08 Voice Of Oman Heather Duncan

This Week 17 Movie Listings The Martian

26 Y’s Coolest Fresher Hunt For Muscat’s Hippest Students

14 Gallery Pink Afternoon Tea

18 This Week To Be Or Not To Be

10 News UAE E-Visas

15 Hyundai – Driven To Success Murtadha Al Lawati 16 #FYI 5 Natural Wonders Of The World

Food and Drink 28 Food Feature Nice Ice 30 Taste Test Adobo

Cars and Adventures 38 Destination Ain Al Kasfa 40 Indoors Omani Women On Camera

Health and Beauty

42 Postcard From New Delhi, India

32 Fashion Lounge Around

44 Y-Fi Bring The Bling

46 Picture Of The Week 34 Beauty Grand Design Get The Glow 35 Health Flexible Weight Tips

NEXT ISSUE... FEATURES / COFFEE WITH DEEBA / HEALTH / FLORAL FASHION / FOOD / MOVIES / Y-FI

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Deeba Hasan Royal Society speaks with Heather Ne il, the chief e Oman recentl for the Prevention of Cru x y to meet the elty to Animaecutive of Australia’s team from O mani Paws ls, who was in uddling a small

to address the pr Heather Neil, thdog, cruelty, looking oblem of animal executive of RSPe chief Penalties for viol CA problem from alat the cause of the at Austr l sides. ri gh ts in the UAE in ing animal cheerful, compaalia, is sporting a “W e ha clude a ve an maximum of a her nine years atssionate smile. In cruelty inspectoimal welfare and one-year jail th rs e se or in nt ganisation, Australia ence and a Heather has trie who advise peop le on how to trea Dh20,000 (RO fine of up to that everything d to make sure an im 2,095). t al s. We al While Oman ha done to stop all in her power is new pet ownersso offer advice for s some way fo rms of cruelty ,” go before such to animals. Heather made she says. a law is introducto su H ea re ed, ther says Oman that her love Heather has be for animals was i Paws is en pa do fo ss llo in ed g w on a in gr to g work of Oman eat jo the the next generation circumstances. b in difficult welfare organisai Paws, the animal got our daught of her family. “We tio to write a letter She is also planning from afar and du n in Oman, was just two aner a cat when she to ri d ng af U a te AE-based amba Australia’s short visit r that she had to see her daug a dog. We curren ht er last week, when she return ssador to Oman she was able to who is almost 11 tly have a dog s m ee t ye ta th lk about how m home. “I will ar e s old and team to see firsthand th very pampered e w and spoiled,” sa enjoyed my tim uch I have treated in the Su ay animals are Heather. ys e ltanate. th ere is anything here and ask if “One of the re O ne pa rt ic ul al ar assist the govern we can do to differences is th ly big operation in Aus animal rescue m at yo tr u bu al do t also suggest th ent in Oman, ia n’t see that people here wal Heather remem ki ng Omani Paws pr at groups like with dogs, as it’s obviously ve horse that was bers involved a ob ry fo ho un su t,” d pport,” she says ably need more sh on the edge e says. “I suppose one of the city. “It ha of “If you love an . differences is th the cultural into a creek an d somehow fallen e pl d ac co do e ul n’t just have to imals, you of dn animals ’t get itself in society. In so out again. The m ew fir here like owner; there ar become a pet Australia, anim to come and w e brigade had em al s in ar ch in e ve th which you can any other ways ry e horse out, much part of your fam which naturally ily , express your lo volunteer to quite different he but that’s All of this was left it a bit shaken. ve re fil m an a ed fundraiser, foster. You can hold d w on ith that the comes those diffe RSPCA rescue , walk a dog, re op nt attitudes play with cats, towards animal Heather has no eration show.” help find potent s.” ow t ial vi ne sit rs or just do wha ed other Growing up GCC countries tever you he ca rs n el be f, bu ca us t Sydney, animalon the outskirts of sh e an has heard of st e the community imals are part of big part of Heas were always a treatment from ories about animal .” th er he ’s life. She was r colleagues Heather agrees surrounded by w ho ha ve be en needs to be crea that any change and cows from horses, chickens I’ve heard, the there. “From what a yo sit un uation in other society to move ted from within g age and her first interact G C C co un tr ies direction, and thin a positive RSPCA came ion with the in Oman,” she is very much like at th sa e ys. dictate such thin at no one can age of six or seven. “We ha T he gs U A E , ju “You might be from outside. puppies in a loca d found several border, is one ofst across the l pa th doesn’t want to someone who rk, so we e few took them to th co un tr ie s in the animals, but th interact with a vivid memorye RSPCA. I have a proper animal GCC to have ey of dr w to elfare law. opping be frightened ofare nothing the puppies off, Fe de ra l and as L aw 16 kids go through wasn’t to know but back then I place in 2007 to was put in sc ho th at pr 35 th ey need to learn ol, years later, I would end up from abuse and otect animals w or ne ki ap ng gl proach a dog or how to ig fo en r ce. the same organisatio It states that inad n, ” eq sh an e tells me. animal approacha cat. If She has had a lo or undernourish uate diet ng m th en ca e t, re best thing to do es you, un er safe in the not-for-pr transportation, ofi as t se yo w ctor, ell as other urself and the an is keep including organi forms of mistre sa at tio m Yo ns en u don’t need to imal safe. su t, ch in cluding as the Australia scientific experi n B m re en or as ts, cruelty tfeeding shoo it away.” throw rocks Association, Qui an d se xu al ab us CropLife. In he t Tasmania and by law. Animal e, are punishable Have you got a un s sh RSPCA, Heathr time with the m edical attention ould receive or do you know so ique story to tell er has attempted w he n ne eded and abandonm us to have coffee wimeone who has? Contact ent is also illegal th Deeba and be fea . in Y M tured agazine. Email: ed itor@y-oman.com

JULY1503- -2109/ ISSUE OCT / ISSUE390327

Heather

Neil

THE VOICE OF OMAN HEATHER DUNCAN ON SAVOURING BEING A MUM

correspondence ROAD RAGE Dear Editor,

hen I was pregnant everyone, parents especially, kept telling me how fast time passes by. When my son was born they told me the exact same thing. Even though I had heard it a million times I didn’t quite appreciate it until recently. They were all totally right, time does pass too quickly and the old cliché is spot on – babies really do grow up so fast! My squishy little newborn soon grew (he’ll be two in two months), he mastered walking before he could crawl, he developed his own personality with likes and dislikes and now when I drop him to nursery it doesn’t even faze him. He blows Mama a kiss and heads into class without any tears or a second glance. It feels like only a few months ago we met for the first time but already so much has changed. He has changed. Every day I make sure to cuddle him tight even if he’s covered in yoghurt, I let him give me slobbery kisses and I hold his sticky little hands when he wants to take me to watch the same movie AGAIN. I’m trying to savour these moments. The next time your child is having a tantrum and screaming at the top of their lungs, remember that soon your house will be quiet, your children will have grown up and you will long to hear those screams again. My advice, parent to parent: put down the phone or laptop and put things in perspective. Time is moving too quickly, your kids are only young once - enjoy it and enjoy them.

NEXT WEEK:

MATT BLACKWELL

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

Earlier this week I saw something that almost made me too angry for words. I’m fairly used to the traffic at the small roundabout close to City Centre Muscat, but on this occasion I noticed that the car in front of me – a Porsche Cayenne – was repeatedly missing opportunities to enter the roundabout. I managed to squeeze in to the right of the large vehicle as I was planning to take the first exit and as I drew level I saw that the driver was sitting there typing away on her tablet, completely oblivious to the road ahead of her and the traffic that was building behind. To say I was enraged would be an understatement, but sadly I find that this kind of behaviour is all too common in Muscat. Not only does it show blatant disregard for other road users, but it’s seriously dangerous

DEBATE OF THE WEEK WE ASKED:

“Does failure make you a weaker or stronger person?” ‪‪SHIBHANGI G K

We are destined to be winners from the time we are born. Failure and success are like two sides of a coin. When we toss it, we don’t know which side we will get. No one hopes for failure so naturally when we encounter it, we are numb with shock. It is in human physiology to avoid what causes failure

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and could cause an accident in the blink of an eye. Measures need to be put in place to stop these irresponsible drivers, but I realise that the ROP can’t be everywhere at once. I’m open to suggestions. Regards Theo Maxwell, Muscat

and this is what makes us weak. Those who never give up soon realise their goals. It all depends on who we are and what we choose when we are at the crossroads.

‪ALI FAREED AL LAWATI‬‪ ‬‪

It makes you stronger if you know how to turn the failure into success and learn from it.

‪‪‪ADEEBA FATIMA‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‪

Failure makes me stronger than before. Without failure there is no sweetness in success. Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.

‪‪‪SHAWN ALVA‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪

Failure makes you a weaker person at that moment; it takes great discipline and a strong mind to rise from it and smile. When we fail, it’s like nature telling us that we weren’t taking the correct approach. Failure makes you a stronger person if you learn a lesson every time you fall before standing up and walking again.

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‪‪‪RONNEIL SALES VALIENTE‬‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‪

The road to success in life is not easy. It is made of twists and turns, detours, and failures. In my opinion, our attitude determines whether we succeed or fail. My failures made me a stronger person because I saw them as an opportunity to improve myself. As the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

‪‪‪‪‪NALIN MISTRY‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‪

Failures make us stronger and are part of life. If we don’t fail, we don’t learn. If we don’t learn we will never change. We all go through challenges in our lives; it is how we work through those challenges that make us stronger. If you never have any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment.

‪‪‪‪RUSHIN KANABAR‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‪

If you take your failure in a positive way it will make you stronger and if you take it in a negative way it will make you weaker. According to what you read in print, see on television or hear on the radio, the economy is failing, the government is failing, schools are failing, businesses are failing – I’m sure you get the picture. Every day brings us more doom and gloom and if you buy this lie, it could make you feel like there’s no point in even getting out of bed.

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‪‪‪SNIGDHA SEN‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‪

Life is full of ups and downs. Failing is never a good experience; it makes us feel weak and terrible, especially when expectations are high. However, failure does make us stronger and makes success taste sweeter. Failure helps us to realise our strengths and weaknesses and helps us to make the best use of them. Failure encourages us to take greater risks and helps us to acquire an optimistic vision towards life without being overconfident.

‪‪ASTER PEREIRA‬‬‪ ‬‬ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬

Yes, failure makes me a stronger and wiser person. No one has ever achieved great success without falling a few times along the way. Failure is the stepping stone to success. The best thing to do is to pick yourself up and try your best because “our greatest glory is not in never falling, but rising every time we fall.”

‪‪‪‪SYPIL CRAWLEY‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬

Failures actually present an opportunity for refinement of the ideas. By failing, a person gets a room for improvement. However, it varies on the emotional intelligence of every person.

‪‪‪‪MALINA GHOSH‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‬‪

Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. Every human being, no matter who they are, has to and will taste both of them throughout life. How we handle these

New Debate: “Should there be tighter regulations in place to keep landlords in check?” Tell us on Facebook or Twitter and be in with a chance of winning dinner for two. situations is in our hands. Failure gives us knowledge as well as valuable lessons. It’s a fact that failure breaks the strength of our morale, but if there is no pain then there will be no gain.

‪‪‪ANTONY VETTIYAZHICKAL JOSEPH‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‪

Let us treat failure as no more than a pit stop on route to a final sweet victory. Failures encourage lateral thinking and draw out the efficient traits of the person.

‪‪‪‪KSHITIZ MITTAL‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‬‪ ‬‬‪ ‪

If one fails, he is motivated to try again with more enthusiasm than before, understanding the reason for failure in the first attempt. Failure and success are parts of life. Without failure, you would never be able to taste real success.

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OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

NEWS

YOUR

OMAN

f you’re planning a trip across the border to visit Dubai or Abu Dhabi any time soon, you might need to do some forward planning. The UAE authorities have announced that some expatriates from Oman will now need to apply for an e-visa to obtain entry into the country, according to travel agents. Coming into effect this month, the ruling applies to anyone arriving by road, air or seaports. However, not all nationalities are affected, with passport holders from countries that have a visa treaty with the UAE, including Europe and the UK, still able to get a 30-day visa free of charge on arrival. But anyone from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or the Philippines living in the Sultanate, or any other country without a UAE treaty, will have to apply for an e-visa before travelling. Previously, people and their families from these

he coastguard search for missing Oman Sail crewmember, Mohammed al Alawi, who disappeared in the waters of Croatia in Europe, has been called off. Mohammed, 26, was reported as Man Overboard (MOB) in the early hours of the morning last Wednesday (Oct 7), while the MOD70 trimaran, MusandamOman Sail, was en route from France to Italy. A combined search of the area by local coastguards and Oman Sail was unable to find any trace of the young sailor. At the weekend, the search was extended into Italian waters using helicopters, planes and boats. Bad weather with high winds,

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OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

countries who held senior posts, such as doctors, lawyers and engineers, could simply get a visa on arrival. They will now have to apply for a visitor visa via the UAE’s Ministry of Interior’s website or through its smartphone app, which offers a 24/7 service. E-visas will be emailed to the applicant once approved. Hardest hit by the change in rules will be business travellers, who are often required to make trips to the UAE at short notice. Spontaneous trips with the family will also need better preparation. An alert sent to travel agents in Oman advised: “A GCC resident application will not be approved for any family member if the sponsor is not travelling along with the family members.” E-visas issued for GCC residents would only be valid for entry into the city that issues it. “Visas issued for entry into Dubai are valid for entry only into Dubai,” added the alert. Other requirements are that GGC residency permits need to be valid for at least three months from the date of arrival and passports valid for at least six months. Countries exempt from the new e-visa rules include European Union countries with a UAE treaty, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

poor visibility and rough seas grounded the search on Saturday before it resumed by air. After a fruitless trawl of the sea on the sixth day, the Croatian coastguard said it was calling off the search. “It is with immense sadness we heard the news that Croatian coastguards have concluded the search and Mohammed remains missing,” said David Graham, Oman Sail CEO, who said the search had been extensive. Ahmed al Alawi, Mohammed’s father, who is in Croatia with the team, said: “We [the family] extend our deep gratitude to all who are supporting this search, especially the Omani Government, the staff of Oman Sail, Her Excellency The Sultanate of

Oman’s Honorary Consul of Croatia and the Croatian Coastguard who have been exemplary. “We have been inundated with heart-felt messages of support which are much appreciated.” MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail, a high-speed racing trimaran capable of a top speed of 43 knots (79kph), is due to make its debut in the 2015 Rolex Middle Sea Race beginning in Malta this weekend (Oct 17).

t’s been an intriguing couple of weeks for Oman, with mysterious messages populating a range of social media platforms asking us if we are ready. “Ready for what?” many of you asked, while others confessed to being curious about the teaser banners. But now we know that it’s all about effect®, the world’s number one mental energiser drink. With its sleek, modern branding and renowned 15 red spots on the can, Oman’s National Mineral Water Company (NMWC) has partnered with Germany’s MBG Group to bring the popular energy drink to the Sultanate. John Pugh, the managing director of NMWC, says the launch of effect® is a game-changer for the country’s energy drink market. “It is a game-changer for the market because it is a mental energiser designed to support the intellectual demands of

the complex world that our consumers live in,” he says. “This is a growing ‘must-have’ brand for the whole of the Oman market. It is competitively priced with similar products and is also available as a six-pack and a sugar-free version. It is available in a range of convenient locations, including major supermarkets, hotels and restaurants.” Effect® was launched in 2002 and with 30 per cent year-on-year growth, it is the number one brand in Germany and is sold in more than 56 countries, including the UAE, and now Oman. “Uniquely positioned and focused on being a high-quality, mellow, fresh and distinctive tasting mental energiser drink, effect® is designed to be enjoyed from the workplace to the gym, while listening to music or working on your latest project,” says Pugh, adding there’s no effect without effect®!

S T E K C I T WIN HABI D U B A E H T TO ! X I R P D N A GR

Y Magazine, courtesy of effect® and NMWC, has two tickets up for grabs to watch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live! The prize includes two three-day passes, from November 27 to 29, to watch all the thrills and spills of the F1 race from the Yas Marina Circuit’s popular Abu Dhabi Hill area, while three standard Ferrari World Abu Dhabi vouchers and three standard Yas Waterworld vouchers are also part of the package. Our winner will also have access to all the post-race entertainment, such as the F1 Village, the Yacht Club and the exclusive night concerts, which will be headlined by British band Blur. All you have to do to enter is send us a photo of yourself holding a can of effect® and come up with your own personal slogan for the energy drink. For Team Y, we feel there’s no words without effect® – what would yours be? Send your entries to editor@y-oman.com or post them to our Twitter, Instagram or Facebook pages no later than 5pm, Monday, November 2. The winner will be announced in our November 5 issue and the judge’s decision is final. Good luck! * Accommodation during the event and transportation to and from Abu Dhabi are the responsibility of the winner.

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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NEWS

YOUR

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

WHILE THE CAT’S AWAY

Is this about a cat? No, it’s an old adage: while the cat’s away, the mice will play. So what does it mean? It means that a person, usually one in authority, is absent and others will do as they please. So who’s been a naughty boy, then? It seems the speaker of Vanuatu’s parliament has pulled a fast one on the country’s president, Baldwin Lonsdale, while he was out of the country. How did that happen? According to a BBC report, the Pacific island’s constitution allows the speaker, in this case, Marcellino Pipite, to assume presidential powers in the absence of the president – and these powers include presidential pardons. Intriguing! Who did Pipite pardon? Um, himself and 13 other members of parliament, all of whom had been convicted of giving and receiving corrupt payments over a vote of no confidence in the previous government. That’s bold. That it is. And it’s little wonder President Lonsdale is furious. What happens next? President Lonsdale has promised to clean up corruption in Vanuatu, adding he would make a decision on the “unlawful” pardons in the next few days. Don’t say: “You’re excused.” Do say: “Face the music.” 012

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

he deadline’s up for The Box Appeal 2015, but there’s still time to drop off ones filled with essential items for Muscat’s migrant workers. Today (Oct 15) is the official cut-off point. However, organisers of the appeal expect to receive more boxes over the coming days as people rush to do their bit. Sheila Ortega, who is leading the Box Appeal 2015 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Muscat, told Y, one of the official partners, that 5,187 boxes have been given out to different organisations, including schools and colleges. “We are still tallying up and have 1,906 confirmed boxes. There are still some more we need to get from the Park Inn by Radisson Muscat, and schools have their own distribution programmes,” said Shelia. “We’re expecting the total number of confirmed boxes to reach 4,000, which was our target for this year.” Schools have played a massive part in this year’s Box Appeal, with pupils across Muscat and beyond encouraged to join the effort. This year, the appeal has spread as far as Sohar for the first time. A big shout out to the following colleges, schools and nurseries that took part: The Sultan’s School, Indian School Al Ghubra, Azzan Bin Qais International School, Seeb International School, Sohar International School, the American British Academy, British School Muscat, PDO School, Royal Flight School,

A WEEK IN PICTURES

Alruwad International School, Qurum Private School, Al Shoumoukh International School, Al Sahwa School, Philippine School, MySchool, Teddy’s Nursery and Majan College. “We contacted most schools and visited them, gave presentations and talks about the Box Appeal, but then there were other schools which contacted us and asked for boxes, they have been so much help this year,” said Sheila. Filled boxes will be distributed on construction sites over several days. Box drop off points are: Radisson Blu Hotel Muscat, Park Inn by Radisson Muscat, offices of Y Magazine and Merge 104.8 in Seeb, The Flower Shop in Sabco Commercial Centre and Gloria Jean’s Coffees outlets at Al Mouj Muscat, Fun Zone in Qurum, Knowledge Oasis and Muscat Grand Mall.

HEADLINING STORIES FROM THE REGION AND BEYOND

Thousands of protestors take to the streets of Ankara after more than 100 people are killed by twin bomb blasts targeting a peace rally in the Turkish capital

North Korea celebratesthe 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party with music, dancing and a huge firework display as leader Kim Jong-un announces the reclusive Communist state is ready to fight “any kind of war” waged by the US

The US dentist who sparked an international outcry after killing Cecil the Lion will not face prosecution say Zimbabwe officials. Walter Palmer admitted shooting the famous lion in July but had legal paperwork to hunt

British-born economist Angus Deaton wins the 2015 Noble Prize for economics for his pioneering work on poverty and welfare, helping governments improve people’s lives. Deaton, 69, has spearheaded the use of household survey data in developing countries

Gallery

Interview

NEWS

SAVE THE MANGROVES Muscat’s treasures. It’s unbelievable that so many people don’t even know it is there, yet it is a unique site in Oman,” said Melanie Dorange, director of public communications at Al Bustan Palace. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, 1,000 mangrove trees were planted in Qurum Nature Reserve in 2012. Mangroves are an essential component of the region’s marine ecosystem, conserving marine biodiversity by forming a favourable environment for both wildlife and fauna, as well as playing a vital role in preventing soil erosion.

ast week, 25 employees from Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, took part in a clean up of the mangrove plantation in Qurum Nature Reserve. Due to the plantation’s close proximity to the sea, the mangroves are often affected by flooding and the fields regularly suffer from an accumulation of plastic items. The recent clean-up drive was part of the “Community Footprints” programme, a global initiative applied by all RitzCarlton properties around the world that aims to make a meaningful difference in environmental conservation. “The reserve is located in the heart of Qurum and is one of

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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PINK TEA

OMAN

THE FIRST OF TWO PINK AFTERNOON TEA FUNDRAISERS WERE HELD AT THE GRAND HYATT MUSCAT HOTEL LAST WEEK AND TEAM Y WAS IN ATTENDANCE, ALONG WITH TWO COMPETITION WINNERS. THE SECOND PINK AFTERNOON TEA WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 28. A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS GOES TO THE OMAN CANCER ASSOCIATION

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OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

GALLERY

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

DRIVEN TO

SUCCESS In association with Genesis

IT’S A GREAT DRIVE AND I THINK THE CAR CAN DEFINITELY COMPETE WITH THE BIG BOYS. Q: What is your biggest career success to date? I think it was becoming the assistant general manager (AGM) of corporate communications and marketing for ahlibank. I was 28 then and the youngest AGM in the country’s banking history. I was given that chance because of the CEO at the time, Abdulaziz al Balushi. He was someone who really drove young Omanis. There is this mindset in the country that if you make a mistake you hide it, but he wasn’t like that. He told me to own up to my mistakes, otherwise you’ll never learn.

Q: What drives you to success? I think there is a lot of change that needs to happen in the country in terms of communications and media; particularly how the coverage is done and how people tell the story, but it’s not going to happen unless young Omanis get in there and make those changes. The other thing is also my two-yearold daughter; I want her to have the best life possible. Q: Who or what has been your inspiration in your career? My biggest inspiration has been my grandfather; he was a journalist and drove me towards communication and languages. My second inspiration would be my father, who has worked really hard to give us the best education. He told us honesty is the best policy and said if you’re doing something, give it 100 per cent otherwise don’t do it at all.

Q: What are your goals? I used to say that my goal was to become a big shot executive, but I think that has changed recently. Priorities change when you become a dad and you start to realise what your passions are. I’m very passionate about Oman and I’m passionate about tourism. I think our approach to tourism is not exactly how it should be. We’re not a country that’s about sleeping in a five-star hotel, we’re a country that’s about sleeping under five million stars, so that’s what we need to promote. I’ve started doing this by setting up a small company called Surf Sup. We produce stand-up paddle boards and take people out on excursions. Q: Career-wise, where do you plan to be in 10 years’ time? In 10 years time, I see myself running my own tourism company. My career is pushing me in a different direction, which is to be part of corporate life and if I am able to balance both, then great. Tourism is my passion and if you work in something that you love it makes a big difference. Q: What do you like about the Genesis? It was my first experience of Genesis and I think it’s a really nice car; there are a few small touches like the Quibla compass that are awesome. It’s a great drive and I think the car can definitely compete with the big boys. OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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ZHANGYE DANXIA LANDFORM, China These candy-striped formations look unreal, as if painted by hand, but the geological wonder – called “China’s rainbow mountains” – is actually the result of red sandstone eroding, leaving mineral deposits laid over 24 million years exposed. Located in northwest China’s Gansu Province, the spectacular kaleidoscope of colours landscape is a huge tourist draw.

NAICA MINE, Mexico Workers excavating a new tunnel in the lead, zinc and silver mine stumbled on extraordinary selenite (gypsum) crystals 300m (1,000ft) below the surface. Named the “Cave of Crystals”, some are as large as 12m long and weigh 50 tonnes. Before you book your ticket, the caves – where temperatures can reach up to 58ºC with 99 per cent humidity – in the Mexican state of Chihuahua (yes, the same as the breed of toy dog) are closed to the public.

HANG SON DOONG, Vietnam All you can do is stare openmouthed at the incredible sight that is the world’s largest cavern. At more than 200m high, 150m wide and 5km long, the Hang Son Doong Cave in Central Vietnam is so big it has its own river, jungle and climate. You could fly a Boeing 747 airplane through the largest part. Visitors have to descend 80m down a steep wall with a harness and ropes just to get to the entrance. Only open to the public since 2013, more people have stood on the summit of Mount Everest than been inside the Hang Son Doong.

TIANZI MOUNTAINS, China Rising out of the ground and pushing up into the air with mists swirling around their tops, the towering thin streaks of rock known as the Tianzi Mountains are quite simply breathtaking. Found in the Hunan province of China, the quartz rocks, up to 380 million years old and as thick as 500 or 600 metres, were formed by intermittent rising of the earth’s crust. Unique views from atop the vertiginous peaks can be accessed by cable car.

MENDENHALL ICE CAVES, Alaska You’ll unlikely to see anything quite like this anywhere in the world. This 20km-long partially hollow glacier near Juneau, the capital of Alaska, has an ethereal quality with water running over rocks under blue ceilings. The ice caves inside the glacier are only accessible by kayak and an ice climb. In June last year, part of the thinning glacial roof collapsed, which is only to be expected, as the glacier is slowly melting bit-by-bit. 016

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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

Pan

The Martian When a manned mission to Mars to collect scientific samples is hit by a storm and goes disastrously wrong, botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind on the Red Planet by his crew. Stranded millions of kilometres from home and with any hope of rescue at least several years away, Watney is forced to use every ounce of his ingenuity to survive on meagre supplies while attempting the grow his own food and produce water. Audiences saw glimpses of Damon in a similar lost in space role earlier this year in Interstellar, but he gets the spotlight in The Martain, and is able to run away with a script that finds the

humour in a pretty dire situation. The Martian plays out like a more accessible and less high concept version of Interstellar and is backed up by impressive visual effects and a strong supporting cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Michael Peña Jeff Daniels and Sean Bean. With the recent announcement of the discovery of water on Mars and the relatively sound scientific principles that are employed in the film, The Martian is no pie in the sky sci-fi flick and doesn’t feel entirely beyond the realms of possibility, which makes it all the more intriguing to watch. Review by Matt Blackwell

P RE VI EW

QUEEN OF THE DESERT

A romantic epic set in the Middle East, documenting the life and travels of Gertrude Bell (played by Nicole Kidman), a fearless and resourceful British explorer, archaeologist, cartographer and political attaché. Along the way, she allows herself to be politely seduced by embassy secretary Henry Cadogan (James Franco) and meets T E Lawrence (the subject of Lawrence of Arabia, played here by Robert Pattinson).

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 INE C Y T I C R U FO

Telling the original story of one of literature’s best-known characters, this film follows the legendary Peter Pan (Levi Miller), who is plucked from a London orphanage and transported to Neverland to toil in the mines under the watchful eye of pirate leader Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). However, he is rescued by the Indiana Jones-like James

Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and soon discovers that his arrival was foretold in an ancient prophecy that he must fulfil. While visually impressive and incredibly colourful, the story is strangely scrambled, making it a confusing update to a classic character.

Legend They were two of London’s most notorious gangsters in the 1960s and Tom Hardy takes on them both, playing the dual roles of Reggie and Ronnie Kray in Brian Helgeland’s crime thriller biopic. Charting the Kray twin's rise to prominence in the crime underworld of London’s East End, Legend includes the perspective of Frances Shea (Emily Browning), the innocent wife of Reggie. Hardy puts in a great double act performance and the camera tricks that put the Krays in the same scenes are impressive, making it hard to realise they are played by the same actor.

Bollywatch SINGH IS BLIING

Despite their outward similarities, Singh is Bliing is apparently not a sequel to 2008’s Singh is Kinng, but the broad action comedy sees Akshay Kumar in a similar role, playing Raftaar Singh, a party boy content with his easy going lifestyle. Given an ultimatum by his parents, Singh heads to Goa to work for a friend of his father’s and eventually becomes the protector of the businessman’s daughter.

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.

Brought to you by

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION What is the name of the pirate leader? LAST WEEK'S WINNER Amruta Panicker

Contact: Movie enquiries 24607360

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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Party Hard Have you been to a party in Ibiza yet? If you’ve not had the chance, Titan Events & Entertainment is bringing Ibiza to you, or rather Muscat. The PARTY HARD series will bring a different Ibiza resident DJ each month to Oman. First up from the party island is DJ Emma Jai, who is in her third year of residence in Ibiza. The fun starts at 10pm at On The Rocks, next to the Golden Tulip Seeb Hotel. Tickets are priced at RO10 for men and RO5 for women. For details and tickets call +968 9576 1853 or visit titan-events.com

Coffee Time New to Oman and want to meet some friendly faces? If the answer’s yes, then here’s a perfect opportunity for you to mingle with ladies from the Women’s Guild in Oman (WGO) at one of their coffee mornings. Meet at the Ghala Golf Club from 10am to 12pm. Coffee morning package costs RO3.5. If you want to be part of similar events in the future, why not become a member of WGO while you’re there? Forms will be available at the venue. For more information, visit womensguildoman.com

OCT

TO BE OR

THIS

WEEK

WHAT TO DO. WHAT TO SEE. WHAT TO HEAR.

Oct 22

Are you ready, Shakespeare fans? One of the bard’s bestknown tragedies, Hamlet, is coming to Oman as part of the Globe Theatre tour and will be performed at the Ministry of Education auditorium in Wattayah. Doors open at 6.30pm and the performance starts at 7.15pm. Tickets cost RO10 per person and can be purchased from the British Council in Muscat from October. For more information and bookings, call the British Council on 800 24 680.

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

IN THE GROOVE Known as “The Nightingale of Goa”, Konkani-language singer Lorna Cordeiro is stopping off for a one night only performance in Muscat later this month. You can catch her from 6pm onwards at Al Falaj Hotel in Ruwi for what is sure to be a night to remember. Ticket prices start at RO5 and are available from Ruwi or Ghala Church canteens. For more details, call +968 9926 6537/9982 2501/9338 0147.

Not to Be

O C T O B E R

018

Oct 29

Oct 22

THE WHAT’S ON GUIDE

Movies

DUNE BASHING WITH

THE GIRLS

Oct 23 - 24

Gallery

The Guide Oman is organising a special Sharqiyah Desert safari exclusively for ladies, complete with five-star catering and camping under the stars, spot prizes, gifts and a lot of fun. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn the skills to drive your 4X4 in the desert so that you can enjoy the safari to the maximum. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RO45 per adult, so what are you waiting for? Get ready and enjoy your weekend under the stars with some desert exploring. For more information and bookings, email rmayston@theguideoman. com or search for The Guide Oman on Facebook.

CR No 1/73960/3

Oct 22 + 24

FOR THE LOVE OF OMAN

Witness a wonderful musical evening at the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) as acclaimed Arab and Omani singers and musicians share the stage for two gala evenings celebrating their love for Oman with patriotic and exclusive songs for the Sultanate. The show starts at 7pm, while tickets are priced from RO5. For seating plans and bookings, visit rohmuscat.org.om

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

019

HELD TO

RANSOM High rents, demands for huge sums in advance, tied in to long contracts and homes left to fall into disrepair. Sound familiar? Welcome to being a tenant in Muscat, reports Kate Ginn

resh off the plane at Muscat International Airport with a new employment visa stamped in their passport, new arrivals in Oman have much to look forward to as they prepare to embark on expatriate life in the Sultanate. There’s just the simple matter of putting the essentials into place – bank account, car and somewhere to live. But the latter – finding a home of your own – is proving to be somewhat more challenging than many anticipate. With too many people chasing too few properties, tenants are finding themselves at the mercy of landlords who are making, even letting agents agree, unreasonable and excessive demands. Stories of would-be tenants being forced to take out bank loans to cover six months or even a year’s rent in advance are not uncommon these days, while others are being asked to stump up 12 months of postdated cheques before keys are handed over. “It’s definitely in the favour of the landlords at the moment,” said a lettings professional, who works for one of the bigger agencies in Muscat. “The local landlords, in my experience of four years, prefer six months or one year in advance. Most tenants cannot afford to pay this. “Also, landlords are asking high prices for rental. They would rather leave the place empty than drop the rent. “Rental prices in Muscat are over budget. When you compare rents with salaries, it’s hard for people to afford the prices. They often have to set aside 50-70 per cent of their salary for the rent.” Some tenants are being forced to take on thousands of rials of debt to afford advance payments demanded by landlords. Naushad Aziz, 44, had to take out a bank loan to cover the RO8,000 cash advance to renew the lease on his three-bedroom flat in Ghubra. “I could not come up with the cash and the bank loan was the only way out,” Naushad, a college teacher, told a local newspaper. “My landlord insisted on the sixmonth down payment and he threatened to evict me if I did not pay up. “Hopefully, I will be able to manage to pay the instalments and the usual domestic As bills.” one letting He is not alone. Another tenant looking to pay around RO350 a month was agent points out, told he would need at least RO2,100 in ready cash to offer landlords as advance often landlords have payment. bought the property they’re “Most tenants want to pay monthly or quarterly and think it is us that are leasing with a housing loan as an demanding these advances, but it’s the landlord,” says the letting agent that Y spoke investment and have monthly payments to. to meet, so need the security of money upfront While it is not a legal requirement to secure a property in Muscat or beyond, to make sure these payments are met. This is good asking for months of rent in advance seems to have become the norm, rather than news for property owners, but not for tenants who may the exception these days. find their landlords have less incentive to fix problems or carry Better Homes, one of the region’s largest real estate companies operating out regular maintenance when they have six or 12 months’ rent in Oman, even mentions it on its website as part of a “General Guide For already sitting in the bank. Losing the bargaining tool of withholding Renting”, saying: “It is common here in Oman for either three or six payment weakens their position. months to be paid in advance, however this can sometimes be negotiated Some tenants believe demands for advances are not just down to greedy depending on the property.” landlords, but properties being sublet, which is illegal but goes on nonetheless. Hasnain Bokhari, a lawyer specialising in commercial real estate “An Omani friend of mine rented out their villa to an Omani man, who then at legal consultants Al Busaidy Mansoor Jamal & Co, tells Y: sublet the house and got six months’ money upfront from another family,” one expat “When it comes to taking advance rent for several months up tells Y. front, there is no law that says the landlords can’t do it, in “My friend’s family has been trying to evict these people for months and fact the law is slightly pro landlord in this regard. are now going to court. It’s been a nightmare for them.” “If the tenant has paid advance rent and has to leave the country for any Scraping together the finances to secure a property is often just the reason, there isn’t much they can do If you have a difficult landlord, you may beginning, however. Tenants are also complaining of being hit with rental get stuck, so it would be advisable to agree something in writing with them.” hikes above the 14 per cent per year set down by Muscat Municipality, 020

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LA W T EN A N C Y

Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tenancy Agreement Terms & Provisions

1 The Landlord is bound to register the agreement with Muscat Municipality and pay the 3 per cent fixed tax. 2 The Tenant abides himself to pay electricity and water bills, Municipality rates, sewage service charges, and any other fees/charges that should be borne by the tenant. The provisions of this clause should be adhered to with effect from the date of handing over of leased property to the tenant up to date of taking over the leased property by the landlord, unless otherwise is mutually agreed in writing. 3 The non-registration or renewal of a lease agreement and/or the failure of payment of the fixed tax within one month from the date on which it has been signed or expired, concluded and entered into shall result in the lease agreement being considered legally null and void before any government authority in the Sultanate, in addition to imposing a fine equal to three times the fixed tax. 4 The Municipality tax that has been mentioned in the provisions of the Royal Decree No. (6/98) and its amendments, are a governmental debt that is to be paid by the landlords or tenants as per the agreement and can be collected by administrative confiscation. 5 The tenant is bound to hand over the leased property to the landlord on the expiry date of the lease agreement. He is bound to repair any damages that may result from the misuse of the property. The landlord is bound to undertake any maintenance/ overhauling/restoration works required for maintaining the leased property in a condition consistent with the purpose it is rented for. 6 Other terms and conditions may be added to the lease agreement as mutually agreed by both parties, provided not to contradict with Royal Decree No. (6/98). 7 In the event that any party fails to comply to his commitments hereto prescribed, the other party shall have the right to rescind this provisions. 8 The lease agreement can be renewed for a further period or more unless one of the parties advises the other of his wish to evacuate the property before the expiry of the valid period by at least three months or half of the period if it is less. The landlord may not ask evacuation of the property except in the cases and according to the provisions and procedures of the Royal Decree No. (6/98). 9 The tenant may not alienate this agreement or sublet the leased property to any third party whatsoever unless RENTAL PRICES IN MUSCAT first party issues prior written ARE OVER BUDGET. WHEN approval. YOU COMPARE RENTS WITH

SALARIES, ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO AFFORD THE PRICES. THEY OFTEN HAVE TO SET ASIDE 50-70 PER CENT OF THEIR SALARY FOR THE RENT

Source: Tibiaan Properties

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ADVICE

with reports of increases of up to 30 per cent. Then there are horror stories of old and decrepit • Go through a bonafide letting agent if possible buildings left to wrack and ruin by landlords who refuse • If you do deal directly with the landlord, to carry out any maintenance, often leaving tenants with no make sure any lease contract is registered choice but to pay for repairs out of their own pockets to make with Muscat Municipality (this is a legal their homes habitable. requirement and the landlord should pay the Martin* was delighted when the oil company he was working fees) for in Muscat found him a five-bedroom villa with a maid’s room and • Be wary of giving large sums of cash up front. large roof terrace in a private compound with a mix of expats and locals Your letting agent should negotiate on your close to the beach in Al Hail in February last year. behalf The company signed a one-year contract at RO700 a month, renewable for • Ask for the full details of the landlord: three years, and duly handed over the requested 12 post-dated cheques. Within telephone number, fax number and address. weeks, however, things began to go wrong or break down, which, Martin tells Y, If they refuse, don’t sign became the catalyst for a long-running battle with the managing agents. “First, we had a leak with the water tank on the roof. My neighbour • Look at the contract fine print had the same problem. The agent sent a workman round five times to • Before signing, make an agreement with the try and fix it. He had no idea what he was doing,” says Martin. landlord to cover any eventualities, such as “He was an odd-job man who wasn’t qualified in anything. The same you have to leave Oman and need to break the ‘expert’ later turned up to do the plumbing and electrics.” contract. Contracts can It was just the start of issues with the villa over the coming months. be terminated, but “We’ve had termites, rotting doorframes, air-conditioning units not you must give three working properly, windows badly fitted and blocked and smelly drains. months written The list goes on. notice and have “One of my air-con units started smoking the other day. They’ve the agreement fixed it, but I’ve told them that I want it changed. It’s dangerous.” of the Martin wasn’t the only tenant to find that behind the façade of the landlord apparently structurally solid villas, the reality was starkly different. “A family in another villa withdrew payment for six or seven months because repairs were not done with the air-con and leaking windows, among the complaints,” he says. “One of my neighbours also had water heater problems and his back door was broken. When they came round to fix it, the new door was too short, and they tried to screw on another piece of wood to fill the gap.” These villas are relatively new, constructed a few years ago, so you can imagine the problems that tenants living in the older buildings around Muscat are suffering. Rodent infestations and crumbling walls are just some of the issues that have been reported in the past month. “Some landlords charge comparatively low rentals for their old buildings and in the process they take their tenants for granted,” according to one property manager. “Maintenance or replacements are carried out only if necessary, otherwise tenants condition carry out repairs on their own.” that it is People renting in the more high-end, luxury developments such usable for the purpose. as Al Mouj Muscat (formerly The Wave, Muscat) or This would not necessarily include Muscat Hills have the peace of mind of maintenance minor paint jobs or repairing chipped tiles unless they posed a major risk or being covered by the service charge paid by their jeopardised the safety of the tenant. The tenant is required to have day-to-day landlords. Dolphin Village in Bawshar, for instance, repairs conducted at its own expense,” Bokhari tells Y. offers 24-hour maintenance cover. “Sometimes the tenant and landlord may include a contractual provision in Of course, you pay premium rents to live the lease contract stating that the landlord or property manager shall fund all in places like these. According to property maintenance works and if he/she fails to, the tenant may claim reimbursement management firm Cluttons’ Muscat, from the landlord.” But of course, the level of success tenants have in getting Spring 2015 Residential Market this money back varies. Outlook report, Muscat Hills is the The result is often a kind of “ostrich syndrome”. The landlords bury their most expensive submarket to rent a heads in the sand, hoping the tenant and their problems will just go away, property, with average monthly rents of RO1,250. Mabela and Ruwi agrees another Muscat letting agent. were the most affordable with an average outlay of between RO400 to To put the boot on the other foot, landlords claim they’re insisting on RO500. advance payments to cover them should tenants stop paying rent or disappear, “Overall, tenants remain budget conscious and continue to target leaving a trail of unpaid bills. what are perceived to be good-value, high-quality properties,” says the There is some justification to this, but others suggest there must be a better report, published earlier this year. way forward to protect both the landlords and tenants without resorting to Martin believes the problem of poorly maintained properties demands for large sums of cash. stems from poorly constructed buildings. “Cheap materials and poor But the issue may be soon be swinging in favour of the tenant. workmanship are to blame. I have damp on the ground floor because Over the coming months, the rental market in Muscat will be undermined by the builders didn’t use damp proofing.” weak oil prices, according to Cluttons. An exasperated Martin is now moving out of the villa and his “The subsequent impact on the rental market will be a stablisation or even company has withheld rent for three months in a dispute over maintenance. a weakening in demand, particularly as jobs generated by the hydrocarbon His advice? Put everything down in writing, list your maintenance industry still form the cornerstone of lettings demand,” it says in the Muscat, complaints and email it to the landlord or company, giving them a Spring 2015 Residential Market Outlook report. timescale to finish the work and withdraw rent until the work is done A glut of new residential developments in Muscat, including Al Hail, Qurum to your satisfaction. Having a written record helps if you need to go to and Madinat Qaboos, are also nearing completion and early next year, a host your bank and stop any outstanding postdated cheques. of apartments and townhouses will be flooding the market, hopefully bringing But once the ink is well and truly dry on the contract, many tenants down rental prices in the process. (mostly expatriates) find they hit a brick wall when it comes to getting “I see things changing in 2016 and 2017 with much more competition for recourse and, in some cases, avoid avenues such as Muscat Municipality landlords,” says a Muscat lettings agent. “Hopefully this will make things better and the Public Authority for Consumer Protection out of fear for for tenants, in terms of prices and maintenance.” possible consequences. Such changes certainly couldn’t come soon enough for Martin and others “A landlord or property manager is required to carry out all necessary currently caught up in the tenant trap. repairs and maintenance to maintain the leased premises in such a * Name changed for privacy 022

OCT 15 - 21/ ISSUE 390

Time for reform

and regulation

I (Relating to Muscat)

WEEKDAYS 5 pm - 9 pm

Words: Felicity Glover

’ve been house hunting for a couple of months now and the more I look, the more disheartened and outraged I become. Not because there is a limited supply, but because each agent is demanding at least six months’ rent up front and the rest of the year in post-dated cheques. It’s definitely a landlords’ market out there – and not only because everybody accepts these unreasonable demands. I don’t know about you, but I have serious issues with paying so much rent ahead of time. Why? It’s a huge slug out of my savings, not to mention the interest payments I am losing on my hard-earned money. Instead, that precious interest is going to the landlord, who sits on our cash for goodness knows how long and they end up getting more than what the original rental contract stated. On the flipside, some renters have also been forced to take out high-interest loans just to come up with a year’s rent. Again, the only winner here is the landlord. Oh, and the bank. Then there’s the matter of responsibility. As a landlord, their responsibility is the property and its upkeep. Horror stories of landlords not bothering to repair their rundown properties, despite tenants having invested up to a year of their hardearned cash for the privilege of having a roof over their head, are a dime a dozen in the Sultanate. When I was living in Abu Dhabi, I was fortunate to work for a company that would pay my year’s rent up front and then deduct it from my salary on a monthly basis. They also dealt with the landlord or agent on my behalf, which gave you an edge in the negotiations. In fact, it worked so well for us, our rent dropped from Dh12,000 per month to Dh5,700 over the course of three years. Unfortunately, renters have little or no legal recourse to stand up for their rights in Oman. There are no regulations governing the rental market, while landlords are also not accountable for their actions. The sooner we see reform to the rental market, the better off we will be. But it is a regulatory body that is most urgently required to protect not only the tenants, but also landlords. And until this happens, the landlords will continue to make unreasonable demands on hapless tenants who, until now, have had no choice but to pay up – or find somewhere else to live.

Located at Al Sawadi Beach Resort

WEEKENDS 4 pm - 10 pm

OCT 15 - 21/ ISSUE 390

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In Association with

Portrait By A Nation is back for all the young artists out there. Celebrate Oman’s 45th National Day with Y for a chance to share in RO2,550 of cash prizes

Magazine is back once again with Portrait By A Nation, our annual art extravaganza in which children aged between five and 17 can exhibit their artistic flair. Moving forward from last year, this year’s event has been extended to different parts of the Sultanate and will include Sur, Nizwa, Sohar and Salalah, allowing a greater number of children from different regions to be part of this historic event. “We are thrilled to come back with this beautiful tribute to Oman’s visionary leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said,” says Felicity Glover, managing editor of Y magazine. “From the way the competition went last year, we are looking forward to receiving many more entries this year. I am sure the children of Oman will really enjoy coming together for the competition and working on their canvases in creative ways, just as we have enjoyed organising this event for them.” Powered by Al Mouj Muscat, in association with IDdesign, Gloria Jean’s Coffees and Salalah Marriott Resort, the event will be held on November 6 and 7 in the interior regions and on 13 and 14 at Al Mouj Muscat. Oman has undergone tremendous

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changes since the dawn of the Renaissance and this progress and has been achieved under the guidance of His Majesty the Sultan, who continues to lead the country with a steady hand. There is no better way to celebrate this special National Day than involving the future of the country – its children. With numerous tributes being arranged for the occasion, Y Magazine is proud to lead the way with the celebrations. Mohammed Hatim al Attar, an art enthusiast based in Oman and a mentor from last year’s event, says he loved the competition and thinks that such events boost the confidence of young children. “It is very rewarding to see kids of different nationalities gathered to make a piece of art for this nation. Kids’ imaginations are wide and the way they shape their ideas on canvas is wonderful. Who knows, one of those little kids might get the push from this competition to become a famous artist one day. Mentoring was a great experience; you can feel that every kid wants to learn something to develop their skills so their art can stand out from among the rest. I recommend parents to register their kids and be part of it this year.” Marios Stylianides, general manager of IDdesign, says: “It is heartening to see the Portait By A Nation initiative from Y Magazine as we celebrate the 45th National Day of the Sultanate of Oman. It’s an ideal platform to showcase young

talent in Oman. I am sure this event will promote and nurture the skills of children and celebrate the country’s rich heritage. “Through associating with this event, we pay glowing tribute to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said for taking Oman on the path of rapid development.” At the end of the competition, on November 14, a total of 45 finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges and from these portraits, the artists of nine works will win themselves some attractive cash prizes. First place will claim RO500, while RO250 and RO100 will go to second and third spots in each age category. The 45 portraits will then be put on public display at Al Mouj Muscat for the entire community to enjoy, as well as being made into a giant collage. “We have always encouraged talent within Marriott and it’s a privilege to be a part of an event that showcases young talent as well as commemorate the National Day,” says Samer Khair, general manager of Salalah Marriott Resort. “The celebrations on the occasion of National Day are nothing less than a festival and our entire team is excited to host Portrait By A Nation. We hope to see a pool of talented kids partcipating.”

WANT TO TAKE PART? Simply pick up a registration form from Y’s office in Seeb and complete the form and post it in the drop box on site. You will also find a registration form on Y’s website: y-oman.com/register. We will need various details, such as your name, age and contact number, to verify your registration and add you to the event. ● Parents may complete the registration form – but remember: the children must complete the actual portrait. ● Entry is restricted to children aged between five and 17 years old. ● There are three categories to enter: one for five to nine year olds, another for 10-13 year olds and a third category is open to teenagers aged from 14 -17. ● Only one entry per child. ● Paints and other materials needed for the painting/ decorating of the pre-printed canvas must be brought by the child to the event. ● Y Magazine will supply the pre-printed canvases depicting His Majesty’s portrait used by the entrants. ● Children selected to go forward for the painting event will be notified and must be free to attend on November 6-7 for all regional cities and November 13-14 for Muscat. ● The judges’ decision is final.

TIPS FROM A WINNER ARYAN SHERE, 11, WAS THE WINNER OF THE JUNIOR CATEGORY OF PORTRAIT BY A NATION 2014. HERE, HE SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE FROM THE COMPETITION

got to know about the competition through Merge 104.8 and it was a very memorable experience for me. I really enjoyed both taking part and winning the junior category. I was truly excited and was shivering when I heard my name being announced and I realised that hard work and concentration pays off well. My friends did not believe me at first, but later, looking at the trophy, they were delighted and encouraged me with kind words and advised me to spend more time on practising art regularly. I am saving the money I won for my future art project. Recently, I did a solo exhibition in India where I sold 25 paintings and donated the money to a children’s charity. I am not old enough to give tips, but I will just say to enjoy your painting no matter what technique you are using; have fun with it. I am definitely taking part this year as well, and thinking of trying a different technique, but I don’t really know about what I am going to use yet; I just want to make it unique. Last year’s award has boosted my confidence and I will enjoy trying out a different method this year, hoping to find something interesting. I am taking classes from my mother, who is an artist. I am sure she will help me think of something.

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Presents

ed n w o r c e b o es t k a e t r t i a t h a s h r u w o t y o Have you g est fresher and claim yourself in e v ool o c r s P ’ t ? a s c e s z i u M f pr king o e h h t t r t o u o w g 0 of RO3,00 ntest aimed at seekin l o o c f o n e Y’s new co e and qu

R E G I ST E R N OW

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tarting college is a frenzied time. There’s the matter of who to make friends with, carefully selecting which social engagements to make yourself seen at, deciding what new hobbies to pursue, planning out your wardrobe, not to mention the occasional issue of those pesky studies. During the busy and exciting period that will see 2015’s influx of new students find their feet in the capital, Y will be kicking off its search for Muscat’s Coolest Fresher and it could well be you. Presented by Splash, the Middle East’s largest fashion retailer and part of the Landmark Group, powered by Ford and in association with NESCAFÉ 3 in 1, Y’s Coolest Fresher aims to find the most gifted freshers the city has to offer and reward them with exciting prizes. No matter what your talent is – it could be singing, dancing, juggling or freestyle football – we want to hear from you and see you do your thing. “The Coolest Fresher is a one of a kind event in Oman, which we believe will generate excitement and enable the youth to access a platform to express themselves in an innovative way,” says Melissende al Asfour, sampling supervisor at NESCAFÉ 3 in 1. “While we are looking forward to every step of the project, we are very excited about the audition phase as it will bring us closer to the students and showcase their many talents.” In the audition phase, our talent-hunting emcee and panel of judges will scour each of the participating colleges assessing applicants based on their two minutes in the spotlight. Once the votes are in, one boy and one girl from each college will go forward to the Grand Finale and compete

against the coolest freshers from the other colleges taking part. Proving it’s not what you wear, but how you wear it, our judges will also be on the lookout for fashion-savvy contestants during their auditions, with two fashion icons from each college being put forward to be styled by Splash and walk the runway in a special fashion show held during the Grand Finale. After strutting their stuff on the catwalk, two fashion icons will then be chosen as overall winners and will receive a Splash voucher of RO250 to spend on kitting themselves out in the latest trends. Whoever is named Mr and Miss Coolest Fresher from each college will receive a Splash gift voucher worth RO100 for their efforts, as well as stand the chance to win even more in the finale. If selected for the final event, the two coolest freshers from each of the 10 colleges will then face off against each other for the glory of being crowned Muscat’s Mr and Miss Coolest Fresher, as well as the opportunity to lay their hands on a cash prize of RO250 each. Registration for Y’s coolest fresher opens today and after speaking to some of the colleges taking part, we’re expecting the hype around the city to be big. “It’s something new and a great opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and communication skills,” says Melanie Hunger, marketing officer at Oman Tourism College. “These abilities are highly valued in the tourism industry, so for us it was clear opportunity to give our students a unique chance to be in the spotlight. “We are most looking forward to the auditions and seeing the hidden talents of our students, as well as their enthusiasm while performing.”

? h g u o n E l o o Are You C

want olleges and a c g in w o ll e fo up d any of th esher, pick If you attenlved in Y’s Coolest Fr tails and leave it in to get invo n for m, fill in your de your college. registratio drop boxes on site at one of the ciences

pplied S A f o e g e l l o 1) Waljat CEast College 2) MiddleTourism College nancial 3) Oman of Banking and Fi 4) Colleges s s e n (overall): i s r e u h B Studie s f e r o F e t g s e ole n Coll nd Miss Co a 5) Modern r ch M 50 cash ea 2 & Scie ceege O R ll 6) Gulf Co verall): o ( n o c I h c n f e o i 7) GUt ational College o emale Fash f t n d e n a m each n e e l r g r e a a e t n M h a c u M 8) In o d v n a h ing 250 Splas EngineerU O ty College i R s r e v i n (college 9) Mazoon College r e h s e r F t s close 10) Majan Miss Coole each d r 5) and will n 1 a e r e r h b c to M c u (O o y v a d h to tion opens 0 Splas 0 1 O mber 19-23 R ● Registramber 7 e v : o ) l N e m v o e l in un fr on Nove ecial venue eriod will r

THE PRIZES

at a sp ition p ● The aud d finale will be held n a r ● The g er Decemb

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FOOD AND DRINK

Trend

New Restaurant

ICED DELIGHT

Reviews

You never grow out of ice cream, no matter how old you are. A cone of ice cream drizzled with raspberry sauce is a great way to bring back childhood memories. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also something to bond over with the family. 028

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Tropical Ice Cream Sandwich

MAKE SWEET

MEMORIES It’s still warm enough to cool down with ice cream, so let your imagination go wild

rowding around a table eating ice cream is one of the tastiest ways to enjoy family time. Parent, chef and cookbook author Antonia Lofaso knows this very well and has created delectable ice cream desserts, such as her pound cake and peaches sundae, that bring back fond childhood memories to inspire families to take a step back and appreciate every moment. “My mum would have ‘ice cream parties’ in her bedroom when my dad had to work the graveyard shift,” Lofaso says. “She would snuggle us in her bed and give us toasted pound cake with ice cream and fresh fruit. My dad would come home to find us all asleep in one bed with scattered bowls and spoons everywhere.” Special family moments are even sweeter when the recipes are served with real, high-quality ingredients everyone can feel good about. Lofaso has partnered with Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream to create some recipes for all the family. Not only does it taste good, it’s also got those all-important feel-good credentials. “The brand is now only using milk and cream from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones and sustainably farmed vanilla beans,” says Lofaso. Here are three of Lofaso’s favourite new ice cream creations. Start sharing delicious moments together with your family with these recipes. For more recipe inspiration and nutritional information, visit Breyers.com/recipes * Family Features

Pound Cake and Peaches Sundae Prep time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: § 2 fresh summer peaches, diced § 1 tbsp granulated sugar § 2 tbsp lemon juice § 2 tsp thinly sliced basil § 4 slices plain pound cake (6mm thick), toasted until golden § 1 cup Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream or other brand (1/4 cup per scoop) Method: § In small bowl, mix peaches, sugar, lemon juice and basil.

§ To make each sundae, place a slice of toasted pound cake on a plate, top with a scoop of ice cream and cover generously with macerated peaches.

Prep time: 10-12 minutes Serves: 2 Ingredients: § 2 slices fresh pineapple (6mm thick) § 1 cup Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream or other brand, lightly softened § 2 tbsp toasted coconut shavings Method: § Grill pineapple slices over low to medium heat for 90 seconds per side. Allow to cool briefly.

§ Sandwich softened ice cream between pineapple slices. Coat sides in toasted coconut. Slice in half and serve.

Toasted Almond and Vanilla Arancini Prep time: 20 minutes (including freezing) Serves: 2 Ingredients: § 4 tbsp mixed, chopped, toasted whole unsalted almonds and hazelnuts § 1 tbsp toasted and crushed amaretti cookies § 1/2 cup Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream or other brand (1/4 cup per scoop) Method: § Place ice cream on baking sheet in freezer for 10 minutes to harden.

§ In bowl, mix nuts and amaretti cookies. § Dredge frozen ice cream balls in nut/cookie mixture and refreeze five minutes before serving. Note: May be made and stored in advance.

Uncommonly Vanilla

anilla ice cream has always been a great foundation for family desserts and Breyers believes vanilla is anything but plain and boring. With four different varieties of vanilla to choose from, you’re sure to find a flavour that pairs perfectly with your favourite treats. Here’s what you need to know about each variety. Natural: Its distinctive taste brings out the natural goodness of your favourite fresh fruit recipes, like classic apple pie or peach cobbler. French: Inspired by the traditional French custard, it’s the perfect complement to delicious breakfast-style desserts, like French vanilla puff pancakes or a fruit salad parfait. Homemade: Thick and smooth like it was just churned, Homemade Vanilla is the perfect pairing to your top pick of homemade treats, such as ice cream sandwiches, pies and cakes. Extra Creamy: Fresh cream and sweet vanilla come together to make your favourite frozen treats, such as sundaes and shakes, velvety smooth.

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FOOD AND DRINK

Tr e n d

New Restaurant

REVIEWS

E DG

Info Box ADOBO

Behind Al Jus House Building, close to City Centre Muscat, Mawalah Tel: +968 9550 7124/9140 5006 Opening hours: 10am-12pm daily Dinner and drinks for two: RO12.7

ROUGH AND READY AS LONG AS YOU’RE HAPPY WITH YOUR FOOD MINUS THE FRILLS, ADOBO COULD BE A BACK ALLEY EATERY WORTH EXPLORING, SAYS MATT BLACKWELL

often find that you can get a good feel for the quality of a restaurant by the nationality of those dining there. If snippets of conversations in Italian are all you hear while perusing the antipasti selection at an Italian café then you know you’re probably in for a mean carbonara. Equally, if it’s an Indian restaurant full of Indian diners, the chances are you’re on to a culinary winner. That’s how I felt when I walked into Adobo, the Filipino restaurant located just off the City Centre Muscat service road. At least that’s how I felt after getting over the initial shock of opening the door and being hit with a wall of sound as a table of 10 raucous Filipina women screeched along to LeAnn Rimes’ Can’t Fight the Moonlight on karaoke. We quickly made our way through to an adjoining room and although our dining space had no karaoke screens visible, the small disco ball in the centre of the ceiling and a dormant strobe light reminded us of the ever-present threat. The tables and chairs were mismatched and tall shoots of bamboo cane lined the walls as decoration, along with the occasional straw hat. It’s fair to say that Adobo is a restaurant with no frills and as long as you’re willing to embrace this and set your expectations accordingly, you could be in for an enjoyable experience. When the waiter brought the menu over, he lingered at the table as if he expected me to order straight away, despite the fact that my dining partner, Niki, was in the bathroom. I asked him for his recommendations and he was happy to oblige, although I ultimately opted to wait until she returned, ordering a pitcher of the calamansi juice in the meantime, which turned out to be a tasty concoction of juices served in rustic-looking jam jars. We were treated to a creative reimagining of Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship as we

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perused the menus and with a selection of chicken, beef, seafood and vegetable dishes all on offer, as well as a speciality list, our server’s suggestions came in handy. In the end, we settled on lumpiang gulay (fried vegetable spring rolls) and camaron rebosado (fried battered shrimp) to start, followed by sisig chicken (one of the recommendations) and caramelised beef shank with soy sauce (a speciality), along with a portion of egg fried rice. Mere minutes later, our appetisers appeared before us, served on a banana leaf on top of a wooden chopping board. The pastry of the spring rolls was dry and crispy, just as it should be, while the batter on the shrimp was pleasingly light, if lacking a little seasoning. The vinegar dipping sauce was an acquired taste and suited the shrimp better than it did the spring rolls.

Verdict : 7 / 10 Service 6 / 10 Food 4 / 10 Ambience Rough around the edges but enjoyable for the open-minded Y Magazine reviews anonymously and pays for its meals

Next up were the mains, brought to our table quite literally as our first course was being cleared, but we didn’t mind too much because we were both hungry. Each dish was served on a cast iron sizzling plate, which is always impressive to behold as it makes its way towards your table. The chopped fried chicken was served with a raw egg in the middle, which was theatrically cooked as the waiter whisked it around the still sizzling plate. As far as flavour was concerned, the chef had certainly not held back with the seasoning this time around, with liberal amounts of salt, vinegar and lemon all competing for space on the taste buds, periodically punctuated by bursts of heat from the chopped fresh green chilli that was sprinkled throughout the dish. I was a fan. The beef, on the other hand, was something of a disappointment. It had been cooked long enough to slip off the bone, but even generous lashings of the caramelised sauce couldn’t save it from being slightly dry with a fatty aftertaste. Nevertheless, we managed to eat everything between the two of us and even had room for dessert. The leche flan de elena came highly recommended by our waiter and trusting his knowledge, we agreed to try it. Flan is not usually a dessert I’d go for, but I managed to polish this one off almost singlehandedly. It was small and light, doused in a devilishly sweet caramel sauce. Everything about Adobo, from the dishes to the décor, was a little rough around the edges with a distinct homemade feel, but the enthusiasm of the serving staff, along with their unfailing smiles, won me over and by the end of the evening, I too was singing along with The Scientist by Coldplay as we paid the modest RO12.7 bill and made for the exit. Do you have a favourite restaurant that you’d like to see reviewed? Let Y know at editor@y-oman.com

HEALTH& BEAUTY MORNING GLORY

It’s all about comfort and ease this autumn, with the “pyjama look” taking catwalks by storm. From striped silks to brocades, stylish piping, paisley prints and floral wideleg trousers, it’s a look that suits all styles.

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Health

Beauty

FASHION

DREAM

TIME

Complete the look with this classic Jaeger Julienne tote – perfect for the PJ-loving fashionista who can’t live without lugging around everything but the bathroom sink. From jaeger.co.uk/home for RO88

Turn night into day with the pyjama look, says Felicity Glover

here’s nothing better than a lazy day at home, lounging about in your favourite comfort clothes. But that’s no reason to turn yourself into a slouch, if this season’s pyjama trend is anything to go by. That’s right – it’s all about taking what is normally reserved for the privacy of our boudoir and wearing it proudly in public. Kate Moss was recently spotted sporting a bold black-and-white pyjama-like lounge suit while endorsing a property development in the UK. Stunningly simple, it was a stylish combination perfectly suited to the campaign, which was, of course, all about the home. Designer Derek Lam kicked off the trend earlier this year and others have followed suit, including Michael Kors, who has embraced pyjama dressing with a luxe chic-printed look. But if there’s one celebrity who’s worn the pyjama look in all its simplistic glory, it has to be Selena Gomez. The actress/singer, who is fast becoming a global style icon, stepped out in Paris just last month wearing a luxe navy blue, piped pyjama set, complete with red satin heels and matching fire-engine red lipstick. While we are not yet brave enough to sport our pyjamas in public, you can still get the look with a pair of palazzo trousers and a breezy, flowing silk blouse. Teamed with the right accessories – strappy heels and a chic handbag – you’ll be looking bang on trend, albeit not quite out of bed.

WAKE UP

How to make it work:

A crisp collarless shirt is an essential mainstay for anybody wanting to get the PJ look. Just make sure the back is slightly longer than the front for an authentic touch. Available at laredoute.com for RO23

These colourful Nico silk print palazzos are the perfect base for that just gotout-of-bed look. Cool, comfy and chic, they can be ordered online at east.co.uk for RO82

Fun strappy sandals add height and take the PJ look to a whole new level. You’ll find similar styles to these red heels from Primark in many of Muscat’s malls 1. The rule of the game here is to avoid an old pair of tracksuit pants and sweaty T-shirt. It’s about looking chic, not literally like you’ve just rolled out of bed. 2. Also a no-no is teaming the pyjama look with a pair of slippers – no matter how tempted you are. 3. As always, accessories maketh the outfit and strappy heels are a great option, while make-up should be flawless.

Quality accessories are vital to the success of any outfit. And while you may look like you just rolled out of bed, this fun floral watch will help you to stay on time. RO58 from radley.co.uk

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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HEALTH& BEAUTY

BEAUTY

Health Fashion

GET THE GLOW The secrets to retaining youthful skin all year round are at your fingertips

Y SCAN OUR QR CODES WITH ANY QR READER APP

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outhful glowing skin starts at home in your beauty cabinet and with your overall health. Having younger looking skin needs constant care and a change in your skincare routine from time to time. Time will not stop, but we can delay its affect now better than before. Here are some top tips from Pond’s Arabia brand expert and dermatologist, Dr Lillian Khan, to help you maintain younger skin for longer: Determine your skin type: Get checked by a skin expert and find out what your skin type is. Many people use products that are not meant for their skin type, which cause adverse effects resulting in problematic skin that is not youthful. Use Cleansers: Cleansers with exfoliants remove dead skin, daily debris, help with better penetration of active anti-aging ingredients and give a clear base. Physical exfoliants like micro-beads or chemical exfoliants like AHA found in products such as Pond’s Age Miracle Cell ReGEN Facial Foam are good for the skin. However, exfoliants are not suitable for sensitive skin types. It is advisable to do an exfoliating cleanse at least once a week. Anti-Ageing Concentrated Serums: These are a must-have in your skin care routine. Try to include serums that can be applied at night after thoroughly cleansing your skin and removal of makeup. This helps for better absorption while sleeping, and you will get more contact with the concentrated ingredients. A major point of focus in skincare products is the area of the jawline and neck. I recommend using products with active ingredients concentrating on that area such as Pond’s Age Miracle Firm & Lift Targeted Lifting Serum Massager.

Sun Protection: It is essential to apply sunscreen before stepping out of the house to protect the skin from any DNA damage or collagen break down. Look for sunscreens that have UVB, UVA, and infrared protection. Antioxidants: Even with protection, we are still exposed to damaging oxidants and environment particles, just by being outdoors. To reverse some of that damage it is suggested to choose products with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Green or White tea extracts. Dermatologist Visit: It is recommended to see your dermatologist every now and then to get a proper evaluation. Your skin issues can be identified and addressed properly with treatments customised to the specific needs of your skin. Diet: Diet trends are becoming popular these days, however, diets that include antioxidants are highly recommended. For example, the Mediterranean diet is a diet based on olive oil, whole grain, dark greens, legumes, nuts, fruits, natural herbs and seafood as a major protein source. Exercise: Just like your body functions better when you are pumping blood to all its parts, so does your skin. Regular exercising will ensure properly flowing oxygen throughout the body for the skin to function properly and renew itself. De-Stress: Stress causes quick ageing. Work, family, and social commitments make us forget our own body needs. But it’s important to rest, get your beauty sleep, and find time to unwind and relax and totally switch off. Turning all technology off from time to time will help you focus on your own health needs.

Beauty

HEALTH

Fashion

A FLEXIBLE WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT And keep it off for a lifetime

hen it comes to losing weight, finding an eating plan that offers flexibility and food variety makes it easier to create a sustainable foundation for healthier lifestyle choices. Two important aspects of weight loss are: understanding how your body uses the food you consume and selecting a programme you can live with long-term. On average, a person following a balanced diet consistent with dietary guidelines eats 2,000 calories a day, which translates into approximately 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates a day. When you consume more carbohydrates than your body can handle, your body will store the carbs you are eating as fat which has a direct impact on weight gain. This is why keeping track of the types and amount of carbohydrates in your diet will help you shed pounds. A scientifically-proven approach to maintaining weight loss is eating an optimal protein, high fibre, healthy fats, lowcarb diet, as it can keep you feeling full and satisfied and eliminates unnecessary snacking or overeating. Atkins 40 is designed for people who have 18kg or less to lose. With a daily allowance of 40 grams of net carbs, people can customise their diet with a wide variety of nutritious foods to lose weight and maintain it. This approach focuses on the quality and quantity of carbs consumed, while avoiding or limiting added sugar and overly refined carbs such as white flour, which are low in nutritional value. Instead, you get your carbs from high-fibre vegetables and other good-for-you foods such as nuts and seeds, a variety of fruits, whole grains, legumes and dairy. “Atkins 40 fits a variety of lifestyles and teaches people how to eat wholesome food for life,” says Colette Heimowitz, vice president of nutrition and education for Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. “It’s a simple approach that sets you up for long-term success by letting you eat more of the right foods without letting hunger take over your life.” To understand how carbs can fit into a healthy meal plan, consider this typical day of meals for a person on Atkins 40:

● Approximately 15 grams net carbs from high fibre vegetables ● Remaining 25 grams net carbs from a list that includes foods such as Greek yoghurt, fruit, nuts, whole grains and legumes ● Three 115-170g servings of protein such as fish, poultry, meats, eggs or vegetarian sources of protein ● 2-4 servings of healthy fats throughout the day ● 6-8 glasses of water ● A daily multi-vitamin For example, on an average day you might start with 1/2 cup oat bran with 1/4 cup strawberries and 1/4 cup pecans, followed by a mid-morning snack of 1/2 cup red peppers and half a dozen cherry tomatoes with a side of two tablespoons creamy dressing or hummus. Lunch could consist of a salad with romaine lettuce topped with salmon and two tablespoons of Caesar dressing. For a late afternoon snack, you could have 1/2 cup cottage cheese with half a peach. To conclude your day, you could eat grilled chicken with a side of asparagus for dinner, with a fresh mozzarella and tomato salad. In addition to a well-rounded eating plan, your path to success can be smoother if you rely on resources such as a meal tracker to record what you eat, ready-made meal plans and shopping lists. You can find these and other free tools at atkins.com * Family Features

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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 • Khimji’s Mart

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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 Sifah • 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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CARS AND ADVENTURES

Indoors

Y- F i

NATURAL HEALING

The water that flows from Ain Al Kasfa, one of the most famous natural springs in Oman, contains high levels of sulphur and is said to offer numerous health benefits to those who bathe in it.

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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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

Indoors

Destination

AIN AL KASFA A NATURAL HOT SPRING IN THE MIDDLE OF A TOWN? CURIOSITY PIQUED, SHAQUEL AL BALUSHI COULDN’T HELP BUT EXPLORE FURTHER 038

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pick-me-up for tired feet. We followed the falaj as it wound its way through town and ended up at a date plantation, where the water was used to irrigate the crops that towered above us. On our way back up to the spring, I stopped to take a few shots of the falaj system, holding my camera very low to the water to get some close up angles, as well as a few from higher up. It was early in the afternoon and while there were that asks visitors not crowds of people out on the streets, they were all to enter the water. locals going about their daily business and we pretty One thing I noticed straight away was the much had the spring to ourselves by the time we returned. clarity of the water Although Ain Al Kasfa alone may not entirely and the different warrant the hour-and-a-half journey from Muscat, colours it took on. you could easily make a day of it and combine it with Close to the edge the water was very yellow, but a visit to Rustaq Fort, one of the nearby wadis or even a trip to Jebel Shams. moving into the centre of It makes a great spot for a picnic now that the the pool it became turquoise temperatures are slowly dipping and we were able to and got increasingly darker as I grab a quick bite for a late lunch before we headed peered down into the inky depths. From my position, I could feel the heat coming home. off the surface and was able to get whiffs of the faint smell of sulphur in the air, but not so much that it was overpowering. Apparently, the water contains high levels of sulphur, which is said to be therapeutic for those with skin and bone conditions. A falaj runs off from the spring and a few metres away, a row of private cubicles have been built where anyone can bathe or dip their feet in the soothing waters. Although I had left my swimming gear behind, I could tell that the temperature of the water had cooled slightly by the time it got to the cubicles and imagine it would’ve been a pleasant

HOW TO GET THERE

TRAVEL GUIDE

in Al Kasfa is the second hot spring I have explored this year, but the two could not have been more different. I visited Al Thawara springs, close to Nakhal, back in May [Issue 371] and while there was a purpose-built pool that kids could swim in, Ain Al Kasfa is quite literally right in the middle of the bustling centre of Rustaq. The spring is incredibly well known throughout Oman and I actually thought I was heading there when I accidentally arrived at Al Thawara a few months ago. I had no such problems this time around and once we arrived in Rustaq, the spring was easily visible directly in front of a mosque. The large, round pool is surrounded on all sides by a wall and fence and apart from this, looks as if it has remained largely unchanged as the town grew around it. There are roads to either side of the spring and it has become something of an improvised roundabout by the looks of it. Taking the steps down, I was able to get a closer look at the pool, although there is a sign

From Muscat, take Route 1 until Muladdah, where you take a left onto Route 11. Stay on this road all the way to Rustaq. Turn right at Indian School Rustaq and follow the road until you reach the spring.

GPS Location of Ain Al Kasfa: N23° 23’ 35.587” E57° 24’ 41.278”

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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CARS AND OUTDOORS ADVENTURES

Omani

THE MANY COLOURS OF

Women

THE BRAINCHILD OF BRITISH PHOTOGRAPHER AND ARTIST HELEN COUCHMAN, THE OMANI WOMEN EXHIBITION IS AN ENLIGHTENING SERIES OF INTIMATE PORTRAITS, WRITES DEEBA HASAN

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ully veiled so her expression remains a mystery to observers, the image of a mother from the interiors of Oman holding her child in her arms offers a rare glimpse into a world that is usually closed to strangers. But British photographer Helen Couchman was able to capture dozens of similar images after gaining the trust of the women. The result is a set of extraordinary photographs capturing Omani women in remote areas around the Sultanate, now on display at Gallery Sarah in Old Muscat. Many of photographs show the women dressed in their traditional attire, vibrant colours of vivid red and saffron yellow, some with a veil or burqa on their faces, others fully covered from head to toe. Armed with her camera and a 4x4, Helen went to great lengths to get the images, even camping out in the mountains and deserts. The hardest challenge, however, was breaking down cultural barriers and, as a lone Western woman, to gain acceptance from the communities she visited. During her three expeditions into the interiors of Oman, Helen criss-crossed the Sultanate, journeying from the northern tip of Musandam and the southern border with Yemen, as well as the vast expanse of the Empty Quarter to Masirah Island on the east coast. She managed to take a total of 146 pictures. They show women of different ages depicting the diversity of women, their self-expression, fashion, modesty and beauty in the environment that they feel most at home. “When I asked for permission to take pictures of these women, I told them to just pose how they wanted to represent themselves in the photograph,” says Helen. Beginning in 2012, the task of taking all these photos was arduous but rewarding. “I would just drive in the Omani Interiors and pass through the market area and other public places. When I spotted a woman, either alone or with her family, I would introduced myself using some Arabic and explain what I am doing and ask them if I could take a photograph of them,” says Helen. On most occasions, probably because Helen was a woman, she didn’t get no for an

Postcards from

Y- F i INDOORS

answer. “I think I was privileged being a woman with this series, as most women would have rejected [an approach] if I was a male photographer.” Surprisingly, it was the younger women who were more shy, often asking to be totally covered in the photo. “Sometimes they would bring in a male member of the family and the male would normally say yes or no, after which the woman would speak, so that there is no contradiction,” reveals Helen. Normally after her conversation with the family, they would ask Helen to go home with them, where sometimes the woman to be photographed would change her clothes into something more fancy and then pose for the photo. Occasionally, Helen managed to take more than one lady’s picture from the same family. When she sat down with the families, they would talk to her about different topics. “They would speak to me about their children a bit, sometimes their careers and other things, at times they also asked a little bit about me. They often liked to dress me up and wanted me to try on their jewellery.” On one occasion, when Helen was at a family home in Thumrait, one of the men spoke to her about the last British person who had entered their area. Although he didn’t remember his name, from the descriptions, Helen later figured out that it was Wilfred Thesiger, the British explorer who crossed the Empty Quarter in the mid-1940s. Helen was lucky to get a mix of everything in her photos – wealthy and poor women, girls aged 17 years to older women in their late 70s, and more modern women with their conservative counterparts. Although she loves all the photos, Helen’s favourite is one in which there is a pregnant woman, wearing a long red dress and completely covered. “It’s the way she has her arms sort of holding on to her stomach, which makes it look like the baby is a prized trophy.” All of the photos have been documented in a book, also titled Omani Women, and was launched along with the exhibition on October 12. Omani Women will run until November 7 at Gallery Sarah, from 9.30am until 6pm, Sunday to Thursday. For more information, visit helencouchman.com OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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CARS AND ADVENTURES REST IN PEACE

Humayun’s Tomb is the final resting place of a 16th-century Mughal emperor. The complex of buildings is one of the best preserved Mughal monuments and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

TOP FIVE THINGS TO DO: 1. Take a food tour and sample some delicious New Delhi delights 2. Discover the district of Hauz Khas, with its crumbling Mughal tombs and tempting boutiques. 3. Read William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns and explore the city from his perspective 4. Visit the Jama Masjid 5. Discover a wealth of Indian art at the National Museum

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Destination

Indoors

Y-Fi

POSTCARDS FROM

Deeba Hasan recommends

NEW DELHI, INDIA I

f you want to see a fancy, modern lifestyle alongside some very t r a d i t i o n a l w a y s o f l i v i n g , N e w D e l h i i s t h e p l a c e t o v i s i t a s i t o ff e r s an interesting mix from both worlds. A fascinating feature about the city is that it is divided into old and new. The old part is made up of breathtaking sights and structures from the past, while the new area boasts a rapidly growing metropolitan landscape, populated by modern shopping malls and buildings. In just a few minutes, you can go from exquisite hotels and state-of-the-art cinemas to tiny residential neighbourhoods, complete with open bazaars, and lit only by lanterns. New Delhi’s history dates back to the 6th century BC and has been ruled most notably by the Mughals and the British. Being the capital of a large nation like India, the significance of New Delhi goes without saying and with so much going on every day, it is a city that truly never sleeps.

THE JA MA MA S J ID

My favourite place There is so much to choose from and it really depends on what you like best, the old or the new. The old wins every time for me and so the Jama Masjid is a place I never grow tired of. It offers a calming respite from the surrounding mayhem of Old Delhi and is one of the largest mosques in India, able to accommodate up to 25,000 people at one time. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned its construction and the mosque was built between 1644 and 1658. One striking feature is the three large domes, while the vast courtyard allows for some great photo opportunities. If you can bear the 121-step climb up the 40-metre-high minarets that tower above the city, you will be rewarded with some great views, with Connaught Place, Sansad Bhavan (Parliament House) and many of New Delhi’s other buildings all in the direct line of sight. Perhaps best of all, you can enjoy this whole experience for free. Highlights Both New and Old Delhi have a lot to offer in terms of places to visit, shop and eat. There are some luxury hotels that are decorated in such a way that they transport you back to olden times. Then there are the narrow streets of Old Delhi, as mentioned in William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns, where you can totally lose yourself in a labyrinth of bazaars and side streets, while the upmarket Connaught Place is a popular haunt for the city’s elite. The Lotus Temple is a breathtakingly exotic structure, with the exterior of the building shaped to resemble a lotus flower, complete with 27 free-standing marble-clad “petals”. Make sure you stop by at night when the temple is beautifully lit. On the banks of the Yamuna River, you’ll find the Raj Ghat, a simple black-marble platform that marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated following his assassination in 1948. New Delhi also offers a wealth of Unesco World Heritage Sites that are worth checking out, including the Red Fort, Qutb Minar (the largest freestanding minaret in India, decorated with ornate Islamic texts) and Humayun’s Tomb. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Swaminarayan Akshardham temples are also beautiful places to visit if you have time.

E C OO KE D B EF OR S TR EE T FO OD Y OU R EY ES

Lowlights Delhi is a fast-growing city and because of this, many people travel from neighbouring suburbs and the outskirts to look for jobs. They are not always successful and the result is a lot of beggars on the street. I keep some change ready with me at all times, but make sure you try to only give it to the really needy ones. You should also be careful and keep a constant eye on your belongings as crime can sometimes be a problem. It’s best not to loiter in the dark after about nine or 10 at night. Souvenirs There are dozens of places to find beautiful souvenirs. The city is a magnet for people from all over India, so you will most likely be able to find pieces of art and other hand-crafted items from all regions of the country. It’s also a great place to stock up on good-quality textiles, so ladies can pick up a sari or two, while can men get fitted for a kurta. Picking up some traditional spices and pickles allows you to bring the unique flavours of New Delhi back home with you to Oman. Where to stay

With the arrival of the Commonwealth Games to the city in 2010 came a huge range of new accommodation options, spoiling visitors for choice. Some hotels in New Delhi have a beautiful charm to them, so if your budget will stretch, take a look at The Imperial hotel in Connaught Place, one of the best heritage hotels in the capital. There is also the The Oberoi New Delhi Hotel and Hotel Palace Heights, as well as a range of mid-level and budget places where you can lay your head. Just make sure you book in advance, as vacancies go quickly during busy months.

N A T IO N AL MU SEUM DELHI NEW

OCT 15 - 21 / ISSUE 390

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-FI THE TECH IN YOU

Postcards from

D e s t i n at i o n

Y-FI

BRING THE BLING

With so many wearable gadgets on the market, it’s easy to go overboard. But Matthew Herbst finds some discreet options that balance style with functionality

SUN SAVVY The Netatmo June is a clever idea that could help to prevent wrinkles, or worse, developing skin cancer. The June resembles a diamond set in platinum, gold or gunmetal and can be worn as a leather wrist strap or as a brooch. This wearable device sends data to an iPhone app about the wearer’s exposure to the sun, alerting them to UV levels. The app provides a UV Index and forecasts for your location so you know when to take sunscreen, shades and a hat with you. It can also warn you to take a break from the rays when you’ve had enough. Check it out at junebynetatmo.com from RO38.50.

WRIST CANDY

Altruis ticks all the wearable boxes and it looks fresh and chic, making it worth its price. Whether you choose a ring, bracelet or pendant, the Altruis will alert you to important notifications, making it perfect for those who carry their phones in handbags or purses. The clever bit? You can decide which notifications come through based on predetermined keywords. That's what we call smart. Available at altru.is from RO184.80.

The Memi Smart Bluetooth bracelet is all about discreetly alerting you to incoming calls or messages. It has no display, but offers three distinct vibration alert patterns that can be silenced through a double tap of the bracelet. Opening the bracelet reveals a micro USB port for charging, which is sealed with a rubber top when closed to prevent water damage. The free iPhone app that goes with it allows you to customise the people who will trigger an alert, as well as set up appointment reminders. Pre-order the Memi bracelet at hellomemi.com from RO57.75.

EDITOR’S PICK

TOO TRUE

044

RING RING THIS PROTOTYPE BLUETOOTH ORB BY HYBRA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IS A SMART RING CAPABLE OF DELIVERING CALL, TEXT AND MEETING NOTIFICATIONS AND HAS THE ABILITY TO CLEVERLY TRANSFORM INTO AN EARPIECE FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE. THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE TWO MODES IS SEAMLESS AND JUST REQUIRES A SIMPLE TWIST. THE ORB USES BONE CONDUCTION TECHNOLOGY TO SEND SOUND DIRECTLY TO YOUR EAR, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A MORE ACCURATE WAY OF HEARING. THE PRODUCT IS STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT, SO START SAVING NOW AND SNAP IT UP WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. JULY OCT 1503- -2109/ ISSUE / ISSUE390327

App of the Week

SMART TOUCH In you’re after a smart ring with near limitless possibilities, make sure you check out the NFC Ring. Whether you want to unlock doors, mobile devices, transfer information or link people, the NFC Ring does it all. What’s more, it never needs charging and is water resistant to a depth of 50 metres. There’s also a free NFC Ring control app available that you can use to program your ring. This is one seriously smart piece of fashion, available at nfcring.com from RO17.66.

NEW MISFIT SHINE

RUNTASTIC One of the most common reasons for owning a smartwatch is fitness. Android Wear already has a built-in step counter, but apps like Runtastic add more of what you need by going into further detail. For instance, the app will let you see how many calories you’ve burned, the total distance you’ve travelled and will respond to voice commands. It’s free, so check it out on Google Play.

Misfit was looking to bridge the gap between fitness trackers and smart jewellery and the result is the Shine. You could easily mistake it for a locket, but it’s actually a cleverly designed activity tracker in grey, black, topaz, or champagne matte aluminum. It has a unisex look and you can select a watch strap or a clasp depending on how you want to wear it. The face of the Shine contains 12 white LEDs that light up when you double tap it to show progress towards your daily goal. It will conveniently auto-detect any activities you undertake, including walking, running, cycling and swimming, as well as track your sleep. Available at store.misfit.com from RO46.20.

BEACON OF LIGHT Equal part fashion and tech, the Beacon Smart Cuff bracelet is a sleek, curved piece of gold or silver with a discreet LED strip that lights up in different colours depending on the type of notification coming through. Using the accompanying mobile app, you’ll be able to assign the colour green to your best friend, red to your boss and so on, meaning you’ll know exactly who is calling or texting before you even pick the phone up. The bracelet will sync to your iOS or Android device via Bluetooth and has a battery life of five days on a single charge. Available at beaconandlively.com from RO64.68. JULY OCT 0315 -- 09 21 / ISSUE 390 327

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PICTURE OF THE WEEK Grand Design: The architecture and symmetry of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat is a sight to behold. The way light and shadow interact make for some great photo opportunities. Construction began in 1995 and the ornate building took six years to complete. Photo by Shaquel al Balushi

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