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Hottest Hottest HammamHammam p34

Dance of India at the Indian Embassy p20

Valentine's Day affair p16

A fruitful glow p58

As part of the Indian

Presents Dance Bharata Nrityam

Guest of Honour:

Soorya Krishnamoorthy,

Founder, Soorya Stage &

Film Society

(Recipient of "Padma Bhushan" Award from the President of India)

by the legendary artiste

Event Partners:

Organised by:

Dr PADMA SUBRAHMANYAM

The Embassy of IndiaMuscat

Republic Day celebrations

of India Classical Dance

Dr GAYATRI KANNAN

MAHATI KANNAN

K. SHYAMAKRISHNAN

along with popular actor-dancer

A NRITHYODAYA PRESENTATION

(Chennai, India)

and

On February 9, 2011 at the Indian Embassy Auditorium at 7.30pm

VINEETH

6 February 7-20, 2011

Hold any work of art; any craft post creation and it will throb like a newborn

baby in your hands. Like the birth of a child, so is the output of a creation.

God creates a child, while we mortals create art, craft or some products…

So, the allusion to the newly born when Khamis bin Bilal bin Shambe

Al Balushi (issue 26) produced his walking stick (or the ‘Asa’) was apt.

Any creation is like a newborn baby, as pure, as simple and a miracle!

The creative process in any art form may seem to differ on the surface,

but beneath all that effort, thinking and creation is the need to bring out

something new and original. Originality, like in Khamis’s sticks, is what

separates works of art from other non-original pieces. Like Khamis noted,

he could pick up his own stick from 100s and 1000s of other sticks!

Anitha B. S., Seeb

‘Bend it like Khamis’ (issue 26). That title itself set the tale apart from all

other tales in town. I am a fan of the Black & White magazine ever since

you featured the story of Wadi Qar’ran (issue 3). From then on till today,

I have not missed a copy. Get better and better. Readers like me will

always be there.

Samuel Paul, Qurum

Camels, camels, camels…everywhere! But, were unlucky; we did not

have the chance to see them. My children just adore camels and it would

have been great if we had a chance to see them. But, still, it is great of

B&W to publish (issue 26) the pictures of the same. They were splendid!

At least we could see them through your magazine.

Natasha S., Al Khuwair

Reading about Kavitha Rama Krishna’s efforts to spread the sacred

language of Sanskrit made me think about a beautiful village in India.

Sanskrit is an everyday spoken language in the village of Mathur, which

is about 10 km from Shimoga in Karnataka (about 300km from Bangalore

city). Many people have hailed this village as the ‘Sanskrit gram’ and

said that it represented India’s culture. In this village, Sanskrit is not only

spoken, it is also “modern, live and vibrant”!

I would like to really applaud the efforts of Kavitha.

Amrapali. K., Barka

Maisoon Mohamed Al-Mahrouqi’s poem ‘A teenager’s mind’ (issue 26)

actually captured the moods of a 15-year old teenager. Being just a

year older than that, I felt like that she was writing about me! Like the

sentiment she has expressed in her poem, I also believe that there will

come a time when teens will be acknowledged for their great minds.

Yes, we maybe emotional and maybe even childish, but at our age,

we can afford to be that.

Maimouna bin Khamis Al Zadjali, Muscat

Any creation is like a newborn baby

Sanskrit village

Teenagers can have great minds

Bend it like B&W

Camels everywhere

6 February 7-20, 2011

‘Not for not

understanding why

you had

so many

red shoes.’

But for being my one true love,my everything.

This Valentine’s Day, say everything you always wanted to but never did. Tell her how, just like the pearl and diamonds in this gorgeous heart-shaped pendant, you seek to find the way to her heart. Tell her all, tell her today with the Damas Hearts Collection.

d to ds in aya to earts

www.damasjewellery.com Tel. 2478 0036

RO.83/-

8 February 7-20, 2011

Cover Photo: Najib Al Balushi

Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC

Black & White

Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos

Office location: Hatat House, Office no: 212, II Floor

Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496

Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com

Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Printed at Mazoon, Muscat, Oman

BPA Consumer

Audit applied for

December 2009

Xclusive

Hot springs eternal

Ain Al Thuwara,

the hot spring of

Al Hammam, is

one of the oldest

and the hottest in

Oman

34

Editor-in-chief Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali

Managing editor Priya Arunkumar

Work editor Adarsh Madhavan

Design & production Beneek Siraj

Photographer Najib Al Balushi

Advt. & marketing Swithun Fernandes

Aloni Mehta, Priyanka Sampat

Conte

nts

Valentine's Day need not to be an expensive affair

Some tips that can still bring

on the romance on the day

of the hearts without burning

a lot of cash

60

16

Be financially free

Oman Air to present Dance of India

Classical dance event – Bharata

Nrityam featuring legendary dancer

Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, popular

actor Vineeth and Nrithyodaya artists

at the Indian Embassy on February 9.

If you’re a woman

who craves financial

independence, don’t miss

these smart ways to save

money

20

9Black & White

A day in the life of...By Adarsh Madhavan

Sadashivan (*) turned himself around on the cold

floor of the room he was in and woke up with a

start as though someone had pinched him awake.

It was the ice cold floor that had woken him up.

The sun had not risen yet. But, as far as he was

concerned, the sun had never risen in his life.

At least not since that fateful journey from his

hometown in India to Oman. He has been here for

little over two years and was now desperate to get

back to his village in a remote area of Kerala. His

old, bed-ridden father was no more and his mother

was all alone in that little, dilapidated shed that

they all called ‘home’. His father’s remains were

yet to be cremated. They were all waiting for him

and he was here, without a job, without papers,

and therefore, unable to travel. When he landed

here, he had everything, a passport, a plane ticket,

a labour card, some money in his pocket, a father,

a mother, a little hut back home and the love of a

girl whom he had promised to marry.

Today, his passport, labour card, money was gone

– forcibly taken by the contact of the same agents

through whom he had landed here. And, today, his

dad was gone, and his mom on the brink and his

wife-to-be was no longer waiting for him.

Boring isn’t it? A sob tale that everyone was tired

of hearing and no longer evoking any type of

interest or even an emotion.

I have heard this tale on so many occasions and

although it used to pain me whenever I heard it, I

have slowly stopped reacting to it. Someone was

telling me this story in a very animated manner

and he was getting excited by the mere thought of

such a sad scene being played out and he wanted

to blame anyone and everyone for what had

happened to poor Sadashivan. He was that livid

with what fate had dished out to the latter.

editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

All a

bout

X,

Y &

Z

I tried not to get sucked into the conversation, which

he was having with another acquaintance of mine,

but despite my efforts, I got drawn in and soon I was

visualising this young Indian, whose dreams of making

it big, or at least getting himself and his poor family out

of the mire they were in, sadly being dashed on these

mean rocks of fate.

Without papers and without money, how will he be able

to go back to India, this social worker acquaintance of

mine asked out aloud. Have you thought about it, he

asked me. If anyone would have heard it they would

have been forgiven for wondering whether I was also

part of the gang that was depriving Sadashivan of

his basic rights and freedom. Try living just one day

in the life of the deprived like Sadashivan, this social

worker challenged me. And then he challenged himself:

could anyone of us be able to live the same life as

Sadshivan? Would anyone of us dare to exchange one

day in the life of Sadashivan? I would normally take

any challenge, but I baulked at this mere idea…I did

not want to live one day or even one moment in the life

of Sadashivan…

Still charged by my social worker friend’s words, I quite

innocently asked him what he intended to do about

Sadashivan. It was a genuine question but, it was

taken in the wrong way. He felt that I was challenging

him. But, the tragedy of it was that he did not have an

answer. He was blaming the world for Sadashivan’s

condition but when I wrongly asked what he was

going to do about it, he had no answer. In fact, all he

wanted to was to rile against the injustice done on

Sadashivan, but he was not keen to make even one

small contribution to alleviate the poor man’s suffering.

Would he spend a day in the life of Sadashivan; wear

his shoes for a day? No answer. Why should people

like us who live in glass houses, throw stones?

(*) Not real name

10 February 7-20, 2011

Copying your friends’

TRAITS?

Men r

ead

Birds of the same feather flock together…? A new and interesting research shows that your friends’ traits may be

rubbing off on you—and vice versa! And, unfortunately, some of his negative traits would also rub on you, it seems

10 February 7-20, 2011

YOU ARE YOUR OWN MAN, RIGHT? Maybe not… it is time for some

introspection. Are you with like-minded people or have you caught on an

attitude or a habit that was never yours in the first place?

Who are you around most? Most importantly who are your friends? Do your

friends, whom you are around with mostly, look up to others who are go-

getters and high achievers, or do they make fun of them and roll their eyes?

Are you with people who are achieving their dreams or complaining about

their circumstances?

CATCH IT FROM A FRIEND

Watch out: you could catch a habit, an attitude, an outlook, an opinion

faster from a friend than a foe! If a guy gains weight, there’s a good chance

his friends will do the same! It is infectious! Whether they’re positive or

negative, they’re rubbing off on you.

Here are few tips to stop copying your friend:

THINK BEFORE YOU COPY

Analyse why you are copying your friend. Maybe he represents something

you want to become. Think for a moment, maybe you lack confidence and

feel your friend is better than you? Make yourself understand that the things

your friends do are their own and you need to get your own life.

Find out other ways to develop some self confidence rather than be

someone you are not.

GET ADVICE

Ask someone outside your circle whether they feel you are a different

person now. They will be a better judge. The danger is if you are in a very

close circle, you and your friends will not recognise the traits.

Remember, when someone starts copying you it can get annoying,

especially if it is one of your friends. It is the same for your friend.

DON’T BE PARANOID

Of course, it is okay to be the same as your friend sometimes. Most

people find their friends inspiring. Don’t get nervous that you are losing your

individuality. If it is something minor like you bought the same trousers as

your friend, then it could be that they just like the design, do not just jump

straight in before knowing all the facts.

GET YOUR OWN ATTITUDE

Never feel inferior. It is the insecurities in you that make you copy others.

Diagnose your fears and repair your ego. And sometimes a superiority

complex can be helpful. Believe in yourself and create your own attitude,

style, ideas. Don’t overdo it though; you could be called a snob!

12 February 7-20, 2011

Men h

ealt

h

like Brad?

Want to look

BUFF

So, you want to look like Brad Pitt and don’t know how? Most of us are keen to have that sexy, lean and ripped look, but, the biggest stumbling block is that we don’t have hours upon hours of free time to hit the gym each day, nor do we have the budget to afford a personal trainer and/or buy expensive supplements. So, where do we start? How do we get that look as we know that both girls as well as guys show respect to a

man with a buff body?

NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE your

body is in right now, you can get

a buff body with enough time and

effort. There are a few main factors

to getting ripped: diet, exercise,

determination, and patience. If you

can take control of all of these things,

you will be able to build a muscular

physique and gain the shape you

desire.

With these thoughts in mind, we

went on a net drive to find out ways

to get ripped fast. We devoured

the net, searching everywhere for

information about muscle building

and tips for how to get ripped fast.

We were stopped on the way with

the usual advice: do squats, deadlifts

and bench press.

Sure that works to build muscle

mass and get bulky looking but we

were not looking to be Mr Universe,

we were keener to have that super

lean, movie star look.

13Black & White

VISUAL IMPACT MUSCLE BUILDING

The truth is that most of the techniques used nowadays

are outdated. Just look at your local gym trainer and

decide if his body type is what you want to have, new age

muscle building experts note.

The visual impact muscle building process by Rusty

Moore has gained quite a lot of publicity.

• If you want to look lean and cut you have to get down

to a low bodyfat percentage. This means that your diet is

crucial. Rusty suggests eating lots of protein, like tuna,

chicken, lean steak and beef, protein shakes. He also

tells you to eat foods like wholemeal bread, oatmeal,

brown rice, lentils and peanut butter.

• In addition to eating right, the way you workout is super

important too. Mix up your rep and set schemes often.

Sometimes do exercises for three sets of 10-12 reps,

then after a couple of weeks change and do that same

exercise for 5 sets of 5 reps. This will keep your muscles

guessing and allow them to build size and density. In

addition, throw in some high intensity interval training two

to three times per week. High intensity interval training

simply means that instead of running at 75 percent for

20 minutes you go 100 percent for one minute, then 50

percent for a minute, then back to 100 percent and so

on for 20 minutes. You can do this on a treadmill, rowing

machine, cross trainer.

• To get that super ‘shrink wrap effect’, you want to

start cutting a couple of months before your target. For

instance, if summer is coming up in a couple of months,

then you want to start cutting now. This is because in

order to get that super ripped look, you have to give your

skin time to shrink down and stick tight to your body.

Also, after you cut and have let your skin tighten up, you

may want to then gain a quick 5-10 pounds of muscle.

The best way to do this is by doing high rep and high set

training. Eating lot’s of protein. This will then give you that

look of your muscles bulging out of your skin. You are

going to look fantastic!

14 February 7-20, 2011

Sunny s

ide u

p

Have you seen how:

When you buy something expensive the word

‘warranty’ is always written in that old Gothic style

to denote tradition and veracity and all those other

fancy words. This is always designed to make the

buyer feel he is dealing with people who are above

board and rising in the mornings with the express

purpose of helping you live a better life.

So when our home theatre system developed a

funny sound two days into the purchase and the

‘surround’ reduced to a squeak we pulled out

our glossy warranty card and went en masse to

showroom from whence the purchase had been

made.

The salesman said it worked when we tested it.

I said, so, it isn’t working now and it is only two

days old, this is a one year all world warranty card

written in Gothic.

Actually, it is Cyrillic, he said, it gives an

impression, did you by chance drop liquid into the

amplifier.

I said, as a family we were not inclined to fling

liquids at items worth a king’s ransom.

He said, the domestic help maybe.

I said, our domestic help may not love us but the

same goes for them, the fact is, it isn’t working and

it is no fun having a home theatre system with DVD

if it doesn’t work.

He said, he would have to check with head office

because this sort of thing had not happened before

but to do so could I please fill in these forms, sorry,

he did not have a pen.

I said, you never asked for forms to be filled when

we bought it last Wednesday.

He said, office procedure, has to be followed you

don’t want to be disqualified, do you?

Perish the thought, we said and sat down to the

examination after sending the kids back to the

house to read out the passport numbers and the

visa expiry dates.

We have to get a letter from your sponsor, said the

salesman.

My sponsor is in Canada, I said, I am not going to

ring him up and ask him to confirm my existence

for a home theatre system that is faulty.

We haven’t proved that yet, he said, it could still be

your fault, you may have put it into the wrong plug

point, we have to check out all these details.

I said, what is the use of this Gothic warranty…

Cyrillic, he said, we tried Gothic but Cyrillic looked

more impressive.

I said, you didn’t hear me, I want it replaced.

We do not do that, he said, we don’t replace, we

send for repairs, while you contact your sponsor I

shall process your papers.

What is this, I said, cheese, there is nothing to

process, just change the flipping system, the

warranty says you will replace the machine.

He laughed the laugh of the intellectual scoffing the

ignorant unwashed and said, if you read the small

print there it says after we have confirmed that the

customer was not responsible.

So, how do you do that, I said.

Oh, we have to send a person to your home to

interrogate all those who live in your home and

then make an assessment by our Vigilance Officer.

I said, what about a lie detector test?

He said, that is optional but the company is

thinking of implementing it for items about

Dhirams7000.

I said, I need to speak to your boss, the top

honcho, the number one man, capiche?

He said his name was not Capish, as far as he

was aware there was no Capish in the office and

in any case Mr Capish was not in the Warranty

department and the boss had gone home for the

day.

He’ll return on Saturday, he said.

Then he turned to me and added, let me ask you

again, do you want to confess, it will be far easier

for you, someone dropped liquid into the amp, tea,

coffee, lemonade, one of the children…

Saturday has come and gone. The system is in the

repair facility. And we wait at home for the Gestapo

to call and begin the interrogation.

Wild with warranty

By Bikram Vohra

Bikram Vohra, internationally-known Gulf based scribe

14 February 7-20, 2011

15Black & White

By Adarsh Madhavan

Cautionary note: if a woman is reading this, you may

please substitute the boy’s role with the girl (and vice versa).

I was watching a sweet, young couple in the corner of the

restaurant I was in recently. I was with friends and despite

that, my attention kept on drifting…towards them. They were

also with some others, but they were oblivious to everyone.

It was good to see them. Despite being in a crowded

restaurant, they were almost on the verge of cuddling

themselves. At one point, the girl took a spoon and fondly

fed her er ‘beloved’ and he seemed to completely relish the

bit. They were glowing and then in the dark entrails of my

being a darker thought formed…would this last? I tch tched

my own thoughts and dipped a piece of my mini chappati

onto some thick curry and swallowed it mindlessly, but still

making furtive glances at the lovey-doveys. Somehow,

there was this urge in me to get up and tell them, or more

importantly, tell the boy, that things would not be so hunky

dory after sometime. Was he prepared to go through the

fire, especially when the shiny times suddenly dip in a

surly sea of misunderstandings and forget to rise the next

morning and the next… until the time comes when she tells

him that it was time… to move on? He better realise that this

statement of hers was actually a culmination of months of

planning and she was not just blurting some strange words

out in a fit of rage, but something she was slowly hinting at

since sometime, signs of which she has been giving him,

but he was so dumb he could not read the writing on the

wall.

Hold it, hold it, right there, you morose piece of zilch, don’t

rub your pessimism on these young sweeties, let them

enjoy their lovey-dovey moments, sanity scolded me from

one end. But somehow, those words just drowned in a

new shower of negativity. I think I am the type that would

prefer a lovely movie to have a tragic ending. I know I am

not like that but still, there seemed to be some automatic

response system that swung me uncompromisingly into

negativity, into some spell of doom. Go, this insane voice

quietly urged that boy, run away before you get hurt boyo,

it screamed from the side, as I tried in vain to muffle it.

But, it went on, as though it was directly speaking to

the boy: “Yes, you (the boy) will suddenly realise that

whatever moods you had displayed or whatever funny

comments you had made of her before; whatever

angry words that may have escaped your mouth or

whatever blunders you may have made are all going to

descend on you like an avalanche and swipe you out

of the scene as she, your beloved, will suddenly realise

that her parents wanted someone ‘settled’ (whatever

that means) and you will find yourself accused of being

more interested in her body than her soul and she

will realise that you both did not have anything much

in common and she will also shed tears and say how

she wished you were that man she ‘once’ loved. Yeah,

‘once’ (you heard that right) and you will reel in shock

and awe and wonder what was happening and the

more you get tongue tied, the more you would sink

in that morass of failure and rejection from which you

will never ever rise, while she would have easily, er,

moved on… and claim that she now saw you more as

a friend than a lover!

And as you foolishly toss and turn in impotent wonder

and rage, life itself would have moved on, my friend

and no amount of wishing would ever get you to where

you were once…”

But, a sneak peek at the young couple made me

realise that my morose thoughts had not rained on

their parade and they were in fact, going on in full

swing…But, don’t say that you have not been warned,

I thought darkly as I reached for the bill and swore: do

restaurants charge extra for negative thinking?

Disclaimer: Only the male version is attributed to the

author.

O

ff th

e wall

Just a matter of time…

adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com

16 February 7-20, 2011

Forget it.

Don’t buy her expensive gifts, or take her on a

romantic cruise.

Forget all extravagant and boisterous gestures.

Don’t do anything of that sort.

So, if you are going to drop all that jazz, how are

you going to spend your Valentine’s Day with your

special someone? If you are not going to sweep

her off her feet with an expensive gift or restaurant

dinner, what are you going to do? In this time of

financial gloom when majority of the people are

pinching pennies, what else could you do for your

loved one?

Plenty!

Many note that there is “nothing like old-school

romance when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s

Day”. But, what exactly is that?

Get charming! Even if you employ a clichéd style,

it still has its charm: Go out on a date, buy a

bunch of red roses, book a table at your favourite

restaurant, walk down the beach hand-in-hand,

dance under the stars, cook his/her favourite

food, watch a movie together – there are so many

charming things you can do on Valentine’s Day

2011.

“If you are with your loved one, no matter what

you do, you are sure to enjoy this. It does not

matter whether you are short of money or time,

the important things is about spending some

quality time with the person you love, no matter

who it is. Even the simplest of gestures done

with the deepest feelings from the heart will

be appreciated,” are the ready advice from

Valentine’s Day experts.

Vale

nti

nes

16 February 7-20, 2011

17Black & White

1. Go on inexpensive dates like

in places where you don’t have to

spend or pay for anything like parks;

2. A simple greeting will do too. As

long as the love is there, couples

need not go out and celebrate it.

3. Cook an affordable meal for her at

home. Women love to be pampered

with food especially when it’s

prepared by a loved one.

4. Prepare your own romantic gifts.

5. Leave love notes all over.

So if you can’t afford to shower your

special someone with expensive

gifts this Valentine’s Day, remember

that a real kiss will do the job just as

nicely. Well, maybe even better!

Here are some tips that can still bring

on the romance on the day of the

hearts without burning a lot of cash:

17Black & White

18 February 7-20, 2011

FREE GIFTS

Some free and inexpensive gift ideas (for him and her):

Homemade Valentine’s dinner

Make a homemade meal for your loved one. Or better still, celebrate

Valentine’s Day with a romantic dinner for two. If you enjoy cooking

together, plan and prepare your dinner together. The meal doesn’t have

to (shouldn’t!) be an elaborate or time-consuming chore; if your partner’s

favourite food is noodles (oh no!), serve it in a fancy dish and enjoy. Or,

this might be the perfect time to splurge on lobsters, a few pounds of

shrimp, or delicious filet mignon or prime rib.

Set your table with your best dinnerware, romantic linens, flowers, and

candles. Don’t forget the wine and cheese and your favorite romantic

music to set the mood. Clean as you cook, but don’t worry about the mess

afterwards; leave the dishes till morning and enjoy each other!

For him or her: Relaxing foot or body massage

Who cannot give a free massage? It is free and if you are gentle enough,

it could prove to be most relaxing and if your loved one likes massages,

it will be much appreciated. Set the mood when giving the foot or body

massage by:

• Dimming the lights in the room

• Play relaxing music

• Have your partner get comfortable in a chair, on the bed or couch

• Use scented or unscented massage oils for a smoother massage

• Unplug the phones, turn the cell phones off and avoid all distractions

Inexpensive homemade crafts

If you are good at making crafts or other forms of art such as painting,

poetry or wood-working, you have an advantage. Consider making

something for your loved one with your own hands. This is also a

great idea for children who wish to make something for their parents or

grandparents.

Gifts from the heart

No matter what you choose, remember that Valentine’s Day is a day

to tell that special someone that you love them. It’s a time to relax and

enjoy each others company. It doesn’t have to cost lots of money, nor is it

necessary to spend outrageous amounts of money on gifts. The best gifts

come from the heart and will form loving memories for years to come.

Valentine’s Day is a day to tell that special someone that you love them. It’s a time to relax and enjoy each others company

Vale

nti

nes

18 February 7-20, 2011

19Black & White 19Black & White

20 February 7-20, 2011

Om

anw

atc

h

“I would call it Bharatanrithyam, not Bharatanatyam,” the legendary

danseuse, Padmabhushan (Dr) Padma Subrahmanyam told Black & White

in a brief telephonic chat, recently.

“I would like to call the classical dance form Bharatanrityam, not natyam,”

Dr Padma, who is going to perform along with her disciple, actor-dancer

Vineeth at the ‘Dance of India’ show as part of the Indian Republic Day

celebrations at the Indian embassy auditorium on February 9 evening,

clarified to us. The dance event is jointly organised by the Indian Embassy

and the Black & White.

For the uninitiated, it should be known that there are three aspects of

Bharatanatyam: nritha, nrithya and natya, which represent pure dance,

expressive dance and the combination of the two. Nritha is the pure abstract

form, while nrithya is dance with mime or rhythm and natya is dance with

histrionics.

The different classical dances in India adheres to these principles of the

great rishi, Bharata Muni’s Natyasastra, namely to the division of dance into

nritha - the pure abstract form, nrithya dance with mime or rhythm, thandava

the style followed by men in dance and lasya, the style for women dancers.

Dance is like meditation, Dr Padma noted. “It means everything to me;

it defines my various stages of existence. It completes me physically,

emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It is a means of spiritual awakening,”

the legend, who is a rare combination of dancer, choreographer, music

composer, singer, research scholar, teacher and author, stressed.

UNIQUE ‘DANCE OF INDIA’

She also said that the “Dance of India’ event was unique in many ways:

“The event in Muscat is custom made for the occasion: Indian Republic

Day celebrations. The performance will be different and not be one of those

routine, regular structured performances!”

“The Muscat audience will surely enjoy the right mix of patriotism,

integration, tradition, art and the programme will conclude with a dance

episode of humour,” she said of the one hour, 10 minutes programme.

Dance is like meditation:

Dance workshop on February 11 at ISC multi purpose hall (1pm to 5pm)

Meanwhile, Sri Saraswati Natyalaya will be presenting a workshop/lecture by

Dr Padma at the ISC multipurpose hall on Friday. This is used as a platform to promote

the Bharata Ilango Foundation for Asian Culture (BIFAC) which will be a cultural

corridor for revitalising Asian cultural links. “This is a dream project for me and for art

lovers,” Dr Padma said of the BIFAC..

Dance workshop registration: call 95755823; for BIFAC details: bifacindia@gmail.com

20 February 7-20, 2011

21Black & White

Dr Padma Subrahmanyam

21Black & White

22 February 7-20, 201122 February 7-20, 2011

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23Black & White

Bharatanatyam was meant to be a male-dominated dance form:

VINEETH“Lonely?” The young actor-dancer coughs long

distance over the phone.

Vineeth, is an extra polite, gentle and sweet young

man; qualities many stars lack.

He coughed once more and said with a very polite

laugh: “No, no, it is not at all a lonely world out there

in the arena of dancing. There are plenty of male

dancers today,” he said, responding to a Black &

White query whether the dancing world was a lonely

one, dominated by women.

“With the right media exposure, I feel the numbers

(of male dancers) will only increase.”

A cursory glance at Indian mythology will reveal

how Bharatanatyam was intended to be a male

dominated dance tradition, he said.

For Vineeth (born Chathamath Konath Vineeth

Nambiar), a South Indian film actor and

accomplished classical dancer who has acted in top

films, including his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu

and Kannada films, acting is a “profession”, and

dancing, a “passion”.

He comfortably nestles between these two and

manages to bring out the best from both. He

thoroughly enjoys both worlds and coupled with his

good looks (a popular website had once included

him among the top100 handsome men in India), he

is a star to reckon with. But, the 42-year old actor-

dancer does not put on any airs. Although known

to be slightly reserved, he is equally known to be

very media friendly, which was evident in the affable

manner that he spoke.

23Black & White

24 February 7-20, 2011

Is it a lonely world out there as a male dancer in this world of

dancing, dominated by women? Or, do you feel extra special?

No, I am not at all lonely. There are plenty of male dancers

today. With the right media exposure, I feel the numbers will only

increase in future. Art, I feel is in the core of every being born.

Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest dance forms of India. It was

nurtured in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient

times. If we look at its origins, Bharatanatyam was intended to be

a male-dominated tradition.

It is said that Brahma, a Hindu deity, established the dance in

order to enlighten human beings and keep them away from vices.

It is believed that he approached sage Bharata (Bharatamuni)

to articulate it, so Bharatamuni wrote the Natyasastra (book on

Bharatanatyam). The dance form has been named after Bharata

Muni, the author of the Natyasastra.

And, Nataraja, the lord of dancing, is male. The image of dancing

Shiva has become an icon to dancers all over the world. The

highly talented artists and the male gurus (nattuvanars) were

the sole repository of the art until the early 20th century when

a renewal of interest in India’s cultural heritage prompted the

educated elite to discover its beauty.

Ultimately, Bharatanatyam’s traditional origins point in the

direction of male dominance. Gender roles in Indian classical

dance have see-sawed from it being a predominantly male

tradition in the age old years to a predominantly female one later.

Maybe, the reason for the gender switch seems to be that these

girls and women are seen as “the keepers of culture and religion”.

As an art form, Bharatanatyam is multi-faceted. It includes

melody, natyam, poetry, drama and mime. I believe today

Bharatanatyam is one of the most popular and widely performed

dance styles and is practiced by male and female dancers all

over India. Due to its wide range of movements, postures and

the balanced blend of the rhythmic and mimetic aspects, the art

extends well to experimental and fusion choreography.

Does dance make a special metaphor in your life, or are you

more focussed on being a movie star?

Acting is my profession, while dancing is my passion. I took

my first steps to dancing when I was just four. My parents are

professionals (dad, a lawyer and mom, a doctor), but I had the

famed Travancore sisters (Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini) as my

aunts.

Once, I was dancing away at a family function (I must have been

hardly four), when Padminiamma came and blessed me and put

a garland on me and announced that I had a promising dancing

future ahead of me. It is long way since. I have been fortunate

enough to have the opportunity to get trained under totally

professional and committed dance gurus…

Speaking to the B&W from Chennai, Vineeth, who is going to perform

along with the legendary Padmabhushan (Dr)

Padma Subrahmanyam, as part of the B&W –

Indian Embassy dance event, ‘Dance of India’, at the Indian embassy

auditorium, today, explained how he got

into the world of dancing; his passion for it and the

sheer adoration, love, respect and awe for his

current guru, Dr Padma.

Here, in this brief interview, he speaks

mainly of his first love: dancing.

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25Black & White

Vineeth entered the tinsel world when

he was just a 10th grade student.

Malayalam director, I. V. Sasi cast him

in the Malayalam movie Edanilangal

(1985). But, it was the super hit movie,

Nakakshathangal (1986), directed by

Hariharan, in which he played a teen

lover, that brought him real adulation from the

viewers. Though films like Idavazhiyil oru kaalocha,

Rithubhedam, Amruthamgamaya (1987), Aaranyakam

(1988), Sargam (1992), Ghazal, Kabooliwala (1993),

Parinayam(1994) etc. gave Vineeth the recognition

he craved for, his career didn’t take off as expected.

In Tamil, Vineeth managed to earn a place for himself

with movies like Avarampoo (1992), Kaathal Desam,

Priyamana Thozhi, Bokshu-The Myth (English),

among others. A very talented dancer, Vineeth had

earlier won the Kalaprathibha award at the State

schools youth festival. He has exhibited his dancing

skills in several movies like ‘Mazhavillu’ (1999) and

Chandramukhi (2005) in Tamil.

What is your greatest wish as a dancer?

Dancing is a spiritual expression. It is a spiritual experience for me. My

wish is to start an authentic, traditional and scientific dance institute in the

future. I am working towards it.

What would you want to be known as – as a dancer who could act a

bit, or an actor who could dance a bit?

When I turned 10, I started learning systematically under Kalamandalam

Saraswati Nair (the revered Malayalam novelist and filmmaker M. T.

Vasudevan Nair’s wife). Since then, Bharatanatyam has become a part of

my life…

I met Padukka (Dr Padma) during a US dance event trip along with

Padminiamma. I began to scientifically train under her since 1992.

Padukka is a phenomenal teacher, dancer; artist… every day is a new

learning experience with her. Dancing is an art that cannot be mastered; it

has to be learned, expressed and lived to the fill. I am still learning…

I am a professional dancer and actor and that is how I would like to be

known as. Dancing and acting go hand in hand for me. Both complement

each other. Initially, when I entered the film world, it was not based on my

dancing skills. The initial films I did were all general ones, with no dance

scenes or themes. But I would say dancing has helped me in my film

career. It is my life!

Dancing and acting go hand in hand for me. Both complement each other. Initially, when I entered the film world, it was not based on my dancing skills. The initial films I did were all general movies, with no dance scenes or themes

26 February 7-20, 2011

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Kavitha Rama Krishna, a Sanskrit

teacher in Oman, will be giving

a special display of her Tanjore

(Thanjavur/Thanjavoor) paintings

at the ‘Dance of India’ show at the

Indian Embassy auditorium on

February 9, evening. The display,

which will include 40 Tanjore

paintings, will be held in the hall,

just outside the Indian Embassy

auditorium. Tanjore paintings have

a very rich heritage and these style

of paintings are notable for their

adornment in the form of semi-

precious stones, pearls, glass pieces

and gold. The rich vibrant colours,

dashes of gold, semi-precious

stones and fine artistic work are

characteristics of these paintings.

They add beauty and culture to

a variety of surroundings and

décor. The paintings are mostly of

deities because this art of painting

flourished at a time when fine-looking

and striking temples were being

constructed by rulers of several

dynasties. The figures in these

paintings are large and the faces are

round and divine.

Contact: 95884124

Tanjore paintings display

27Black & White

Art is a blessing from God

“Art is a blessing from God, meant for serving people

in distress, but, quite often, it is mercilessly sold,

which is an act against the will of God!”

'Dance of India' show guest of honour: Soorya Krishnamoorthy, founder, Soorya Stage & Film Society

28 February 7-20, 2011

to benefit 75 women in Al MudhaibiBankMuscat launched its third business incubator in the wilayat

of Al Mudhaibi under the auspices of Aliya bint Said bin Salim Al

Habsi, director of educational planning and quality assurance,

directorate-general of education, North Sharqiyah region.

The Bank's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative

aimed at creating jobs for women will benefit 75 beneficiaries

under the social security umbrella in the wilayat who will be

trained in photography, beauty services and hand-made

traditional Omani cap. On completion of training, BankMuscat

will also financially support 10 women from the incubator to start

their own businesses.

BankMuscat business incubator

Word

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Mazda2 comes with halogen headlamps,

a roof spoiler, CD (MP3) player, dual front

airbags, alloy rims, ABS breaks with EBD

and intrusion minimising brake pedal and

most importantly fits in your budget as well

as lifestyle. Available at an incredible price

of OMR65 per month onwards, the Mazda2

completely fits into your budget and lifestyle.

Annurag Chawla, head of marketing and

communications, Towell Auto Centre, says,

“At TAC, we are committed in giving out

customers the best value for money. After

having won such accolades globally and

with its recent launch, we are sure that

the Mazda2 has made an impact amongst

automotive aficionados in the Sultanate..”

Mazda2 – A refreshing driving experience

The Standard Chartered Dubai

Marathon is one of the best known

runs in the world attracting runners

of international repute once a year

in January. The general manager of

the Park Inn and third time participant

Francois Galoisy accompanied by

Michael Jacobi, general manager

of the Radisson Blu was the Oman

representation of the Rezidor

Hotel Group. At the company a

‘Responsible Business’ policy is

followed within the chain. The first

quarter of the year is dedicated to

‘healthy living’ and the two hotel

General Managers thought it was apt

for them to set an example together

with their participation in the 10

kilometre competition.

The 2011 Standard Chartered Dubai

Marathon kicked off amidst live

entertainment provided by bands

and DJs in front of the American

University Dubai finishing outside the

Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.

Radisson Blu and Park Inn general managers at Dubai Marathon

Al Ansari group celebrated 35 years of success in the Sultanate recently. The

gala event was attended by Anil Wadhwa, Indian ambassador to Sultanate

and many other dignitaries.

Expressing his happiness during the coral jubilee of the company, Mohammed

Ali Juma , chairman of Al Ansari Group said, ‘ The 35th anniversary comes at

a time when the sultanate is celebrating 40th National Day.

This is significant milestone for Al Ansari Group. We are also proud to record

high percentage of Omanisation ratio in compliance with Government’s

decision to promote nationals. Today, Al Ansari boasts of over 4000

employees and 10 companies across Oman, UAE and India’.

Al Ansari group coral jubilee celebrations

29Black & White

National Bank of Oman (NBO) recently held its

December 2010 Al Kanz Mega Prize Draw for OMR1

million, at the Palm Gardens, Intercontinental Hotel

Muscat. The exciting and interesting evening was

well attended by over 200 hundred guests including

NBO customers, NBO board of directors, Ceo

Salaam Said Al Shaksy, along with other senior

management members and staff.

The lucky winners of NBO’s Al Kanz Mega Prize

Draw for RO one million (four winners of RO 250,000

each) are Nasser Ali Mohammed, from NBO’s Al

Kamil Branch, Mohammed Saleh Abdullah, from

NBO Al Kanz Mega Prize Draw

The new 2011 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have arrived and are

now in Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC showrooms across the country.

“The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport continue to represent high quality,

bespoke engineering and manufacturing and will excite the market in Oman.

At MHD LLC we are extremely proud to present the 2011 model year range

and we expect continued success and growth as a result of their arrival,” adds

David Aziz, director automotive, MHD LLC.

2011 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport

Ministry of Manpower has honoured Ramniklal B. Kothary &

Co. LLC with the “Omanisation Award 2010” at its annual event

held recently at Al Bustan Palace Hotel under the patronage of

Lieutenant General Malik bin Suleiman Al Maamary, Inspector

General of Police and Customs. The award was presented for

achieving and maintaining high rate of Omanisation percentage in

the year 2010. The award was received by Abdullah Al Wahaibi,

personnel manager for Ramniklal B. Kothary & Co. LLC.

“We are very pleased to receive this award in recognition of our

constant efforts in attempting to fulfill HM Sultan Qaboos’s vision

for Omanisation. Our aim has always been in attempting to give

the best possible employment opportunity and services to the local

people of Oman," said Madhookar Kothary, managing director and

Prabodh Kothary, director of Ramniklal B. Kothary & Co. LLC.

Ramniklal B. Kothary 'Omanisation Award'

Sohar Industrial Area Branch, Sheikha Mubarak Musabah,

from Ibri Branch and customer (name with held on request)

from CBD Branch.

On February 14th, all Spicy Village outlets

will host a duet banquet: a fabulous

buffet meant just for couples, with the

best of Indian, Chinese, Continental and

Arabic food. This will feature all the Spicy

Village specials that people have come

to look forward to. The highlight of the

duet banquet will be 10 mouth-watering

desserts as a Valentine’s special, ranging

from perennial favourites like Gulab

Jamun, Rasamalai, Umm Ali and Omani

Halwa to Shahi Kheer, Pecan Date

Pudding and more. This extra-ordinary

spread is priced at a nominal OMR9.500.

The best thing about this buffet you

get to treat your sweetheart free. Every

couple would like to enjoy a delicious

meal on Valentine’s Day, without the

hassle of planning and preparing it. This

is precisely why we’ve come up with a

Valentine’s duet offer,” says Dayaparan,

general manager, Spicy village.

For reservations call 99224718

Duet banquet at

Spicy Village!

30 February 7-20, 2011

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The most recent work done by Asha

Advertising & Marketing for National Bank

of Oman during the Ramadan period

has received favourable reviews by two

prominent creative jury members in the

Work Section of the December 5, 2010

issue of Campaign Magazine, Middle

East.

During the Ramadan month, NBO decided

to make a donation on behalf of every

NBO customer, whenever the customer

used any of the bank’s cards (credit &

debit) and/or deposited into his/her Al

Kanz Saving Account (at no additional

cost to the customer). Towards this, the

team decided to place NBO branded

‘donation boxes’ at every branch. But they

were donation boxes with one unexpected

twist: they all had a closed slit at the top!

“When the product idea is strong, and the

teams work together, the results are there

for all to see. Asha, as the first and oldest

communication agency in Oman, has

always prided itself in understanding the

market and the ever-changing consumer

and this is the fourth time our work has

been reviewed at a regional level by

Campaign Middle East in 2010,” said

Jayanto Banerjee, general manager, Asha

Advertising.

NBO ‘Ramadan Donation Box’ campaign receives recognition in Campaign Middle East

For those wondering why they

are having weak, damaged

hair and dry skin, the answer

could be a bad shower head.

Harsh chemicals, chlorine and

the bad effects of a variety of

metals in water could be the

reason for your bad skin and

hair, a press note from Qais

United Enterprises Trading, an

enterprising local company,

which is promoting healthy

shower filters said.

“Although we think of a shower

as refreshing and cleansing, a

surprising amount of harmful

chemicals can be easily

absorbed through the skin. A

shower water filter can remove

chlorine and other harmful

chemicals providing you with

healthy filtered water for

showering,” a spokesperson

from Qais United Enterprises

said.

“All of us stress on the

importance of filtering our

drinking water, but none of us

think that we should filter the

shower/bath water,” he added.

Exposure to vapourised

chemicals in the water

supplies through showering,

bathing, and inhalation is

100 times more than through

drinking the water.

“It’s unhealthy to drink

chlorine, but there’s also a

problem with chlorine in the

water you bathe in. While

bathing, water gets absorbed

into your body. The chlorine

soaks in with it.

Hot water will open a pore,

which allows more chlorine to

be absorbed.

Chlorine will also damage

your hair, dry out the natural

oils in our skin, and make

you feel dry and itchy,” the

spokesperson said, adding

that during our shower, hot

water releases chlorine gas

into the air, trapped in the

bathroom with you, so you end

up breathing it in. In addition,

when you’ve finished bathing,

the chlorine will vent out and

contaminate the air in the rest

of your home.

Qais United Enterprises

Trading has a patent product,

which is an eight (8) stages

water (stainless steel) filter. “It

is quite an effective product

and not only are the cartridges

easily replaceable, but, they

are also suitable for extensive

application,” the spokesperson

said.

Shower filter to save hair and skin

31Black & White

The new Renault Safrane, a distinctive, user-friendly

and reliable sedan is now available in Oman. “The

Safrane name has become synonymous with quality,

durability and performance. It won the customers’

trust, thanks to its superb qualities in all of its

segment’s key features,” said Katsumi Nakamura,

executive vice president, leader of Asia Africa,

Renault SAS.

“Renault vehicles with their high degree of

customisation for the AGCC region, top range

features and equipment and innovative leading

technology have generated a lot of interest among

the people in the Sultanate.

With the next generation Safrane coming to Oman,

the excitement around the Renault range will

intensify,” said Ahmed Suhail Bahwan, chairman

of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles. In Oman Suhail

Bahwan Automobiles LLC (SBA) are the exclusive

dealers for all Renault vehicles.

All New Renault Safrane in Oman

Spicy Village offers its customers

a tantalising lunch buffet at

just OMR2.900 per person. The

generous spread, consisting of

both vegetarian and non-vegetarian

dishes, includes mouth-watering

names like vegetable manchurian,

paneer butter masala, vegetable

saloona, vegetable shaslik, chicken

tikka masala, mutton saloona, grilled

fish, prawn manchurian, and a whole

lot more. “In essence, we offer two

soups, four starters, six salads, five

desserts and assorted breads, fried

rice, noodles and chicken biriyani,”

said Mohamed Hakkem, chef, Spicy

Village.

“The Spicy Village lunch buffet

was a forerunner in its time. Now

we’ve decided to renew it – and

make it more tempting than ever,”

says Daya, general manager, Spicy

Village chain of restaurants.

Available at all Spicy Village outlets

in Al Khuwair, Rusayl, Sohar, Nizwa

and Sur, the Spicy Village lunch

buffet is available from 11am till

4pm every day, including weekends.

The menu comprises 30 delicious

items, ranging from Arabic to Indian,

Continental to Chinese.

Contact: 99224718

Spicy Village grand lunch buffet is back!

McDonald’s Oman (Al Daud Restaurants LLC) is

preparing to open five new restaurants in 2011. The

new outlets are set to offer extensive employment

possibilities for job-seeking Omanis.

“The Quick Service restaurant segment in Oman

continues to grow,” said Ali K. Daud, development

licensee of McDonald’s Oman. “We are well-

positioned to capitalise on this growth. This is fantastic

as it provides investment into the local economy as

well as creates new job opportunities with us and with

our suppliers, thus resulting in a positive economic

domino effect across various industries.”

For more information on McDonald’s job opportunities,

contact Ahmed Al Amri at 99374461 or email

ahmedalamri@mcdonalds-oman.com.om

McDonald’s set to boost job opportunities for Omanis

32 February 7-20, 2011

You have the RIGHT to say “NO” Dr Anchan C.K.

managing director,

World Wide Business HouseBy Dr CK Anchan

We say no to a lot of ideas — including

most of our own ideas. But it’s important

to remember that no can be temporary.

No now may be yes later. Or it may be no

forever. The trick is to figure out which camp

a certain no falls into and then respond

appropriately.

We say yes to others because we want to

please them. But when eventually we can’t

continue, we let them down and we feel

guilty. Both parties suffer. Recognise that

a desire to please often prevents us from

saying no.

Say No 'If you are not comfortable': it could

be the people involved, the type of work, the

implications or you might be uncomfortable

with any of a number of issues. don’t be

afraid to let someone know you just don’t

want to, in other words you may not enjoy

that kind of work.

Say No ‘If you are not qualified” : it’s better

to admit your limitations up front, if you

feel that you do not have the adequate

qualifications, or skills. Someone else is

bound to be qualified to take up the job.

Say No 'If you do not have free time': You

do not have to make excuses or feel sorry

if you don’t have any free time, you need to

let people know as to when and how much

responsibility you have accepted. Be honest

if your schedule is filled.

Say No 'if you are to split your attention

among projects': Let people know that you

will be more effective if you focus on one

project at a time, but you can’t when your

focus is too divided or splintered, let people

know that you want to do a good job for

them.

Say No than do a mediocre job : If you know

that you are not going to deliver better for

any reasons viz: time, skills, people etc , do

not accept responsibility Say no with dignity.

Understanding your limits is a talent to be

expected.

Offer services of others if you can: Helping

to connect people is a valuable service to

offer, make sure the person you refer will

represent you well and can carry out the

delegated work.

Before saying No consider: if you really want

to help but don’t have the time, say so. Offer

to help at a later time or date, you aren’t

saying that you will never help out again, just

that you feel your schedule is as full as you

would like now.

State if you have any other commitments:

it doesn’t matter what the commitment is,

it can even simply be time to yourself or

with friends or family, but be clear and be

specific. See if you can take alternate task:

saying no doesn’t mean that you can’t help

at all, if someone asks you to do something

you really cannot refuse then offer to help

with something you are comfortable with.

Stick to your set of goals and strategies,

this gives you a reason to stick to your

course. When someone persists, repeat your

position, perhaps in a slightly different way.

Exel at just a few things, rather than being

just average at many.

Don’t try to do everything. You have a right

to say no. Remember that others may take

you for granted. Be polite but be firm in

saying NO wherever and whenever required,

as obliging and saying yes will only build

false hopes…

Managem

ent

talk

32 February 7-20, 2011

33Black & White

OMAN’S UNIQUE HOT SPRINGS

Just think of it… nature only knows to give. It never

takes anything in return. Look around us: nature

swathes us up with so much natural abundance. We

live in peace with the gentle breeze that embrace

our cheeks, the cold clear water that we quench our

thirst with…

Nature always mystified us with its way of giving us

more that what we actually require.

Oman is a naturally rich country, endowed with

plenty of resources and richness that make our lives

better. And the Sultanate is unique thanks to its

extensive mountain terrain and the pristine beaches.

But, it is also known for its mysterious hot springs.

The most visited and known ones are the Rustaq

and Nakhl hot springs, which have become tourist

attractions today. But there is a lesser known, yet

historic and ancient hot mineral laden spring in

Oman, which is very close to the capital area. And

that is Al Hammam hot springs, which actually

waters the quaint little Hammam village, a green

oasis in the midst of the mountain range in the

Bausher area, which the B&W team visited. Some

myths, real-life tales surround this little hot spring

and it is detailed here in the following pages.

The most visited and known ones are the Rustaq and Nakhl hot springs, which have become tourist attractions today. But there is a lesser known, yet historic and ancient hot mineral laden spring in Oman, which is very close to the capital area Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali

Editor-in-chief

In Black...

& White

In B

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I have also visited the hot springs of Ain Al Kasfah of

Rustaq, which are said to have medicinal value. The

hot springs have an average water temperature of 45C

and are considered among the Sultanate’s most ancient

springs.

Ain Al Kasfah attracts visitors from far and wide who

come to bathe in the hot water or benefit from its

therapeutic qualities; it offers an effective cure for a

wide range of diseases and rheumatism. Others just

come to watch the water bubbling endlessly out of the

ground and as a visitor I always wondered how the

water is always hot!

I have heard of various other countries that have utilised

the natural springs to promote medical tourism by

converting the springs to natural spas. Oman should

take the path too and perhaps, sometime in the future,

this beautiful country can actually become an exclusive

spa destination.

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34 February 7-20, 201134 February 7-20, 2011

35Black & White

Hot Hot springs springs eternal eternal

35Black & White

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36 February 7-20, 2011

Abu’l Kalam, 47, balanced himself on a small and thin wooden

platform and then knelt. All around him were mountains, rocks,

sparse but strange vegetation, a rough hewn, sinuous path and

myriad goat tracks and rocks and more rocks...

In that silent, breeze-still, stark environment, almost as though he

had heard a muezzin’s silent call for prayer to the faithful, Abu’l

Kalam prostrated and placed his forehead on the same wooden

stand, which was just enough to hold his frail body.

Abu’l Kalam, was saying his Maghrib prayers when we reached

his humble abode (a small, dilapidated makeshift shack) covering

another new cemented structure, located in the rock-jungle

confines of a massive wadi, just around seven to eight kilometers

from Sunub area in Bausher wilayat.

Abu Jaffer

37Black & White

So, we waited. While we waited, we

took in the scenery, which was a

confluence of rocks, of various sizes,

hues, colours and of scientific value

too. We were right in the middle of

a wadi that, for even the untrained

eye, looked battered by some natural

force. And, for those visitors, who

have been in this area some six or

seven years back will be shocked to

see the wadi, not only expanded, but

boulders and rocks in sheer disarray.

Two cyclones had ravaged the area

in the last five years, gouging out

the entrails of the main wadi and

scattering boulders and rocks and

at times, scraping the bottom of the

rocky wadi ground. Yet, the havoc

wreaked by nature, seems to have

given the wadi a natural resilience,

a kind of hardened feel, as though it

now had the temperament to weather

any storm.

LONE SENTINELS

After he had said his prayers, Abu’l

Kalam deftly got up from his little

wooden platform and then came

forward and greeted us.

He and his other Bangladeshi

partner, Abu Jaffer, also 47, are the

two sentinels that guard a unique

thermal hot springs in the middle

of nowhere…well, almost. For Al

Hammam or Hammam Ali is not

exactly remote, as it is only few

kilometers away from civilisation.

But, the area around the hot spring,

with its swirl of rocks, mountains,

and silence can be a bit imposing.

Especially when darkness falls

and you have nothing around you,

except blinding darkness, punctured

sometimes by a wan moonlight,

mountains of silence and a light

breezy eeriness creeping towards

you from every corner.

Abu’l Kalam told us how he and his

partner, whom we met only the next

morning, had been mute supervisors

for the last 25 years or so of this

eternal hot spring, which was now

successfully watering a village of 300

Ruins of an an old watchtower serve as an effective landmark to the hot springs

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38 February 7-20, 2011

odd people and making it a tiny green

paradise, with fruit rich farms thriving

even in the blistering heat.

SMOKING HAMMAM

The hot spring, which is now safely

ensconced in a walled and cemented

area, gurgles out from a hole in

the ground and has been there for

thousands of years, natives of the

Hammam village claim, but add that

the only major myth surrounding it

was about the way the people in that

area discovered it.

CAMEL MISHAP

Many hundreds of years ago,

a Bedouin’s adventurous camel

trodded off one moonlit night on the

untrodden path of the wadi, and

somehow tripped and fell into a

slightly water-filled wadi area.

The next morning, less than six

or seven hours later, the Bedouin

discovered to his dismay that his

camel was just a bag of bones in the

wadi water, which he was amazed to

find was scalding hot.

Most of the villagers, and even the

expatriate (mostly Bengali) workers,

relate versions of the same story.

But, other sordid tales of people

falling into the hot spring or getting

hurt were thankfully absent, which

meant clearly that the villagers

respected this hot-warm water supply

and did not fool around the area.

Largely, even the animals stayed

clear of the spring, but, when we

visited, we saw a rotting, dead goat

in the wadi, away from the falaj.

The spring water is 75 Degrees Celsius hot. You can actually poach eggs if you place the eggs on the water for five minutes

39Black & White

25 YEARS AGO…

As the skies darkened rapidly that

evening, we sped off from the scene

and came back the next day to find

Abu’l Kalam replaced by the affable

Abu Jaffer, who took us back to the

time 25 years ago, when there was

just one water pump in operation at

the falaj. “That sole pump used to

connect to the falaj system, which

fed the village. Much has changed

since that time and now there are

more pumps and of higher standards.

The cyclones, which hit this area,

wreaked damage, but, despite all

that, the spring has not been affected

and it continues on its duty, almost

as though nothing happened,” Abu

Jaffer told ‘Black & White’.

“But, earlier, there were plenty of

springs – big and small -- around the

area and all of them had tributaries

leading to the main spring, all unified

in their hot and steamy approach.

However, this Ain Al Thuwara, is the

hottest.”

Abu Jaffer noted that the Hammam

village is located two kilometers away

from the hot spring and the newly

cemented falaj that hugged the wadi

walls reached its location in around

20 to 30 minutes. The water would

become cold by the time it reaches

the village and it was used for

irrigation purposes.

“The cyclones and heavy rains

in the last five years have almost

destroyed and closed down many hot

springs.

Authorities and villagers have

built in new cement structures to

preserve the hot spring. In 2006,

the rain waters washed away many

mountainous structures and rocks,

but in all these years, the hot water

has never stopped flowing.

At the origin of the spring, it is much

hotter and we cannot touch it, but

once it is pumped out, it slowly cools

down while flowing in to the village.”

Abu Jaffer noted that he and Abu’l

Kalam looked after the water pumps,

which are three in number today and

pumps out water all 24 hours. “Since

we are two, we work in shifts. Other

than the villagers, there are hardly

any people around and sometimes

we do see Bedouins who pass by

with their sheep and goats. This

water is also drinkable they say, but

since there are minerals in it, no one

uses it for drinking purposes.”

NO LITTERING PLEASE

Abu Jaffer watched us as we

stumbled over the rocks and tried

to follow the cemented falaj that

curved along the wadi from Hammam

Ali. From the distance, the falaj

appeared to be like a babbling brook.

But, when we got closer, the steam

that emanated from it was a dead

giveaway.

There was a small graveyard on

the side of the falaj as it hugged the

wadi walls, right towards the village.

Further up in the village, there were

two enclosed, well-maintained and

clean hammams – one was for the

ladies, the other for men, one of the

villagers noted.

He didn’t seem too happy with our

visit as he rightly noted that some of

the visitors were mindlessly dirtying

the area. While they welcomed

visitors, they were unhappy that

some of them tended to litter and

even dirty the area.

Ain Al Thuwara, the hot spring of Al Hammam, is one of the oldest and the hottest in Oman

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40 February 7-20, 2011

41Black & White

Hammam is a small village, like a green oasis in the midst of nowhere and is watered by

the hot spring. The villagers have built a falaj system in the early years and channelised

the water to irrigate the farms

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42 February 7-20, 2011

Other than these stray villagers,

the village looked largely deserted

as the menfolk were away for work,

and it seemed mostly peopled with

expatriates, almost all of them hailing

from Bangladesh.

THERAPEUTIC QUALITIES

We made a quick visit to the home

of Saif bin Ahmed bin Mohammed

Al Nabhani to get some extra points

on the hot springs as well as the

village in which he lived. Saif Al

Nabhani, who was in his late 60s,

and a retired Petroleum Development

Oman (PDO) personnel, was quite

effusive and proud of his green village.

He noted that the hot spring was a

fount of wellness. He extolled on the

therapeutic qualities of the hot springs

and also said he did not mind drinking

it. “It has always helped me when I had

sore throat,” he noted, beaming at us.

HOTTEST SPRING IN OMAN

Ain Al Thuwara, the hot spring of Al

Hammam, is one of the oldest and

the hottest in Oman. “In the late 80s,

while I was still a staff at the PDO,

some officials came down here and

measured the temperature of the

spring water.

“It was found to be 75 Degrees

Celsius. The hot springs at Nakhl and

Rustaq were found to be only 45 °C.

This is one of the hottest and oldest

hot springs! You can actually poach

eggs if you place the eggs on the

water for five minutes. You can see

steaming water flowing out of the rocks

at all hours,” Saif Nabhani said.

CAMEL STORY

We asked him if he knew any myths

and stories surrounding the Hammam.

But, they were not too many, he said.

The sheer existence of the hot spring

was itself a pleasant enigma and it

was not necessary to add on any

myths about it.

“But, of course, I have heard old

stories from my father and grand father

about a poor camel falling in to the

hot spring and getting scalded. That

is how it was discovered probably.

Saif Al Nabhani

43Black & White

It is an ancient hot spring, hundreds

(or maybe even thousands) of years

old. There are some stories, but don’t

know whether they are all true. The

water from the spring remains hot

and steaming even in winter when the

temperature is dropping or when it is

pouring. And it has never dried up in

my 60 plus years. The water is always

in abundance and is actually the life of

this village,” Saif Nabhani said.

GREEN OASIS

“Our Hammam is a small village, like

a green oasis in the midst of nowhere

and is watered by this hot spring.

The villagers have built a falaj system

in the early years and channelised

the water to irrigate the farms. If you

look around, you will see greenery

everywhere. We cultivate lemons,

grapefruit, dates, mangoes in this

village and it serves as a major source

of revenue. This village is inhabited by

300 plus people and comes under the

Bausher wilayat. Our farms and lands

are irrigated by the falajs for three

hours on alternation.”

MINERAL LADEN AND MEDICINAL

PROPERTIES

Saif Nabhani believes that the water

from the spring is full of minerals that

have therapeutic properties. He had

no qualms in drinking it, especially to

gargle his throat when it got sore. If

you visit the spring and sit with your

face close to the falaj, you can have a

nice face steam.

“The hot spring will help clean your

face. It is supposed to clean your

skin and enhance it. The water is

also believed to cure rheumatism and

you must have visited the two rooms,

which has a facility to sit and dip your

legs in the hot/warm water. We do get

enthusiastic tourists and visitors, not

too many of them, but still not bad,” he

concluded.

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

The villagers have built a falaj system in the early years and

channelised the water to irrigate the farms.

The water is also believed to cure rheumatism and the villagers

have built rooms, which has a facility to sit and dip your legs in

44 February 7-20, 2011

One man wanted to give Bitter Batter

some “major” info. “It is secret,” he

said, coming close to us and making

it as though he was going to reveal

something er, major. But, however

much we pretend, we are suckers

for info, for any tidbit or morsel of

information that is er, secret, and the

like.

In fact, the more secret, the more

arcane, the better and we will fall for

it, hook, line and sinker. Somehow, a

small whiff of controversy is enough to

get us into the cloak and dagger mood

and get cracking on the story, except,

in this case, there is no story. Pooh!

Our excitement deflated like a pricked

balloon when the man whispered

some silly stuff about a company and

how one of its managers was going to

be in trouble because he was found

to be siphoning off funds. Okay, we

said, wondering what the big deal

was, especially when we heard about

the amount he had apparently ‘taken’

from the company. It was a small

amount. Moreover, when we probed

deeper into the ‘story’ we realised

that the man was not even convicted

of any crime; he was only suspected

of a crime and it wasn’t even proved.

Apparently, this Small Throat had

some issue with this manager and

was trying to get back at him using us.

Sorry sir, we cannot bat for you… You

do that yourself!

We believe that when we call someone

to attend a party, they should come

and enjoy at our expense. But, then

there are various ways of looking at

it. Some would not bat an eyelid if

they are ‘invited’ to a party and told to

bring along some bubbly and perhaps

some sandwiches too.

It is not a big deal because some

segments of the society do host such

bring-your-food along or please-

bring-some-gifts party. That is nothing

unusual. We also learnt that there are

other ways of obtaining greetings on

your birthday.

For instance, imagine you are

celebrating your birthday. On the day,

you will find yourself swamped by

more than a dozen birthday greetings

from rank strangers, well, almost.

The reason is that your loved one

would have requested his/her friends

and contact circle to please wish you

either by an email or SMS message.

So, on your birthday, you will find

yourself to be pleasantly surprised

at receiving birthday greetings from

one and all. You are never going

to complain that people forgot your

birthday! Ha!

We can’t bat

for you

New birthday

greetings trend

Nit

tern

att

er

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

Eight pieces of 340g tomato ketchup

costs only OMR1. Or, if you are

interested in hot sauces, you can get

around 36 88ml pieces for just OMR2.

Okay, forget sauces and ketchups.

How about some fresh Indian beef

for just under OMR 3/kg or fresh

Pakistani mutton for an almost similar

rate?

Or 350gms jam bottles for just OMR1?

All of that fine. But, it does get on

your nerves when these enthusiastic

distributors pave your doorstep with

these sheets by the dozen. The

housewife opens her front door in

the morning and she is greeted by a

dozen or more leaflets.

She would like to happily browse

through them and make her husband

tag along in the evening as she makes

the purchase, but what everyone

finds irritating is the uncommon piling

of these supermarket leaflets on the

doorstep.

And if they put in only one leaflet of

a company, fine, but no, they often

put in more than one from the same

supermarket. Do they get paid for

putting more than one leaflet at the

doorstep?

We only hear about housemaids being harassed. What about the other side?

Housemaids harassing the employer? In this case, it is not just one housemaid,

but, two housemaids who are reportedly harassing their lady employer.

According to the lady of the house, these two maids (one, basically employed

to look after the children, and the other, as a cook) were quite good when they

started working there, but, slowly over the months, they get corrupted, mixing

with other newfound friends in the neighbourhood and soon they began to back

answer; refuse to do work; refuse to obey and even gallivant off on personal

missions on occasions.

This reached to such a head that the lady employer is planning to seek the help

of the officials of the embassy concerned and either come to an immediate

truce, or send them back. “Frankly, I don’t want them to stay back, but, I am

only looking back at the time they came and how hard working, genuine and

spirited these women were… I wonder what is possessing them now?!”

Leaflet carpets

Employer

harassment

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

45Black & White

46 February 7-20, 2011

Watch out for the entry form in the next issue of Black & White

Announcing

On May 12, 2011

On May 4-5, 2011

Grand Finale

Preliminary

Pla

y

47Black & White

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given

numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares

so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same

number only once.

SOLUTION:

By Thomas Snydermotris.livejournal.com

48 February 7-20, 2011

Horo

scope

Many Aries natives will

soon expand their circle

of friends or love interests. Pay

close attention to family plans or

promises made to older relatives.

Watch also for minor aches and

pains effecting the legs, lower back

or rib cage: avoid physical strain

this week.

A close friend or relative

may challenge your social ideas or

romantic promises this week. Don’t

waver: this is not the time to let

others dictate your public behaviour.

Expect slow progress: the next few

weeks long-term relationships will

need to be gently nurtured.

Social reminders and past

emotional information may reoccur.

Pay close attention to romantic

loyalty, social announcements and

group appearances: both friends and

lovers will now be sensitive to issues

of integrity and public acceptance.

Your business and financial insight

will be highly accurate.

Romantic partners or close

companions may express changing

social needs. Fresh activities,

boredom with the past and unique

forms of learning are accented. You

may also experience the arrival of

forgotten debts. Reconnect with

distant friends or recently withdrawn

loved ones.

Family discussions and

home decisions will be productive

over the next few days. Key

areas of influence are romantic

expectations, home duties, daily

social schedules and private

information between friends.

Much of this will be intense and

unavoidable.

Public duties and social

accountability are key themes this

week. Partners, managers or key

officials may now be purposely

avoiding important money issues.

Don’t be derailed or dismissed: clarity

and factual information will tell the

true story.

Co-workers and business

officials may demand quick

explanations of your methods, time

commitments or past workplace

activities. Managers may feel

challenged by poorly organised

events, duties or schedules. Avoid

taking on the responsibilities of fellow

workers.

Lovers and marital partners

may ask for greater emotional and

social distraction. Someone close

may now be feeling misunderstood or

isolated. Spend extra time planning

outdoor activities, hobbies or new

forms of entertainment: key issues

here may actually more involve

boredom than isolation.

Workplace and social

communications will be demanding

this week. Watch for new business

restrictions, unusual contractual

obligations and rare social

information to arrive. Expect close

friends or lovers to sense your

revised outlook and ask gently

probing questions.

Old habits and workplace

practices will be challenged.

Expect minor business delays to

now broaden: over the next few

weeks authority figures will require

extra time to address outstanding

employment concerns or incomplete

records.

Close relatives will be

moody and introspective. Past

issues of family responsibility and

long forgotten relationships may

be a key concern: watch for loved

ones to now be nostalgic and

open to past influences. Emotional

obligations will be deeply felt. Do

your part.

Workplace flirtation may

be quite distracting: new employees,

social contacts and unique emotional

messages at work will all be

delightfully engaging over the next

few days. Enjoy this newfound

energy and social attention but

also remain sensitive to the social

problems of loved ones.

March 21-April 20

June 22-July 23

September 24-October 22

December 23-January 20

April 21-May 20

July 24-August 23

October 23-November 22

January 21-February 19

May 21-June 21

August 24-September 23

November 23-December 22

February 20-March 20

Your stars

ARIES

CANCER

LIBRA

CAPRICORN

TAURUS

LEO

SCORPIO

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

VIRGO

SAGITTARIUS

PISCES

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (FEBRUARY 12, 1809 – APRIL

15, 1865) served as the 16th President of the United

States from March 1861 until his assassination in

April 1865. He successfully led the country through

its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War,

preserved the Union, and ended slavery. Lincoln has

consistently been ranked by scholars as one of the

greatest U.S. Presidents.

Seyad Farook, ophiologist/

field herpetologist at the

Sultan Qaboos UniversityBy Seyad Farook

Venom is a modified form of saliva consisting of a complex mixture of different proteins

and polypeptides. It is composed of several enzymes having different effects on the

body. Venom could be classified into many types but for general purposes it is classed

into three or four common types. Snake venom differs from species to species and

among the same species depending on their locality, habitat and the availability of prey.

The primary function of snake venom is to kill or subdue prey for eating. Due to the fact

that many types of snake venom have strong digestive enzymes, the secondary function

in some species is to use it as a digestive agent. The digestive process begins even

before the prey is swallowed.

Certain snakes use venom as a direct means of defense. But this is not common.

Snakes bite is used in defense only if they have no choice, if they are provoked

or restrained. Biting is always a last resort when they have no chance to escape.

Sometimes snakes give a “dry bite”.

What is Snake Venom?

Natu

re's Q

uest

49Black & White

50 February 7-20, 2011

the Fun FactsCoffee

Coffee is one of the most precious commodities known till

date. Loved by so many, coffee has developed its own culture.

Across the world a coffee house or lets say ‘café’ can be found

on every corner. Coffee has a history almost as long as ours.

But like most things coffee is great in moderation.

Here are few stimulating, fun facts about coffee:

Kid

stuff

50 February 7-20, 2011

51Black & White

Coffee is only grown near the

equator, from the Tropic of Cancer

to the Tropic of Capricorn, within a

1,000 mile limit.

1,200 different chemical components

are in coffee. More than half of

these components make up the

distinguished flavour of coffee.

There is between 80 and 140

milligrams of caffeine in a seven

ounce cup of coffee.

Around 400 billion cups of coffee are

consumed worldwide, making it the

most popular beverage.

Damascus, Syria, and Istanbul first

opened coffeehouses around the

1530′s. It wasn’t until 1554 that

Turkey opened theirs.

'Bunnu' is the Arabic word for coffee

bean.

The Dutch were the first to bring

coffee out of Mocha and introduce

it to the rest of the world. Their first

cultivation was in Ceylon, now known

as Sri Lanka, in 1658.

Do you know why the physical

properties of coffee are so important?

Depending on their appearance,

weight, size, volume, shape, colour,

solubility, moisture content, texture

and so on, coffee beans will help to

produce the best coffee drink.

Colour is also an indicator of the

degree in which beans are roasted.

After beans have been dried to even

moisture content right for storing, the

beans are separated into grades by

their size, shape, and colour.

Moisture content is extremely

important due to coffee being

porous so it is highly susceptible to

microscopic fungi, which affect taste

and aroma.

Winnowing or floatation is the

process used to physically separate

and remove defective beans

according to their density, also

removing twigs and stones.

Did you know that coffee has no

calories? It is naturally a no-calorie

drink.

It takes about 45 coffee beans to

make one shot of espresso.

In Japan, the Japanese bathe in

fermented pineapple pulp mixed with

coffee grounds for a beauty treatment

that reduces wrinkles and tones the

skin.

You can put some cold coffee or

coffee grounds into the dirt of your

ailing plants to revive them. Because

it takes five years for a coffee tree to

reach maturity, and it only produces

1-2 pounds per tree, the price of

coffee is significant.

“Coffee Day” is actually celebrated

as a holiday in Costa Rica on

September 12 and in Ireland on

September 19, and Japan actually

has “Coffee Day” on October 1.

Tongue twistersGive papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup

THE STIMULATING FACTS:

51Black & White

52 February 7-20, 2011

WADI KABIRBait al Zubair Bait al BarandaMarina Bander Al Bustan Palace HotelOman Dive club Shangri-La- Barr Al JissahSri Lankan School NHIPencil Building (Stationery shop)Al Maha bunk –Wadi Kabir Ajay Enterprises (Khimji) – (Next to Jingles nursery) Hotel Golden OasisSana FashionsAl Maya markets – (Old Rawasco) Scientific pharmacy – Opp to al Maya market ( Arab Udipi Rest)

CBD AREA TO DARSAITAl Amana Building materials – Opposite Jawad SultanAl Omaniya Financial Services office Oman oil bunk Khimji mart shopping mall – (Old shopping & saving)Khimjis Bait al Ahlam- CBD areaPizza Muscat (Opposite ministry of manpower)Pizza Hut/TFC – CBD areaCentre point-SplashMuscat Securities market Times of OmanShell petrol Bunk (Next to Sheraton)OCCI Library – Oman Chamber of commerce (OPP MSM)KFC – Ruwi Oman International Bank – RuwiPalayok Restaurant – Filipino restaurant Ever ready supermarket New India Assurance OfficeAl Fair – Ruwi high street Lakhoos Money Exchange, Ruwi High streetDamas Jewellery/office – Ruwi Oman UAE Exchange – OCC CentreAir Arabia Office- Shanfari TravelsRuwi HotelGulf air building – Gulf air officeSaravanabhavan Restaurant Sarco – Samsung showroom Khimji Megastore – Swarovski showroomOTEMoosa Abdul Showroom – next to al JadeedToshiba Showroom Al Jadeed shoppingBadr Al Samaa Samara video (next to Talentz, old bait al ahlam) after 5pmMinistry of Education – Opp Wearhouse – Ruwi Future management consultants -(opp Toshiba showroom)Haffa House HotelAl Falaj Hotel Muscat Bakery- Near church Pakistan School (after temple & church Darsait)Naranjee Hirjee office (before Hotel Golden Oryx)Hotel Golden Oryx Bank Muscat corporate office (Opposite Hotel Golden Oryx)Kamat Restaurant Uptown Restaurant Turtles Book shopAl Rima Clinic Lama Polyclinic

Oman Air – CBD NBO- CBD areaBank MuscatBank SoharHSBCStandard CharteredOman Arab BankHarmony Music Centre – Next to OAB Bahwan Travel Agencies – CBD banks areaOTTB – Oman Travels BureauAir India office – CBD next to Costas CostasPapa John Supa Save – CBDWoodlandsBank DhofarHorizon Restaurant – (Next to Moon travels)Oman post office Lulu DarsaitKhimji Ramdas Head office, Muttrah (Kanaksi Khimji & pankaj Khimji) Majan College – Darsait junction (canteen)Indian Social ClubMelody Music Centre – Next to ISMGerman Embassy – Hamriya roundaboutApollo Medical CentreComputer Xpress – Hamriya Roundabout Atlas Travels (Wadi Adai Roundabout (next to polyglot)Hatat HousePassage to IndiaBest carsHyundai/Subaru/GM showroomAl Asfoor FurnishingAhli BankShell marketing officeSEAT car showroom- Wattayah DHL office- Wattayah Honda ShowroomSabco Head office wattayahNTT travels WattayahToyota Bahwan Advertising – Ist floor – Toyota showroomLexusFord showroomShanfari AutomotiveWattayah Motors- VW showroomKhoula HospitalInstitute of Health sciences – opposite KhoulaKia showroom- wattayah

QURUM AREA TOWARDS AL KHUWAIRAl Harthy Complex- Pizza Muscat – next to Sultan Center in al Harthy complexSultan Center Nissan showroomBMW showroom Muscat Private School Qurum city centrePizza Hut – Qurum Capital StoreAl Asfoor PlazaKFCHardeesFono showroom next to Sabco centreShah NagardasSabco Centre- Barista coffee shop onlyAl AraimiPanasonic ShowroomNBO QurumAl Khamis PlazaAl Wadi commercial centre – Coffee shopMercedes showroom

CCC- StandCCC Al FairBollywood chatPizza Hut – Qurum Second CupNandos McDonaldsSalman StoresJawahir OmanHamptonsBusiness Services & Travel Amex office Ernst & Young buildg (OUA Travels) StarbucksHawthorne institute- ELS Fahud Street, opp Qurum parkMumtaz Mahal Left bankOman Association for the disabled Ministry of education (20 +20=20)Muscat Intercon Jawaharat Al Shatti complex- standOasis by the sea - crepe café standLNG OfficeAl Qurum resortBareek Al Shatti ComplexAl Qandeel head office -, Entrance of Bareek al Shatti Al Shatti Cinema - Dunkin DonutsAl Sahwa Schools– principal’s office next to Ramada hotelHotel RamadaAl Muriya Offices- next to Al sahwa schoolsGrand Hyatt MuscatAl Masa MallRadio ShackAl Sarooj ComplexShell Petrol Bunk- Al Sarooj Al FairRamee GuestlineRock BottomClassic Institute of Arts- next to Asas OmanAsas Oman ApartmentsCrowne PlazaCoral hotelQurum Pvt schoolPDORas Al Hamraa ClubOmanoil head office

AL KHUWAIR/MSQ TOWARDS AZAIBAELS – Al khuwair service roadBritish School Muscat – MSQBritish Council Oman oil- Madinat Qaboos Pizza HutKhimjis mart – MSQ Kargeen Café Al fairFamily Book shop- MSQ Tavola – Al Noor Hall buildgStarbucks Hana slimming centre – Ist FloorFotomagicAl Noor Hall Al JadeedEqarat office Above Welcare Clinic – al KhuwairDomino Pizza Oman mobileSafeer Hypermarket Mustafa SultanSouk TechniaOmantelOman international Bank – Al khuwair main officeIbis Hotel

Park inn HotelFriendi OfficeMuscat Bakery Tropical Ice creams SubwayPizza Hut service road Ice Skating RinkNational Training InstituteGolden spoon RestaurantShell Select- Al KhuwairMcdonaldsMct holiday Inn HotelOman Bowling Center HalliburtonCafé VergnanoKhimji Mart – Next to Verganano Safeer suitesAxa insurance (opp assarain Al khuwair)Zakher shopping MallPAN Furnishing Harley DavidsonThriftyAl Amal Medical Centre – Dr BashirHotel RadissonPizza Hut Al KhuwairOzone Video Shop(Next to Pizza Hut)American British School Omar Khayyam Restaurant, next to V kool Grill House (next door)V KoolTAISM Centre for British Teachers – CFBT Baushar Complex CaféAviation Club Restaurant

AZAIBA TOWARDS SEEBLulu Hyper market – BausharOman Medical collegeCollege for Business & financial Studies opp Oman medical, bausharAzzan Bin Qais school - BausharMuscat private HospitalDolphin Village – BausherRoyal hospital Ghala industrial area – NTINational mineral water – Tanuf ( next to Al Madina Holiday Inn)Oman oil AzaibaSpicy Village – Rusayl Pizza Hut – GhalaOman oil – GhalaTowell head office – Enhance & Ist floorMazda showroom Mcdonalds – Azaiba Select shell AzaibaOman Tribune – Al Watan officeNew India assurance Azaiba office Safeer HypermartNawras head office Zubair showroom and Yamaha corporate office(two places)- Yamaha Showroom – close to Zubair showroom – 1st floor Polyglot InstituteGU Tech – Beach road AzaibaChedi Muscat The wave Muscat corporate officeNACA – national cancer Awareness AssnMCC – Crepe CaféAl Bahja– Mood Café & food CourtAl Maya Super market Oman air Seeb office (Below Flyover, before Golden Tulip)Oman Tourisn College Golden Tulip HotelAir portSelect Shell – SeebPizza Hut airportKFC

PICK-UP POINTSPICK-UP POINTS

MUSCAT

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SHOPPING MALLSLulu shopping centerAl- Istaqarar shopping center (Salalah)Dhofar shopping centerBab Al- Salam marketAl- Mashoor (Salalah)Al- Mashoor (Saada)Al-KhareefK.M TradingAl-Isteqarar (Saada)Al-Hoq super marketHamdan commercial marketFresh super market (Al-Sarat)Union Salalah MarketFamily bookshop

HOTELSCrown PlazaHilton Salalah Hamdan plazaDhofar HotelSalalah hotelHaffa HouseRedan HotelAl- Hanaa HotelBAMSIR hotelAl- Jabel hotelAl- Nile suite (Saada)Salalah Mariott

MINISTRIESMinistry agriculture & fisheries Ministry of educationMinistry of defenseMinistry of housing & electricityMinistry of waterMinistry of tourism Diwan of Royal court (Salalah)Ministry of primary court and justiceMinistry of Commerce & industryDhofar municipality (Baladia)Ministry of man power

PETROL STATIONS, BANKSShanfari filling Stationshell select, al saadaOman oilShell SalalahBank MuscatOmantelOman Arab BankPizza hutDhofar UniversityAl Maha souk

OIB, NizwaOIB, FirqBankMuscat, NizwaBM main branch, NizwaBankMuscat, FirqNBO, NizwaNBO, FirqBank AbudhabiToyotaOTEOmantelNawrasKhimji, NizwaKhimji, IzkiMuscat Bakery, NizwaPizza HutDiscount centreFamily shoppingAl Diyar HotelSafari hotelAl-Nif shopping, IzkiHungery Bunny, NizwaCollege of ScienceCollege of TechnicNizwa Medical CollegeBusmath ClinicThalal ClinicOmanoil, IzkiOmanoil, FirqOmanoil, NizwaOmanoil, MarfaShell, IzkiShell, FirqShell, NizwaAl-Maha, FirqNizwa university -Dept of foreign langAl-Maha, Marfa

Lulu hyper marketSafeer CentreAl Nahda resortAl Maha SoukOman Oil RumaisOman College of managementOIBNBOBank MuscatShellOTESARCONissan showroomOmantel

MUSCAT continued...

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RUSAYL AREARusayl Industrial EstateOman CablesSadolin PaintsJotun PaintsAl waqia shoesMehdi FoodsAreej veg oils

MINISTRIES AREA – AL KHUWAIRMinistry of tourism(Ghala, next to ISG)Ministry of social Development(next to Regional municipalities, Bank Mct)Ministry of foreign affairs

Spicy Village RestaurantLulu HypermarketJumeirah Shopping CentreKhimji’s MartAl Salem shoppingCentrepointMoosa Abdul Rahman – GMCToyotaNissanMitsubishiLG showroomSohar BakerySohar UniversityBank MuscatHabib BankBank SoharOman International BankAl Raffah HospitalBadr Al SamaaOman Arab BankBank DhofarHSBCTravel CityNational Travels and ToursUniversal Travels and TourismDHLDhofar InsuranceAl Ahlia InsuranceTaeeger Finance CoOmantelAl Jazeera GroupNarenjee Hirjee (International)

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53Black & White

54 February 7-20, 2011

Laila, Omani graduate student of Nizwa University

Not just because I like it!

If you may have noticed, there is one simple question, which always gets a

lazy answer! It is a question about an important issue, but, somehow gets

a bad, boring, careless reply.

It is of course a question on a subject on everyday life, but despite the

fact that it is on a significant matter, we still give out a very lazy and boring

reply.

The question is: ‘Why have you selected this major/job/friend?’ What

will you day? Ha, you may start laughing at yourself, yeah! It is not only

in Oman that you are confronted with such questions where you will lash

out a sardonic reply…you will find people buzzing you with these queries

everywhere you go.

So, I started thinking about it seriously. Well, answering such questions

with just a ‘because I like it’ is a clear indication about two things. First,

it could be viewed as laziness; some people feel bored to answer you

although they know the right answer. To such people I guess they should

stop saying that because it is not an answer that could be appropriate to

that critical question. Second, it could be because of the lack of awareness

of that thing or the importance of that person to us. Indeed, when you feel

that something or someone is not that important to you, you won’t care nor

give it attention.

Therefore, change your mind and be more reasonable. Look at that thing

or that person and see what it means for you and then start answering but

not with a silly, lazy reply. As I have studied and met different people, I

have noticed that most of them never stop to think. They usually have this

readymade lazy answer and say it loudly, ‘because I like it’.

Here is an example, if you ask me; why have you selected English and

education as a subject to study?! I reply: ‘because I like it’. Just think how it

sounds to you! On the other hand, another person said: Because I believe

that education is a great message and I can make positive changes on

students, which might add value to their life.

See the vast difference between these two replies!

Such question may seem so simple, but it is very important that we

respond it in the manner it deserves and not relegate it to something very

insignificant.

You might have come across people who do not give importance to such

queries and so, if possible, please try to get the right message across to

them too. From now on, before you answer, take time to think then show

how important that thing/person is to you. Then, you will feel the difference!

Remember that those who come up with good and suitable response are

always winners!

By Laila Ibrahim Obaid Al-Gharbi

lalgharbi@yahoo.com

Learn

ing c

urv

e

54 January 21-February 6, 2011

55Black & White 55Black & White

By Praba Iyer

Praba Iyer is a graduate of the

California Culinary Academy

in San Francisco. She was

the Associate Chef at Greens

Restaurant in Fort Mason, SF.

She teaches custom cooking

classes in the bay area

Cookin

g

Hot soups for cold winters

An essential ingredient for any kind of soup is a good

flavourful stock. Fresh vegetable stock can be made and

frozen in ice cube trays and stored in the freezer for up

to three months. Chicken and fish stock can be stored in

the freezer for up to two months. Thickeners add texture

to the soup, while a garnish not only adds colour, but also

enhances the taste and flavour of the soup.

Check this out:

My all time favourite chunky soup. Its hearty, healthy,

nutritious and a wholesome meal. I use fresh vine ripe

tomatoes (about 6-7). Place the tomatoes in hot boiling

water for 10 seconds, remove and peel off the skin,

squeeze out the seeds and puree it in a blender.

Ingredients:

•4 cups vegetable stock

•1 Tbsp olive oil

•4 cloves of garlic chopped fine

•1 red onion, medium size chopped fine

•1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine

•1 celery stalk, diced fine

•1 small zucchini diced

•1 bay leaf

•1 Tbsp fresh oregano

•3 fresh sage leaves

•3 cups fresh vine ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and

chopped

•1 Tbsp fresh Basil

•1 cup garbanzo beans, cooked and rinsed

•1 cup red kidney beans cooked and rinsed

•1 /2 cup cooked, small elbow pasta

•Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish

1 Tbsp fresh pesto sauce or 1 tbsp fresh basil

1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese.

Method: Heat oil in a stock pot and sauté onions until

translucent. Add garlic, carrots, zucchini and sauté for a

few minutes. Now add the bay leaf, fresh oregano, sage

and basil leaves and sauté for a few seconds and then

add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, red kidney beans

and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Let

it simmer for at least 15 minutes. Now add the cooked

pasta. Garnish with pesto and parmesan cheese and

serve.

This soup is very popular in Indo- Chinese restaurants.

To make it a little hardy I use the starch water left over

after I cook rice, for this recipe. If starch water is used,

you don’t have to use a corn flour thickener.

Ingredients:

•4 cups vegetable stock

•1 Tsp oil

•1 cup fresh corn kernels

•1 cup canned corn, ground into a paste

•2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

•1 cup frozen peas and carrots (diced)

•2 tsp soy sauce

•1 tsp white pepper powder

•1 tsp corn flour, mixed in water (optional)

•Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped fine

Method: Heat oil in a stock pot, add garlic, fresh corn,

carrots and peas. And sauté for a few minutes. Add the

ground corn, vegetable stock, soy sauce, white pepper

and salt. Thicken with corn flour, only if the soup is

watery. Check seasonings and let it simmer for 10 minute

until the soup is well blended. Enjoy!

MAMMA’S MINESTRONE SOUP

SIMPLY SWEET CORN SOUP

55Black & White

just

kid

din

g

Your baby is very precious and it is hard to imagine that soon your little one

will be all grown up. Are you continually searching for ways to document these

events in order to reminisce once the child is older?

As you watch your baby’s first smiles, his first steps, and even his first grimace

on tasting mashed bananas, you’ll want to remember those moments forever.

The first year of a baby’s life is filled with so many great events. Pictures are a

great way to preserve these memories, but storing the photos in fun ways can

be the issue.

But, thanks to modern technology, you have more ways of capturing special

memories than your parents ever dreamed of.

56 February 7-20, 2011

RECORD THE DAY EVENTS

When the baby is born, collect

things to mark the day and gather

together tokens and mementos of

your life at the time. Newspaper

clippings of major events, anything

on that particular day, happenings

from all over the world… put them all

in a box that you can open together

when he/she turns 18. The big kid

will be astonished at what happened

in the world on the day he/she was

born!

SCRAP BOOK OF MEMORIES

Start with the palm and foot prints.

Use lipstick or colours and take

an imprint. Buy a camera. Take as

much photos as possible. Now that

technology is very advanced, and

the world is going digital, it is easy

to take as many photos as possible.

Choose two or three of every

occasion and print them out and

create a large scrap book.

Keep track of beautiful milestones

and memorable moments with a

baby book. You can make your own,

scrapbook-style, or go the store-

bought route. As well as all the key

dates and events, add photos, foot

and handprints and other notes –

you’ll love looking back at that time of

his/her life together.

COLLECTOR’S ITEMS

Every passing stage is precious.

You cannot hold on to every little

thing, but there will be plenty of baby

things you’ll want to hold on to, like

his/her favourite soft toy or precious

blanket, the first dress…

To make it less cluttered, you could

just pick one or two collectibles every

year and pack them up with dates

noted on it in cartons.

START A BLOG

With free blogging sites you could

start a blog on your baby’s name and

start writing notes on it… or even

keep a yearly diary…

Capture the memories of your babies first years with these ideas:

57Black & White

58 February 7-20, 2011

Hale

n h

ealt

hy

Fruitful glow!

58 February 7-20, 2011

59Black & White

Everybody knows that fruits are good for health

and quite often your doctor advises you to take

five varieties of fruits and vegetables every day.

A healthy diet is essential for healthy

skin... and fruits and vegetables are

fundamental to a healthy eating plan. But, fruits

have been found useful for healthy and beautiful

skin too.

Nature knows best... enticing us

with a beautiful array of colourful,

health-enhancing foods. The bright

pigments in fruits and vegetables are

an indication of their disease fighting

capabilities. They are rich in various

nutrients and powerful antioxidants.

Do you need fruits and vegetables

for healthy skin? Absolutely! When

the world is going herbal, here are

some fruitful tips to get your skin

aglow: You can use the fruits blend

of vitamins and minerals to help your

skin de-stress. All it takes is a few

seasonal fruits to restore that perfect

glow on your face.

SOME HEALTHY FRUITS FOR

YOUR SKIN:

Energy boosting fresh juice has

powerful healing and rejuvenating

properties that can help people with

skin problems Fruits have natural

healing qualities and here are few

juices that can be handy:

APPLE JUICE - is an effective home

remedy for healing wrinkles, itching

and inflammation, they can also be

used as conditioner and toner. For

many centuries, apples have been

used in skin-healing. When taking a

bath, remember to add a cup of apple

juice and that will helps to cleanse

and soften your skin.

FRESH APRICOT JUICE - is good

for sunburn, itching and eczema.

AVOCADO - is an effective facial

mask.

BANANA - another inexpensive but

effective facial mask.

CUCUMBER - can prevent pimples,

wrinkles, blackheads and dryness of

the face.

GUAVA LEAVES – they may be

boiled and then used as natural

antiseptic.

LEMONS - are the most popular

home beauty ingredient. Many use

lemons to cleanse and freshen the

skin and hair. Lemon slices can be

used to soften rough skin spots such

as elbows and heels. Lemons can

be a very powerful deodoriser, just

simply mix a few teaspoons of lemon

juice in your bath and you will feel

fresh the whole day. Lemon juice can

be added to your favourite cleanser

or shampoo to refresh and tone your

scalp, as well as prevent dandruff.

LIME JUICE - is a natural aid for

beautiful skin. Frequent drink of lime

juice will help you to look young and

beautiful. It will also help cure acne.

It is also known to help in controlling

oily skin, improve a dull and greasy

complexion, improve rough and dry

skin, relieve tired eyes and remove

freckles

MANGO LEAVES - when boiled can

be used as antiseptic.

ORANGE JUICE - effective remedy

for pimples and acne, and can

also be used for scar and blemish

removal.

ORANGE AND GREEN PAPAYA -

is used to remove whiteheads, boils

and spots. It also contains the papain

enzyme, which is effective in skin

whitening.

PEACH SKIN - It can be made good

anti-wrinkle cream.

PINEAPPLE - are good skin

softeners which cleanse and

rejuvenate dull and dry skin.

FRUIT FACE MASKS

Raspberry skin brightener

•2 tsp plain yoghurt

•75g raspberries

•3 drops sweet orange essential oil

Pulp raspberries in a food processor

then sieve over a bowl, reserving

flesh and seeds. Add flesh and seeds

to yoghurt and blend well; drop in

essential oil and stir again. Apply to

a cleansed face, avoiding eyes and

mouth. Leave on for 15 minutes.

Remove with a washcloth dunked in

warm water.

Apple blemish blaster

•1 apple

Pour boiling water over a slice of

apple and wait a few minutes until it

becomes soft. Remove from water,

wait until it’s just warm, and then

place on the pimple. Leave for 20

minutes, then peel off and sweep the

area lightly with a moistened cotton

wool pad.

59Black & White

60 February 7-20, 2011

Shape n

sound

A LITTLE INTROSPECTION now

- Are you an emotional spender? A

compulsive shopper? Do you have

faulty money beliefs? You can’t

achieve financial independence - or

save money unless you deal with

your money issues.

These money saving hints for

women aren’t about sticking to

a budget. Nope. They’re about

stopping emotional spending, figuring

out your money personality, and

achieving financial independence.

If you’re an emotional spender (you

shop to avoid stress or sadness),

then you might think about finding

meaning in your life without spending

money. This won’t just help you

become a financially independent

woman; it’ll help you get emotionally

healthy too!

Be realistic about what you can and

can’t afford. Can you really afford to

get your hair cut and coloured every

month? Be practical and strong —

cut back on expenses that aren’t

essential.

Be credit card savvy — know how

much interest you are paying on your

cards and try to keep only one card

for emergency purchases or travel.

Limit your craving to own more cards

and never shop with a credit card.

Be financially free!Are you geared up to create a financially secure future — one that doesn’t revolve

around a man? The stories that we generally hear about spendthrift shopaholic women, however true they may be, do not constitute the bulk of entire woman folk. If you’re a woman who craves financial independence, don’t miss these smart ways to save money! Don’t let your anxieties or fears hold you back – most of them are groundless. A smart way for women to save is to find compelling reasons to save

money! Why do you want to be financially free? What are your goals?

FIND CLEAR REASONS TO

SAVE MONEY

Find compelling reasons to save

money, rather than a general reason.

Figure out what you’re saving money

for. Don’t just save money for your

kids’ college education or to pay

off your mortgage. Save money for

fun stuff! Maybe a vacation, some

diamonds?

Make two days a week ‘No Spend’

days. Make up your mind that you will

not shell out even one baisa.

Get up a little earlier and have

breakfast at home (or even take it

to work) and make you lunch. Every

time you choose to take your lunch

to work instead of buying it, you are

saving money.

Write it down so that you get

motivated; you’ll be shocked at

how easy it’ll be to save money.

Or a better way is every time you

buy a cup of coffee, lunch, or a

newspaper, magazine, DVD or other

entertainment material, put the same

amount of money into an account

intended for saving or bill payments!

Stop buying DVDs and CDs. How

many times do you really need to

watch your favourite movies or listen

to your favourite songs? So go for

rentals wisely.

Don’t buy at random, put a target

to acquiring your favourite want list.

Make it a habit to look at the things

you want in terms of how long it takes

to earn them.

Also start writing accounts with

analytical details, like three broad

categories, a) necessities, b)

comforts c) luxuries, and then sub-

categories, like kitchen expenses,

medical expenses, house-

maintenance items(taxes, power-bill,

etc), non-routine items like clothing,

festivals, etc, and then individual-

wise personal expenses.

A periodical break-up and

summary of these expenses

would give a fair idea

as to where the

woman-in-

charge of the

household

can find

scope

to

economise,

save and

conserve. This

tip does work with

everyone, not just woman,

or a spendthrift woman.

61Black & White

I punched 4 numbers into the thing.

Incorrect.

Once more try, ****

Again, Incorrect PIN!

My brain just wasn’t working. This can't

be me, I always remember things.

Standing in front of the ATM, I felt like a

fool, lost in a maze of numbers.

Quietly I ejected my card and walked

back to my car.

Passwords, pin codes, my mind is

taking its toll, I guess.

Am I stressed out, no; getting old, no

way!

At least my sense of humour is intact.

Did I or didn’t I?

But as I sit down to work, there is

this nagging thought that I didn’t do

something I ought to have done. My

fresh mind says, no it is ok, I am ok,

there is nothing to it.

But, some where the nagging

continues…

Then like a flash of a lightning it hit me,

God, I forgot to switch of the cooker!

I look at my colleague who is busy

jabbing at the keyboard, and slowly

tell him, I think I forgot to switch off my

cooker, shall I just go home and check?

I guess you are losing your marbles,

you said the same thing last week, he

said stifling a yawn.

Panic, panic! I don’t seem to remember

closing the gas burner.

But, I know, every day I leave home, I

check every little thing.

Tripping down memory lane, I can

recall things I have done and the places

I have visited two decades ago clearly

and I have crystal clear memories of

my childhood days.

I consider myself fantastic at memory

and remembering all sorts of names

and faces from years back. I still

remember that as kids we had created

up a forgetting-trick and it worked pretty

well. I haven’t used it in ages, but none

of the things I used it to forget have

come back to haunt me, especially

images of horror movies.

The secret of the trick was that you

don’t actually need to forget things:

it’s good enough to not accidentally

remember them!

Look at me today, I’m appalling. I need

to invent a remembering trick!

I boast that I can do better with faces,

though, after a recent episode, I

stopped my claim.

A lady came up to me and

enthusiastically recognised me, started

chatting with me as if we’d known each

other from long. I swear to God I had

no recollection of her whatsoever. She

told me her name and what she did

there and finally I put on an act like I

remembered, I really didn’t. Not even

her name rang a bell.

Sigh! Time to jot down things, post-it

notes, keep a diary…

The onset of old age has finally kicked

in, ha!

Behold in the caves, and caverns of

my memory...I run; I fly; I dive on this

side and that, as far as I can, I even

drive… and there is no end; I know bits

of information are missing; it is grey

matter turning black. It is frustrating

when I forget things I want to remember

and lose track of a necessary piece of

information, though I am pretty sure the

brain may have a good reason not to

hold on to some things.

They say the human brain uses

forgetting to get rid of unpleasant

memories. But what about the things

that we want to remember and can’t?

By Priya Arunkumar

priya@blackandwhiteoman.comHooked

Grey matter

Thank You readers

Thank You Well wishers and friends

Thank You Well wishers and friends

Thank You readers

Thank You readers

Thank You

ank You Well wishers andwish d

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Mammen Varghese

Archana Prakash

M.Parthasarathy

K.R.Anand

Anisha Dias

Hassan Mohammed Hassan Al.Lawati

Padma Krishna

Indu Gopalakrishnan

Munis Javed

D.Ramachandran

Hitesh Matlani

Debabrata Sarkhel

Syed Jalaluddin Khadri

Zahra Al Ajmi

Yogesh T Rathod

Rajini Sachin

Mohammed Mumtaz

Moiz Safri

Vaishali Dhage

Sudheer Chandroth

Sujatha

Ramya Kumar

Mohammed Sultan Al Habsi

Subashini Krishnaji

Sanoj Safar

Sonia Asri

Prasad Karunakaran

Mohammad Osama Rawat

Aneesh Basheer

Manjula Prasad

D.Vijay

Fatema Firoz Lalawala

Dr Ishtiyaq Ahmed Khan

Karthik Keshav

Waleed M'mari

WINNERS

NINE WEST gift vouchers

Mc Donalds vouchers

Majid Ibrahim Al Wahaibi

Indumathi Narayanan

Soni Elizabeth

Syed Haitham

Dr Orlando W. Eduria

Krishnaswamy Iyer

Fatma Al Habsi

Ra’fat Toubal

Abdullah Al Kharusi

Junneth Regne

Capt Anand Rawal

Rani Gopakumar

MD Kala

Sindhu Stagy

Noela M

Please collect your gifts from Black & White office, Hatat House, 212, II floor

on or before 28-02-2011. Phone: 24565697

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