black & white mag issue 64

Walk on fireWalk on fire p24p24

Vol.

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January

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Run for your life p10

Perfectionist first borns p52

3December - January

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4December - January

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Notes from a misfitBy Adarsh Madhavan

I know I will be a misfit back home. A total misfit

scribe. This is one of the main reasons that I take

care not to lose my job here. If I do, what will I do

back home? I will stand out like a sore thumb. I know

I cannot match the thunder and rage whipped up by

scribes back home when they are on a story. They

are like raging bulls. They hunt in packs. They prey

on the hunter. They are the police, the jury, the judge

and the hangmen. They have the license to ‘kill’ and

now journalists are the new mob.

They don’t care if their a & d (attack and destroy)

media stampede might trample on innocents. So

what? They have lynched the criminal. Innocents

can be sacrificed on the altar of a witch – sorry

media – hunt.

Scribes are the new thing. They are it. They are

multidimensional. They are the government and

they are the law. They are the FBI, CBI, RAW, IB,

FB (sorry, that is Facebook), lawyers, judge and

executioner – et al. They float like ghosts and sting

like wasps. They can make a Jerry out of Tom and

chase that mice from here to eternity until it shrivels

in its hole and die. But, even in its death it won’t be

spared. Rest assured that they will dig out every

piece of information – right down to the dirtiest

salacious bit – forcing even parents abandon their

offspring. They can make monster out of angels

and the reverse and yesterday’s heroes into today’s

villains, so mind it!

And believe me you will not be able to match the

power of their lungs. They will invite you to a TV

panel, ask you a question and before you make

a point, they will stomp you down and you will be

seen trying in vain -- in your squeaky voice -- to put

your point across while the know-it-all scribe-cum-

presenter smashes you with his hammer words.

You will end up saying but, no, but please let me, [email protected]

can I put in, may I, please allow me to speak, while s/he

gleefully outshouts you with a volley of words that has no

sense or meaning but serves its purpose in shutting you

down.

Yes, they can punch you left, right and centre and still hurl

you bleeding down the silent dungeon of your principles.

But, then, you will be pushed to a point where you would

be consumed by the desire to leap out of your chair and

wring that word bully’s neck.

I cannot go back because I know I cannot survive such

media onslaught. I am not going back because I know

I will lose it; I will have a breakdown and I will end up a

criminal and I will not have the means to recuse myself

to atone for my sins. I don’t want that to happen. I don’t

want to do something reprehensible; I don’t want to lift my

chair and smash it on the head of the executioner – sorry

questioner.

Prime time news in India is no longer news, but a cyclone,

a hurricane, a storm or whatchamacallit! Storm news hit

you at prime time and instead of learning something new,

you are drowned by the roar and blare of Mr Not-So-

Green Hulk so much so your kids might ask you pa who

is fighting on TV and the next door neighbour might ask

you to turn the volume down. Since when have journalism

reduced to shouting and screaming? Uh oh, you didn’t

know?! Since when have the power of the scribes been

determined by the power of their lungs and their ability

to drown all reasoning in an uproar of words? Today’s

journalism is something that is forced down the throat

of the reluctant viewers/readers and they are made to

swallow it or choke. And you can’t question them baba

because they know all the answers!

And that is why I harbour this great fear of fate ousting me

from my comfort zone and hurling me into the company

of this thunderous. Sorry, I refuse to be a cannibal among

cannibals!

All a

bout

X,

Y &

Z

5December - January

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6December - January

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Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC

Black & White

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

Office location: Hatat House A, II Floor, Suite No: 212, Wadi Adai

Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496

Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com

Editorial: [email protected]

Printed at Oman Printers

Xclusive

Editor-in-chief Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali

Managing editor Priya Arunkumar

Work editor Adarsh Madhavan

Editorial Khadija Al Zadjali

Design & production Beneek Siraj

Photography Haitham Al Balushi

Advt. & marketing Priyanka Sampat

Conte

nts

Stress headaches are irritating, but

not debilitating. If you experience a

headache that is sudden, severe, or

grows worse over time, it’s important

to seek medical help.

Half full or half fool?

Now, there is this lady who drives

a 4WD who claims that she is quite

often bamboozled by the petrol bunk

guys.

50

40

10 Run for your lifeHeadache is… driving Ms Daisy crazy

Bitter Batter

Running is an excellent way to

escape the pressures of work and

family life. By ridding yourself of all

the negativity that a day in the office

entails, you’re doing yourself and

your family a tremendous service.

Walk on fire24Fire walking is something that can transform your life for the better and it is a personal journey where most of you may

experience varying levels of surrender, trust and faith, to ignite a vision from the depth of your being. It is indeed a life-

changing experience.

7December - January

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8December - January

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Kudos to winners

Make more outlets for talent

Readers

colu

mn

Mail your views and opinions at

[email protected]

Congratulations to the three winners of the Omani Song

Festival. Many thanks to Black & White for coming out with

a feature (issue 63) on the event. Such encouragement

will go a long way in not only bringing awareness about the

wealth of Omani talent here, it also helps the singers get

an additional limelight. Kudos to Aisha Al Zadjali (Golden

Nightingale), Munthir Al Ma’awali (Silver Nightingale) and

Issa Al Balushi (Bronze Nightingale) for winning the well

contested competition. And all the best to the other singers

too. All in all, it was a well attended, well conceived and

executed programme. Congrats to the organisers too!.

Anisa Al Harthy, Seeb

There is some kind of talent in everyone. It can be of any

nature, any character and in varying degrees. But then

there can be some out there with great talent waiting to

be discovered. Now, how do we discover this talent? How

do we discover talent that is sometimes hidden in some

remote corner of the world?

That is where we come to the talent fests like the one

Oman organised (issue 63). The Omani Song Festival is

a brilliant way of finding out raw singing talent and also

giving them a platform to sing and discover themselves too.

We should have more of such talent finding sessions as

well as offering more opportunities to artists so that they

showcase their talent to the world. I am of the firm belief

that every country has talent that could compete with the

best that exist in the world and all that matters is to discover

them. You never know there could be some extraordinary

talent languishing in some corner of the world, hoping

and waiting to be discovered. Our job is to give them a

platform, an exposure, and if possible, a leg up on their

way to success.

Sudhir Rajagopal, Al Khuwair

9December - January

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I congratulate all the winners of 10th Omani Song Festival.

I am sure that you will reach every height that you all see

shining in the destination and I hope you achieve all the

success that you desire in the whole world. All the best

and congratulations to the organisers of this brilliant and

successful event!!

Nasser Al Harthy, Seeb

I have never had the opportunity to witness the Omani

Songs Festival. In fact, this is the first time that I am hearing

of this festival and wonder how, a song festival, which has

been there for the last 20 years or so, did not catch my

attention. It is a good effort of Black & White to bring this

story to the public so that all sections of the public get to

know. Maybe, it is my ignorance that I did not hear about

the song festival, but, I am going to make amends and

promise that I will be there for the 11th edition.

Sanjith Aaron, Al Khuwair

Sleep is of utmost importance and anyone saying anything

to the contrary does not know the facts. Or, have not slept

properly in his/her life. I know many youngsters would beg

to differ on this, but then ask themselves why they ‘crash’

on some days of the week, when they are basically out of

bounds, out of contact with the world when they go on a

sleep spree for 10 to 12 hours or more. A person who has

a regular seven to eight hours sleep everyday would not

go on such an abnormal sleep crash mode at any time

because they would have had their fill. What youngsters

forget to understand when they indulge in such sleep

deprivation is that they are slowly cutting the years to their

lives, or rather, cutting short on their health. Why would

they knowingly indulge in such activities is something I

really do not understand.

Your article (issue 63) speaks of the damage done to the

skin. I would like to add that the damage is far worse and

the youngsters who live in the fast world of today should

better take notice.

Dr (retd) Ramamoorthy Panicker, Muscat

Yes, it is a clear fact today that men also can get breast

cancer (issue 63). My close friend in the US has been

diagnosed with the same and is undergoing care at a well

known hospital there. Although I had read of it before, I

never expected one of my male friends to be a victim of it.

However much I tried to say what I heard was untrue, the

truth of it finally hit me and laid bare my fears. We always

tend to believe such things happen to others and I was in

denial when I heard that my friend was affected. However,

my friend was more open to it and perhaps that is why he

is responding well to treatment. God bless him and I hope

he recovers soon.

Nithish Damodar, Qurum

Pat on the back to winners, organisers

Waiting for the 11th edition

Sleep deprivation is harmful

Breast cancer affects men

10December - January

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I admit that at the outset, it was a bit symbolic. It felt like

I was running away from everything, my troubles, my

depression; it was an escape. And I am not a runner.

I never used to run. I never used to do any form of

exercise. And it showed. I not only had weight, but I also

had diabetes. Moreover, some other personal problems,

including a relationship that went sour and no job

satisfaction put me in the pits. I never thought I would see

the light at the end of this darkness and then slowly I got

into running, towards the light.

Before I embarked on my running therapy, I was a social

and medical misfit. I was basically down both mentally

and physically.

Then slowly, the dark clouds parted. The sun shone down

on me.

Day by day I began to improve on my running and as I

ran, my confidence increased and by the end of a week,

I really began to feel fantastic. On top of the world. Since

then I have not stopped running. And in some ways you

can even say that I have managed to run away from all

my problems.

So, I feel that if I can do it, so can you. Today, I have not

just lost weight (no, of course, I don’t look anywhere near

those young hunks seen in the ‘before and after’ exercise

ads) but I have also managed to get a major weight off

my shoulders. I don’t feel like I am under a depressive

cloud anymore. I feel better off mentally and physically.

I come back from a run and feel as though I can do

anything; tired yes, but my heart would be on a song, my

mind would be like crystal clear. Slowly the hopelessness

that I felt my life was spiraling down into began to

disappear; the more positive that I became, the more

confident and the more successful I was in work and all

other dealings, personal or otherwise.

Running does all this to you? Well, then we should all

stop everything and start running, you would say. You

bet. Running does all of this and more.

So, now, stop questioning me. Just run.

That is what I did. I was losing out on life on all fronts and instead of sinking into a morass of self pity and depression, and instead of jumping

off the roof, I started running.

Men r

ead


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By Haitham Al Balushi


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Of course it would be great if you could squeeze in a run

in the morning, but, if not, stick it to the evening hours.

And, I would say it is better that you get outside your

home and run, but then if that is not possible, you may

get on the treadmill. The benefits of the great outdoors

are plenty, but then, still for those who are not able to, a

run on the treadmill is equally beneficial.

RUN EVERY DAY

Try to run everyday, but not if you are starting out. If you

are beginner, then stick to a schedule, which is either

running on every alternate day and if not at least three

times in a week. During the initial period, your body may

not be able to cope with it, but then slowly you will get into

the rhythm. When it clicks, you will find energy coursing

through your body and you will begin to feel great.

ANTI DEPRESSANT?

I am not a doctor and I don’t think I have a magic wand

either. But, then I have learn to run and I have managed

to run away from depression and I feel that running is

clearly a way out of it. Now doctors will say that running

is the cure-all for depression because they will all adopt

a medical way of solving it. But, I feel that depression

is a natural problem and you can solve it naturally – by

running! Don’t think too much, just run and if it feels

alright, keep running and soon enough you would have

found yourself a panacea for depression. If not, let me

know. I have felt that running can put you in control, you

will feel that you are in the driver’s seat!

FIGHTS STRESS

I guess I am making big claims, but I am not stopping

because I want you all to enjoy the benefits of running.

You lose nothing if you could just try it. I am saying here

that running can also combat stress. You come home

from work, stressed and so get into a run and you will find

all that knotted feeling disappearing.

Running is an excellent way to escape the pressures

of work and family life. By ridding yourself of all the

negativity that a day in the office entails, you’re doing

yourself and your family a tremendous service. There

are many who have tried this and reported back on the

benefits. I have a friend who was facing trouble at the

work front, with his boss and he kept on saying he was

going to “beat him up”. I advised him to pound the road

instead and now he claims to be happier, lighter and

confident of facing his recalcitrant boss without having to

punch him.

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Never take your eyes off them

By Adarsh Madhavan

O

ff th

e wall

[email protected]

Maybe she must have been around 70 or 75?

Or maybe older? Well, that was not the point. Her age

was not an issue.

I stared as a young couple steered this elderly woman

to the entrance of a popular shopping mall in town.

She was not quite sure footed as she would have liked

to be and she had to have the support of the couple.

She was dressed in a near colourless sari, which

almost matched with her hair colour.

The way she looked at people – her head tilted to an

angle – made me realise that she must have some

kind of a problem with her eyesight. She was wearing

spectacles.

But whatever it was, there was a beautiful smile

that radiated from her face and she seemed to be

genuinely smiling at everyone, you know, that kind of

gentle, amused yet harmless smile. She seemed to

be amused by the rush and pace of activity in the mall

and how rushed everyone seemed to be, too busy to

stop and smell the flowers, as poets would like to say.

And the smile was as innocent as a year old baby’s.

You know, when we age, we revert back to the age of

innocence. Well, at least most of us.

Since I was at a close distance and there was nothing

much of interest at this mall, I kept watching her.

Then someone dropped something on the mall floor;

no one saw it, but this grand old lady saw it and

asked one of her children (I was not sure, must be

her children or grandchildren) to pick it up. I wonder

how she saw what no one saw. How did she see that

when no one in the mall, young or old, saw it? This

lady, surely had an eyesight problem, but yet, she was

the first to see something being dropped. There must

have been at that moment, over 100 people merely

strolling about, window and people gaping and yet,

no one saw the notes being dropped. It was actually

money and it was dropped by a man who had pulled

his handkerchief from his pocket.

I assumed this lady had a sight problem because of the way

she walked and the way she looked around her. My mother

had the same sight problem and when she used to walk

she would by missing a step or two and this lady had the

same gait. She missed a step and then found it and then

missed the other and so on.

The more I looked at her, the more I had to swallow. No two

person are the same, yet, some of the traits were similar

and familiar and heart stirring.

And, these are the type of rare people who cannot see

properly yet see everything, they are not in a position to

think rightly, yet, they make the right decisions; these are

the people who have nothing to say yet say everything.

These are the people who are deemed helpless but yet lift

you up when you have fallen.

I don’t think I could ever match the hidden abilities of my

parents. The hidden talents my mom and my dad possess

are too numerous to be told here and I know for a certain

that I don’t possess them, nor, am I going to possess them.

They may look down and out, old and beaten, and virtually

don’t fit in with the youth of today or the near oldies like

us. But, somehow they are the ones who hold everything

together and they are the ones who keep us all going, even

though we are not ready to admit it. They may seem to be

leaning on us, but it is we who need their support.

And they can be stubborn too, like my mom, for we have

been trying to get her to Oman for the past 15 to 17 years

or so and she has been successfully resisting that. And not

because she had any less love, but simply because she

couldn’t and she didn’t want to end it all here.

I wondered about this grand old lady at the mall…how did

she agree to come here? I tried to look for an answer and

I tried to look for her but she had disappeared in the crowd

there. That is the thing too: you take your eyes off them for

a moment and they would have disappeared.

Off

the w

all


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The seminar organised by Oman Advertising Agency (OmanAd) –

Conferences and Seminars Management Division with the support from

Information Technology Authority - Oman National CERT was attended by

government entities, corporates, banking sectors and private organisations

and individuals.

“Plenty of real life case studies, a hands on approach and live hacking

demonstrations were used to unravel the fascinating world of computer

hacking! Moreover, it was an excellent opportunity for the participants to

learn and understand from Ankit, the latest tools, techniques and methods

being used by the cyber criminals and how to fight them,” said Mohammed

Ayoob, general manager, OmanAd.

Bank Dhofar was the sponsor of the event along with educational partner

Polyglot Institute.

Ankit Fadia amazes Muscateers

Ankit Fadia, the world renowned young computer

expert and ethical hacker enthralled the Muscat

audience during his one-day seminar on Corporate

IT Security & Ethical Hacking held recently

at Barr Al Jissa Resort Muscat.

IT


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The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-

Yo Ma on January 23

The Silk Road Ensemble draws

together distinguished performers

and composers from more than

20 countries in Asia, Europe and

the Americas. Since the Ensemble

formed under the artistic direction of

Yo-Yo Ma in 2000, these innovative

artists have eagerly explored

contemporary musical crossroads.

Yo-Yo Ma enjoys a world-star status.

His incredible career has taken flight

from his incomparable mastery of

the cello and his personal quest for

musical exploration. Yo-Yo Ma’s work

on diverse projects that stimulate

the imagination and span across

a more diverse repertoire than is

typical of a classical musician of his

calibre brought him multiple Grammy

Awards and world fame.

Gustavo Dudamel & Simon Bolivar

on January 24

Witness the dynamic conductor

Gustavo Dudamel’s passionate

music-making in Muscat on January

24. Concurrently serving as Music

Director of the Simón Bolívar

Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

and the Los Angeles Philharmonic,

the impact of his musical leadership

is felt on several continents.

Gustavo Dudamel is one of the

most decorated conductors of his

generation.

Sherine to perform on January 28

Egypt’s songstress extraordinaire

will perform for one night in Muscat

on January 28, where she will find

back to her roots in Arab classical

music, as well as present her most

popular songs. Sherine has been a

hit throughout the Arab world since

her first single, “Ah Ya Leil,” broke

out on the air waves in 2000. Over

the subsequent course of numerous

albums, singles and celebrated

collaborations, she has matured

as a sparkling singer at the heart

of the Arab popular music industry,

performing in a style that has been

termed poetic, positive and powerful.

In concert, she shares her love

of performing with her audience,

bringing brightness and passion to

every note. Sherine's remarkable

voice will be accompanied by an

excellent Arab orchestra under

the leadership of acclaimed Selim

Sahab.

ROHM Performances

General Automotive Company, the exclusive distributors

of Mitsubishi Vehicles in Oman, have announced a new

promotion, offering those who test drive the recently

launched 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander an opportunity to

win either an iPad mini, iPhone 4S or even a 32” LED TV.

The offer ends on January 31.

Mark Tomlinson, General Manager of General Automotive

Company, said, “The new Outlander comes with a host

of new technology and engine refinements, offering a

great driving experience, top-notch fuel efficiency, and

neatly packaged in a body that’s a stunning showcase

of Mitsubishi’s new design direction. Mitsubishi has

always enjoyed a loyal customer base here in Oman and

we have already received an overwhelmingly positive

response on the new Outlander.”

Launched in Oman just a few days ago, the all-new

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander offers breathtaking new

styling inside and out, a new engine equipped with next-

generation MIVEC variable valve-timing, technologically-

advanced safety features and a lightweight,

aerodynamically-enhanced body. It is also one of the

most fuel-efficient compact CUVs with 7-passenger

seating available to automotive consumers in Oman.

In celebration of the launch of the all-new Mitsubishi

Outlander, any customer that books a test drive on the

Outlander before the end of January will be entered into a

draw to win either an iPad mini, iPhone 4S or a 32” LED

TV.

All-new 7 Seat Mitsubishi Outlander- Test drive and Win

Word

pre

ss


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Celebrating 12 years of successful operations in Oman’s

capital city, the Ramada Muscat announced an interior

overhaul as well as additions to a multitude of facility

upgrades, towards making guest experiences more

favourable while visiting the Sultanate – whether for

business or leisure. Al Sayyid Munther Bin Saif Bin

Hamed Al Busaidi, managing director of Ikhtiar Group,

commented, “As a part of Oman’s Vision 2020, tourism

is expected to contribute 9.2 percent to the economy

making it the second most valuable source of income for

the country after oil. In line with this purpose, the public

and private sector need to do their bit to ensure that the

infrastructure is ready and upto international standards –

so as to develop as a regional and global tourist hub.”

Ramada Muscat Hotel celebrates 12 years

Showcasing their commitment

towards providing innovative

branding solutions to clients in

the Sultanate, while harboring the

philosophy of growing and supporting

local talent within entrepreneur

and SME sector, TBWA\ZEENAH

participated in the inaugural Global

Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)

Oman 2013. The forum, which

brought together entrepreneurs and

SME operators with industry thought

leaders, mentors and potential

investors took place at the National

Business Centre (NBC) premises at

the Knowledge Oasis in Muscat.

Highlighting the significance of this

participation, Mohammed al Farei,

managing director at Zeenah Group

said: “With more than 8 million

brands marketed in the world, it

is critical to develop a brand that

stands out. The Oman chapter of the

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a

pioneer initiative and we are pleased

to be able to share knowledge

TBWA\ZEENAH participates in Global

Entrepreneurship Week Oman 2013

with young Omanis and provide

a global perspective to the next

generation of future entrepreneurs

and business leaders in Oman. We

are proud to have worked with the

National Business Centre on their

brand development and were very

pleased to contribute to Global

Entrepreneurship Week Oman 2013.”

Roger Dubuis unveils iconic Excalibur range in Oman

Roger Dubuis, makers of fine Swiss

watches with unique flair, recently

unveiled their signature Excalibur

range of watches in Oman, for

the benefit of watch lovers in the

Sultanate. The iconic collection was

launched recently in partnership with

leading luxury watch distributors,

Mistal, part of the Ajit Khimji Group.


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Bank Muscat and Vantage Modern Project company

signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to

provide attractive baituna home finance for Vantage

residential units in the wilayat of Seeb. Said Al Badai,

DGM – Branches, and Amur Al Maamari, promoter of

Vantage Modern Projects, signed the MoU at the bank’s

head office.

alizz islamic bank, one the first

dedicated Islamic banks in

Oman, signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with the Oman

Telecommunications Company

(Omantel). Acting CEO of alizz

islamic bank, Jamal Darwiche and

VP Human Resources at Omantel,

Dr. Ghalib bin Saif Al Hosni signed

the MoU that will provide Omantel

employees with innovative Shari’a

compliant financial solutions.

Commenting on the signing,

Darwiche said, “The MoU with

Omantel is in line with our strategy

to offer Shari’a compliant financial

solutions to our customers. Through

this strategic partnership, employees

will enjoy our customer journey and

the convenience of technologically

advanced banking through our

transparent processes. Our business

relationship with Omantel goes

beyond offering products; as we

seek to identify areas of growth by

recommending practical and cost-

effective investment opportunities.”

“This MoU will help us deepen our

understanding of Islamic banking

concepts and practices. It further

reflects our commitment to offer

Omantel employees the best

available products and services the

Islamic banking sector has to offer.

We seek to identify initiatives that

enhance the privileges of being

an Omantel employee,” said Dr Al

Hosni.

In a bid to boost road safety in the Sultanate of

Oman, Al Jenaibi International Automobiles, the

BMW Group importer, distributed 200 booster

cushions to families with children aged between six

to 11 years old. The initiative is part of BMW Group

Middle East’s ‘Stay Alert, Stay Alive’ campaign and

the importer’s weeklong participation at the Oman

Traffic Safety Expo 2013.

Al Jenaibi International

Automobiles boosts

road safety in Oman

Bank Muscat extends baituna home finance for new project in Seeb

Word

pre

ss

alizz islamic

bank innovative

banking products


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Bank Sohar has for the second year

running, extended its full support to

the Al Amal Association. The non-

governmental organisation, which

is proactively engaged in uplifting

people with intellectual disabilities

in Oman, will soon be organising a

Special Olympics sporting event in

the Sharqiya region. A cheque, in

support of the event, was handed

over by Munira Abdulnabi Macki,

DGM of human resources and

corporate support at Bank Sohar, to

Bank Sohar supports Special Olympics

BreadTalk, Oman’s boutique

bakery launched its Generation 4

‘Get Talking’ brand concept at its

flagship store in Bareeq Al Shatti

and at its recently opened branch

in Qurum City Centre. The new and

comprehensive brand combines

a rustic charm with contemporary

appeal interior along with a revised

menu that consists of over 50 new

recipes conceptualized by top

international bakery consultant.

Jannat Moosa, Marketing Director of

Bin Mirza International (BMI) said,

“Creativity and innovation lies in the

heart of BreadTalk and with that we

have continuously tried to reinvent

ourselves by introducing better

choices for our customers. With the

growing popularity of lifestyle trends,

our Generation 4 products are much

healthier and include chia, soya,

pumpkin, sunflower and sesame

seeds.”

BreadTalk Oman Generation4

InterContinental Muscat held a

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

during the month of December.

The event was held to symbolise

InterContinental Muscat uniting with

the rest of the world to show peace,

love and care. H.E James Bowden

the British Ambassador of Oman

attended the ceremony and did

the honors of lighting the tree. The

British School Muscat Junior Choir

preformed the Christmas Carols

during the event.

Intercon Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Saleh Khamis Al Aghbari, national

director of Special Olympic and board

member Al Amal Association and in

the presence of Mazin Mahmood Al

Raisi, AGM and head marketing and

publicity – Bank Sohar and Haitham

M. J. Al Lawati, board member of the

Al Amal Association, at the bank’s

premises.


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The Box Appeal, organised by

the Radisson Blu Hotel in Muscat,

concluded its second successful year

recently. The efforts of a two-month

campaign culminated in the collection

of over 700 boxes where residents

of Muscat came forward to fill the

box with a ‘shopping list’ of everyday

items. The charity campaign created

and run by the Rezidor Hotel

Group in the Middle East, officially

concluded on the 30th of November.

The boxes were distributed to

Oman’s construction workers

and street labourers by a team

from the hotel, an enthusiastic

group of students from the Indian

School Al Ghubra, charity partner

‘I-Care Initiative Oman’ members

and representatives from partner

companies. The Box Appeal asks

people to give back to those who

need it most, in this case, the

unsung heroes who work hard in

the sweltering heat to making the

country beautiful and comfortable for

everyone.

This was the second time the Muscat

hotel participated with organisers

citing that the response from the

local community was ‘overwhelming’.

Several other local companies

supported the campaign including

Gulf Agency Company, Renaissance

Services SAOG, Snowhite LLC,

Oman United Agencies, Al Wisal 96.5

FM, Merge 104.8, Carillion Alawi and

I-Care Initiative.

Word

pre

ss

Oman’s team golfing event, the

Chrysler Cup has proved, once

again, to be an exceptional

tournament. Organised annually

by Dhofar Automotive – the official

dealer for Chrysler in Oman in

association with the Oman Golf

Committee (OGC) and was

conducted at Oman’s championship

course, Al Mouj Golf, The Wave,

Muscat recently. This event

witnessed, over a two day period,

an intense level of competition,

combined with great camaraderie,

strategy and skill from all participants

– the hall mark of any top level

sporting competition. In the end, the

Almouj Golf Club proved victorious,

winning the Chrysler Cup 2013 from

last year’s defending champions,

Ghala Valley Golf Club.

Outlining the vision for the 2013

edition of the Chrysler Cup, Chris

Edwards, general manager of Dhofar

Automotive, shared his insights

on the tournament and its role in

promoting the game of golf in the

local and regional arena.

Chrysler Cup 2013

Nawras announced that Hashil Hamed Al-Malki has

won the ‘Join and Win’ grand prize of a brand new

2013 GMC Yukon. Hashil was the lucky winner to be

randomly selected from the overwhelming number of

Nawras customers who entered the draw. He attended a

ceremony at Muscat Grand Mall, where the car was on

display, to collect his new car keys from Nawras CEO,

Greg Young.

Khadija Al-Kindi, Nawras proposition manager – mass

markets, said, “Congratulations to Hashil Everyone in the

Nawras family was very excited for him and we hope that

he enjoys this amazing prize. Our aim is to be the most

customer-focused communications provider, and so we

always seek to give customers more value by rewarding

them for their loyalty with innovative promotions and

exciting rewards throughout the year.”

Nawras ‘Join and Win’ grand prize winner!

The Box Appeal 2013 distributes over 700 boxes


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Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) awarded six

lucky competition winners with a host of coveted prizes

as part of its customer service week celebrations.

The ‘Share & Win’ and ‘Capture & Win’ Facebook

competitions were designed to reward customers for their

loyalty throughout the years. During the week, omanoil’s

official Facebook page received over 4,000 participant

entries and 5,000 new ‘friends’.

An iPhone 5S was awarded to Abdullah bin Saif Al Hinai,

whereas Abdullah bin Matar Al Mayahi won the Galaxy

Note 3 and Nassir bin Saif Al Saidi received an iPhone

5C in the ‘Share & Win’ competition. Participants shared

the Facebook page with friends on other social networks

as well as blogs and accumulated points whenever a

new referral registered via their link. Rohinton Dumasia,

omanoil customers win prizes

Prasad Karunakaran and Diana Dumasia took the best

photographs representing customer care at omanoil’s

filling stations in the ‘Capture & Win’ competition and

were rewarded with photography equipment gift vouchers

ranging between 100 Omani Rials and 350 Omani Rials.

The Zubair Corporation hosted a

forum entitled “Institutional Practices

in Corporate Governance and

Transparency”, recently at Bait

Al Zubair Museum. The forum

was organised in partnership with

the Pearl Initiative, the leading

independent, not-for-profit, by-

business for-business institution

working to improve corporate

governance and transparency in the

Arab world.

In association with the United

Nations Office for Partnerships,

the Pearl Initiative is a regionally-

focused network of business leaders

committed to driving joint action,

exhibiting positive leadership and

sharing knowledge and experiences

across sectors and regions. The

Zubair Corporation is the only Omani

company currently participating in

the initiative, which aims to foster

competitive economic growth and

sustainable social development in the

Arab world.

The chairman of The Zubair

Corporation, Rashad M. Al Zubair,

commented: “Governance is an

integral part of our vision and we

have aligned ourselves with The

Pearl Initiative since its inception.

Hosting the forum is an extension

of The Corporation’s commitment

towards enhancing the spread of

good governance culture in both

public and private institutions.”

The Zubair Corporation hosts forum

SPAR International further expanded

its network of partners in the MENA

region by signing a new SPAR

License Agreement for Oman

with Khimji Ramdas recently in

Muscat. Khimji Ramdas is a leading

business conglomerate in Oman

with diversified interests in trading,

distribution, retailing, restaurants

and manufacturing. Khimji Ramdas

will add SPAR to its portfolio of the

world’s leading brands.

“SPAR is targeting the Middle East

for growth in 2014”, Dr. Gordon

Campbell, managing director, SPAR

International said at the signing in

Muscat. “We are delighted to add

Khimji Ramdas to our network of

prestigious partners in the Middle

East. With the combined knowledge

and support of SPAR, ADCOOPs

and Khimji Ramdas, SPAR will

expand rapidly in Oman”.

Khimji Ramdas inks deal with SPAR


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Managem

ent

Talk

Hi...Have a Great CareerBy Dr CK Anchan

Dr Anchan C.K.

managing director,

World Wide Business House

Career decision-making is not magic, and it does

not happen quickly. No one else can make the

decision for you, and this may scare you at first.

Always remember to discuss your thoughts freely

as this helps you to clarify your own thinking.

You must be actively involved in the process - no

use letting someone else do the research. It is

never too late to start – but is easier if it is not left

to the last minute. Whether you’re looking to enter

the work force for the first time or contemplating a

career change, the first step to choosing a fulfilling

career is to uncover the activities that get you

excited and bring you joy.

If you are unsatisfied with what you do every day,

it takes a toll on your physical and mental health.

You may feel burned out and frustrated, anxious,

depressed, or unable to enjoy time at home

knowing another workday is ahead. What’s more, if

you don’t find your work meaningful and rewarding,

it’s hard to keep the momentum going to advance

in your career.

There is an old saying that if you’re trying to

choose a career, you should think about what you

would do if you didn’t have to work. If you had a

million dollars and you could do anything, what

would you do? Your answer to that question, while

maybe not literally the best career choice for you,

may give you insight into what you should do.

Many hobbies correspond to real world needs and

positions. Consider what you like to do and how

that might fit into a career. Figuring out what you

should do with your life may sometimes require

you to get to know yourself better. If you want a

career that will really make you happy, you have to

have a very good understanding of what you want

and what you enjoy. One of the most important

things to consider is if the career path you’re

choosing will provide you with an acceptable level

of financial security. In other words, will you be

able to make enough money to support yourself

and your family. It is also important to consider a

future career’s stability. Job markets fluctuate as

society needs different things at different times.

You will need to consider if the career you choose

is stable enough for you and your desires for the

future.

Consider what career options are available for

you to easily move into. Examples would be

working for the same company as one of your

parents, working for a family business, or working

for a friend. If your options are limited, choosing a

career in which you can quickly enter may be your

best option. If you’re still confused, consider doing

more research on this topic.

If you don’t like your career, change it! Sometimes

it takes more work, especially if you’re older, but

it’s possible for anyone. People rarely know right

away what career they should be in and it takes

most people several years to settle into the path

they will follow.

It’s not the end of the world if you choose a career

that isn’t something you dreamed of doing ever

since you were little. If you have a job that doesn’t

make you miserable but which securely provides

for you and your family’s future, you will be

surprised how happy you feel about your life and

career.

As Steve Jobs states “You can’t connect the

dots looking forward; you can only connect them

looking backwards. So you have to trust that the

dots will somehow connect in your future. You

have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life,

karma, whatever. “

Wishing Cheers to a new year and another chance

for us to make it Great...


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CLIMBING OVER THE FEAR FACTOR

Fear, they say, is a survival mechanism, a means

to survive by pulling away when danger threatens.

A natural tendency all humans are born with. We

can attribute various reasons, from traumas to

experiences to psychological inhibitions to the fear

factor. However the best way would be to face,

expose ourselves to our personal demons and move

past them!

Now, how do we do that? There is no one common

solution for all people. Each one of us has our own

way of de-stressing ourselves, facing challenges

and moving ahead. I cross deserts. Not for pure

adventurist fun, it is to me a way of taking my tired

mind off the daily routine schedules and tasks. The

trips make makes my mind and body alert and makes

me a new person, full of energy and courage. Oman

has beautiful stretch of sand dunes and no one has

ever put a track on it. Every trip becomes a challenge,

mysterious in its own way.

Fear is in the mind, once we cross that, we come out bright and successful. And so will all of the fire walkers of this world. Fire, as someone said in the article, is a metaphor for the hurdles that we face and walking over it, is like climbing over that obstacle

Mohamed Issa Al ZadjaliEditor-in-chief

In Black...

& White

In B

lack &

Whit

e

Then there are a few who attempt extreme sports,

mountain climbing, trekking etc. all these are mere paths

to face challenges and bring out the best in you. Recently

we came across a few people who walked over hot

charcoals as part of a personality training seminar. Fire

walking is just another example of fighting the fears of the

mind and facing challenges.

Like I mentioned earlier, fear is in the mind, once we

cross that, we come out bright and successful. And so will

all of the fire walkers of this world. Fire, as someone said

in the article, is a metaphor for the hurdles that we face

and walking over it, is like climbing over that obstacle.

The B&W team met a few of the fire walkers who did this

daring feat and realised the fact that facing challenges

upfront is what makes a man a true human being. For

a true man is not one who is without fear, but one who

overcomes that fear.

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Ameena’s (not real name) stomach felt a bit queasy with anxiety and anticipation.

She did not feel this scared, when she had first decided to take that plunge -- to

walk on fire. But with just moments away from the real thing, Ameena was in two

minds – to walk or not to walk (on the fire)?

She was in two minds: It looked easy and it looked a bit scary too. Couple of her

colleagues walked over the five metres stretch of burning coals (upto 1700degrees

Celsius) without a hitch and it looked too easy. Then, her eyes fell on the fire that

slowly flamed about in the patch prepared for them and it looked like an invitation

to pain. “This is insane, this is not happening to me,” she thought as she slipped

behind her other colleagues.

But, suddenly her trainer came close to her and said she wanted a word with her.

“Everything okay?” she asked Ameena. For a moment Ameena dithered. Should

she tell the truth or should she just mouth some inanity like yes, great I am feeling

great! But she blurted out the truth: “I don’t want to get burnt!”

The trainer studied her and asked: “Have you ever walked on fire before?”

No, said Ameena. “Then how do you know you will get burnt?” the trainer asked

with a smile. Then it hit Ameena. Of course, the fact that she believed she was

going to burn her feet was just an assumption. She was living in a world of

assumptions. She had assumed that fire would burn her feet, but how would she

know if she have never walked on it?

Her mind dulled itself to the actual event and when her turn came, she just did

what all her predecessors did: she just walked over the fire. Like it was just another

patch of land, probably a bit hotter than the rest! Her feet went all black, but

once the coal was washed off and thoroughly inspected for any burns or injuries,

Ameena felt rejuvenated. A sudden spark of realisation sprung within her and a

volcano of deep, infinite feelings welled in her.

Ameena felt as though she had undergone a major transformation, as though

a huge weight had shifted off her shoulders and the fire seems to have awoken

something deep within her.

Ameena did it. She walked on fire. It was an achievement beyond imagination, but

what she felt after that was beyond that little notch on her shoulder.

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Of course, those who have had bad experience while

walking on fire may beg to differ on the above anecdote,

but, largely, almost everyone who has gone through

the experience of walking on fire has not only come out

unscathed, but filled with a new purpose.

Fear would be replaced by a new sense of confidence

and power. Of course, fire burns, but then if you have

walked over fire without getting burnt, then it was time

to take a pot shot at all the old theories that have been

holding you down: maybe failures are not bad, they are

just stepping stones to success; maybe getting old did not

mean becoming stiff, slow and weak; maybe falling sick

did not mean you were going to die the next day; maybe

losing a job doesn’t mean that your career has come to

an end; maybe failing in a relationship does not mean

that you are going to be without love all your life; maybe

catching a cold didn’t mean the end of the world!

Maybe we are not the weaklings that we have been led

ourselves to believe; maybe within us lie an inner strength

that we only need to give wings. And all of these are not

mere flights of fancy; there is a reality out there which is

as fascinating and as exciting as any fantasy. It is this

fantasy that we should make a reality!

Fire walking is something that can transform your life for

the better and it is a personal and sacred journey where

most of you may experience varying levels of surrender,

trust and faith, where we are able to ignite a vision from

the depth of our being and somehow we are able to

invoke the fire’s energy to purify and heal ourselves. It is

indeed a life-changing experience.

NOT SOME DAREDEVIL, STUNT SHOW

This has to be stressed because there is a quarter who

believe that fire walking is some daredevil stunt show

where the participants get their adrenaline fix. “The fire

is a metaphor for the hurdles we face in our lives,” says

Carol Talbot, a professional speaker, fire starter, master

trainer and this aspect is echoed by Mitesh Khatri, Ceo

and lead facilitator, Guiding Light Consultants, from India.

Both have held seminars and workshops on this path-

breaking phenomenon here in Oman and elsewhere.

“Fire-walk is simply a metaphor for the problems we face

and the message here is to deal with the problems with

full faith, rather than doubt and panic,” Khatri said.


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The fire starterThey say in the realm of motivational speakers, there is

one lady, who when she speaks, the audience listens.

Yes, when Carol speaks, the audience listens, and even

after she has left the stage, the audience is changed

– forever! It is not easy to ignore the carefully crafted

and honed messages, which Carol leaves behind.

This is what most in the audience, who have gone

through Carol’s path breaking fire-walking events, have

experienced. Carol Talbot is considered to be one of

the top NLP female experts in the region and she has

had great success with her seminars, especially the fire

walking ones in Oman.

Noting that fire was a metaphor for hurdles, Carol noted

how people are not ready to take on life’s challenges

just like their hesitancy in walking over fire/hot coals.

The problem with this was that such people would doubt

themselves and thereby limit their abilities. But such

seminars helped in breaking the barriers.

CAROL’S TAKE ON FIRE WALKING…

“Fire-walking demonstrates the impact thoughts have on

our life. It affects the human psyche and creates a shift in

many people; mentally, physically and emotionally. When

we do something that we once believed to be virtually

impossible, it shifts our way of thinking about what is and

isn’t possible, allowing us to overcome our limiting beliefs,

fears and doubts. Most people find the fire-walk to be an

amazing, if not a life-altering, experience.”

FIRE-WALKING IN OMAN

Having run fire-walks all over the globe for individual

groups and corporate clients it’s wonderful to work with

teams in the region and be able to follow up on the

experience. Earlier in the year I was working with a

100-plus management team, over a two-day conference.

The company’s targets for the year ahead were shared

with the delegates – and they were given the challenge

to identify solutions to achieve the revenue goal. Boom!

The room immediately filled with an air of negativity as

the team ‘pushed back’ in a collective uneasiness at the

thought of taking what they seemed to perceive as a

responsibility which was not theirs.

Within three hours, every team member had walked the

coals. Everyone was highly energised. The collective

mind-set had shifted. The general consensus in the room

was one of ‘collaborative appreciation, coupled with

anything is possible’. Indeed, the revenue goals were

embraced and there followed an outpouring of relevant,

realistic solutions.”

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14 fire-walking events in five years

The first time that she was

about to walk on fire, Yesha

Kanabar, business head,

Areej T&C, was in two minds:

“I must say that I was quite

apprehensive and I was

thinking what if I burn my feet

when I was about to fire walk,”

reveals Yesha. But, luckily

for her, Carol Talbot, her

trainer was at hand. The latter

prodded her with one simple

query: “Yesha, did you ever

walk on fire before?” When

Yesha replied in the negative,

Carol asked her again: “So,

what makes you think that fire

will burn your feet?”

That was enough for Yesha to

propel herself into the fire and

since then she has never felt

any fear. “Now, I ask the same

question to my prospective

delegates and we laugh over

it after the event,” says Yesha,

who, in the last five years,

have, through Areej T&C,

organised 14

fire-walking events.

“What I have understood is that

fire walking is indeed one of the

most difficult tasks to perform

for a normal man. But, once he/

she does that, there is a great

sense of achievement, which

spurs one to break any barrier!”


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Excerpts:

How many fire-walking seminars/workshops have you arranged so

far?

We have organised 14 fire walking events in Muscat in a span of five years.

Most of them were in-house training sessions for corporate or motivation

evenings for employees of companies. We have also conducted public

events wherein individuals paid the delegation fees and attended this very

inspiring NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) activity.

I used to work for Gazelle International earlier and since the last three years

have a set up of my own – Areej T&C – and it is under this banner that the

events have been brought to Oman.

Do Omanis also take part in these fire walks?

Yes. Fire walking is appreciated by everyone -- Omanis and expatriates.

Some people have an apprehension when we tell them that it is an actual

fire walk that they have to undergo. It is entertaining to see the looks on the

faces of the participants prior to the event. But once the NLP trainer talks to

them, employing a ‘can-do strategy’, the hit rate of the attendees doing the

walk would peak at 98 to 99 percent, with some of them even repeatedly

walking.

We generally request Omani nationals to wear casual clothing, which is a

safer option. The whole fire walking sessions are quite informal and in a

way, the attire also plays an important role here as the objective would be to

keep the formal, everyday routine, out of our lives.

How do you think the participants (of such fire-walking seminars)

benefit?

Walking on fire seems to be one of the most difficult things to perform for

a normal man (or woman). However after he/she actually walks on the fire,

things like sales targets, market slowdowns, non performing team members,

high stress levels, personal or professional troubles all seem small and

insignificant. They gain confidence to overcome the hurdles ahead and

most importantly with smiling faces! At the end of the day, the feeling of “If

I can walk on red hot fire, then I can do anything as I am an achiever” is

always observed. The smiling faces and the sense of satisfaction that we,

event managers, get to see on our delegates’ faces is an awesome self-

rewarding experience!

Have you walked on the hot coals yourself?

Oh yes! I have done it each time we conduct the event. Of course, the first

time I was a little apprehensive and had the “what if I burn my feet” question

in my mind, to which Carol asked me a simple thing: “Have you ever walked

on fire to assume you will burn your feet?”! Today, I ask a similar question

to our prospective delegates and we laugh over it after the event.

Walking on fire makes you feel like an achiever and it opens your mind to

the ‘iff’s & but’s’ of day-to-day life.

Have you always done your fire-walking sessions with Carol Talbot?

Yes, Areej T&C is exclusively tied-up with Carol Talbot for all her events in

Oman. Our clients speak highly of her and we are proud of the association.

In the past two years we have observed that corporate(s) are aware of

the importance of this activity and are more perceptive towards it. It’s not

a boring seminar where one sits and just listens to the speaker. Carol

makes the whole experience interesting, interactive and it is always highly

energised.

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Excerpts:

Fire walking has become such an important

ingredient of corporate and team-building seminars

and self-help workshops today…could you explain

the phenomenon?

Corporate and team building seminars are usually full

of theories which have been failing in bringing long term

change in people. Activities like fire walk are important

because it takes people beyond theories and gives them

an ‘experience’ that everything is possible. This is an

unforgettable experience that brings long term change

which makes the corporate workshops a grand success in

terms of time and investment both.

What is the ‘other’ factor of walking on fire? It is

certainly not walking on water…?

It goes without saying that when faith is the foundation

of any actions, those are more fruitful than the actions

taken with doubts. Fire walk is simply a metaphor for the

problems we face in our life. In fire walk the message is

to deal with our problems with full faith rather than doubt

and panic.

Why is fire walking used as the best example of ‘mind

over matter’ principles by experts like you; is it being

overused in such seminars?

It is one of the best examples because most human

beings are inherently scared of fire and the thought of

fire walk is definitely terrifying. Once they walk over fire

they start questioning the validity of a lot of their fears

for many others areas of life. Thus I feel fire walk is not

yet used to its fullest potential as 90 percent corporate

executives have not yet experienced the transformation

that it creates.

Is there a hidden danger to novice practitioners of fire

walking? Has anyone been hurt in such walks?

Yes I believe anything practiced with lack of

professionalism or incomplete knowledge is dangerous.

But when done with complete knowledge and

enough experience, activities like fire walk can be life

transforming.

What is the smallest and biggest damage possible on

the feet after a fire-walking session?

With experienced fire-walk experts the smallest and

biggest damage is just a small blister which is healed in

a matter of a few hours. We are talking about a blister

Walking on fire can transform your life

Fire walk expert, Mitesh Khatri, who had recently conducted a fire walking seminar for Al Dastoor

Contracting and Trading LLC, explains the phenomenon

and says it is the best example of “mind over

matter”. “Fire walk is also an excellent

metaphor to create new belief, confidence in one’s self,” adds this corporate

trainer, who is the Ceo and lead facilitator of Guiding

Light Consultants.


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of a similar intensity that you get with a hot cup of tea or

coffee.

How many such fire-walking seminars have you

conducted and how successful have they been (in

terms of really building a team)?

I have done hundreds of such seminars covering over

20,000 people so far with a track record of creating 100

per cent results so far in terms of motivation and team

work both. Some case studies are available on my

website http://www.miteshkhatri.com/case-studies/

Are newcomers to the walk, quite reluctant to take

this ultimate test?

Yes most people are reluctant until they go through my

one hour power talk, after that they are unstoppable in

walking on fire or to achieve any difficult goal in life.

If only a few (out of a whole team) participate, then

how will it build a team?

You are absolutely right! However in my workshops there

is a more than 98 percent participation level including the

one we did for Al Dastoor.

How did you get into fire walking and how was your

first experience?

I learnt about fire walk from an international trainer called

Anthony Robbins. My first experience was completely

life transforming because I was scared to death in one

moment and full of awe and surprise after I had walked

on fire. The whole experience of walking over your fears

and coming out unharmed is an unforgettable experience

and since then I have been passionate to spread this

experience to as many people as I can. I would like to

record my thanks and appreciation to Srijit Nair, the

founder of Skills Search, who is my partner in the Middle

East, who helped create the first fire-walk experience for

Al Dastoor in Muscat.

What is the latest in the world of corporate team

building – anything that can beat fire walking?

Identity transformation activities is something that goes

beyond even activities like fire walk which we do in a lot

of our team building workshops. For an example one of

our activities helps employees to change their identity

from being an employee to being an entrepreneur which

takes their ownership levels to a completely new level.

When a wife becomes a mother there is an identity

transformation in her that brings radical changes in her

behaviour and the same happens with a man when he

becomes a father. Through a scientific method we bring

such an identity transformation in people which create

long-term changes in the way teams work with each other

after our workshops.

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Participants speak:

I was very keen to see if and how people walk the actual fire. Honestly, I thought it was a gimmick.

But when I actually saw people walking on red hot fire, I was stunned. And then I thought “I can

do it too”. It is an amazing experience as in life if you can walk on fire, which is almost the ultimate

thing, day to day challenges of life seem a cakewalk. I would love to do it again. It is not at all a scary

experience. In fact it boosts your self confidence and makes you an achiever from within. I would

definitely recommend firewalking and rate it as a 'one time life experience' of my life.

“if you can walk on fire, day to day

challenges of life seem a cakewalk”

Nahid Al Zadjali, Naranjee Hirjee Co SAOG:


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W37


I had done a similar activity in Russia while there on a business visit and hence I knew what I was

heading for. I had loved it then and loved it in Muscat too. In fact was surprised to see that it is very

well accepted and appreciated amongst the locals. Once you walk that fire, you feel a sense of

conquering, a sense of winning! For people who are new it might look scary, but Carol is a very good

speaker and she tells you exactly what they are getting into and believe me its not at all scary or

dangerous. Yes I would whole heartedly recommend to everyone.

A sense of winning!

Ahmed Al Harthy, PDO

Text: Adarsh Madhavan & Priya Arunkumar Photos: Supplied


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

the best medicine…Laughter


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

Kid

stuff


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

He who laughs last laughs last

• Laughter is believed to have its origins in rough and

tumble play, evolving from the panting behavior of our

primate ancestors (when tickled, chimpanzees and

gorillas pant).

• Children laugh about 400 times a day. Adults laugh

an average of 15 times a day.

• In groups, women laugh more than men. Women

also laugh more at men more, than men laugh at

women

• Laughter is good exercise.

• Laughing 100 times has the same effect on the

body as being on a rowing machine for 10 minutes or

a stationary bike for 15 minutes

• Laughter is infectious, which is why most TV

sitcoms have a laugh track.

• Laughter is so contagious, it can even reach

epidemic proportions.

• In 1962, in the African country now known

as Tanzania, a few schoolgirls began laughing

uncontrollably. Their laughter soon spread to people

in neighbouring communities. Schools were closed

to keep others from catching the laugh bug. The

epidemic subsided after six months.

• Laughter isn’t just about jokes and funny stories.

One researcher eavesdropped on conversations in

malls, noting why and how often people laughed.

Less than 20 percent of the laughter followed a joke

or humorous story.

• Most laughter took place as people were greeting

one other or saying goodbye

• The sound of laughter is so common and familiar, it

can be recognised if played backwards on tape


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

That apart, show organisers are yet to come to terms with

the sad fact that their shows are attracting less crowds

by the day…Of course, the artists (musicians, singers,

comic artists, comedians etc) come and do a great job.

But where are the audience; why are lesser and lesser

crowds showing up in musical concerts and other events

being done here?

There was one artist who is known to draw as much as 10

to 20,000 audiences when he performs; in fact, he has the

record of having a crowd of 300,000 when he performed in

one country; yet, another singer, though not of the same

stature, who is know to easily drew 20,000…okay 10,000

alright alright five to seven thousand when he performed

in his home country, but here they could not even muster

a 1000 (Read: paid tickets)! There seems to be something

wrong with this clear disinterest among the crowds here.

Can someone make sense of all this? Any answers, folks?

‘No passes’ culture have

become passé

Crowds getting lesser and lesser

We have been thinking of it since quite sometime now. Finally, 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 fortnight, here is some nitter natter for the B&W Bitter Batter:

Nit

ter

natt

er

No passes, no passes, no passes, absolutely no passes!

Don’t even think of it! We will not give a single pass! We’d

rather keep the seats empty than give passes!

We’d rather die than yield to the pressure of giving away

passes to the freebie lovers! So there! Humph!

These are the usual quotable quotes of the event

organisers, including us, when we give out formal

announcements in the press before an event we are

organising. Right upto the last few hours to the event, we

tend to stoically maintain this stance until we are forced to

throw open the floodgates when we discover that those on

the stage are more than the people who came to watch the

show… Okay some of us may beg to differ. But, this sad

yet funny stance is getting us nowhere. Of course, when

we organise events, it is with the intention to sell tickets.

Arrreee make some money, at least to pay for the tickets

of the artists, yaar! But, off late, the truth is that neither are

we making money, nor are the shows getting anywhere.

The only ones who benefit are the freeloaders who beg

and pressurise the event organise to give them passes.

Of course, this is the sad truth but when the shows are

running half empty, isn’t it better that someone sees, even

if they happen to be viewing it free, than to leave it empty?

The truth is whatever the claims; those who organise

events will give out passes. Come what may! So, isn’t it

high time that everyone stops this ‘no passes’ nonsense?

Of course, one should not encourage the pass culture,

but at the same time making silly claims that no passes

will be given for an event and then we see that even the

front rows (of that event) are occupied by the freebie pass

holders, don’t we all cut a very sorry figure?


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

Now, there is this lady who drives a

4WD who claims that she is quite often

bamboozled by the petrol bunk guys.

Her fuel meter shows near empty

and so she drives to the petrol bunk,

fills half or full, pays and heads off to

her destination and then perhaps the

same day or the next she suddenly

realises that she has been allegedly

‘deceived’ by the petrol pump staff

and vows to go back and complain

to them but never does so because

being a genuinely busy lady she gets

tied up in her work. Deceived in the

sense, she feels that the petrol pump

staff does not fill the required fuel she

asks for but still takes full payment and

since she does not monitor the filling,

she gets deceived like this off and on.

She states a recent case where she

asked the fuel pump staff to fill for five

rials but later found out that the man

had filled only for half the amount.

Why didn’t she go immediately to the

petrol station and question the staff,

we asked. She wanted to she says,

And then we went for a recent

interview with someone who told us to

meet at a petrol pump (oops, we seem

to be making too many references to

petrol pumps in this piece). It was a

bit complicated from the start as most

directions to a destination are. The

man sounded a bit confused about his

whereabouts from the beginning so we

decided that we would first reach this

petrol pump and then work our way

towards reaching his home where we

had to conduct the interview. So we

asked him once again to give us the

directions to reach the petrol pump

and somehow we understood how

to reach there. We reached there in

time and then made a call asking him

how we should reach his home. Okay,

first tell me where you are, he asked.

We told him. The petrol pump. Which

petrol pump? Is it near the mosque?

Ummmhhh no, we said, but it was the

petrol pump where he had asked us

to be, which we had reached after

crossing a big vegetable market.

He rudely cut us short and said who

asked you to come to this pump

and what vegetable market? There

was no vegetable market enroute to

this bunk so you have come to the

wrong place. D-uh, we thought, but

we still told him that we will still get to

where he wanted us to reach. So, we

followed the new directions, and we

asked around and finally reached the

petrol bunk where he had asked us to

reach. The mosque could be viewed

from there, though it was entirely

opposite, on the other side of the

road. We called the gentleman and

this time, he said, fine, but this is not

the petrol pump again as we still had

to go to the next petrol pump, which

was just a short drive away. Ok, we

said and we drove quickly to the next

petrol pump which we discovered,

to our dismay, was the same petrol

pump we had been before! Er, is this

what they mean when they say the

world is round?

Half full or half fool?

The world is round?

(Note: Readers who have something bitter to chatter about can either email on [email protected] or call 99218461)

but somehow she gets so bogged

down in her work to get around to

doing it and then it gets too late and

it remains a doubt and suspicion in

her mind, until well, she finds that she

been tricked again. Déjà vu, anyone?


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

Now that you’ve honed a

different way of looking at life, you’ll

have everything you need to mix

business with pleasure, with amazing

results this week. If things go a bit

off course mid week use your Aries

charm to get them back on track.

Work matters and

plans for the future crank into life

then take off at a great speed of

noughts this week, making the run

up to the weekend joyful indeed.

Start to plan a get together with

family and friends.

Practical matters have been

put on the back burner and love and

passion have come to the fore, but

you’ll still keep job and career in your

peripheral vision as you like to keep

a finger on the pulse. An off with

the old and on with the new credo is

becoming your motto.

Emotional issues need

careful handling this week, so think

before you speak and be aware of

the feelings of others. Seek out the

help and guidance of people at work

who know the ropes better than you,

if you’re thinking about making a

stand for changes. Easy does it.

You need to put more into

your emotional relationships if you

expect to get more out, so don’t

sit and sulk if you think others are

having a better time than you. The

ball is in your court so take steps

to make changes. By the weekend

moods lighten and fun returns.

You’re feeling a bit restless

this week, so be prepared to try

something different to keep yourself

interested. This applies to both work

matters and personal issues, but it

looks like you’ll get more rewards in

your private life if you make more

effort than you have been.

March 21-April 20

June 22-July 23

April 21-May 20

July 24-August 23

May 21-June 21

August 24-September 23

Your ARIES

CANCER

TAURUS

LEO

GEMINI

VIRGO

Horo

scope

ROWAN SEBASTIAN ATKINSON, CBE (BORN 6 JANUARY

1955) is an English actor, comedian, and screenwriter who

is best known for his work on the sitcoms Mr. Bean and

Blackadder. Atkinson first came to prominence in the sketch

comedy show 'Not the Nine O'Clock News' (1979–82), and

via his participation in 'The Secret Policeman's Balls' from

1979. His other work includes the sitcom 'The Thin Blue Line'

(1995–96). He has been listed in The Observer as one of the

50 funniest actors in British comedy and amongst the top 50

comedians ever, in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians. He has

also had cinematic success with his performances in the Mr.

Bean movie adaptations Bean and Mr. Bean's Holiday and in

Johnny English and its sequel Johnny English Reborn.


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

Your easy come easy go

attitude to money matters is what

sometimes gets you into bother, and

with New Year's looming, red warning

lights are flashing all over the place.

Do you even see them? Take more

time to get to know what makes your

partner tick.

Now that you’re getting

your world back on track, you’ll need

to be careful you don’t veer into an

ego trip too quickly. If you think the

world cant exist without you, you’re

sadly mistaken, but if you give out

that very attitude, others wont give

you another chance this time.

Stop procrastinating.

Get plans into action. You’ve been

talking about them long enough,

so snap to it. Take time to deal

with money matters and try to

make transactions simple. If you

cant afford it you cant have it. See,

simple! Don’t let disappointments in

love make you splurge.

Grab invitations with both

hands this week as somewhere out

there is the person who will give you

a hand up the ladder at work, or sail

into your emotional life and change it

for the better. Get out there and see

what life has to offer. You miss a lot

when you sit at home.

Keep your wits about you

this week as someone you consider

a friend may be quietly stabbing you

in the back for their own gains. Treat

awkward situations to a liberal dose

of good old common sense. You’re

stronger than you think you know, so

start to believe it.

It’s one of those weeks

where you should tie up as many

loose ends as you can, as over the

next few weeks you’re going to be

in demand at work and at play. Give

yourself enough breathing space to

enjoy what’s on offer.

September 24-October 23

December 23-January 20

October 24-November 22

January 21-February 19

November 23-December 22

February 20-March 20

starsLIBRA

CAPRICORN

SCORPIO

AQUARIUS

SAGITTARIUS

PISCES

Top notes

Middle notes

Base notes

X SPRAY

E-MAIL: [email protected], Website: www.albahja.com

For men


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

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

Cir

cula

tion


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W45

December - January2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&&&&&&W

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...

MUSCAT, SALALAH, SUR, SOHAR, NIZWA, BARKA, KASAB

SALALAH NIZWA

BARKA

SOHAR

SURAl-HasharLNGLNG, Club SurSur Beach HotelSur UniversityOTE, SurMitsibushiRawaya coffee shopToyotaNissanSur Plaza HotelMazdaKhimjiOmantelPrivate Hospital, SurBankMuscatSur HotelNBO, SurBank Dhofar, SurELS, Sur

Muscat golf hills, SEEBKOMSQU – SQUH hospital , SQUH 2- canteen, 3- Diplomatic Club, 4 – College of Commerce, 5 – Students banking area)Pizza Hut – al Khoud Sultan School al hail service road – principals’ officeCaledonian college – principal’s officeOman Foot ball association

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)

Circulation enquiries: 98675976/24565697

FREE FORTNIGHTLY MAGAZINEAVAILABLE ALL OVER OMAN ON 7TH & 21ST

20, 500 COPIES (BEING AUDITED)

FREE 20,500 copies (being audited)

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www.blackandwhiteoman.com

AVAILABLEall over Oman on 7th & 21st

of every month

First Free Fortnightly magazine

As the year end comes at me with the running speed of Usain Bolt, I try

and do a mental checklist of where I am and what I had planned to do

and where I should be.

I must admit I’ve actually forgotten all the grandstanding promises of

accomplishments I had made to myself last year. But one thing that I

really did become was ROBIN HOOD!

I ‘stole’ from my negative thoughts and ‘donated’ to my positive. Negative

thoughts are all powerful and are huge energy drainers and it’s the

insistent and incessant spotlight on them that takes away from our belief

in our dreams. They focus on ‘what can’t be done and why it shouldn’t be

done’ rather than taking a huge leap of faith bridging the chasm between

our wants and dreams.

As the year progressed my 'Robin Hood Giri' progressively increased and

that helped me to just gallop ahead and accomplish things that seemed

way out of my league.

Sure, like anyone else, I won some and lost some but what I did learn

was a blueprint of happiness by convergence of positive thoughts;

somewhat like a magnifying glass held under the rays of sunlight which

scorch a paper held under it, and all by being a modern day Robin Hood.

So my recommendation for the year 2014, go on and destroy all your

endless lists and only don your Robin Hood Avatar.

See you next year and have a superb New Year.

Robin Hood…ME AND YOU

Vandana, award winning author (‘360 Degrees Back to Life')

By Vandana Shah

It's m

y lif

e

Vandana Shah, Author 360 Degrees Back To life, editor of Ex-Files. www.vandanashah.com.

Email me what you’d like to say on [email protected]

Follow me on twitter Vandy4PM


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

Cookin

g

Bake a cake:With lemons and oranges


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W


2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4B&W

Ingredients

View the great selection of wines we’ve chosen to

complement this recipe. Hide this message

210g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

240ml plain whole-milk yogurt

265g granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs

1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence

120ml vegetable oil

80ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°/gas mark 4. Grease a loaf

pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease

and flour the pan. Sift together the flour, baking

powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk

using light, rapid sweeping strokes to thicken or

thoroughly combine ingredients. Whisk together the

yoghurt, 100g sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.

With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the

batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter

into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes,

or until a cake tester placed in the centre of the loaf

comes out clean. Meanwhile, cook the 80ml lemon

juice and remaining 65g sugar in a small pan until the

sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for

10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a

sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-

sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.

Cool. For the glaze, combine the mixture of icing sugar

and water, butter or cream to a cake or cupcake for a

decorative finish.

Ingredients:

1 package (15.25 oz.) yellow cake mix

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest

4 cups (1 lb.) powdered sugar, sifted

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking pan.

Combine cake mix, orange juice, eggs, oil and orange

zest in large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer blend

until moistened, beat on low speed for 30 seconds

then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into

prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 to 32 minutes or until

wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool

in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack

to cool completely.

Place butter, cream cheese, orange juice and orange

zest in medium mixing bowl, using an electric mixer

beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered

sugar.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Orange Cake with Cheese Frosting


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Psy

che

driving Ms Daisy crazy

Headache is…


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There was no real reason why

Daisy was having a headache. But,

on second thoughts, there was no

reason why Daisy shouldn’t have a

headache!

She was of course working less

than usual and she was home (from

work) earlier than before but she still

seemed to be under stress. Severe

stress!

There were problems on her work

front and although she tried to keep

herself calm and maintain her dignity,

the inner storm would sometimes

work itself to the head.

The other day she came home with a

dark cloud in her head and although

she breezed through her home

chores, Daisy was still unable to cope

with her family that evening. Her kids

were bickering and her husband was

finding fault with her cooking and she

had to swallow everything as she

tried to focus on her tasks at hand.

But then the effects of stress were

welling in her and before she knew it,

she was having a terrible headache.

Health experts say that stress is

one of the most common triggers of

headaches. “It is kind of a double-

edged sword—stress can cause

a headache, which can really

stress you out,” they say. But, in

this modern time, a headache can

be drowned by a pill and a glass

of water. “Yet, bear in mind that

the headache is trying to tell you

something,” the experts say. “Stress

is catching up with you!”

Women are more prone to headache

and migraine because of hormonal

changes in their body and the stress

and strain of daily life. Also, erratic

meal timings and a bad sleep cycle

are contributing factors.

Majority of migraine sufferers are

also found to be women. Although

the incidence of migraine is similar

in boys and girls during childhood,

it increases in girls after puberty.

Migraine most commonly affects

women in the age group of 20 to 45

years.

Fluctuation of female hormones like

estrogen and progesterone appear

to increase the risk of migraine and

its severity in some women. About

half the women with migraine report

headaches associated with their

menstrual cycle. For some women,

migraines also tend to be worse

during the first trimester of their

pregnancy, but improve during the

last trimester.

STRESSFUL HEADACHE

A stress headache (also called a

tension headache) involves both

sides of the head and feels like

tightness in the forehead or back of

the neck. The pain often runs along

the tendons at the sides and back of

the neck. Sometimes the pain feels

the worst at the top of the neck where

it meets the head, but it can also run

all the way down into the shoulders.

Stress or tension headaches are

generally caused by stress, as

the name suggests. “Although

stress headaches can result from

a major stressful event such as

the death of a loved one, they are

typically associated with prolonged

daily stress that results from

everyday irritants such as sitting in

traffic or juggling work and family

responsibilities. Many people develop

stress headaches after working

long hours at a desk or driving for

an extended period of time. High

blood pressure can also cause stress

headaches. Individuals who tend to

grind their teeth, tense their muscles,

or stiffen their shoulders in response

to stress may be more susceptible

to developing stress headaches,”

reports say. Of course, you cannot

worry about a common headache,

but when they get severe they will

throw a spanner in your works.

“Stress headaches are irritating, but

not debilitating. If you experience a

headache that is sudden, severe,

or grows worse over time, it’s

important to seek medical help.

Headaches that result from a head

injury or are accompanied by fever,

rash, confusion, impaired vision, or

difficulty speaking should always be

evaluated by a professional.”


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You are a

…because you are a PERFECTIONIST

FIRST BORNThere must be some truth to birth order. Check out the personalities of any first

born, middle born and last born children and you will see a whole lot of differences. You may quite often wonder how one child grows dramatically opposite to the other

despite being born of the same parents and grown up by them. As a mother, it is important that you consider your children’s birth order so that you

are in a better position to work on the less desirable traits at a very early stage itself, experts say.

Shap n

sound

Since we can’t change our birth order, the only way out is to develop an awareness of birth-

order characteristics and appreciate the differences in every one’s life.

The factors that can affect your child’s personality includes age, gender, gap between siblings,

family income, demographics and more, say experts. In a nutshell, the eldest are able to

“identify with parents and authority and support the status quo, while the younger ones rebel

against it,” the experts note.

THE FIRST BORN

They are perfectionists, goal-oriented, self reliant and they usually work in a focused manner.

When they grow up, they are the type that follow procedures and generally adopt a conservative

approach when interacting with people.

They are conscientious, organised, dependable, accommodating, and persistent. Some first

borns have a strong need for approval. One common characteristic of many first borns is that

they tend to be perfectionists.

Tips that mothers can give to their first born(s):

Teach them to have high standards and expectations without being a perfectionist. Ask them to

loosen up a bit, and make them understand that in life others need not have the same standards

that they have and to be easy on themselves and others.

Also, there will come a time when everyone tries to push you to do things or take risks, that is

time to be responsible to your own calling and understand that you haven’t got into trouble so far

because of your cautious nature – stick to it!

Lastly, teach your first born to laugh at themselves and make them understand that sometimes

they can be wrong.

THE MIDDLE ONE

Middle children are mediators who like to avoid conflict, are people oriented but at the same

time can be free spirited and secretive, a report on birth order said. Middle children tend to be

independent but they also feel they are left out being the middle child. Somehow, even in most

loving families, the middle children still would somehow feel they are not that important or loved

as their siblings.

Tips that mothers can give to their middle born(s):

Please stop comparing yourself against others. Learn to rejoice in being yourself; love yourself

for what and who you are.

You must also learn to feel comfortable in sharing your thoughts and feelings with other people.

Believe in yourself that you are going to be successful; stop feeling that your freedom and

independence will be curtailed by some unseen force.

You don’t have to be a friend to everyone. Select a few people who deserve your time and true

friendship.

THE LAST BORN

The last born child is often described as “sociable, charming, loving, and open, but also as

temperamental, irresponsible, and self-centered”. The reason that the last born gets good

attention is because he/she is indeed the “baby” in the family and is mothered by even their

elder siblings. They also enjoy better freedom than their siblings because by the time the last

born grows up, the parents have come to terms with child rearing and they are usually more

lenient and this carefree growth could also give them a similar attitude when they grow up.

Tips that mothers can give to their last born(s):

Of prime importance is the need to take responsibility for things and this should be done for

major decisions as well as small.

Sure, some of us need more attention than others, but please try to share the centre stage with

others; you have to learn to live and let live.

Many of you have a natural desire to work alone, but then don’t forget to tap into your own

strength, which is your ability to work well with other people.

Do not entertain just to please yourself; think about how your ability to entertain will benefit

others.


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“She said you are arrogant and

unapproachable”

“He said you lost the job”

“I heard your dog looks big and intimidating”

“They said your event was a loss”

“Know what, there is a storm brewing”

“Someone had posted about that accident, 4

killed it seems, drivers fault”

Heavy rains, thunderstorms, epidemics…”!

He said, she said, they posted, I read

somewhere… it is the latest…

Sigh! The information overload has changed

our lives, the net, social media... everything!

We don’t seem to stick on to one version of

anything.

Someone is always wrong, and someone

always right. And every one has the last

word.

So what are we living on? Misinformation,

perceptions, mind games? The truth is

however we analyse and look at it, we

are borrowing processed information. Pre

cooked ready to eat information meals!

All parceled and packaged enticingly enough

to chew on, with a universal ownership tag!

We see not just with our eyes, our mind

plays the trigger.

So thanks to all the borrowed information,

we have actually started seeing with our

perceptions and beliefs. We are living in

an information revolution age and there is

so much information that our brain finds

it difficult to process them all… each day

passes by, loading our mind and brains with

somebody else’s opinion as information and

popular opinion as truth.

This is how we perceive beauty and ugliness

today; the sad state is no one seems to

know where the news originated, no one

seems to quote a name, and everyone has

information on their fingertips…

But, who said what? No one seems to know.

By Priya Arunkumar

[email protected]

But, who said what?

Young kids don’t ask innocent

questions anymore, they browse!

Parents don’t have to make up

excuses anymore, they browse too.

Without mobile data and net, live

comes to a standstill.

If your mobile crashes, you lose your

mom’s phone number!

If your computer crashes, your actual

life of 5 years is lost with the virtual

data stored!

Can we not go back to that era,

when we collected real hard books

as libraries, had photo albums that

could be flipped through; would last

more than a lifetime and would make

memories real?

When we jogged with just a pair of

sports shoes and open mind, when

we ate raw fruits without having to

think of calories, lifestyle therapies

and health jargons?

When we posted handwritten letters,

post cards and parcels?

When we had best pals gate crashing

for a sleepover?

When your kitchen smelt of bakes,

cakes and aromas?

When we would stand in a queue to

book a movie ticket and watch one at

the theatres!

When we planned surprise birthday

parties and anniversaries at a friend’s

home?

When we laughed out loud and

gossiped, until our neighbours or

elders chased us away?

When we kept pen pals and wrote to

them every week?

When our kids ran around and broke

things at home and at the back yard!

In short, when life was real!

Hooked


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black & white mag issue 64

Documents

reprehensible i dont

dont care

storm news

prime time news

witch sorry media hunt

fb sorry

longer news

executioner sorry questioner