black & white anniversary issue 24
DESCRIPTION
Oman's first free fortnightly magazineTRANSCRIPT
Vol.
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2010
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One year old One year old p32
How to be a genius? p12
Exercises women should not do p58
B&W classics: Down memory lane p16
Gift vouchers for our readers p21
R.O 104/-
Celebrate the 40th Omani National Day with a unique jewellery piece from Damas. The design honours Oman’s visionary leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said for his triumphant reign and successful leadership for the country. Set in 18K yellow gold representing the strong foundation of the nation, highlighted by fine leather that proudly waves the colours of the Oman flag, the country’s map is embellished with 0.07ct diamonds that symbolise progress and prosperity of the nation.
Customer Service: 24780036 www.damasjewellery.com
We will cherish you… forever
40 years 1970-2010
40th National Day Special Edition
Musical child prodigy
performs at the official launch of
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6.
Thank You Sponsors
8 November 7-20, 2010
For once, Black & White was in pink – with their pink campaign
for breast cancer awareness recently. While due commendations
are in order for their event as well as their story of breast cancer
awarenesss, I would like to wish the magazine the very best and
hope they will always be in the pink of health.
Janet S, Qurum
Dial 800 77 477. That is all we needed to hear from you. I think the
B&W breast cancer awareness media campaign is the best so far.
We are there with you in heart and soul and spirit for any such future
campaigns. All the best B&W!
Sumitra Parakh, Al Khuwair
This is with reference to Craig Bishop’s letter (‘Change Bitter Batter
to Bitter Blatter’ – issue 23): I think ideally, that letter should have
been titled as Bitter B ‘letter’. I think in the context of the contents of
his letter, blatter is the right word to follow bitter!
Suleiman Al Harthy, Seeb
Black & White changed colours?
Best campaign so far
Bitter B ‘letter’
I heartily congratulate B&W for its magnificent contribution towards
causes like breast cancer awareness. I would say that the first
milestone it achieved in the charity front was when it focussed
its efforts on autism and also managed to rope in a world famous
autistic savant (George Widener) to help promote the cause. Now,
with this drive to raise more awareness for breast cancer in Oman
and promoting NACA (National Association for Cancer Awareness),
we are witness to the unveiling of a new chapter. The involvement
and presence of the Bollywood dream girl Hema Malini and her two
daughters were the icing on the cake, so to speak.
It was indeed a ‘dream come true’ for B&W and now the public in
Oman are aware of the efforts of this young magazine, completing
just a year.
I congratulate all of those behind the B&W, especially the editor-in-
chief and wish all of them the very best and hope to see more of
such efforts in the future.
S.A.S. Naqvi,
sports consultant, FMEC/ OHA, technical advisor, MABGOC
Dream come true for B&W
8 November 7-20, 2010
9Black & White
Mail your views and opinions at
Breast cancer is a devastating disease not only when you, as a woman, have
it, but it is also difficult to come to terms with it, when a loved one has it. My
mother was afflicted with the same and it was not just her, but the whole family
was affected. I totally agree with Fawzia Al Kindy (issue 23) when she says, “it
is not just me. When such a disease attacks you, you and your whole family
go through the trauma of fear and pain”. When I read her story, I was thinking
about my own mother. But, what kept us afloat throughout this traumatic period
is faith – faith in God! This is something that I wanted to convey to all of those
in similar situation out there.
Nadira S. Salvi, Seeb
The dinner evening with Hema Malini, one of the most beautiful actresses of
the Indian film industry, was really a memorable one for all those who attended.
I would like to congratulate the Black and White team for organising the charity
dinner evening as well as her show Parampara at Al Bustan palace hotel
auditorium. Very aptly called ‘the dream girl’ of Bollywood, one feels compelled
to agree that no one has surpassed her in beauty even today. She is drop-
dead gorgeous. Since the Indian ambassador could not attend the function, the
organisers shot a film wherein the Indian ambassador, Anil Wadhwa, addressed
the gathering. The concept of shooting the full film in black and white, to keep
up with the theme of the magazine Black and White itself and to just show the
Indian flag in colour, was a fantastic idea. Kudos to team B&W once again!
The dance show Parampara, was indeed a feast to the eyes. Hema Malini, was
a treat to watch. Esha and Ahana Deol also performed very well. The last piece,
wherein all three were ably supported by young students from Hema Malini’s
dance academy, was a beautifully choreographed and presented number.
Keep it up, ‘Black & White’. Hope we get to see more such shows in the future.
Vaishali and Ashok Suvarna - Madinat Ilam
Faith is the only way out
Parampara – a feast to the eyes
9Black & White
10 November 7-20, 2010
Cover Photo: Najib Al Balushi
Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC
Black & White
Postal address: P O Box 86, PC 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos
Office location: Hatat House, Office no: 212, II Floor
Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496
Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com
Editorial: [email protected]
Printed at Mazoon, Muscat, Oman
BPA Consumer
Audit applied for
December 2009
Xclusive
Of looms and lores
Work of art of the students of
the textile training centre in
Sumail
38
Editor-in-chief Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali
Managing editor Priya Arunkumar
Work editor Adarsh Madhavan
Design & production Beneek Siraj
Photographer Najib Al Balushi
Advt. & marketing S M Azeiez, Ali Al Raisi
Swithun Fernandes
Conte
nts
Bitter Batter
But, but, it is a charity
event…
Organise an event – be it
a charity event – and you
will make more enemies
than friends. Even friends
suddenly metamorphose
into enemies
14
48
Your women needs
compliments please
Exercises women
should not do
58
Some exercises are not meant for
women... find out
Women spend a lot of
time and money on their
appearance. So, if you
don't notice them, they are
not going to notice you,
either
11Black & White
One candleon this cakeBy Adarsh Madhavan
First, there was nothing.
Just a white page.
Then, the white page was filled with black (coloured)
words. Then more black words filled more white pages
and thus Black & White slowly took shape from a
makeshift office (thanks to our dear friend Nasser Al
Yahyaie, who willingly let us use his office space for a
short period of time; until we made the first dummy),
just over a year ago.
TURNED A PAGE
That was then. Today, the Black & White has turned an
important page!
One full page!
Yes, a year has gone by.
And beyond that, we are now close to a year into
twenty ten.
Whew!
Can you believe it? A whole year has gone…just like
that.
Some said that we would not last a year.
We kept quiet.
A year has gone past and now, some will say, we will
not last more than two years. Then, they will say three,
four…
We are keeping quiet now and forever.
Because when fingers are unnecessarily pointed at us,
what is the point in point back at them? We will merely
keep quiet. It is better that way. What is the point in
barking back?
BLESSED FROM ABOVE
But, let us forget about all that negativity and lack
of support from many quarters…We will talk about
positivity and the support from many other quarters. We
were blessed from above and loved by many and that is
why we are here, still standing and taking bouquets and
brickbats with the same equanimity.
A year may not seem like a lot of time when measured
in moments of happiness and success. Then, it is a blur
of joy. It is when we measure it with the challenges that
we had faced and are still facing when things get too
slow for comfort. A year feels like a 100. It becomes
a drag when we take turtle steps towards a never-
happening future! [email protected]
All a
bout
X,
Y &
Z
MAKE IT BETTER!
But, we are going to put all of that behind us and focus
only on one objective; do or die, we have to make
it a better magazine than it is now and we are not
bothered about anything else.
LET THE HEART SPEAK
And, for the moment, let us just softly pat our own
backs and, let us all (the small team behind Black
& White) quietly celebrate. No, not with the clink of
glasses, but with a shared feeling of the thumping in
our hearts. Let us hope that B&W will always – sink or
swim -- preserve that attitude of doing things from the
heart. Let us do it from the heart because that is the
only thing that will break barriers and bring all of us
together; that is the only thing that will endure, that will
last, much after when everything else is gone…
GIFTS FOR B&W READERS
This is our anniversary issue and so we do have some
exciting gifts (gift vouchers), which we hope would be
snapped up by each and everyone (of you) out there.
So, please grab them.
PEOPLE – A GIFT FOR THE NATION FROM B&W
Before you turn this page, we would like to make one
last announcement: we at the B&W have made a
year-long effort to bring you a tale of some heroes of
the past, majority of whom are still alive and well…We
want to pay rich tribute to these Omani (and couple of
expatriate) heroes who were there when His Majesty
Sultan Qaboos bin Said took rein of this great country.
We look through their eyes and travelled back and
forth in time to get some snippets of a history hitherto
untold. These heroes will address you all in a B&W
annual book called People. It is our gift to this nation
as part of this glorious 40th anniversary celebrations
and it is our humble way of recording the exploits of
some of the rare Omani heroes of yesteryear. Some
of you may know them better than our stories might
tell you, but, there are hundreds and thousands out
there who may have never heard of them, and will not,
but, for our attempt… Hopefully, we will launch it on
November 25th. Until then…
12 November 7-20, 2010
aGENIUS
Most of us males think we are geniuses, although we are not. To counter
that there are those amongst us who think we are really common men,
when we are not. There is a stark difference between the former and the
latter and you don’t have to be a genius to understand that.
Men r
ead
How
to be
12 November 7-20, 2010
GENIUSES ARE PEOPLE who think differently than the common man.
Geniuses have thoughts and ideas on a daily basis that are so far beyond the
average person’s petty concerns. What can we learn from geniuses by studying
them? And is there any chance that we can emulate them and become geniuses
ourselves? Is there any chance that we can unleash our hidden potential? Is
there a chance that we can bring out the genius in us?
Let us find out:
If you have noticed, geniuses have brilliant mercurial minds and somehow,
they think the thoughts that change the world. Who are they? And how are they
different from you and I? Many theorists believe that they must be using the
principle of power, which is inherent in every person. This power enables man to
grow in whatsoever direction he pleases. There are no limits to the possibilities
of his growth. Genius is more than talent. Talent may merely be one faculty
developed out of proportion to other faculties, but genius is the union of man
and God in the acts of the soul. Great men are always greater than their deeds.
They are in connection with a reserve of power that is without limit. We do not
know where the boundary of the mental powers of man is; we do not even know
that there is a boundary. We can learn from geniuses. From studying geniuses
we can discover how they used their time and thought differently. Mostly it’s a
matter of changing habits and using some new skills. But you CAN learn how
to become a genius and join the ranks of geniuses -- quite fast too. To join the
geniuses, you should probably start by looking at the characteristics of a genius
and then try to build those characteristics into your own personality. You should
know that most geniuses had role models that they emulated, so the advice to
copy them is good. They did the very same thing themselves. They copied the
thinking styles and habits of the geniuses they knew or read about.
One fundamental set of rules applies to would-be geniuses. And they are based
on the ancient Greek concept of a healthy mind in a healthy body. Here are
some main rules to ensure good physical health:
PHYSICAL FITNESS – involving aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility and poise.
An exercise programme involving running, weight lifting and yoga would
accomplish this. Geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci were famous for their physical
prowess and vigor (Leonardo da Vinci could bend iron bars and once stopped a
runaway train of horses with his bare hands).
DIET – The key here is to eat fresh food as much as possible, and include a rich
variety of food in the diet. Assess your body regularly in the mirror and listen to
your body’s natural intelligence as to what it needs.
AVOID DRUGS – Aside from illegal addictive drugs like heroin, cocaine, crack,
ecstacy and marijuana, which are well-documented to cause untold damage
to your brain and mental functioning, nicotine and alcohol also retard brain
functioning. Geniuses stay away from things that limit or impede their ability to
think brilliantly. You should too.
SLEEP AND REST – A healthy well-fed and well-exercised body needs quality
rest and sleep time. You know yourself that you function better when you are
well-rested than when you are tired, irritable and exhausted. Many geniuses
throughout history have had active dream lives, recording their dreams in great
details. Studies have shown that a focusing attention on dreaming enhances
well-being and increases creative output. Do like the geniuses do and write down
your dreams and think and talk about them and what they mean to you.
ONE SOURCE
UNLIMITED
SOLUTIONS
:24694088/24694050
:24696466
13Black & White
14 November 7-20, 2010
Men r
ead
YOU DON’T KNOW WHY? Well, tell
you something you ignoramus: you
did not notice your wife’s new outfit.
You were so busy with your work and
your own problems that you didn’t
notice that she has dolled up – for
you!
The fact was that you did notice
that she was looking fabulous, but
since you were in one big rush (as
usual) you could not even pause for
a moment to say that she looked
gorgeous. How much time would that
take? Just ask yourself how much
time it would take to say, “Wow, you
look great!” or “You look ravishing!”?
Is that too much to ask?
The biggest mistake that most men
make is when they somehow fail to
notice that their women have done
a lot of work on their hair, her face,
her body and that they are dressed to
kill. Contrary to popular notion, when
women dress to kill, it is only and only
for you. So, if you fail to understand
that, don’t ask yourself why she is
ready to kill you after dolling up thus?
Forget it, women are not like men
and cannot afford to just leap out of
bed, shower and shave, climb into
some clothes, and just rush to office
or wherever they have to go.
“Women spend a lot of time and
money on their appearance. Sure,
they dress and groom in order to
feel good about themselves, but
the idea of being attractive to men
is never far from their minds either.
Unfortunately, a lady’s efforts are too
often overlooked by male admirers
who may appreciate the look as a
whole, but don’t notice the little things
that go into it,” a report notes.
In fact, a recent study released
in the fall of 2010 by Northumbria
University in Britain reinforces the
idea that men are inattentive to these
details by showing that men couldn’t
Your woman needs COMPLIMENTSplease
If you really want to
notice a woman, notice
what she is wearing;
notice how well she
is groomed; how
toned her figure is; the
hairstyle that she is
sporting…
If you don’t notice
them, then don’t waste
time asking yourself
why suddenly the
wonderful bundle of
warmth and goodness
next to you is suddenly
emitting artic vapour…
14 November 7-20, 2010
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see a difference in the way a
woman walks when wearing heels
or flats.
According to AskMen, there are
several things that you should
notice about a woman, especially
if you want to keep her happy
and close. According to them,
you don’t have to give a direct
comment all the time, but some
kind of reaction which will make
her realise that you appreciate
the efforts she has made to make
herself look so good will bode well
for you, believe me. Down below
are some of the items she would
love you to notice, and we will
give you some lines to use too
just in case. You can quote them
or use ad lib:
HAIRSTYLE
“Wow, what a style! Your hair
looks great, baby!” Women do
a remarkable number of things
to perfect and maintain their
hair -- cutting, styling, dyeing,
curling, straightening, teasing,
backcombing, relaxing, etc. --
and they do a lot of it in order to
appear attractive to their men.
Noticing any major change in her
hair, whether it’s the style, cut or
colour, is essential to remaining in
her good books.
SHOES
Of course, you can say, “Wow”
again, but let us have variety:
“Those are sexy shoes. It goes
well with your dress. Great
combo!” Everything, from her
posture, to her gait and presence
changes when she is wearing
high heels. And truth is, women
wear high heels only for men’s
benefit. Otherwise, which woman
would want to wear something
that is uncomfortable and also
pose a dent on the purse?
SCENT (OF A WOMAN)
“Aaahhh, you smell so good!”
You better notice her scent. Scent
is a very important aspect of
attraction and there is a very good
chance that the way she smells
was part of what drew you to her
in the first place. Women usually
pay close attention to the way they
smell, finding the perfect balance of
perfume, lotion and other scented
products. When she changes her
signature scent in a significant way,
she wants you to notice. Close your
eyes, lean in and say, “You smell
great. Are you wearing something
different?”
WEIGHT LOSS
“My God, you look great – you
lost so much weight, you must be
working out quite a lot!” Support your
lady’s commitment to lose weight,
get toned, build muscle or just to feel
healthier with generous compliments.
A woman always likes it when you
tell her that she lost weight and looks
good. It is a great feeling for her.
COSY HOME AMBIENCE
“Thanks. This place looks so
romantic now – great work!” It is
important to notice when your wife
makes an effort to create a lovely
ambience for the two of you with
candles et al. So, return this favour
by setting up a similar ambience at
another time.
16 November 7-20, 2010
Black & White Classics2009-2010
It is hard to believe that we have completed a year. Hard to believe that we have
completed nearly 23 stories/issues in this short span of time. But, instead of
pinching ourselves to believe that this is all true, we would like to invite you all
along with us on a short-scripted journey back into time glimpsing through our
exploits into a journalistic arena, hitherto untouched. Please spare some time and
trek along with us back and forth to the current issues…
Sohar racetrack… At 5am. Who says scribes wake up late? We
woke up at 1.45am and raced to Sohar to meet a contact who took
us to meet other top officials at the Sohar racetrack… We witnessed
history of sorts because that was the first time when a camel race was
featuring robots at the reins – instead of human jockeys! That cracker
of a story was our launch pad!
People living in cave houses? We couldn’t believe it. Well, seeing is
believing, we thought and so went up a mountain, above the Selma
Plateau, to a small village called Wadi Qar’ran, a village that is cut off
from all civilisation, a village where some of its residents still live in
half homes, half caves…Where at night, there is not even the glow of
a candlelight to pierce the darkness and where nothing, save for the
wind, stirs…
Yes, a quaint old tale of the Qantab fishing village where the young
and the old, the wealthy and the not-so, the senior officials to the
actual fishermen have all one binding passion – love for the sea, the
fish, their boats and all that goes around it. We recorded this unusual
fishing tale of love for posterity.
No more human jockeys…
Wadi Qar’ran – powerless, but strong…
An untold fishing tale…
(Launch issue – vol 1, ISSUE 1)
(ISSUE 3)
(ISSUE 2)
Fla
shback
Muscat City Center +96824558011, Al Arami +96824567428
18 November 7-20, 2010
Ever heard of the song of the wells? Or, did you ever witness a race…
between sounds? We did and we brought it all to you all the way from
Al Muraisy, a village in Barka where we witnessed and participated a
unique game called Zampth, which is actually a competition between the
sounds that are emanated by the rope against the pulleys of unused wells.
Zampth, meaning race between wells, is played between two neighbouring
wells, both competing to produce the loudest sound.
What animal would stand nearly six-feet tall and be worth OMR90,000?
Feroun – the king of bulls in Oman, or perhaps, the whole of Gulf and
the Middle East (at that time). This mammoth five-year old bull from
Sohar was then a champion of champions and had at that time (when we
featured him) won all 27 fights he had fought. Bullfighting in Oman, unlike
its Spanish equivalent, is a bloodless Omani sport.
On New Year (January 1, 2010) we took a resolution – one with a
difference. We pledge to work jointly with every social and official arm
of Oman and lobby for an accident-free Oman. We veered off from our
usual stories on Oman where we went ahead and started off a lobby
against deadly driving on the roads that has had nearly 1904 victims
in the last two (2008 and 2009) years and going by the same trend
would have added another 950 more before the end of this year. We
launched this year long campaign against this deadly trend which had,
on an average, three people dying on the roads, every day.
Laban? No, Laben. Laban is frankincense in Arabic, while Laben is
buttermilk. The B&W team learnt about the actual pronunciation of
Laben and more from the residents of a small village called Sahami,
some 240kms away from Muscat. We learnt how the villagers of
Sahami kept to the traditional way of making Laben, and how they
linked this cool, refreshing drink, which is part of their daily diet, with
food, families, with travels made across the desert and the important
role it played. So, once again, it is Laben, not Laban…
Zampth: when the wells sing…
Feroun – King of all bulls
Stop human carnage!
Love for Laben
(ISSUE 4)
(ISSUE 6)
(ISSUE 5)
(ISSUE 7)
Fla
shback
19Black & White
20 November 7-20, 2010
Do you know how the fish Surmai got its name? The fish is named
after Sur and perhaps Mumbai too, former Captain Juma Said Salem
Al Ruzaiqy, a 75-plus grand sailor of Oman, told us this tidbit. Capt
Juma who began sailing when he was just nine could perhaps be
one of the oldest living sailors of Oman and here he unveiled to us a
mind-boggling sailing tale of the past. We also featured Ustad Juma
bin Hasoon Juma Al Araimi, probably the only active Omani shipbuilder
left in the Sultanate, who does not want his craft of building wooden
vessels to die with him.
This was the story of a remarkable charitable Omani woman – Khalsa
bint Said bin Majid Al Ma’amari – an Omani mother of 12 from wilayat
Musannah. Khalsa and her husband’s large farmhouse in A’Tarif serves
as a setting for a charitable cause – she doles out free cheese and other
related milk products from her home every morning for people in and
around that area. Khalsa, a proud, strong and independent woman, has
been doing this for the last 32 years, driven by the spirit of giving. Why
does she do it? Because, according to her, doing good only begets good!
To get the best honey in Oman, you may have to go to Feequin,
a small village, some 22kms east of Nizwa. We visited this ‘honey
capital’ of Oman and spoke to Mohammed bin Rashid bin Waleed Al
Busaidi, one of the oldest member of the honey trade in Feequin, and
perhaps Oman. Honey is part and parcel of the Omani diet and has
immense medicinal properties and is used to cure many diseases.
Beekeeping has been part of Oman since ancient times.
Al Ansab lagoon is a bird watchers paradise. We teamed up with a
bunch of enthusiastic Swiss bird watchers and had a firsthand feel of
bird watching through a spotting scope. The bird watchers revealed
that Oman was a fascinating spot for bird watchers, and while the
country is a migratory destination for eagles and vultures, it is also
called the capital of Egyptian eagles…
Good old sailor captain Juma
Say Cheese!
‘Honeymen’ in Feequin
Where eagles dare…
(ISSUE 9)
(ISSUE 11)
(ISSUE 10)
(ISSUE 8)
Fla
shback
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1 white notebook
Contact: 95520024 Valid until Nov 30, 2010
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ading
22 November 7-20, 2010
She might be just another seven-year old Omani with love for toys, pets,
tree houses and the like. But, what set her apart from other kids of her age
is the fact that she is the youngest curator in Oman, as well as an Omani
museum guide. If you visit the unique museum, Bait Adam, in Qurum, you
will probably be met by this young wonder. That, she is the daughter of
Abdullatif Al Balushi, the famous Omani collector, and owner of Bait Adam,
also helps…
We took up the cause of autism, a disorder or a developmental disability
characterised by difficulties in communication skills and social relationships.
Lack of awareness, plus the sad fact that there is only one child psychiatrist in
the whole of Oman, makes it difficult to detect the problem at the outset, and
so it was found that there were only 1.4 cases per 10,000 children aged 0 to
14 years. The low prevalence of children with ASD (autism spectrum diseases)
in Oman is due to under diagnosis and under reporting, a trend, which is
bound to change with the spurt of awareness boost made by our campaign.
If you think Barka is hot and dry, you could be so far removed from
truth. Well, without exaggeration, there is one tiny corner in sultry
Barka, from where you can soak yourself from bone to bone in the
midst of an indoor monsoon – and that is at the sprawling farm behind
Al Nahda resort. The creator of this magical rain is none other than J.
S. Dadwal, senior general manager, Barka Division, Al Bahja Group of
Companies and he is also the brain and brawn behind the ‘rainforest’,
which is behind the resort.
She was just 19, but she took only 12 minutes to complete a very
complex Sudoku puzzle created by a former Sudoku world champion,
Thomas Snyder. Marwa Al Wadhahi made Sudoku history by winning
the first-ever Sudoku challenge in Oman (which was organised by
Black & White). Dr Yahya Al-Farsi of the Sultan Qaboos University
summed up the autism problem at a brilliant speech at the event with
these numbers: 4000, 200, 1 and 0. Four thousand autism cases, 200
diagnosed, one child psychiatrist and zero allowance granted to them.
Maryam, the little curator
Autism can’t speak. Let us!
The ‘Rainman’ of Oman
Marwa: the Sudoku champ
(ISSUE 12)
(ISSUE 14)
(ISSUE 13)
(ISSUE 15)
Fla
shback
24 November 7-20, 2010
Mohammed Rashid Al Alawi, 52 and Turma Abdul Hussain Mohammed
Al Ajmi, 51, took us down a fond football lane where the only thing that
mattered them was playing and winning the game, regardless of the
opponent. These lions and legends of football spoke of a time where
there were no football grounds, no gear, or boots and no money, yet,
they played with much more passion and love for the game, something
which even the stars of today can emulate, learn.
How did Islam come to Oman? In this issue, we featured the ancient
tale, trekking not only back to a past, thumbing through the ages, but
also went to Sumail, the abode of the first mosque – the Mosque of
Mazin, named after Mazin bin Ghadouba, the first Muslim of Oman.
Since it was the Holy Month of Ramadan, B&W took the pains to not
only unveil the story of the first Muslim of Oman, but also put on the
cover a copy of the holy letter addressed by Prophet Muhammed
(Peace Be Upon Him) to the then Omani rulers, Abd and Jaifer, inviting
the people of Oman to embrace Islam.
Bahla is home to the wondrous creation of man – pottery. But the walled
city is also the abode of many myths and legends. Magic is still being
practiced in Bahla and these stories were suddenly reinforced with a new
story of a small Omani girl with recurring fits and mysterious fire episode
which cast a spell not only on them, but also us, as we sped there to
investigate whether the girl was actually in the clutches of a jinn. Credit is
given to the Omani healer, Moalim Salim, who is said to have cured the
girl of her fits and also stopped the fire episodes…believe it…or not!
Salim bin Shunoon bin Salim bin Obaid bin Salim Al Akhzami, perhaps
one of the oldest kahwa seller in Muttrah souq is part of the souq lore.
He has been selling kahwa in the souq since the last 50 years or so.
He is easily one of the most interesting and colourful personalities at
the souq and is known to sell around 600 cups of kahwas for as little as
50baizas per cup. His life is incomplete without his traditional kahwa.
Playing a perfect foil to this story was the addition of Ali bin Ibrahim Al
Ajmi, who is the brain behind Oman’s – perhaps the Middle East’s –
first ever instant kahwa (in sachets).
Past kicks
Message from the Messenger
Smokeless flames of Bahla
Kahwa, anyone?
(ISSUE 17)
(ISSUE 19)
(ISSUE 18)
(ISSUE 16)
Fla
shback
25Black & White
Still in a reflective mood in the Holy Month of Ramadan, it was but natural
to speak about Tasbeeh or prayer beads. It was a virtual learning for us
too and we learnt that the Tasbeeh or Misbah consist of 99 beads that
correspond to the 99 names or virtues of Almighty Allah. We also featured
Hamid bin Khuda Baksh Al Bulushi, an Omani collector of Tasbeeh, who
unveiled his special fascination for prayer beads made of amber.
If you are an Omani, then the biggest and best celebration of the Eid Al
Fitr will not be complete without the Shuwa. That is an undeniable fact.
The Shuwa is an essential part of Eid and it is a typical Omani family
style meal. We travelled to Sumail (Al Ma’abar) to not only be part of the
Eid celebrations, but also went through the step-by-step process of this
unique making of the delicious Shuwa, thanks to Tawfiq Al Khalili, who
took us to his family’s underground shuwa pits in Sumail Al Ma’abar. It
was a ‘delicious’ journey.
B&W went fishing…literally to Musannah, where we honed in on
Hilal Ali Al Rawahi, a retired PDO (Petroleum Development Oman)
official, who is now into breeding Tilapia since the last three years at
his 27,000 sq mts farm in Muladha (Musannah). Though he started off
his fish farming as a hobby, he hopes to establish an environmentally
sustainable and profitable farm soon.
One more event, one more cause, and this was our humble contribution
for breast cancer awareness. B&W teamed up with NACA (National
Association for Cancer Awareness) to muster up some awareness
and funds for NACA’s mobile mammography unit and ‘home away
from home’ initiative. Other than a full-fledged feature covering various
aspects of breast cancer awareness or the lack of it here, we organised
a two-day event, one a charity dinner which featured the indomitable
and lively percussionist, Sivamani at the Shangri La and the next day a
charity dance – titled Parampara -- with the Bollywood ‘dream girl’ Hema
Malini and her daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol. And, of course, dial 800
77 477 and book a free mammography session with the MMU.
Count your blessings
Who ate my shuwa?
Something fishy
Dial 800 77 477
(ISSUE 20)
(ISSUE 22)
(ISSUE 21)
(ISSUE 23)
26 November 7-20, 2010
Lens eye view of B&W breast cancer charity dinner and dance event
Lens
vie
w
27Black & White
28 November 7-20, 2010
Lens
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29Black & White
Videos (RO 5 per copy) of the event available. Contact 24565697 or e-mail [email protected]
By Adarsh Madhavan
Two office boys were washing cups and saucers at our office
building’s sink when I went to wash my face.
“Couldn’t sleep a wink yesterday… It has been a week now
without air-conditioning…” one of them said, as he carefully
soaped a cup.
The other, busy with his own cups, asked: “One week, now
right?”
“Yeah one week and all of my room mates have left; they
have obtained shelter somewhere…Only Yasir and I are
left… We brave the heat in our little room. But, the heat is
bearable in the night because the temperatures have come
down…yet, somehow I couldn’t get any sleep yesterday also.
Am too worried…”
“You got that money back,” the other one, asked, still very
studiously washing his cups.
“No, it has been nearly five months since I sent anything
home, and Ajay has not returned a single baisa as yet. He
is a crook. If I see him…I’ll…I’ll…” one cup half slipped from
his hand and the clang of it on the kitchen sink drowned his
words as he angrily mumbled something.
The other boy pacified him: “No point in being angry. No
point at all. Do you think it matters to anyone if anyone of us
get angry, break a nerve and die? No, we will be the only
losers. Our families will be the losers. So, losing everything
in anger is something that will affect us dearly. Look at me.
My visa is yet to be renewed; I have begged (he mentions
a name) to get it renewed, but he has not even bothered to
pick up my calls. I haven’t gone home in five years. It is only
thanks to this job that I have something to subsist on. My
‘house owner’ has been behind me for the portion of the rent
owed by me, everyone else has given –“ he cut it short when
I got into the wash area myself. There were some awkward
moments of silence as I turned on the tap and washed my
hands. As I splashed cold water on my face, they resumed
their conversation. Rather, the poor boy who said he had
not slept a wink spoke in a monotone: “Am not really worried
about money any more. Last two nights I had nothing to eat
too. The only thing I had last night was tea, that too from
this office. I had kept two biscuits, but I left it in the pantry to
serve tea and when I got back there were two cockroaches
on it…I had no option but to throw it,” he gave off
a derisive laugh and I caught his reflection in the
mirror. He had a sad, wry and resigned air about
him. The other boy had a more defiant look and
he was as determinedly washing all the cups,
as though by the mere way of washing, all his
financial problems would also be washed away.
But, I could sense that the sad boy was not really
strong enough to face the challenges ahead,
especially since he had lost on his sleep for
several days. “What should I do, tell me what
should I do,” he kept on repeating. They dipped
into silence and that was broken by their final
clanging cups wash. I dried my hands and
slowly edged out of the place as the boys began
their conversation again. The braver one was
comforting his work compatriot by telling him that
he should not get depressed and that better times
was just around the corner. ‘I just hope so,” the
other boy sniffled and that was the last thing I
heard as I walked back to my office.
I sat before my laptop and as the words hit
the screen, my mind harked back to the little
conversation I had just heard. I had gone there
to wash my blues and then this talk woke me up.
Here were some boys earning probably OMR40 to
OMR50 and living a life of quiet despair sans A/C,
sans proper food and lodgings, without even being
able to send money home to their loved ones
and here I was ready to crib, rant and rave if the
electricity goes off for 10 minutes…And just before
I went to wash my face, I was in that second boy’s
state of mind, asking myself what should I do,
what should I do…now I am determined to take on
the other more positive boy’s demeanour…
O
ff the wall
Nothing, yet positive
the w
all
30 November 7-20, 2010
Sponsor:
32 November 7-20, 2010
The winners for the second
draw for the ongoing shopping
extravaganza at Al Araimi
Complex was recently
announced. While Abdulla Al
Shaibi walked away with two air
tickets to Paris; Said Ayedeh and
Shekhar win a 32-inch Samsung
LCD each and Nooh Khalid Al
Balushi gets an Asus laptop. Ten
other lucky winners have won
shopping vouchers worth RO50
each. Winners will have to claim
their prizes within 15 days of
being informed. The grand finale
on November 20 will have one
lucky winner drive away with a
Jaguar XF while the others will vie
to win Longines watches, LCDs
and Al Araimi gift vouchers.
Complex winners
Al Araimi
National Bank of Oman was honoured by Oman Cricket Club recently.
The function, held under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin
Tairq bin Taimur Al Said, minister of heritage and culture, honorary president
of Oman Cricket Club, and Engineer Ali Masoud Al Sinaidi, minister of sports
affairs, was well attended by a number of dignitaries and sportsmen.
honours National Bank of OmanOman Cricket Club
National Bank of Oman (NBO) announced that its currency credit ratings have
been upgraded by Capital Intelligence (CI). A press release issued by Capital
Intelligence, recently stated that the NBO's foreign currency ratings raised to
BBB+ long-term and A2 short-term (from BBB and A3 respectively).
The rating upgrade reflects CI’s increased confidence that government support
for the local banking sector will be high in case of need. However, the support
rating is unchanged at 3 since ownership is largely in private hands. The financial
strength rating is affirmed at BBB with the bank’s good operating profitability,
capital adequacy and asset quality being supporting factors. NBO’s H1 2010
results have been good overall, with asset quality and profitability ratios recording
improvements. The outlook for all the ratings is therefore stable.
Capital Intelligence upgrades NBO currency ratings
Word
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ss
Sohar Food Court which is managed by Hay Al Rahbah, is located at the
Shell Petrol Station, off the main Sohar Highway, between Al Suwairah
and Sohar (Globe) Roundabout, mid-way between Muscat and Dubai.
Sohar Food Court is the ideal stopover for travellers, be it for re-fuelling
or for a quick bite at its multi-cuisine food court or to use the ATM or
restroom facilities. Perfectly located in Sohar, at the Shell fuel Station of the
main Sohar Highway, Sohar Food Court (within Hay Al Rahbah Services
Complex) has everything that a traveller needs - from a multi-cuisine food
court, to a Shell Petrol Filling Station, and auto-care facilities, a 24-hour
Bank Muscat ATM facility, Khimji mini mart, prayer facility, rest rooms,
children’s play area and saloon - it is all available. Sohar Food Court has
proven to be one of its kind destinations between destinations - bright, clean,
customer friendly offering a fast and refreshing experience - a must stop for
all travellers between Muscat and Dubai.
Sohar Food Court – ideal stopover for travellers
33Black & White
The German University of
Technology in Oman (GUtech)
participated in the annual Career Fair
2010 at the Indian School Muscat
held recently.
“Happiness is in liking what you do
and doing what you like,” said Dr
Avirat Vaishnav, pediatric surgeon at
Royal Hospital Oman and chief guest
at the beginning of the second day
of the Career Fair 2010. Among two
different groups of experts, GUtech
academic staff from the department
of Applied Geosciences and the
department of Sustainable Tourism
and Regional Management held
presentations.
Geosciences is the science of our
planet. “If you are good in sciences
and are interested in our planet
and you like to go on field trips to
discover the rocks and minerals in
the mountains, then you should think
about a career in Geosciences,”
said professor (Dr) Bas den Brok,
head of the department of applied
geosciences who held a presentation
on studying geosciences.
at the ISM Career Fair
GUtech
The first book in Malayalam that
sheds light on His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos bin Said's life, his values
and morals, his unmatched
qualities that steered the Oman
from success to success is
getting ready and will be released
in November to coincide with the
40th National Day of the country.
Titled “The Sultan; A Farsighted
Statesman; A Philanthropist”,
this A-5 size, glossy-finish book
is authored by Kabeer Yousuf,
a journalist with the Oman
Observer Daily. It will have
nearly 250 pages that describe
the acute statesmanship and his
keen concern for the people.
“We are happy to be a part of
First book on
His Majesty in Malayalam
getting ready
this noble venture whereby the
majority expatriate community
will be getting to know about His
Majesty in their own language”,
a senior official at the Oman
Establishment for Press,
Publication, and Advertising,
said. It is published by the
Oman Establishment for Press,
Publishing and Advertising, and is
sponsored by Galfar Contracting
Company.
McDonald’s Oman unveiled their committment to its own people growth
at an event, recently. "People are the most vital element in our system;
and Omanisation is part of our local identity," a note said.
McDonald’s Oman OMANISATION
Nawras, a Qtel Group company, enthusiastically joined the rest
of the country in marking the first Omani Women’s Day with a
number of initiatives including a celebratory event held at the
company’s main office in Al Athaiba. Chief executive officer Ross
Cormack and chief strategy officer Abdulla Issa Al-Rawahy, led
the management tributes to the ladies at Nawras by thanking them
all for their valuable contribution to the continuing success of this
customer friendly company. At the same time, the women were
also recognised for their important roles in the wider community and
as partners in the development of the Sultanate.
Nawras celebrates
Omani Women’s Day
34 November 7-20, 2010
Oman Investment & Finance Company SAOG (OIFC)
contributed for the second consecutive year to Al
Noor Association for the Blind by donating to this
local charity which was founded for the benefit of the
Sultanate’s visually impaired. The OIFC is one of the
leading Investment & Services Company specialised
in billing, collection and debt factoring for electricity,
water and telecom services in Oman over the last
three decades.
The OIFC is celebrating a landmark 30th anniversary
this year and this donation is in keeping with the
company’s values and renewed commitment to its
significant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
programme.
OIFC joins hands with Al Noor
Association for the Blind
Omantel has been voted the
best company for investor
relations in Oman by the
Middle East Investor Relations
Society (ME-IR) using
feedback from a regional
Thomson Reuters survey. In addition to
the company prize, Omantel’s general
manager for strategic finance, Menon
Gopinath has been identified as the best
company representative for investor relations
in the Sultanate. The prestigious awards
were presented to Omantel as part of the
annual ME-IR conference that recognises
companies and professionals across the
Middle East for the best Investor Relations
practices and was recently held in Beirut.
Omantel – voted
leading investor relations
company in oman
Renna mobile announced the launch
of the 'Recharge & Win with Renna'
campaign. The campaign aims at
celebrating customer loyalty by
offering all users a chance to win an
iPhone every week and a Toyota FJ
Cruiser every three months. Every
one rial recharged equals a chance
to win. A customer recharging
OMR10 will have ten chances to
win an iPhone, and 10 chances
to win the Toyota FJ Cruiser. “As
in introductory offer, we have
scheduled the first draw on January
3, 2011 to reward existing customers
for their usage. We have also
ensured that new participants gain
immediate benefits of the draw,”
said Ghada Mohammed Al Yousef,
marketing director. The weekly draw
for an iPhone will take place every
Monday as well as a quarterly draw
for a Toyota FJ Cruiser, with the first
draw taking place in early January
2011 (only two months after the start
of the programme).
Renna mobile recharge and win a car
Word
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‘Samarpanam – a tribute to M S Subbulakshmi’
will be held at Le Grande Hall, Al Falaj Hotel this
Wednesday at 7.30 pm. “Indian classical dance
– Bharatnatyam -- is performed along with Indian
classical music. One legend who has given life to Indian classical
music is M S Subbulakshmi. Her contribution has made Indian
classical music transcend all boundaries of caste, creed, colour,
religion or even nationalities. This is my humble salutation to
such a bigger than life personality,” says Premila Ramesh.
Premila Ramesh, founder of Nrityanjali – an institution dedicated
to the glory of Bharatanatayam, has been producing and
presenting classical dance shows in Oman and India since 2003.
The notable ones presented in Oman include - Panchanayika,
Bharati, Rasanubhava and the recently held mega production –
Stree Rama Nirikshanam. Salim M. Al Mahruqi, undersecretary
of heritage affairs, ministry of heritage and culture is the chief
guest, while Geetha Sundaresan, a known Indian classical
vocalist in Oman will be the guest of honour.
Entry is by invitation only. Contact 92526354 or 99102150
‘Samarpanam’ –
A Tribute to M S Subbulakshmi
35Black & White
Berger Paints has recently
introduced a wide range of 'Flame
Spread Resistant' products in Oman.
These products offer increased
safety in cases of fire by limiting the
spread of surface flames. The work
on formulating these products started
over a year ago. While the products
themselves were developed and
internally tested, Berger worked with
premier third party-fire protection
laboratories – Warrington Fire
from the UK to get these products
independently certified as per
international standards.
Post this, Berger Paints applied to
Civil Defense –Royal Oman Police
for accreditation. Following rigorous
tests carried out by the ROP at
Berger Paints factory in early August,
the ROP has certified three product
lines, Weathercoat FR (a smooth
emulsion, which is available in 1500+
ready shades from any Berger
ColourWorld) & Weathercoat FR Tex
(a range of textures).
Royal Oman Police certifies Berger Paints products for fire protection
Sadolin Paints (Oman) Ltd. opened the doors of yet another exclusive Colour
Point outlet in Honda Road - Mustafa Ghulam Ali Stores, recently.
Along with the father–son trio of Ali, Mustafa and Hassan Ghulam Ali Baqer,
who are the proprietors of the outlet, M.M. Khan, general manager and
N. Balachandran, deputy general manager of Sadolin Paints Oman were
present. Khan, commented, “Our Colour Point outlets are a pioneering effort
in allowing consumers to experiment with colours so that they can create
their own stylish homes using Sadolin. We are extremely happy with our
association with Mustafa Ghulam Ali Stores and would like to thank them for
representing us at a vital point of sale such as Honda Road.”
For more information call 2444 6218 or visit www.sadolinoman.com.
Sadolin colour point outlet at Honda Road
A favourite for over 10 years,
high-quality and reliable rollerball
featuring waterproof pigment ink
and ‘Uni-Flow’ system ensures
a continuous consistent writing
to the last drop. Black Blue
Red Green Light Blue Violet
Pink Orange Wine and Light
Green ink are all available on
the market, if you like to buy the
main colors or the fancy colors
you will find it in all bookshops,
supermarket and hypermarket.
Join on facebook (uni-ball
Oman). And you will get a free
sample of the new uni-ball pen.
Uni-Ball Eye Rollerball
A resident who has spent half his life
in Oman is embarking on a two-day,
240kms biking mission as part of
the 40th anniversary celebrations of
Oman as well as for charity. Gopal
C. Jagwani, a businessman based
in Oman, who has been living here
for the last 21 years, is all set to
cycle 240kms from Sohar to Muscat
from November 10 to 11 for this dual
cause: to congratulate His Majesty
Sultan Qaboos bin Said on Oman’s
40th national day and also to raise
funds for Dar Al Atta’a. “I have spent
half my life in this beautiful country.
Last year, I had the opportunity to
raise the flag of Oman on top of
Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in
Africa at 5,893 metres or 19,334 feet
above sea level (the Uhuru Peak/
Kibo Peak). “Now, in this mission,
I have the opportunity to not only
congratulate and salute His Majesty,
the Sultan, on the 40th anniversary
of the blessed renaissance, but also
to create awareness for Dar Al Atta’a
and to raise funds for their student
support programme,” Gopal Jagwani
said. The Dar Al Atta’a, through
its student support programme,
provides uniforms, breakfast meals,
stationeries to the underprivileged
students in the Muscat region.
“Students are the future of the society
and hence, I decided to support this
programme,” Jagwani said. The
cycling event is scheduled to begin
from this Wednesday at Crowne
Plaza, Sohar and will conclude at the
Crowne Plaza, Muscat.
Indian businessman on cycling mission for
National Day and charity
36 November 7-20, 2010
Managem
ent
talk
OUR OMAN is
the 'HAPPENING'
place Dr Anchan C.K.
managing director,
World Wide Business House
By Dr CK Anchan
Continued from last issue...
Omani government is investing in IT as part
of its Digital Oman initiative and strategy to
diversify the economy. In addition to ongoing
demand from the oil and gas sector, this
should generate IT spending in verticals such
as telecoms, financial services and aviation.
The PC market in Oman should grow at
around 6 per cent a year to $190mn by 2014,
the government’s ‘Towards Digital Oman’
strategy and the elimination of custom duties
within the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council
(AGCC). Wireless connectivity will boost
demand for notebooks, stimulated by product
innovation and new technologies. Small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as
large enterprises are expected to invest in
equipment to deal with increased competition
and take advantage of regional opportunities.
The software market in Oman is projected
at $62mn in 2010 and is expected to grow at
a CAGR of five per cent over the 2010-2014
forecast period.
With the evolution of the IT market, a
stronger enterprise focus on software
spending is also being seen, with companies
preparing to compete in a regional
environment of greater trade freedoms.
Government has also been the keen driving
force behind.
IT services market is estimated at around
US$85mn in 2010, accounting for around
19 per cent of overall IT spending in Oman.
About one-third of spending will be on
support and maintenance, with SI the second
largest category and managed services/
outsourcing at about 20 per cent. Many
vendors see an opportunity to expand their
services portfolios, as enterprises demand
look to get more out of their IT investments.
Oman’s consumer electronics devices
market, defined as the addressable market
for computing devices, mobile handsets and
video, audio and gaming products, is forecast
at $480mn in 2010.
Oman’s construction industry is expected
to grow at an average annual rate of 8.7
per cent over 2008-2012 and to reach a
value of $2.5 billion over the forecast period.
Oman plans to raise spending by 11 per
cent in its 2011 budget to push ahead with
infrastructure and development projects.
considering basing its 2011 budget on an
average oil price of $55 per barrel.
Oman is the “the happening” place to be in
business as it is showing strong economic
growth, which encourages privatisation of
infrastructure and services.
The country has absolute tax freedom, with
tax exemptions for five years [sometimes
renewable] for industrial enterprises which
contribute to Oman’s economy.
Foreign investors are able to hold 49 per
cent of equity, which may be increased
depending on the circumstances, to add it
all a clear and efficient legal network which
governs company law, agency law etc.
Oman has emerged as a modern state
creating a identity in the world for its
comprehensive development in political,
economic and social sectors.
Under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos bin Said, for 40 years our Oman
has seen amazing changes and each year
has cemented the growth of Oman in every
aspect.
It’s indeed a great honour and matter of
pride for all of us living here in Oman to be
a part of such historic event. Long live His
Majesty the Sultan! Our prayers are there
always with him and also for the well being of
Oman and its wonderful people.
36 November 7-20, 2010
37Black & White
NOTHING BETTER THAN HOMESPUN WEAR
There is nothing better than being born in your own
country; settling down in your hometown, eating
home-cooked meals, dressed in homespun wear…
What do you think? Maybe your opinion might
differ, but I am happy. I feel that the Omani
traditional garb – dishdasha -- is one of the most
comfortable wear in the whole world. It is loose,
easy-to-wear and comfy. I am very comfortable
with the dishdasha; I feel at home with it. I think
it as one of the most non-complicated piece of
clothing ever. And when you wear it, you need
not worry about seeing whether it was going to
match with anything – you just wear it -- that is all!
I remember, earlier, more colours were used, not
just white.
But, when it became an official wear in offices and
institutions, white became the chosen colour.
BLACK & WHITE
Our magazine is basically symbolic of the
traditional Omani dress, the black abaya and
the white dishdasha… It was from these simple
dresses that our name evolved – Black & White,
meaning local, and of course, man and woman.
Though the abaya was initially considered as
a covering, today it is a stand-alone dress,
with accessories and precious stones adorning
them. Many young designers have added on the
globalised fashion trends to our traditional wear.
And, it is not bad looking in any sense of the word.
So, if the abaya has elevated itself from being a
mere covering to a trendy dress, should we then
look for another covering; another abaya?!
PROUD HERITAGE
Oman has a proud heritage of traditional wear that
can be distinguished region wise by colours and
design. Globalisation today has taken away some
Oman is famous for many traditions
and culture. Region wise each place
is famous for a trade too. While Bahla
is famous for pottery, Nizwa is famous
for copper works. Sur is famous for
ship building; while Barka is famous
for halwa… how did it all evolve?
Mohamed Issa Al ZadjaliEditor-in-chief
In Black...
& White
In B
lack &
Whit
e
of the authenticity and if we don’t record and preserve our rich
heritage, it could get merged with the current trends and lose
its basic history. A step in that direction was taken by Julia Al
Zadjali to record, collect and preserve the Omani traditional
dress and today the museum they have created has over 600
individual pieces on collection.
PIONEERING ATTEMPTS
Oman is famous for many traditions and culture. Regionwise,
each place is famous for a trade too. While Bahla is famous
for pottery, Nizwa is famous for copper works. Sur is famous
for ship building; while Barka is famous for halwa… how did
it all evolve? No clear answers. Probably one man, who had
successfully created a first in the region, would have made
that region famous for that trade…a pioneering attempt! When
B&W team heard that Sumail was famous for looms, and the
institute there had the first batch of 18 young girls receiving
certification for the first ever handloom training course by
PACI, they visited the 40 plus year old loom factory to see
how it is going forward… an apt story on our first anniversary!
GOD BLESS HIS MAJESTY SULTAN QABOOS BIN SAID
And before we conclude one important greeting: I and the
B&W team would like to wish His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin
Said the very best on the occasion of the 40th National Day. I
wish and pray that the Almighty God shower all his blessings
on our wise and benevolent leader. God bless our great ruler!
37Black & White
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38 November 7-20, 201038 November 7-20, 2010
39Black & White
Of loomslooms and loreslores……
39Black & White
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40 November 7-20, 2010
41Black & White
SPINNING A DELIGHTFUL YARN
His hands were moving faster than
lightning… definitely faster than an
automated loom.
Ali bin Suleiman bin Salim
Musallmany is close to 70 (he insists
that he is only 66), but his hands
must be around 20.
His face looked 70, but his eyes
were in their early 20s. And they
glinted. Ask him to speak about his
hand loom and his rotund face is
suddenly wreathed in a pool of smiles
in which his young eyes drown.
His body is old. But his gait is
young; his movements swift.
His voice is elderly and aged. But
his laughter is youthful and infectious.
We asked him to show how his old
loom works and he literally, joyfully
pounced on it and in a rapid-fire
manner began to work on it. For
some moments, his hands moved
like an able magician, with that same
speed and dexterity.
We asked him to stop as our
photographer could not pin him down
for a shot.
He stops and beams at us. He is
happiness personified.
And although we had actually asked
him to do a demo on his old hand
loom, a quick run on his spinning/
weaving machine had transported
him back to an old era where he was
not only master of the loom, but a
successful one at that.
ALI SPINS A YARN
From his small abode in the wilayat
of Sumail, Ali Suleiman Mussallmany
spun a delightful yarn for us. “Hand
looms did not exist before 1983/’84!”
he declared. As we looked a bit
startled, he added with a laugh: “I
meant, it did not exist for me. I had
no clue what a hand loom looked
like before that period. But, in 1985,
I bought this loom for a princely
amount of OMR35.
“My friend was an expert at it and
he taught me how to work on it. But,
I learnt on his loom and once I got
the hang of it I began working on my
loom. I think it came naturally to me.
It was only difficult at the start, but
once I realised how to work on the
techniques, I just delved deep into it.
I mastered the craft and soon I was
working day and night.”
That meant he was getting good
orders, we asked. “Certainly, it was
a different scene then. I just worked
from morning to night everyday,
never ever stopped. I used to get
many orders and unusual deadlines,
but I was adept at meeting all of
them.
“I used to feel like an artist – like a
creator. I used to think I was creating
works of art. And, I was. I certainly
felt on top of the world then. When
you create something, there is
immense satisfaction in you. You feel
great and imagine feeling like that
everyday…” he trails off.
The next question was but natural:
And now, today?
For a moment, he is silent. Ali
Musallmany’s eyes suddenly seemed
to have lost his glint. Suddenly, he
looked his age. He looked 70. “It is a
far cry from those days of yore. I was
at the helm of affairs and I enjoyed
the work, but then it slowly went
down, the orders slumped. In fact,
I stopped my fulltime work on the
loom, a decade or so back.
So, I have put in a total of 15 years
on the loom and today, I still work
on it, but that is only 10 percent of
what I used to do. I wouldn’t say
that I am not getting orders. But, if
you talk of the past, it is nothing.
The older generation of hand loom
workers have now been replaced
by the young, modern and trendy
ones – we, apparently, are not any
competition to them.”
So, does he feel sad about having
to bow down to the younger lot? “I
am not sad for myself. I think in any
work, modernity will take its place
and it will wipe out the old. But, in
the case of hand looms, they have
replaced an art form.
The youngsters do not revere it like
our generation did. They do not see
art in it – for them their looms are
just machines, and it is reflected in
their work. They are fast, they are
good but if you ask me – something
is missing! I don’t mean they do bad
work. Their work is excellent, but
their heart is not in it. When we used
to work on a carpet, for example,
our heart was in it. Touch one of my
carpets and you will feel my heart
throbbing in it,” he said emotionally.
Ali Musallmany’s grandfather was
in the same trade, and he feels, as a
grandson, he had inherited his traits
and love for his craft. Today, he is
lucky in one aspect, because he has
managed to pass on his craft in some
ways to his grand daughter, Fawaris
Khamis Al Musallmany, who is now
being trained at the nearby Textile
Training, Product and Embroidery
(TEPE) Centre in Sumail.
We had visited the Textile Training
centre earlier, and it was from there
we got the contact of Ali Musallmany.
His grand daughter had taken
us here as we were keen to find
someone who practiced the craft at
an earlier period.
Back at the centre, we met up
with the administrative director,
Mazin Suleiman Al Balushi, a young
enterprising Omani who was totally
immersed in promoting the craft of
handloom to all interested Omani
women.
“The government of Oman is
providing great support to all
youngsters who want to learn such
crafts. Although this training is open
to all – boys and girls, surprisingly,
only the latter turned up and that too
in good numbers.
So, the centre had a tough time in
sifting through the skill and interest
levels of the girls and finally honed
in on some 18 girls, all of whom you
see now working before you,” he
said, sweeping his hand at the young
and industrious girls bent over their
looms in the large training hall.
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42 November 7-20, 2010
“These girls have completed now just over a year of
training and they are already doing well. It does not end
with their training. Once this is over, we provide them
with support to procure a new loom and besides setting
up the loom for them, we will also buy their products and
promote them.
“We go by the adage, ‘you don’t give a young man
fish, but teach him fishing!’ So, we teach them and we
make them stand on their own and then support them
afterwards too. We ensure that they earn a livelihood
from this trade!”
Besides ensuring that young Omani women have a
proper trade and a life, the other purpose for ventures
like this training centre by the government is to ensure
that dying arts and crafts are preserved for posterity.
“Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, we have
made sure that hand looms will not die. Of course, the
looms are now modernised and may not be like the ones
before, but this is a trade that will continue and the art or
the craft is being passed on to other generations,” Mazin
Al Balushi said.
Moreover, the craft and the looms were always being
featured in important fairs and exhibitions here and
abroad. “Turkey, Geneva, Paris… you name it, the loom
craft has been showcased in various fairs. In this way,
we ensure longevity for all trades, art and crafts of Oman
– no, they will not die!”
FIRST ANNIVERSARY
Our visit also coincided with their first anniversary
celebrations. The 18 girls were actually the first students’
batch at the centre. “In fact, we just successfully
completed a year of training at this institute and all the
girls are proud of this fact!” noted Muzina Al Jabri, centre
supervisor. “Last year, on October 21, the first batch
of 18 girls joined our institute for the training course in
hand loom. And on October 20, the first batch received
their certification. These 18 girls belong to the first batch
of candidates of this training institute. They are fully
capable and trained in this craft and can independently
handle a single hand loom. In the first year they are all
trained to count, design, arrange and loom products
A student of the training centre busy at her work; some of the finished products
43Black & White
The talented girls of the TEPE centre are now ready to create items to be sold to the public
like handbags, shawls, carpets, dresses for babies and
kids and many accessories emerge out of their efforts,”
Muzaina said. In the first year, the girls are taught to
design on paper and produce the same with the yarn
provided.
PACI SUPPORT TO YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
The looms provided are quite modern and imported
from other countries. It is easy to operate. It is the aim
of Public Authority of Craft Industries (PACI) to train and
empower the young generation through crafts industries.
After the first year of training, the second full year, the
girls will be put on production for the institute. They
will create items that will be sold to the public. “We are
receiving many orders and these trainees complete
these orders successfully. By the completion of the
second year, these candidates are fully trained to set
up their own units and start producing loom products
on their own. The PACI will support them to obtain and
execute orders by providing looms and other support
system required to execute an order,” Muzaina said.
LOOMS IN SUMAIL
The factory here in Sumail is one of the oldest wisar
( ? ) manufacturing unit in Sumail
and in Oman; it is over 40 years old and we, as PACI,
have renovated, added on modern technology and raw
materials with a little bit of design aspect and have take
this unit forward. Today the loom factory produces wisar
more than before. And it is still famous for its wisars,
Mazin and Muzaina noted.
Every region in Oman is famous for a particular craft,
like Bahla for pottery, Nizwa for copper works, Ibri for
silks, Sumail is known traditionally for handlooms. “Many
years ago, Sumail was full of traditional looms and
weaving.
So we are trying to preserve the age old tradition of
Sumail and empower the youth with traditional skills with
modern technology.
This art and craft should not die a slow death. Oman’s
rich heritage is all about its age old traditions and culture.
It is our duty to preserve and forward it to our future
generation.
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44 November 7-20, 2010
This is the first year; we hope
we will have more boys and girls
joining us to take this traditional
trade forward,” Mazin said, adding
a common fact in the end. “As you
must be aware, other than looms,
Sumail is famous for its dates!”
ORDERS GALORE
Both Mazin and Muzaini pointed
out that their centre was doing quite
well. “We are getting orders from
different parts of the country. We
have showrooms at various places
to sell these handloom products
too. From key chains to handbags
and traditional Omani dresses, we
take up every order. The girls in
this batch are very talented, in fact
one of the girls have even designed
complete Omani traditional dress.
You are greeted by a tall girl in a
beautiful pink Omani dress, in full
traditional regalia when you enter
the workshop or training area of the
centre in Sumail. She is wearing a
typical Sumail dress and she looked
quite striking. We stared at her and
she stared back at us with equal, but
graceful nonchalance. You can see
by the clothes she is wearing that is
rich – rich tradition!
You may escape punishment for
staring at her too long because it
only happens to be a mannequin,
brought to near life by one of the
young and promising trainees at
the centre: Fakhriya Mahmoud Al
Hinai.
A proper resident of Sumail, she
has already pride of place among
the others thanks to the colourful
Omani traditional dress she has
made, which she dolled up the
mannequin with. “This dress has
been my first-ever attempt. It took
me a week to finish. I am not fully
satisfied with it, but everyone has
been generous with praise for this
work,” Fakhriya Hinai smilingly
explained.
Although she is from Sumail, she
happens to be living and coming
from an area where looms are
non-existent. “But I am aware of
Sumail’s tradition of hand looms and
in fact I have seen few households
where traditional looms still operate,
or at least maintained in top notch
conditions.
"But, I don’t think people are doing
it from their homes like before. I
intend to set up my own production
and be self reliant.
"Creativity is very important in all
spheres of life and Oman has a rich
tradition of fascinating dress designs
and designers. “I am just trying my
hand and adding on a little bit of
modernity and my own touch to it.
The traditional Omani dress on the
mannequin is a typical Sumail style
of dress and I am proud that it is one
of my first attempts. “I will learn more
and when I finish my production
phase here at the institute, I will start
of my own unit. I am glad I chose
to get trained and to take this trade
forward,” she said.
The Sumail girl in the PINK DRESS
It is displayed here…the colour
combination, design, embroidery,
all of it has come from her own
creativity!”
For enquiries and orders people
can get in touch with PACI’s
marketing department: 24525800
Khalsa Al Siyabi, student, TEPE centre and Fahad Salim Al Maskari, visitor,
checks a product
45Black & White
Excerpts:
WHO IS JULIA ZADJALI?
I am an anti-fashion person, with no
knowledge of what’s in and what’s
not.
WHAT IS THE OMANI DRESS
PROJECT ALL ABOUT?
The heart of this project is the
preservation, collection, and study of
Omani dress identity (which means it
goes beyond the boundary of textiles
but could rightfully include jewellery,
cosmetics, and other accessory
items.) However, it is equally as
important to share what is learned or
there is no point learning it.
WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN
THIS DRESS PROJECT?
It was a means to an end. I am
a mother of five Omani children
and was desperate to learn more
about Omani traditional dresses
and wanted my kids to be part of
heritage – it was my responsibility as
a mother.
But, what actually triggered it?
I chose this project because I felt
strongly the need to do something
about the lack of attention being
given to the subject of Omani dress.
This is not to say that I disagree with
the priorities given in the heritage and
culture field. Rather, it means that I
don’t agree with waiting for someone
else to fix a problem when I feel I can
make a difference. The ‘trigger’ was
realising I had the ability to make a
real difference.
WHAT ABOUT THE OMANI
DRESSES CAUGHT YOUR
ATTENTION OR, WHY WERE YOU
ENAMOURED BY THE DRESSES?
I am from the USA and we are not
rich in dress heritage. The Omani
dresses I was initially introduced
to (the national dress for women
and men) took me by complete
surprise and were beyond anything
I could have imagined. And then in
coming here I soon learned of the
great variety. It became a personal
challenge (and thrill) to learn about
the various styles, initially, for my
own personal interest and for the
sake of properly dressing my children
for Eid. But now, I’ve made it my
job to know. Not everyone gets that
lucky!
Capturing the tale of
Oman’s dress identity
Black and White spoke to Julia Stehlin-Al Zadjali,
director, Centre for Omani Dress.
In this interview, Julia Al Zadjali details to
B&W about the Omani Dress project and also
tells us why she chose it.
But, before that, she tells us who she is.
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46 November 7-20, 2010
'The Traditional Women's Dress of Oman' will be available at all leading bookstores in Oman in November
47Black & WhiteText: Adarsh Madhavan & Priya Arunkumar Photos: Najib Al Balushi
WHAT WAS THE AIM BEHIND
THIS PROJECT AND HOW DO
YOU THINK OMAN WILL BENEFIT
FROM THIS WORK?
The aim is to capture the story of
Oman’s dress identity before it is
lost in time. The risk of losing it is
greater than ever as Oman slowly
swings open its doors to the outside
world. I believe this sort of problem
is common the world over. The team
of volunteers and I are watching,
taking notes, and we’re out talking to
people about changes they’ve seen
over the years in regard to dress.
By doing so, stories are woven, real
stories, true stories, stories that will
be important to Oman’s history. Not
simply because a person can tell us
about the changes occurring with
laces, but because in the telling of
that story, that same person can
share what is happening in the world
around him or her and so we gain
insight into what life was like then.
IT WOULD INDEED BE A
VOLUMINOUS PROJECT – DID
YOU DO IT SINGLEHANDEDLY?
I am going to give you an answer
that I feel I have already told people
100 times over but this deserves to
be said throughout the entire life of
this project: The project is nothing
without all of the many volunteers
throughout the country who
contribute to helping us learn, collect,
research, and document. I am just
one person with a vision but I’ve only
two hands along with five children,
a home and my own studies that I
pursue. And even if I had none of
these other responsibilities, it would
still take an army, no matter how
humble in size, to move this project
forward year after year. There is so
much more to the work than merely
“collecting dresses”. I never imagined
how involved this project could
become. And because it is such an
involved process with many needs,
the Oman Dress Project is now one
of many projects under the umbrella
of the Centre for Omani Dress.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK
TOO?
I tried to find out all information
about traditional Omani dress and its
evaluation, but there were no books
available with substantial amount of
details. I did not begin my research
with the aim of writing a book – the
book was just a delightful culmination
of the research.
WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES
THAT YOU FACED DURING THE
MAKING OF THE BOOK?
In its infancy, the plans for the book,
as mandated by another, were quite
different from its present form. It
was to be academic, introductory in
nature and filled with black and white
photos. As blessings would come
my way, this mandate was cancelled
and I was free to do as I wished. I
took on the best graphic designer I
knew, we agreed from the very start
what this subject deserved, and we
proceeded with great passion to pay
the highest compliment possible to
this subject of Omani dress, with full
colour images, among other things.
HOW MANY YEARS DID YOU
TAKE TO BRING OUT THIS
BOOK?
The book, as you see it today, was
written and published in six months.
While that may sound relatively
effortless, I can assure you it was
an enormous effort and a humbling
responsibility. The book has been in
the making for several years, about
four if my memory is correct, but as
I stated earlier, that was under a
different mandate and so that version
was scrapped. What I have now
is completely different and greatly
improved upon.
HOW DOES IT FEEL AFTER
SEEING THE FINISHED
PRODUCT?
It took about one week before
it stopped feeling surreal. Now, I
simply couldn’t be more pleased
that things turned out the way they
did and I am very much looking
forward to getting the book on the
shelves. Of the proceeds earned,
15 percent are being donated to Dar
Al Atta which is one of the charities
the C.O.D supports. The remaining
proceeds will be used to benefit the
work of the C.O.D, which is a non-
profit endeavour, and runs entirely on
an army of good will.
IS THIS THE START OF OTHER
PROJECTS…WHAT NEXT?
The C.O.D always has at least a
dozen projects brewing at any one
time. Our biggest project, however,
has been brewing for about one year
now and hopefully will soon finish.
The project is the establishment of
an Omani dress museum located in
Mawaleh. We are currently awaiting
official approval. Once approved and
displays completed, the museum
will house rotational displays (three
times a year) of the 600 pieces in the
collection, an exhibit room for short
term use by the public as well as the
C.O.D, a resource room, a gift shop,
as well as serving as home to the
Centre for Omani Dress.
Visit: www.omanidress.com or
email: [email protected]
FASHION SHOWS ANATHEMA TO DRESS MUSEUMS A fashion show and a dress museum have got nothing in common. “The worst thing to happen to a dress
museum is a fashion show,” Julia Al Zadjali tells Black & White. “It would be very difficult to preserve a dress
if it is worn too often; so it is better that it is not touched everytime,” she said. “A collector’s item should be
preserved and well maintained – it should never be touched too often or worn by a model.”
48 November 7-20, 2010
Organise an event – be it a charity
event – and you will make more
enemies than friends. Even friends
suddenly metamorphose into
enemies. If ever you organise an
event and fail to invite everyone, you
will learn it the hard way: “You did not
call us,” was the common strain we
have heard from many (friends and
not-so-friends) who were not invited
for the breast cancer charity dinner
and dance event that the Black &
White organised recently.
There are just 600 and odd seats at
the Oman Auditorium of Al Bustan
Palace hotel and we have more
than 10,000 people to invite…what
do we do? Besides, the event, titled
‘Parampara’, which featured Hema
Malini and her daughters was to raise
awareness and whatever possible
funds for breast cancer. We had to
sell tickets for the event and these
cannot be given away free.
In short, it was a charity event, but,
very few – very very few -- seem
to understand the significance of a
charity event, requesting, pleading,
demanding for passes for such an
event. We don’t have passes, we
can only give invites and that too, to
those who are supporting our event
– otherwise, we have no choice but
to say no to requests as well as
demands, we said and none of them
liked it. Believe us, we want everyone
to attend but, it is a charity cause.
Organisers spend the earth to bring
a celebrity and organise such events,
but, no one seems to understand…
sigh! Hope at least other organisers
will understand our predicament…
But, but, it is a
charity event…
Nit
tern
att
er
We have been thinking of it since quite sometime now. Fi-
nally, we have taken the plunge to bring home to you some
offbeat stuff. Here goes, if you like it, give us the green signal
for more; if not, just take it with a pinch of salt. For this fort-
night, here is some nitter natter for the B&W Bitter Batter:
49Black & White
Some people try to help and soon
begin to regret it. Take this case for
example: There was this man who
rushed to stand in for a friend of his
who had borrowed a certain amount of
money from a company head and had
delayed returning it. The good man,
who sympathised with his friend’s
predicament, took it upon his head
and stood guarantee for him against
the money borrowed.
Since he also knew the company
head, it worked and the latter agreed
to put a hold on to any legal moves
against the borrower for several
months. But, when ‘several months’
passed and the borrower still failed
to pay, the company head called
the man who stood guarantee and
demanded the money. “I will speak
to my friend and ask him to pay
immediately,” the good Samaritan
said, but the company head cut in and
told him that he was not interested.
“You stood guarantee, now you pay!
If you can’t, let me know. I will move
legal proceedings against your friend.
But, I want the money rightaway!”
The poor man is now in a quandary as
his friend was at large and not picking
his mobile. One would rightly ask
whether the company head was in the
right to catch the throat of someone
who had butted in only to help… But,
then the question is: what if we were
in the lender’s shoes?
We had more bouquets than brickbats
for our event, but then we thought
we should also feature some of
the criticisms hurled at us (For the
uninitiated, we had organised a charity
dinner and dance event for breast
cancer awareness wherein we had
also included an impromptu auction):
“Your auction was a disaster – you
should have consulted me; I would
have given you antique items worth
thousands of rials…”
“Auctions should have proper
items – not silly dresses and
gold – these can be bought from
anywhere!”
“You organisers did not dress
properly – all of you should have
worn jackets and looked smart –
most of you looked like something
that the cat brought in!”
“Why didn’t you invite Mr and Mrs
So and So – they are big people
and lovers of art, dance and music.
You cannot hold events without
inviting them…”
“Why did you put Mr So and So
in the back seat? He is a BIGGG
man!”
“You should not have put Mr So
and So in the front…who is he? Is
he bigger than us?”
“Your celebrity dancer was okay,
but the other two were amateurish –
you should have checked on them
before asking them to dance!”
“The food at the dinner event was
okay, but you served all of us pretty
late!”
“I would have liked to come for the
event, but you guys said you did
not have any tickets for the first –
front – row!
…and so on and so forth ad nauseum!
Sometimes good
deeds explode in
the face!
You guys looked
horrible!
(Note: Readers who have something bitter to chatter about can either email on [email protected] or call 99218461)
50 November 7-20, 2010
Kid
stuff
DO YOU KNOW...
•Average person walks 2,000 miles a year?
•That one quarter of the bones in your body are in your foot?
•There are 18 muscles in the human foot?
•Fairy tales often use shoes as a symbol representing an escape from an otherwise humdrum life?
•Red shoes have always been considered special?
•That the first known images of footwear are boots depicted in 15,000 year old Spanish cave paintings?
•Over 100 different operations go into the construction of an individual shoe?
•Shoes have traditionally been hidden in buildings to protect the house and its inhabitants from evil and misfortune?
•The boots Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in are still floating around in space?!
Itchy Feet
An itching foot foretold a long journey from which the person would derive pleasure (or walk on strange/foreign
ground). If it was the right sole then the person was either going somewhere they would be welcomed; or would
undertake a task and be successful in it. The opposite was true for the left sole. Itching feet could also mean a sign
of sorrow and some believed it was the forecast for new shoes.
Tongue twisters
If you understand, say “understand”.
If you don’t understand, say “don’t understand”.
But if you understand and say “don’t understand”.
How do I understand that you understand? Understand!
it is…Shoes were originally made as straights
and could be worn on either foot.
Left and right shoes only asserted
themselves with the reintroduction of
the high heel in the 19th century?
51Black & White
Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given
numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares
so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same
number only once.
SOLUTION:
By Thomas Snydermotris.livejournal.com
52 November 7-20, 2010
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
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)
53Black & White
54 November 7-20, 2010
Horo
scope
Stalled business routines
will now work to your
advantage. Use this time to
recheck documents or finalised
projects: miscalculations may
soon be bothersome. Key issues
may be family expectations or
repeated social patterns. Romantic
relationships may also be affected.
Work officials will rely
heavily on your skill or
social expertise this week. Don’t
expect diplomatic solutions to be
easy: remind all concerned of the
important facts. You will now begin
taking control of their emotional life,
family obligations or daily social
habits.
Let others sort through
their own emotions: at
present, detached independence
may be your best response to the
doubts or comments of loved ones.
Emotionally, much of this may be
an indication that a brief but intense
phase of romantic or family stress is
now over.
Pay close attention to
the financial or business
needs of loved ones. Both friends
and relatives may need to quickly
revise their daily schedules.
Although progress and change are
positive, loved ones may need help
to firmly define their schedules with
others or social boundaries.
Old friends or co-workers
may now reappear in your
life. Early this week watch for new
colleagues to discover an unusual
link to your past: mutual friends,
past work records or joint financial
partnerships may all be involved:
watch for unexpected coincidences
for the next three days.
Recent financial delays
or business miscommunications
will likely be resolved over the next
two to three days. Relations with
authority will now improve. Stay
open to new emotions: over the next
eight to ten days loved ones or close
romantic partners may need your
empathy and support.
Business managers or
key officials may provide
inaccurate information or misleading
statements this week. Repeated
requests, cancelled plans or unusual
habits may now seem obvious: study
the behaviour of loved ones for
meaningful clues. Keep your ideas or
observations out of the public realm.
Recent disruptions
to group plans or
changed social attitudes may now
encourage someone close to ask for
clarification of the facts. Key issues
are timed events, late changes or
ongoing social promises. Expect a
flurry of compliments, messages or
requests from loved ones.
Social habits and daily
routines may significantly
change. Over the next few days a
powerful wave of physical energy and/
or new social demands may arrive.
Friends, relatives and loved ones
will now ask for more of your time
and attention than usual: expect to
encounter minor scheduling conflicts.
Over the next few days
friends or relatives may
question the sincerity of long term
relationships. All is well: remain
patient and wait for emotional
clarity. Documents, official requests
or new instructions from bosses
or managers may all involve
misinformation or poor timing.
Love relationships will
be emotionally scattered
and unpredictable. For the next two
to three days loved ones and new
romantic partners may be socially
indecisive or strongly focussed on
past family discussions. A relative
may present an unusually creative
business or financial solution.
Public reputation and
workplace attitudes will be important
this week. Play the diplomat: easy
solutions won’t be forthcoming.
Revised social planning and newly
scheduled events may cause loved
ones to question their own value or
past social history. Little of this can
be avoided: don’t expect the actions.
March 21-April 20
June 22-July 23
September 24-October 22
December 23-January 20
April 21-May 20
July 24-August 23
October 23-November 22
January 21-February 19
May 21-June 21
August 24-September 23
November 23-December 22
February 20-March 20
Your stars
ARIES
CANCER
LIBRA
CAPRICORN
TAURUS
LEO
SCORPIO
AQUARIUS
GEMINI
VIRGO
SAGITTARIUS
PISCES
KAMAL HAASAN (BORN NOVEMBER 7, 1954) is an
Indian film actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker, considered
to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema.
Haasan has won several Indian film awards, including
four National Film Awards and numerous Southern
Filmfare Awards. He is usually referred to by the title
Ulaga Nayagan (lit. Universal Hero).
Cookin
g
Going
Bananas are very versatile in taste and in cooking.
Most often eaten raw, bananas are also a delight
when cooked or added as an ingredient in another
dish. Ripe bananas are cooked in sweet recipes while
green bananas and plantains are generally used in
savoury dishes or used as a vegetable. When being
used as an ingredient in breads, cakes, muffins, pies
and other desserts the recipe may call for slicing or
mashing the bananas before they are added.
Here are a couple of easy recipes with ripe
bananas… try them.
Method
Preheat oven to 325*F. Combine flour and salt in a
medium saucepan. Gradually add milks and yolks; stir well.
Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Arrange 1 cup
banana slices in bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Spoon
one-third of pudding mixture over banana. Arrange 15
wafers on top of pudding. Repeat layers twice, arranging
the last 15 wafers around edge of dish. Push cookies
into pudding. Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer
until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time,
beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue evenly over
pudding, sealing to edge of dish. Bake for 25 minutes or
until golden. Allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving
to allow pudding to thicken.
Method
Stir yogurt and maple syrup to blend in small bowl, set aside.
Combine banana and orange concentrate in medium bowl.
Using fork, mash to coarse paste. Spread banana mixture
on two bread slices. Top each with a second bread slice,
pressing to adhere. Beat whites and milk in shallow bowl to
blend. Spray butter flavored cooking spray in large nonstick
skillet and place over medium heat. Dip both sides of each
sandwich briefly into milk mixture and add to skillet. Cook until
brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with maple yogurt.
Ingredients
•1/3 cup all-purpose flour
•dash salt
•2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
•1 (14-ounce) can fat free sweetened condensed milk
•2 large egg yolks
•2 tsp. vanilla extract
•3 cups sliced ripe banana
•45 reduced fat vanilla wafers
•4 large egg whites (at room temperature)
•1/4 cup sugar
Ingredients
•1/2 cup vanilla nonfat, sugar free yogurt
•2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
•1 medium ripe banana
•2 tsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
•4 slices cinnamon raisin bread
•2 egg whites
•1/4 cup skim milk
•butter flavoured cooking spray
BANANA PUDDING
BANANA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
55Black & White
Laila, Omani graduate
student of Nizwa University
The Most Beautiful Bride...
Oman... my beloved country,
My peaceful shelter,
I am grateful to be born
And raised here.
Oman... my beloved home…
People are dreaming of living
elsewhere
But I am praying to live here
forever
Oman... your name is engraved
deep in my heart
So, it is hard to leave you,
Ever since I was a child
I’ve always seen you as a bride,
the most beautiful bride that
anyone can dream of...
Not only to me, but everyone here,
there and everywhere.
Oman... I am really proud to be one
of your loyal people
No words can I say to you on such
a day like this National Day
But you know that my heart, my
eyes and my mind
Won’t think of other homes as I live
Will think and live and breathe only
you
Oman... Oh Oman...
I still see you as the most beautiful
bride
And I hope all of you out there feel
the same
On this glorious National Day,
which is just some days away…
I will dance and cry
How lucky I am to be a part of you
Oman, dear Oman
I’ve always seen you as the most
shining star
That I have ever seen in my life
Oman...Oh Oman
How unique you are...
The world is changing but you
have not, preserving your identity
and true to traditional and cultural
values…
But, don’t blame me when I can’t
tell
How much I love Oman; don’t know
how to express it,
But, rest assured, for you...I will do
the best
To fulfil my promise
To be a good citizen…
I hope everyone can make this
promise
And, let us all pray to the
Almighty...
To protect our beloved country…
Let us all say a million thanks
To His Majesty the Sultan Qaboos
bin Said!
Let us all show him
How much we appreciate his plans
For making the best of Oman
Oman...say with me, come on
We love Oman
We love Oman
Our peaceful land
The most beautiful bride...
By Laila Ibrahim Obaid Al-Gharbi
Learn
ing c
urv
e
56 November 7-20, 2010
S-L-U-R-P- yummmm ummm I’m beyond seventh heaven! The
pleasure is unbelievable and I can’t get enough of it…it is mind numbing
excitement...I feel no hunger, exhaustion or pain…I AM SHOPPING!
What is it about the shopping experience that puts us all in a tizzy?
Reams of paper, countless movies, books and numerous psychological
studies have been dedicated to it.
Although various opinions have been offered yet no one can completely
capture the thrill that a true blue shopper feels. Just the sensuous touch
of a piece of cloth or clothing can make one go over the moon. If it is in
the latest style then of course the feeling is heightened and if you are the
first to see it and possess it-you feel richer than richest!
You mentally run the course of that outfit, where can it be worn, how it will
look; will it enhance your best features or draw attention to your negative
ones (if you want the outfit real bad then you always have an excuse
ready that you can find ways of concealing your bad features).
Then comes the deadly part––what are the accessories that go with it? If
you have them then you are fine, but if you don’t…then you've to start the
shopping cycle all over again.
Of course this can take anywhere between one hour to a few days to get
the perfect look and of course if you find something else then you even
have to consider those maybe for a NEW LOOK (but that is the topic for
another time).
I have been through this for the past three days shopping to my heart’s
content in Bhutan and my only sympathy is to my partner who has neither
an inclination nor the zest for shopping.
Gotta go now for a teeny weeny bit of pending shopping.
Till next time…love and spread the happiness
YAAA... I am shopping!
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, www.vandanashah.com
Email me what you’d like to say on [email protected]
Follow me on twitter Vandy4PM
57Black & White
58 November 7-20, 2010
Shape n
sound
Exercises women
SHOULD NOT doFIRST THEY SAY, DO IT, then they will say, don’t.
First they will say you should do sit ups, then they will
say you shouldn’t. Whatever it is, let us check out the
reasons presented. Fitness experts have identified
some usual exercises and have said they are ‘no nos’
to most women. The thing to understand is that if an
exercise is done properly and under the supervision
of an expert, there would be no problem, otherwise,
as this article advices, try to avoid them as much as is
possible.
Anyway, for each exercise that the experts have
advised not to do, there is an alternative one. So, try
them out (before they ask us to avoid that also!).
The reason they say not to do sit-ups is because our
joints are generally looser than a man’s and poor form
and too much weight can lead to stiff joints or even
damage.
Also, since a woman’s bones are thinner, they have
less muscle mass and a different distribution of body
fat. Over the years, fitness experts have looked at
exercise-related injuries among military women and
found that women had a much greater percentage
of bone stress fractures than men caused by training
exercises. The women with injuries generally started
out with a low level of fitness, overweight, and
exercised excessively. You can become fit and protect
yourself from injury by avoiding certain exercises.
DON’T DO STRAIGHT LEG PUSH-UPS
Push-ups often are the culprit of neck, lower back,
elbow and shoulder pain.
INSTEAD TRY: Push-ups on your knees. Focus on where
you place your hands to make sure you’re working
the chest. You can also try the dumbbell bench press
instead for toning the chest and shoulders. Lie flat on
your back and, with arms straight up and dumbbells in
hand, slowly lower the arms to just past a 90-degree
angle or until you feel a slight stretch in your chest.
Repeat three sets of 10 reps.
DON’T DO SIT-UPS
This is such a common exercise that people don’t
realise that it can result in injury, especially if you are
not fit. This exercise puts strain on the lumber region
of your spine and can result in chronic back pain.
If you lock your hands behind your head, it can
cause a torque in the spine, which ultimately leads to
neck pain, experts say.
INSTEAD TRY: Bicycle crunches, which are considered
one of the most effective abdominal workouts. Lie on
your back, place your hands next to your ears and
start a pedaling motion with your legs, lifting the left
shoulder to the right knee and vice versa. Try three
sets of 10.
DON’T DO WEIGHTED SQUATS
Squats with a weight bar on your back build serious
bulk in the rear end and upper thighs, places women
are most likely looking to trim down.
INSTEAD TRY: Lunges, which “don’t place nearly as
much stress on the lower back and distribute the
workout throughout the entire leg,” she said. Take
a long, even stride forward with one leg. Be sure to
keep your knee at a 90-degree angle with your foot
for support. If you have bad knees, try doing a reverse
lunge by stepping backward.
DON’T DO BEHIND-THE-NECK
SHOULDER PRESSES
In this exercise, you lift body bars or weights behind
the neck at the shoulder level. This exercise over-
stretches the ligaments in your shoulder area and can
cause tears in shoulder muscles, tendons and the
rotator cuff.
INSTEAD TRY: Seated shoulder presses. Hold a pair
of dumbbells overhead with your arms straight and
palms facing each other. Then, bend your right elbow
and lower your right arm, moving your elbow out to
the side until your upper arm is parallel with the floor.
Press back up and repeat with your right arm for three
sets of 12 reps with each arm. Or, when doing the
shoulder press, keep weights or the bar in front of
your neck and head. Make sure you don’t go lower
than your collarbone when you press up and down.
DON’T DO STANDING DEAD LIFTS
Since women are typically more flexible than men
and can bend down farther, it puts even greater stress
on their legs and lower back. It also results in bulky
back, leg and rear-end muscles.
INSTEAD TRY: Leg kick-backs. Facing a wall, stabilise
yourself with your arms and kick your right leg back
as far as you can. Repeat 10 times, then do the same
with your left leg. Try two sets.
58 November 7-20, 2010
59Black & White
Since a woman’s
bones are thinner,
they have less muscle
mass and a different
distribution of body fat
60 November 7-20, 2010
Psy
che
MEN AND WOMEN HAVE about
the same rate of bipolar disorder
(manic depression), though its
course in women typically has
more depressive and fewer manic
episodes.
Also, a greater number of women
have the rapid cycling form of
bipolar disorder, which may be more
resistant to standard treatments.
UNCLEAR
Many factors unique to women
are suspected to play a role in
developing depression. Research
is focussed on understanding these
factors, including: reproductive,
hormonal, genetic or other biological
factors; abuse and oppression;
interpersonal factors; and certain
psychological and personality
characteristics.
But, the specific causes of
depression in women remain
unclear. Many women exposed to
these stress factors do not develop
depression. Remember, depression
is a treatable psychological problem,
and treatment is effective for most
women
ADOLESCENCE
Studies show that the higher
incidence of depression in females
begins in adolescence, when
roles and expectations change
dramatically. The stresses of
adolescence include forming an
identity, confronting sexuality,
separating from parents, and making
decisions for the first time, along
with other physical, intellectual, and
hormonal changes.
These stresses are generally
different for boys and girls, and
may be associated more often
with depression in females. Some
researchers have suggested that
men and women differ in their
expression of emotional problems.
In adolescence, boys are more likely
to develop behavioral and substance
abuse problems, while girls are more
likely to become depressed.
ADULTHOOD: RELATIONSHIPS
AND WORK ROLES
Stress can contribute to
depression in many people. The
higher incidence of depression in
women may not be due to greater
vulnerability, but to the particular
stresses that many women face.
Women are more
DEPRESSEDthan men
Everyone has their ups and downs. Even big stars like Britney Spears, Mariah
Carey, Sheryl Crow etc have battled depression. Which is why when they say that
major depression and dysthymia affect twice as many women as men, we tend to
believe it. There are many names that we could reel.
It is not that men don’t have depression, they do (Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain;
Guns ‘N’ Roses singer Axl Rose, actor Jim Carrey etc) but it is seen that there is a
two-to-one ratio between women and men when it comes to having depression.
61Black & White
These stresses include major
responsibilities at home and work,
single parenthood, and caring for
children and aging parents.
Social expectations play a
role here as well. In two career
families, women are more likely to
have responsibility for a greater
share of child care and household
responsibilities.
Role conflict is also an issue, as
debate continues regarding whether
women need to choose between
family and work responsibilities, and
about which choice is the “proper”
one.
REPRODUCTIVE EVENTS
Women’s reproductive events
include the menstrual cycle,
pregnancy, the post-pregnancy
period, infertility, menopause, and
sometimes, the decision not to have
children.
These events bring fluctuations in
mood that for some women include
depression. Researchers have
confirmed that hormones have an
effect on brain chemistry. Changes
in emotions and mood often result.
The specific biological mechanism
explaining hormonal involvement in
depression is not known.
Many women experience
certain behavioural and physical
changes associated with phases
of their menstrual cycles. In
some women, these changes
are severe, occur regularly,
and include depressed feelings,
irritability, and other emotional
and physical changes. Called
premenstrual syndrome, its
relation to depressive disorders
is not yet understood. Some
have questioned whether it
is, in fact, a disorder. Further
research will eventually add to
our understanding of this condition.
Postpartum depressions can range
from transient “blues” following
childbirth to severe, incapacitating,
psychotic depressions.
Studies suggest that women who
experience depression after childbirth
very often have had prior depressive
episodes. However, for
most women, postpartum
depressions are transient,
with no adverse
consequences.
Pregnancy (if it is
desired) seldom
contributes to
depression, and
having an abortion
does not appear to
lead to a higher
incidence of depression. But,
women with infertility problems
may be subject to extreme anxiety
or sadness, though it is unclear
if this contributes to a higher rate
of depressive illness. In addition,
young motherhood may be a time of
heightened risk for depression, due
to the increased stress.
61Black & White
I thought you are fearless…he trailed
off
Of course I am, I refuted, what makes
you think I have turned into a coward?
Why should I fear anyone? Well,
anything…
Hey, hold on, I was just pulling your
leg, relax… every being is scared of
something or the other, so it is ok to be
scared… he tried to pacify me.
If you’re scared you know you’re doing
something right. If you’re scared it
means you’re human. I know that, of
course every human has fears, some
show it out, some hide it, but sure they
do, I tried to justify…
What do I fear? Nothing at all! I said
it loudly once again, but it sounded
empty.
Have I really become a coward?
No way… in fact, I have learned it
the hard way that what scares me
now may have no affect on me many
years down the road. There’s no
point in worrying whether or not you’ll
overcome a certain fear. You will
eventually.
If you don’t, you are not even trying…
Sure? Pretty sure!
When I was younger I was scared to
be alone in the dark…
Especially if the ‘darkness’ was
behind me. But, proud by nature, I
hated running away from the dark
and whenever I had to I always back
tracked!
I felt better looking at the ‘dark’ face to
face, rather than it chasing me…
I was okay if I had company, but, if I
was alone, I felt the darkness creep in
to me or pull me in to its depths…
My home had a big back yard and
whenever I went out, I used to sing
loudly.
Or talk loudly to my mother, brothers…
When I am alone at home, I put on all
the lights…
Power cuts were not my favourites!
But, when I grew up, I outgrew that
fear.
Darkness is no longer scarier even if I
am alone at dark…
Today I live alone, drive alone, eat
alone and travel alone.
That is being an adult, I guess, even if I
fear, I fear alone.
And I know a small spark can chase it
away!
I have outgrown whatever childhood
fears I had.
At least the ones I remember…
So it is true when they say being afraid
of something just means you have a
chance to outgrow it.
And when you out grow a fear you
usually end up better off.
On the side of each fear is a boundary
waiting to be explored.
I will not say, I am totally fearless, I
am…Now, if there is any fear left, it is
only the human mind…
That is the only species you cannot
comprehend, see through, or chase
away. They are there in all shapes
and sound, with you, behind you and
around you.
They pull you down; they scare
you pretty much and leave you
senseless…
And after these many years with them,
I don’t think I will ever outgrow them!!
Call it another type of Anthropophobia?
By Priya Arunkumar
An-thro-po-pho-bi-a – (noun)
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