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Dial 800 77 477Dial 800 77 477 p30

Hema Malini, Esha and Ahana LIVE p16

Celebrating women p51

Today at 8pm, doors open at 7pmFeaturing Hema Malini, Esha Deol & Ahana Deol

Dance for a causeIn support of:Mobile Mammography Unit & Home Away from Home initiative

Parampara – a classical dance presentation in Odissi and Bharatnatyam featuring India’s ‘Dream Girl’, Bollywood actress Hema Malini and her two lovely daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol, paying

homage to womanhood and traditions…

Major Sponsor: Travel Partners:Co Sponsors:

Hospitality Partner:Special Celebrity Sponsor:

…

Special party ratesstarting from per person

8 October 21-November 6, 2010

I just got to read your ‘Bitter Batter’ section, it’s not only good to

know and get aware of the things happening around, but it also

helps to give a new direction to think! So, let us give a green signal

to bitter batter section from me, Great work!

Suchitra, Muscat

Green signal to Bitter Batter

The concluding part of ‘Nothing Serious about it’ (Hooked to life,

issue 21) reminded me of the following verses of the Holy Quran:

“...Let not a group of men scoff at another group, it may well be that

the latter (whom they scoff at) are better than they. Let not a group

of women scoff at another group of women, it may well be that the

latter are better than they, and do not taunt one another, nor call

one another with nicknames (bad ones), it is an evil thing to gain

notoriety for un Godliness after belief.

Those who do not repent are indeed wrong doers. Do not spy, nor

backbite one other...” (Surah Hujrat-Aayaat:11/12)

It is very true that most often we laugh at each others expenses.

In fact instead of undermining each other’s strength/weakness, we

should be like a wall of bricks supporting each other.

Our mutual love, compassion and relationship should be like the

state of our body, so much so that even when one part is afflicted

the whole body gets affected. We must respect everyone and

always avoid slandering or taunting people just for fun's sake.

Mocking of any kind, laughing at some one’s spoken words, any

kind of disabilities, dress, looks etc. are in fact serious social evils,

which could lead to grave mischief and enmity.

Such qualities are regrettable and we must avoid it in the interest of

a happy and healthy society.

Mohammad Osama Rawat, Ruwi

Mocking is a serious social evil


9Black & White

Mail your views and opinions at

[email protected]

Reading about the Tilapia farming (issue 21) and then the ensuing letters

(issue 22) made me want to highlight some unique fact about a variety

of fish (which I read in a magazine): “The Australian walking fish is most

unusual. In the water, it swims just like any other ordinary fish. But on land,

this fish behaves as if it belongs there, for it actually walks! Its gills are bent

in such a way that it can stroll out of the water and even climb up into the

low branches on a tree and sit there for hours. This strange fish manages

quite well on land and even munches on insects it finds in the trees.”

Khalfan Said Al Harthy, Al Khuwair

Fish that walks?

This is with reference to the column Bitter Batter. The title for this column

should really be Bitter Blatter. Surely ‘blatter’ is right word to follow bitter

- it is also alliterative and means to chatter, or prattle on. ‘Batter’ on the

other hand means to repeatedly hit, or to place in hot, fried fat. Of course,

many of the bitter comments certainly suggest their writers would like to

repeatedly hit people by whom they are offended, or indeed place those

people in hot, fried fat, so perhaps I am wrong here.

However, ‘blatter’ has a second meaning, which is a bag or sack containing

air or water. Some of the comments also suggest their writers are full of hot

air, or are about to burst a leak from the pressure of holding their temper

against unreasonable situations or those unreasonable people who, as I

have said, they want to repeatedly hit or fry in hot fat.

So you have an alliterative pun, with an intellectual double entendre thrown

in for good measure. Also, the fall-out from such a burst could be called

blatter splatter, or scatter natter, or perhaps even clatter chatter.

At the end of the day, if all these writers are just talking into the wind,

perhaps they should be called blatherskites. Get it?

Of course, should the head of the international football association, FIFA,

ever lose his job, I suppose that this title of mine will belong to him!!

Just a thought.

Craig Bishop, managing editor, Wings of Oman

Change Bitter Batter to Bitter Blatter

9Black & White


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

Cancer made us stronger

Breast cancer becomes traumatic

and painful only when it progress

to a chronic stage. Let us join

together to create an awareness

and protect our women

30

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

Washing dirty linen in

public?

Scribes, worldover, face this

dilemma. Whenever they

attempt to break news, or

rather, dig deep and find out

facts that are stranger than

fiction, they are accused of

washing dirty linen in public

1416

42

How to evade pink slipA woman is everything

Celebrating women

51 Oman has been on the

forefront in ensuring equal

rights for its women and

Omani women have come a

long way: Top Omani women

speak to B&W

In today’s day and age, it is

better to expect the pink slip,

be prepared for the inevitable,

or at least work so hard to

avert the moment...

Hema malini says she is happy to be

a woman and would only want to be

a woman

11Black & White

I am in Musannah, Sohar, Nizwa, Wadi Qaran….By Adarsh Madhavan

Some people call and just ask: “Ah, where are you?”

I am in Wadi Shab, I tell them, looking out of my

office window at the Hatat House in Wadi Hatat and

disinterestedly watch a car reversing from the parking

lot.

“Oh Wadi Shab?” the caller will say. From the tone

itself I understand that the caller was impressed. Not

all scribes wander around in search of a story into

the interiors. Most of them cluster in the city areas,

enjoying the capital climes.

So, when someone goes out into the outskirts,

beyond the city limits, perhaps, it might sound quite

appealing…maybe, I don’t know, I could be just

assuming. Life is all about assumptions. And since

I lied to the caller and said I was in Wadi Shab, I

behaved as though I was in Wadi Shab and stopped

typing on my laptop. What if the man heard me type

and say, “Oh, you took your laptop to Wadi Shab?!”

“You will take long to come back from Wadi Shab,”

the caller asks me, as though Wadi Shab was beyond

seven seas. Uh? For a moment, I had drifted. Yes, yes,

I might take time… I am here to do a story, I pretend

as though I am actually seven seas away. All of us are

here,” I said, bringing my other colleagues also into the

safety net of distance so that the caller will not start

imposing himself on them with his calls and presence.

This has been going on since sometime now. Off late

I realised that the best way to avoid some people is to

say that I am not in town. I have become something

of an expert at it. This is better than ignoring calls and

earning a bad name.

Here, I am coming upfront and attending the calls,

chit chatting and then expressing the disappointment

that I am not in office to either meet or see them or

attend their functions. I would have really liked to meet

you, but you know, I am not in town, I am in Barka, so I

might be a bit late…

“Oh, you are in Barka? When will you get back?”

Oh sorry, i will be in Barka till late evening.

[email protected]

All a

bout

X,

Y &

Z

“So there is no way you can be here for our

product launch?”

I am so sorry, no, I will not be able to make it. I

would have so loved to be there, but no, this looks

like it is going to take a long time…

“What a pity, we were really looking forward to

having you there.”

Different names pop up on different occasions. It

can be Musannah, Barka, Sohar, Nizwa, Khasab

and even Salalah. Lately, I have tried the Al Ain

thing. Work had taken us to Al Ain recently and

now whenever I tire of the Musannah or Barka

thing, I conveniently use the ‘Sorry, I am in Al Ain,

I will be able to see you only next week’ line.

As in all lies, sometimes mishaps occur. For

instance, I will say I am in Sohar to someone and

our photographer, who normally, regularly, very

studiously, attends all press conferences etc.,

blurts out something else. He might say that I am

in Nizwa and then the host might wonder how

Sohar became Nizwa in a matter of hours.

Now, there are people who get confused. Like

the other day I told someone I was in Al Ain and

when I accidentally bumped into the man recently,

he asked me, “And so, how long were you in

Ajman?”

And that is when confusion would cast a ripple in

my already turbulent mind: Did I actually tell this

man that I was going to or was in Ajman?

I have not visited Ajman in years and I have

no clue how it looked like, or knew any locations

there…what would I tell him if he asked me

something about the place?

I have no clue.

Lies have a way of suddenly slapping you

and my only wish and prayer is that I don’t tell

someone that I am in Barka when I am actually

in office and the man walks in through the front

door…


Men h

ealt

h

Whatever their age, men are required to stay fit and

healthy. But, that is easier said than done. Where there

is a will, there is a way, so hang on in there and listen

to us a little bit more. Our little advice is that when you

go for your next checkup, please talk to your doctor or

nurse about how you want to be healthy regardless of

your age.

The time-tested methods to stay healthy are:

•Get recommended screening tests.

•Be tobacco free.

•Be physically active.

•Eat a healthy diet.

•Stay at a healthy weight.

•Take preventive medicines if you need them.

SCREENING TESTS

It is always better to have a screen test. The mere

word itself denotes the idea, you can get yourself

screened and it will help find diseases early when they

are easier to treat. Why should you wait till your disease

gets full blown and you are no longer able to treat it.

So get yourself tested. Talk to your doctor about which

ones apply to you and when and how often you should

be tested.

OBESITY: Have your body mass index (BMI) calculated

to screen for obesity. (BMI is a measure of body fat

based on height and weight.)

HIGH CHOLESTEROL: Have your cholesterol checked

regularly starting at age 35. If you are younger than

35, talk to your doctor about whether to have your

cholesterol checked if:

•You have diabetes.

•You have high blood pressure.

•Heart disease runs in your family.

•You smoke.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: Have your blood pressure

checked at least every two years. High blood pressure is

140/90 or higher.

COLORECTAL CANCER: Have a test for colorectal cancer

starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide

which test is right for you. If you have a family history of

colorectal cancer, you may need to be screened earlier.

DIABETES: Have a test for diabetes if you have high

blood pressure or high cholesterol.

DEPRESSION: Your emotional health is as important

as your physical health. If you have felt “down”, sad,

or hopeless over the last two weeks or have felt

little interest or pleasure in doing things, you may be

depressed. Talk to your doctor about being screened for

depression.

You can

at

STAY STAY HEALTHYHEALTHY

ANY ANY AGEAGEBy Faye and Henry Moore

13Black & White

PHYSICALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS: Talk to your

doctor to see whether you should be tested for

such physically transmitted infections.

ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM: If you are

between the ages of 65 and 75 and have

ever smoked (100 or more cigarettes during

your lifetime), you need to be screened once

for abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is an

abnormally large or swollen blood vessel in your

abdomen.

DAILY HEALTH MANTRAS

Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, talk to your

doctor about quitting. Your doctor or nurse can

help you. Be physically active. Walking briskly,

mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming, and

bicycling are just a few examples of moderate

physical activity. If you are not already

physically active, start small and work up to 30

minutes or more of moderate physical activity

most days of the week. Eat a healthy diet.

Emphasise fruits, vegetables, whole grains,

and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;

include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs,

and nuts; and eat foods low in saturated fats,

trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added

sugars. Stay at a healthy weight. Balance

calories from foods and beverages with calories

you burn off by your activities. To prevent

gradual weight gain over time, make small

decreases in food and beverage calories and

increase physical activity.


Men r

ead

In today’s day and

age, it is better to

expect the pink slip,

be prepared for the

inevitable, or at least

work so hard to avert

the moment they are

going to use you as

cannon fodder

15Black & White

How to evade the

IN TODAY’S DAY AND AGE, it is better to expect

the pink slip, be prepared for the inevitable, or at least

work so hard to avert the moment they are going to use

you as cannon fodder. Sure, sometimes the writing on

the wall is so clear and legible, but then, the person

to whom it is addressed to – meaning you – hardly

sees it. That is when the danger rolls in like a distant

thunder and suddenly blazes outside your front door.

Of course, there are many who are savvy enough to

know when the job cloudburst might happen, and would

have actually saved for the rainy day, or sort of. They

would have been eyeing greener pastures much before

they have been given notice. These are the hardy lot

and they can escape the axe without a scratch. But, it

is the other type who need to get their act together; the

type who are so blind to the oncoming disaster and do

nothing to avert it. This piece is dedicated for them and

here are some telltale signs that you could avoid:

The writing is probably already on the wall…

IF YOU ARE NO LONGER IN THE LOOP

Okay, there was a time when you knew what was

happening in your office, down to the last and latest

gossip. But, suddenly, off late, you either don’t get

to know anything, or you are hearing news from the

freelancing office boy or the trainee. If you are out of

the news related to the company’s business and you

have no clue that your company – Yes, Your Company!

– has had a new acquisition, then you don’t need a

translator to read between the lines!

IF THEY ARE AVOIDING YOU LIKE THE PLAGUE

And on the same count, if people have been avoiding

you-like-the-you-know-what, all you have to do is to

immediately retrack/replay and check out the scenes:

Was Sam, your immediate junior, actually avoiding

eye contact when you asked what was the meeting

he was heading to that morning? Also, has everyone

stopped back slapping you, or stopping by and saying

‘hi’? When there are no 'his' it means that it is time for

'bye's'!

IF YOU ARE OFF THE HOOK

Well, you could heave a big sigh of relief, or then,

press the panic button. Ideally, in this case, it is the

latter you could resort to, because relaxing is like

sinking deep, without trace. You will suddenly find

that you are off all responsible tasks and you are no

longer the important man in the meetings and you have

basically nothing to do. Or, they might assign you with

some meaningless and ridiculous task, which nobody

knows anything about or want to do. But, then the only

consolation in this is that at least you have been given

the best tip about the lay off that any staff could be

given. Being taken off a responsible task and placed

into something insignificant is the 'be all and end all'

sign that you are in queue for the boot.

IF THEY ARE DOING PSSTTT, PSSTTT, PSSTTT…

During the better days, even you may have done it:

Stood in a dark corner of your coffee room and whisper

about the impending doom of a former colleague who

was marked for termination. Now, unfortunately, it is

your turn…You see your colleagues huddled in a dark

corner and whispering and the moment you enter, the

conversation changes…

IF YOUR OFFICE, CUBICLE HAS BEEN

DOWNSIZED

If you are in the firing line, then rest assured that you

will soon be moved around, and your environment will

be downsized. Of course, your morale will be down, but

when you are going to be out soon, the company is not

going to worry about your morale… Just understand

that if you are suddenly moved from your room or

cubicle to something smaller, then you are neither the

MVE (most valued employee) or even the VE (valued

employee) anymore.

PINK SLIP…


Om

an w

atc

h

17Black & White

Dream Girl,

A song on every Indian’s lips at one point of time… Dream girl, dream

girl…introducing the original dream girl, Hema Malini, the one woman

who was at one point every male movie buff’s fantasy. A lady, a

dream woman, who shone on the silver screen without the help of a

male star! There were actresses before her, during her time and even

now, today, but, there is only one Dream Girl – only one

HEMA MALINI!

And that is what she wants to be remembered as – no, not just a

dream girl alone, but as an all rounder, the Dream Girl said in a brief

tête-à-tête with the Black & White magazine, prior to the Parampara

charity dine and dance event, which is being held tonight to raise

much-needed awareness of the breast cancer cause.

Dream girl, dream girl, dream girl... Kissi shaiyer ki ghazal (some poet’s poem),

dream girl; kissi jeel ka kamal (some pond’s lotus), dream girl; kahi to milegi; kabhi to milegi (somewhere I’ll meet);

aaj nahi to kal (if not today, then tomorrow); Dream girl, dream girl… (*)

dream girl…dream girl,


Om

an w

atc

h

This dancer, actress, director,

producer, and of course, mother of

two lovely daughters vibrantly spoke

to B&W stating that “nothing is

difficult or impossible for a woman”.

“If she is a woman, she can do

anything – she is a multi-tasker and

nothing is impossible for her!”

She wants to be a woman, and

nothing else, she stressed in her

interview, adding that a woman was

everything.

And that is how, we want her to be

too – a woman, a dream woman, or

why not, a dream girl!

Excerpts:

In the hearts of many, you are still

loved and revered as the ‘dream’

girl. How does the dream girl feel

about it – after say, nearly 49

years in the industry?

When I joined the film world, I

was introduced as the ‘Dream Girl’

-- a tag that became mine over the

years. People loved and cherished

me. I cannot attribute any reason

for the same…maybe I looked the

part… I am honoured and grateful

that I have got immense acceptance

by the people, as Hema Malini and

as the Dream Girl.

You are best remembered for your

glamour, style and accomplished

classical dancing… what would

YOU like to be remembered as?

As an all rounder! As an individual

I have been blessed with capabilities

to handle multi tasking different

roles – as of a dancer, an actress,

a director, producer and of course

a mother… I can say I have been

fortunate enough to handle all the

portfolios to a successful level.

Many may think it is difficult, but for

a woman, nothing is difficult… she is

born with multi tasking abilities!

Parampara is a dance fusion

that is steeped in tradition. In

the sense, the theme is that if we

protect women, that act alone will

protect tradition – what is your

own belief in this?

I believe women ARE the pillars

of tradition of any society. They

are responsible for upholding

tradition because of their significant

roles in the society. By significant

role, I mean, not a job, I mean

her responsibility as a mother,

sister, daughter, wife… she is

the preserver of tradition… Most

importantly she is a mother.

It is the mother who instills every

little thing in to her children. It is

these children who create the

society tomorrow… so without

doubt, it is the women we have

to uphold, cherish, protect and

preserve… tradition will follow suit!

Once again, I have been fortunate

enough to have two daughters

who have followed my path. I can

very proudly say I have reared my

daughters the modern way, but with

traditional values.

Today both Esha and Ahana

are very modern in their attitude,

education, career, but both of them

value and treasure the traditional

values instilled in them, in fact their

classical dance performances are

just examples of how traditional they

are…

How is the Indian woman treated

in India today? Are they still

oppressed; are women still down

trodden and discriminated upon?

How much more do we need to

improve? What is your take on

that?

It is not just in India; in general,

not all women are treated equally

and with respect. I feel women

are a category that is still taken for

It is the mother

who instills every

little thing in to

her children. It

is these children

who create

the society

tomorrow… so

without doubt, it

is the women we

have to uphold,

cherish, protect

and preserve…

tradition will

follow suit

19Black & White

granted. But again, the societies

have evolved and woman has

travelled a long way.

Women who have the chance and

choice should stand up for others

who do not have. I believe it is the

moral responsibility of the woman

to support and elevate other ladies.

Education is a must, but, not just for

ladies, for the men too, so the men

can treat women with respect and

goodness.

Were you at any point

discriminated as a woman?

I have been blessed that I got

all opportunities and I never got

discriminated at any point…I am just

thankful to Almighty God!

What is your opinion on the

modern Indian woman? What is

she? Do you want her to be more

traditional?

Modern woman has evolved

tremendously. She is present in

all fields and successfully and I

believe she is balanced; she knows

her roots, her values and upholds

her traditions in the most balanced

manner. Traditional and modern

is a balance of life, I don’t believe

someone can be less traditional or

more. If you want to be a successful

human being, you should value your

traditions, while moving ahead with

modernity and progress.

What does being a woman mean

to you?

Everything! I am happy to be a

woman and would only want to be a

woman! No regrets and only pride!

Do you do a lot of charity dances

and how do you feel about doing

charity in general? And, what does

charity mean to you?

Charity is about giving... It is very

important. Most of my events are

platforms for various charities. I

believe the educated should take it

forward and give back to the society,

give back to the nation.

Esha and Ahana

are very modern

in their attitude,

education,

career, but both

of them value

and treasure

the traditional

values instilled in

them, in fact their

classical dance

performances are

just examples of

how traditional

they are…

(*) From the movie Dream Girl (1977). Co star Dharmendra. The movie was a

swashbuckling hit and the title Dream Girl became Hema Malini’s name for…well, forever!)


Om

an w

atc

h

Who and what is Hema Malini?

A happy and content woman, blessed in all ways. And a mother!

Are you both -- a reel or real-life heroine?

Real-life heroines are more important, because they face real-life

experiences. I believe I have done justice to both my roles, real and reel!

Do we need heroes – in life -- today?

Every society needs good people, who are responsible to themselves and

the society they live in.

Real-life heroines are more important


21Black & White

Oman's first

comprehensive

online directory

More details: [email protected]

www.omanonlinesearch.com

Coming Soon!


By Adarsh Madhavan

I have been giving this serious thought lately. So many

people have been advising me to save and I have also begun

to really sweat at the thought of a tomorrow with no money,

no honey, no nothing and am worried, really worried. Every

baisa saved is a baisa saved they say, so what the heck, let

me try…

If I am able to save a rial everyday, I might have something

to clutch on to when I am kicked out of my job or when I

am yanked back to my hometown. I am already visualising

an edge-of-the-cliff no-money scenario and it is making

me sweat. So, let me, make a last bit stab at saving some

money. For that, I have got to stop my spendthrift habits.

Most of those who know me say that I have a spending

problem, or let me put it this way: I might walk into a

supermarket to buy soap and buy everything else but that.

So, I have to cut down on my excesses on the shopping front

and well, many other fronts.

For instance, favourite among my weekly purchases is my

perfume; deodorants, body sprays, cologne, etc. So, let us

start with that. From this week onwards, I am no longer going

to purchase anything that er, reeks of perfume… Perfumes,

deodorants, body sprays are scratched out from the list. I will

even stop buying underarm colognes.

Since I spend close to an hour everyday for my morning

ablutions then that is an area that I am going to attack. I

promise not to take so much time and will slash it down by

90 percent. I will just wash my face, but will, stop showering.

I will get up, go to the bathroom, splash some water on my

face – all in the dark. I will not even switch on the lights. I

have this problem with soaps too. Many have commented

on the same, asking me whether I consume soap in the

bathroom instead of rubbing it to a lather on my body. Since

my mouth is full of bubbles, I will let this argument slip. So,

soap is out too. Only water will be used, and water is going to

be a luxury from now on. But, I am not going to discuss that

aspect here.

Oops, I almost forgot: I will stop shampooing too. And that

won’t be too much of a problem anyway because people

have been commenting about the lack of anything on top of

my head.

On second thoughts, I don’t know whether

they were casting aspersions on my mental

ability, but, I will let that pass also. My hair has

been a-going, going, going since sometime, so

there is no need to shampoo couple of strings

on top there. And since I will not need to oil

these strings either, I might as well cut all those

litres of hair oils from my list. My hair has hardly

seen any growth since the last few years and

that will also stop my two-monthly visits to the

barber. I don’t know how much I must have

saved so far by cutting all of these from my list,

but it is definitely going to be bushels of rials.

Now, since we are on the subject, let me also

look into only washing my teeth with plain water

and stop buying toothbrushes and toothpaste or

any kind of mouthwash.

I know I have miles to go and many promises

to keep in this saving list, but let me quickly

wind this up for you all must have got an idea

of the exact direction I am planning to take from

now on. Before I forget, let me tell you that to

save up on razor blades, shaving cream and

after shaves, my decision is to stop shaving

altogether. In case, my own family members

fail to recognise me, I will borrow a scissor and

snip what little of my hair that is grown and my

straggly beard.

I have many more items to snip on my to-cut-

and-save list, but, I guess if I continue on this

line here, the magazine that I work for might just

delete me from their list – just to save expense

you know!

O

ff the wall

Stop showering – save money!

[email protected]

the w

all

23Black & White

Omanexpo is set to meet the growing

demand for more vehicles and for the

aftermarket industry in the Sultanate and

the Middle East region as it gears up for

one of the biggest and grandest editions

yet of the Oman International Motor

Show. The 15th Oman International

Motor Show will be held from December

2 to 5, 2010 at the Oman International

Exhibition Centre.

‘’We are very excited for this year’s

Motor Show because it is attracting more

international exhibitors and a larger

number of local as well as international

car companies from different countries.

The AGCC countries have a diversified

auto industry and are highly dependent

on imports from Europe, America, Japan

and other Asian countries and this is

where we find the value of this event.

Here, we are providing an avenue for

sourcing new products and solutions,

bringing businesses closer to their

markets, and bridging the gap between

traders and buyers,’’ said Nasser Diab,

general manager of Omanexpo.

MOTOR SHOW 2010 in December

Nawras, introduced a new Quran service providing regular

Islamic recitations by Shaikh Mishary Rishad Alafasy, delivered

directly to customers’ handsets. The service is already being

enjoyed by almost half a million people across the region and

Nawras is now making it available for the first time in Oman.

For only 300 baiza per week, Nawras customers can receive

verses of the Holy Quran, prayers, sayings of the Prophet

Mohammed (peace be upon him) and the latest poetic recitations

from Shaikh Mishary Alafasy. On each day from Sunday to

Thursday each week, subscribing customers will be sent an MMS

(picture message) as well as an SMS link to allow content to be

downloaded and saved as an MP3 file. There is no charge for

downloading the MP3 file.

NAWRAS Alafasy Quran service

National Bank of Oman supported the ‘Save Energy

Oman’ campaign, launched earlier this year, by the

Ministry of Environment, to encourage corporates in

Oman, to take responsibility for the environment, by

implementing eight of

the top 10 energy saving

tips that are applicable to

businesses, in the bank,

and also continuously

encourages all staff to

practice the same.

The bank’s automatic

air-conditioning, is set

to 23 degrees instead of

18 degrees and the AC’s

are also programmed to

automatically switch off at

night, at the bank’s head office buildings.

All windows and doors are kept closed when the AC is

on to ensure the cold air circulates instead of dissipating.

Un-needed computers are also switched off, at the wall

sockets. The bank mainly uses LCD computer screens

and services all air conditioners on a regular basis and

endeavours to use energy saving light bulbs wherever

possible.

The NBO’s assistant general manager, Nasser Al Hajri,

who steer-heads NBO’s green campaign said: “It is

our prime objective to reduce electricity and the use of

paper, at the head office and across all our branches in

Oman, UAE and Egypt.

Each of us must make a conscious effort to contribute

in our own small way and help make ‘Save Energy

Oman’ a great success as well as a positive difference to

our overall environment”.

NBO supports ‘Save Energy Oman’


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Global

Exhibitions &

Conferences

LLC (GEC), an Omani event management

company, is all set to organise a series

of new events that would directly cater to

the needs of various industries, industry

professionals and consumers in the

sultanate.

The GEC is made up of a group of event

management professionals who have

extensive experience in organising a wide

range of high-profile trade exhibitions,

technical conferences, festivals,

consumer fairs, seminars and other

events.

The company’s management and staff

have all played a key role in shaping

the events industry in the Sultanate with

their previous involvement in many major

exhibitions held in Oman as well as in

other parts of the region.

“With our decades of experience and

proven expertise in organising various

types of events, GEC is all set to further

improve the exhibition scene in Oman

by introducing a range of new trade

exhibitions and highly professional

conferences that would be of great benefit

to all participants,” said C.J. Paul, general

manager of GEC.

Details at www.globalexhibitionsoman.

com or 968-24783800

Exhibitions & Conferences

to organise new range of

events

GLOBAL

GUtech launches its celebrations for the National Day by creating an

enormous image of the number 40 in Arabic. The German University

of Technology in Oman (GUtech) formed the largest panel of the

number 40 with the participation of 225 members of the university

(students, academics and administrators). Members of GUtech united

to express their thanks and gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin

Said for his endless support and comprehensive development in the

education sector. All GUtech members gathered in the front yard of

the new university building that is located on Sultan Qaboos Highway

near the Muscat International Airport. GUtech’s participation this year

is a unique idea embodied in an artwork that would be displayed at the

university building in November.

National Day Celebrations

GUTECH

Micromax Informatics Limited (Micromax), Indian mobile handset

company, announced its foray into the United Arab Emirates,

Oman, Kuwait and Qatar, through its wholly owned subsidiary,

Micromax Informatics FZE. Micromax handsets will be aimed at

consumers across all segments with special focus on the youth

in the age group of less than 30 years.

The company has entered into a distribution arrangement with

2020 Mobile UAE LLC in the region who will distribute Micromax

products in UAE. For distribution in Oman, Molecules Group of

Companies has been shortlisted whereas Jumbo Electronics has

won the distribution contract for Qatar and Kuwait.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Vikas Jain, business

director, Micromax Informatics Limited said: “Micromax is indeed

privileged to have consumer confidence, which has enabled us to

establish ourselves in India, in a short period.

We are very excited about the market opportunity Dubai offers

and we believe that consumers would appreciate our dual SIM

handsets, which would allow them to carry two mobile numbers

in one phone."

MICROMAX in AGCC

25Black & White

The sporting legend Saiyed Ali Sibtain Naqvi,

known for his yeoman service to the sporting

scene, both in Oman and India received a fitting

honour and tribute recently.

It was a very proud moment for the

septuagenarian to receive the Indo-Oman Sports

Friendship award from the Indian embassy,

recently. The embassy honoured Naqvi for his

valuable contribution for the promotion of hockey

in Oman.

Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, minister of sports

affairs, conferred the award on Naqvi at a function

at the Indian embassy. “It was a historic and

unforgettable moment for me,” Naqvi said, adding

that it was an honour beyond measure.

Sporting legend gets Indo-

Oman Sports Friendship award

25Black & White


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Omantel organised a blood

donation day recently in

cooperation with the Ministry of

Health’s Central Blood Bank at

the company’s headquarters in Al-

Mawaleh.

The one-day campaign received

positive response from the

company’s employees- males and

females- who hastened to donate

blood which reflects the employees

believe of the importance of

helping patients and accident

cases who need blood transfusion

and supporting the blood bank to

play its role in providing blood to

hospitals all over the Sultanate,

let alone the health benefits of the

donors.

Dr Tantawi Gabr of the Central

Blood Bank and supervisor of the

campaign indicated that he found

great response from Omantel

employees to the blood donation

campaign. He said, “We thank

Almighty God for the remarkable

success of the campaign and the

excellent participation of Omantel

employees, which reflects their

desire to contribute to serving

the community and provide noble

service to the blood bank, patients

in all the Sultanate’s hospitals."

OMANTEL

Blood Donation

The Oman Cricket Club (OCC) is

organising the Corporate Benefit

Cricket Tournament for the

Pakistan Flood Relief. Corporate

heads, CEOs, GMs will be

participating in the event.

The tournament will be held at

the Muscat Club Grounds at Wadi

Kabir on October 28, 2010 from

6pm onwards.

The format of the tournament will

be 10-overs a side to be played

under flood lights and with a yellow

tennis ball. A maximum of four

teams (15 a side) will take part in

the tournament. This event will be

presented by Khimji Ramdas LLC.

In addition, there will be support

from several socially responsible

corporate houses as co-sponsors.

Corporates will name teams after

their brands, which will add more

fun and frolic to the evening.

The event management

committee consists of Pankaj

Khimji, Khalid Said Al Wahaibi,

Kiran Asher, R. Vaikunth, Syed

Anwar Ahsan and Madhu Jesrani.

The event will be managed by NPA

Events LLC.

Contact 24793098 ext 225

/24787085/Madhu Jesrani

99337902

Pakistan flood relief benefit cricket tournament

The engineering division

of Renaissance Services

subsidiary, Topaz Energy

and Marine, has successfully

completed the construction and

delivery of a 12,400 ton deck

structure for an offshore oil

platform in the North Sea. Topaz

Fabrication and Construction

was awarded a $ 75 million (Rial

28.8 million) contract to built the

hull and topsides of the colossal

structure dubbed MOPU, or

Mobile Offshore Production Unit

and storage, from Single Buoy

Moorings (SBM) for its client,

Talisman Energy Norge.

Topaz Energy and

Marine delivers

gigantic offshore

oil & gas project

27Black & White

Pizza Hut launched Crunchy Cheesy Bites recently.

Crunchy is a marvelously unique Pizza. The edges, first

stuffed with string cheese, a combination of cheddar and

mozzarella cheese, are then cut up and topped up. And

what you have on top is more of yummy mozzarella and

heavenly parmesan cheese, with a generous sprinkling

of corn flakes that goes CRUNCH as you bite into every

piece.

“Pizza Hut has always been the fun place for families

that look to sparking great times together” says Anil

Khimji, director, Khimji Ramdas, and said, “Crunchy

Cheesy Bites is yet another example of Pizza Hut’s

innovative spirit, ever exploring ways to delight the

family”.

www.pizzahut-me.com or khimjiblog.com

Crunchy Cheesy Bites

PIZZA HUT

A fun-filled event was organised by Muriya Tourism Development

on the Sifah beach to officially announce the opening of ‘As

Sammak’, seafood restaurant. The outlet has been established

in collaboration with the ministry of tourism and Muriya Tourism

Development. The event was attended by dignitaries from the

Ministry of Tourism, stakeholders from Orascom and Muriya,

several clients and the press. Located at close proximity from

Muriya’s upcoming ‘Jebel Sifah’ integrated tourism development,

‘As Sammak’, meaning ‘fishermen’, will serve fresh catch by

the local fishermen that will not only allure guests with seafood

but also provide employment to the local community. Easily

accessible from the main road, the restaurant is well marked and

located on a pristine coastline that is not crowded.

AS SAMMAK seafood

restaurant opens at Sifah

Mohammed Al Tobi,

undersecretary of the ministry of

tourism launched 'Strongholds of

Heritage', a book on Forts and

Castles of Oman, authored by Dr

Patricia Groves and photography

by Jaap Croese at The Omani

Society for Fine Arts, recently.

Strongholds of HERITAGE LAUNCH


Managem

ent

talk

OUR OMAN is the

“HAPPENING”

place Dr Anchan C.K.

managing director,

World Wide Business House

By Dr CK Anchan

Over the past decade, Oman has been pursuing a

policy of sound economic diversification and sustainable

expansion. Oman’s economic growth has continued

its rapid growth, assisted by the government’s long-

term economic plan to diversify income sources. The

Sultanate’s infrastructure sector is primed to remain one

of the most active in the region, supported by strong

state spending and the economy.

The Omani banking sector continues to pick up,

and although forecasts remain relatively cautious for

2010, its forecasted for a steady recovery in 2011

and beyond. Oman is actively pursuing a development

plan that focuses on diversification, industrialisation,

and privatisation, with the objective of reducing the

oil and gas sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) to 9 per cent by 2020. Oman’s limited

water resources have led the country to focus on the

development of desalinated water. It is undoubtedly

the pioneer of independent power and water projects

(IWPPs) in the region.

Oman has been actively seeking private foreign

investors, especially in the industrial, data technology,

tourism and transportation, and higher education fields.

Industrial development plans focus on gas resources,

metal industrial manufacturing, petrochemicals, and

international transshipment ports. In 2009, Oman

spent about $16 billion on local infrastructure and other

projects, and this year the government has already

signed contracts worth $11.5 billion out of the $18.7

billion spending budget, according to national economy

ministry statistics.

Oman is well regarded as a place for conducting

business and it has, compared to other countries in the

Middle East, it got good relations with many countries.

The Omani government is set to develop infrastructure

projects with every economy sector benefiting from

increased public spending.

Oman is heavily dependent on oil and gas resources,

but high oil and gas prices or pricing in recent years

have aided in the building of Oman’s budget and trade

(imports and exports) surpluses and foreign national

reserves.

Oil and gas accounts for about 75 per cent of Oman’s

total exports. Oman holds positive outlook regarding its

further economic development over the medium-term

and forecast 4.4 per cent real GDP growth for 2010. It is

estimated that 38 per cent increase in export revenues

in 2010, 80 per cent of which will be due to oil and gas

shipments. This will increase in volume as well as in

price. The foreign trade surplus surged to a two-year

high of $1.6 billion, with higher hydrocarbon exports

pushing overall exports up 72 per cent from a year

earlier.

Oman's tourism sector aims to attract 12mn visitors by

2020. The tourism industry is expected to become one

of the largest contributors to GDP by then. The World

Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) expects the industry

to grow from 1.5 per cent of total GDP in 2010 to 2.4 per

cent of GDP by 2020. The contribution to the economy

by tourism-related activity is expected to increase from

7.6 per cent of GDP in 2010 to 9.2 per cent of GDP by

2020.

Oman has been investing heavily in tourism, especially

in infrastructure and airports. Three new airports will

be built to boost the industry and the government is

spending at least $3.2bn upgrading its gateway airport,

Muscat International Airport.

Oman specialises in ecotourism and first class tourism,

but increasingly it has to compete with other countries

that offer similar experiences for Western and regional

tourists.

Many firms in developing economies have suffered

from lower demand for their exports and a drop in

private capital flows. At the same time, businesses in

low-income economies on average still face more than

twice the regulatory burden that their counterparts in

high-income economies do when starting a business,

transferring property, filing taxes or resolving a

commercial dispute through the courts. Developed

economies have on average 10 times as many newly

registered firms per adult as Africa and the Middle East

- and a business density four times that in developing

economies.

Continued...


29Black & White

IN THE PINK OF HEALTH Breast cancer. Two words that evoke fear, taboo,

pain and death in women… No, that was a different

era. Not anymore. Because we have trekked a long

path since we have all been deeply frightened of

breast cancer; because so many lives were lost to

this dreaded disease.

We live in a different time and space now where

we are detecting more cases (thanks to more

awareness) of breast cancer and we are more

prepared to fight this deadly disease tooth and nail.

What maybe missing is an attitude change or a

reinforcement of our strength, guts and courage to

fight this deadly disease, made more deadlier by our

insecurity at facing a problem. But, like they say, all

problems come packaged with solutions. And today,

we have more chances to fight against cancer than

before.

Yes, we do not know what causes breast cancer,

but is that important? What is important now is to

detect it as early as possible and it has been proved

beyond doubt that breast cancer can be beaten by

early diagnosis.

And, I salute all, especially the survivors, the well

known ones like Yuthar Al Rawahi, founder of

NACA, and many lesser known ones in Oman. And I

salute all of those who have gone out of their way to

volunteer for this cause.

Special salute goes to NACA for spreading cancer

awareness and most importantly, bringing to Oman

the first-ever Mobile Mammography Unit in the

AGCC. Now, the major message that we, as Black

& White, would want to spread across is that breast

cancer, if detected early, can be actually cured! One

hundred percent! So, dear ladies, do not ever suffer

in silence. The NACA is there; the mammography

unit is there – for YOU!

And, we are there.

Yes, we do not know what

causes breast cancer, but

is that important? What is

important now is to detect

it as early as possible and

it has been proved beyond

doubt that breast cancer can

be beaten by early diagnosis

Mohamed Issa Al ZadjaliEditor-in-chief

In Black...

& White

In B

lack &

Whit

e

Whatever the route that life takes you, whether it is a good

or bad one, we have to face it. So, if you have to face tough

times, do it courageously, without fear. Let us all join hands

for this cause and eradicate fear of cancer. So say ‘no’ to

fear and ‘no’ to cancer!

MEHBOOBA Indian movies, heroes and heroines were part of most of

our growing up years. I remember we used to have our

own favourite heroines and the list was long… Mumtaz,

Dimple Kapadia, and of course the dream girl of yesteryear,

today and forever: Hema Malini! She topped the list! She

was the dream girl and still is for many; Hema as Basanti

(the character in that movie) is unforgettable. For us,

in Oman, and perhaps in the Gulf, she was known as

‘Mehbooba’(beloved). We are happy that our Mehbooba

accepted this invitation to support us, to help create a stage

to take the breast cancer cause in Oman forward with the

Parampara dinner and dance event. October being the pink

month globally, B&W joined hands to create awareness

and help protect the women (mother, grandmother, wife,

daughter, aunt and cousin and friends) in our lives. Let us

hope that we raise the right amount of awareness and the

right amount of support for this great cause and before I

close, a dear wish: May you all be forever in the pink of

health!

29Black & White

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31Black & White

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“You’ve got breast cancer!”


33Black & White

When that was said to her on April 1 – April

Fool’s Day, Zainab (not real name) wanted

to laugh it off as though it was a bad joke.

Some week’s back, she had discovered a

lump on her right breast and after the usual

tests, they called her one bright sunny

April 1 morning and told her those dreaded

words: You’ve got breast cancer!

Zainab sat there wondering whether she

was to laugh or cry. She did not know

what to do, so she did both. She gave off

a little laugh and then she cried. Even for

an experienced medical practitioner, it was

touching.

But, that must have been the only time

that she cried. After that, she may have

cried privately, but never ever in public.

It has been nearly six years now this

October. And, today, she wants to

encourage everyone to have hope and

to stay positive whatever the outcome.

“Because, I have understood that. Rather

painfully of course, but, as time went by,

and through all that I suffered, there was a

parallel positive ray of hope that enveloped

me. I am a survivor and I want all of those

who have cancer – any type of cancer – to

fight and survive!” she says.

HE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU

“Even though I am unable to give out

my name, I am ready to give out my brief

story and I am happy to have been given

this opportunity too. I am a breast cancer

survivor and I have survived breast cancer

many a times.

But, I could not have survived it without

God, my family and friends. I went through

a topsy-turvy period where I had cancer,

then was cancer-free for sometime, then

had it again and this went on for nearly

20 years wherein I had breast cancer

five times. Yes, on most occasions, I was

scared stiff. But, I know God is with me. He

has always been with me and will always

be. And that is what I want to tell all of

those who have been afflicted with cancer:

God is with you and will always be. Thank

you.” A. H, Qurum.

DO NOT LOSE HOPE

“I am blessed. That is all that I can

tell you. I am blessed because I have a

wonderful man, my husband, who has

been at my side throughout my ordeal

and more than me, he has been fighting

my battle with breast cancer. But, I am

no longer afflicted with the trauma. I am

a stronger woman, made strong by the

invader within me.

And my beloved husband made me fight

my cancer harder. I have never seen a

more positive energy flowing from one

human being. So, this is what I want to

tell you all: do not lose hope, ever. Fight

the fight of your life; fight with all you got

and just don’t give up. And, we are all in it

together.

Thanks to all the resources we have

today in this country, even the worst

diagnosis has a chance. So, we are all with

you and let us take the pledge that we will

not give in, we will win this fight.”

Y.R, Al Khuwair.

HALF THE BATTLE WON

Sometimes, what a woman afflicted with

breast cancer needs is to have a survivor

on her side: to be with her, to talk to her, to

tell her about her own story and then get

her out of denial, fright and self pity.

That is half the battle won.

These women had someone like that,

and some of them had their own families

standing like a rock beside them. And, like

one of them said, it was their affliction that

made them stronger.

In a strange way, they needed a dreaded

disease to make them discover their own

strength and fight it.

So, do not despair. God did not give you

a problem without the means to solve it.

God did not give you a disease, without the

means to fight it. Your affliction will be the

spur needed to make you grow stronger.

And soon, you will be there to support

someone in their darkest hour, holding

their hands and leading them out of the

darkness…

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The lady is swamped with calls. Most of them are to

invite her to attend women-related events and others are

staff and volunteers of her organisation who are seeking

her advice on various administrative issues.

One of them happens to be an apprehensive woman

who has a lump in her breast and is seeking support

from her. Moral support: Some advice and simply talk

and ease or rather share or lighten the burden. And, one

firebrand woman on this side of the phone is ready to

lend an ear as well as a shoulder for anyone who needs

that.

The above said is enough to mentally paint one of the

biggest crusaders for cancer in Oman – and this woman

does not need an introduction: Yuthar bint Mohamed Al

Rawahi, founder and currently the chairperson of NACA

(National Association for Cancer Awareness).

Yuthar, who had stepped down as chairperson,

has now once again taken the mantle. It is a huge

responsibility, but somehow, it seems to sit easily on her

shoulders. For, the last decade or so, Yuthar, a cancer

survivor herself, has not only been fighting a personal

battle, but she has also been battling to bring more

awareness and most importantly, an address, an edifice

that represent that fight against this deadly disease.

Thanks to her and many like her, the NACA stands as a

proud edifice, from where all the battles against all types

of cancer are fought today.

And, the other major breakthrough of Yuthar and

NACA is the MMU(mobile mammography unit), which

was introduced in November last year.

The mobile unit has become a major tool that will help

increase early detection of cancer and thereby reduce

mortality due to the disease.

Screening for breast cancer through mammography

has been shown to reduce mortality due to breast cancer

by approximately 20 to 25 percent over 10 years, among

women 40 and older.

The mobile unit is known to travel the roads of Oman

with the dual purpose of providing women access to

mammography screening, raising awareness among all

communities while also simultaneously allowing a mobile

expression of NACA’s supportive care.

Dial 800 77 477 for help

35Black & White

FIRST MOBILE MAMMOGRAPHY

UNIT

“I can proudly say Oman has the

first-ever mobile mammography unit

in this region. With the help of many

corporate and well wishers, NACA

has a fully fledged mobile unit that

is accessible and free to ladies of all

communities. It is just a 10-minute

process. Any lady can just walk in to

NACA office and get it done, free.

“The unit had costs us

OMR355,000. It has the latest

equipment and facilities,” Yuthar told

Black & White. Earlier reports note

that the total annual maintenance

cost of the unit is approximately

OMR151,750 (although this could be

subject to vary).

The unit has set routes and

schedules and with support of local

women associations and health

centers around Oman travels to

reach out to the women in the interior

regions. “Currently, the unit will be in

Barka. In the past one year period,

we have screened over 20 women

and only four cases were positive.

After the initial screening, we give a

digitalised report to the person and

also refer them to Royal Hospital

if the need arises. The unit can

accommodate 30 mammography

screenings a day on an average.”

The programme actually targets

women, who fit the protocol laid

out by Oman’s highly-specialised

oncologists, namely women aged 40

and older.

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Yuthar urged the public to

come forward and attend the

mammography session. What the

MMU sets in achieving is bridging

the gap for women who have always

found distance and time required to

have the examination as some of

the obstacles.

The MMU will ease access to

regular checkups and also help in

discovering the disease early before

it is too late. Psychological effect

would also be reduced.

An all female team of registered

radiological technicians with

advanced training in the discipline of

mammography are the unit staff. A

fully equipped examination room is

on board allowing for clinical breast

examination as well. The unit is

accessible to women with special

needs.

Yuthar noted that having an onside

digital mammogram in the MMU

was just as safe and confidential as

going to a fixed-site centre. Images

are transmitted to NACA where they

are read by specialised radiologists.

If lesions are suspected, the images

will be transmitted directly to NACA’s

oncology centres at Royal and

Khoula Hospitals in the Ministry of

Health as well as the Sultan Qaboos

University Hospital where further

analysis will be carried out and a

decision on whether treatment is

required can be made.

If the results of the mammogram

are abnormal, the woman will be

contacted by the breast centre staff

at NACA to discuss follow-up care;

if the results are normal, with no

signs of abnormality, the women

will be asked only to come for their

next mammogram. Early detection

is crucial, especially as one third of

all cancers, if detected early, can be

effectively treated (*), Yuthar said.

BREAST CANCER ON THE RISE?

Was there any reason to believe

that breast cancer was on the rise in

Oman?

“No actually I would say breast

cancer is not on the rise --

awareness is on the rise. More and

more people are going for health

screening and checkups. Women

today know if there is a node in their

arm pit or a node in their breast, they

need to get it checked. “Education is

on the rise and therefore awareness

is also there. Media has played a

great role. Celebrities, whom the

mass look up to, have come out and

spoken about their live experiences;

maybe we can attribute these

reasons to the increase in number

of breast cancer screenings and

registrations.

LONG WAY TO GO

“But, still, there is a long way to go.

More awareness should be there. In

the older days, many women died

silently, the life expectancy because

of progress in medical fields, have

increased. In the older days, people

died earlier. The lifespan was

less. Yes, in a way it is right to say

more cases of breast cancer are

registered. Probably, earlier more

people died of lung cancer or other

diseases.

MEN GET IT TOO

"We cannot blame anyone and

pinpoint to one cause. We can only

say lifestyle, the fast food habits, the

synthetic lifestyle, more cosmetics…

the deteriorating environment…

obesity. When estrogen is more in

the body, it causes breast cancer.

37Black & White

Today it is not just about women,

men get it too…

Till date medical science has not

found out the exact reason for breast

cancer. It is different for every case.

It could be lifestyle, genes, hormonal,

chemical or environmental,” Yuthar

said.

EARLY BIRD LIVES

“What are we trying to do? We are

trying to create awareness and give

women a chance and access to fight,

beat cancer. We cannot prevent

cancer, but we can cure it fully. One

hundred percent. But, only if it is

detected at an early stage. Early

diagnosis is a must. And for that

awareness is a must. More people

should get in to the job of creating

awareness. Like the saying goes,

'early bird catches the worm'… here

the early bird lives!”

YOUNG WOMEN AFFECTED IN

AGCC

"Breast cancer becomes traumatic,

painful only when it progress to a

chronic stage. Let us join together

to create an awareness and protect

our women. In the west, it is the

women who are 40 or 50 plus that

are detected with breast cancer,

but in the AGCC countries it is the

younger crowd. Maybe it is because

the percentage of the youth is more

in these countries," Yuthar said.

Research is going on.

FEAR IS THE ENEMY

“The taboo that surrounds breast

cancer is fear. People fear, and the

fear causes them to withdraw into

a state of silence and they suffer

silently. But this will only complicate

things. Fear will not cure cancer or

wipe it away. “This is a disease that

can be cured or you will lose it all. So

move ahead, if you are hit by it, take

it out of your system, fight against

the cancer. Today the medical field

has advanced so much that you have

choices and cure at hand,” Yuthar

enthused.

I AM AN EXAMPLE

Yuthar has trekked the long trek

from being a carrier to a cancer

survivor. She is one woman who has

braved all the odds and serves to be

an inspiration for all. “I had learned to

overcome the natural fears one has

of death that goes hand in hand with

a cancer diagnosis. I was forced to

face my fears, that experience alone

enriched me with strength, courage

and confidence. I learnt that many of

our fears are paper-thin and a single

courageous step would carry us right

through them.”

She also emphasised on the need

for early detection: “I am an example

that early detection and proper

screening can help you get out of

cancer! Once again I say breast

cancer is curable if detected at an

early stage. Let us not be foolish

and hide or run away from it. Let us

screen and keep ourselves in the

pink of health!”

(*)Call toll free number 800 77 4 77

for more information

B&

W X

clu

sive


In the breast cancer scene in

Oman, many myths abound. Some

believe that there is a local medicine

available for breast cancer. There

are also cases where patients have

resorted to wasams (burning the

skin of the affected area) and there

are some who leave their disease to

fate and don’t even get it treated.

There are many women who are

afraid of mammograms claiming that

they are very painful and some who

feel that needle biopsy could make

cancer worse.

DR RAJYASHREE, specialist

surgeon, Barakath Al Noor Special

Surgical & Breast Care Clinic was

reeling off some of the main myths

surrounding the treatment of breast

cancer to the Black & White when

she noted the above, adding that

it was imperative that such women

and their families get counseled

and weaned away from such health

deteriorating practices.

Excerpts:

How many years have you been

campaigning for breast cancer

awareness in Oman? Has it

been a challenging task --- how

successful are you in your

efforts?

I have been campaigning for

Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA)

from 2004, and by the grace of God

I have had plenty of responses and

managed to raise awareness.

Being one of the few female

surgeons in town, I started seeing

mostly female patients, and

mainly for breast checks, and

breast diseases. I found that there

are quite a significant incidence

of breast cancer cases among

women in Oman, and many were

very young between the ages of

22- 35- 40. I felt deeply for each of

my patient, and probably being a

lady myself, they were at ease and

it was easy to counsel them and

their families. Their comfort and

response made me eventually give

more importance and time to this

problem. I felt that many women

do not give importance to their

breast and health, and then there

is definitely a lack of awareness

about this problem, especially, the

myths and false beliefs etc, and the

social impression of “wanting to see

only a female surgeon”. All of this

can be overcome only by spreading

more awareness through lectures,

presentations that are in simple

and non-medical language without

instilling any fear.

So I have taken this as my mission

to spread BCA, and also opened

a clinic mainly for breast care

with female staff only. I have also

narrowed down my general surgical

practice to breast care and very

few other special problems that

demand a female surgeon. I have

been able to do my best for the

BCA. And through the institution I

worked with, I have been able to

work on my mission, in the form

of free breast checks during the

month of October every year, give

lectures and participate in seminars

on BCA, Importance of Self, Breast

Exam (SBE) to various women

organisations and institutions where

predominantly women are employed.

Yuther Al Rawahy through NACA

and Rasheeda, senior manager

AVON group are individuals/

organisations who have helped

me to lay down the foundation for

my passion and mission. There

have been many individuals among

my friends, and my patients, who

have also supported this cause

and helped me in spreading BCA.

Certainly being an expatriate, there

are a lot of limitations and also being

in a private clinic, but on the whole I

personally feel that against all odds,

even though it is like a drop in the

ocean, I am being able to contribute

to this cause.

So many rumours and

controversies surround breast

cancer -- have you encountered

the same here in Oman? What

are the main myths that Omani

women believe in about this

dreaded disease and how many

of them have you succeeded in

dispelling?

Women here, like in many parts

of the world, have similar thoughts

and beliefs. Many would like to be

examined by a woman only, but

once you counsel them well, they

accept being treated by men too.

Some believe that it is an evil eye

or black magic by other persons,

some feel that they have not prayed

enough and yet some feel that “why

has God done this to me, I have

never done anything to hurt anyone

or harm?” But most of the women

who are diagnosed, even though are

upset initially, slowly gain confidence

Young women are being afflicted with breast cancer

39Black & White

and strength to face the disease and

treatment.

Many women do not even go for

even a breast check, because they

fear that there may be something

wrong found?

Most women are afraid of the

mammograms saying they are very

painful – actually it is a momentary

discomfort, which in the hands of a

good radiographer will not even be

felt.

There is this belief that a particular

form of treatment – needle biopsy

-- will make cancer worse…this is not

true.

There is a belief among some that

there is local medicine available

for breast cancer, this has to be

clearly discussed and avoided. In

fact I have had a couple of patients

who had Wasams (burning the skin

of the affected area) on the breast.

Unfortunately one succumbed to this

(50 wasams on the affected breast in

the form of concentric circles).

Some of course leave it fate and

do not return for treatment. So such

women and their families need to be

counselled and compelled to move

away from such wrong treatment

practices.

It is natural to be concerned

about the treatment modality

like mastectomy (removing the

complete breast), but again, this is

not needed if cancer is DETECTED

EARLY. Therefore, the stress is

on awareness or SBE and regular

checks.

And, of course, there are

reconstruction facilities available,

which can be brought to the notice

of the patient. There will be hair loss

during chemotherapy, but, it should

be noted that this will grow after the

treatment.

Yes, there will be discomfort and

pain during chemo, but, all of these

are bearable when you consider the

benefit and outcome. All patients

need to be properly counselled, and

this will have a major impact on them

and their relatives.

Above all this, patients want to

go abroad for treatment, feeling

B&

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that the facility is not good, but as

I mentioned, Oman, thanks to His

Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said,

has the best of facilities at the Royal

Hospital and the Sultan Qaboos

University Hospital (SQUH). As the

treatment may take time, it is best

to be with the family for support and

comfort, wherein, it is always better

to have the complete treatment in

Oman. Also, counselling with more

than one session with the patient

and the near relatives has been the

best way to tackle any of the above

problems, and mostly it works.

Have you seen young women

afflicted by this disease? Are

more and more young women

being affected now? Your

reasons…

Yes I have seen young women

afflicted with breast cancer. The

youngest of my patients were

aged 22 and many were below

30. There has been no evidence

of any particular cause or reason.

I am aware that research is being

done in many Gulf countries and in

Oman too to find out the reasons of

the incidence among younger age

group. The campaigns of spreading

awareness and the media have

been successful, so there are

more women coming for checks

especially the working group or the

40 to 50 age group. So the increase

in incidence of breast cancer in

women in Oman could be due to

more women coming for checks.

The other reasons could be due

to lifestyles – sedentary, dietary

(processed foods) or genetic, but no

single reason has been identified

yet.

Have you encountered any

unusual tale during your breast

cancer awareness campaigns

– any miraculous recoveries or

sadly, otherwise?

Each and every woman who has

had to battle cancer and come out

triumphant makes always a tale of

miraculous recovery. I see it as a

miracle and God’s blessing. And

in my endeavour, I have had the

blessing to see many such miracles.

However there have been a few

unfortunate ones who were either

presented at very late stages or with

complications.

Do you know of any youngsters

afflicted by breast cancer in

Oman?

Yes, I have an Omani lady affected

at 22 (four years ago) and some

between the ages of 24 to 28.

Overall, have you seen an

improvement in the situation like

from the time you had started

your campaigns…And how do

your foresee the future?

There are a number of private

hospitals that have come up with

the latest state-of-the-art imaging

facilities, and the government

hospitals have also developed

exclusive breast clinics. More

organisations are also involved in

spreading breast cancer awareness.

Certainly, all of this has created

more awareness among the public

and people come forward at earlier

stages of the problem.

You can suffer once, but, not twice.

But tell that to FAWZIYA HAMOUD

AL KINDY. She was afflicted with

breast cancer and went through the

whole treatment process, and then

more than a decade and a half later,

the dreaded disease came back, in

a much bigger and more dangerous

form.

THE FIRST ATTACK

“I got breast cancer in 1994,

and then I had to undergo partial

mastectomy, after which I went

through the whole process of

chemotherapy and radiation.

“But, at that time, there was no

oncology department at the Royal

Hospital, where I was being treated.

Of course, there was chemotherapy,

but no radiation, so I had to get that

done at a hospital in Al Ain. I was

in the hospital for nearly one and a

half months during which time my

health improved,” Fawzia Al Kindy,

producer and presenter at the Radio

Sultanate of Oman 90.4 FM, told

Black & White in a brief interview.

She enjoyed 15 years of good

health after which there was

You’ve to fight it yourself!

41Black & White

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

a shocking recurrence of the

deadly cancer. Even her doctors

were shocked because it was

quite unusual for such a long had

transpired after her first cancer

affliction.

DEADLY DISEASE STRIKES

AGAIN – AFTER 15 YEARS

But, even the discovery of the

cancer came about in an unusual

fashion. One early morning, she was

climbing the stairs at her home when

her foot caught in her abaya and she

plunged headlong down the stairs

and banged her chest on the floor.

Although she was quite shaken by

the fall, she gathered herself and

went for her work at the radio. But,

later she discovered that the chest

area where her earlier operation was

done had gone all black and it was

hurting. “It was during the process of

checking the blackened area, when I

was handed down with darker news:

I had cancer again of the breast!”

IS THIS IT?

Before she even had time to reel

from this shocking turn of events, she

had to undergo another operation,

but it was found that they could not

remove the whole tumor. “I want

to add here that my first cancer

was an early stage carcinoma and

the second was sarcoma, which

apparently is caused by radiation, or

is the side-effect of radiation. What

had happened was that in 15 years,

this cancer had grown slowly. And

I was in a terrible state. Because it

was a big size, I was given double

doses in order to shrink it down and

I remember there were times I could

not even lift my fingers. There were

some despairing moments when I

thought that ‘this is it’!”

NO MORE RADIATION

Finally, she was referred to the

Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad, India.

“There, the doctors found out that the

tumor was located underneath the rib

and on the side. So, when they had

to cut it, they had to cut five ribs too

– the excised product weighed a total

of 5kgs (including the rib bones).

Since the rib bones could not be put

back, other deft arrangements were

made to rectify the damage.”

Fawzia Kindy said that she recalled

having a team of 12 doctors during

the operation, including cardiologist,

plastic surgeon, oncologist etc. “I

remember the cardiologist telling me,

post operation, that he had actually

held my heart in his hand and

protecting it during the complicated

operation procedure.”

Following the operation, there was

a hot debate between the oncologist

and the radiologist on the subject

of radiation, with the former saying

no to it and the latter saying yes.

“Finally, the oncologist ‘won’ and

it was decided that I will not have

radiation.”

Six months later, Fawzia went back

for a follow up at Apollo and she was

given a clean chit.

FIGHT IT MYSELF

But, the memories of those terrible

moments remain forever etched in

her mind. “It was not just me. When

such a disease attacks you, you

and your whole family go through

the trauma of fear and pain,” she

said, agreeing however that despite

all that, she had supreme faith in

God. “I just told myself that God has

given me everything and if He wants

to take it back, there has to be a

reason,” Fawzia said. She recalled

the words of an Australian doctor,

who after finishing the treatment, told

her: ‘Look Fawzia, we have done

everything. Now, it is upto you!’

“Although, I did not understand

what he meant then, I soon realised

what he was saying was that I had to

fight it myself! So, this point, stuck in

my head!”

CANCER MADE HER STRONG IN

A WAY

Although Fawzia went through

the whole traumatic process of first

cancer discovery, treatment and

then the long hiatus, where she

could even have naturally fallen

into complacency, and the horrible

discovery again, she still feels that

all of it has made her stronger in a

way. “Like I have said, I have faith –

unshakeable faith, which has been

reinforced in me because I never let

up on my prayers and somewhere

along the way, I gained confidence

to fight back, and to fight it myself,

without depending on anyone!”

MORE YOU KNOW, LESS YOU

FEAR

Faith is of paramount importance,

she stressed, adding that this is

something that all new cancer

patients should have. “And both the

patient and the family should not view

cancer as a death warrant. If you are

able to detect it early, then, you have

a great chance of completely ejecting

it out of your system. “Also, it is no

longer like before, there is so much

of information and so many means

to fight cancer, and you are able to

understand the disease better, and

when there is understanding, you are

able to fight the disease better.

“So, the first thing to do is to destroy

fear, and for that you need to keep

yourself enlightened about the

disease – the more you know, the

less you will fear!”

The first thing to

do is to destroy

fear, and for that

you need to keep

yourself enlightened

about the disease –

the more you know,

the less you will fear


She and her husband sashayed down

the… steps and strode confidently to

their seats. They knew all (almost all)

eyes were on them and so they made

maximum use of the exposure. They

made sure that their every move,

especially the lady’s, was seen by all

(especially the other ladies).

They managed to settle down but

not before creating quite a stir. Then,

when everyone thought that they

could turn their attention to the fashion

show that was about to start before

them, another couple came, dressed

to kill and not just that, but walked in

as though they were the couple who

were to sashay down the ramps. “No

harm in being fashionable, but, when

you try to, kind of, draw attention to

yourself by dressing too glamorously

and try to draw attention when in a

crowd, it can prove to be too tedious,”

a well-known socialite told Bitter

Batter recently. She is seen at almost

all fashion and social events in town,

so when she lashes out against her

own society ladies and their hubbies,

something must be really wrong, we

thought.

She feels that most of those who

come for a fashion show are more

glamorously dressed than the

fashion show ladies themselves.

“What is the point in holding fashion

shows when the people who come

to see the shows are better dressed

and more fashionable than the ladies

sashaying down the ramps?”

But, whose fault is that, we asked.

She merely huffed, puffed and

disappeared leaving a cloud of doubt

behind her.

When facts unsaid are revealed to the

public, they call it washing dirty linen

in public. Scribes, worldover, face this

dilemma. Whenever they attempt to

break news, or rather, dig deep and

find out facts that are stranger than

fiction, they are accused of washing

dirty linen in public.

When people are victimised and the

rich get richer by means that are

nefarious, and when some of us get

to know the various shenanigans

happening in and around the place,

you tend to want to blast it out in print.

But, then, somewhere down the line,

you realise that sometimes, the only

way of getting real news out to the

public is by washing dirty linen…

Do away with

fashion shows

Washing dirty

linen in public?

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:

43Black & White

Is there rampant harassment going

on in the name of authority in some

of the expat schools here? We have

been hearing about such cases,

but since we don’t have the implicit

approval from the ‘victims’ about

even revealing the barest of teeniest

of the weeniest of details, we can’t

say much here.

Shall we mention some facts of the

ugly happenings that are currently

happening in your school, we asked

the harassed staff of a school here.

The answer was no.

No, because they were afraid that

somehow the blame would be

attributed to them, if we leaked out

the news.

There was this danger that even if

it was mentioned without revealing

any names, they would somehow

attribute it to them and blame them

saying that they were revealing

confidential school information out.

“We want some passes for the Hema

Malini charity show!”

That was a lady caller pouncing on us

without even a greeting.

Uh, we don’t have any passes. It is a

charity show and the proceeds – after

all expenses – are going to the NACA

(National Association for Cancer

Awareness), we explained.

“How much are the ticket rates,” the

lady asked, and we could notice the

change in the pitch of her voice. We

told her.

“What? You are charging that much

and how do you think we will be able

to afford it? We are about six people.

You think all six will pay this amount

and come? Why aren’t there any free

passes?”

Because, we explained, ad nauseum,

it was a charity event and charity

events don’t give out free invites.

She was silent for a moment and

then she asked: “Okay, so, now tell

me who are the sponsors of your

show?” She had deftly moved on to a

different theme.

Why, we asked with genuine curiosity.

“Because there will be someone

whom we know there who will be able

to give us free passes. So what if you

don’t give out any passes?! We will

know someone who is sponsoring

your show!”

We really did not have anything to

say that. And, of course, we did not

give out the names of the sponsors.

‘Victims’ say no

to publicity

So what if it is a

charity show?

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


Kid

stuff

•GIANT WATER LILIES in the Amazon can grow over 6 feet in diameter.

•THE LARGEST OCEAN on Earth is the Pacific Ocean.

•THE LARGEST INDIVIDUAL FLOWER on Earth is from a plant called Rafflesia arnoldii.

Its flowers reach up to 1 metre (3 feet) in diameter and weigh around 10kg.

•SAFFRON IS A SPICE that comes from a type of crocus flower.

•TITAN ARUMS ARE the world’s largest flowers at almost 10 feet in height.

Due to their horrible aroma of rotting flesh, titan arums are also called corpse flowers.

•PLANTS ON THE SURFACE of the Earth have existed for around 400 million years.

•WHEN AN INSECT touches the hairs of a Venus Fly Trap it triggers the plant to close,

trapping its victim before killing and dissolving it in acid.

•TULIPS HAVE A BRIEF lifespan of only three to seven days.

Amazingly, Tulips can continue to grow as much as an inch per day after being cut.

•CHRYSANTHEMUMS ARE one of the few flowers that can be cultivated bonsai style

•BROCCOLI IS a flower as well as a vegetable.

•SUNFLOWERS ARE able to soak up radiation

Tongue twisters

A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies

Few facts on

45Black & 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:

5

9

6

1

9

8

17

3

6

3

61

6

2

45

3

7

8

14

4

6

4

8

5

7 2010

Con

cept

is P

uzzl

es,

Dis

t. b

y K

ing

Fea

ture

s S

yndi

cate

, In

c.

By Dave Green

Difficulty Level 8/10

By Thomas Snydermotris.livejournal.com


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

47Black & White 47Black & White

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)


Horo

scope

You will soon experience

powerful emotional

expansion in your life. Loved

ones will initiate open discussions

concerning family plans. Single

Aries natives should expect unique

proposals or quickly changing

friendships.

Expect business officials

or workmates to rely

heavily on your personality skills

with co-workers and customers.

Over the next three days managers

and bosses will be less involved

in workplace dynamics than usual.

Take the initiative and imprint your

personal style.

Bosses or officials

will silently judge your

input over the next few weeks:

stay active and open to unusual

suggestions. Use spare time to

explore new subjects or improve

business skills. Loved ones may

trigger memories of forgotten

bonds in relationships.

This is a positive time

for reclaiming lost ideals

in relationships and establishing

greater levels of trust. A recent

period of low energy and unclear

emotional direction is now ending.

Pay close attention to financial

promises.

Expect a three day period

of fresh social connections

and work expansion arrives. All are

positive and will bring rapid results;

so react quickly in order to finalise

new projects or partnerships. Home

comforts or shared emotions may be

highly affirming over the coming few

days.

Minor business or financial

restrictions may become slightly

annoying this week. Pace yourself

and wait for income sources to

slowly improve. This weekend

expect a previous romantic flirtation

to momentarily fade. Don’t be

unnerved; a break may be needed.

Watch others closely

for misunderstandings

or hidden motives: honesty will

work best. Work routines will

slowly change: business officials

or co-workers will soon request

completed paperwork or finalised

agreements.

Over the next few days

emotional dynamics in

long term relationships will become

obvious. Mid-week rest and restore

your creative energy: artistic

activities are now highly favoured.

You will experience powerful

insights or renewed faith in love.

Social or business

introductions will this

week bring predictable results. Use

creativity to further explore social

and business relations: others will

now respond to your work integrity

and unique approach. Mid-week

family discussions may refocus your

workplace aspirations

Expect others to actively

offer support and

reassurance. Some Virgos will

now reconnect with an old social

group or close friend. Welcome

all opportunities to explore past

emotions. Previous ideals or long lost

attitudes will soon be re-established.

Costly delays or

miscalculations

may also be annoying: remain

patient and check all paperwork

thoroughly. Attractions or new

social connections may now have

an unusual influence on long term

relationships

Pay close attention to

reoccurring emotional or spiritual

patterns. At present repeated

disappointments will bring

wisdom and meaningful romantic

change. Ask for extra social or

emotional support from family

members.

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

JULIA FIONA ROBERTS (BORN OCTOBER 28, 1967)

is an American actress. She became a Hollywood

star after headlining the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty

Woman, which grossed $464 million worldwide. Roberts

had become one of the highest-paid actresses in the

world, topping the Hollywood Reporter's annual "power

list" of top-earning female stars from 2002 to 2006.

Your stars

ARIES

CANCER

LIBRA

CAPRICORN

TAURUS

LEO

SCORPIO

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

VIRGO

SAGITTARIUS

PISCES

49Black & White

Cookin

g

4949494949494944949494949494994994999BlBlBBBllBlBlBBlBlBllBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBBBBlBlBlBllBlBlBBlBlBllacacacacaacacaaacacccaccaccacaccacccccccacccccccacccacacacccaaacacccaacacccaacacacaccacacaacaccaccacccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk k kkkkk k kkkkk &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WW W WWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWhhhhhihihhihihihihihhiiihihihiiihihihhihiihhihihiihhhhhihhhhhhihihhhhihihhihihhhitttetetetetetttettetetetteteteteet

it up!WRAP

What do you have for lunch

when you are working? Wrap

sandwiches? Wrap sandwiches

first burst upon the lunch

scene about 10 years ago and

are variations of traditional

sandwiches; but the bread is

flat, and spread with a hot or

cold sandwich filling, rolled

up, and eaten out of hand.

Wraps are also a great way

to give leftovers new life. Get

innovative with wraps,

here are some recipes…

Ingredients:

•2 cups deli creamy

chicken salad

•1 tsp. chopped jalapeno

pepper

•4 (10 inch) flour tortillas

•1/2 cup frozen

guacamole, thawed, or

homemade guacamole

•8 slices cheese

•4 lettuce leaves

•1 chopped, seeded

tomato

•1 avocado, peeled and

chopped

•1 cup salsa

Ingredients:

•2 cups shredded cheese with jalapenos

•3 cups deli veggie salad or coleslaw

•2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

•8 (10 inch) flour tortillas (try the flavored kind)

Method

Combine chicken salad and

jalapeno pepper in small

bowl. For each sandwich,

spread 2 tablespoons

guacamole over each tortilla

to within 1/2” of edges. Place

two slices of cheese in the

middle of each tortilla and

top with lettuce. Spoon

about 1/2 cup chicken

salad mixture over lettuce

and sprinkle with chopped

tomato and avocado. Roll

up tightly and secure with

toothpick. Repeat with

remaining tortillas. Serve

with salsa. Four sandwich

wraps.

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cheese, veggie

salad and tomato. Divide among the flour tortillas. Roll

up tortillas, folding in ends. Place seam side down on

ungreased cookie sheet and cover with foil. Bake for 10-

15 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa or

ranch dressing for dipping, if desired. Eight sandwiches.

Chicken Salad Wraps Veggie Wraps

49Black & White


Why don't you become your own

best friend?

SHE

Do it like Jennifer

Just imagine you have a wonderful,

dear friend who is always there are at

your beck and call. He or she is always

available for you and whatever you do,

wherever you are, he/she is there for you

If you have been following her

progress, you will be amazed at

how Jennifer Aniston manages to

keep herself in such tip-top shape.

Although She must be around 41,

she looks just the same as she has

been in the hit Friends series

58

60

For

her

Celebrating women

51 Oman has been on the

forefront in ensuring equal

rights for its women and

Omani women have come

a long way: Top Omani

women speak to B&W

51Black & White

Celebrating womenA man and a woman are like two wings on a bird. If one wing is weak or broken, the bird cannot

fly. So, if a woman is weak, or has not developed herself, then the country, which has to rely on

both men and women, will suffer. So, it is important that both wings are equally strong. This is

the vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who himself had once alluded women to flying

birds. It is with an idea of further empowering the Omani women that His Majesty the Sultan,

who has been the guiding force behind the gender equality and empowerment that women in

the country enjoy today, has designated October 17 as the Omani Women’s Day every year.

In commemoration of the Omani Women’s Day, the Black & White spoke to some top Omani

women achievers to learn about their current status and their future.


Omani women have come a long way

Excerpts:

Omani women can hold their

heads high because of the

backing by His Majesty Sultan

Qaboos bin Said – but do the

Oman women enjoy equal rights

and equal opportunities here?

Your take on this?

“I believe that we do enjoy equal

rights and opportunities. Several

groups and entities have fought for

decades to achieve equal rights

for women around the globe.

Thankfully, our country allows us to

practice a large number of the rights,

freedoms and privileges that some

are still fighting for.

The Omani woman has the right to

assume an active role in the political

and public life of our country and

perform functions in all levels of

government. Women in Oman now

also hold key positions in the fields

of education, employment, health,

and many other areas.

The nation is moving in the right

direction in giving women their

credit, but, now what more needs

to be done? Do you think that you

are now resting on your laurels?

There might be more that can

be done, however I feel we have

already come a long way with

woman’s rights!

Are women getting the chance to

shoulder bigger responsibilities in

the country’s growth process?

Yes and they have already done

so. There are so many female

Omani role models who have

paved the way for others to follow

in their constant efforts to continue

contributing to the country’s growth

and development.

Who or what is an Omani woman

and what makes her unique and

different from the women in the

rest of the world?

I am proud to be an Omani woman.

My generation has had the privilege

to enjoy the support and backing of

His Majesty to not only achieve the

best in our education, but also to

be motivated and driven to further

excel and grow in our careers.

These privileges have undoubtedly

played a fundamental role in the

development of our beloved country.

The Omani woman is a mixture of

heritage, pride, drive, and ambition.

Add to the mix their ability to build

their families and raise children. And

it is a fact that healthy, empowered,

educated women raise healthy,

empowered, educated children

who will make a difference in the

country’s future.

How may more miles would

women in Oman need to go to

achieve/ fulfill their potential?

I believe every year we have a

new batch of highly skilled and

motivated female graduates from

a number of backgrounds and

educational streams. These women

have the full potential to make

more of a difference and contribute

significantly to the empowerment of

women. Motivation and drive is the

key to women’s success and overall

accomplishments. The Omani

woman has contributed a great deal

to her country but there is always

room to do more.

What are the chances for women

to get into the Majlis A’ Shura?

Chances are high and it has

happened, thanks to the support of

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said,

women now have a tangible say

and are present in all sectors. I am

confident that the Omani woman will

have more luck in the next elections.

Oman has been on the forefront in ensuring equal

rights for its women and Omani women have come a

long way as far woman’s rights are concerned, says

Wisam Al Said, corporate affairs manager, Oman Oil

Marketing Company (omanoil).

In this interview, Wisam notes that women in

Oman hold key positions in the fields of education,

employment, health and many other areas.

53Black & White

Women are like flying birds

Women are no strangers to the

aviation field as they have played a

vital role in the growth of the industry,

although, for many their professional

experience was limited to being part

of the cabin crew.

In line with His Majesty Sultan

Qaboos bin Said's vision, our team

at Oman Air includes a female

avionic engineer and cartographer,

the first in the Sultanate and in the

Gulf region along with a number

of women working in managerial

and operational fields. It was

important for us to instill the belief

in our daughters that success has

no boundaries and that a career in

aviation is a reality and no longer

simply a dream.

In addition, the airline’s sustainable

growth strategy focuses on ensuring

that women are continuously

empowered by providing the

necessary training programmes,

career development strategies

and on-the-job experience to build

capabilities in specialised fields of

work in aviation.

From my personal perspective,

the advancement of women is

the responsibility of every citizen

and resident in the Sultanate.

Our communities have witnessed

Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Country manager, Oman Air:

“Over the last 40 years, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos

bin Said changed the role of women in the country.

He granted us equal opportunities, protected our

rights and sowed the seeds of our success in a

nurturing and encouraging environment. He led with

the philosophy that women are essential partners

along with men contributing to the social and

economic development of the nation.

the positive impact of women

empowerment and the contributions it

has made in the different arenas. The

question now is how do we sustain

women empowerment and take it a

step further.

There have been tremendous

efforts placed in preparing for the

next election from conducting training

sessions, running and overseeing

the campaign, to engaging the whole

community. However, with that said

without the support of all parties

involved, little can be accomplished.

For women, it is never about

reaching her full potential, it is about

setting new and higher benchmarks,

the journey will never stop. His

Majesty called Omani women to take

advantage of all the opportunities

being provided to her, to prove her

capability and show her ability to

overcome obstacles. Furthermore,

he equated women with flying birds

and said: “A bird relies on both of its

wings to fly high in the horizons of the

sky. How can this bird manage if one

of its wings is broken? Will it be able

to fly?”


Endless doors have opened for us

We enjoy equal rights and opportunities and are

fortunate to be recognised globally for setting the

benchmark for women advancement in the Arab

world. We must continue educating communities on

the strengths and wisdom of His Majesty’s vision to

ensure equal rights are integrated in all facets of life.

I believe, as women, we will remain to take on

bigger and more challenging responsibilities, it comes

with the country’s growth and development. His

Majesty’s approach towards women empowerment

encouraged and enabled women to continuously

strive to reach new heights and milestones.

Once you believe that you have reached your

potential you are setting an invisible obstacle to

yourself. Therefore, I think we should view it not in

terms of how many miles one must go, but rather

have the perception of an endless journey that can

only get better if we believe in unlocking our true

potential.

Working at the world’s local bank, women

empowerment has never been perceived as a

policy, but a key driver to success, honouring female

contributions by customers and employees. From my

experience, I have witnessed that that each woman

that comes into the Organisation brings with her a

wide array of experiences and tools that will leverage

her talents and propel her professional success.

Leen Khattar Al Atassi

Corporate & Internal Communications Manager,

HSBC Oman

“With the constant support we as Omani Women

have been receiving from His Majesty Sultan Qaboos

bin Said for the last 40 years, we have seen endless

doors open for us.

55Black & White

Shouldering responsibilities with men

Over the last 40 years women have been provided with the tools

and resources necessary to become active partners in society and

achieve their goals and aspirations including education, gender

equality in the work place as well as allowing the opportunity for

females to enter into professions previously dominated by men.

Today, we are a society that shoulders our responsibilities

equally, side by side of men, united to build a thriving country

inspired by a visionary leader.

Working at Vale, we believe that our actions are based on

integrity, respect for human dignity and citizenship. There have

been historic and groundbreaking decisions to take important

steps to promote women rights within the organisation. Vale

has set targets for greater employment opportunities for women

showcasing that they are the catalyst for change.

The industry sector in Oman is no longer a male dominant

business. Omani women have ventured into this field with

confidence, understanding that the hurdles faced were simply

opportunities.

As a human resources specialist, it gives me great pride to

stand witness to this extraordinary shift in the male to female

employment ratios indicating that women in the Sultanate not only

can reach their fullest potential but are encouraged to do so.

The mining industry prepared women to handle everyday

challenges thus empowering us to be real contributors to the

development and prosperity of this nation. Our female leaders

are the ideal role models for our future generations helping them

realise that an Omani woman is an essential component of this

country’s sustainable development.

Fatima Al Qutaiti

Human resources specialist, Vale:

His Majesty’s call for women to join the Sultanate’s

march to economic and social development in the

1970’s was but the first step in a path towards

progress, stability and prosperity

Laila, Omani graduate

student of Nizwa University

Peace of Mind...

We are always trying to find a particular time in which we can relax and

think deeply. And, we usually wonder when we can reach a state where

we can have absolute ‘peace of mind’.

Our work is quite demanding and there are loads of other pressure too,

but what happens is that because of all this, we tend to neglect to take

care of our inner peace - peace of mind - and not only that, but we also

feel quite stressful.

Now, it may not be that easy to reach that state of peace of mind, but it is

not at all impossible. It is really crucial to have peace in our mind. When

we feel peaceful in our minds, we are able to understand ourselves and

others around us better, too. Such an effect could bring real happiness to

us. Peace of mind becomes very important in this fancy life as it reduces

the selfishness that we may have.

Thinking about yourself and others positively is one result of feeling peace

inside your mind. Not to mention the fact that it helps in the control of our

mood too as we know so many people who are moody and often get quite

easily disturbed. There are still many positive effects that a person may

gain from having peace of mind.

There is one very effective way. It is meditation. You may have heard of it

but haven’t tried it yet. However, you better try it this time because you will

feel the difference even within the first time you practice it. Meditation is

one way of the deep thinking which should be practiced in silence. Maybe

in our homes we rarely find that moments of silence but if you try, you will

find it.

Or you could go out somewhere peaceful and quiet and practice it. Also,

after praying you may meditate and listen to your inner voice. That will

really help you to make the right decision and awake the inner power

within you. Try to mediate once a day and feel the real peace flowing

inside you...Feel the real happiness!

Of course, it is not an easy thing to do but try to be patient. You will feel

quite relaxed and very positive. So, what are you waiting for, go take a

break and think deeply, silently and positively. Enjoy each moment of your

life as it is the last moment and keep smiling. I wish a happy and peaceful

life to all of you dear readers!

By Laila Ibrahim Obaid Al-Gharbi

[email protected]

Learn

ing c

urv

e


God is sitting on a high backed

chair dressed to the nines and his/

her demeanour and razor sharp

intelligence can give me a run for my

money. Instinctively I smarten up and

mentally prepare for the interview of

a lifetime.

God: Hello, I believe we need no

introductions as we have known each

other since sometime.

Me: Yes, of course. So what is going

on with the world today? Why is there

a complete emphasis on materialism

at all costs?

God: When man was created there

was no price tags attached on

various bodily functions. The brain,

arms, legs, the internal systems

like digestive and respiratory were

created free. Over a period of time

they have a diminished value and

when the human body, which is

priceless, is now being recreated for

a price –a better nose, slimmer legs,

you can imagine the importance of

money as a cure for all ills. There

is a belief that money can buy you

anything.

Me: Can money buy you anything?

God (wearing a bemused

expression): Sure. You can try and

see if it can buy you peace of mind,

truefriendship, unconditional love, a

mother’s love for her child, a calm

sleep. I think humans have coined

the phrase, "time is money", so just

wondering whether money can buy

you time that has already gone by.

Me (Very confused): If it can’t buy all

these things then why are we running

after it?

God (LAUGHING ALOUD): That is

the funny part. The best things in life

like sunshine, the air we breathe,

the trees that sway, the dancing

moonlight are free! Besides, I also

have a little joke that I have played

on humans I control birth and death

so all the money in the world can’t

buy you even one additional second

of time on earth. I have granted all

the priceless treasures to human

beings and all I tell them is to live well

and be human.

Me: Can you elaborate on that?

God: I’m afraid our time is up. So

maybe next time.

Me: (trying to hanker for some extra

time and then knowing by looking

at God about his views on time…I

depart gracefully, hoping for a

second interview soon).

Till next time from God and me

Peace, love and value yourself!

Exclusive Interview with God 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


Shape n

sound

SHE IS A LEAN-MEAN-FIGHTING

machine and yes, she is one of the

richest women in the entertainment

industry, but that still does not

explain the way she looks. Jennifer

has a body that is the envy of

women half her age. So, there

must be a secret…well, today, it is

an open secret about Jennifer and

almost every magazine would have

harped about how good she looks

and why.

Why?

How does Jennifer ‘do’ it?

Here is how:

Apparently, Jennifer does not

follow any rigid detox diet in which

only brown foods are permitted.

However, she is a fan of Zone

Diet, which is a diet popularised in

books by biochemist Barry Sears. It

advocates consuming calories from

carbohydrates, protein and fat in

a fixed ratio of 40:30:30. This diet

has been under debate for some

time, but most devotees of Zone diet

claim that this diet plan helps their

weight loss success at reasonable

rates. Jennifer has been taking

Zone Diet to maintain her current

slim body shape. But, what is more

important is that she takes only good

carbohydrates, lean protein and

good fat.

JENNIFER’S WORKOUT

Jennifer exercises about three to

four times a week.

CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE

In a typical day, Jennifer starts

out with a five-minute warm up

and then proceed to do about 20

minutes of cardio. Sometimes,

she runs on treadmill; sometimes,

she trains on elliptical trainer. To

beat the boredom, during these 20

minutes of exercise, she uses 1 +

two alternate method – means, she

does one minute of high intensity

workout, followed by 2 minutes

of moderate intensity and she

continues alternating the intensity.

On the so called “high energy”

day, in addition to what she does

as mentioned above, she adds on

another 15 minutes of treadmill run

at six miles per hour speed with 1.5

incline platform.

YOGA

After the cardio session, Jennifer’s

muscle will have been warmed

up better for yoga poses. Jennifer

credits her lean legs, six-pack abs

and glowing skin to one woman –

her yoga trainer, Mandy Ingber.

Ingber leads her through five

sun salutations of yoga poses for

about 30 minutes. For every pose,

including bridge, tree pose, butterfly,

she tries to hold for 30 to 60

seconds (with 5 to 10 deep breaths).

After the yoga session, she does

five minutes of abs workout and floor

stretches. It is said that even during

film shooting sessions which starts

as early as 5am, she and her trainer

would be up at 4am to get an hour of

yoga before her long day of working.

Jennifer got into yoga in 2005, a

traumatic year for her when she

announced separation with Brad Pitt

after five years of marriage.

Yoga has not only made her strong

physically, but also built her mental

strength and make her always look

healthy from the inside out. In fact,

she feels that Mandy’s yoga style

totally changed her life. Here are

some of the main poses (created by

Mandy):

Do it like

Jennifer!By Tensie Wheelan

If you have been following

her progress like I have,

you will be amazed at

how Jennifer Aniston

manages to keep herself

in such tip-top shape. She

must be what, around 41

now…? She looks just

the same now as she has

been in the hit Friends

series, which came way

back in 1995.

59Black & White

TEMPLE POSE – TARGETS CALVES

Plant your feet wide, bend your knees out to the

side, and open at a 90-degree angle. Sink your

bottom down in alignment with your knees then

plié, squat, and hold for 30 seconds. Plié deeply

eight times, followed by eight quick, shallow pulses.

CHAIR POSE – TARGETS LEGS AND BOTTOM

Sink down as if you’re sinking into a chair. With

your feet aligned, hip-width apart, rock back your

weight from the balls of the feet to the heels and

shift your hips back. Align your knee over heels,

bottoms back, and peel your belly off your thighs by

extending your arms overhead. Do 1-3 sets. If you

really want to tone up, you can also do squats.

SUN SALUTE –TARGETS ABS AND HAMSTRINGS

As you the inhale, sweep your arms over your

head, and then as you exhale, dive forward

— a swan dive with down-hinging hips. Put

your hands on the floor and extend your chest

forward.

Step back to the top of a push-up and put

palms directly below your shoulders. Firm your

thighs and make sure your hips and shoulders

are aligned. Resist the floor as you lower to a low

push-up.

Scoop your chest up and arch into an upward

facing dog, keeping thighs on the floor. Roll over

the toes and press back to downward facing dog,

using your inner thighs and abs.


Shape n

sound

Why don’t you

become your

own

61Black & White

YOUR DEAR FRIEND IS there even

in the darkest hour of your need

(for that is when you need them the

most).

But, if you are an adult, your rose-

coloured spectacles through which

you may have been looking at the

world of friendship would in time have

got clouded over. By this time, you

may have sadly discovered that you

are often left high and dry at a time

when you are desperately in need of

someone. Just when you were hoping

that s/he would be there, when you

need them the most, they would ditch

you. Well, that is life!

But, ask yourself: why do you need

such a person? Why do you crave for

such a company? Is it because you

are a woman?

Of course, it could be that and more

especially if you’re like a lot of women

who would drop everything to help a

friend in need. There is this automatic

response to an emotional rebuff: “I

have always helped my friends when

they needed me, but when I need

them, they are not there for me.”

THERE FOR EVERYONE

From this would stem the theme

of our argument: you are there for

everyone; you’d drop everything to

be at the side of your friend. You

would have put your own friend on a

pedestal at the risk of your own peril.

But, how often do you pay yourself

the same respect? How often do you

look after yourself if not that way, at

least in a small way? So, how do you

befriend yourself, exactly? It all starts

with self-knowledge.

AMAZING ADVENTURE

And self-knowledge, or getting

to know yourself, is an amazing

adventure! Once you get to know

yourself and like and love yourself,

you would be in a different level

altogether. The usage of ‘love’ and

‘like’ here is not in the narcissistic way

or mere self love. It simply means

to accept yourself; to understand,

respect and appreciate yourself.

Most people seek happiness outside

themselves – they want more money,

a better job, more love- but there’s no

true contentment unless it first comes

from within.

When some people look within,

they don’t like what they see. Their

disappointment in themselves and

their self-hate may be masked by

habits of compulsive perfectionism...

criticism of self and others...or escape

into alcohol, drugs, TV, etc.

In order to be your own best friend,

you must learn to develop the same

kind of tolerant goodwill, positive

attitude and love toward yourself that

you feel toward people whom you

treasure as friends.

YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST

FRIEND

To put it differently, why don’t you

try to be your own best friend? Why

don’t you become the best friend that

you never had, or had and lost? It is

time that you become your own friend

– a friend in deed. If you notice, we

have never outgrown the need to be

loved and nurtured. We must simply

take over from our parents the task of

loving and nurturing ourselves...

Learn to give yourself the boundless

encouragement, kindly patience

and unqualified support that a good

parent gives his/her children. Forgive

yourself when you make mistakes

- and reward yourself when you do

well. Now, try to think of what makes

you fall in love with someone: how

genuine, sincere, and caring they can

be; the unconditional love they offer,

no matter what. Doesn’t that describe

how you should feel about yourself?”

Just imagine you have

a wonderful, dear

friend who is always

there are at your beck

and call. He or she is

always available for

you and whatever you

do, wherever you are,

he/she is there for you

She was only 10 years old.

She looked after me, cleaned my room and

folded my clothes and helped my mom in the

kitchen; so did her mom. Her mother was

our maid, but she brought her little girl along

every day.

She did not like to go to school, because she

did not like to sit in a place and study. She

wanted to listen to music and run around.

And she was happy doing it all. And she was

very naughty too.

She would hide my brothers’ socks, their

pens, and books and even lie to create a

fight between them. I still remember when

my second bro came home one day and

declared it is either her at home or him. But,

my mom smiled and said ‘her’.

That little girl did hell a lot of work, helped my

mom, much more than me and my brothers.

She would wait for us to return from school,

so that she could chat and play with us.

She was fast…in a minute she would take

my shoes and clean it up then and there,

carry my bag inside, take my lunch box out,

and slowly whisper… too much home work,

sister?

Those days, I was too little to even know

that a 10 year old worked for our comfort; I

only knew she came from an economically

challenged family and she needed food and

shelter.

And whenever I asked her to study, she

would say, why, I am going to grow up, get

married and have kids like my mother, I don’t

want to work in an office!

She used to tell me, girls are meant to do just

that, just clean, cook, wash and get married.

Of course, her brothers went to school.

I tried to get her to listen to what I was

reading aloud, and the only two words she

learnt from me in four years were a good

morning and thank you!

She said in case she needed help in English,

she would come to me, but she is going to

marry a guy who knows only Tamil! She left

us when she was a teenager or rather we

moved away when my dad was transferred to

another city for a short period.

Today she is the mother of three, her

husband had abandoned her and she takes

care of her kids by cooking at a government

school. I met her during my last vacation and

she came running to me.

She was very happy to see me.

She made me a cup of tea and took my

daughter along with her to show her around.

She was chattering away to glory and was

telling my daughter that she looked like me.

She had two daughters and one son and

predictably, the boy was attending school,

while the two girls helped her in her work…

I was amazed at her positivity, acceptance

and strength.

She was not bitter at all; she sort of explained

to me, life for a woman is different, not like

the men.

It is when a woman feels she is equal to

the man, she feels hurt and let down. For a

woman, her responsibilities start when she is

born, because she is born as a responsibility.

Men can be irresponsible; a woman can

never be…

And sister, don’t you think my kids are better

off with me, at least they will be fed and taken

care off!

Major statements from a lady who has not

even read a book!

This time, I was mature enough to tell her that

she has to get her daughters educated and I

was going to take charge of that.

There were tears in her eyes when I bid her

goodbye.

I had forgotten her over the years, and no, I

did not buy any gift for her.

Probably, because I never thought of her.

She was one of the people I had taken for

granted, just like all the other ladies in my life.

By Priya Arunkumar

[email protected]

A woman can never be…

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