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4 September 7- 30, 2012

Published by: Muscat Press & Publishing House SAOC

Black & White

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

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

Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496

Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com

Editorial: editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Printed at Oman Printers

Xclusive

Editor-in-chief Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali

Managing editor Priya Arunkumar

Work editor Adarsh Madhavan

Design & production Beneek Siraj

Advt. & marketing Shannon D'Souza

Priyanka Sampat

Conte

nts

It is a fact that women, despite

having lesser bad habits than men,

are prone to not weaning themselves

from them once they have been

bitted by the ‘bad-habits’ bug.

Serial SMSer bites the dust

A serial SMSer (one who sends too

many short messages on the mobile)

got into a real situation after a lovey-

dovey message he sent to one of his

‘lady loves’ ended up with the wrong

person

52

38

8 Foods that you could ideally avoid

Women need to change their bad habits

Bitter Batter

There are some foods that you could

avoid. These include fatty meats,

enriched flour, fried foods etc. Also

avoid daily products, enriched flour,

fried items etc

The Hermit atopJebel Khawr24

Here is a tale of a man who left

everything to find himself atop a

mountain. What is he? A saint? A

man who has connected with his

soul on top of a rugged jebel? Or

someone who has escaped from

it all?

5Black & White

To copy or not to copy?By Adarsh Madhavan

I almost lost my job as a reporter once when,

after doing a long piece on a well known diver, my

editor questioned me on the veracity of that report.

I was flabbergasted by the thought that anyone

could question my integrity as far as doing a story

was concerned. I went back to my seat, took my

notebook to the editor and showed him the complete

interview taken in longhand. The editor sniffed and

frowned at the notebook, and waved me off.

Only a quarter of the interview was used and most

of the quotes were rephrased. I had no clue what

happened there and 15 or more years later, today, I

still wonder why the editor did that. Some are able to

give colourful quotes and fact is indeed better than

fiction on most occasions and I am sure any writer

would confirm that. I had further run ins with the

editor in question but never on my integrity because

he knew by then that I would lose my job post raising

such questions and casting such aspersions, but he

would lose something more valuable than a rickety

job at a daily!

I, of course, confess: I have used so many quotes

and so many lines off the net, but have always given

the source and attributed them to the author. Why

should I take something that is not mine and pass

off as my own? What pleasure will that give me?

Why should I take the applause for someone else’s

victory? I know I am no great shakes as a writer

but nothing would make me pass off someone’s

work as my own, unless I am that careless enough

not to attribute a quote, which is what this media

personality, Fareed Zakaria, might have done

unwittingly thereby inviting accusations of plagiarism.

Zakaria’s career almost went on an abrupt standstill

after bloggers discovered that his column, which he

wrote recently, for Time magazine had “passages

lifted almost entirely from an article by the historian

Jill Lepore (this appeared in The New Yorker in

April)”!

editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

Although Zakaria looked as though he was going to go

out of oblivion for this minor transgression, it was soon

found that there was “no evidence of plagiarism” and

although he was suspended from Time magazine, he was

as quickly reinstated.

I have been in the thick of such controversies concerning

many in the past. One was with an Indian correspondent

of our newspaper, then with a lady columnist and

then again with an educationist who was accused of

plagiarising matter from another teacher’s book and

so on. These controversies were always a mess but it

managed to shake me awake from the reverie of writing.

Sometimes you are so caught in the maze of beautifying

lines, that the thin line of fact and fiction gets so blurred

that even you are fooled despite crafting them.

There is something starkly beautiful in being original.

Something so refreshing and alive, which you can never

get from pulling off some lines from someone else! I have

tried using quotes of many famous people, but they never

ever really felt good, especially when readers manage to

remember only the famous quotes and never caught your

drift. Somehow truth often gets lost in the transmission

and the translation from mind and heart to paper!

And when you desperately try to put the initial, unfettered

and pure message across, just as you had felt it when it

broke into your thoughts, you realise that it is but in vain

for you have to be fast to capture the essence before it

gets lost in the collective thoughts of many and becomes

just that – a mere collection of words and ordinary. Now,

even as I write this, I am compelled to mention that I did

go over some articles on plagiarism, which has helped me

form the thoughts penned here. But, I am in a dilemma

as to whether I should call them my own? Are these

actually my words and my thoughts? Since they claim that

“everything that is written actually reflects something that

came before it”, I am not fully sure whether I have copied

all of this from somewhere or actually written it? Let me

ask Zakaria.

Mail your views and opinions at

editor@blackandwhiteoman.com

The hijab (issue 49) is a shield of protection, a modesty that

protects them from any type of assault, which other women

(who does not wear a hijab) are subjected to around the

world. The hijab gives the women an air of authority, dignity

and respect and well, it makes them equal to men.

Hijab, therefore, has great benefits and serves to guard

against any assault, provides equality with men, brings

about an air of respect and honour and most important of

all, obedience to the Almighty!

Whenever you are in doubt, dear Muslim women, ask

yourself whom you want to serve: some friends of yours

who do not believe or the Almighty? The whole nature of our

existence is to cultivate love and affection for the Almighty in

our heart and not for anything else. How can we create that

love when we disobey Him?

Adoration and affection come from the heart and those who

truly love Almighty Allah will not do anything contradicting

this. A woman of dignity and having respect will not conduct

herself in a manner that will disgrace her in her own as well

as other’s eyes! Also, if there is peer pressure among young

Muslim women who are often laughed at because they

observe the hijab, let me tell them that they should not feel

down or shaken by such derisive laughter. As they say, he

who laughs last laughs the longest!

Ali Abdul Hatim, Muttrah

You can’t speak (or write) about a genius called Khalil

Gibran, without mentioning his quotes. One of the best

quotes that I always cite is this: “You talk when you cease

to be at peace with your thoughts.” Then he said: “Trees are

poems the earth writes upon the sky, we fell them down and

turn them into paper that we may record our emptiness.”

I am honoured that I am alive to be present for his play.

Although I am a great fan of this artist and poet, I never had

the chance to see his play and I am saying with great pride

and joy that I am now getting this unique opportunity to see

it. Thank you!

Abdul Mateen, Seeb

A shield of protection

You talk when you are not at peace

Reader's

colu

mn

6 September 7- 30, 2012

You will not believe the amazing manner my life changed when I began to

wear the hijab during my college days back in India. There was instant respect!

I realised that people began to take me extra seriously, and I somehow felt

protected and confident whenever I stepped out alone – in fact, the hijab was a

companion! I was never ever alone once I started wearing it.

Zubaida Tanveer, Ruwi

I began wearing a hijab when I was a child. I still remember my father asking

me whether I would like to wear a hijab or not – but I was too young to really

make a choice. Still, my choice was automatic: I chose to wear it, although I

was just eight and a half years old. Since then I have been wearing it and it was

only when I became a college-going girl that I realised when it actually meant:

it gave me an identity of a Muslim. And yes, it makes me safe and protected

and it also gives me lot of confidence. But the most important thing is that it has

brought me closer to the Almighty! I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world!

Jameela Azeez, Qurum

Khalil Gibran’s play (issue 49)? That is the best thing I have heard in a long,

long time. I am a great fan of Gibran and value and treasure his masterpiece,

The Prophet. It is indeed a work that has made him the third best selling poet of

all time. This is a book, which contains 26 poetic essays and was quite popular

during the 1960s. Since it was first published in 1923, The Prophet has never

been out of print. Having been translated into more than 40 languages, it was

one of the bestselling books of the 20th century in the United States, reports

say. By bringing this unusual play of the renowned poet, artist and writer, your

magazine, will help many have a firsthand view of the master artist. I am going

to be there for this grand event! And so will many!!

Kassim Jamil, Sohar

Brought me closer to the Almighty

Master’s masterpiece

My hijab, my companion

7Black & White

Men r

ead

AVOID JUNK

They did not invent a bag of chips during those days

when man paraded their locks or lived on its strength a

la Samson! Once again, the answer is staring at you:

Junk food! This is said to be a major cause for hair loss. If

you consume commercially processed foods, like potato

chips, over a lengthy period of time, say good bye to hair.

Yes, as bad as that!

This happens because junk food succeeds in producing

excess cholesterol, which in turn brings about something

called the pregnenolone that causes high levels of

dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This three-lettered word

is the prime reason for male hair loss, and is related to

androgenetic alopecia, which causes thinning of hair and

eventual baldness, experts note.

THE BOTTOMLINE

They also add that hair loss depended on genetics. But,

the unfortunate fact was that even though it relied on

genetic make-up, it is not purely based on your DNA.

Ultimately, the bottom-line is that your diet is a major

contributor to beautiful locks of hair. You could do one

simple thing: cut out on the junk food.

PROSTATE CANCER

It is wise to note that not only junk, there are other items

on the list that men should be wary of. For instance,

it is not great to know that your favourite male food –

hamburger – is also a problem poser. Going by research,

a few burgers a week upped the risk of getting prostate

cancer. In fact, reports say that the chances are like 40

percent, which is not a joke. Although it is nothing new,

the fact is that cooking meat at high temperatures create

cancer causing chemicals that damage DNA. Those who

ate meat cooked in pan were found to be at the biggest

risk, and those eaters of red meat to be really pushing it!

Research has found that those men who ate baked

poultry had lower risk of prostate cancer as compared to

those who pan fried it. Even fish that was pan fried posed

graver danger. As researchers probe the reasons, they

still maintain that although they don’t have the answers, it

was wise to avoid pan fried stuff.

DIFFERENT DIETS

The diet requirements of men and women are slightly

different. Men require more calories, carbohydrates

and protein owing to their larger muscle mass. But, that

doesn’t mean you can eat anything to supplement these

in your body. There are certain foods that you should

avoid because of their potential harmful nature to your

health.

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID

While it is quite often maintained that one should look

at a healthy and balanced diet, which includes fruits,

vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins etc., many men

don’t really bother about it. Some of the foods that men

should avoid include fatty meats, enriched flour, fried

foods and added sugars. Also, avoid dairy products,

enriched flour, fried items, lavender etc.

AVOID

FOODSthat you could ideally

By Michael Pauluke

Hair today, gone tomorrow? This is one of the biggest fears on the cosmetic front for men. Hair loss, balding, receding hairline and total hair loss are indeed hair-raising prospects for many men. In fact, look around: You see more bald men than hairy

ones today. And there has to be a reason for that.

8 September 7- 30, 2012

9Black & White 9Black & White

10 September 7- 30, 2012

Men h

ealt

h

10 September 7- 30, 2012

11Black & White

How to eat your way out of a

STROKEWhat you eat is what you are. And eating healthy food makes you healthy. This is not too hard to understand, yet, many men out there are bound to get into trouble despite all the advices floating around. When you consume a diet high in fat, cholesterol and salt, it can increase the risk of stroke, health experts say while adding that there are

also foods that men can eat to get healthy hearts and thereby avoid strokes.

MORE FRUITS, LESS STROKES

The first step to take if you even remotely suspect of

any heart related ailments is to see the doctor. In the

meantime, if you focus on food, it is time to eat a well-

balanced diet that contains fresh vegetables, fruits,

lean, clear protein foods and whole grains. “Fruits

and vegetables contain antioxidants that counteract/

prevent the damage from free radicals,” a health expert

noted, adding that frequent fruit consumers had much

lesser incidences of strokes. The benefits of fruits

and vegetables are two fold: they are not just rich in

antioxidants, they are also having good supplies of

vitamin B6 and folic acid. It is known that B vitamins

reduce levels of homocysteine (which again has shown to

increase the risk for stroke).

EAT YOURSELF BLUE AND PURPLE

Experts identified a diet rich with blue and purple fruits

and vegetables, grapes, eggplants and red cabbage.

Start consuming fruits that are high in antioxidants,

vitamin C,

potassium and magnesium, such as apples,

pomegranate, cranberries, apricots, kiwis, oranges and

blueberries on a daily basis. These nutrients help enrich

the blood and support healthy cells, they said.

BE A BUGS BUNNY

Being a ‘Bugs Bunny’ works! Help yourself to a good dose

of carrots too, other experts noted. Carrot consumption

works not just for the cartoon character, but also for you.

The more servings you have, the more the chances for

reducing a stroke.

STEP UP THE ANTIOXIDANTS

Time and again, experts have stressed the importance

of consuming fruits that are high in antioxidants, vitamin

C, potassium and magnesium. These include fruits like

apples, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, kiwis, oranges

etc.

HOOK UP ON THE OMEGA 3

The importance of fish cannot also be reiterated.

Consume fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which

can help prevent cholesterol clots and thereby leading to

stroke. These include salmon, mackerel and herring. In

fact, eat plenty of fish. Regular fish eaters have a lower

rate of stroke than those who don’t.

WHAT FOODS TO AVOID

Avoid saturated and hydrogenated fats. Eliminate

dairy products (except for small amounts of the

low-fat varieties), red meat, eggs, margarine,

shortening, tropical oils such as coconut and palm

oil, and all fried foods. Saturated and hydrogenated

fats raise cholesterol levels, especially that of LDL

(“bad cholesterol”). Also, avoid a daily meat diet. It

has been found that a worrying percentage of those

who consumed meat daily had strokes. It is better to

‘foodwise’ than meat foolish, as a health expert noted.

12 September 7- 30, 2012

MAJOR DHYAN CHANDIndian legend and hockey wizardBy SAS Naqvi – Sports Consultant

August 29 is a hallowed day in the history of sports because it was on this day that the Indian legend and ‘wizard of hockey’ was born at the Prayag Allahabad in the

Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to Sameshwar Dutt Singh, in 1905.In honour of Major Dhyan Chand, the government of India has declared August 29 as the national sports day when leading sportsmen of the country are honoured by the President of India. I was personally associated with Dada Dhyan Chand, as he was respectfully called. I joined Western Railways in Bombay in 1952 and played in two of the most prestigious tournaments – the Gold Cup and the Aga Khan Hockey

Tournament, both held in Bombay then. The Dhyan Chand Cup in Delhi, the Beighton Cup in Calcutta were the other two top hockey tournaments at that time. I gained

name and fame in 1953 as the Western Railways figured in almost all the finals of all leading tournaments including the Inter-Railways and Obaidullah Cup held in Bhopal.

Our team of promising youngsters was led by none other than the experienced Kishen Lal, the Indian hockey captain of 1948 Olympics.

Om

an w

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13Black & White

Kishen Dada played as inside-right

with me at the right-out position. I

had developed perfect understanding

and had imbibed the styles of Kishen

Dada and my first mentor KD Singh

Babu, the hockey captain of the

1952 Olympic team. I was given the

nickname “pocket sized Kishen Lal

and/or KD Singh Babu”.

We had a wonderful attack led

by centre-forward Siddique who

performed brilliantly against

Pakistan’s Lahore Independents

comprising of several Olympians

from Pakistan. However, led by

Kishen Dada, we defeated them by

1-0 margin in the semi-finals of an

Invitation Gold Cup held in 1953 in

Bombay but had lost in the finals to

HAL, Bangalore 1-0 in the finals. We

had earlier wrested the Obaidullah

Gold Cup at Bhopal.

The press was euphoric and our

victory over Lahore Independents

received wide coverage all over the

country. The 1953 Dhyan Chand

Cup held at Delhi later, therefore

received great attention as leading

teams were in the fray including the

Independents from Pakistan. We

won the Dhyan Chand Cup also

defeating Pakistan’s Independents

once again in the semi-finals by 2-1.

We beat Kirkee United in the finals by

a margin of 3-1 and Dada was highly

impressed with our team. A grand

function was organised to celebrate

this victory and Dada Dhyan Chand

was specially invited to join the

celebrations. It was here that I was

introduced by Kishen Dada to the

good friends. In 1960 when I shifted

residence to the Matunga Railway

Colony in Bombay, Kishen Dada

became my next door neighbour and

it became a regular affair for Dada to

visit us at home whenever he came

to Bombay. Dada was also very fond

of my collection of press cuttings

of hockey matches, photos and

trophies and he loved to go through

my collection whenever he visited us.

In one of his rare letters to me, Dada

appreciated my collection (see pic).

I will also never forget that it was

Dada who personally visited the

Railway Sports Control Board to put

in a word for me and ensure that I

was nominated from the Railways for

training as a qualified hockey coach

from the Netaji Subhash Chandra

Bose Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala

in 1975. Dada was earlier the chief

coach at NIS Patiala with Balkishen

Singh as his understudy. I completed

the year long course at NIS Patiala

with flying colours.

Indeed I am most fortunate to have

shared such close moments with

the legend and wizard of hockey

and I am even more blessed that he

recommended my name for the NIS

training, which laid the foundation

for my future career as a hockey

coach and a sports administrator

and consultant. Nothing remains of

the golden era of hockey in India but

sweet memories, especially of Dada.

legend and wizard of hockey.

Incidentally, earlier KD Singh Babu

had also spoken highly of me to Dada

and my performances during the

year had already reached his ears.

It was the greatest moment of my

career when Dada first shook hands

with me and was full of admiration for

my performance. He predicted to all

present there that ‘Naqvi’ had a bright

future in Indian hockey.

Dada invited Kishen Dada and me for

lunch at his residence in Safdarjung.

The vegetarian food prepared by him

comprised of vegetable, dal and rice

– cooked in pure ghee – was served

piping hot. It was a rare honour to

dine with the legend and is one of the

best memories that I carry of Dada.

Being from the army, Dada was the

coach of the Services XI hockey team

and I often met him at the Nationals

and various All India tournaments.

Kishen Dada was invariably with me

when we met Dada as they were

FREE 20,500 copies (being audited)

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AVAILABLEall over Oman on 7th & 21stof every month

First Free Fortnightly magazine

15Black & White

By Adarsh Madhavan

O

ff th

e wall

Patient on the run

adarsh@blackandwhiteoman.com

I am wanted: Dead or alive! Preferably alive, but dead still

so that I don’t fidget when they try to scan me! There is

this nice gentleman technician at the IMC (International

Medical Centre) who wants me: an escaped patient who

was to go under the MRI scan some time back. Biju is

pretty nice and decent. I have met very few medical

technicians who are that. In fact, when my son had to go

under a MRI scan and they sent us to a well known private

clinic, we met with some of the most obnoxious technicians

and doctors alive in this industry. I can’t believe that

people with such apathy exist and no one has done them

in. It is hard to believe that every patient, or every patient’s

dad, is as forgiving as I am. Now I am not forgiving; but

when faced with such situations, I am impotent in my rage.

Unlike the silver screen, where the heroes bash up such

obnoxious ones to pulp, I, in reality, in the gray screen,

just fume with impotent anger and pain. But, Biju was the

epitome of kindness and understanding. When I removed

my shoes and my watch, my many rings et al, he told me

that it was going to be a painless episode and all that I

had to do was to lie still so that he manages to get a good

reading of my left shoulder, which has been frozen for the

last six months (doctors from Apollo Medical Clinic advised

me to get a MRI done at the IMC). I wonder why they call

it ‘frozen’ because the pain that rips my innards can melt

all my resolve and pretence at being a tough guy and

can throw me down on the floor, writhing like a weakling.

Typically, I walked in for the scan sans preparations.

Friends have given me firsthand account on the travails of

being enclosed in a closed machine for durations between

half an hour and more. Yet, I, with my usual stupidity,

thought it would be a piece of cake. I had no clue. It was

only when Biju made out this somber statement that it was

going to be painless and there was no reason whatsoever

to fear going under the scan and that there was no side

effects for the same that realisation dawned on me. As for

the side effects my friend who had gone under this scan

believes that the radiation from the MRI can cause cancer

a decade or so, later. Biju, however, quietly noted that

the test was not only non invasive, but also the magnetic

fields and radio waves were not strong enough

to cause permanent damage to my body. At that

moment, my friend was not near me, so boo to her

and hail Biju! But, suddenly when my back hit the cold

innards of this dead machine, my confidence and my

ignorance melted and a sudden wave of panic hit me.

Biju added to my woes when he asked, “Adarshji,

I hope you are not claustrophobic?” Suddenly, all

my ailments, a bit of diabetes, asthma, suffocation,

aches, a dose of nervousness and panic and the dull

ache on my left shoulder came to the fore. It was a

panic attack and I wanted to get up and run. What

the heck, I told myself angrily, closed my eyes and

let myself slide into the centre of the MRI machine.

The opening was very small and from then on my

problems began to compound. Biju tells me that I

have to lie still for at least half an hour. I think I lasted

for three minutes and then began to fidget; my left

arm began to involuntarily twitch while I hoped that

neither Biju nor the machine saw it. I tried to suck in

air at a small opening in the machine and I told myself

that I should not hyperventilate. When-was-it-going-

to-end-when-was-it-going-to-end-when-was-it-going-

to-end-when-?!

Biju walks in suddenly and says that I had moved

several times and that we had to do it again. So, to

my utter dismay, we tried again. I was okay with the

thumping and humming sounds it made, but there

was no way I could lay still, I kept twitching, twitching

and twitching …Finally we gave it up! We will fight this

battle again another day, Biju said, avoiding my eyes.

He kept calling me afterwards, but, like the many

things I avoid in my usual escapist nature, I ignore

and am on the run…

16 September 7- 30, 2012

Word

pre

ss

American Tourister, the luggage

brand from the makers of Samsonite

recently conducted a raffle draw

for choosing 101 winners for its

American Tourister ‘Buy & Win’

promotion. The draw was held

at the Khimji Megastore, Ruwi in

the presence of the officials from

ministry of commerce and industry.

Anil Khimji, director, Khimji Ramdas,

Vivek Pande Ceo, Lifestyle Group,

Ravi Kumar, business development

manger were also present on the

occasion.

This promotion was held throughout

Oman during the period June and

July 2012. Anil Khimji, said: “The

value for money, after sale service

facilities and new attractive designs

have made American Tourister one

of the favourite luggageware for

travellers across the world. American

Tourister ‘Buy & Win’ promotion

has created a lot of excitement and

customers from different regions in

Oman actively participated in this

promotion with enthusiasm and

fervor making it a grand success.

Customers can call our customer

care toll-free number 800-75000 to

get more information on American

Tourister products.”

American Tourister bags, including

suitcases, uprights, briefcases,

laptop bags, back packs and beauty

cases available at Khimji’s luxury and

lifestyle stores and across all major

outlets Oman.

American Tourister Buy & Win promotion winners

Travel

City LLC

and Travel

Point LLC

announced

the

repositioning

of Sunil

Prabhakar, group general manager

as the Chief Executive Officer of

the Travel Group, recently. Known

for reliability and “getting the work

done” through persistence and strong

work ethic, Prabhakar is a highly

motivated, creative and versatile

individual in the travel industry with

more than 27 years of experience in

Oman.

In 2008, he took over the reigns

as group general manager of the

company from where he continued to

achieve one milestone after another

and in only four years time enhances

the business network from only two

branches, to 38 fully operational

branches spread across the whole

of Oman today. The company

has augmented from only a nine

member workforce to a team of over

200 efficient and skilled personnel,

dedicated towards delivering

travel products and services par

excellence.

Sunil Prabhakar, currently heads

the Travel Consortium comprising

Travel City and Travel Point LLC

and Al Araimi Travel & Cargo LLC.

Travel City LLC & Al Araimi Travel &

Cargo LLC are IATA (International

Air Transport Association) approved

Passenger Sales Agents. Travel

Point LLC represents all other travel

solutions such as international

product franchises, high quality

leisure and hospitality products.

Chief executive officer of Travel Group

Travelex Oman has launched exciting new tourism

ambassador awards that will reward individuals and

businesses for outstanding achievements in the

promotion of tourism in Oman – providing prizes for those

who are often the “unsung” heroes of the Om ani tourism

industry and have gone above an beyond in delivering

first class service and tourism products.

An independent panel of judges taken from leading

organisations in the tourism industry in Oman, including a

senior representative from the Ministry of Tourism itself,

will decide on the winners of these awards that Travelex

Oman plans to become an annual event. The awards

are open to any individual or business that is currently

operating within the tourism industry in Oman.Ten

separate awards will be presented:

Commenting on the awards Graham Flannery, Travelex

Director of Business Development for the Middle East

said: “We are very proud to be launching these awards

at an exciting time for both the industry as well as the

Travelex business, as we approach our tenth anniversary

in Oman in 2013. As a company who deals with travellers

and tourists every day we recognise the vital importance

of outstanding customer service and delivering the

personal touch the personal touch when dealing with

visitors.”

Application forms for the awards are available from www.

travelexomanawards.com and Travelex’s stores. The

closing date for applications is October 31, 2012.

Travelex Oman launches new tourism ambassador

17Black & White

Redtag has opened its first store in Oman recently amid

fun and excitement. Strategically located in Al Khuwair,

allowing easy access to its customers, the new store was

inaugurated by Sayyid Faisal Turki Al Said, Coo director

general of marketing and media, The Public Authority

for Investment Promotion and Export Development in

the presence of Redtag management, staff, media and a

large gathering of customers.

After the inauguration ceremony, the chief guest was

taken on a visit of the store and he was also provided with

an overview of the products & services that the customers

will now be able to enjoy in Oman.

Spread over an area of 2,200 sq mt , the store layout is

attractive and so are the items on display, adding to the

all-round appearance.

Large aisles and a bright and spacious setting accentuate

the feel-good factor. Shoppers can look forward to a wide

array of trendy clothes and accessories under one roof,

which make it truly a one-stop shop for all their shopping

requirements.

Commenting on the launch of Redtag in Oman, Ernest

J. Hosking, Ceo of the Redtag Group said “We are

excited to have opened our first store in the Sultanate

and look forward to sharing our long-standing traditions

of exceptional customer service, great value and a broad

assortment of merchandise with the Omani community

and we are certain that the Sultanate will have a fresh

shopping experience at our Redtag store in Muscat.”

REDTAG opens its first store in Oman

Six top flame grillers from Nando’s Oman competed

against each other recently in an effort to qualify for the

‘Africa Awaits 2012 – International Grillers Challenge’

scheduled for September 19th to 24th. The aim is to

provide an opportunity for Nando’s staff from all around

the world to compete for the title of ‘Grand Master Griller’,

by grilling the best quality chicken and delivering on the

Nando’s promise to customers. Yousuf Saber Al Balushi

who won recently is an Omani Nandoster that has been

working for Nando’s Oman for the last three years.

Nando’s Master Griller competition

Park Inn by Radisson

Muscat announced

recently the appointment

of the new executive chef

Ajay Dhoundiyal, to lead

its culinary team. “Ajay

has over 15 years of

experience in the culinary

industry, and we believe

that he is a master in

what he does. As the

new executive chef of

the hotel, he will lead the

culinary team, preparing and managing the operations

of the hotel’s dining outlets and M&E”, says Fahad Al

Wahaibi, executive assistant manager.

Ajay, who specialises in International cuisine, has

had the experience of leading the kitchen team.

He has experience in a diverse well-known hotels

establishment.

“We are delighted to have Ajay as our new executive

chef at Park Inn by Radisson Muscat,” says general

manager Rabih Zein. “We look forward to invite our

guests and clients in to taste Chef Ajay’s ingenious

dishes and enjoy new and fresh culinary experience.”

New executive chef at Park Inn

18 September 7- 30, 2012

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A sumptuous new carvery buffet menu featuring the ‘Sunday favourite’

of a full roast with all the trimmings was launched at the Almouj Golf

Academy restaurant, adding to the wide range of offers at the oasis on

the course. Available every Friday from 12 noon to 4pm, the new menu

adds the perfect taste to the weekend for both golfers looking to fuel up

with a hearty meal after a round and non-golfers spending time within

the relaxing surroundings of the Almouj Golf course. Michael Blumberg,

food and beverage service manager, Almouj Golf, said of the new

addition: “We are really pleased to see yet another favourite taste added

to our Academy restaurant menu. The carvery buffet will be an occasion

not only for golfers, but for all the family, and promises to become one of

the firm favourite academy restaurant deals.”

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has

awarded a group of 15 students of the German University

of Technology in Oman (GUtech) with three week study-

scholarships for RWTH Aachen University in Germany.

“Congratulations for your achievements – a scholarship

is a reward for your good performance; but we also

want you to be ambassadors of our university when you

travel to Germany,” said Juergen Werner, deputy rector

for academic affairs at GUtech during an info-evening

with the students and their parents. The 15 students of

different study-programmes had to apply with a letter of

motivation that was followed by an interview. They were

chosen out of 42 applicants.

The group of Omani and international students and two

Omani GUtech staff members will travel to Germany

after the Eid holidays. They will study German at RWTH

Aachen’s Language Centre in the mornings and in the

afternoons they will have a cultural programme that

includes visits to The Netherlands, Belgium, Cologne

as well as an Omani evening. “For most of the students

this is the first trip to Germany. We want the students

to get to know more about life in Germany, experience

the classroom situation in our German parent-university

and learn more about their department at RWTH Aachen

University,” said Nicola Huson, head of the German

language department and representative of the DAAD in

Oman.

Almouj Golf launches its newest taste

DAAD awards 15 GUtech students with study-scholarships

Salma’s Chocolates, the latest

Intajee product launched by Omran,

has become an overnight YouTube

sensation. The video that depicts the

voyage of founders Salma and Aisha

Al Hajri to becoming world class

chocolate connoisseurs has now

received more than 32,000 views

in just 24 hours alone. The launch

of the handmade Omani chocolate

brand was recently held at the Sultan

Center under the patronage of Eng.

Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, minister

of commerce and industry.

As part of its Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) agenda, Omran

provided the necessary investment

for training, equipment, packaging

and marketing to enable the products

to reach the shelves of Sultan Center

and become available to the wider

general public. Omran also provided

assistance with sourcing authentic

Omani ingredients necessary to

Salma’s Chocolates becomes overnight

YouTube sensation with over 32,000 views in 24 hours

create their inventive delights from

local producers. The video can be

viewed on Omran’s official YouTube

channel: http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=6qXyLKJyhTA

19Black & White

Mountain Dew announced that

its partnership with Warner Bros.’

and Legendary Pictures’ summer

blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises,”

which opened in theaters here

recently, will engage Dew and Dark

Knight fans in nearly 20 countries

across the Americas, Europe, Asia

and the Middle East this summer

as part of Mountain Dew’s first-ever

global campaign.

“Dew fans in the U.S. and around the

world have incredible passion for the

Dark Knight franchise. With Dew’s

first-ever global campaign we are

giving fans the exclusive opportunity

to experience Gotham City like

never before,” said Brad Jakeman,

president, Global Beverages

Group, PepsiCo. “Mountain Dew is

a tremendously successful brand,

and we are excited about continuing

to find unique and authentic ways

to connect with Dew fans and fuel

the growth of the brand around the

world.”

The promotion in Oman will invite

eager DEW fans to “Go Inside

Gotham City” and to experience

“The Dark Knight Rises” campaign

in a variety of ways, including: The

packaging of 1.25 Liter Mountain

Dew bottles and 6-pack Mountain

Dew glass NRB bottle carriers which

will come in attractively designed

limited edition packaging in which

the hero’s character of the famous

“Batman” movie will be featured.

In addition, a “Collect and Win”

campaign will be launched in a

number of modern retail outlets

which will give buyers the chance to

win premium prizes.

Mountain Dew global campaign

The Nawras Goodwill Journey 8 team members

concluded their voyage of compassion and sharing at a

homecoming and recognition ceremony held under the

patronage of Maitha Saif Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary

of the ministry of tourism. The event at Muscat Grand

Mall marked the return of the Nawras Goodwill Journey

volunteers who visited those in need within communities

across the length and breadth of Oman.

Following a video screening of the main highlights of the

journey, the under secretary presented each volunteer

with a certificate of recognition. Over the recent past,

Oman’s customer friendly communications provider

donated numerous gifts including laptops, mobile

phones, televisions, air conditioning units, washing

machines, iPads, sewing machines and wheelchairs and

headphones.

During the final event in Muscat, Saleh bin Nasser Al

Riyami, Nawras board director, said, “Fasting Nawras

volunteers have travelled across the country to help those

attending and running charitable organisations during

the Holy Month of Ramadan. By working together in

harmony, the teams have shown they can have a more

powerful and greater impact in enriching people’s lives.”

The eighth Nawras Goodwill Journey has seen 20

volunteers visit branches of the Omani Woman’s

Association across the country showing support for the

great work being carried out every day by those working

hard to enrich the lives of people in the Sultanate.

Starting in Muscat on July 28, the Nawras convoy visited

Nizwa, Dhank, Al Buraimi and Al Mussanah, Al Suwaiq

and Al Rustaq where donations will kick start a new

tailoring business for women in the community.

Eighth Nawras goodwill journey

20 September 7- 30, 201220

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National Bank of Oman’s (NBO) employee volunteers

continued to spread joy among families in the different

regions of the Sultanate by distributing Iftar Sa’im Boxes

to the needy during their concluding trip in Salalah.

This final NBO “A’ Rahma Iftar Sa’im Road Trip” in

Salalah, was led by Abdul Qadir Ahmed, NBO’s assistant

general manager- branch sales and distribution, assisted

by Hassan Kashoub, NBO’s regional manager, all NBO

Salalah branch managers and their teams.

The goodwill trip started at Al Sa’ada in Salalah, where

NBO employee volunteers visited a number of houses

and spent time with the needy families, listening to their

daily challenges and spreading happiness among all.

Besides distributing Iftar Sa'im Boxes, goodies were also

distributed – much to the delight of all the children.

The trip thereafter moved towards to Mirbat, and then

onto Al Hafa and eventually concluded in Taqa. Hassan

Kashoub, NBO’s regional manager – Salalah and his

team were responsible for locating the homes of the

beneficiaries and ensuring smooth distribution of the

boxes to the families.

Aisha Al Kharusi, NBO’s head CSR and corporate

communications said: “We are indeed delighted that our

Iftar Sa’im Road Trips helped us to cover most of the

country. Our Employee Volunteers are truly humbled and

grateful for the opportunity to contribute their time and

support, within their communities where NBO conducts

its business. NBO’s management and staff remain

committed towards supporting CSR programmes for the

better good of our community and for our nation”.

NBO “A’ Rahma Iftar Sa’im Road Trips” concludes

Muscat City Centre and Qurum City

Centre created a buzz this summer

with fantastic deals of up to 75 per

cent off and a season-wide promotion

that included RO 100 worth of gift

vouchers being given away daily –

and one lucky shopper driving away

in a brand new Chevrolet Tahoe.

Amira Salim Al Siyabi was the lucky

winner of the grand prize raffle draw,

which was held at the end of the

promotion. During the campaign,

which took place this summer

shoppers who spent OMR30 across

any of the combined 200 stores at

Muscat City Centre and Qurum City

Centre would be eligible to enter

the draw. Presenting the key of the

beautiful new 4x4 Tahoe, was Watfa

Humaid Al Harthy and Husam AL

Mandhari, both senior mall managers

for Qurum City Centre and Muscat

City Centre respectively.

Muscat City Centre and Qurum City

Centre’s summer promotion was

hosted over a five week period and

in addition to shopping deals, the

malls offered a calendar of family

entertainment throughout the season.

Lucky shopper drives away in a brand new Chevrolet Tahoe

Bank Muscat ‘borrow wisely’ educational campaign launched

as part of its social responsibility

initiatives, serving Omani society and

striking the right financial balance

between the customer’s actual needs

and their payment capabilities. The

campaign offersadvisory services

to customersto show them how to

take a loan within their financial

capabilities.The ‘borrow safely’

campaign will be instrumental in

organising a number of educational

and awareness events/activities,

including seminars and educational

evenings in all the governorates

and wilayats of the Sultanate.

Speaking on the occasion of the

launch, Said bin Ahmed Al Badai,

AGM branches with bank muscat,

said: "The launch of ‘borrow safely’

campaignis one of the plans bank will

reveal to consolidate its role in the

area of social responsibility, aimed

at supporting vital sectors in the

community.”

Bank

Muscat

recently

launched

its ‘borrow

safely’

campaign

aimed

at educating the general public to

carefully control their borrowing.

The launch of this new campaign is

another commitment by bank muscat

21Black & White

TALE OF A MOUNTAIN RECLUSE

Think of a life without your mobile. Or without internet

connection? Or, without a car? Can you even think of

a life without coffee or tea? No! A big ‘NO’!

Today’s man (and woman!) cannot live without these

‘basic necessities’! Man is more of a social animal

today than ever and he/she cannot live in isolation like

before. Today’s individual is made of the society he is

born and lives in and before he dies, he proposes to

live by enjoying everything that society can give him.

This cannot be obtained if you live in isolation and cut

off from life.

In short, he is dependent on society and vice versa

because society is peopled with men and women who

are like him and think like him. Moreover, they cannot

be separated from their devices. Some of us are so

dependent on our mobiles, net and the like, that we

feel totally handicapped when we are away from

them!

So, when the B& W team expressed their desire to

hike up the second tallest mountain --the Jebel Khawr

-- to meet up with an Omani recluse who shunned

society and lived in his own world – a world filled with

silence and nothing more – I was more than delighted.

This was not an ordinary story. It was a tale filled

with adventure, thrills, and for once, a chance to look

Why is Salim up on a mountain top all by himself? And why are these villagers hiking up once in two months to meet him, to ensure that he is alright? He has given up on everyone, but these villagers have not given up on him Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali

Editor-in-chief

In Black...

& White

In B

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beyond and within ourselves. So, the team took up the

challenge and scaled the mountain to find a man who

gave up everything to find himself.

We understand that all human qualities, including the

ability to learn a language, enquire and think, play and

work, help or harm others are developed in human society

only. These capacities grow through social interaction

with others. One cannot develop into a normal person

in isolation. Meeting the hermit, Salim Al Hinai, was an

intriguing experience. But, more than that, this adventure

was also a reaffirmation that Oman is indeed a land

of hospitality beyond compare. Why is Salim up on a

mountain top all by himself? And why are these villagers

hiking up once in two months to meet him, to ensure that

he is alright? He has given up on everyone, but these

villagers living in the foothills of the mountain he is on

have not given up on him.

Our sincere thanks to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin

Said, who ensures that every living being on his land

is taken care of. Kudos to the committed officials of the

directorate general of police aviation also for the great

efforts to reach essentials to even the remotest places in

Oman. The B& W team would also like to thank every one

concerned – especially the helicopter team, the guides,

the interpreter and all of those who made this mission up

the mountain to meet a mysterious recluse, possible.

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23Black & White

The Hermit atop

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25Black & White

Omanis living in the foothills of the jebels have various tales to say. Of mysterious happenings, of strange people and unusual events. One such tale is that of a young Omani who went up a mountain many, many years ago and never came back; of how he found his ‘abode’ in the swathe of rocks up where only the eagles cry and how he lived all alone, content because he seems to have found himself there.

We, the Black & White, decided to follow this ‘tale’ to its roots and found it to be as true as the stories that abound on this strange hermit living atop the Jebel Al Khawr. A tale of a man who left everything to, perhaps, find himself atop a mountain…

What is he? A saint? A man who has connected with his soul on top of a rugged jebel? Or someone who has es-caped from it all? Was he, in terms, someone who has rebelled against the normal dictates of life and decided to live it entirely on his own terms? We don’t know. We tried to find out by getting atop this lonely mountain in an area, which nature continued to bless with enough sunlight, to meet a man, who although time forgot, was still remembered by many below.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,

to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could

not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came

to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to

live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish

to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I

wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to

live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that

was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive

life into a corner...”- Henry David Thoreau – Walden

25Black & White

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The man on the mountain

Amidst that cacophony of unused supplies dropped there

some recently, and others, years back, a dark, black

bundle of a man sat on the ground, unmoving. As we

neared, our guides yodeled out a greeting in Arabic and

we followed, slightly hesitantly as though we were not

sure of what to expect. What could we expect on top of a

mountain like this: someone like Henry David Thoreau (*)

who went to live in the woods alone?

But unlike Thoreau, who lived alone in his experiment for

just over two years, this old man atop the mountain, must

be there for the last 50-odd years (around 52) and in this

case, it is not an experiment!

We found a dark, tiny, emaciated figure in tattered

clothes spewing out some form of greeting of which we

had no clue. His dark leathery feet was bare and if he

stayed motionless for sometime, he would merge with

the surroundings, another dark, weather beaten, sun

scorched entity in that bowl above the mountains, which

this ageless Omani hermit calls his own.

We were in the abode of Salim Al Hinai, a man as

ageless as the mountain he lived on and as mysterious

and perhaps as dignified in his own way. And as silent

save for the occasional strange words that he emitted.

Otherwise, he could be seen muttering on his own,

or, as the legends say: he was holding an animated

conversation with a Jinn (a benign spirit). Even during our

nearly one hour session with him, he would suddenly veer

off in silence punctuated with his one-sided conversation

The helicopter flattened everything in that area and sprayed dust and little pebbles wild in every direction. We stepped out into that golden-sun-lit but barren ground,

like mercenaries out on a mission to ‘kill’. Armed with cameras, notepads, pens, and thousands of questions, we ducked out of the helicopter and ran to a safe distance as

it took off again for another mission. We squinted to see if we could find the subject of our risky adventure trip up the inscrutable jebels. For some moments, we could

see nothing moving, not even leaves of the shrubs next to a tangled heap of goods, a semi cave, a tent-like structure, loads of water containers and the like.

27Black & White

It didn’t seem sad because, he seemed utterly content

with himself and his fate, which he had chosen for

himself. He had shunned society to live in solitude. He

also shunned all the trappings of life: just imagine a world

without toothpaste, soap, shampoo, hair brush, water…

just imagine being without cereal, eggs, chicken, rice,

sweets, ice cream…imagine, not having to shower, clean,

cut your hair or beard…imagine not having a bathroom,

or a bed, or a roof above your head…imagine not having

to work, not going for a nine to five job, or earning,

spending and saving money…imagine not having any

money or wanting to buy something with it…imagine not

having a family, a wife or a child and imaging not having

any possessions or having anything that would invite

trouble…imagine having no responsibility, or the need to

worry or be anxious about anything…imagine a life that

had no morning or night…imagine where time, literally,

stood still…

Imagine a life where you had no one to call your own, a

with his Jinn friend. Then, we would see him muttering

and his hands gesticulating to some reply to his unseen

companion. But, it didn’t seem eerie, or even sad.

For, here was a man who gave up everything and

was not just living all on his own, but also away from

everyone, everything. Far from the madding crowd…and

beyond!

Maybe he was not looking at living deep or “sucking

out all the marrow of life”, but Salim Al Hinai did lead a

Spartan’s life in the deep entrails of one of the tallest

jebels in Oman. Still, he was isolated, cut off from

everything and away from anything remotely human.

Imagine

a life

that

stood

still

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life where the desire to live or even die is non existent,

but you are still self contained and happy. That is the kind

of life Salim Al Hinai was living amidst a swirl of rocks.

NO ROOF ABOVE HIS HEAD

Salim’s roof kept changing: when it was night, it went

dark, and sunny in the mornings, and occasionally the

skies broke to shower him with ice cold rain. But, up

where he belonged, he had no qualms about being under

the sun or the rain. This small, five foot, wiry man who

when he moved, looked as though a cave man statue

was brought back to life, could take the elements in his

stride. He had built a small stone house many years

ago, but when the roof collapsed, he stayed out of it,

sometimes in a small semi-cave, or, a tent of sorts or

under the canopy of a pine tree.

ATOP FOR THE LAST 50-ODD YEARS

He seemed to have lost all sense of time. To a query,

which we put across through our friendly guide, Hamoud

Hamad Rashid Al Hinai, he replied that he came alone

above this mountain a decade or so before His Majesty

Sultan Qaboos bin Said took over as the ruler of Oman. “I

must be here for the last 10 years,” Salim says innocently

as we all stifle a laugh. We try to tell him that was some

42 years ago and therefore he must be atop here for the

last 50-odd years. Salim cannot believe that. “No way,” he

says. “I think I am here only for the last 10 years…” We

let him be.

NO KAHWA

Even above the mountain and with almost nothing to his

own, Salim has not lost the legendary Omani hospitality

as he tries to see what he could give us, the uninvited

guests. We decline and he says a trifle apologetically that

he is out of coffee/kahwa. “I don’t have enough (kahwa)

to give you all,” he says.

TALL MOUNTAIN TALES

We sit opposite him and stared like he was someone

from outer space. The cameras clicked incessantly as

we tried to take that quintessential cover shot. All of us

have a commercial purpose for living. And we, sort of,

look down upon those who have no purpose. But, when it

came to Salim, despite not being able to understand why

he took this stance to get away from it all, we still did not

feel as though he was wasting his time. He ‘must’ have a

purpose.

The story goes that many years back, he was living in

Saudi Arabia when he suddenly disappeared. He was

later found in a cave and since then, he was submerged

in his own eccentricity. After returning from Saudi Arabia,

he went up Jebel Khawr. And then the legend began…

some tales as tall as the mountain he is on.

Salim had built a small stone house many years before, but when the roof collapsed, he stayed out of it

29Black & White

FIVE FEET TALL

Salim is just five feet and nothing.

Perhaps lesser, as his age and the

elements seems to have shrunk

him further. He would not weigh

more than 40kgs. Draped loosely

on his skeletal body was a tattered

brownish black fur coat, which had

the left shoulder popping out like as

though a bullet had torn into him.

He had a coloured musr and he

was permanently squinting against

the sun. We thought he had some

problem with his left eye because it

seemed to be always closed, but at

some stage we saw it fully open.

IT IS THE HOLY MONTH

We pounded him with queries.

Sometimes he answered, sometimes,

he just veered the conversation to

something mundane and irrelevant,

or like at one point, he suddenly

realised we were all under the

scorching sun and so he got up in

the middle of a question and told

us that we should shift our position

under the shade of a pine tree. We

moved there and he drifted into his

own world for sometime, talking to

himself.

“He is talking to his Jinn,” Hamoud

quietly told us, while we corrected

him and said that the poor man was

only talking to himself.

Our meeting with him was during the

Holy Month of Ramadan and so we

ask him about the month. He seemed

happy to know that it was Ramadan,

but reserved comments on the same.

NEEDS A ROOF ABOVE HIS HEAD

He did not have any answers as to

why he chose to live alone and why

in a remote place like this. “But it was

green,” he says suddenly. “Green…

when I first came here, it was green,

silent and peaceful.”

We look around, other than the mess

of the things strewn around there,

there were still patches of green and

when we leave it was going to be

quiet and peaceful.

The story goes that many years back, he was living in Saudi Arabia when he suddenly disappeared. He was later found in a cave and since then, he was submerged in his own eccentricity. After returning from Saudi Arabia, he went up Jebel Khawr. And then the legend began…some tales as tall as the mountain he is on

A small semi-cave, where Salim often spends his nights

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“I was young then,” Salim reminisces. “And healthy...

I built a small rock home, but the roof always caved in

and so I gave up the pursuit. If someone could help me,

I could build the roof…” he trails off sans emotion. He

points to his current tent-like structure made of wood and

old clothes. “Too cold…I prefer a cave,” he adds.

Later on, after much probing, he admits he likes silence,

which the mountain seems to offer in plenty. But he is

neither alone nor lonely. Without touching on his silent,

unseen partner, he says that there are others like him

scattered around the mountain realm. “Sometimes, I see

them,” he says. This ‘sometimes’ is measured in terms of

years.

ONLY KAHWA

Doesn’t he want anything? Hasn’t he got any desire?

Yes, he wouldn’t mind a roof above his unfinished rock

home. He wouldn’t mind some coffee/kahwa!

Nothing else?

Nothing else!

UNDER THE PINE TREE

Whatever provisions that he require is supplied to him.

He is content; desires nothing. “Many years ago, I used to

go down the mountain and bring back essentials with the

help of a donkey. Now, neither do I have the energy to go

down, nor, do I have the inclination,” Salim confesses.

He is not bothered about the elements or the ravages of

the climate; extreme heat; extreme cold, storms et al, he

lives through it and survives. “Whenever it rains, I get wet,

but then it dries. It is not so hot at the top and in fact, it is

cold than warm, which is why I wear this jacket.”

He points to the pine tree, which always offers shade

and is cool. What would a day in the life of Salim be like?

Hours under the pine tree; eating and drinking when he

felt like, sleeping whenever he felt the need…there was

no schedule, no clock ticking its constant disapproval.

He took life as it came by in the seeming monotony of a

mountain top dwelling.

Sometimes, he allowed himself the pleasure of snacking

on a delicacy – some qubus/kubz rolled around dates and

milk, which is given to him by passing goat-tending folks

atop the mountain.

The only exercise he has is when he goes to collect

wood, which again was infrequent.

Has he fallen sick; has he broken any bones, we ask

rudely. He is non committal about this part, but admits

that he had fallen sick at times. “I have had stomach

problems!”

Salim Al Hinai in a meditative pose; close to his pine tree

31Black & White

NO FEAR, EXCEPT…

Didn’t this mountain dweller fear anything? Wasn’t he

afraid of anything? He says no at first and then adds

quietly that he did fear wild animals. What wild animals

resided atop the mountain, we wondered? “Foxes, wild

donkeys,” he says.

He has little information about his background, or about

his parents or his next of kin. He reveals that his sister is

somewhere there, living like him, alone and atop some

mountain. He is not sure where (but that is another

story…). Otherwise, he has no clue of his other relations.

ADDICTED TO HIS OWN SILENCE

But, sometimes, in the stark raving nights of solitude,

didn’t he feel alone, lonely? When nothing stirred and

even the winds didn’t keep him company and the one he

often used to speak to never replied? He did not seem

to be bothered about such a thought. Salim was not

consumed by the desire to have any human contact or

any need of such warmth. He was addicted to his own

silence and his own need for solitude.

And during the rare occasions that people came to see

him, he made small conversations in that slightly quaint

mountain dialect. He almost seemed relieved when he

bade us goodbye and as the copter lifted us out of that

almost surreal yet serene atmosphere, we saw Salim

sitting crouched there like before, alone and unmoving.

Perhaps, after we are all gone and the dust settled, he

would start his conversation with his unseen companion.

And, he would still continue his life atop the jebel, living

a life made entirely of his own and perhaps waiting for

something to happen…

What would that be? What would Salim, the hermit, be

waiting for?

Precious, these bags The hermit, Salim Al Hinai, may harbour many a secret. There are many things he would not reveal to us or anyone.

But, among these are two most priced precious possessions of Salim’s: two plastic bags, which he seemed to guard

over. Of course, he did not make a fuss about it, but, we saw him discreetly move the bags to a safe corner after we

came, a point noted to us by our guides. These not too lumpy bags were with him when we went, but after sometime,

when we moved to the shade of the pine tree, we saw him go back and inspect the bags. Satisfied that they were

intact and did not face any damage in the short span he spent away from them, he set them down in a safe spot and

with a satisfied look came back to us. What were in those bags? We did not ask; no one knew. These two innocuous

looking bags add to the mystery that Salim and his solitary life continue to be shrouded in.

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What is love?

Few really have an answer for this complicated four-letter

word. But, if we can try to decipher one form of love, it is

this one which some of the villagers down below the Jebel

Khawr have for their native son living all the way up there!

The villagers and Salim Al Hinai share a special bond,

which the latter would not realise or understand fully. But,

it is a sweet tale about the love that binds the two. Some

of these brave villagers have scaled up the treacherous

mountain just to be with Salim and youngsters like

Hamoud Hamed Al Hinai who served as our guide cum

interpreter during our meeting with Salim is one such man

who has risked his life to just meet this man who loved

anonymity and solitude. How, he managed to scale this

impenetrable rocky edifice is a question that really has no

answer but he and some others like him have done that

– climbed up just to spend some time with their beloved

hermit.

Love it is…or perhaps, it is more than just love by the

benevolent ruler and the government of the Sultanate of

Oman for its beloved people. For, who would ever think

of sending up provisions to people like Salim, whom

time has forgotten? Supplies are regularly reached up

to people like Salim, despite being in such far flung and

remote areas.

Bound by love

A villager ensuring the goods are safely packed

33Black & White

He was not only part of the trip to meet the hermit, Salim Al Hinai,

but it was thanks to him, the whole exercise was made possible.

Mohammed, who has not had the chance to meet the lone man on

top of the mountain, said he was excited at the prospect of meeting

him: “I love hiking and have done plenty of trips like this. Sometime

back, I learnt of the story of Salim who lived on one of the tallest

mountain ranges of Oman. I was totally intrigued and always wanted

to meet him. Meeting him would be a dream come true!

“I have heard that he lives all alone and his family members and

villagers reach food and other essentials to him once in three

months or so. He is said to be totally harmless, but his life alone,

atop the mountain, is one shrouded in mystery. Why is he living all

alone and away from everything? That is one question I would like

to ask him when I meet him.” Mohammed, who assisted the B&W

team up the mountain in their attempt to meet the hermit, notes

that there was a tough hiking trail, which began from the end of the

Bahla village and would easily take over five hours to reach the

hermit. We took the easier way out.

Adventurer’s dream

to meet the hermit

The village of Ma'abas, from where essentials were airlifted to Salim's mountain abode

Mohammed Al Azri, 33, is a young adventure expert and instructor, who has traversed across various remote and inaccessible locales of Oman and lives to talk about it.

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Hamoud is one of those who is not only gifted with high

spirits, but also has the pluck and the strength to scale

the near-impenetrable mountain wall and reach to solitary

folks like Salim Al Hinai. “All of us in the Ma’abas area

and the nearby villages know about Salim, who is part of

the region’s folklore.

Salim actually belongs to a village here called Hail Al

Khadra. We do not know why he stays up the jebel all

alone. We have heard from relatives and other villagers

how he landed up there.

Salim was working in Saudi Arabia in the 60s when on

one fateful day he disappeared. His relatives and family

members searched for him for almost a week and found

him finally in one of the caves there. They brought him

back to Oman. Within weeks, he disappeared again and

was later found to be living up on the Jebel Khawr. We

have tried our best to bring him down, but he feels safe

and happy to live alone up there. Now it is over 45 years

plus; we have lost count!

Two weeks back, my father went up the mountain and

gave him some food and basic amenities. He is not

interested in anything, lives alone, walks alone and is

always silently mumbling to himself. There are many,

who think he has lost his mental stability, but no, he is

quite alright, but for the fact he talks to himself. Some

of the villagers believe he is living up there on top of

the mountain with a jinn because he keeps talking to

someone. We don’t think he is unsound; in fact, he also

does remember many things.

It is part of the Islamic tradition to take care of your family

and tribe members and we villagers take care of Salim in

whatever way we can. Once in a month someone from

the village visits him and talks to him, gives him fresh

food etc. But, he makes only scant use of food and water.

Although he is frail and thin, he is still quite healthy.

Two years back we tied him up and tried to bring him

down, the reason being that villagers felt he is old and he

should be here with people and community. But he ran

back. He walks all the way up to the tallest point in Jebel

Khawr taking some difficult donkey tracks. It is not easy

It’s Salim’s choice to live aloneHamoud Hamad Rashid Al Hinai, who volunteered to be our guide cum interpreter,

hails from the nearby Nadan Village, in the Ma’abas area. Although he works in Salalah, he rushes back to his village during his vacations and offers his services to

anyone in need.

35Black & White

Mohammed Moosa Al Balushi, 28, crew member of the helicopter that took us atop Jebel Khawr, has never met the hermit, Salim Al Hinai. “I have heard of him, and in fact, seen him from

above when we air dropped supplies – food and basic materials

– to him, but never had the chance to meet him, talk to him,”

Mohammed Balushi tells B&W. “I have only seen him from a

distance!”

Mohammed has been part of these supply trips on three

occasions. “We drop off food, supplies and also animal fodder,”

he said, adding that they engaged in such drop offs once in three

or six months. Mohammed, a product of the Airforce Technical

College and further trained in Malaysia, noted that his job

primarily entailed in monitoring the load, hauling and dropping,

checking the electrical circuits and the like.

Suleiman Al Hinai, also from Nadan village, has been living with Salim Al Hinai’s tales since a long time: “We have been hearing of Salim since our childhood. He

must be pretty old by now – maybe around 80 or 90… he was in his

late 30s when he was in Saudi Arabia doing some sort of business.

The story is that he went missing for a week and he was found to be

hiding or living in a cave and they brought him back. Then he went up

Jebel Khawr.

But, his family is also known to be one of loners. His sister Zahia Al

Hinai is also living in one of the mountains in this region alone for the

last 30 to 40 years. But, she is more social and communicates too.

She rears a herd of goats and is self sufficient. But again we don’t

know why she lives alone.

“Salim used to be a normal young man when he was working and

trading in Saudi. How he suddenly became a silent recluse is a

mystery. But he is not dangerous or mentally unstable. We respect

his need for silence and solitude and we all keep away from him.”

Seen the hermit

from above

We respect the hermit’s

need for solitude

to reach there; we need to walk some seven to 12kms

uphill from Ma’abas. During summer it is pretty hot in the

day and cool in the night. But at the point where he is

living, it is cold. In fact he always wears thick clothes and

sweaters. The ROP/army and RAFO authorities help us

reach food and amenities to him at regular intervals, but

the expense is too much for just one man up there. But

it is his choice to be there; we have never managed to

convince him to come down.”

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The Jebel Khawr is Oman’s second highest mountain. It is said to be around 2730 m above the desert flatlands.

Although not as widely known as its popular counterparts (Jebel Akdhar and Jebel Shams), Khawr is one of a cluster

or peaks, located west of Jebel Shams (the highest peak at over 3000 m) and east of Ibri. The officials who took us

above the peak on the helicopter told us that we were going atop Bahla. Reports note that the Jebel Khawr conceals

the third largest cave in Oman.

(*)

Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American author, poet, philosopher, freemason,

abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist. He is best

known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. He built a small home on Walden

Pond and spent a little over two years there living alone -- from everyone and everything else.

THANK YOU

(We are grateful to the officials of

the directorate general of police

aviation who helped us make this

story possible; special thanks to

Mohammed Al Azri, an adventure

instructor, who was instrumental in

getting us the lead.)

Second to none

Text: Adarsh Madhavan & Priya Arunkumar

Photos: Ben

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37Black & White 37Black & White

38 September 7- 30, 2012

A lady was waiting in her car outside a video shop in Ruwi when

two bearded expatriates, dressed in kandooras approached

her. “We are seeking donation for a school. Would you donate

please?” they asked in good English. The lady found them to

be a bit suspicious looking so she asked whether they obtained

permission from the ministry of education to conduct such a

donation drive? They were taken aback, but they quickly

averred. Then, later as an afterthought, they added that it was

not for a school in Oman. They mentioned an Asian country’s

name. The lady responded saying that she was not interested to

donate. “Why not?” they demanded. “Don’t you want to support

such a charitable cause?”

“If I wanted to donate, I would donate for a school in my country.

Why would I want to donate for a school in some other country?”

the lady, who was from another Asian country, asked. “So, you

don’t believe in helping this school?” the duo asked, suddenly

looking a bit hostile. No, said the lady and then she felt as though

the two were looking at her rather menacingly. She immediately

honked at her child who was inside the video shop and zipped

out of the scene. “Somehow, it didn’t look and feel alright. They

looked strange and they behaved strangely! They were not

sending out good vibes and so I felt I didn’t want to have any

part with it,” the lady told Bitter Batter.

Serial SMSer

bites the

dust

No donations please!

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:

A serial SMSer (one who sends too many short messages on the

mobile) got into a real situation after a lovey-dovey message he

sent to one of his ‘lady loves’ ended up with the wrong person

(another elderly woman by the same name). What had happened

was in his utter carelessness, the trigger-happy mobile man,

who was in the habit of sending SMSes to all his friends and

acquaintances on a variety of issues, including personal and

intimate, sent a real confidential message, declaring not just

his ardour for his lady friend, but in his excitement, he sent it to

another lady with the same name on the list. This lady was not

just a friend of his mother’s but was also someone who always

looked down upon him. Since the outpouring in the message was

quite an overwhelming one and also revealed quite a lot of intimate

stuff, the sender realised that he was going to be in deep trouble.

Moreover, the lady who received the wrong message began to

call him non stop, most probably to shout and berate him for the

message. The serial SMSer’s problems are only just beginning!

39Black & White

Supermarket ladies need a real education in manners.

Three colleagues who bought just six or seven items in

total stood in the limited ‘five’ items counter queue at

a well known hypermarket in town. Suddenly, the lady

at the counter stopped her job, stood up and told the

trio very rudely that they should not be in this queue.

She raised her voice when she said this and the three

were shocked. One of them gathered himself and told

the woman that they were three different individuals and

they had altogether only around seven items, so what

was the big deal? The lady herself had no clue. She sat

down, rather subdued when she realised her mistake

but still went on muttering under breath to which all of

the three customers lost their cool and threatened to call

the management. This shut her up but she made sure

that her anger was felt in her bad service to the three.

It is sad that such prestigious hypermarkets keep such

badly trained and ill-mannered staff to serve their loyal

customers!

In another related SMS mistake, a man sent a

very confidential message, making a very personal

request to someone wrongly. Like the above

incident, the sender did not realise that he had sent

his personal message to the wrong man, but with

the same name, until the latter began to call him.

When he saw the name blinking on his mobile, he

realised his blunder. He cut the line and checked

his message and yes, by God, it was sent to the

wrong person! Why are people increasingly being

trigger happy with their mobiles? Should these

SMSer’s get a BlackBerry, where the chances of

making such mistakes were relatively less?!

ill-mannered

hypermarket staff

Another SMS blunder

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

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:

©T

hom

as S

nyder

©T

hom

as S

nyder

40 September 7- 30, 2012

41Black & White 41Black & White

Be a part of management

By Dr CK Anchan

Dr Anchan C.K.

managing director,

World Wide Business House

Any organisation, whether new or old, whether small

or big, needs to run smoothly and achieve the goals

and objectives, which it has set forth for itself. For this

to happen, they must develop and implement their

own management concepts. There are basically four

management concepts that allow any organisation to take

control of its destiny:

PLAN

It is the foundation pillar of management. Although every

organisation or association is different, there must be

some sort of plan implemented to achieve specified

goals and objectives. It is the base upon which the all

other areas of management are built. Planning requires

administration to assess where the company presently is

and where it would be in the upcoming years.

Strategic planning can be the overarching management

concept that sets the direction the 'future of business'

will take. Planning will involve all the various factors that

may affect business or organisation operations. There

are many different areas of planning, such as financial,

general assets available, employee pool and selection

process, and so on. The management concept of

planning should be practical and efficient.

ORGANISE

Organising at the level of the organisation involves

deciding how best to departmentalise, or cluster jobs

into departments to effectively coordinate effort. There

are many different ways to departmentalise, including

organising by function, product, geography, or customer.

Organising at the level of job involves how best to design

individual jobs to most effectively use human resources.

The organising function of management impacts

many levels of a business’s operations. First of all,

the organising function of management addresses the

manner in which people with the organisation will interact.

Who will report to who. The organisational chart and the

lines of authority. Many jobs are now designed based on

such principles as job enrichment and teamwork.

DIRECT/LEADING

Leading involves influencing others toward the attainment

of organisational objectives. Working under this function

helps the management in controlling and supervising the

actions of staff. This helps them in assisting the staff,

to achieve the company’s goals and also accomplish

their personal or career goals, which can be powered by

motivation, communication, department dynamics, and

department leadership.

It is very important to maintain a productive working

environment, build positive interpersonal relationships

and engage in problem solving. If managers are effective

leaders, their subordinates will be enthusiastic about

exerting effort toward the attainment of organisational

objectives. To become effective at leading, managers

must first understand their subordinates’ personalities,

values, attitudes, and emotions.

CONTROL

Control - includes establishing performance standards,

which are aligned to the company’s objectives.

Controlling involves ensuring that performance does

not deviate from standards. Controlling consists of three

steps, which include establishing performance standards,

comparing actual performance against standards, and

taking corrective action when necessary.

Controlling also requires a clear understanding of where

responsibility for deviations from standards lies. Two

traditional control techniques are the budget and the

performance audit. Although controlling is often thought of

in terms of financial criteria, managers must also control

production/operations processes, procedures for delivery

of services, compliance with company policies, and many

other activities within the organisation.

The concept of management has acquired special

significance in the present competitive and complex

business world. Efficient and purposeful management is

absolutely essential for the survival of a business unit.

Different concept and revolutionary strategies has been

getting evolved and will continue given the way today’s

businesses excel.

41Black & White

Managem

ent

talk

42 September 7- 30, 2012

Kid

stuff

Fun facts

n

42 September 7- 30, 2012

43Black & White

Tongue twisters:Tie twine to three tree twigs.

Trees are the longest living organisms on earth. Trees keep our air supply fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.

They provide shade and shelter, and improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds. They lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves. Here are a few fun facts about trees:

The world’s tallest tree is a coast redwood in California, measuring more than 360 ft or 110 m.

The world’s oldest trees are 4,600 year old Bristlecone pines in the USA.

There are over 23,000 different kinds of trees in the world.

In one year, an acre of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 8700 miles.

The average tree in metropolitan area survives only about eight years!

One large tree can lift up to 100 gallons of water out of the ground and discharge it into the air in a day.

Trees cut down noise pollution by acting as sound barriers.

Trees provide protection from downward fall of rain, sleet, and hail as well as reduce storm run-off and the possibility of flooding.

Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Trees located along streets act as a glare and reflection control.

The death of one 70-year old tree would return over three tons of carbon to the atmosphere.

One of the tallest soft wood trees is the General Sherman, a giant redwood sequoia of California. General Sherman is about 275 ft or 84 m high with a girth of 25 ft or 8 m.

44 September 7- 30, 2012

It’s all about rebooting

and restarting this week so forget

the past and focus on the future.

Its time to change tactics at both

work and play, so step outside your

comfort zone and you’ll catch others

off guard. Keeping them on their

toes will keep life exciting for you

and that’s what you need.

Home is where the heart

is usually rings true for you, but this

week home and hearth seems like a

lonely place. The moons move into

Aries mid week jolts your attention

over work matters, so attend to them

first then maybe you’ll get the respite

you need when you return to your

abode.

No matter how hard you

work or how much effort you put in,

it seems you’re the only one who

misses out on the rewards, and

you’re getting fed up with it. Edgy

conversations could lead to a stand

off but think long term before making

major decisions about work or love.

Calm down.

Filter the wild off the wall

ideas out of your mind over business

matters and concentrate on the tried

and tested ones that you know will

work. If a friend needs a shoulder to

cry on this week, be there for them.

They’ve been supportive of you in the

past and got you through some hard

times.

Trust your inner voice to

give you the guidance you need over

an emotional situation this week,

even if you have to work hard. You

haven’t played fair in the past and

now need to work out how to make

amends. Its only fair, especially if

you’ve been a taker and not a giver.

Sort it out.

Mercury your ruling planet

enters Aries this week and makes

you more outspoken about money,

but try to be sensitive to those with

less than you as you can be rather

brusque in your delivery of the facts

at times. Allow your softer side to

break through. You’ll get your own

way anyway.

March 21-April 20

June 22-July 23

April 21-May 20

July 24-August 23

May 21-June 21

August 24-September 23

Your ARIES

CANCER

TAURUS

LEO

GEMINI

VIRGO

Horo

scope

DAVID COPPERFIELD (BORN DAVID SETH KOTKIN;

SEPTEMBER 16, 1956) is an American illusionist, and has

been described by Forbes as the most commercially successful

magician in history.

Copperfield's television specials have won 21 Emmy Awards

of a total 38 nominations. Best known for his combination of

storytelling and illusion, Copperfield’s career of over 30 years

has earned him 11 Guinness World Records, a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a knighthood by the French

government; and he has been named a Living Legend by the

US Library of Congress.

Copperfield has so far sold 40 million tickets and grossed over

$3 billion, which is more than any other solo entertainer in

history. He currently performs over 500 shows a year.

When not performing, he creates experiences for his chain of

11 islands in the Bahamas – Musha Cay and the Islands of

Copperfield Bay, which has completed a $35 million renovation

under his supervision.

It’s not only you who has

problems and issues this week, so

stop being such a martyr and see if

there’s anyone in your circle you can

help. Embrace the unexpected and

see where it takes you over work

and love, and you might be happier

with the new direction you’ve been

pushed into.

Although you know you’ve

got commitments to meet this week

your heart’s not in it. That’s not to

say you wont do your bit, you will,

but grudgingly. You need something

major to happen in your life that’ll

restore your faith and optimism in

everything and everyone. Make it

happen.

Your emotional energy

needs to be controlled this week to

ensure your decisions are effective

not chaotic. Money still seems to

be an edgy issue but focus on work

and health matters before thinking

of your cash flow. It’s a weekend to

separate fact from fantasy and truth

from exaggeration.

Home and family need your

full attention at the weekend.

If loved ones are feeling vulnerable,

you’ll need to be patient with them,

even if they stretch your last nerve

to the max. You don’t seem to be

getting the results you want from

work situations, but make the best of

what’s going on.

A growing inner confidence

in your decision making skills puts

you in the mood to experiment, but

don’t take too much of a chance or

you’ll feel out of your depth. The suns

move into Taurus on Thursday asks

you to focus on health matters, so up

your activity levels and get moving.

Don’t feel impatient and

restless. Try to get a focal point to

direct your energy because if you

scatter your focus, as you’ve been

doing, nothing will get done and you’ll

have wasted time and energy on

nothing. Try to see the best in others

at the weekend. They’re trying their

best.

September 24-October 23

December 23-January 20

October 24-November 22

January 21-February 19

November 23-December 22

February 20-March 20

starsLIBRA

CAPRICORN

SCORPIO

AQUARIUS

SAGITTARIUS

PISCES

E-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com, Website: www.albahja.com

For men

46 September 7- 30, 2012

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)

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49Black & White

“My name is Sherlock Holmes and it is my business to know what other

people do not know," said one of the greatest detectives of all times.

If you became Sherlock Holmes who looked only at the good in people,

then imagine a situation where someone has a different way of thinking

from yours. Let’s say you believed in being extravagant and he believed

in being thrifty, which is the only clue you had in this mystery case and

you had to look for positive in this. How would you get to the bottom of

this? You would definitely do research to understand more about them.

The net result of this would be learning and understanding a different

point of view. Another positive outcome would be having a bevy of

friends, that’s because constantly on the lookout for negatives in people

are stumbling blocks to getting to know them in the real sense.

Besides, who are we to decide what is negative? Don’t we also have

our own shortcomings, right from having a fiery temper, to being a

workaholic to having fixed views about things.

People are akin to indecipherable exciting mysteries displaying a wide

range of traits like love, hatred, passion, intrigue, kindness, evil and

goodness. The change in perspective of focusing only on the positive

and eliminating the negative will make us the greatest and most

successful detective of all times, as we will have cracked the mystery of

‘being a person who embraces only the good in people’.

Tough? Easy?

You decide but as Sherlock Holmes would say, “Elementary, my dear

Watson”.

It’s my birthday month, so do drop me a line, I am definitely choosing to

be the positive Sherlock Holmes and I hope you are too!

Till next time love, hugs.

Sherlock Holmes -Part 2

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

By Vandana Shah

It's m

y lif

e

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

Email me what you’d like to say on 360degreesbacktolife@gmail.com

Follow me on twitter Vandy4PM

49Black & White

50 September 7- 30, 2012

Cookin

g

Eating fish is good for you. Fish has fabulous health benefits and are a great source of protein. They contain healthy fats that will reduce your cholesterol and improve

your health. Fish also contain omega-3 fatty acids that help keep your heart healthy and may even improve your mood. Fish have been shown to be an important diet of

many… here are a few quick and easy fish recipes…

Ingredients

125 ml (4 fl oz) whipping cream

300 g (10 oz) curd cheese

675 g (1 1/2 lb) smoked mackerel or trout, boned and

skinned

3 stalks celery, chopped

50 g (2 oz) canned sweet pimientos, chopped

15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method:

Whip the cream and fold it into the curd cheese. Add the

fish, flaked, and the remaining ingredients, combining

them all gently so as not to break the fish up too much.

Refrigerate until required. You can put the salad into a

ring mould and turn it out onto a bed of shredded lettuce.

Decorate it with the rest of the can of pimientos, cut into

thin strips.

SMOKED FISH SALAD

50 September 7- 30, 2012

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets

Lemon pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Salt to taste

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Method

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder,

and salt. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown

sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved.

Place fish in a large reseal able plastic bag with the soy

sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for

at least 2 hours. Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly

oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and

discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per

side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Ingredients

2 cups dry potato flakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon seasoning salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste

4 (6 ounce) fillets cod

2 cups butter flavored shortening, for frying

Method

In medium bowl, combine the potato flakes, flour, garlic

powder, seasoning salt, black pepper, and cayenne

pepper. Soak fish filets in bowl of cold water.

In a deep skillet or deep fryer, melt and heat the

shortening to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Dredge fish filets in dry mixture and fry in the hot oil for 5

minutes or until fish flakes apart easily. Remove from oil

and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

GRILLED SALMON

CRISPY FISH

52 September 7- 30, 2012

Opin

ionate

d

Women need to change their

BAD HABITSIt is a fact that women,

despite having lesser bad habits than men, are prone to not weaning themselves from them once they have been bitted by the ‘bad-

habits’ bug.Women may be less

indulgent in bad habits like smoking, eating fattening

foods, and not getting proper exercise. But, if

they have been habituated to such bad habits, it is

more difficult to get them out of it, research says. In fact, it has been found that even women with a family history of heart disease

are less likely to do proper exercises and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Why? It has something to do with their mental makeup, it

seems.

LIMIT YOUR HEEL’S INCHES

Women also have other bad habits, slightly related to

health, which need to be curtailed. One understands the

passion women have for high heels, but the risks of high

heels are plenty, ranging from arthritis, hammer toes,

back pain and tendon injuries. They need to know that the

higher they carry themselves on stilettos, the bigger and

harder their fall. If they can limit the inches for daily wear,

and also wear insoles to help reduce pressure on joints,

it will be beneficial in the long run. But are these women

listening?

STOP WORRYING – BE HAPPY

Women are also known to be big-time worriers: they

are known to harbour regrets, which slowly eat them

from within. It is a fact that stress is damaging to both

our physical and mental health, but despite knowing this

women still get high strung on stress as though they

are addicted to it. Research notes that women are twice

as likely as men to suffer from stress-related disorders.

They are also known to be afflicted with higher rates of

depression and anxiety. Is there a biological reason for

this? That could be but it pays to note that worrying about

53Black & WhiteE-MAIL: marketing@albahja.com, Website: www.albahja.com

For women

the future and dwelling on regrets can also only add to

the problems. Statistics reveal that women are more than

twice as likely as men to having regrets because of lost

loves and broken relationships.

NO COMFORT EATING

Another unhealthy side of women is that they are also

prone to taking refuge in comfort eating when distress

visits them. Yes, both men and women indulge in

comfort eating, but how and what they eat makes a lot

of difference. Women, unlike men, hit the wrong note by

grabbing sweet, high-calorie foods. It is a fact that women

crave for sweet when they are blue, but ideally, they

should try to boost their endorphins and health by other

means. Why not exercise (exorcise?) the blues?

GET SOME GOOD SLEEP

By no means are we saying that women are bad because

of these bad habits; women are more emotional and of

course more caring than men, which is why they get the

bad name. Of course, there are other bad habits that put

women on the other negative bracket, but, here, we are

discussing about what they should avoid to enjoy better

health. Women have this habit of not getting proper sleep,

owing to various factors. As a woman, you do know that

you have to look good and there is even societal pressure

for you to look good, even if you don’t feel good, so why

avoid sleep because it can make you look the worst.

Over and above that, lack of sleep has been blamed for

everything from accidents, high calorie consumption and

risk of heart disease. Here also, research suggests that

women suffer from sleep related problems than men. Bad

sleeping habits fluctuates blood pressure and mood too.

NEED FOR SOME ‘ME’ TIME

The other side of the story is that many women – mothers

– tend to compromise their sleeping habits to care for

children and others. In other words, they put them last on

the list. Not only are women more likely to compromise

their sleeping habits to care for children and others, they

are also prone to putting their own wants and needs at

the bottom of a hectic to-do list of chores and obligations.

To avoid running yourself into the ground, learn to

sometimes say no to those requests and commitments

that are less than essential, and make sure you set aside

some 'me' time each week to do something enjoyable

just for you. It is not an exaggerated fact to see fathers

snoring off to glory while their poor harassed wives

tend to their crying baby in the middle of the night. The

time has come for the women to take a stand and find a

balance in all this. Specifically speaking on the fact that

they compromise sleep to care for their children, it is

time for women to wake up their men to do their role as

fathers too. Also, women should also make it a point to

take particular care and also reserve some ‘me’ time for

themselves. It is imperative or all these bad habits are

going to come back and attack at the wrong time in their

lives when they are too vulnerable.

She had immense faith in me.

Not once in my entire graduation years,

she doubted my integrity, honesty or ability.

She was protective and always thought I

needed some protection from all the other

evilness around me.

Even when I failed in her expectations

she would convince herself and me that it

was beyond my control that I faulted. I will

perform better the next time.

Every time I missed her class, she would

be worried and ensure that I got the special

coaching.

And like any other tactless student, I

thought I was lucky that I had an innocent

face and a trusting head of the department.

I thought the teacher was absolutely crazy

to have faith on me.

I still remember she had high hopes on me

and believed that I was ‘scientist’ material.

She would spend extra hours on me, give

me special books and guides and made

me the class monitor and in charge for all

responsible occasions.

Recently I met her at a railway station near

my home town and she recognised and

remembered me.

She introduced me to her daughter and

said, here is the girl who was one of my

favourite students.

Very proudly she commented that she

always knew I will shine in any field I

chose!

Every September when everyone

remembers their teachers, I pray for her.

She taught me two of the best lessons in

life.

Trust and positivity!

A subject totally out of the curriculum;

which I learnt well, after my college days,

of course.

I cannot boast of many qualities today, but

yes, I am trusting and an incurable optimist!

Thanks to her and her faith on me.

I was an impatient and naughty kid most

of my student years; but was one of the

most fortunate students who got the best of

teachers in all aspects of learning.

Teachers who taught me the lessons of life,

rather than those printed on text books.

A physical education teacher who taught

me the true sportsmanship, a mathematics

teacher who made it easy for me to face

problems in life, a physics teacher who

taught me the physical impact of biting

nails, an English teacher who pushed me in

to a world of books, a Sanskrit teacher who

created a fantasy of creativity thorough

the pages of great Indian epics, a social

studies teacher who taught me to smile

through the society, a science teacher who

taught me how to poach 100 eggs in three

minutes, a SUPW teacher who taught me

that a stitch in time saves nine...

Today when I sit with my child with her text

books, I feel lost and sad.

Not one text book will teach her how to live

her life.

Not one lesson will she learn, from all that

quagmire of formulas and numbers.

No inspiration, no experiences, but loads of

tensions and inhibitions.

Maybe I am cynical, but what are the young

kids learning today?

Instead of being taught to be hard working

they are trained to find shortcuts to

everything.

Instead of being taught to be honest they

grow up watching lies all around.

Instead of being disciplined they are

prompted to break the rules.

They are taught to be affectionate and they

grow up practical in all sense!

Pages, books, text books, references,

home work, examinations… I think it is time

to give them something real to take home!

By Priya Arunkumar

priya@blackandwhiteoman.comHooked

Learning it right!