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Transcript of Black & White mag Issue 44
Vol.
3 Iss
ue 4
4II M
ay 7
-20,
2012
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4 May 7-20, 2012
Don’t look down upon usBy Adarsh Madhavan
It does not feel great when we learn that a member
of our own tribe is suffering. We, the scribes, who
attempt to prescribe the moral (and otherwise) tone
of the society that we live in; take up causes, fight
injustice and generally make a noise about anything
and everything are actually helpless when we have
to fight our own cause. When it comes to voicing our
own needs and when we have to fight a daily battle
upstream to present our cause, words fail us; we
become numb; dumb… Our backs bend, our hands
shiver, our tongues gets stuck and we stand there
nervous with impotent indignation as well as shame;
we stand there shaking like a leaf that is about to let
go…
I do not want to talk in riddles and really want to
highlight the full story, but unfortunately I am a
victim of my own words. I cannot say more than
this as it would not be right under the prevailing
circumstances; besides, most of the scribes are privy
to this issue of an expatriate journalist fighting a case
here. Since the verdict is due, let us not delve into
it at all; rather, let us keep mum about that. I am not
touching upon the case per se, but, I want to know
what happens to scribes who are forced to fight
such battles, especially when they are in a foreign
land. Who will protect them? Who will come to their
side and who will fight their cause? True, scribes
are flesh and blood like any, and I don’t mean any
special treatment should be accorded to them…or,
rather, I mean just that! Why can’t special treatment
be accorded to them in such situations?! If not for
them, at least to their families? Like, in this case, the
scribe’s wife and innocent children are the worst hit.
They have to go through the trauma for no fault of
their own.
Whatever the issue, whoever is right or wrong, my
simple question is: why should people who are not
fully related to the issue be pulled into this vortex of
suffering? Both the warring parties may have their
reasons for going about their tasks exactly the way
they deem fit, but why should innocents suffer?
Some will say aha when it comes to your own, it
hurts, right? Yes, it hurts, right. It is the unwritten
law of the world. When your own falls, we rush to
pick him/her up. It is but natural. We have not grown
to the level where we see everyone as one; at this
stage only our very own is ours!
Anyway, forget it. Now, what happens to the scribe’s
family? And how will they all live here without any
job, without any other means? Fighting a battle is
alright if you have the necessary ammunition. But,
when you don’t have any, what do you do? Can you
just scream at the ones who are shooting at you
thinking they are going to be intimidated by that?
And for an expatriate living in Oman and fighting a
case, shouldn’t the embassy concerned be there
in the front, not only protecting the person, but also
providing the necessary help in this regard? Why
are they silent and ‘indifferent’ as reports on this
issue claims? When we are in another country, the
only place we can run to in times of trouble is our
embassy. But, when that embassy does the cold
shouldering act, whom do we run to? Where will my
brother scribe run to? He does not need sympathy;
nor does he need pity. But, his basic needs as
a scribe need to be attended to by the embassy
concerned.
I am actually concerned: Where will we all run to
when we are in a spot? What will we all do when
the people in authority (who have been appointed
to support us) whom we look up to look down upon
on us?
5Black & White
6 May 7-20, 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
Ph: 24565697 Fax: 24565496
Website: www.blackandwhiteoman.com
Editorial: [email protected]
Printed at Oman Printers
Xclusive
Not bad parenting
In the 1960s and 70s, Dr Bernard Remand, the father of a son with autism, who later founded the Autism
Society of America and the Autism Research Institute, helped the medical community understand that autism
is not caused by cold parents but rather is a biological disorder
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
Dream of good skin and make it happen
Men wouldn’t dream of
having skin as good as
women, but can’t they just
have good skin? Is that too
much too ask?
3452
10
23
Help shake off your daughter’s blues
Bitter batter
if you are the mother with a
depressive daughter, go ahead
and give them some much needed
advice. At the same time, remember,
there is no magic wand to do away
with your child’s blues
Something wrong with traffic
There is something wrong with traffic
in town. Something very very wrong.
Everyone is complaining. Everyone
says they are getting late to get to
wherever they have to go, even if
they start early
7Black & White
Oman's first
comprehensive
online directory
More details: [email protected]
www.omanonlinesearch.com
Coming Soon!
I did not attend the 7th Muscat International Film Festival
(MIFF) because I was away in India at that time. At first I
heard from some people that the organisers had let down
the public by claiming to bring the Bollywood stars Saif Ali
Khan and Kareena Kapoor and then announcing that they
were not coming (B&W, issue 43). It was only later that I
learnt that the poor organisers and the fans of the stars were
let down by the stars themselves. It is such a pity that these
arrogant Indian celebrities let down the fans as well as let
down Oman. How could two individuals who are actually
feeding on the devotion by their fans let them down as
though they meant nothing to them; how could two arrogant
individuals let a country down? Why aren’t the organisers
doing anything? Why aren’t they taking these two to court?
Bal Subramanian P., Al Khuwair
I refer to the readers’ column (B&W, issue 43) where you
have mentioned about how some actors ditched the MIFF
at the last time. I wonder why so much space has to be
given to some irresponsible stars. The MIFF happened. So
many stars, especially from Hollywood came (I took photos
with them), so why are you all wasting time on about those
who did not come? This is very silly! All of you so-called
movie lovers do not like anyone from Hollywood or the Arab
world? And for your information, there were celebrities from
Bollywood too! So why waste precious time and space on
people who did not turn up?!
It is a shame!
Abdul Rahim Al Zadjali, Qurum
This is a fact! Abs doesn’t come out of the blue (Absolutely no
abs, issue 43)! You have to work for it. But, then sometimes,
even when you work at it and don’t find any development
on your abs, then you realise that there is something wrong
inherently. So, those who have problems with developing
abs, please bear all of this in mind.
Calvin Thomas, Seeb
Oman let down by ‘no show’ stars
Let’s talk about those who came
Absolutely right!
Reader's
colu
mn
8 May 7-20, 2012
Mail your views and opinions at
It was interesting to learn that water and stress plays a role in the developing
of our abs. I believe I have pretty good abs, but I am sure if I look into these
aspects, I might get it better.
Sastry G, Barka
There is no way you will lose any weight by just sitting and procrastinating about
it. Especially if you are a woman. I feel that a woman, by her very nature, should
automatically lose a little weight because we tend to do a lot of household work.
But, in the modern age, women don’t really have to do that type of work like in
the earlier days. So, although she (a woman) is fully occupied, she is still not
exactly doing that kind of work that would help her lose some pounds.
Yes, when you are forty (issue 43) you may tend to gain a little more weight than
you desire and a combination of age, laziness, and a general feeling of what
for might hit a lady wherein she is not able to fully able to attempt any weight
loss activity. And we speak of women in their 40s, what about the women in the
60s? I sincerely feel that whatever the age, you need to have a very practical,
but equally disciplined, weight loss programme. If you stick with it, you are not
just going to lose weight, you are going to be fit!
Anita Ramdas, Shatti Al Qurum
Better abs
Fit at 40 or 60
9Black & White
DODGE DURANGO
Call: 2458 4530 or email usat [email protected]
10 May 7-20, 2012
Dream of GOOD SKIN and make it happen
Men r
ead
11Black & White
NO SOAP ON THE FACE
But, don’t be like Adil who thinks
rubbing his face with a soap bar
was going to give him good, clean
and healthy skin. The first thing to
understand is: soap should not be
used on the face at all; try to avoid it
as much as possible. The soap is for
your body, which actually needs it. A
soap will ideally help you get rid of all
dirt and germs.
But, not on your face, buddy! For,
when it comes to your face, you
need to go gentle and that’s what a
facial cleanser does. It is specifically
designed for the skin on your face,
thus making it free of harmful
substances such as detergents,
soaps and fragrances.
FOAM AND CREAM YOUR FACE
According to experts, men need to
get good cleanser foams which helps
wash away dirt without ridding the
skin of its natural oils.
Use twice a day - before shaving
and before sleeping at night.
Cleansing your face before going to
bed is essential as the skin goes into
restoration mode in the night. There
are two types of cleansers - foaming
cleansers and cream cleansers.
Foaming cleansers are great for
removing excess oils while cream
ones get rid of only dirt and are good
for dry skin.
GO AND EXFOLIATE
If you are feeling a bit squeamish
about all this, relax. Majority of the
men you bump into are indulging
all of this, but they are not going to
reveal it and you do the same. Do it
in the confines of your home, your
bathroom and who is going to know?
After all, the effort is worth it because
you are going to get good skin in the
bargain.
Now, it is not just about getting rid
of the dirt on your face.
The skin’s surface builds-up a
superficial layer of dead skin cells
that make your skin look dull and
lifeless. With exfoliation, the dead
cells are gently removed and it helps
the skin to absorb external nutrients
that leads to healthy-looking skin.
For sensitive skin, use non-abrasive
formulas.
Do not use your body scrub on
your face and never exfoliate the
immediate area surrounding your
eye as a scrub is too harsh for the
delicate skin around the eyes. An
exfoliating scrub with fine grains used
once a week is going to give your
face a vibrant look.
GOOD TO MOSTURISE
Now, don’t shy away from lotions
and creams because they are great
moisturisers, which according to
experts, impart antioxidants to your
skin. “Rest assured that lotions are
good for normal skin, but, if you have
dry skin, then it is better that you get
more of oil-based creams,” Sarah,
a beautician, says. If you think you
are aging, that is your face looks old,
then the best option is to reach out
for a moisturiser.
One of the best advantages of
moisturising your face is preventing
the signs of aging. If you have
particularly sensitive skin, then
choose a moisturiser that is free of
fragrance and hypoallergenic.
PICK THEM UP FROM ANYWHERE
These skin-care products such
as facial cleansers, exfoliants and
moisturisers can be picked up
from any up-market department
store, spas or at a dermatologist’s.
However, each of them has several
products that are specific for certain
skin types for maximum results. So
choose carefully and combat bad
skin with the right ones. Be aware
of exactly what your skin requires
before starting any regimen. Consult
a dermatologist or any skin specialist
at any local clinics to give you an
idea about this.
Men wouldn’t dream of having skin as good as
women, but can’t they just have good skin? Is that too
much too ask?Today’s men need good
skin, make no doubts about that. But, do
they need to have their bathroom cabinets filled
with thousands of lotions, potions and gels?
Not necessarily. Skin problems are not unique to females; men are also
equally prone to them. The difference is that women
seem to automatically take care of them, while men seem to be a bit lost, or
otherwise too lazy to follow a strict regimen. Whether you are upto this task or not, here are some time-
tested ways to get that skin you were secretly
hankering for:
12 May 7-20, 2012
An
to men!
OPEN LETTER
“Men and women belong to different
species, and communication
between them is a science still in its
infancy.” – Bill Cosby
By Olivia Drake
Dear men,
Women are frustrated with you. You can’t communicate for nuts! You can’t communicate with us! Maybe I shouldn’t address all men, some are good at communicating, yet, it is impossible to deal with them anyway. But, I am restricting this to only those who simply can’t communicate. You men can’t even say a proper hi (maybe you are good at saying bye) and you can’t even make a proper phone call to say hello. Ok, you don’t like my saying it, then, fine. But, don’t tell me I did not warn you. You are garrulous when you come to your coffee buddies, but when it comes to us; the cat’s got your tongue! Unless you talk to us, tell us your feelings, listen to ours, and then tell us about your daily life, how you feel and want in life and what you want to do together with us and the like, then it becomes a communication. You should be open with us and tell us everything – yes, which is communication.When it comes to communication, you suddenly develop selective memory and you only speak about things you want to reveal. I simply cannot understand why you have to hold on to some silly things, which you feel only you should know. C’mon, we girls can take it; you don’t have to hide anything from us. We know that you are a bit scared about us and since you desperately want our approval, you hide about the things you automatically feel we don’t like.We don’t do that. In our approach to you, we are transparent, but it is not reciprocated and we feel cheated. We feel that you don’t value us as much as we do, and for you, we are the last priority. In such a climate of unfriendliness and downright distance keeping approach, why should we bridge the gap, break the barrier and come to you like as though we are men starved? Look, we don’t need you! It is the other way around – you need us and you better well know that. You have to chase us, not the other way around – you will chase and that is the way we are all programmed. And why should we waste time chasing you? We have far better things to do.Of course, sometimes we understand why you don’t communicate. You could be the shy type. The vulnerable type. The type that are afraid to risk it with a girl, but, then don’t be so prim and proper to the point of ad nauseam. We don’t like it. In short, we hope you can slowly attempt to improve your communication skills and then practice very hard until you’re better at it. It will take sometime but you will get better at it as times go by. It’s okay to be vulnerable to women. Some of them may not like it, but finally they are going to be okay with it and will not criticize you for it or bring you down. Finally, understand that women feel more appreciated when you open up to them. Communication in relationship is very important, if you are not willing to understand that, then rest assured that you are going to lose them.The choice is with you – take it or leave it!Until next time.
Men r
ead
13Black & White
By Adarsh Madhavan
O
ff th
e wallMy name is not Khan…
My name is not Khan. Yet, I was stopped at the London
Heathrow (LHR) airport several years back. Not just
stopped – I was yanked out of the British Airways flight
just when I was getting comfy and feeling nice and
happy about being in a flight next to some fun-loving
travel companions and was about to get soaked in that
enjoyable ambience when someone suddenly rained on
my parade.
There I was enjoying being pampered and attended
to by some really pretty looking and happy-to-serve
airhostesses when suddenly there was an announcement
asking for ‘Mr A Mad a van’, or perhaps it could have
been just a ‘Mr Mad a van’. Whatever, suddenly you find
a very worried looking official asking around for me. The
man tells me that I had a problem in my passport and
I tell him whoah, my passport is with me and there is
nothing wrong with it. You must follow me Sir, the man
tells me very politely (very very politely uh oh) and the
air-conditioned flight slightly turned a bit too cold for my
comfort and I stopped sipping whatever I was sipping and
got up. Although it was not a big deal but most definitely a
consolation, I find that another member of our journalist-
travel agent group was also asked to follow yet another
official and we both trooped down the same path that we
had taken to the flight just 10 to 15 minutes back.
Unlike Sharukh, my name does not end with a Khan, but,
I always seem to encounter some problem at every airport
that I travel to. But, this took the cake. It is not a great
feeling to be pulled off a plane before it takes off. That is
almost like they were suspicious of us being some kind of
anti-social elements. At that stage, I was not just a scribe
-- I was part of an official invited tour – probably in 2002
- which the local BA had organised for us and we even
had a Muscat Intercontinental representative with us.
This tour involved us flying to both the UK and the US on
BA and we had a swell time perambulating the two sites,
especially the former. In fact, it was one of the most
enjoyable trips ever for me because we could do what
we wanted to do and we all felt like kings if not khans.
So, it was quite an unnerving feeling when the swell
trip ended being a damp squib like this. It left a pretty
bad taste in the mouth and when we got out to the
airport, we were both told that we had similar problems
in our passports. The problem was that our passports
did not show clear proof that it was renewed, they said.
We kept our cool and showed them the page where
it said that the passport needs to be renewed only
after 2010. Yes, the officer said, but where is the seal
– it needs to have a seal. And they stared at us a bit
more than was necessary. Suddenly panic hit us. This
was 2002 April alright and 9/11 (2001) was just some
months back. And we both, other than our natural born
belligerence, were also sporting a goatee and we were
both from India. A cold shiver engulfed us as we tried
to figure a way out of the situation, which was getting
worse with every minute and in that time even the flight
we were on took off abandoning us both. Stranded
at the airport! And the worst thing was that anything
could happen. If they did not clear us, we would both
be handed to the security and God alone knows when
we would get out – we both swirled nervously close
to an impending nightmare but still gritted out teeth
and did not show that we were upset. In fact, for once,
being level headed helped me, because, as the officer
whom we grilled (oh yes) after we were found to be
‘innocent’ told us, since we did not create a scene,
which was the norm in such situations, we were not
hauled off to the lam…otherwise… And it is not just
LHR; I am accustomed to some delay of sorts at the
US, Kenya, Thailand or even my hometown airport
and I tell you Sharukh this happens to me even though
my name is not Khan.
14 May 7-20, 2012
Two young twin sisters, formerly from Muscat, displayed
their musical talents at a carnatic vocal concert in
Chennai last weekend.
Twins Shruti and Sahana, daughters of Raman Kumar,
group controller, W. J. Towell Group, and his wife Gomati
Kumar, put their more than a decade long dedicated
pursuit of music under the tutelage of the popular Indian
songstress, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, to the test.
The young singing duo performed in front of top music
stalwarts and others at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Mylapore, Chennai recently.
Padmabhushan Sangeetha Kala Acharya P.S.
Narayanaswami, who has taught almost every known
name in carnatic music and instrumental in producing
many present generation singers, was presiding.
The guests of honour were Nadabrahmam violin maestro
V.V.Subramaniam and padmashri sangeetha vidwan
professor S.R. Janakiraman. Shruti and Sahana grew up
in Muscat till 2007 and were students of the Indian School
Muscat (ISM). “They started learning carnatic music,
when they were just six, from Sudha Raghunathan, a
popular music teacher in Muscat. They were regular
Oman and Lithuania looks
set to join hands in the IT
and telecommunications
sectors here. Exciting
new possibilities offered
by a recent Lithuanian
delegation bodes well
for the development of
technological ties in the near future.
The Lithuanian delegation was invited by Anees bin Issa
Al Zadjali, honorary consul of Lithuania to participate in
the Comex 2012, the annual international IT exhibition.
The delegation participated in the five-day exhibition
to represent their country as well as to offer their latest
technological solutions and services to the companies
and government bodies in the Sultanate.
The delegation comprised eight members from various
leading IT and communication companies in Lithuania.
The members represented companies like Infobalt,
Etronika, Mitsoft and TeleSoftas.
Vytautas VITKAUSKAS, president of Infobalt and the
head of the Lithuanian delegation said that they were
ready to start their businesses in Oman because they
saw “big possibilities” here.
The other members included Bloeta SENKIENE, export
and investment manager Infobalt; Kestutis Gardziulis,
Ceo/co-founder, Etronika, Paulius Morkvenas, project
manager and Laima Kopylovaite, system analyst of
Etronika; Dr Arunas Stockus, systems analyst, MitSoft
and Algirdas Stonys, Ceo of TeleSoftas.
The delegation showcased the latest IT and
communication services to visitors and also met with
government and private sector representatives as well as
IT enthusiasts.
Musical twins perform at Chennai Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
participants in all the music competitions in Muscat
conducted by the Indian Social Club and its various
wings, like the Malayalam wing etc. They were consistent
prize winners till such time they were here. Notable
among those were the prizes in the annual Keralotsavam
and also prizes in the ISC competitions judged by Jatin
Pandit of Jatin Lalit duo, in the open category duet, solo
in their categories and in the open group songs category,
when they were only 10,” Kumar, their father said.
Oman and Lithuania all set to collaborate in the IT and telecommunications segments
Word
pre
ss
15Black & White
At Auto China 2012 in Beijing, Audi is presenting a themed
vehicle based on the Q3 – the RS Q3 concept. Its engine, a
2.5 TFSI with 360 hp of power, and its body – lowered about
25 mm and widened with sharp visual details – explore the
potential of the Q3 model series in a new way. The Audi RS
Q3 concept’s single-frame radiator grille is framed by brushed
and polished aluminum and the black honeycomb grille insert
creates a distinct three-dimensional effect. A silver quattro
signature is integrated into the lower area of the grille. The
headlights are slightly tinted with parts in dark chrome and
carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The bumper was
also redesigned. The inner sections of the air intakes have
honeycomb screen inserts while their outer sections are
made of CFRP. The front spoiler is also made of CFRP.
Audi RS Q3 concept
BankMuscat has moved up again to
reinforce its ranking at 300 among
the top 500 global banking brands
compared to 331 in 2011. The 2012
Brand Finance Banking®500 report,
published in association with The
Banker magazine, retained the
Bank’s brand rating at ‘AA’, while the
brand value accounted for almost 9
per cent of its market capitalisation.
Elated on the global brand
recognition, AbdulRazak Ali Issa,
Chief Executive, said: “BankMuscat
is delighted to record sustained
growth in global brand ranking. The
Brand Finance Banking®500 report
is a benchmarking study of the
strength, risk and future potential of
the global banking brands as well as
a summary measure of their financial
strength. BankMuscat understands
the relationship between brand equity
and key value drivers in the business
model and views brand management
as a key element to enhance value
for all stakeholders.”
BankMuscat ranked 300 among top global banking brands
Travel Point LLC and Big Bus Tours LLC, UK, have
entered into a joint venture to announce the introduction
of City Tours into ‘Oman’, the Arab Tourism Capital 2012.
Tour Oman, which is the inbound division of Travel Point
and a full-fledged DMC, will handle the operations of
the Big Bus in Oman. Big Bus Tours already operates
sightseeing tours in 12 cities around the world, and this
new tour, will provide visitors with the perfect introduction
to the city of Muscat. Customers will be shown all the
finest sights of the city, from the historic Muttrah souk
to the glistening waters of the Gulf of Oman; and from
panoramic mountain views to traditional forts and
palaces.
The service is starting out with a two hour panoramic tour
of Muscat, departing at intervals throughout each day
from Muttrah souk. A dedicated tour guide will provide an
entertaining and colourful commentary, providing valuable
historical information and a real insight into the ways and
workings of the city.
Mike Lees, general manager, Big Bus Tours, Dubai, said:
“We are delighted and excited to bring our tour to the city
of Muscat. It will provide the growing numbers of tourists
in this destination with a great opportunity to discover the
city and its history, with the combination of informative
commentary and breathtaking views from atop the
buses; making this tour an essential part of the Muscat
experience.”
Sunil Prabhakar, group general manager of Travel Point
added, “We are very happy to partner with Big Bus Tours
and excited to showcase Muscat and its beauty to both
tourists and locals alike. This is a wonderful project that
will provide visitors the perfect introduction to all that
Muscat has to offer.”
Both the companies intend to expand the itinerary of the
tour as well as the route to offer a very comprehensive
view of the Omani natural beauty. All the tourist will have
to do is sit back, relax, and take it all in from the vantage
point of big red, double-decker open top bus.
Travel Point partners with Big Bus
16 May 7-20, 2012
Dawood group of companies announced the opening of
the first franchisee showroom of the brand Novel in the
AGCC and choosing Oman as its first destination.
The citizens of Muscat will have lots to look forward to in
the 1150sqm outlet which will be located at the Markaz
Al Bahja Shopping Mall.
With more than 35 years of furniture fabricating
experience, Novel has gained the highest appraisal
from its initial concept, design, material to the final
product quality.
Word
pre
ss
Oman Drydock Company (ODC)
recently organised its social
contribution programme to the
society by initiating and completing
the beach cleanup campaign in
Duqm successfully. In all, there
were 60 employees from different
departments who participated in this
event.
The campaign lasted for almost two
hours. All participants did involve with
excellent enthusiasm and abiding
cheerfulness in accomplishing this
cause without failure.
This campaign was organised by
Oman Drydock
Company organises Duqm beach cleaning campaign
HSSE department to raise the
environmental awareness among
the employees in a way that will,
eventually, result in motivating them
to conduct their daily duties in an
environmentally friendly manner.
Due to the encouraging results
of the event, other environmental
campaigns will follow in the future
as part of HSSE activities of the
organisation with the involvement of
other departments.
Further, continual effort will be
directed towards this cause in order
to maintain a good environmental
status within the shipyard as well
as in the surrounding area here
in Duqm. Moreover, the ODC will
always pay great consideration
towards the environment by
complying with all the applicable
environmental regulations of ministry
of environment and climate affairs’.
Giordano spring series collection
Giordano launched the finale of its 2012 spring
collection series, featuring new style wrinkle-free
shirts for men and on trend shoulder ball tops for
ladies. “At Giordano, we continue to spice up our
offerings with stylish clothes with an uncompromising
commitment to quality and look,” said Ishwar
Chungani, executive director of Giordano Middle
East, India and Africa. “Our customer is always our
focus and we want to make sure that every time they
visits any of Giordano’s 226 stores across the region,
they will find something that meets their needs.”
The Giordano’s final phase of spring collection is
available in all Giordano stores across the Middle
East starting May 1.
Novel design premium Malaysian furniture brand
17Black & White
North America based Ward’s AutoWorld is well known for
its annual '10 Best Engines' (also considered as the engine
Oscars) list, but the prestigious trade publication has now
added a second award category – ‘INTERIORS’. Ward’s
AutoWorld rebranded the list in 2011 by naming the
coolest car cockpits under the '10 Best Interiors' tagline.
The 2012 Chrysler 300 C is one of the winners this year
of this coveted award. This year’s winners are a relatively
diverse lot, with hatchbacks, sedans and crossovers all
making the list. Chris Edwards, general manager of Dhofar
Automotive, said: “We are delighted that the 2012 Chrysler
300C sedan has received this prestigious accolade in US
despite tough competition from brands across the globe.
From the onset, the model was designed to be the most
luxurious and fuel-efficient Chrysler flagship sedan ever.
The executive edition combines ultra-premium features
that was once limited to some of the most exotic and
expensive Italian luxury cars.”
Chrysler 300C has best interior
Jadavpur University alumni, Oman chapter, orchestrated ‘Sanskriti
2012’, as an extension of the popular university campus festival,
recently. Indian ambassador J S Mukul underlined Jadavpur University
alumni’s remarkable presence in Oman with its multifaceted social,
educational and cultural activities. ‘Sanskriti 2012’ opened with
‘Dontorongo’ a one-act play performed by alumni members who
attracted a round of applause in the auditorium. This was followed by
Karma’s unique fusion of Indian classical music and contemporary jazz,
Afro-Cuban styles and Mediterranean music. Karma’s band members
– tabla maestro, Grammy award nominated Pt Subhen Chatterjee,
Grammy award winner Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt of Mohan Veena fame,
award winning singer Raghab Chatterjee, wonder drummer Sambit
Chatterjee, young guitar virtuoso Subham Mitra and keyboard wizard
Subhas Mondal presented a musical euphoria for Muscat’s music
aficionados. The electrifying melody and power house performance of
Karma attracted enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Jadavpur University alumni's ‘Sanskriti – 2012’
The Environment Society of Oman
(ESO) was recently awarded the
Hima fund to conduct a research
project on the Egyptian vulture in
Oman. Hima Fund is a regional
fund, established to provide grants
to conserve Important Bird Areas
(IBAs) in the Middle East. Hima is a
traditional system of land designation
and customary practice and aims
for the protection of land, and the
sustainable use of natural resources
by the local communities.
Masirah Island has been designated
an IBA in 2001 and is home to
numerous bird species, both
resident and migratory. The island
is an important site for wintering
and migrating waterbirds in the
Middle East.The Egyptian Vulture or
Neophron percnopterus, is believed
to be an abundant passage migrant
and winter visitor to Oman and
the Island, and a resident over the
summer season. It is listed as an
endangered species on the IUCN
Red List (International Union for
the Conservation of Nature) and
is a priority for conservation work.
Through this project, carried for a
period of 11 months, the society will
seek to understand the status of the
existing Egyptian Vultures population
in Oman to support any conservation
action. Few challenges are expected
to be faced throughout the project
as ‘the bird is not very popular on
the Island of Masirah as its local
name, al rakhma, is often used as an
offense among the local population’
says project manager Maia Sarrouf.
ESO awarded Hima Fund Grant to research Egyptian vulture on Masirah island
18 May 7-20, 2012
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Suhail Bahwan Automobiles
(SBA), the exclusive importers and
distributors of Nissan vehicles in
Oman, unveiled the all new Nissan
Micra, the zippy and smart compact
hatchback. Coupled with its trendy
looks, characteristic agility and
distinctive lifestyle appeal, Micra
is sure to offer a highly-rewarding
driving experience to its discerning
consumers.
The glittering launch ceremony was
presided by Ahmed Suhail Bahwan,
chairman of SBA and Divyendu
Kumar, managing director of SBA
and other key dignitaries in the
presence of select customers and
the media.
Commenting on the occasion, Ahmed
Suhail Bahwan said, “In a short
period of seven years since inception,
SBA has carved out a strong niche
Nissan Micra 2012 launched in Oman
for itself in the automobile market in
the Sultanate. Driven by customer-
centric philosophy, we have been
continuously offering new products
and value-added services to our
valued customers.
The introduction of the All New
Nissan Micra, after launching Nissan
Sunny last month is a testimony to
this fact”.
Divyendu Kumar, added, “The
All New Nissan Micra 2012 is a
powerful, safe and fuel-efficient
city car possessing all the features
required to become the segment
leader in the Sultanate."
Affirming their commitment
to environmental
sustainability, OCTAL
Petrochemicals employees
planted 50 native
Frankincense trees at the
company’s 47-hectare
PET Complex in the
Salalah Free Zone in
honour of World Earth Day
2012. The trees, provided
by the Environment
Society of Oman, were
added to the company’s greenbelt which is comprised
of a variety of indigenous
flora to further support the
biodiversity of the region.
Ahmed Al Najjar, director
of government affairs at
OCTAL, explained that
the tree planting exercise
is part of the company’s
efforts to mitigate the
impact of carbon emissions
and combat desertification
while helping to restore the
diminishing population of
frankincense trees among other native trees in Oman.
OCTAL petrochemicals plants 50 frankincense trees in Salalah
Suhail Chemical Industries LLC (SCI) has
been accredited with ISO: 9001:2008 Quality
Management System certification by Velosi Quality
Management International.
Suhail Chemical Industries ISO 9000 certification
19Black & White
Pizza Hut Oman recently conducted a rigorous training
programme for its call centre agents as a part of its quality
initiative to provide excellent customer service that matches
its world-class standards. This training was conducted in
association with Khimji Training Institute, Muscat.
The programme focussed on areas like: identify the
characteristics of excellent customer service; demonstrating
professional call etiquette; improving the agents spoken
English; identifying and explaining the elements of the
call flow including special training on dealing with difficult
customers. The programme was designed to enhance
excellence in customer service. Yogesh Shah, general
manager, Pizza Hut Oman said, “As one of the most
preferred family dining restaurants in Oman, Pizza Hut has
been serving the best ingredients of pizza’s and pasta’s to its
valued customers over the last 23 years."
“It has been more than a year since I started my career with
Pizza Hut Oman. I feel confident about my knowledge and
skills attained during this period. The techniques imbibed by
our team during this interactive training session will definitely
help us to serve our customers better,” said Hanaa Abdulhadi
Nasib Al Harthi, Call Center Agent at Pizza Hut Oman.
Towell Auto Centre’s (TAC) Mazda
brand has recently emerged among
one of the strongest consumer
brands in Oman, and has been
awarded the highly coveted
‘Superbrands’ title. Having a
marketing programme that breaks
conventions, and lays emphasis on
the building of long term relationships
with customers, Mazda joins the
aspirational league of some of
the Sultanate’s top most brands,
thereby highlighting its distinctive
image and position in the Omani
automotive market. Speaking about
winning the coveted accolade, S.
Kasthurirengan, Ceo, TAC says,
“We restructured our marketing
department about six years back and
have been consistently investing in
marketing and branding initiatives
for Mazda. I am proud and happy to
learn that the hard work put in by our
marketing department has received
a global recognition. Everybody in
our team is absolutely committed
to delivering exceptional levels of
customer service and the winning
of the ‘Superbrands’ title proves
the ever increasing strength of the
Mazda brand in Oman, which is also
reflected in our huge gain in market
share figures across the country.”
Annurag Chawla, head of marketing
and communications, TAC adds,
“Known to be a celebration of many
a country’s high profile brands,
‘Superbrands’ is a highly aspirational
accolade. Winning the ‘Superbrands’
title is very special for us, as this is
probably the first time that Mazda
has been awarded ‘Superbrand’
status in the AGCC and the region,
and we are delighted that we’ve
achieved this coveted title amongst
some extremely stiff competition.”
Mazda awarded ‘Superbrands’ status in Oman
Pizza Hut call centre agents training
Second Cup Oman has introduced four ‘irresistible’
drinks that have been delicately blended to
offer a revitalising experience, as temperatures
begin to soar. This is part of the coffee house’s
ongoing commitment to delivering on the promise
of providing customers with variety. From hot to
cold beverages which feature rich flavours of, the
newly introduced options are part of Second Cup’s
product development strategy. Describing the four
new additions to the Second Cup extensive menu
Jannat Moosa, marketing director at Bin Mirza
International explained that the “Mint Lemonade
Chiller is expected to be hugely popular given its
zesty taste and cooling affect. The Chocolate Chai
Latte is available in both hot and cold variations
and is made with the finest imported cocoas, lightly
spiced with cardamom and cinnamon. Bringing
the best of both worlds, the Coffee Toffee Latte
combines velvety caramel with creamy m ocha. The
newly introduced drinks will be available until mid-
May of this year at Second Cup branches located
in Qurum, Shatti Al Qurum, Bareeq Al Shatti and at
the Omantel’s Headquarters in Mawaleh.
Second Cup summer new drinks
20 May 7-20, 2012
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Primary students
at The Sultan’s
School have raised
an additional
OMR940.400 for
the Sindbad Mobile
Library, a joint
project between Al
Roya Publishing
and Dar Al Atta’s
‘Let’s Read’ campaign. An active supporter of the
Sindbad Mobile Library, primary students from ages
3 to 11 raised close to OMR2000 earlier in the year
through a non-uniform day and coin lines during Maths
Week. Participating in community projects is part and
parcel of The Sultan’s School’s ethos.
The school recognises that not every child outside
Muscat is privileged enough to access quality books
every day. By supporting this very valuable resource
and worthy cause, students of The Sultan’s School
are able to appreciate the importance and value of
education while ensuring similar opportunities are
possible for others.
The Sultan’s School raises money in continued support of the
Sindbad mobile library
A fully packed hall witnessed rocking
performances of nearly 130 dancers
in different categories (solo, duets
and groups) at the MKP dance
festival – 2012 presented by Muscat
Kathiyawadi Parivar at Rise Vision
Hall, Darsait, recently. The event,
which was held in association with
Abu Muneer Al- Hashmi Trading
LLC, was to mark the Gujarat Day
celebration.
Colourful dances from all parts and
varied cultures from across India
were presented by MKP. In spite of
closing the participation before 15
days, 110 youngsters showed their
talents with classical, semi-classical,
Bollywood, folk and western dances.
Muscat
Kathiyawadi
Pariwar marks Gujarat Day with dance festival
“Whenever Gujarat Day is
celebrated, we see focus on garba
and dandia raas dances. Though
garba and dandia represents
the Gujarati culture, we wanted
to expand our horizon to include
dances from Kashmir, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil
Nadu and offer a beautiful dance
festival on such an important day,”
Dipti Raval, the chief programme
director of MKP said, adding that
MKP had organised many other
quality programmes before. This
programme was sponsored by Sky
Falcon Trading, Silver Shell Trading
& Contracting, NAPCO, Al Mudhish
(Oman Foodstuff Factory), Ramniklal
B Kothary & Co, Majdi Spices (Towell
Group), Pizza Express, Shang
Thai, Rajdhani Restaurant, Tawa
Magic Restaurant, Al Azb Pure
Drinking Water, Pran Juices, Taiseer
Electronics, Modern Square Trading,
Color Impressions, Country Club
Holidays and Shah Nagardas Manji.
Win 100 free trolleys in exciting
sultan center promotionCustomers at the Sultan
Center in Qurum this
month can win their
trolley load of groceries
absolutely free!
The contents of 100 free
trolleys will be given
away over the 15 day
extravaganza during
which time the Sultan
Center will ‘Spin the Wheel’ and surprise up to seven
lucky shoppers every day. At random times during the
morning and late afternoon, the wheel of fortune will be
spun and a cashier number selected. The customer at
the selected cashier at that time will win the contents of
whatever is in their trolley absolutely free. Dana Geadah,
marketing manager, Sultan Center said, “The more you
put in your trolley and the more frequent you shop at
Sultan Center the more you can potentially win in our
newest and most exciting promotion to date. Being in
the right place at the right time is something we can
never predict so the element of surprise makes this
giveaway even more thrilling for our shoppers!”
The ‘Win 100 free trolleys’ promotion runs until April 30.
Visit www.sultan-center.com.
21Black & White
THIRD EDITION OF SUDOKU
When we started the numbers game, we were
apprehensive whether we would be able to create
enough interest with our readers as well as the public.
It is a numbers game that needs no professional
expertise. Anyone and everyone can do it and it is
said that Sudoku is a game beyond borders since it
does not require any language.
Every time I travel, I see someone or the other
diligently filling in a Sudoku puzzle featured in a
newspaper either at the airport lounges or inside the
flights. I was always fascinated by the game and I am
sure there are many out there who are good at it. Last
two years we saw over 300 to 700 participants, from
kids to ladies to people of all ages, trying hard to finish
the game ultra fast, all of which ensued in a nail biting
finish.
The first edition’s Omani champion Marwa told the
B&W team that she was only good at Sudoku and
she was waiting for someone to start a competition,
We hope to make a difference this year and we hope to help the autistic as well as create more excitement to Sudoku lovers
Mohamed Issa Al ZadjaliEditor-in-chief
In Black...
& White
In B
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and when it happened, it was dream come true for her.
And she was very fast. All of this gave us an impetus
to go ahead and make it an annual competition. This
year again we have entries from all over Oman. We
hope to see this competition become more regional and
international soon.
GEORGE WIDENER AGAIN
The Sudoku event is an autism awareness event and
this year we will have the world famous autistic savant
George Widener back with us to promote the cause. He
had impressed Oman two years back in 2010, when he
displayed his calendar calculation talent to the audience.
He is an artist par excellence, a simple human being, but
an intellectual giant with dates and numbers.
We hope to make a difference this year and we hope to
help the autistic as well as create more excitement to
Sudoku lovers. We want you to not only read about it,
but also to come and participate in the event. Not just the
Sudoku game, but to just be there. Your presence alone
will help this cause. So, be there on June 1 at the Oman
Auditorium of Al Bustan Palace hotel!
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23Black & White
Your daughter is not autistic
because you are a
bad mother!
“Is it because I am a bad parent that my daughter is autistic?” Sabah Al
Zadjali (*), a mother of an autistic child genuinely asks. One is pained to hear the question. Despite the work done
by so many here to promote the cause of autism, doubts like this still arise
among the parents. It is not that they don’t know. It is the sheer desperation among parents who do not know how to cope with a child who has autism.
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BIOLOGICAL DISORDER
In the 1960s and 70s, Dr Bernard Remand, the father of
a son with autism, who later founded the Autism Society
of America and the Autism Research Institute, helped the
medical community understand that autism is not caused
by cold parents but rather is a biological disorder.
So even though Sabah Al Zadjali might like to whip
herself, the underlying factor is that it is not because of
anyone’s fault.
UNWANTED GUILT
But, somehow, the guilt continues in some parents.
Alaa Ghalib Hassan, mother of Zaid Nizar, a seven plus
year old son, remembers how she felt when the latter
remained silent. All he would do was make some noises,
clap and his movements were not with much aim.
Alaa’s husband work involved travelling and so there
were many occasions when she was the only one with
her son and initially she thought that his silences were
because of that. But, luckily for Zaid, Alaa was made of
different material. She was a one-woman army against
autism and soon her persistent efforts to bring her son to
normalcy worked. Zaid is a different boy today. Her efforts
paid off and after a long haul, she began to see positive
changes in her son. “But, it has not been easy,” she
confesses. It is this hard trek that makes many parents
baulk at the long road ahead of them when they have an
autistic child.
ONE OUT OF 150
But although more people are working, not just in Oman,
for the cause of autism, even today, the exact cause
of autism is not very clear. What is clear though is that
autism affects 1 of 150 kids.
The brain contains over 100 billion nerve cells called
neurons. Each neuron may have hundreds or thousands
of connections that carry messages to other nerve cells
in the brain and body. The connections and the chemical
messengers (called neurotransmitters) let the neurons
that help you see, move, remember, and work together as
they should, but for some reason some of the cells and
connections in the brain of a kid with autism –especially
those that affect communication, emotion, and senses-
don’t develop properly or get damaged. Scientists are still
trying to understand how and why this happens.
About one in 10 persons with autism spectrum disorder
will have special skills, or, they are islands of geniuses
with special skills in music, art, math or virtual-spatial
abilities, Dr Darold A. Treffert, a world renowned savant
expert tells us.
“Also, autism is not due to faulty parenting,” Dr Treffert
stressed. “There is no evidence to suggest such a link
and my work with the many families of children with
autism have shown them to be very caring and loving
parents with no hint whatsoever that bad parenting had
anything to do with the presence of autism.
NO BIOLOGICAL TESTS
Unfortunately, there are no any biological tests that can
be done to detect if a child is suffering from autism or not,
the diagnosis of autism depends solely on observation
and also educational and psychological testing.
An autism-specific screening tool, such as the Modified
Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT) should be
used. The MCHAT is a list of simple questions about the
child. The answers determine whether he or she should
be referred to a specialist, usually a developmental
paediatrician, a neurologist, a psychiatrist or a
psychologist, for further evaluation.
However, autism does have a genetic component, which
can be triggered by certain environmental or other factors,
Dr Treffert points out, adding however that research is
continuing in order to fully establish the exact link.
NO EMOTIONS
People with autism tend to have problems with ordinary
While all of us may still be groping in the dark to find out the real cause of autism, rest assured that it is not because of bad
parenting or cold mothers.Indeed, many years ago, Dr Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist, made
this bombshell statement that autism was caused by cold, unloving mothers. Bruno Bettelheim, a renowned professor of child development supported this misinterpretation of autism.
Their promotion of the idea that unloving mothers caused their children’s autism created a generation of parents who carried
the tremendous burden of guilt for their children’s disability
25Black & White
language or day to day communication. “They also tend
to be quite isolated and alone and have difficulty with
social skills, socialisation and just ‘fitting in’,” Dr Treffert
noted.
People with autism are unable to feel emotions or
develop personal attachments. However, with time and
effort, such barriers to feelings can be overcome so that
the autistic persons can still give and seek affection.
FUTURE IS NOT BLEAK
So, the future should not be all that bleak for those
afflicted with autism. Early intervention and treatment
benefits most children with autism and treatment can help
adults with that condition as well.
Experts in Oman note that studies have shown that
early intensive intervention is directly correlated with
positive outcomes in children with autism. In the sense,
if a child begins intensive therapy at a very early stage,
the chances that the child will lead a productive life is a
distinct possibility.
But, at the same time, without proper intervention, the
future for a child with autism is often bleak. “Seventy-
five percent of children with autism test in the mentally
retarded range prior to therapies and treatments. More
than 50 percent of children with autism who do not
receive early intensive intervention will remain non-
verbal. There was a time when these grim statistics were
lifelong probabilities, but today, with recent advances
in educational interventions, autistic children can make
astounding gains, sometimes even losing their diagnosis
of autism,” a report notes.
Dr Teffert notes that resources to provide early
intervention are now becoming available in most
countries. Research to find even more effective
treatments and to share such advances and insights
are now there with families, caregivers and treatment
personnel.
But, what is required in Oman is a much more concerted
and bigger effort because only fledgling work has been
done so far. Parents of autistic children and the latter
themselves need support. Without support, the road
ahead is not that easy.
(*) not real name
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Autistic children do not remain
children for ever, notes a top Omani
campaigner of autism.
DR YAHYA AL FARSI, assistant
dean for training and community
service at the College of Medicine
& Health Sciences, SQU noted at
a recent conference the need to
understand that autistic children
finally grow up and stressed on the
need to look at those aspects too.
He was speaking at a conference on
autism in March this year when he
made the above observation.
As part of an initiative to establish a
national centre for autism in Oman,
‘The First International Conference
on Autism: Accepting Difference’
conference was organised by the
Language Centre Social Committee,
in association with the College of
Medicine & Health Sciences at the
Sultan Qaboos University some
months ago.
The conference provided
professionals and parents of autistic
children with a clearer understanding
of the diagnostic criteria for autism.
Dr Yahya Al Farsi spoke about how
over the last two decades, the world
had been witnessing an incredible
increase in the prevalence of autism.
“Despite all efforts made to study
and support autistic children, the
fact is that the world appears to be
not ready yet to provide full range of
services that those children deserve.
People with autism are often referred
to as ‘autistic children’. We need
to realise that they do not remain
children for ever.
They grow up to adulthood and look
for successful social and professional
life, like any other person in the
society,” Dr Al Farsi pointed out.
So, what happens to autistic kids
when they grow up in Oman? Do
they get to have a family or a job?
What happens when autistic children grow up?
Does their quality of life get better,
worse, or stay the same? What kind
of support or services do middle aged
people with autism need in Oman?
What do they get? Are they happy?
Looking at efforts in this direction in
other countries can give parents real
cause for hope.
There are cases of speech impaired
children becoming pretty successful
adults, but after several years. A
significant number of disabled autistic
kids grew up to have families, jobs
and a self-described decent quality
of life. Most people got better – not
worse – with age.
On the occasion of 11th Annual Day of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), six research projects were
selected for Strategic Research Fund for the year 2011.
One of the qualified projects for 2011 was:
Autism in Oman, Epidemiology and Etiology (Principal Investigator: Dr Yahya Al Farsi, assistant professor,
department of family medicine and public health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Until 2008, little information has been known about autism in Oman. On September 2008, the newly-
formulated Autism Research Group (ARG) at SQU initiated research activities which resulted in important
findings, namely estimation of prevalence in Oman, quantification of malnutrition among autistics, and
ascertainment of a strong association between suboptimal breastfeeding and autism.
The generous funds donated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said will be used to support long-term,
multidisciplinary strategic research projects of importance to the Sultanate. The aim of such projects
is to generate new knowledge and discoveries leading to substantial socio-economic benefits to the
Omani society in the long run. Researchers are expected to obtain major results and identify anticipated
direct benefits to prospective users. This type of research is expected to help the University build an
infrastructure for “centres of excellence” in vital areas, in addition to making a solid contribution to the
advancement of University’s academic programmes.
‘Autism in Oman’ was selected for strategic research fund in 2011
27Black & White
Black & White has managed to
successfully connect the popular
puzzle, Sudoku, with autism for the
last two years. And, in the first edition
itself an Omani girl won. Marwa Al
Wadhahi became the Sultanate’s
first-ever Sudoku champion.
Do bear in mind that although
Sudoku is a very popular puzzle
game, it was only in the realm of
newspapers and it never got beyond
it. Thanks to the cause and the way
it was connected with the puzzle,
Sudoku leapt out of the papers and
became a major hit.
Marwa, who was just 19 then, took
12 minutes to complete a very
complex puzzle created by former
Sudoku world champion, Thomas
Snyder.
She competed against other Sudoku
wizards at the final of the first-ever
Black & White ‘You Play Sudoku’
Open to All Competition – 2010,
which was held at the Oman
Auditorium of Al Bustan Palace hotel.
Kalpana D’Silva and Madhvi Kumar
were the first and second runners
up, recently. In the second edition, S.
Vishwanath, a chartered accountant,
was crowned the Sudoku champion.
He was one among the eight
contenders who went into the final of
the Sudoku event. The final session
were contested between Vishwanath
and Premlatha Muralikrishnan.
Marwa and Vishwanath -- first and second year Sudoku champs
The 3rd edition of Black & White 'Sudoku for a Cause' Preliminary Competition is scheduled at Indian School Ghubra
premises on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 7pm.The Grand Finale will be held at the Oman Auditiorium, Al Bustan Palace Hotel on Friday, June 1, 2012 at 7.30 pm
Let's under
Preliminary on May 30, 2012
7 pm at Indian School Al Ghubra
rstand Autism
Grand Finale on June 1, 2012
7.30pm at Oman Auditorium, Al Bustan Palace Hotel
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31Black & White
The life of prodigious autistic savant, George Widener, is
a story for all to learn from – even those who are remotely
related to autism.
George was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1962. He
showed clear signs of autism as well as giftedness as a
child. However a combination of growing up in a poor,
multi-racial Appalachian family and the public lack of
understanding of autism (in this case high-functioning
autism known as Asperger’s Disorder) in the 1960s
allowed him to remain undiagnosed until he was into
adulthood.
As a result, George spent years living hand to mouth,
often working ‘day labor’ jobs and staying in homeless
shelters. He also spent his time in libraries reading and
making his drawings. George has thousands of specific
historical trivia and facts in his memory, often strange and
even tragic details which he finds obsessively fascinating.
Give George Widener any date in history and he can,
within seconds, tell you what day of the week it was.
Numbers follow George wherever he goes, he finds
comfort in them, and he considers them his friends.
George says no-one ever taught him to calculate
calendars. In fact, he insists he’s not calculating at all.
George’s skill is phenomenal, but it comes at a cost. He
suffers from a form of autism, a brain disorder that leads
to awkwardness and social isolation.
As a child, school was a place of fear and dread, but
a chance encounter at his grandmother’s house when
he was seven changed his life. He met another child
who was fascinated with his grandmother’s calendar.
Today, George is perhaps the world’s greatest calendar
calculator, but he is not unique. He belongs to a select
group of people known as savants.
In 2004 he easily defeated a former NASA scientist
(“What day of the week will June 25th be in the year
47,253?”) who was using paper, pencil, and formulas
(and eventually a laptop computer) in a ‘contest’ shown
on a Japanese TV science documentary.
Despite being autistic, progress has been made in
George’s life by emphasising his strengths rather than
trying to ‘correct’ his weaknesses. All his life George has
made various drawings and had numbers in his head
and so this is what he focuses on today versus trying to
have some career with broader interests. He is a lightning
calendar calculator with a seemingly unlimited range.
He also has instant recall of thousands of historical
trivia, facts, world and US census figures (“Population of
Boston, Mass is 589,141 in last census”) that has had
some sort of interest to him. Mention the ‘Powers of Two’
to him and he might reel them off in rapid fire progression
up to 20 digits (1, 2, 4....1073741824, 2147483648....) or
so. George graduated from college when he was 37 while
in a special education programme for learning disabled
persons at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville,
eventually earning a general Liberal Arts degree, Cum
Laude.
George has drawn all his life and his early artwork was
of a more stereotyped savant style, a sort of recording
of something he was looking at or had seen in the past.
He drew landscapes and portraits. His very talented
draughtsmanship gives him a range of technical abilities.
He has had to work to overcome his literal nature and
visual memory to create original artwork. George’s
emergence as an expressive, original artist came as
he began to place his revered numbers, calculations,
calendars, facts, machine parts, and letters into works on
found paper, often napkins.
George was the first savant who literally introduced
the Sudoku for Autism event of Black & White to the
public at the inaugural edition of the charity cause cum
competition.
This year this prodigious savant and date genius with
‘outstanding computational ability’ is here once again to
promote the cause in Oman.
As he himself tells us, he was once struggling and
actually lived on the streets several times, in Dallas,
London, and Amsterdam... But, today world famous ‘rock
stars’ are known to buy his work and they invite him to
their mansions in Europe. It is important, he tells those
afflicted with autism, that they find what they are good at
– some type of work or activity -- and then attempt to find
some happiness with it.
Find happiness from something you are good at: George Widener tells the autistic
B&
W X
clu
sive
32 May 7-20, 2012
33Black & White
For Snyder, solving a Sudoku puzzle comes naturally. “My pencil goes from
one square grid to another,” he says.
While there are many reasons that people enjoy Sudoku, one of the main
reason for Snyder is the “‘rush’ of entering the last few digits of a Sudoku and
the positive feedback of getting better at solving the puzzle after you’ve played
it for awhile”.
Snyder wants to compare the last moments with a Sudoku to the last
moments with a jigsaw puzzle (the puzzle most often associated with autism).
“You can easily spend over a week trying to piece together a 1000-piece
jigsaw puzzle, where it can take awhile to place even one more piece as you
get started, but as you get very close to the end, and have just 20 pieces, then
10 pieces, then 5, then 1, then finished, there is a real sense of excitement
and accomplishment (unless of course there is a missing piece which leads to
intense frustration!).
In a Sudoku, it is easy to get stuck on a puzzle and take awhile to even place
one more digit. But as you finally break through and approach the end, there
is the same sense of excitement and accomplishment (unless you realise you
wrote the same number twice in a row or column and have a mistake!).
Getting to the exciting point of a Sudoku requires much less time than a
jigsaw puzzle, so its much easier to want to do another right away, and I
think the release of endorphins that comes with finishing a Sudoku puzzle
contributes to its addictive qualities.”
Sudoku is addictive: US champ
He took seven minutes and seven seconds to win the United State of America’s first national Sudoku
championship. But, his fastest time to solve a Sudoku puzzle was just 52 seconds.
THOMAS SNYDER, whose puzzles are being used for the Sudoku for Autism event, is a famous former Sudoku champion. Snyder has won the US (2007) and World (2007 & 2008) Sudoku championships
and a five-time US Puzzle Champion (2006 – 2010)
34 May 7-20, 2012
There is something wrong with traffic in town. Something very very wrong.
Everyone is complaining. Everyone says they are getting late to get to
wherever they have to go, even if they start early. Everyone is getting stuck in
the road and traffic seems to be moving mostly at a snail pace. When things
are going slowly, why are accidents still happening? Accidents should be
down, right? Wrong. Cars are moving slowly, but accidents are happening;
cars are damaged, people are injured and fatalities are also continuing like
no man’s business. All in all one fears getting into a car and driving on the
road these days. Either you reach late, or you don’t reach at all.
When we first met Anasudhin Azeez, he was a young journalist of an English
daily in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Today, he is an award winning
editor of a fortnightly in Britain. Azeez, a Keralite, came to Oman on a very
serious mission: a cousin of his had committed suicide here in a downtown
area and he wanted to not only get to the root of it, but also finish many
formalities. I remember him arguing with the then head of Air India on setting
a precedence of sending the human remains of Indians who have passed
away in Oman free. I am not sure if the man did allow them to send Azeez’s
cousin’s remains free, but then somewhere down the line it has happened. A
precedent was actually set then…
Today, we learn that Azeez is doing quite well in Britain with Asian Lite, a
fortnightly focusing on British Asian events and issues. In fact, he even won
the prestigious ‘How-Do’ newspaper of the year award for this year (2012).
A judging panel comprising BBC veteran Jim Hancock and Google’s Andy
Barke selected Asian Lite as the Newspaper of the Year 2012 from the short-
list of eight leading British titles, including Rupert Murdoch-owned News
Corporations’ The Times; Newsquest’s The Bolton News and Johnston
Press Group’s Lancaster Guardian. Asian Lite was the only British ethnic
media title shortlisted in the 18 award categories. The award committee said
Asian Lite, published by New Asian Media Ltd, bucked the current British
trends in declining sales and circulation in publishing and derived innovative
solutions to identify new models and revenue streams.
“In the papers five-year history, we never took a single advert of psychics,
astrologers, faith healers or premium-priced chat lines. Journalism is more
than a business and we are trying our best to serve the community in a better
way,” Azeez is quoted as saying.
Something wrong
with traffic
Journalism is
more than a
business
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:
35Black & White
We don’t know if an official complaint has been made, but the male staff
of a medium-sized company in town have targeted a female member and
have laid out various traps to catch her red handed at a task she has been
accused of doing. Want to know what the drama is all about? Since some
weeks now the male staff have been stumbling – well, not exactly – slipping,
shall we say, not that either, well they have been confronting slightly long
black hair either on the floor, their work stations, the meeting room and yes,
even in the pantry…and the yuck factor seems to have incensed the male
members, most of them sporting thinning and receding hairlines (one must
quickly add), who although accusing one lady of the hair fall, have not fully
been able to catch her in the act of shedding, so to speak. “It is just a matter
of time,” one of the main members of this ‘no hair shedding in office allowed’
group says. But, shouldn’t they be spending time and effort on their office
task than indulge in such non hair-raising issues, one would want to ask.
Tic tic bang bang
Hair of a woman
(Note: Readers who have something bitter to chatter about can either email on [email protected] or call 99218461)
35Black & White
Smirk, smirk. “We are doing this event and we are going to bring this famous
star and another great celebrity…” we said. She went smirk, smirk again.
Must be a facial tic, we thought and dismissed it. Of course, not in the level of
Leonard Lowe (Robert De Niro) in the 1990 movie, Awakenings, but people
can have tics and they need not be in the style portrayed by Oscar winning
actors, we told ourselves. So, let it be, we said. Let her smirk, smirk, tic tic.
But the more we spoke about the event, the more smirk smirk tic tic, she
went. Time went tick tock tick tock and she went smirk tic smirk tic toc and
suddenly we saw red. Hey lady, you gotta stop it, we growled. What, she
asked as she continued with her smirk smirking, tic ticking… Our fingers
twitched; our hands shook; our lips trembled and our tongues were
ready to lash vitriol. Our hands went violent again to the point we
thought we were going to go bang bang burst… Stop it, we rumbled
as we furiously cut air between two gnashing set of teeth. Stop it, we
told the other senior person with this lady and added that if she did not
stop her tic, we were going to toc, sorry storm out. The man quickly
cut in, telling the lady with the tic to stop smirking and behave herself
before their guests and apologised to us. We stood up to leave, but
then she immediately stopped her tic tic ticking (oh, we gotta tell Dr
Malcolm Sayer – aka Robin Williams – of Awakenings that we have a
medicine better than his L-Dopa drug, which might work for tics) and
we sat down again for the discussion.
36 May 7-20, 2012
Lakshmi Mittal – the world’s steel tycoon
By Dr CK Anchan
Dr Anchan C.K.
managing director,
World Wide Business House
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal’s life is a rag- to-riches story with
a twist, as in he literally went from rags to riches. As a
youth, he lived on bare floors and slept on a thin, rope
mattress. Today, Lakshmi Mittal owns a majority stake
in Arcelor Mittal - the world’s largest steel company.
Mittal is the richest man in India, Asia and the
Kingdom, and is presently the 21st richest individual in
the world with a personal wealth of $20.7 billion. He is
the 44th “most powerful person” of the 68 individuals
named in Forbes’s Most Powerful People list.
In 2003, he acquired the Kensington mansion, said to
be the world’s most expensive home, from Formula
One racing’s Bernie Ecclestone for 70 million ($128
million). His daughter Vanisha Mittal’s wedding was
the second most expensive in the recorded history of
the world.
Mittal was born in 1950 in Sadulpur, India, a desert
village in the state of Rajasthan. His family moved to
Calcutta in the early 1960s, where his father became a
partner in a small steel company that began to prosper.
By 1969, Mittal had earned a degree in accounting
from St. Xavier’s, a prestigious college in Calcutta (now
Kolkata), and joined the family steel business.
In 1976, he traveled to Indonesia to look into a real-
estate investment for his father, and convinced him
to purchase a rundown steel mill there instead. The
roots of Mittal’s empire were in that Indonesian mill. He
founded his own company, which he called Ispat, the
Sanskrit word for “steel,” and modernised the mill. It
was a formula he replicated around the globe over the
next decade:
Mittal acquired mills in Trinidad, Mexico, and Algeria,
and turned the enterprises into profit-making plants.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, he
recognised new opportunities for his company,
because the heavily industrialised Eastern Bloc
boasted many immense steel mills. In 1995 Mittal
made an enormous investment in one in Kazakhstan,
Mittal spent $1 billion to buy and renovate the plant,
and it became one of the showpieces of his growing
empire.
Mittal returned to the headlines in Britain in October of
2004 when his company merged with the International
Steel Group, a holding group of five major U.S. steel
mills. With the purchase, Mittal Steel became the
world’s biggest steel producer.
In 2005 Mittal acquired a stake in China’s Hunan Valin
Iron & Steel Group for $314 million, which gave him
37 percent ownership. Industry analysts were not
surprised that Mittal had ventured into China, which is
the world’s single largest exporter and importer of steel.
Mittal scored another coup in June of 2006, when he
emerged victorious in a bitter battle to acquire Arcelor
of Luxembourg, the second largest steel company in
the world and Europe’s biggest.
One business strategy that Mittal employed to reach
the greatness of business excellence was through
always desiring for new and fresh grounds of business.
It is true that had Mittal decided to remain in India, he
would not be the wealthiest man in Europe today. He
however decided to change his business worldview
to suit the international market through switching from
India to London.
Business also entails doing something novel that will
add value to the already existing business world. Mittal
invented the use of Direct Reduced Iron or scrap as
a suitable substitute for steelmaking. In today’s world,
this trend is the most used for steel manufacturers. It is
therefore, not a mistake that Mittal, as a pioneer of this
scrap business has enjoyed the biggest shipments as
well as profits in the world out of this business.
Today Lakshmi Mittal is the face of a steel empire
called Arcelor Mittal. the world’s largest steel company
which accounts for 10 per cent of all crude steel
production. As the president and Ceo of the company,
he has steel-making facilities in 16 countries across
four continents that serve his customer base spanning
150 countries.
His success can be expressed in his own views: “Hard
work certainly goes a long way. These days a lot of
people work hard, so you have to make sure you work
even harder and really dedicate yourself to what you
are doing and setting out to achieve.”
Managem
ent
talk
36 April 7-30, 2012
Announcing
On Friday June 1, 2012
On Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Grand Finale
Preliminary
695431827
243758691
187926453
319865274
524173986
768249315
956387142
832514769
4716925382011 C
onceptis Puzzles, D
ist. by King F
eatures Syndicate, Inc.
Difficulty Level8/11
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:
6
4
7
43
58
9 5
1
4
2
1
3
8
7
1
5 3
51
76
4
2
8 2011
Con
cept
is P
uzzl
es, D
ist.
by K
ing
Feat
ures
Syn
dica
te, I
nc.
By Dave Green
Difficulty Level 8/11
Guidelines & Rules
38 April 7-30, 2012
39Black & White
40 May 7-20, 2012
Here are some trivia on what causes tsunamis and some interesting information related to these great walls of water that can
cause so much destruction
Kid
s
41Black & White
Whether the weather be fine
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
Or whether the weather be hot,
We’ll weather the weather,
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not
The Japanese word tsunami literally means ‘harbor
wave’.
Tsunamis are sometimes referred to as tidal waves but
this term has fallen out of favour because tsunamis are
not related to tides.
Tsunamis are huge waves of water that are usually
caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
As a tsunami approaches the shore, water may recede
from the coast, if it is shallow enough the water may be
pulled back hundred’s of metres. If you are in the area,
observing this is a good indication that a tsunami is on
the way.
Regions in tsunami danger zones often have warning
systems in place to give people as much time to
evacuate as possible.
When tsunamis hit shallow water (often near the coast)
they slow down but increase in height.
An earthquake in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia in
December 2004 caused a tsunami that killed over
200000 people in 14 countries.
In March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake off the eastern
coast of Japan caused a tsunami that was a major
factor in the death of over 15000 people.
The tsunami waves created by the Tohoku earthquake
reached heights of over 40 metres (131 feet) in some
areas, wiping out coastal towns and causing a number
of nuclear accidents.
A tsunami is a series of sea waves caused by an
underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption.
More rarely, a tsunami can be generated by a giant
meteor impact with the ocean.
A tsunami is not just one wave but a series of waves or
a “wave train.”
Many witnesses say a tsunami sounds like a freight
train.
When the ocean is deep, tsunamis may be less than a
foot high on the ocean’s surface, can travel at speeds
up to 500 mph without being noticed and cross the
entire ocean in less than a day.
Tsunami waves can be as long as 60 miles and be as
far as an hour apart. These waves can cross entire
oceans without losing much energy.
Flooding can reach land 1000 feet (300 meters) from
the coastline and the dangerous waves have enough
force to lift giant boulders, flip vehicles, and demolish
houses.
Scientists can accurately estimate the time when a
tsunami will arrive almost anywhere around the world
based on calculations using the depth of the water,
distances from one place to another, and the time that
the earthquake or other event occurred.
Hawaii is the U.S. state at greatest risk for a tsunami –
they get about one per year and a damaging one every
seven years.
The biggest tsunami that occurred Hawaii happened
on April 1, 1946, where the coast of Hilo Island was
hit with 30 foot waves coming in at 500 miles per hour.
170 people died as a result.
In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami was caused by an
earthquake that is thought to have had the energy of
23,000 atomic bombs. Within hours of the earthquake
in 2004, killer waves radiating from the epicenter
slammed into the coastline of 11 countries, damaging
countries from east Africa to Thailand. By the end
of the day, the tsunami had already killed 150,000
people. The final death toll was 283,000.
Not counting the 2011 tsunami in Japan, there were 26
tsunamis that killed at least 200 people or more in the
last century.
Tongue twisters
42 May 7-20, 2012
Salads Galore
Fresh summer tomatoes need almost nothing added to them. Tossing ripe tomatoes into a salad brings out the best in their flavour, and also
provides the most nutrition. Here are a few easy salads that will keep your menus cool:
Cookin
g
43Black & White
TOMATO ONION SALAD
Ingredients
3/4 lb. plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1/2 sm. red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 2 tbsp. dried basil
leaves
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 sm. clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Method
In medium bowl, combine salad ingredients,
mixing well. Refrigerate. Toss salad just before
serving. Makes four servings
TOMATO BREAD SALAD
Ingredients
8 cups Italian bread cubes
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cider or vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Method
In a large bowl, combine the bread, tomatoes,
basil and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together
the remaining ingredients; drizzle over bread
mixture. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes before
serving.
CHERRY TOMATO CORN SALAD
Ingredients
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
Method
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the basil,
oil, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper; shake well.
In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes and
cucumber. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Refrigerate until serving.
44 May 7-20, 2012
It is time to change tactics
at both work and play, so step
outside your comfort zone and you
will catch others off guard. It’s all
about rebooting and restarting this
week so forget the past and focus
on the future. Long distance travel
may seem out of your reach but it
could still happen.
Home is where the heart
is usually rings true for you, but
this week home and hearth seems
like a lonely place. 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.
Edgy conversations could
lead to a standoff but think long term
before making major decisions about
work or love. Calm down. 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.
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. It is only fair, especially if
you’ve been a taker and not a giver.
Sort it out.
The impact of Mercury
your ruling planet 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
ALFREDO JAMES "AL" PACINO (BORN APRIL 25, 1940) is an American
film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters,
including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy and Tony Montana in
Scarface, though he has also appeared several times on the other side of
the law — as a police officer, a detective and a lawyer. His role as Frank
Slade in Scent of a Woman won him the Academy Award for Best Actor
in 1993 after receiving seven previous Oscar nominations, one of them
being in the same year. He made his feature film debut in the 1969 film
Me, Natalie in a minor supporting role, before playing the leading role
in the 1971 drama The Panic in Needle Park. Pacino made his major
breakthrough when he was given the role of Michael Corleone in The
Godfather in 1972, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for
Best Supporting Actor. Other Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor
were for Dick Tracy and Glengarry Glen Ross. Oscar nominations for Best
Actor include The Godfather Part II, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, ...And
Justice for All and Scent of a Woman. In addition to a career in film, he has
also enjoyed a successful career on stage, picking up Tony Awards for
Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel.
Pacino has received numerous lifetime achievement awards, including one
from the American Film Institute. He is a method actor, taught mainly by Lee
Strasberg and Charles Laughton at the Actors Studio in New York.
It’s not only you who have
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 will
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.
If loved ones are feeling
vulnerable, you’ll need to be patient
with them, even if they stretch your
last nerve. You don’t seem to be
getting the results you want from
work situations, but make the best
of what’s going on. Home and
family need your full attention at the
weekend.
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. Focus on health matters,
so up your activity levels and get
moving.
Feeling impatient?
Restless? Impulsive? Try to get a
focal point to direct your energy as
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
March 21-April 20
December 23-January 20
April 21-May 20
January 21-February 19
November 23-December 22
February 20-March 20
starsLIBRA
CAPRICORN
SCORPIO
AQUARIUS
SAGITTARIUS
PISCES
AJAY ENTERPRISESPO BOX 54, PC 100. TEL : 24815485 FAX : 24815490
E-MAIL: [email protected], Website: www.albahja.com
FREE 20,500 copies (being audited)
Circulation Enquiries: 98675976/24565697Advertisement Enquiries: 97679290/24565697
www.blackandwhiteoman.com
AVAILABLEall over Oman on 7th & 21stof every month
First Free Fortnightly magazine
47Black & White
“Oh God I hate this food! Can I get something else immediately?” “Sure,
Mwah Mwah”.
“I think I look fat and ugly in this outfit”. “Not at all, you look very nice”.
“No one loves me”. “Mwah Mwah Don’t say that, I love you so much”
The only person who can do Mwah Mwah to you when you are being a
big fat pain is the universally loved Mom.
Bollywood has its own versions of mom which pretty much reflect
mothers across the world. They are self-sacrificing who give up
everything for the children.
Moms are one thing that haven’t changed over a period of time. They
are made from such a mould, created in God’s kitchen, that doesn’t
crack, doesn’t change, loves unconditionally and is resistant to all kind of
breakages especially by children.
They don’t go deaf with our constant whining, demands and desires and
always try and fulfill them. They always draw upon their strength to take
us through our tough times. No one has yet been able to create 'Maa ke
haath ka khana' i.e. food made by mothers. I am sure the MNCs would
love to do it but have failed miserably because who can replicate her
love.
In this ever changing and ever demanding world one thing I can be sure
of is my mother’s love even if I come home in tattered clothes having lost
every battle in this world she will hug me real tight and put a smile back
on my face.
So on this day and month of Mother’s Day and every other day let’s all
give all our MWAH MWAH MWAH….to our Mums. I’m sending mine to
Heaven as my Mum’s there.
Till next time love and hugs!
Mwah Mwah Mwah…
Vandana, award winning author (‘360 Degrees Back to Life')
By Vandana Shah
It's m
y lif
e
Vandana Shah, Author 360 Degrees Back To life, editor of Ex-Files. www.vandanashah.com.
Email me what you’d like to say on [email protected]
Follow me on twitter Vandy4PM
47Black & White
48 May 7-20, 2012
Shape n
sound
49Black & White
But, my words are addressed to
those who know they don’t look as
good as these cover ladies and to
those who know that they are far
from perfection. And that is fine. You
got me, that is fine! You are never
going to be as pretty or as striking as
these ladies, so let it be. Let us start
off on what you can be, if not that.
Knowing you women, you would
have huffed and puffed and ran to
look in the mirror to see if there was
some way that you could prove me
wrong; somewhere you will find some
lines, skin tone, some features that
will redeem you from the overall
flaw-ridden face that you think you
have. Ok, am I playing some mind
games here? Not really. I am in the
business of calling a spade a spade
and so, I am stating it as it is and as it
will be. There is no point in believing
that some of us, who are born as we
are, to suddenly transform ourselves
from our plain ordinariness to
something quite extraordinary.
But, there is a way out, and this is
where I come in:
BEAUTY LIES WITHIN
Yes, you heard this so many times,
ad nauseum. But, bear it within
you for this is one fact that will not
change. The true essence of you, the
real beauty within you, the woman,
is not what you look like; or what
you portray, or your makeup, or the
fashion statement that you make.
Nope. You have got to understand
that if you want to find the beautiful
you, look deep within you. It is not
your skin that matters. It is not your
colour that matters. It is not your
weight that matters. It is not your
height, your clothes, or your high
heeled pumps…there are millions out
there who could have all of this and
more and rich to boot but are very
poor within.
Why is it so tough to understand this?
And why do you want to be like them
when a treasure trove rests within
you, waiting to be discovered and
uncovered…?
MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE
WALL…
No, I can’t ask you to stop gazing
at yourself in the mirror. But, why
gaze at only your imperfections? If
you are the type who are going to be
influenced by your own visual self,
then let it be known that the mirror,
mirror on the wall…will be the biggest
betrayal of them all.
Women are known to be consumed
by their desire to outgrow their age,
their wrinkles, age spots, sagging
skin and bodies, and so, when they
are before the mirror, these are
the areas that they automatically
check. And if they find that nothing
has happened; no miracle has
occurred and their imperfections
remain as they are, they slip into a
mode of depression. My request is
simple here: even if you are mirror
conscious, please don’t focus on
your imperfections. No two women
are alike and so celebrate your
difference. Enjoy what you are. Has
your body shape shaped the way you
are as a woman; as a daughter, as
a friend, as a wife, as a mother…?
Think!
So, why worry about your shape
and focus on the inner shape that
has led you to be what you are – a
successful woman!
your inner beautyBy Olivia Drake
Admit it. Some of us women are never going
to be as beautiful as these women who grace
the covers of various magazines. For, those
who dispute this theory, well and good. Hats off
to you ladies for looking as good as these cover
ladies, and perhaps better.
50 May 7-20, 2012
Shape n
sound
CHIVALRY is a puddle away
51Black & White
Chivalry is just a puddle away from
realising for women.
Or, is it?
If there is a puddle between you and
your lady, all you have to do is to
throw your coat on top of it and let
her daintily step over it. Sure, this
can be done, but, imagine if it is more
than just a puddle?
What if it was the roaring rapids?
It is easy for men to become
chivalrous in a small situation, but
what if it was not that simple, would
the man wilt under pressure?
Okay, let it stew for a while as we go
over the issue of whether men are
actually chivalrous as they are meant
to be or are the chivalrous ones
slowly disappearing into the sunset?
With feminism still on a roll, there are
so many areas where a man might
feel overwhelmed by the task ahead
of him – the task of being courteous
and the responsible task of being
chivalrous.
HOW WILL HE KNOW?
How would he know – in a world
riddled with feminism too among
other things -- for instance that what
he shows as courtesy or chivalry that
it is not downright condescending?
How is he going to know that by
keeping the door held long enough
for the lady behind her to enter
is not going to view it as an insult
(“Why, what makes you think you
have to hold the door open for me?
You think I cannot do it?)? That is
one extreme and if a man has been
rebuffed by a woman to whom he
extended chivalry, he is going to
think twice before opening the door
for a stranger lady for fear of getting
his foot jammed there. Women are
known to be hostile to men when
they are approached by strangers
with offers to help. It can be due
to a variety of reasons and most
are genuine, but men who have
undergone rejection are known to
think twice before crossing the line.
MANNA FROM HEAVEN
At the other end is the woman who
represents a different type of plaint:
she has had the door slammed in
her face so many times that any sign
of politeness (forget chivalry) will be
seen as manna from heaven and she
may not even be able to react to it
properly.
But, deep inside them, there is this
hidden desire in many women to be
treated like a woman and neither as
a doormat nor as something beyond
every man’s reach. Women won’t
mind it if their men put them on a
pedestal, but, if it is so high that their
men themselves find it tough to reach
them, then all of this is without any
purpose.
NOT SO INNOCENT ACTS
Yes, eager to please men do quite
often stumble on their idiot stub toe
of overzealousness and are often
chastised by their women for doing it
all wrong.
And women are also wary and weary
of those who try to disguise outright
sleaziness in a not so innocent act of
chivalry.
HELP IN INDEED
But, imagine if a woman is really
in trouble: her car breaks down in
the middle of the road (couldn’t go
beyond the commonplace example)
and she has no clue as to how to
even open her car’s bonnet and then
there comes along a young man
who knows not only that but also
even how to fix the car. He is very
courteous and good looking to boot
and the woman would be all in a
flutter.
MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER
PLACE
The truth is that the world needs a bit
of chivalry here and there. And if not
for anything downright chivalrous, at
least a bit of courteousness would
go a long way in making this world
a better place. And what is wrong in
displaying a little door holding love?
That will cost you nothing and would
mean a lot to many women.
Help shake off your DAUGHTER’S blues
Mom, is your teen daughter showing signs of depression?
This is a question to be asked to all mothers who have daughters at home. Before you tense up, this is to quickly remind you that almost all girls go through this phase, and well, you yourself have gone through this phase, although you may not remember it today.
Pysc
he
52 May 7-20, 2012
53Black & White
Earlier studies have shown that a percentage of
adolescents, between nine and 18 have suffered from
depression at some point of time, with some of them
even undergoing major depressive disorder.
But, if you are the mother with a depressive daughter,
go ahead and give them some much needed advice. At
the same time, remember, there is no magic wand to do
away with your child’s blues.
In fact, you are the key person here who can actually
set about managing your daughter’s stress, anxiety and
depression:
SHE IS UNIQUE; SHE IS SPECIAL
Most of the kids (male or female) are sometimes
suffused with negative thoughts like, “I am a failure” and
therefore, “I should give up” or “He/she hates me”.
These thoughts alone can be the root of the problem.
So, start with that. Explain to them how unique they
are and how special. Tell them how you love them and
appreciate the sheer fact that they are daughters and
how every mother feels how special a daughter is to
them. Then, detail to them the essence of being, and
how they are unique creatures of God.
Be with them, take them out, cheer them up, buy them
gifts, get them a new haircut, or ask them to polish their
nails and dress up…there, she is feeling better already!
MOOD LIFTING FOODS
Now, look at it a bit scientifically too. Every kid’s body
needs vitamins and minerals such as iron and the
B-vitamins. So, feed her plenty of fruits, vegetables and
whole grains. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty
acids are mood lifting agents and could even help in
bringing down depression. Here is a quick list of some of
the foods that are rich in omega-3: oily fish like salmon,
mackerel and sardines; ground flaxseeds, walnuts,
and omega-3 fortified eggs. Vitamin B 12 and Folate
are also important for mood. Some scientists believe
that these vitamins create serotonin, which normalises
mood. Vitamin D also increases serotonin and can
be especially helpful with Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD). Milk and soy milk are full of Vitamin D as are egg
yolks and fish with bones.
EXERCISE THE BLUES AWAY
Stop their non-stop television viewing. Yes, this one
is going to be hard. But, let it be known that too much
TV and too little exercise drive you to the edge – of
depression! So, push her off the sofa, plug off the TV
set and push her out. Why not go with her? Go for a
jog, momma and daughter. Not that she needs to lose
weight, but tell her that she is going to look great (like
her mama).
So, get her (and yourself) into the great outdoors, or
buy her a tread mill and tell her to blaze on it! The thing
is, get her to do some exercise, and you will find all her
dark moods uplifted and she will be feeling light and
happy.
AJAY ENTERPRISESPO BOX 54, PC 100. TEL : 24815485 FAX : 24815490
E-MAIL: [email protected], Website: www.albahja.com
You speak of equality, right, go make
your own tea, smirked my colleague.
It is called chivalry, make a cup for me, I
retorted.
No way, you ladies want to be stronger
and smarter, so work for it, pat came the
reply.
But what has making a cup of tea got to
do with equality and strength?
It is just a cup of ordinary tea? Anyone,
beyond genders can do it?
He turned around and said: ladies first,
make your tea first!
And then he turned around laughing: Do
you know the tradition behind ladies first?
To my utmost grief, he started narrating:
Well, long long ago, there was this young
couple, who were in love, doted to each
other, body and soul.
But in those days, love was forbidden;
society did not allow them to live together
and the young couple had no other
choice rather than to run away and
commit suicide…?
I acted as if I was not listening.
He continued his story, am sure it was to
my benefit: So there they went, one fine
morning, well determined to join in death,
if not in life.
They chose to jump to their death and lo,
the man jumped, without any doubt and
dilemma! He was committed to love.
Men are just that from time immemorial –
loyal, determined, committed, he added
his own spice to the story! Hmph!
And he jumped first, as he could not bear
to see his love jump to death.
Well, you know what the young lady, did,
she was so heartbroken and horrified
that she didn’t jump!
The lady didn’t jump!
How absolutely lady like!
He reiterated, as if I was the lady in
context!
Well, well, well, could only be true! It
is not just a story, am sure you all can
Google it, this is the real story of the
Ladies First term usage and tradition.
You can’t trust a lady to be committed;
we men need to ensure she does it!
That was his punch line. Period.
So what are you men trying to do?
Ensure ladies jump first always? I almost
responded.
It is amusing when men take up feminist
attitudes, trying to prove a point.
They are no match and do not know what
the result of a conversation could be.
I know there are speculation abounds
about the origin of this tradition.
Some believe it stemmed from soldiers
being protected during wars and walking
behind women in order not to lose
soldiers!
There are many versions to the ladies
first usage.
Some say it began during Victorian
times.
Another say in times of crisis,
earthquakes, floods women folk and
children are saved first…
If it is up to the men, women would
remain as shields ever, someone else
chipped in!
Who wants equality?
I don’t think there is one woman out there
who wants equality, all of them want a
life of self respect and it has nothing to
do with equality… at least I think so!
What started as a cup of tea, ended up in
heated arguments and discussion, hotter
than the tea!
All for just a cup of tea?
Next time someone says ladies first, am
going to ask them why!
By Priya Arunkumar
Hooked
Ladies first?