DIVING FOR TREASURE

THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

 Oman in Poeartery
 The Miracle Plant
 Trash into ‘Art’
www.omanobserver.om

Observer Photo
Contest - P36
 4
 CONTENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

SPECIAL REPORT

Diving is about building

relationships and friendships
around the world
 PAGE 8
Weekend

LIFESTYLE

Resident artists combine

poetry with painting
in distinctive fashion
 PAGE 16


COMMUNITY
The miracle plant can cure
ailments from ingrowing toe
nails to bald patches
 PAGE 28
 5
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Vol 2, No 28

Chief Executive Officer

Dr Ibrahim bin Ahmed al Kindi
Editor-in-Chief
Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili

Deputy Managing Editor

Bader bin Zahir al Kiyumi

Editor
Treasure from Underwater
Samuel Kutty

T
he Sultanate of Oman is renowned for its rich and
charming underwater beauty with abundant awe-
Reporter inspiring sites for a diver to choose from. It’s true
Lakshmi Kothaneth beauty lies within as the sea life is blessed with a variety of
hard and soft corals present and shoals of fish. Although the
Design
Omani government, in an effort to safeguard this national
Upendra Nayak
treasure, has put restrictions on access to these outcrops,
Proof-reading divers, snorkellers, nature-lovers and tourists are permitted
Ali al Ghafri to explore this underwater beauty.
In this issue of the Weekend we have a group of diving
Advertising enthusiasts, among them, some are photographers and
Al Omaneya for Distribution & Marketing authors, who want to explore the underwater treasures of
Tel: 24649350/24649360, Fax: 24649379 Oman. Coming from different countries, it is not just
excitement for them, but it is the nature and culture of Oman
Marketing
that have been at the centre of their attraction. We bring to
Nibu Erattakkulam
Mobile: 95117064, e-mail: nibu@omanobserver.om you their underwater experiences, as one of the divers says,
“most people see ocean as a mirror but it is like you have to
Technical Assistance understand what is on the other side of the mirror. It is
Mohammed Mubarak al Moharbi essential for people to understand that without healthy
oceans life on earth is not possible”.
In the line of Weekend contents, we have a lot more to
make your reading further interesting. The miracle plant in
Printers and Publishers: Wadi Bani Awf that can cure most ailments from ingrowing
Oman Establishment for Press, toe nails to bald patches, a distinctive ‘poeartery’ exhibition
Publication and Advertising
P O Box 974, Postal Code 100
which encompasses Oman’s beauty both in canvas and
Muscat, Sultanate of Oman verses, a visit to the heart-shaped island of Maldives, and
Tel: 24649444, 24649458, 24649451, Fax: 24649469 other regulars will definitely add to your weekend recipe.
Website: omanobserver.om With warm regards
e-mail: weekend@omanobserver.om
observerweekend@gmail.com

Distribution Agent:
Al Omaneya for Distribution & Marketing Samuel Kutty
P O Box 974, P C 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, samkutty@omanobserver.om
Tel: 24649350/24649360, Fax: 24649379
e-mail: subscribe@omandaily.om

 CELEBRATIONS
Oman Erupts in Jubilation
T
he Sultanate broke into jubilation and the different
wilayats of Oman right from the Dhofar governorate
in the South to the most populous Batinah region
and the Musandam in the north witnessed celebratory
processions to mark the return of His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos after following a treatment in Germany.
Even schools of Muscat and other parts of Oman saw
children celebrating the important occasion with Oman
flags. Several photographs that marked the occasion
were also shared and circulated on social media
platforms. It may be noted that most of the events were
also said to be peaceful marches while Royal Oman
6
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
Police took precautionary measures to ensure that there
are no disruptions as part of the celebrations.
In November 2014, following the His Majesty the
Sultan’s speech on the occasion of the National Day,
similar processions were taken out in wilayats and cities
both by the expatriates and citizens.
As the tricolor of the nation was seen everywhere
including the oil rig sites, car owners opted to express
their patriotism through their vehicles. Custom made car
stickers became the trend. With greetings and slogans
the aircraft His Majesty arrived in became an icon on its
own filling the wind shield of vehicles.
 7
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

as HM Returns
 8
 SPECIAL REPORT THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

DIVING FOR

— Pictures by Faisal al Balushi


TREASURE
By Lakshmi Kothaneth
T
here are bikers then there are
divers. Bikers are easily visible and
the divers are only spotted when
they are near water with their
diving gear.
‘Going on a diving vacation to Oman,’ is a
statement dive operators in Oman might be
used to. There is a huge fanfare for diving
sites amongst tourists.
Depth of the shores, temperature of the
water and its visibility are all the attractions
of divers in addition to of course what are
the marine species they are going to meet
underwater.
That is when Oman in Focus announces
the arrival of divers from seven different
countries to explore the underwater
treasures of Oman. In addition to divers
from Oman, professionals have come from
Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Malaysia, UAE,
Bahrain, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Oman Observer’s photographer Faisal al
Balushi will be joining Oman In Focus and
diving at the attractive sites namely
Musandam, Damaniyat and Al Fahal Islands
as well as Bander Khairan where they will be
spending four nights.
“There are many species in the waters of
Oman that we as general public do not
know. It will be wonderful to see it through
the lens of these expert divers,” said Maisa
al Hooti, the person behind the concept —
Oman In Focus. What the divers find each
day by following Oman In Focus on social
media.
Ellen Hui is from Malaysia and she has
9
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
been diving since 2011. What she saw
underneath inspired her to capture the
underwater life and that is where her
passion for photography began. “My love is
for the underwater. I have been mainly
diving in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand,
Indonesia, and among the notable Bali
Island, Ambon, Lembeh — all in Indonesia.
Indonesia is my favourite place to dive.
Other exciting places I have explored are
Anilao which is two hours from Manila.
Palau is a group of islands and another
fabulous place to explore. And now here I
am to explore waters of Oman!” said Ellen
excitedly.
What are her favourite species? “Of
course they have to be Ghostpipe fish,
Nudibranch and blue ring octopus,” replied
Ellen promptly.
Sitting completely satisfied at the onset of
the journey is Phil Simha, a photographer,
diver and an author. He has been shooting
underwater pictures for the last 30 years
especially landscapes and mountaineering
photography. About 15 years ago diving
took everything else away. “I enjoyed diving
in the Andaman islands even before anyone
knew about it,” said the diver and
photographer who originally Greek grew up
in Switzerland and that is where he is now.
“First time to Oman and I am excited!
Nature and culture of Oman have been
attracting me. I want my work to help
people understand life and the
interconnection between life underwater
and life on land. Most people see ocean as
a mirror but it is like you have to understand
what is on the other side of the mirror. It is

 SPECIAL REPORT
essential for people to understand that
without healthy oceans life on life on
earth is not possible,” said Phil.
“I believe part of humanism is to
protect our environment. I can see that
Oman has this humanistic approach
toward the environment. I want to tell
the world that here is a country that who
is doing it. If companies want to invest
let them do it here,” added Phil.
Learning to dive is all about learning
to breathe right said Phil. Yoga and
Ayurveda tell you the importance of
breathing right he pointed out. “I
practice Yoga and breathing exercises
everyday. When you learn to breathe
you also realise how polluted our earth
has become,” advised Phil.
Phil is the author of two books which
10
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
are dedicated to underwater
photography and free diving.
If Phil is new to Oman’s water and to
the region, there is one person who has
been diving in various parts of Oman
and he is Abdullah al Mehairi from
Abudhabi, UAE. It was in 1997 when he
started his interest and that took to
corners of the world. “I have groups
from AbuDhabi who accompany me on
the diving trips to Oman. I have my own
Dive Center called Meemo Diving
Center. Recent we went to dive in the
Philippines for 10 days and three weeks
ago we were in Al Halaniyat islands for
the weekend.
Diving is not about jumping in. It is
about building relationships and
friendships around the world. My son

and daughter join me for the diving
sessions. I want to pass on my passion
for diving to them because we become
better human beings. When someone
helps you underwater imagine what he
would do for you when they are on land,”
explained Abdullah.
But for all that we need healthy
oceans as Abdullah points out, “Imagine
if it looks like a cemetery underneath. It
would be dreadful. We have to protect it
and preserve it for our generations yet to
come.”
Abdullah’s favourite sea creatures are
Nudibranch which can be just around 1
cm long. I have lot of macro lens
cameras. They have vibrant colours and
are attractive. The colours are an
indicator for other sea animals but not
11
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
Maisa al Hooti
for humans. “I have been tracking them
around the world. Their life cycle is very
short. I have been picturing them ever
since 2007. I found them by chance.
Since then I have bought lots of books
There are many
on them and today finding them have
become a passion.” You can follow
species in the
Abdullah’s images of these tiny and waters of Oman
vibrant creatures on his instagram
account — @meemodivingcenter. that we as
general public
An exhibition will be held at The Wave
on April 12. The exhibition will then
move to France and the Milan Expo. An
eight-minute documentary film will also do not know. It
be edited and put together by Nasser al
Rukeshi of Al Kuds Arts Media will be wonderful
Productions, which will be a compilation
and documentation of the almost 10 day
to see it through
journey by the divers.
The project is supported by various
the lens of these
government and private sector
organisations. According to assistant
expert divers
general manager — Head of Marketing
and Publicity at Bank Sohar, Mazin
Mahmood al Raisi, “It is an excellent
initiative and their previous event was a
success too. At Bank Sohar we would like
to support local talent and initiatives. Our
team will be following the divers with
social media coverage throughout their
 12
 SPECIAL REPORT THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Abdullah al Mehairi

Phil Simham

Ellen Hui
journey.”
Al Ghait al Zedjali from Bank Sohar will be
one of the divers in the journey sharing his
first hand experience. Divers from Oman in We want to promote Oman
Focus, Oman Sail and Euro-divers will also
be joining international divers and to the divers of the world.
photographers. We have nine centres in the
“We want to promote Oman to the divers
of the world. We have nine centres in the world. It will be exciting for
world. It will be exciting for the divers of the divers of Oman in Focus
Oman in Focus to see the waters of the
Sultanate and realise that it is still to see the waters of the
undiscovered, untouched and is Sultanate and realise that it is
unbelievable,” said Karin Straub, Managing
Director of Euro Divers, Oman. still undiscovered, untouched
(The interview can be viewed on and is unbelievable
facebook.com/omanobserver and
omanobserver.om)
“There is something special about the
underwater of Oman. I feel the GCC is one
arm and I have been diving from Oman to
 13
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Image courtesy:
http://www.meemodivingcenter.com
Kuwait. Oman is my second home and I
have been diving with the Omani people.
But now this time around it will be all
documented and presented for the world
to see,” explained Al Mehairi who had
been diving in Al Halaniyat Islands three
weeks ago.
“Safety is extremely important. We
cannot go beyond 40 metres. We have a
time limit and we will make sure we will
come up at the right time,” added Al
Mehairi.
Today they will begin in Khasab for
four days; next stage is three days at Al
Sawadi and finally four days in Muscat.
 14
 CONTENTS
Lifestyle THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Oman in Poeartery
 PAGE 16


Chicken with Sun dried tomato

 PAGE 20
 15

Top musicians THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

dazzle

By Maurice Gent

I
t was definitely an evening for superlatives when two of the
best known artists appeared at the Royal Opera House
Muscat in a concert that will be long remembered by those
who were fortunate enough to see it. Along with the visiting
Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra were two highly
distinguished world artists — Ricardo Muti and Anne Sophie
Mutter.
Anne Sophie Mutter mesmerised a highly appreciative
audience with her skills. She dedicates herself to the future of
music throughout the world and has carried her much
travelled violin to many lands. She has performed at world
famed venues such as Carnegie Hall in the United States but
also in much less prestigious venues worldwide. In the
2014/2015 season she has featured in concerts in Asia,
Europe and North America. Exhibiting an exciting, sparkling
and challenging talent that inspires the youth of many nations.
She was highly impressive in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
in D Major clearly inspiring a new generation with exquisite
skills. Her thoughts are very much turned to tomorrow’s
musical elite and her keenness to work with youth orchestras.
She can certainly tick off her visit to Oman as a success
playing with a skilled youth orchestra eager to improve their
skills.
The other star of the evening was conductor. Ricardo Muti
who for many years has been linked with the Salzburg Festival.
It was an evening very much enjoyed by all, the skilled artists,
the young musicians honing their skills and indeed the
audience, who were enjoying themselves as participants in a
workshop to which everyone was contributing.
 16
 ART THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

OMAN IN
 17
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

POEARTERY
Resident artists combine
poetry with painting in
distinctive fashion
By Ali Ahmed Al Riyami

R
esident artist Tania Hens and poet Jacqui ONeil
have combined their artistic talents to make a
distinctive ‘poeartery’ exhibition, where Jacqui’s
delightful poetry complements Tania’s resplendent
paintings, which are both inspired by Oman.
The exhibition is being held at the Crowne Plaza
Muscat and is in three parts each one running for a
month and having a different artist exhibiting alongside
Tania and Jacqui. This time around the splendidly
insightful photography of Sami Jaffer is also on show.
Talking to the Weekend, the two artists noted, “Our
inspiration was derived from the beautiful scenery,
friendly people and amazing light of Oman that is shared
with the time we have as supportive ex-pat wives to our
working husbands. We were struck by the beauty of our
surroundings and this encouraged us to visit many
inspiring places to actually paint and write whilst in these
areas, enabling our creativity.
“The idea behind the exhibition was born from the
desire to showcase our gratitude and for the honour of
having the privilege of living in this stunning country.
Together with the Crowne Plaza, we wanted to host a
series of exhibitions to provide an opportunity for Omani
and resident artists to display work inspired by the
beauty of Oman.
Finally, we will open ‘Spirit of Oman’ with acclaimed
“This is the first of our 3-part exhibitions with this one
nature photographer, Hamed al Wardi, on the May 12.
coming under the title ‘Time to be Enchanted’. The
The whole exhibition will close on the June 9.’
second opens on the April 14 and includes resident
Commenting on how their collaboration came about
photographer Hilary White; it is entitled ‘Desert Dreams’.
 18
 ART THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

and on their art, Tania said, “We met each other at Jane
Jaffer’s place where she was holding a creative writing
course and kept in touch after the course. We decided to
showcase the beauty of Oman, as a tribute to Oman. So,
we made a fusion of art and poetry, which we called
poeartery.
Jacqui explained that this exhibition is a precursor to
their book project, which started out when “we would go
to shops to find presents for our guests and we could
never find the right gift that showcased, what we felt,
Oman really has to offer. We saw books with lovely
photographs or lovely paintings, but there wasn’t
anything we could find that lent itself to the beauty of
19
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
Oman.”
“I’d love to see a book with poetry and lovely
paintings, or poetry with lovely photographs, so we came
up with this idea.”
With regard to her poetry, she said, “I began to write
poetry in Oman after I stopped working and had time to
fill during the day. You start to look around you with very
different eyes…. I was very moved with the things I saw
and I would often take myself off and write; down at the
beach in Qurum or the fort in Bausher.
“Initially, I was shy about sharing my poetry; I’ve been
writing all my life but very few people knew that.” As a
schoolteacher, Jacqui used to write songs for her pupils.
 20
 FOOD THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield : 8 servings

Ingredients
sȩȩBONEȩINȩȩSKINȩONȩCHICKEN
sȩSALTȩPEPPERȩTOȩTASTE
sȩ¯ȩTSPȩCHILLIȩFLAKES
sȩȩTBSPȩBUTTER
Aisha Nazar,
sȩȩCLOVESȩGARLIC NHI, Al Wadi Kabir
sȩȩCUPȩCHICKENȩBROTH
sȩ¯ȩCUPȩHEAVYȩCREAM
sȩ1/3 cup julienne of sun dried
tomato
sȩžȩCUPȩGRATEDȩPARMESAN
sȩžȩCUPȩBASILȩLEAVES
sȩžȩTSPȩȩȩȩˆȩDICEDȩTHYME
— oregano
— basil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 204 degrees

Celsius
2. Season the chicken with salt,
pepper, melt 2 tbsp butter and
sear on both sides until golden
brown on both sides (2-3 min
each side) and remove from pan
and set aside.
3. Melt the remaining butter and
sauté garlic and chilli flakes.
4. Then stir the chicken broth, heavy
cream, sun dried tomatoes,
parmesan, thyme, oregano and
basil.
5. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat
and simmer till it appears thick,
then add the chicken into the
sauce and place into the oven
and roast until completely
cooked.
Serve hot with garnish of basil and
coriander.

Profile: Aisha Nazar is a graduate in

business administration currently
doing level 2 professional cookery
from NHI.
 21
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

CHICKEN
WITH SUN DRIED
TOMATO AND
CREAMY SAUCE
 22
 CONTENTS
Community THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

The Maldives — The Deserted Island Paradise

 PAGE 24

The Miracle Plant in Wadi Bani Awf

PAGE 28


Vitamin A Works as a Protective Cover

PAGE 32
 23
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

PERSONALITY
OF THE WEEK
CHITA RIVERA

C hita Rivera, the

veteran stage star
who shot to fame as
Anita in the 1957
production of West Side
Story, is returning to
Broadway as the world’s
wealthiest woman in the
new musical The Visit.
The two-time Tony
award winning actress
and dancer stars
opposite Welsh actor
Roger Reese (The Life
and Adventures of
Nicholas Nickleby) in the
one-act musical that is
due to open at the
Lyceum Theatre on April
23.
Rivera, 82, plays
often-widowed Claire
Zachanassian in the
musical based on the
1956 play by Swiss
author and dramatist
Friedrich Durrenmatt
about greed, love and
revenge.
“It’s a wonderful
theatre piece, and the
theatre is where I am at
home,” she says.
 24
 TRAVEL THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

THE MALDIVES
The Deserted Island Paradise

L
ike one of Mother Nature’s emotions,
this lovable heart-shaped island can
be found in the Republic of the
Maldives, a country that is spread out over
35,000 square miles in the Indian Ocean,
250 miles southwest of India.
The nation comprises 1,190 coral
islands formed around 26 natural atolls,
each of which is made of a coral reef
circling a lagoon. While the Maldives is
one the world’s most geographically
dispersed countries, it is the smallest Asian
country in both land area and population;
only 200 of those islands are populated.
Beaches
It is well-known that The Maldives
boasts some of the most beautiful beaches
in the world. But what the experienced
25
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
visitor knows is that the very best ones are
not fixed. Sand is moved around the coral
islands by the seasons, and the moment
one interferes to secure it — by setting
walls and groynes or by pumping sand —
the picturesque perfection, and quality
underfoot, are impaired.
The islands have pure, white, talcum
powder sand, sweeping handsomely
round idyllic islands. Because, with one
notable exception, their beaches have
been left untouched. No groynes
punctuate the shore, no sea walls occlude
the horizon, no coarser sand fills any gaps.
These beaches flow with the seasons
and are always at large on the island, if not
all the way round. In Veligandu’s case, they
are actually growing. At these resorts,
nearly every single beach room looks
 26
 TRAVEL THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

straight out onto exquisite shoreline.

Angsana Ihuru is the exception. They pump a little
sand from the lagoon to ensure that the wide beach is
unbroken on their geographically perfect island. When
you’re named the second best beach on the entire
planet, perhaps concessions are allowed.

The Old Friday Mosque

This is the oldest mosque in the country, dating from
1656. It’s a beautiful structure made from coral stone into
which intricate decoration and Quranic script have been
chiselled. Visitors wishing to see inside are supposed to
get permission from an official of the Ministry of Islamic
Affairs. Most of the staff are officials of the ministry,
however, and if you are respectful and well-dressed they
will usually give you permission to enter the mosque on
the spot.
Even though an ugly protective corrugated-iron sheet
now covers the roof and some of the walls, this is still a
fascinating place. The interior is superb and famed for its
fine lacquer work and elaborate woodcarvings. One long
panel, carved in the 13th century, commemorates the
introduction of Islam to the Maldives.
The mosque was built on the foundations of an old
temple that faced west towards the setting sun, not
northwest towards Mecca. Consequently, the
worshippers have to face the corner of the mosque when
they pray — the striped carpet, laid at an angle, shows the some 30 ancient Buddhist coral stone carvings from the
correct direction. country’s pre-Islamic period, were destroyed for being
Overlooking the mosque is the solid, round, blue-and- ‘idols’.
white tower of the munnaaru — the squat minaret. The display begins downstairs with galleries devoted
Though it doesn’t look that old, it dates from 1675. To to the ancient and medieval periods of Maldivian history.
one side of the mosque is a cemetery with many Items on display include weaponry, religious
elaborately carved tombstones. Stones with rounded paraphernalia and household wares as well as many
tops are for females, those with pointy tops are for males impressively carved Arabic- and Thaana-engraved pieces
and those featuring gold-plated lettering are the graves of wood commemorating the conversion of the Maldives
of former sultans. The small buildings are family to Islam in 1153.
mausoleums and their stone walls are intricately carved. Upstairs is a display representing the modern period
Respectably-dressed non-Muslims are welcome to walk and including some prized examples of the lacquer-work
around the graveyard; you don’t require permission for boxes for which Maldives is famous, and various pieces
this. of antique technology including the country’s first
gramophone, telephone and a massive computer.
The National Museum Quirkier relics include the minutes of the famous
The National Museum may be a ferociously ugly underwater cabinet meeting held under President
building recently gifted by China, but it nevertheless Nasheed in 2009 and an impressive marine collection,
contains an excellent and well-labelled collection of the highlight of which is the 6m-long skeleton of the very
historic artefacts that serve to trace the unusual history of rare Longman’s Beaked Whale, which is yet to have been
these isolated islands. sighted alive in the sea.
Sadly the museum was broken into by a mob of
Utheemu Ganduvaru
religious extremists during protests against former
President Nasheed in 2012, and its most precious items, This small palace was the childhood home of
 27
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Malidivian national hero Mohammed

Thakurufaanu, who, alongside with his
brothers, overthrew Portuguese rule in
1573.
Visitors are escorted around the
complex of buildings by a member of
staff from the museum and are able to
see the fascinating 500-year-old wooden
interiors, including swing beds (used to
keep cool in the heat), lamps that burn
coco palm oil, elaborate wooden
carvings and a large palm-thatch shed
used as a sleeping room for guests.
 28
 TRADITION THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

The Miracle Plant

in Wadi Bani Awf

I
was sunburnt.
Very,very sunburnt. In fact, I was
lingering on the border between very
burnt and crisp. My skin felt like the goat
kebabs you see being turned over and
over on a makeshift BBQ along the road
in Seeb. Except, I didn’t have anyone to
fan me with a piece of cardboard.
After more than a decade in Oman,
one would think I had learned my lesson
by now and automatically slathered
myself in sunfactor 50+ as soon as I set
foot outside the door. But no, somehow I
still believed I could beat the sun
occasionally. The deep red, slightly
blistered colour on my face painfully
reminded me that I was wrong. Again.
“You look funny”, my friend told me
and demonstratively put his sunglasses
on when looking at me. I too had to keep
my sunglasses on at all times, just to avoid
scaring little children and goats with the
big white cicrles around my eyes, being
the only two areas in my face not
sunburned.
“Trust me, my friend, there is nothing
funny about this!” I groaned
“I can cure you”, he offered as casually
as had he offered to buy me a cup of tea.
“Of course you can”, I replied in the
same tone of voice I reserve for the
neighbour’s children presenting me with
finger-painted ‘artwork’ from school “sure
you can”.
Despite the patronising pat on the
head my friend continued.
“We will go to my village in Wadi Bani
Awf”.
There comes a point in every person’s
life when you just have to relent and go
with the flow. Especially if your nose feels
like one throbbing red emergency flare,
and the person in front of you offers you
hope. So, we adjusted our sunglasses and
set off towards Rustaq.
Turning off the main road in towards
Wadi Bani Awf and the mountains, we
were pleasantly surprised to see that the
road was no longer to a gravel road as
By Rachael M before, but had been replaced with
www.facebook.com/ePicOman proper tarmac. This made driving a lot
29
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
easier albeit less picturesque. We still had
to make a sharp right turn before the
mouth of Snake Gorge and continue up
the dirt road next to the goat pen. Some
things just never change. As always when
driving on this road, I tried not to look
down at the vehicles which didn’t make
the trip and now lay like burnt out
carcasses at the bottom of the wadi. For
the first time it struck me that in our rush
to get here I had forgotten to ask my
friend exactly how he had planned to
cure my sunburn.
“There is this special plant near my
village. It grows wild and we use it to cure
sick people”, he replied with a quick
sideways glance in my direction.
“Stomach pain, bone pain, toothache,
hair loss...”, the list seemed to go on and
on “you just wait and see”.
He stopped the car and from the road
we looked down on Snake Gorge. I
frowned at my inadequate flip flops. My
friend careered down the slope in his city
Armani oustrich leather sandals, his
mobile phone firmly clasped in his hand. I
could hear running water in the distance
and judging from the small puddles
between the rocks I gathered we were
close to a spring. It was impressive to
walk in the gorge. Enormous rock faces
on either side of us almost blocked out
the sunlight. For once I was grateful for
that. A huge boulder had been lodged
between the sides and hung suspended
above our heads. Spectacular what nature
is capable of. The rocks, varying in both
colours and texture would no doubt be
any geologist’s dream. I, on the other
hand, was more interested in the miracle
plant to cure all illnesses.
“Please don’t tell me the plants we are
looking for are down there” I begged and
pointed down towards the gushing water.
“Plants?”
“Nonono, they grow up in the
mountains”, he replied “I just thought you
wanted to see Snake Gorge”.
So, we slowly clambered up again; him
carefully not to scratch his city sandals —
me cursing under my breath about
 30
 TRADITION THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

wasted time. We continued up the side of the
mountain, closely watched by curious goats. And then I
saw them, wild aloe vera standing shoulder by shoulder
so densely packed that not a millimetre was free. Like a
giant pea-green carpet, the plants stood with their thick
fleshy leaves giving honour to their nickname ‘Lilies of
the Desert’.
It was an amazing sight. My friend bent down and
broke off a leaf. Thick clear gel dripped immediately out
of it. He squeezed and soon had enough gel to apply
on my very sore nose, which had grown even redder
after the climb.
“Aaaaahhhh...”, instant relief. The gel quickly dried on
my skin and sotthed my pain. With his pocket knife my
friend cut along the Aloe Vera leaf to extract all the gel
and juice inside. This was better than any lotion or
creme I had ever tried, and more than made up for the
slightly earthy smell on my skin. Soon my face was
covered in the stuff and I felt like I had been given a
facelift.
“Better take this home and plant in your garden — for
next time”, my friend laughed and pulled an entire
plant, roots and all, out of the ground.
31
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
We drove back to Muscat in a very different mood.
And with the insurance against future sunburns in the
back of the car.
Let it be said, the gel that comes out of the miracle
plant and which can cure most ailments from ingrowing
toe nails to bald patches might for all I care be as clear
as daylight when you apply it. It is only after a few
minutes it turns into a sickly yellow-orange dye almost
impossible to get off clothes, bed linen — and skin. My
friend had forgotten to mention this small, and to him
irrelevant, fact. To me, however, it became very
apparent when we stopped on the way back to do a bit
of food shopping in Sultan Centre. For a while I
wondered why other customers almost collided with
their shopping trolleys and giggled when they passed
me. Only when I was safe back home did I realise the
reason why.
Aloe Vera might quite possibly have been used by
Cleopatra as part of her beauty regime, by Alexander
the Great to heal the wounds of his injured soldiers and
generally used to cure all illnesses known to man. But
trust me, it doesn’t do much to cure a raging case of
embarrassment. And I know this for a fact!
 32
 HEALTH THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

VITAMIN
Works as a
Protective Cover
V
itamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, plays an
important role in bone growth, reproduction, on,
immune function, hormone synthesis and
regulation and vision. Your eyes need ed
vitamin A to help them convert
nvert
light into brain
n
signals thatt allow
you to perceive
ceive
images. Vitamin
tamin A
works to protect you
against infection by helping create
healthy white blood cells and by promoting
healthy skin. Vitamin A helps cells divide and
develop into specialised cells, like blood
cells, lung cells, brain cells and other
distinct tissues.

Best Food Sources

Preformed vitamin A (a.k.a. retinol) is
found in foods of animal origin, such as
liver, eggs, milk fortified with vitamin
A, fortified cereals and fish. Green
leafy vegetables and orange
vegetables and fruits supply
vitamin A in the form of
carotenoids. To easily meet
your recommended intakes,

the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests 3 cups per
week of dark leafy green vegetables and 2 cups per
week of orange vegetables. Also, you need to
understand that you can get vitamin A from animal or
plant sources and that these sources are treated
differently by the body.
Vitamin A from animal foods, supplements and
fortified foods is called “preformed vitamin A,” or retinol.
Preformed vitamin A is in a form that is highly available to
your body. Vitamin A from plant sources comes in the
form of carotenoids, primarily beta carotene. To account
for the absorption of different forms of vitamin A,
scientists created a unit called retinol activity equivalent
(RAE). For example, 12 micrograms (mcg) of beta
carotene equals 1 mcg of retinol. To complicate matters,
nutrition and supplement labels don’t use RAEs; instead
they use International Units (IU). We’ve done the
conversions for you.
Inadequate Intake and Deficiencies
One of the first detectable signs of vitamin A
deficiency is night blindness or the inability to see in dim
light. Common in developing countries but rare in the
United States, night blindness is a reversible condition
that responds rapidly to treatment. However, if the
deficiency becomes more severe, it develops into an
irreversible condition termed xerophthalmia, which is a
33
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
drying of parts of the eye that will eventually result in
blindness. Other effects of vitamin A deficiency include
decreased immune function; dry, scaly skin; problems
with reproduction; and cessation of bone growth.
Since vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, it can be stored
in the body. Thus, a healthy adult who stopped eating
good food sources of the vitamin might not see
deficiency symptoms until these stores were depleted—
possibly for several months.
Excessive Intake
High intakes of beta carotene from foods have not
been shown to be toxic in humans, but may cause an
unwanted side effect: yellow (or orange) skin. Fortunately,
the beta-carotene tinge is harmless and only temporary.
High doses of preformed vitamin A from animal foods or
supplements can cause both acute (short-term) or
chronic toxicity.
Signs of short-term vitamin toxicity include nausea,
vomiting, headache, dizziness and blurred vision. Chronic
toxicity (due to ingestion of large doses for months or
years) is often characterised by dry itchy skin, loss of
appetite, headache, birth defects, liver abnormalities,
central nervous system disorders, and bone and joint
pain. Getting too much preformed vitamin A may also
result in reduced bone mineral density, which can lead to
osteoporosis.
 34
 CONTENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Dil Ki Baatein celebrates life

Leisure

 PAGE 36


Trash into ‘Art’

 PAGE 38

Did You Know?

 PAGE 42
 35
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Naomi Wants to ‘Feel Lighter’

a part of.
How is this story relatable to
people?
It’s really a human drama-slash-
comedy that could take place in any
part of the world. There’s endless
fascination with youth culture and in
the same regard, the young are
fascinated with us but possibly for
less pure reasons. Even though
(Jamie and Darby) present
themselves as this very purist
couple, I think they, particularly
Adam Driver’s character, were using
us as a form of a meal ticket.
Did you overcome any
challenges to play Cornelia?
Not really, I loved her instantly.
The first read I just thought, ‘Wow,
she’s great and she’s smart and she’s
made choices that she thinks she’s
all good and squared on,’ but she
ends up changing, so there were no
issues with me playing her.
I never felt, ‘Oh, I don’t like this.’ I
mean, you’ll often take on characters
and you’ll think ‘Oh God, I wish she
hadn’t done this and done that,’ but
in Cornelia’s case I pretty much
By Alicia Avila loved her in every direction.
Do you see yourself working in

A
fter a slew of dramas including The Impossible and Diana, more comedy?
actress Naomi Watts said she was looking for something that I’d love to. I think it’s harder to
would “feel lighter.” find good comedies and the
Watts, 46, found herself drawn to comedies such as Noah formulaic ones don’t interest me as
Baumbach’s While We’re Young, a look at the disconnect between much, it’s more the situational and
Generation X and Millennials through two New York couples — the ones that are more believable.
Cornelia and Josh (Watts and Ben Stiller), and Jamie and Darby (Adam Or slapstick, I like that.
Driver and Amanda Seyfried). St Vincent felt pretty broad but it
Ahead of the film’s theatrical release, Watts spoke about her was really fun to do that and with Bill
character. Following are excerpts from the interview. Murray, of course, and Melissa
What attracted you to this role? McCarthy, and (Oscar-winning)
This feels a little bit familiar, and the juxtaposition of each couple, Birdman being a black comedy —
how different they were in the stages of their lives and how they were now maybe I’m on people’s radar
approaching everything, their work — it felt like a funny dynamic to be for that.
 36
 CONTEST THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Observer Holds Photo Contest

T he winner of ‘IC Oman’ Instagram
contest conducted by Oman Daily
Observer was Ahmed Ridhuuddeen
Abdul Morat of Malaysia. The contest
was held in close association with
Oman Orient Tour Travels and Tours.
The winner won a travel voucher
worth RO 400 from the company and
he could travel to any destination of
his choice. The youngster is a
restaurant owner specialising in
Malay food, but with an
unimaginable passion for
photography. He is also a member of
the Friday Shoot Out group in
Muscat.
P Rajeev, Managing Director,
Oman Orient Travel & Tours,
described the photograph as superb
and said the contest is one of many
that the company plans to have
jointly with Oman Observer.
 37
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Abdullah bin Salim bin Shueili, Editor-

in-Chief, Oman Observer, said the
photograph received overwhelming
response and praised the spectacular
imagination of Morat.
The award-winning photograph was
zeroed in from over 13,000 images by a
panel of three judges, all prolific
photographers in their own way.
The IC Oman, one of several contests
launched by Oman Observer on its
social media platforms over the last six
months, received wide support from the
readers and followers.
 38
 ART THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

By Stephen Eisenhammer

A
broken computer with wires showing: $60,000. A
cracked, yellow plastic chair: $16,000. An old,
stained backpack: $8,000. Cleaner water for
Olympic sailing and windsurfing events: Priceless.
The soiled items, fished out of the city’s picturesque
Guanabara Bay, are not actually for sale in the luxury
shopping mall in Rio de Janeiro where they are
displayed. But the prices reflect the environmental cost of
waste thrown into the bay where the sailing and
windsurfing competitions are scheduled in the 2016
Summer Olympics.
The exhibition Achados da Guanabara, or Found in
Guanabara, seeks to personalise the pollution and force
people to take responsibility for the waste they throw into
the water. A boat and divers collected the items from the
water.
As part of its Olympic bid, Rio promised to clean up
80 per cent of the bay for the games. But local
government officials have already admitted that a
cleanup by 2016 is not achievable.
Despite millions of dollars of investment over the
years, the bay still stinks of sewage. Sailors who visited
the city for test events complained of a floating sofa and
a dead dog in the water.
For Fernanda Cortez, who works for the environmental
movement Menos 1 Lixo (one less piece of rubbish) and
organised the exhibition, the clean-up of the bay needs
greater public awareness as well as government support.
“The State is not some magical organisation that can
solve these issues alone... It’s really important that citizens
understand they are responsible for polluting the bay
and have a role to play in cleaning it up,” Cortez said on
Tuesday at the exhibition in the Shopping Leblon mall.
“These items that are on display didn’t just fall into the
bay, someone threw them there,” Cortez added.
Marine biologist Marcelo Szpilman calculated the
prices for the pieces of rubbish, estimating the cost of
environmental damage from each item, depending on
how long it takes to decompose.
Cortez said Menos 1 Lixo is in discussions with the
International Olympic Committee to work together to
raise awareness of the damage caused by disposing of
waste in the bay.
“There’s nothing fixed yet, but they’re open to the
idea,” Cortez said.
 39
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

TRASH INTO ‘ART’

 40
 KIDS CORNER THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

ILLUSIONS
Reality is but an illusion of the
mind,
A mirage we can never see
around.
The truth will be viewed only
from the soul,
Without it, by frustration we
are bound.

Until we clear our mind of

this,
There will be no way we can
glimpse.
At the prize lying beneath,
Will just be part of our
dreams.
their face, and watch,
But some things are better left That performs great feats as As this false world deceives us.
hidden, each day passes. Until we are completely ridden
For their light can blind us There will however come one of our sense,
from what we seek. day, To decide for ourselves, we
It can make us lose our path, When this will be the goal of must.
We may be overcome by greed. the masses.
— By Ankit Baral
For everyone wears a mask on Till then all we can do is wait Grade — X, ISWK

MANYA S TALATI,
Class V, IISWK
 41
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

KNIT
TOGETHER
Author: Angela Dominguez
Illustration: Angela Dominguez

Satisfying [and] warm … Creative

types of all ages will enjoy sharing
this book with each other. Lots of
people knit or draw, but it is special
when two artists work together.”
— Horn Book Review

“Detailed, colourful illustrations carry

the simple one-to-three sentences on
each page. This picture book makes
a welcome addition to any collection
and will find a special niche among
knitting mothers.“
— School Library Journal

A
mother and daughter share their
art, their craft and their love.
A little girl tells readers how
much she loves to draw. Her mother
does not draw — she knits, which is far
better, according to the girl, because you
can wear knit garments such as hats and
mittens or play with finger puppets on a
glove. However much the girl tries,
though, she cannot learn to knit; the yarn
ends up in a tangle. Her mother
reassures her and suggests a project.
Mum will knit what her daughter draws.
Inspiration comes, and they gather their
supplies, finish the project and happily
share its warmth at the beach on a chilly
day.
The bespectacled mother, her
daughter and a little dog are colourful
characters rendered with a bit of digital
help in a mix of gouache, coloured
pencil, ink and collage against a white
background. Swirls of yarn, a typeface
that resembles handwriting and smiling
cartoon faces add up to a lively and
enjoyable story about sharing hobbies
and good times. It’s a little too bad
there’s no author’s note about intarsia
knitting.
 42
 KIDS CORNER THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

DO YOU KNOW?
Why is he
King of
Jungle?
T he lion has been
called the King of
Beasts for centuries,
due to its majestic
appearance and the fact
that it is at the top of the
food chain. In more recent
times, wild animals have
become generally referred
to as ‘jungle animals’, as a
way of separating them
from ‘farm animals’, say, or
pets.
Hence, King of the Jungle.
Whilst it is true that the majority
of lions live on the open savan-
nahs of Africa, there is a small
population of Asiatic lions in the
Gir Forest of India — the term King of
the Jungle might more appropriately
be applied to these lions than those in
Africa. However, personally I feel that the
title King of Beasts is more fitting for the
lion, and King of the Jungle for the tiger,
since tigers live in jungles and are the larg-
est of all cats.
 43
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

Sudoku

ANSWERS
 44
 FUN TIME THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Clever bighead, never wrong (6)
7 Evidently striking old people? (8)
8 She may nag if we upset her (4)
10 Sourly referring to a department
duly halved (6)
11 Smart new purse made out of
cowhide, initially (6)
14 Like something new into which one
can change (3)
16 He needs a tin opener and a new
suit (5)
17 Look pronouncedly like a king of
the theatre (4)
19 Forbidden style for a boot (5)
21 Rod’s out to back it, darling (5)
22 Chap born to be boozy around
April 4th (5)
23 They may amuse you to the end of
your days (4)
26 Player of a soft and ripe
interpretation (5)
28 An incipient bloomer (3)
29 Be first to get to the fore with heavy
metal (4,2)
30 Is it altogether bound to be a large
sum? (6)
31 To us, points of advantage (4)
32 Mary lets loose just like a man! (8)
33 Breathless, she can show poise (6) hearted rodent! (5) PaÕs-SE 28, Bus 30, Buys.
18 She can only play one note on the 24, Odds 25, Sleeve 26, P-lump 27,
DOWN fife (5) 21, Cor-O-net 22, RE-D 23, Tune up
1 Bawl, i.e., in miserable style (6) 19 A vessel (among the last U-boats?) 15, Rat-IO 18, E-ffie 19, Tub 20, Bin
2 A leading lady and good Scots (3) 8, W-i-NE 9, Flo 12, R-IO 13, Cu-shy
queen (6) 20 Has it a disturbing content? (3) (Sou-)They 4, Steptoe 5, Strut 6, I-sles
3 The ones to take a little money from 21 A fine headdress means nothing, DOWN: 1, Bewail 2, Guid-ER 3,
a Poet Laureate (4) covered in ice-cream! (7)
4 Funnily, he and his son found fame 22 Bright colour means a lot to
on TV (7) soldiers (3) Sop-h-ie
5 A proud walk in support of 23 Prepare to play a melody better? Bundle 31, Us-ES 32, Masterly 33,
something (5) (4,2) P-iper 28, Bud 29, Lead on 30,
6 Pieces of land, possibly one less (5) 24 But they may be even (4) Cu-ti-e 22, Rob-i-n 23, To-ys 26,
8 Points out half of it is alcoholic! (4) 25 Momentarily, you may have a hand T-itus 17, Leer (Lear) 19, Taboo 21,
9 She gave Ziegfeld a start (3) in it (6) 10, A-CID-ly 11, Spru-c-e 14, Neo 16,
12 Ferdinand has the right figure for a 26 Fat, soft piece (5) ACROSS: 1, B-right 7, Hittites 8, Wife
footballer (3) 27 Dad’s way is old-fashioned (5)
SOLUTIONS
13 Soft, a bit cute and bashful (5) 28 It can be stopped by request (3)
15 Suitable proportion for a lion- 30 Purchases made by us (4)
 45
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015

STARS FOR YOU ËÏË

TA U SCO
If It’s Your
RU

RP
Birthday

IO
S

(April 21-May 20) (October 23-November 21)

Your instinctive distrust of a
possible business associate Since your work will eventually Review plans you
may be confirmed in due come to the attention of a wider public than at may have for the
course by disclosures of a rather unsavoury present, be very careful to supervise every detail
nature, but check and confirm it none the same. of the production yourself. present time and
GEM make any changes
SAG
advisable in order
IN I

ITT

(May 21-June 21) to avoid last

ARIU

(November 22-December 21)

The result of an impending Don’t let a growing social minute delays.
investigation will be in your S
ambition get the better of you
favour. But it may take quite a time for the result Some travelling
but be content to stay within the
to be announced. Don’t expect any news until boundaries of your present circle. will be necessary if
the autumn. you want to secure
CAN CAP
a good foreign
RI
CE

contract. The
CORN
R

(June 22-July 21) (December 22-January 20)

YYou will have very good news You will be pleased to hear coming year will
from a relation facing certain from a mutual acquaintance bring you good
dangers overseas, assuring you of his complete that your boss has expressed a very flattering fortune financially,
safety in spite of rumours to the contrary. Not opinion about you.
everyone is at the front line.
but avoid
LEO AQU speculation.
AR
IUS

(July 22-August 21) (January 21-February 19)

A contact you made a great
many months ago and from
which you expected very little may suddenly be
remembered by you and prove most useful in
your present predicament.
VIR
GO
Certain changes at your place
of work which brought
disapproval from all the staff may turn out to be
the best for all concerned.
PISC

ES

(August 22-September 22) (February 20-March 20)

Don’t jump to conclusions when An appointment for tonight
you hear of the inexplicable may be cancelled quite
actions of a friend. The story you were told may suddenly but as you were not looking forward
have been very distorted and exaggerated. to it you will soon find something else to do.

LIBR ARI
E
S
A

(September 23-October 22) (March 21-April 20)

If you are feeling irritable today,
you may as well warn the
people close to you that your bad temper is
coming from within you and not caused by
them.
If you have a debt to settle,
don’t pay it by borrowing
elsewhere. You must make up
your mind to practise those economies you
have wilfully avoided in the past.

 FINAL WORDS
Ali Ahmed al Riyami
ali.alriyami@omanobserver.om
The Most Welcoming
Abodes for Expats
H
ere in Oman, and in all of the
fellow GCC states, people from
many different countries call these
countries their homes, where, alongside
locals, they find employment, good
family lifestyle and greater chance of
prosperity.
It is because of this that some GCC
countries find their indigenous
population outnumbered by expatriates
and guest workers, who live and thrive in
this region. Expats and guest workers
make up between 40 to over 80 per cent
of the population, depending on which
of the six GCC countries they live —
Recent estimates show Qatar has around
87%, the UAE 84%, 68% in Kuwait, 51%
in Bahrain, 39% in Oman, and 32 per
cent in Saudi Arabia — which has the
highest number of foreigners at nearly
eight million.
So, some 48 per cent of the total GCC
population of around 50-million is made
up expats and guest workers mainly from
South Asia, South East Asia, Africa and
the Middle East.
These figures are so high because of
the infrastructural and construction
booms that have occurred in GCC
countries, where manpower requirement
had to be imported.
Further, other areas of the economy
have also required many expat/guest
workers and with the continued growth
of the region — emanating from the oil
boom of the 70’s — it has meant the
number of expat and guest workers have
continued to grow.
Still, there are many other wealthy
countries in the world which do not
attract so many foreign workers. This may
be due to strict immigration control,
regional restrictions — such as in the
European Union (EU) — where priority for
cross-boarder employment is given to
46
THURSDAY, APRIL 2-8, 2015
people from EU member states, too long
a distance away from expat/guest
workers native country, cultural
differences….
Here in Oman and within the GCC,
due to high demand, it has, and still is,
relatively easy for foreign workers to find
their way here — partly thanks to
demand, availability and proximity.
Further, many of them have their
contracts renewed and remain in the
region for 20-years and more and, for
those qualified too, they do so with their
family in tow.
All of this has come at a cost with
many, many billions of dollars being sent
home as remittances by expat and
foreign workers — it reached $75-billion
mark in 2012, which is 50 per cent larger
than remittances from the USA for the
same year, and in 2013 it reached an
estimated total of $90.7-billion, making it
the highest in the world.
In comparison, compared to
European countries, immigrants make a
small proportion of the total population
— varying from 2 to 10 per cent — and yet
many within these countries are
vociferously anti-immigration and in
order to appease these indignant
constituents, party leaders usually
comply with them, otherwise they may
be voted out of office.
In the GCC it is normal to see expats
and guest workers in many different
positions, ranging from hotel bell boys
and labourers, to journalists, doctors and
company directors and CEOs. The
relatively simple way of life, tolerance,
availability of modern facilities and
modern-day comforts, together with the
level of welcome, hospitality and, of
course, income they receive, has made
this region a popular one for expats and
guest workers alike.