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EuroFashion show<br />
in Kiev Page 12<br />
Wednesday, March 21, 2012<br />
Combining photography with special<br />
effects <strong>Pages</strong> 2<br />
Irish Potato Soup<br />
Page 10<br />
An artist with a ‘realistic’ vision<br />
<strong>Pages</strong> 5<br />
Weekend<br />
Al Sifah, a scenic and hospitable hideaway — <strong>Pages</strong> 8 & 9
Weekend<br />
By Ra’al al Jardaniya<br />
TAKING a photo may seem very easy for<br />
onlookers but little do they know about the<br />
skills and techniques required. Each has his<br />
own view about photography but we must admit<br />
that for those who consider this as a hobby taking<br />
pictures can be very difficult, taking into account<br />
the quality of pictures. However, children<br />
can also take photos through a simple camera, but<br />
what matters is the concept behind the picture.<br />
Only professional photographers can appreciate<br />
the message and significance of each picture.<br />
Every photographer in fact describes a story<br />
behind his pictures; each of them has a different<br />
way of transferring the beauty of his or her photos<br />
to people. Aysha al Abriya (pictured), a talented<br />
young <strong>Oman</strong>i lady, has a deep involvement with<br />
photography as can be seen from her excitement<br />
on the subject.<br />
2 PHOTOGRAPHY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
Combining photography with special effects<br />
Aysha started on her passion of photography<br />
long time back. She started off taking random pictures<br />
of objects around her as well as documenting<br />
her trips and occasions with pictures that she had<br />
taken. Soon she started to improve and discover<br />
the secrets behind a camera’s buttons and how to<br />
use them to her advantage. She joined a photography<br />
club in the school and in the college as well.<br />
These participations allowed Aysha to get more<br />
familiar with the camera and know more people<br />
who could support and encourage her excel in the<br />
world of photography.<br />
Aysha has also participated in many competitions<br />
since she was in school, the recently one being<br />
the National Geographic Competition in Abu<br />
Dhabi.<br />
As an ambition she looks forward to participate<br />
more in photo galleries and to be more skilful<br />
and professional so that she can compete with<br />
the famous international photographers around the<br />
world. Also, she dreams of being a distinguished<br />
photographer and establish her own business in<br />
this field.<br />
As a talented photographer Aysha is interested<br />
in not only clicking pictures but also adding<br />
designs and effects to on them. As a graphic<br />
designer, she merges and connects her talent with<br />
her work and study and this makes her pictures<br />
more attractive.<br />
Specifically, Aysha likes to take pictures of calm<br />
scenes as this is what reflects her quiet personality.<br />
For instance, she is more fascinated to take photos<br />
of natural scenes, light effects and water calmness.<br />
Aysha says: “Being a student at the Scientific College<br />
of Design helped me improve my talent by<br />
participating in the workshops organised by the<br />
college during holidays. The field trips which the<br />
college organised for photo sessions and meeting<br />
with professional photographers enabled me to enhance<br />
my skills and abilities”.
Weekend<br />
3 EVENTS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
‘A land of hospitality and beauty’<br />
A<br />
SRI Lankan family who visited the<br />
Sultanate recently is all praise for<br />
the hospitality of <strong>Oman</strong>is, besides<br />
the country’s alluring beaches and mountains.<br />
“<strong>Oman</strong> is a country where you will find<br />
very friendly people”, they said while describing<br />
their experience during their stay<br />
here for a month as “unique”.<br />
“Lovely beaches and beautiful mountains<br />
are everywhere”, the family of five,<br />
comprising Dissanayake, Nimali Malka,<br />
Charitha Muthumali and Sadunisa Muthumali,<br />
said in unison.<br />
The beautiful and well-laid out landscapes,<br />
sandy beaches and the friendly and<br />
helpful natives have left in their minds a<br />
pleasant memory.<br />
Even though they come from a land of<br />
beautiful beaches, they were pleasantly surprised<br />
to find the vast and serene beaches<br />
over here.<br />
The other features they found here was<br />
the excellent infrastructure facilities they<br />
came across everywhere, particularly in the<br />
capital city of Muscat. A good number of<br />
hospitable hotels and unique services they<br />
offer have earned their appreciation.<br />
The weather during their stay in the winter<br />
months was very pleasant and enjoyable.<br />
It added pleasure to their trips to various<br />
tourism spots.<br />
The family enjoyed their holidays here<br />
so much that they advise tourists who wish<br />
to spend their holidays fruitfully to visit the<br />
Sultanate.<br />
Rang De 2012 celebrates joy of Holi<br />
RANG De 2012, a colourful<br />
event bringing reminiscences<br />
of the Holi festival of India<br />
was enlivened in Muscat at Marah<br />
Land on March 9, 2012.<br />
Organised by The Country Club,<br />
the colour-packed event that was<br />
again invigorated by artificial rain<br />
saw people in different age brackets<br />
putting dancing in step to the tunes<br />
from the DJ.<br />
Holi is one of the major festivals<br />
of India and is the most vibrant of<br />
all. The joys of Holi was let loose<br />
on this day with an array of colours<br />
as the festival is celebrated across<br />
the four corners of India and now<br />
all across the globe. The festival is<br />
filled with so much fun and frolic<br />
that the very mention of the word<br />
‘Holi’ draws a smile and enthusiasm<br />
among the people. Holi also celebrates<br />
the arrival of Spring, a season<br />
of joy and hope.<br />
The colourful festival of Holi<br />
is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima<br />
which comes in February end or<br />
early March. Holi festival has an<br />
ancient origin and celebrates the<br />
triumph of ‘good’ over ‘evil’. The<br />
colourful festival bridges the social<br />
gap and renews relationships. On<br />
this day, people hug and wish each<br />
other saying ‘Happy Holi’.<br />
Holi celebration begins with the<br />
lighting up of bonfire on the Holi<br />
eve. Numerous legends and stories<br />
associated with Holi celebration<br />
makes the festival more exuberant<br />
and vivid. People rub gulal and<br />
abeer on each others’ faces and cheer<br />
up saying, Bura na maano Holi hai.<br />
Holi also gives a wonderful chance<br />
to send messages of blessings and<br />
love to near and dear ones wrapped<br />
in special Holi gifts.<br />
The event was sponsored by Sapil<br />
Swiss Arabian Perfumes, Pizza Inn,<br />
Golden Spoon Restaurant, Tropical<br />
Juices and Tawa Magic Restaurant.<br />
WINDOWS<br />
Intellectuals’<br />
role in society<br />
AWARENESS — whatever its subject is —<br />
it is of great significance because of the<br />
effect it has in clarification of the vision<br />
of what goes on around us, especially the world<br />
that we are not aware of — its different aspects<br />
and implications.<br />
All societies without exception are keen to<br />
increase awareness because of its vital role in<br />
reducing the gap between knowledge and the<br />
lack of knowledge, between visibility and foggy<br />
vision, and between the straight lines and the<br />
curved ones.<br />
Therefore awareness plays a major role in elevating<br />
people from holding on to their bad habits<br />
and in uprooting the toxic roots from within their<br />
consciences.<br />
It does not matter that the aims of awareness<br />
vary between guidance, advice, clarification of<br />
the truth from falsehood, right from wrong, and<br />
light from darkness, the result remains the same,<br />
which is getting out of the dark tunnel to the clear<br />
enlightened and wide area that shows all the intersections,<br />
all distinctions and all differences.<br />
Only then will the soul begin to calm down,<br />
rest in peace and re-arrange its priorities in order<br />
to achieve stability as a whole.<br />
As we live in a vibrant community that is full<br />
of knowledge and leaning on a fertile legacy famous<br />
for charity and sacrifices, awareness is a<br />
common feature of this community. Furthermore,<br />
we are living in an era in which knowledge is no<br />
longer restricted to one class.<br />
It is the efforts of people to gain this awareness<br />
that differentiate them from others. Whatever superior<br />
knowledge that a person gains it is his duty<br />
to gift it to other people so that the society can<br />
reach the top of the pyramid, so that co-operation,<br />
giving, loyalty, honesty, prevail.<br />
It is appropriate here to mention the definition<br />
by Dr Abdul Hameed al Ansari about an intellectual.<br />
Speaking in an interview to Doha magazine,<br />
issue no (49), November 2011, he says: “Real intellectual<br />
or reformer or preacher is the man who<br />
remains in a permanent conflict with his society,<br />
anticipating a better future.<br />
“If he agrees on the public opinion, he will be<br />
no longer be an intellectual. The real intellectual<br />
is the one who thinks independent of the effects of<br />
power and the instincts of the masses at the same<br />
time.”<br />
Let us take the case of drugs as an example.<br />
Drug dealing is a reality known in all human societies<br />
that serves the interests of a class in any<br />
society, but it clashes with logic.<br />
Intellectuals here will clash with this reality for<br />
the good of the members of society as a whole.<br />
The problematic concept of intellectuals remains<br />
here, but I agree that the definition of Dr Al<br />
Ansari is the best identity of the intellectuals.
Weekend<br />
ALTHOUGH it is a known<br />
fact that women are not<br />
as good as men in driving,<br />
globally, some of the insurance<br />
companies usually charge young<br />
men more on their car insurance<br />
because of the belief that these<br />
drivers take more risks and are<br />
less mature. But when it comes<br />
to whether men or women are<br />
the better drivers, it depends a<br />
bit on the situation. Women are<br />
involved in slightly more car<br />
crashes per mile than men, but<br />
the men are more likely to die<br />
in a crash when they're behind<br />
the wheel. In other words, male<br />
drivers have a 77 per cent higher<br />
risk of dying in a car accident<br />
than women. Various studies<br />
suggest that the discrepancy<br />
comes from the fact that men<br />
tend to be riskier on the road:<br />
They break speed limits more<br />
often than women and are more<br />
likely to be reckless.<br />
Zuwaina al Sulaimani<br />
THE fact is that women<br />
take more tasks behind the<br />
wheels than men. It includes<br />
doing facial, putting lipstick, so<br />
on and so forth. So no second<br />
opinion if women are worse<br />
drivers. A number of studies<br />
conducted by agencies across<br />
the world say that most of all<br />
car accidents that are either fatal<br />
or produce serious injuries are<br />
caused by female drivers.<br />
Maisa al Odat<br />
WOMEN may be bad<br />
drivers but they are very<br />
good at parking and the idea that<br />
women cannot park is simply<br />
untrue. Several reports indicate<br />
that female drivers are more<br />
adept than men at manoeuvring<br />
into a space. The CCTV<br />
surveillance of car parks across<br />
the United Kingdom has shown<br />
that while women may take<br />
longer to park, they are more<br />
likely to leave their vehicles<br />
in the middle of a bay. Women<br />
were also found to be better at<br />
finding spaces, more accurate<br />
in lining themselves up before<br />
starting each manoeuvre, and<br />
more likely to adopt instructors’<br />
preferred method of reversing<br />
into bays.<br />
Fathayya al Arafaathi<br />
SOME studies have revealed<br />
that men have, on average,<br />
5.1 crashes for every one million<br />
miles that they drive. Women, on<br />
the other hand, have 5.7 crashes<br />
for the same number of miles<br />
driven. These results are even<br />
more telling when you consider<br />
the fact that men drive 74 per<br />
cent more miles than women<br />
do. The researchers involved in<br />
the study did say that younger<br />
male drivers tend to skew things<br />
considerably, too. Under age 20,<br />
male drivers are more likely to<br />
be involved in crashes. Between<br />
ages 20 and 35, women and men<br />
are equally likely to be involved<br />
in crashes. Over age 35, women<br />
are more likely to be involved<br />
in crashes.<br />
Khalfan Talib Asseleimi<br />
FOR several years, it’s been<br />
the same argument. Men<br />
are better drivers than women.<br />
Despite the lack of any real<br />
CITY 4TALK<br />
proof, there are few men that<br />
would honestly put their hands<br />
on their hearts and admit that<br />
their wives or women in their<br />
lives were better drivers than<br />
they are. The fact is that all<br />
the reports and evidence points<br />
to young males having riskier<br />
driving habits than young<br />
females. Men between the<br />
ages of 16 and 25 are much<br />
more likely to be involved in<br />
accidents, or be cited for traffic<br />
violations.<br />
Azza al Rashdi<br />
HOW gender steers our<br />
driving skills. Are women<br />
drivers really so bad, or are<br />
men worse? Men take more<br />
risks. In studies men as a whole<br />
display less cautious behaviour<br />
than women, such as driving at<br />
higher speeds and closer to other<br />
cars, not wearing seat belts,<br />
and driving while intoxicated<br />
more often. They even make<br />
riskier turns. Men do seem to be<br />
more proficient than women at<br />
certain driving tasks. However<br />
this slight edge in ability does<br />
not translate into better driving<br />
records. The kind of accidents<br />
men get into are generally the<br />
results of their riskier behaviour.<br />
Women are catching up... which<br />
is not necessarily good news.<br />
Men may be responsible for<br />
more accidents than women,<br />
but the gap is getting smaller.<br />
Cally Warnakulasuriya<br />
BELIEVE it or not, there is<br />
actually a simple answer<br />
to the age old question, who are<br />
better drivers men or women?<br />
The answer is men. Men gained<br />
a driving advantage way back<br />
when they were born. That<br />
is because men are generally<br />
taller than women. In that case,<br />
better able to park in tricky<br />
spots. Women by far cause<br />
the least amount of accidents,<br />
so therefore they are the most<br />
careful drivers. Men simply<br />
have a better and bigger spatial<br />
brain and that probably enables<br />
them to park more accurately in<br />
tricky spots. In general, men and<br />
women behave differently when<br />
driving a vehicle. Although, I<br />
see many accidents every day!!!<br />
Sami al Battashi<br />
THINK men are worse drivers<br />
I than women. Males aged 20<br />
to 24 were more likely to meet<br />
with accidents and die, while<br />
females aged 16-19 were slightly<br />
more likely to be killed than<br />
females 20-24. Several reports<br />
say that with the theory that<br />
males, especially young men,<br />
tend to drive more aggressively<br />
than women and display their<br />
aggression in a direct manner,<br />
rather than indirectly. And,<br />
experts agree that male drivers<br />
break the law more, and take<br />
more risks when driving.<br />
Manal al Qanbashi<br />
MORE women are meeting<br />
with accidents as they<br />
speak more on the phones. We’re<br />
all familiar with the cliché of the<br />
female tethered to the phone,<br />
providing an intricate account<br />
of the day's events to anyone<br />
who will listen. This is one<br />
cliché that appears to have been<br />
substantiated. According to a<br />
recent survey, working women<br />
talk on the phone 22 per cent<br />
more than men each month; a<br />
total of 14 hours and 16 minutes<br />
— presumably many of those<br />
hours logged while navigating a<br />
multi-tonne automobile through<br />
the city streets.<br />
Najma al Rahma<br />
FOR men, it's difficult to<br />
admit that women are better<br />
drivers although researches<br />
have proved it so. It's almost<br />
scary how bad men are driving.<br />
Blame it on whatever you want<br />
— high testosterone, higher<br />
propensity to take risks, or<br />
higher levels of aggression, but<br />
the fact remains — men simply<br />
make too many mistakes behind<br />
the wheel.<br />
Hani Mohad al Aisawi<br />
THE driving efficiency of<br />
women is always suspected<br />
and who is better driver among<br />
men and women has remained a<br />
controversial topic.<br />
But now, men beware, the<br />
recent study suggests women<br />
are better drivers than man dispelling<br />
the long standing notion<br />
that women are bad drivers.<br />
The study, which compares<br />
traffic violation, accident, and<br />
insurance price statistics between<br />
men and women, released<br />
by auto insurance quote<br />
provider finds that statistically<br />
speaking, females are better at<br />
driving than men. As per the<br />
study, approximately 80 per<br />
cent of all fatal and serious car<br />
crashes are caused by male<br />
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
Men or women — who are the better drivers?<br />
Next topic: “Is the current economic environment having a negative impact on individual and corporate philanthropic activities?”<br />
If you wish to offer your brief comments on this subject, please e-mail us at: citytalk.observer@yahoo.com<br />
including your name and passport-size photograph. — Compiled by Kabeer Yousuf<br />
drivers. It says women are 27<br />
per cent less likely than men to<br />
cause auto accidents.<br />
Asfandyar Mukhdoom Mufti<br />
WOMEN may be bad drivers<br />
but they are very good at<br />
parking and the idea that women<br />
cannot park is simply untrue.<br />
Several reports indicate that<br />
female drivers are more adept<br />
than men at manoeuvring into a<br />
space. The CCTV surveillance<br />
of car parks across the United<br />
Kingdom has shown that while<br />
women may take longer to park,<br />
they are more likely to leave<br />
their vehicles in the middle of a<br />
bay. Women were also found to<br />
be better at finding spaces, more<br />
accurate in lining themselves up<br />
before starting each manoeuvre,<br />
and more likely to adopt<br />
instructors’ preferred method of<br />
reversing into bays.<br />
Ahmed al Addawi<br />
IN my opinion I would say<br />
women are much better than<br />
men in driving. Nowadays there<br />
has been significant increase in<br />
number of road accidents which<br />
is mainly due to violating the<br />
traffic rules. In my view men<br />
usually neglect traffic rules.<br />
They speed up very much at<br />
times and don’t slow down<br />
where they are supposed to.<br />
While driving they attend calls<br />
and text messages risking their<br />
own lives. Women are generally<br />
conscious while driving. They<br />
move in a moderate speed<br />
as needed. They are cautious<br />
of others mistakes. Some<br />
men breach red signal and<br />
sometimes drive behind other<br />
one at bumper to bumper range.<br />
Aiman Fatma
Weekend<br />
By Zaid bin Juma al Saadi<br />
ARTIST Nadia al Saadiyah started<br />
just like all artists by doing<br />
sketches on school handbooks<br />
until the art teacher at Al Mallada<br />
School discovered that she is a budding<br />
artist with a promising future. Nadia<br />
was then chosen for the school arts<br />
group and received much support and<br />
encouragement from the teaching staff.<br />
In her long journey from participation<br />
in school competitions till she<br />
joined the <strong>Oman</strong>i Society for Fine Arts,<br />
Nadia suffered, rejoiced and excelled,<br />
but most importantly she convinced all<br />
with her outstanding paintings.<br />
“I received encouragement from my<br />
father and the whole family. Painting is<br />
my life passion. When I was a child I<br />
used to draw<br />
on every surface,<br />
walls,<br />
furniture,<br />
floor using<br />
everything<br />
available to<br />
me particularly<br />
chalks and<br />
pencils. At a<br />
later stage of<br />
life I felt that I<br />
was quite satisfied with my artworks as<br />
I saw the marks of admiration on people’s<br />
face when they saw my paintings,<br />
and this is what gave me the incentive<br />
to carry on with arts,” she says.<br />
Al Saadiyah doesn’t complete an<br />
artwork in one session. She works by<br />
fits and starts until the painting is com-<br />
5ART WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
An artist with a ‘realistic’ vision<br />
In her long journey from participation in school competitions till she joined the<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i Society for Fine Arts, Nadia suffered, rejoiced and excelled, but most<br />
importantly she convinced all with her outstanding paintings<br />
pleted, maybe in a matter of weeks,<br />
months or even years.<br />
“Whenever the idea of the painting<br />
is clear and complete in my mind, the<br />
painting gets ready in a day or so. In<br />
many cases I change my mind many<br />
times until I feel quite satisfied about<br />
the painting,” she adds.<br />
More than 12 years have passed<br />
since Al Saadiyah joined the <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
Society for Fine Arts, of which she is<br />
extremely proud and thinks it has done<br />
a lot for its members and provided them<br />
with countless opportunities to excel<br />
and improve their artistic skills.<br />
With more than 30 artworks, mostly<br />
realistic, to her credit, Al Saadiyah participates<br />
in most of the art events being<br />
held in the wilayat, whether school<br />
workshops, exhibitions or art forums.<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> Educational Portal participates in SQU festival<br />
OMAN Educational Portal<br />
participated in the second<br />
educational festival<br />
events organised by the Students’<br />
Activities Society at the College of<br />
Education.<br />
The students presented a report<br />
on educational mission highlighting<br />
issues of concern and an attempt to<br />
investigate their causes and solutions.<br />
Educational Portal seeks to publish<br />
details of students’ activities.<br />
The opening ceremony was<br />
held on March 17, 2012, under the<br />
auspices of Dr Humood bin Khalfan<br />
al Harthi, Under-Secretary of Ministry<br />
of Education for Education and<br />
Curricula.<br />
The events contributed in<br />
highlighting students’ talents and<br />
ingenuity and applying many<br />
pedagogical skills which they have<br />
acquired through their study at the<br />
college.<br />
The Educational Portal’s main<br />
aim was to communicate with the<br />
university students to spread the<br />
awareness of the portal’s vision and<br />
services provided to all categories of<br />
school community.
Weekend<br />
AS dusk fell on Monday, an<br />
eerie pall enveloped the capital<br />
city of Muscat prompting<br />
motorists to navigate hazy streets<br />
with extreme caution. Besides Muscat<br />
Governorate, dusty conditions<br />
prevailed also over Batinah South,<br />
Al Batinah North, Musandam and<br />
Sharqiyah South governorates. And<br />
the phenomenon persisted yesterday<br />
too.<br />
Headlights blazed while streetlights<br />
were switched on earlier than<br />
usual on main carriageways in the<br />
evening. The dust haze, linked to<br />
northwesterly winds (shamal) that<br />
had buffeted parts of the United Arab<br />
Emirates over the past week, also led<br />
to a dramatic drop in daytime temperature.<br />
Dust triggered by northwesterly<br />
winds, long simmering over north-<br />
6 SPOTLIGHT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
When haze enveloped parts of Sultanate<br />
western parts of the Arabian Peninsula,<br />
swept over large swaths of <strong>Oman</strong>.<br />
Many schools and educational institutions<br />
across Muscat Governorate<br />
as well as other regions shut prematurely<br />
on Monday, while scores of office<br />
workers headed for the safety of<br />
their homes before the dust storm was<br />
scheduled to peak just after noon.<br />
The dust haze blanketed the capital<br />
region reducing visibility to less<br />
than 500 metres in some places, the<br />
Directorate-General of Meteorology<br />
and Air Navigation said in an advisory.<br />
Flights in and out of Muscat International<br />
Airport were delayed for<br />
two hours by the dust storm.<br />
Fishermen residing along the<br />
Musandam and Sea of <strong>Oman</strong> coasts<br />
were advised to take measures against<br />
rough seas and low visibility.<br />
Dust D t triggered t ttriggered i d by b<br />
northwesterly winds,<br />
long simmering<br />
over northwestern<br />
parts of the Arabian<br />
Peninsula, swept<br />
over large swaths<br />
of <strong>Oman</strong>. Besides<br />
Muscat Governorate,<br />
dusty conditions<br />
prevailed also over<br />
Batinah South,<br />
Al Batinah North,<br />
Musandam and<br />
Sharqiyah South<br />
governorates
Weekend<br />
By Maryam Khalfan<br />
AS part of its campaign<br />
to create awareness and<br />
guidance on public health<br />
awareness in areas of Wilayat Seeb<br />
the Directorate-General of Muscat<br />
Municipality has come up with an<br />
impressive campaign to keep the<br />
environment clean.<br />
The drive, the first of its kind to<br />
be held targeting Al Mawaleh area<br />
of Wilayat Seeb, is aimed at actively<br />
involving the participation of the<br />
entire residents to join in efforts to<br />
eliminate the negative phenomena<br />
of unhealthy waste disposal habits<br />
in their respective areas and the city<br />
as a whole.<br />
This month-long campaign,<br />
which is being held under the theme:<br />
Let’s Work together for a Clean<br />
Environment, is also designed at<br />
elevating the level of environmental<br />
and health awareness among the<br />
members of the community by taking<br />
into consideration the concept<br />
of combating the habit of littering.<br />
This drive includes distribution<br />
of pamphlets with knowledge<br />
on the appropriate means of waste<br />
disposals and on how to protect a<br />
household from flies and other rodants.<br />
The projects also explore<br />
and highlight the hazards and dangers<br />
of improper waste disposal<br />
on open grounds instead of putting<br />
the wastes into authorised rubbish<br />
bins. Littering results in the spread<br />
of insects and attracts rodents, apart<br />
from stray dogs and cats.<br />
The campaign further enlightens<br />
the residents to co-operate in keeping<br />
their areas clean by dialing the<br />
municipality’s hotline whenever they<br />
need to dispose waste resulting from<br />
the trimming of trees and other un-<br />
7 EVENTS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
pleasant waste like dead animals.<br />
This campaign has been organised<br />
by departments of the Seeb<br />
Municipality in co-operation with a<br />
host of schools in the wilayat and Al<br />
Haya Water company. The municipality<br />
is working in close collaboration<br />
with a host of around 50 stu-<br />
dents comprising of the Scouts and<br />
Girl Guides from the governmentaided<br />
schools in the region, said a<br />
municipality official.<br />
In the first phase of the project,<br />
the municipality in co-operation<br />
with Shaikh Nasser bin Rashid al<br />
Kharussi School has involved two<br />
teams of students to partake in the<br />
project to raise awareness by distributing<br />
pamphlets in households, stated<br />
Khalil bin Salim al Mahrazi, in<br />
charge of the Keep Your Area Clean,<br />
Campaign,<br />
The project, which commenced<br />
from the City Centre block involves<br />
the participation of a team<br />
of students split in to two shifts;<br />
one in the morning and the other in<br />
the evening. The students, who are<br />
working under the close supervision<br />
of an activity instructor, will cover<br />
the entire Mawaleh catchment areas<br />
before the project proceeds to other<br />
areas, noted Al Mahrazi.<br />
Likewise, the municipality has<br />
co-ordinated to join efforts with<br />
Kaab bin Zaid School, Um Saad<br />
Girl’s School, Jamila bint Thabit<br />
School, Al Muthanah bin Harith<br />
School to join their endeavour to<br />
make the project a success. Plans<br />
are afoot for the involvement of<br />
other stake holders like the <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
Women’s Association and other<br />
non-governmental oganisations, it<br />
is learnt.<br />
The project was recently flagged<br />
off by Naama bint Said al Busaidiya,<br />
Representative of Wilayat Seeb at<br />
Majlis Ash’shura at Al Sahwa Park<br />
in Wilayat Seeb.<br />
40 Years<br />
C ONFIDENCE is as important in<br />
international life as well as in<br />
personal life. Frequently in nations,<br />
large institutions and indeed people are<br />
questioned about their reliability. Can<br />
they handle their debts? Are they to be<br />
relied on? In short can they be trusted<br />
without a nagging fear at the back of the<br />
mind that they will not be able to live up<br />
to their obligations?<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> is free of any such fears, and<br />
that is official. According to the international<br />
credit rating agency, Moody’s,<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> is in the top A1 Category when it<br />
comes to assessing both <strong>Oman</strong>’s foreign<br />
and local currency government bond ratings.<br />
Such decisions are not made lightly<br />
because much of international business<br />
depends upon what one nation thinks of<br />
another, and being at the top of this particular<br />
ladder is very important indeed.<br />
In it’s report Moody’s talks of economic<br />
and financial strengths. <strong>Oman</strong> has<br />
of course, been helped by the rise in the<br />
world price of oil, but sensible and prudent<br />
housekeeping must also be present<br />
before any nation gets that much coveted<br />
A1 credit rating. It is a look at the long<br />
term direction of the nation and an assessment<br />
of how it is likely to deal with<br />
the many difficult decisions that may<br />
well lie ahead.<br />
The Government does not of course,<br />
rely these days purely on revenue from<br />
oil and gas. It has now built up substantial<br />
international investments, which can<br />
be drawn on when needed. There is also<br />
an internal banking system that is stable<br />
with all the major banks performing in a<br />
way that is ensuring growth. In the past<br />
few years new banks have established<br />
themselves, and have had to build their<br />
funds and structure in a careful manner<br />
because of the strict banking regulations,<br />
which forbid risky ventures. The decision<br />
to adopt Islamic Banking has also<br />
helped both to expand the markets, while<br />
attracting further reliable funds.<br />
The Government of course, faces<br />
further highly expensive programmes<br />
in terms of education and a transport infrastructure,<br />
which has to be frequently<br />
modernised if <strong>Oman</strong> is to remain competitive<br />
both in GCC and world markets.<br />
But at least among those, who take a<br />
very close look at the way different nations<br />
handle their financial liabilities and<br />
assets, there is a strong feeling that <strong>Oman</strong><br />
is acting in a responsible and progressive<br />
manner in handling the nation’s wealth.
Weekend<br />
Tourists who visit<br />
Sultanate, particularly<br />
the capital city, can<br />
enjoy the hospitality<br />
of world-class<br />
hotels. Among<br />
them is the Sifawy<br />
Boutique Hotel which<br />
offers a warm and<br />
friendly atmosphere,<br />
reflecting the<br />
hospitable nature<br />
of the <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
people<br />
AWAY from the din and bustle<br />
of city life, but not too far away<br />
from the city is the blissful and<br />
naturally adorned countryside Al Sifah<br />
in the Muscat Governorate. It offers a<br />
spectacular array of beautiful land and<br />
seascapes that anyone would be hard put<br />
to find anywhere else.<br />
Tourists also can enjoy the hospitality<br />
of world-class hotels who visit Sultanate,<br />
particularly the capital city. Among them<br />
is the Sifawy Boutique Hotel which offers<br />
a warm and friendly atmosphere, reflecting<br />
the hospitable nature of the <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
people. The Sifawy Boutique Hotel is<br />
only 45 minutes drive from Muscat.<br />
Sifawy, meaning those ‘From Sifah’,<br />
is located within the world-class Jebel<br />
Sifah Resort, and offers a contemporary<br />
blend of European design with a strong<br />
essence of traditional <strong>Oman</strong>i influence,<br />
both in the concept and service.<br />
Authentic regional and international<br />
dining experiences are offered<br />
at the all-day dining restaurant, Al Sabla,<br />
or the unique beach restaurant, As Sammak.<br />
The Sifawy Boutique Hotel also features<br />
a large swimming pool, outdoor<br />
Jacuzzi, fitness centre, treatment room, in<br />
addition to a wide range of activities and<br />
excursions.<br />
Al Sifah is one of the treasures of<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>; wherever anyone may roam<br />
around the Sultanate, they are sure to find<br />
remote and deserted places that give vent<br />
to one’s imaginative, soulful and artistic<br />
side.<br />
Such places are sure to impress and<br />
etch fond memories for visitors and trav-<br />
ellers who have been lucky enough to<br />
absorb themselves in these places of inspiration<br />
and soul-searching.<br />
Moreover, as many can confirm, it’s<br />
not just reaching the destination that<br />
sums up a wonderful experience, it’s the<br />
getting there as well.<br />
The journey there can be every bit as<br />
rewarding as the reaching point itself.<br />
In fact, travelling to the desired place is<br />
where holiday-makers can have the most<br />
fun of all. Going to Al Sifah is a sheer,<br />
thrilling delight for both driver and passengers.<br />
8 & 9 TOURISM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
Al Sifah, a scenic and hospitable hideaway<br />
By Ali Ahmed al Riyami<br />
How to get there<br />
A good way to get to Al Sifah is to<br />
head towards Al Bustan, in old Muscat,<br />
and then take the sign-posted turn to<br />
Qantab. Driving up this magnificent road<br />
gives travellers a taste of what is in store.<br />
Carrying on up the road’s sharp incline<br />
that then dips sharply before rising<br />
again, at the roundabout take a right turn<br />
towards Yitti — going straight leads towards<br />
Barr Al Jissah, while turning left<br />
takes you to the <strong>Oman</strong> Dive Centre.<br />
Upon reaching Yitti, follow the road<br />
straight on and soon after signposts<br />
showing the way to Al Sifah can be seen.<br />
It is at this point the road starts rising and<br />
twisting its way up the mountain with the<br />
mountain’s sides so close-up that it seems<br />
possible to put one’s hand outside the<br />
window and physically touch them.<br />
Super-tight corners and hairpin bends<br />
complete the scene, where the driver has<br />
to come to a near standstill in order to be<br />
able to take some of the turns. It is a drive<br />
unlike any other and is to be taken with<br />
respect, thanks to the awesomeness of the<br />
rugged mountains and the ingenuity of<br />
the engineers who carved a fantastic road<br />
from them.<br />
Approaching Al Sifah, the road widens<br />
out and it is here that the sight of lagoons,<br />
converging between mountains and near<br />
to the road, provides a wonderful spectacle.<br />
The lagoons-spectacle is enhanced<br />
by lush green undergrowths that sprout<br />
out of the water, giving the illusion of being<br />
small green-forested islets.<br />
Here, the simple yet amazing panoramic<br />
view of greenery — in the form of<br />
the undergrowth; dark-blue lagoon waters;<br />
earthy brown, reddish-grey tones of<br />
the jagged, dusty granite mountains and<br />
the pure blue sky, come together at one<br />
and the same time in stark contrast and in<br />
a kind of blended unison.<br />
The waters of the lagoon lead out to<br />
the sea, whose beaches parallel the road<br />
along the sleepy Al Sifah village. Sitting<br />
on the beach, having been pulled in by<br />
another beautifully attractive sight — the<br />
rolling, seemingly sparkling, crystal blue<br />
waves that lap up onto the shore — the<br />
temptation to take a dip is great and except<br />
a couple of swimmers here and there<br />
the whole sandy beachfront is yours.
Weekend<br />
By Chef Ziyad Mohammed al<br />
Balushi. InterCon, Muscat<br />
Ingredients<br />
● 2 tablespoons of Irish<br />
butter<br />
● 2 medium sized onions<br />
● 3 large potatoes, washed<br />
& peeled<br />
● 1 cube chicken bouillon<br />
● 2 cups of milk<br />
● 1 clove garlic, crushed<br />
● 1 teaspoon dried parsley<br />
● 3 pieces of celery,<br />
chopped<br />
● 1 pinch ground black<br />
pepper<br />
● 1½ cup of grated cheese<br />
& salt<br />
Method<br />
● Thinly slice the onions<br />
A man stops to speak with a woman who sells spices during<br />
his visit to the market in Cayenne, French Guiana. — Reuters<br />
and potatoes and add to<br />
a pan with melted Irish<br />
butter<br />
● Add the chicken<br />
bouillon, celery, dried<br />
parsley, garlic and<br />
season with salt<br />
& pepper<br />
● Cover the pan allowing<br />
the vegetables to soften<br />
under a low heat, do not<br />
let them brown<br />
● Add milk and mix until<br />
soup becomes thick then<br />
stir in cheese until fully<br />
melted<br />
● Serve piping hot with a<br />
few slices of buttered Irish<br />
soda bread and enjoy<br />
10 FOOD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
KATHARINE Hepburn<br />
made mean brownies.<br />
And Liz Taylor adored<br />
chicken with avocado and mushrooms.<br />
The gastronomic secrets<br />
of stars past are being served up<br />
in a new book. And they taste<br />
good.<br />
The Dead Celebrity Cookbook,<br />
just published in the United<br />
States, reveals a smorgasbord of<br />
top dishes from artists of yesteryear,<br />
whose films and songs we<br />
all know, but whose favourite<br />
recipes have until now mostly<br />
been a mystery.<br />
The fruit of a decade and a<br />
half of passionate research, the<br />
book "was a labour of love," its<br />
author Frank DeCaro said.<br />
"I've been collecting for about<br />
15 years, I would go to flee markets,<br />
I would use eBay. I ended<br />
up with so many of them that I<br />
had to pick and choose," he said.<br />
"I would buy everything,<br />
manuals that came with microwave<br />
ovens, or flyers handed out<br />
in supermarkets in the 60s, recipes<br />
attributed to specific celebrities.<br />
"I hope, I like to believe that<br />
they were in fact truly their recipes,"<br />
he added.<br />
The volume includes reci-<br />
Going beyond coffee with juices<br />
STARBUCKS Corp opened the first store in<br />
its new Evolution Fresh juice bar chain on<br />
Monday, its biggest move outside coffee aimed<br />
at boosting the company's position in the $50<br />
billion health food sector.<br />
The juice bar business is, however, fragmented<br />
and intensely competitive and some<br />
analysts say the Evolution Fresh shops could<br />
have lower margins than Starbucks' coffee<br />
shops.<br />
With Starbucks yet to detail how many juice<br />
bars it plans to open, the popularity of its first<br />
shop, located in an upscale shopping area in<br />
Bellevue, Washington, an affluent city just east<br />
of Seattle, will be closely watched.<br />
The 8-ounce drinks sell for $4.99 and the<br />
16-ounce drinks are priced at $7.99. The juice<br />
bar also sells bottled Evolution Fresh fruit and<br />
vegetable juices, smoothies and food, such as<br />
oatmeal, wraps, salads and soups. — Reuters<br />
A guest eats at Pyongyang, the first North-Korean restaurant<br />
in Europe, in Amsterdam. — AFP<br />
S Star f food: dead celebrities’ top recipes, revived<br />
pes from more than 140 stars of<br />
music, cinema and television,<br />
ranging from Michael Jackson's<br />
sweet potato pie and Frank Sinatra's<br />
barbecued lamb to Patrick<br />
Swayze's chicken pie.<br />
"In the past, celebrities used<br />
to always be asked to provide<br />
recipes... that was part of public<br />
relations. They would offer up<br />
recipes in benefit cookbooks or<br />
magazine articles," explained<br />
DeCaro.<br />
"They were published all over<br />
the place," added the writer, formerly<br />
a film critic on US television.<br />
"These recipes come from a<br />
time when we didn't know everything<br />
there was to know about<br />
every celebrity. They were more<br />
in control of their image, and<br />
when they chose a recipe I think<br />
it said something about them."<br />
Evolution Fresh employee Kristin Hazard<br />
shows off a juice product at the opening of the<br />
juice bar in Bellevue, Washington. — Reuters<br />
French baker Jean-Marie Coroir pours a drink into cups at a<br />
dining room of a local high school in Minsk. — Reuters
Weekend<br />
PHARMACIES<br />
24-HOUR SERVICE<br />
Al Hashar ph, Ruwi 24783334<br />
Muscat ph, Ruwi, 24702542<br />
Al Sarooj, 24695536<br />
Scientific ph, Qurum, 24566601<br />
Ruwi, 24702850<br />
DAY DUTY<br />
Muscat Al Jabry 24420761<br />
Scientific 24480230<br />
Belqees 24535398<br />
Waleed 24707746<br />
Sur Al Safa 25542240<br />
Ibri Ataka 25691455<br />
Buraimi Al Zaiyana 25694458<br />
Nizwa Al Hazfah 25426102<br />
Salalah Ibn Sina 23296112<br />
NIGHT DUTY<br />
Muscat Capital 24456760<br />
Muscat 24497264<br />
Muscat 24535977<br />
Muscat 24702542<br />
Sur Al Jawi 25541188<br />
Ibri Al Hekma 25688177<br />
Buraimi Al Naseem 25653070<br />
Rustaq Muscat 26878631<br />
Barka Scientific 26883673<br />
Samayil Belqees 25352186<br />
Nizwa Qarn Al Rawdah<br />
25425012<br />
Salalah Al Mawasa 23225201<br />
Private & Other Wards<br />
Working Days: 16:00-18:00. Weekends & Public Holidays:<br />
10:00-12:00, 16:00-18:00<br />
ICU<br />
Working Days: 16:00-17:00. Weekends & Public Holidays:<br />
16:00-17:00<br />
Special Care Baby Unit<br />
Working Days: Parents may visit at any time. Weekends & Public<br />
Holidays: Parents may visit at any time<br />
Hospital. . . . . .Board . . . . . Emergency<br />
Royal. . . . . . . .24599000 . . 24590491<br />
Health Services Dpt<br />
Muttrah . . . . . .24797602<br />
Quriyat . . . . . .24845001 . . 24845003<br />
SQH, Salalah .23211555 . . 23211151<br />
Police . . . . . . .24603988 . . 24603980<br />
Al Nahda. . . . .24831255 . . 24837800<br />
Ibn Sina . . . . .24876322 . . 24877361<br />
Nizwa . . . . . . .25439361 . . 25425033<br />
Al Rustaq . . . .26875055 . . 26877186<br />
Sumayil. . . . . .25350055 . . 25350022<br />
Izki . . . . . . . . .25340033 . . 25340033<br />
Haima . . . . . . .23436013 . . 23436055<br />
OTHER HOSPITALS<br />
CINEMA<br />
FILM INFORMATION<br />
CRYPTIC PUZZLE<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 Ancient but not antediluvian<br />
event (5)<br />
6 Shed at the roadside<br />
(5)<br />
9 Calm sea? (7)<br />
10 Soppy rhyme for a girl<br />
(5)<br />
11 Love in sin, say (5)<br />
12 A good man to see<br />
soon (5)<br />
13 Was it impossible at<br />
the Alamo? (7)<br />
15 It’s green in appearance<br />
(3)<br />
17 No longer a concert<br />
piece (4)<br />
18 Performers in drama<br />
or in turns (6)<br />
19 Thick part of a garden<br />
seat (5)<br />
20 Jack, again, is a fearsome<br />
fellow (6)<br />
22 Nice change for a<br />
soccer star (4)<br />
24 What a fox may be<br />
after in the night (3)<br />
25 When Desmond takes<br />
a message, it has<br />
meaning (7)<br />
26 Be taken in by a bird<br />
abroad (5)<br />
27 Land of song (5)<br />
28 On which sportsmen<br />
may step out of line?<br />
(5)<br />
29 Film unit (7)<br />
30 Students of quality (5)<br />
31 Dogs used by Speke in<br />
his travels? (5)<br />
DOWN<br />
2 A chance to participate,<br />
or watch TV<br />
(4-2)<br />
3 Disagree with one’s<br />
attitude to work (6)<br />
4 Time to get out of<br />
Daventry (3)<br />
5 It affords rest and a<br />
new start for a singer<br />
(5)<br />
6 Split from a killer in<br />
a seedy establishment<br />
KHOULA HOSPITAL VISITING HOURS<br />
Sohar . . . . . . .26840022 . . 26840099<br />
Al Buraimi . . . .25650855 . . 25652319<br />
Sur . . . . . . . . .25440244 . . 25461373<br />
Tanam. . . . . . .25499011 . . 25499033<br />
Masirah. . . . . .25404018 . . 25404018<br />
Ibra . . . . . . . . .25470533 . . 25470535<br />
Adam . . . . . . .25434167 . . 25434055<br />
Bidiya . . . . . . .25483535 . . 25483535<br />
Ibri. . . . . . . . . .25491011 . . 25491990<br />
Saham . . . . . .26854427 . . 26855148<br />
Khasab . . . . . .26830187 . . 26830187<br />
Dibba . . . . . . .26836443 . . 26836443<br />
Burkha . . . . . .26828397 . . 26828397<br />
Sinaw . . . . . . .25474338<br />
AL BAHJA CINEMA: 24540856, 24540855.<br />
AL NASR CINEMA: 24831358, 24831809 (after 3pm)<br />
AL SHATTI PLAZA: 24607360, 24692656 (after 2pm)<br />
STARS CINEMA: 24791641, 24792360<br />
CROSSWORD<br />
(7)<br />
7 The image I see ahead<br />
(4)<br />
8 According to Joe, a<br />
spaniel (6)<br />
12 The indemnity Di<br />
gets from “6 Down”,<br />
possibly (5)<br />
13 Time taken by a flier<br />
to encircle the Pole (5)<br />
14 Disdain to treat corns<br />
(5)<br />
15 Indicate where to field<br />
(5)<br />
16 The remains of England’s<br />
hopes? (5)<br />
18 Tessa’s up to some<br />
good! (5)<br />
19 Wild denials from<br />
Paul (7)<br />
21 Possibly loopy TV<br />
part! (6)<br />
22 I have nothing to<br />
eat, just something<br />
medicinal (6)<br />
23 Recent changes show<br />
heart (6)<br />
25 Hated end? (5)<br />
26 Suggestions that<br />
one has given good<br />
service? (4)<br />
28 Something music lovers<br />
can “go off”? (3)<br />
ROYAL OMAN POLICE<br />
11 LEISURE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
EASY PUZZLE<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 Xmas entertainment<br />
(5)<br />
6 Useful (5)<br />
9 Assistant in crime (7)<br />
10 Strength (5)<br />
11 Reek (5)<br />
12 Applauds (5)<br />
13 Spirit (7)<br />
15 Flightless bird (3)<br />
17 London district (4)<br />
18 Feline (6)<br />
19 Sketch show (5)<br />
20 Abase (6)<br />
22 Skin complaint (4)<br />
24 Previous day (3)<br />
25 Gossip (7)<br />
26 Walking pole (5)<br />
27 Model (5)<br />
28 Defeats (5)<br />
29 Flimsy (7)<br />
30 Charred remains (5)<br />
31 Navigate (5)<br />
DOWN<br />
2 Greek god (6)<br />
3 Skin adornment (6)<br />
4 Honour (3)<br />
5 Quiet (5)<br />
6 Nursing home (7)<br />
7 Crafts (4)<br />
8 Generator (6)<br />
EMERGENCY 9 9 9 9<br />
DG of Passports & Residency, 24569603<br />
DG of Customs, 24714626<br />
Traffic offences, 24510227/228<br />
ROP Public Relations, 24569270<br />
Consumer Complaints Cell, 24817013<br />
Muscat Governorate<br />
Headquarters, 24560021<br />
Muscat, 24736611<br />
Wattayah, 24677990<br />
Ruwi, 24701099<br />
Muttrah, 24712211<br />
Bausher, 24600099<br />
Al Amerat, 24875999<br />
Qurayat, 24845555<br />
A’Seeb, 24420099<br />
Al-Athaiba, 24521099<br />
AI-Khodh, 24425012<br />
Directorate of the University Security,<br />
24513999<br />
Directorate of Traffic Muscat, 24567898<br />
Al Batinah Headquarters, 26840096<br />
Al Rustaq Division, 26875099<br />
Al Dakhiliyah, 25425099<br />
Nizwa Division, 25425099<br />
Samayil Division, 25350099<br />
Al Sharqiyah Headquarters, 25545070<br />
Ibra Division, 25570100<br />
Al Dhahirah Headquarters, 25650099<br />
Al Buraimi Division, 25650199<br />
Ibri Division, 25689099<br />
Al Wusta Headquarters, 23436099<br />
Haima Division, 23436211<br />
Special Task Force, 24560088<br />
Coastguard Headquarters, 24714888<br />
Dhofar Governorate Headquarters,<br />
23234599<br />
Salalah Police Station, 23290099<br />
Thamrait Division, 23279099<br />
Musandam Governorate Headquarters,<br />
26730299<br />
Khasab Division, 26731502<br />
ROP websites: www.rop.gov.om, www.<br />
ropoman.net and<br />
e-mail: ropnet@omantel.net.om<br />
12 Witches’ group (5)<br />
13 Stage whisper (5)<br />
14 Peal (5)<br />
15 Choose (5)<br />
16 State (5)<br />
18 Should (5)<br />
19 Baby’s toys (7)<br />
21 Eludes (6)<br />
22 Affirm (6)<br />
23 Snuggle (6)<br />
25 Obscure (5)<br />
26 Satisfy (4)<br />
28 Coach (3)<br />
YESTERDAY’S<br />
CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS<br />
ACROSS: 1, Flush 6,<br />
Right 9, Lo-OK for 10,<br />
Fruit 11, Milne 12, Atlas<br />
13, Rel.-ease 15, Sec 17,<br />
O-der 18, Scylla 19, Rosie<br />
20, G-a-RN-et 22, VE-RA<br />
24, E’E-N 25, Phaeton 26,<br />
Nails 27, Pilot 28, Finer<br />
29, Styptic 30, Aloha 31,<br />
Getty.<br />
DOWN: 2, La-Rd.-ed 3,<br />
Sliver 4, Hot 5, Skate<br />
6, Romance 7, Iris(-l) 8,<br />
Hand-el 12, A-Scot 13,<br />
Rouge 14, L-earn 15,<br />
S-le-et 16, Ca-Va.-n 18,<br />
Sighs 19, Regat-ta 21,<br />
Aerial 22, Venice 23,<br />
Robe-Rt 25, P-lops 26,<br />
No-sh 28, Fig.<br />
YESTERDAY’S EASY<br />
SOLUTIONS<br />
ACROSS: 1, Blast 6, Tunic<br />
9, Caption 10, Ashen<br />
11, Pivot 12, Trait 13,<br />
Delight 15, Rep 17, Eric<br />
18, Facade 19, Snail 20,<br />
Debunk 22, Saga 24,<br />
SAS 25, Recital 26, Erred<br />
27, Swill 28, Amiss 29,<br />
Secrete 30, Ogled 31,<br />
Erase.<br />
DOWN: 2, Lesser 3,<br />
Scenic 4, Tan 5, Start 6,<br />
Topical 7, Unit 8, Ironed<br />
12, Think 13, Deeds 14,<br />
Limbs 15, Rabat 16, Pedal<br />
18, Fined 19, Snarled<br />
21, Earwig 22, Simmer<br />
23, Gasses 25, Rears 26,<br />
Else 28, Ate.<br />
M USEUMS IN OMAN<br />
FAISAL BIN ALI AL SAID MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24641650<br />
MUSEUM OF OMANI HERITAGE,<br />
Tel: 24600946<br />
CHILDREN’S SCIENCE MUSEUM.<br />
Tel: 24605368<br />
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24641374<br />
NATIONAL MUSEUM, Tel: 24701289<br />
SULTAN’S ARMED FORCES<br />
MUSEUM, Tel: 24312646<br />
CURRENCY MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24796102<br />
MUSCAT GATE MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24739005.<br />
OMANI-FRENCH MUSEUM (Bait<br />
Fransa), Tel: 24736613<br />
BAIT AL ZUBAIR, Tel: 24736688<br />
BAIT A’NAMAN, Tel: 24641300<br />
SOHAR FORT MUSEUM.<br />
Tel: 26844758<br />
NAHKAL FORT, Tel: 26781384<br />
BAIT AL MAKHAM. Tel: 24641300<br />
BAIT ADAM MUSEUM, QURUM,<br />
Tel: 24605033, 24605013<br />
OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION<br />
CENTRE AND PLANE-TARIUM,<br />
Tel: 24677834.<br />
PLANETARIUM, Tel: 24675542.<br />
AQUARIUM at the Marine Science<br />
and Fisheries Centre (located next to<br />
Marina Bandar Rowdha, Sidab).<br />
SALALAH MUSEUM, Tel: 23294549<br />
CULTURAL CENTRE, Tel: 23294549.<br />
SUR MARITIME MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24541466.<br />
BAIT AL BARANDA, Tel: 24714262.<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 Tolerate (6)<br />
5 Lout (4)<br />
8 Quarrel (5)<br />
9 Rotter (3)<br />
10 Duct (4)<br />
11 File (4)<br />
12 Happening (5)<br />
13 Moment (6)<br />
16 Gull (4)<br />
18 Mid-day (4)<br />
20 Pig-pen (3)<br />
22 Posed (3)<br />
23 Trap (3)<br />
24 Mirth (4)<br />
25 Detail (4)<br />
28 Notched (6)<br />
30 Test (5)<br />
32 Win (4)<br />
33 Curve (4)<br />
34 Consume (3)<br />
35 Traded (5)<br />
36 Expired (4)<br />
37 Hired (6)<br />
DOWN<br />
1 Pardon (6)<br />
2 Devote (8)<br />
QUICK CROSSWORD<br />
3 Regret (6)<br />
4 Stopped (9)<br />
5 Rotating (7)<br />
6 Warmth (4)<br />
7 Yawn (4)<br />
8 Imitate (3)<br />
14 Attractive (9)<br />
15 Fellow (3)<br />
17 Rodent (3)<br />
19 Salve (8)<br />
20 Cunning (3)<br />
21 Longed (7)<br />
26 Interfere (6)<br />
27 Revised (6)<br />
Q UOTATIONS FOR TODAY<br />
CARTOONS<br />
29 Elderly (4)<br />
30 Season (4)<br />
31 Hired (3)<br />
YESTERDAY’S<br />
QUICK SOLUTIONS<br />
ACROSS: 3, Staff 9,<br />
Author 10, Outfit 11,<br />
Baron 12, Edam 15,<br />
Fete 17, Damaged 20,<br />
Nor 21, Ditch 23, Grip<br />
25, Torn 26, Cower 28,<br />
Bet 30, Degrade 33,<br />
Eden 35, Drop 36,<br />
Scrap 38, Urchin 39,<br />
Ironic 40, Ready.<br />
DOWN: 1, Eased 2,<br />
Steam 3, Sob 4, Traded<br />
5, Fool 6, Fun 7, Often<br />
8, Other 13, Dangled<br />
14, Magic 16, Tornado<br />
18, Dived 19, Act 22,<br />
Hoard 24, Pod 27,<br />
Repaid 28, Begun 29,<br />
Teach 31, Arena 32,<br />
Epoch 34, Acne 36, Sir<br />
37, Pry.<br />
I can’t understand why people are frightened by new ideas.<br />
I’m frightened of old ones.<br />
— John Cage<br />
History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.<br />
— Napoleon Bonaparte<br />
What luck for the rulers that men do not think.<br />
— Adolf Hitler<br />
Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.<br />
— Jules de Gaultier<br />
ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset<br />
CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson<br />
GARFIELD by Jim Davis<br />
STONE SOUP by Jan Eliot
Weekend<br />
A Model presents a collection by Greek designer Yiannos<br />
Xenis during EuroFashion show in Kiev. — Reuters<br />
A<br />
12 FASHION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
Ethiopia made<br />
shoes a hit<br />
SMALL Ethiopian company<br />
has taken a traditional local<br />
shoe design based on recycled<br />
truck tyres and turned it into<br />
an international success which<br />
in turn is providing jobs in the<br />
hometown of its founder.<br />
Recycling is a well-known<br />
and widely practised concept in<br />
Ethiopia. The shoes can be spotted<br />
in trend-setting metropolises<br />
such as New York and London.<br />
The shoe brand name is soleRebels<br />
and the success story<br />
behind the company based just<br />
outside the capital Addis Ababa<br />
is testimony to the belief that<br />
products made in one of the<br />
poorest countries in the world<br />
can establish themselves in the<br />
fashion market. — dpa<br />
Designer Gupta to<br />
showcase in UK<br />
DESIGNER Gaurav<br />
Gupta, who has completed<br />
six years in the<br />
fashion industry, is excited<br />
about showing his collection at<br />
the Alchemy in London.<br />
Alchemy, a five-day event to<br />
be hosted by the British Council,<br />
starts on April 19. The event<br />
will explore every aspect of Indian<br />
culture through a range of<br />
events encompassing dance, art,<br />
film and fashion show.<br />
"We are showing at Alchemy<br />
this April. The show celebrates<br />
the relationship between India<br />
and Britain and I am fortunate to<br />
showcase my collection there,"<br />
the designer said. He has prepared<br />
a collection, which is a<br />
mix of his autumn winter line including<br />
drape saris, maxi dresses<br />
and high-waisted trousers.<br />
"The collection is going to<br />
be very beautiful with lots of<br />
experimental dresses," he said.<br />
Artisans to turn<br />
designers<br />
HAPPY Hands Foundation,<br />
an organisation that works<br />
closely on artisan-support<br />
programmes, has launched<br />
an initiative — Artists-in-<br />
Residence — that gives artisans<br />
from the remote corners of<br />
India to learn design aesthetic<br />
and improvise their work.<br />
"Artists from different part<br />
of the villages together stay with<br />
us in Delhi and do a one month<br />
workshop on how designing and<br />
art are taught in colleges. Since<br />
artisans don't have much sources<br />
and knowledge of outer world,<br />
this workshop will give them<br />
exposure and enhance their<br />
creativity and business style,"<br />
said Medhavi, director of Happy<br />
Hands Foundation. — IANS<br />
Models present new collections by eminent designers during EuroFashion show in Kiev, Ukraine. Designers from 16 countries are participating in the show. — Reuters
Weekend<br />
Tara Reid arrives at the premiere of Universal Pictures’ American Reuinion<br />
at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.<br />
South Korean actress Yoon Eun Hye<br />
poses on the red carpet at the Asian<br />
Film Awards. — Agencies<br />
Justin Bieber set to shock<br />
with gory photoshoot<br />
POP star Justin Bieber has thrown<br />
himself into the ring for boxingthemed<br />
photo shoot that is sure to shock<br />
his fans.<br />
The star is on the April May issue of<br />
Complex magazine and, in the spread, he<br />
would be seen sporting a battered face,<br />
bloody nose and soiled white tuxedo, reports<br />
femalefirst.co.uk — IANS<br />
Hong Kong actress Deanie Ip poses<br />
with her trophy after winning the<br />
Best Actress award at the Asian<br />
Film Awards in Hong Kong<br />
13<br />
ENTERTAINMENT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
Rupert Sanders SSanders<br />
praises<br />
Kristen Stewart<br />
D<br />
IRECTOR RRup ert Sanders who<br />
SSwan. Th They h b bbelieve li<br />
that that’s her,” the di-<br />
teamed up with actress rector said.<br />
Kristen Stewart in “Obviously, an actor<br />
“Snow White and is playing a role. She is<br />
the Huntsman” has nothing like Bella. And,<br />
showered praises on his I got on really well with<br />
leading lady.<br />
Kristen. It was great.<br />
Sanders said he en- As I was writing stuff,<br />
joyed working with she was there.”<br />
Stewart and that she “We had a lot of<br />
was incredibly good in conversations, seeing<br />
the role, reported fema- through her eyes. We<br />
lefirst.co.uk.<br />
really hard on devel-<br />
“I think what I realoping that character<br />
ised is that she’s such a together. I was just<br />
good actor that every- amazed at her talent,<br />
one thinks she’s Bella really.”<br />
Nicki Minaj new<br />
face of Pepsi<br />
RAPPER Nicki<br />
Minaj has<br />
signed a multimillion<br />
dollar<br />
deal to front the<br />
campaign for<br />
Pepsi’s new drink<br />
called Pop.<br />
Derek Jackson,<br />
head of Glu agency<br />
who brokered the<br />
agreement, confirms<br />
the star shot<br />
a television commercial<br />
for the<br />
new product in<br />
South America last<br />
month. “You’ll see<br />
the commercial<br />
probably in the next<br />
two months.<br />
Actresses Alexandra<br />
Chando and Sutton<br />
Foster (below)<br />
attend the 2012 ABC<br />
Family Upfront.<br />
Actress Lea Thompson<br />
attends the 2012 ABC<br />
Family Upfront<br />
Cowell plans<br />
to revamp<br />
X-Factor<br />
MUSIC mogul<br />
Simon Cowell is<br />
reportedly planning to<br />
revamp singing reality<br />
show The X-Factor by<br />
letting the singers create<br />
their own music.<br />
“The idea might be<br />
to allow for more original<br />
music throughout the<br />
competition. Whether this<br />
means they will be writing<br />
their own songs isn’t<br />
confirmed, but it’s looking<br />
like it’s going that<br />
way,” thesun.co.uk quoted<br />
a source as saying.<br />
To encourage genuine<br />
talent, Cowell will also<br />
include aspiring musicians<br />
recommended by<br />
music industry bosses.<br />
The show will welcome<br />
bands and artists who<br />
already have management<br />
deals but are not yet<br />
signed to record labels.<br />
— IANS<br />
Iranian actress Leila Hatami (left) and film-editor Hayedeh<br />
Safiyari pose with their awards in Hong Kong.<br />
Jessica Alba’s<br />
non-toxic<br />
lifestyle book<br />
AMERICAN actress<br />
Jessica Alba is set to<br />
release her first book “The<br />
Honest Life” about creating<br />
a toxic-free home. She doles<br />
out recipes, design ideas and<br />
other tips to help eliminate<br />
toxins from the house.<br />
“It will be easy and fun<br />
and I want it to be really colourful.<br />
I’m a crazy foodie. I<br />
love doing projects with my<br />
kids. Everything in this book<br />
will be something meaningful<br />
that I’ve incorporated<br />
into our lives, she told people.com.<br />
Actress Chelsea Kane attends<br />
the 2012 ABC Family Upfront at<br />
the Mandarin Oriental Hotel<br />
in New York City.<br />
Philippine actress Shamaine Buencamino poses with her<br />
trophy after winning the Best Supporting Actress award for<br />
her role in Nino at the Asian Film Awards.
Weekend<br />
Nigerians look at a vehicle by German carmaker Porsche in Lagos. Porsche officially<br />
opened a new car dealership in Lagos’ wealthiest district, Victoria Island, a place with<br />
one of the world’s highest concentrations of millionaires. — Reuters<br />
14 MOTORING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
Nissan’s new<br />
DeltaWing racing<br />
car is seen after<br />
it was unveiled<br />
in London. The<br />
experimental racecar<br />
to be powered by<br />
Nissan 1.6-litre<br />
DIG-T engine will<br />
be a non-competitive<br />
participant in this<br />
year’s Le Mans 24<br />
hour race. Below:The<br />
rear of DeltaWing<br />
racing car.<br />
— Reuters<br />
Nissan revives<br />
old Datsun<br />
for emerging<br />
markets<br />
JAPANESE automaker<br />
Nissan will revive<br />
its discontinued Datsun<br />
brand to meet demand for<br />
affordable cars in emerging<br />
markets such as Indonesia.<br />
Datsun was developed in<br />
1930, becoming a popular<br />
and inexpensive model —<br />
particularly in the United<br />
States — but was phased<br />
out from 1981 as Nissan<br />
pushed its own name onto<br />
its cars.<br />
The company said it<br />
would re-introduce an updated<br />
model to the market<br />
from 2014 for sale initially<br />
in Indonesia, India and Russia.<br />
“Datsun is part of our<br />
history. It was synonymous<br />
with affordable and reliable<br />
cars,” company chairman<br />
Carlos Ghosn said in the Indonesian<br />
capital Jakarta.<br />
“With the return of Datsun,<br />
we want to add modernity<br />
to it, with a new level<br />
of quality, like a high-fuel<br />
economy.” — AFP<br />
Mitsubishi Motors launches new Thai model eco-car<br />
MITSUBISHI Motors<br />
Thailand launched its<br />
new Mirage eco-car model,<br />
a compact that promises<br />
22 kilometres to the litre<br />
and a low price due to the<br />
government tax incentives.<br />
Mitsubishi is the third<br />
Japanese automobile manufacturer<br />
to design and produce<br />
an eco-model for the<br />
domestic and export markets<br />
under the Thai government’s<br />
promotional scheme<br />
launched in 2006. Suzuki Motors<br />
is scheduled to launch its<br />
own model today.<br />
Nissan Motors was the first<br />
to produce a Thai-made eco<br />
car, the March, and Honda<br />
Motors launched the Brio last<br />
year. Toyota Motors is expected<br />
to launch a new model for<br />
the Thai market by year-end<br />
2012.<br />
Manufacturers of low carbon<br />
emission vehicles enjoy<br />
reduced excise taxes, as long<br />
as they meet government requirements<br />
on fuel consumption,<br />
safety standards, engine<br />
size and production levels.<br />
Coda’s first car buyer Randy Abraham, of Redwood City,<br />
holds the key to his vehicle at the Coda dealership. Below:<br />
A charging station stands behind a Coda car during an<br />
event featuring the delivery of the first sold Coda electric<br />
vehicle in Santa Clara, California. — Reuters<br />
An antique car sports a vanity licence plate naming a county<br />
in Ireland before the start of the St Patrick’s Day<br />
parade in Chicago, Illinois. — AFP<br />
A Trabant convertible, a vintage East German car, drives past the Reichstag, the seat of<br />
Germany’s lower house of parliament in Berlin. — Reuters
Weekend<br />
Electrotherapy dampens<br />
brain connections<br />
SCIENTISTS have<br />
discovered how<br />
electroconvulsive or<br />
electric shock therapy<br />
— a controversial but<br />
effective treatment —<br />
acts on the brains of<br />
severely depressed people<br />
and say the finding could<br />
help improve diagnosis<br />
and treatment of mental<br />
illness.<br />
Electroconvulsive<br />
therapy (ECT) involves<br />
first anaesthetising the patient<br />
and then electrically<br />
inducing a seizure.<br />
It has a controversial<br />
reputation — gained in<br />
part because of its role in<br />
the 1975 film One Flew<br />
Over The Cuckoo’s Nest<br />
starring Jack Nicholson<br />
— but is a potent and effective<br />
treatment for patients<br />
with mood disorders<br />
like severe depression.<br />
Yet despite it being<br />
used successfully in<br />
clinical practice around<br />
the world for more than<br />
70 years, scientists have<br />
until now not been entirely<br />
clear how or why it<br />
works.<br />
Now a team from Aberdeen<br />
University in Scotland<br />
has shown for the<br />
first time that ECT affects<br />
the way different parts<br />
of the brain involved in<br />
depression communicate<br />
with each other.<br />
In a study published<br />
in the Proceedings of the<br />
National Academy of Sciences<br />
(PNAS) journal<br />
they found ECT appears<br />
to turn down overactive<br />
connections between<br />
parts of the brain that control<br />
mood and parts that<br />
control thinking and concentrating.<br />
This stops the overwhelming<br />
impact that depression<br />
has on patients’<br />
ability to enjoy life and<br />
carry out day-to-day activities,<br />
they said.<br />
“We’ve solved a 70year-old<br />
therapeutic riddle,”<br />
said Ian Reid, a professor<br />
of psychiatry at the<br />
University of Aberdeen<br />
who led the study.<br />
15 HEALTH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
‘Gluttony gene’<br />
forces you to<br />
gobble non-stop<br />
SCIENTISTS CIENTISTS have stumbled on a ‘gluttony<br />
gene’ that converts you into an eating machine<br />
even if you are full. Mice tests have<br />
demonstrated that a mutation on a single gene<br />
broke down body-brain communication and triggered<br />
non-stop eating and rapid weight gain.<br />
But the good news is that the scientists hope<br />
identifying the Bdnf gene could help with slimming<br />
treatments as obesity is becoming a global<br />
epidemic, the journal Nature Medicine reports.<br />
Baoki Xu, who led the study at Georgetown<br />
University Medical Centre, US on variations in the<br />
Bdnf gene in mice, said: “This discovery may open<br />
up novel strategies to help the brain control body<br />
weight.” His team found the Bdnf gene has ‘short’<br />
and ‘long’ versions which form at an early stage<br />
in the womb. Those with the ‘long’ form sent the<br />
chemical signals to say ‘I’m full’ through a ‘superhighway’<br />
of neurons in the brain to the hypothalamus,<br />
according to the <strong>Daily</strong> Mail.<br />
In those with the short form, signals reached<br />
some brain cells but could not be picked up by the<br />
dendrites — the branch-like ‘fingers’ coming out of<br />
the cells which pass messages on to the right place.<br />
DS patients need<br />
early intervention<br />
Today is World Down’s Syndrome Day<br />
EVEN though Down’s Syndrome (DS)<br />
remains an incurable condition, experts<br />
believe that acceptance by the family and early<br />
intervention go a long way in ensuring that a<br />
person with DS is able to live a normal life and<br />
be socially independent.<br />
Worldwide, March 21 is celebrated as the<br />
World Down’s Syndrome Day. DS is a genetic<br />
condition that affects 1 out of 800 people and is<br />
universally present across racial, gender or socioeconomic<br />
lines, according to Down’s Syndrome<br />
International, a UK-based organisation for creating<br />
awareness about DS.<br />
The people having DS often suffer from mental<br />
retardation, have a flat face, long or protruding<br />
tongue and slanted eyes. “Down’s Syndrome is a<br />
genetic condition and so far, medical science has<br />
no cure for the condition. It is not something that<br />
can be prevented.” — IANS<br />
AT MY<br />
WORKPLACE!<br />
A N angel comes to a person and says, whatever you wish your<br />
neighbour will get twice what you ask for! The jealousy and<br />
envy streak kicks in — and he now says to the angel — Make<br />
me one eyed blind!<br />
As a kid in that distant land — on Eid days — I used to wonder<br />
why the dogs snarled and almost killed each other fighting<br />
over the skin and the remains of a slaughtered lamb! While the<br />
real meat was actually eaten up by the human beings!<br />
My Economics Professor in UK told us to try this experiment.<br />
Go in the streets and give 18 people you see RO 50 each.<br />
Then choose two others, and give them RO 100. What do you<br />
think the 18 will say to you? Thank you for giving us unexpected<br />
RO 50 out of the blue? No, they will ask you — why did you<br />
give those two the double you gave us? That is human weakness,<br />
foibles and nature to you! Like I have said so many times before<br />
— The line between evil and good is so thin — sometimes you<br />
may have crossed it inadvertently and without knowing it!<br />
As a young boy my mind was puzzled why those people of<br />
the same group were more to say frankly — so hard and cutting<br />
cruel to each other. Many years later in life, I had my own<br />
Management Consultancy — and I heard the very same words<br />
and expressions — but this time from another race (Indian lady).<br />
I would have just ignored it as a reaction of a lady who was not<br />
happy because our business was going badly into heavy losses<br />
— but I recollected her words when I met some of our own in<br />
my home village. This time it was another race — but the words<br />
were the very same and similar. Like the same song and tune —<br />
but sung in different languages!<br />
So I said to myself — let me find from the other races — what<br />
they feel on the subject. Any surprises? No, you guessed it right<br />
again — the very same outlook and feelings! Isn’t that amazing?<br />
Or you can rightly say too — shocking? Why are we so mean,<br />
dastardly, cruel and hard to each other — but would make allowances<br />
and exceptions to those outsiders and who are not our<br />
own? Is there a society that fares better or is really worse off than<br />
others — or are we equally bad and mean to each other?<br />
I think you must have met these kinds of people in the office<br />
environment — and even more outside the offices for sure?<br />
When it comes to making offers to their own kind and belongings<br />
— they are very mean and cruel — but see nothing wrong<br />
in paying especially that outsider — even three or four times his<br />
own was being paid!<br />
The sad and most tragic thing is that it does not concern nor<br />
bother him a bit — and he will go to the extent of defending it in<br />
order to ‘curry favours’ and to be seen as ‘our own boy’ looking<br />
after this! Our guardian and hero! Even if both candidates are<br />
equally qualified and experienced — even if the local maybe<br />
even more qualified! You may be saying to me that this was in<br />
the past — and if any cases — are just few isolated ones! But I<br />
beg to differ — because I have seen it in reality still happening<br />
— and have happened too before many times!<br />
Keep remembering this too. I, as a Human Resources Consultant,<br />
Expert and Adviser — have been involved in writing up<br />
Companies’ policies and procedures — and I have seen a fellow<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i and CEO/GM/Director want to dilute and or lessen even<br />
the salary ranges and benefits — and add in factors like country<br />
allowance (disturbance family allowance) and the likes in order<br />
to give the expatriate some added points in order to get more —<br />
even if the entry is in the same job category and level. And even<br />
for expatriates there are distinctions — with regional staff of<br />
course receiving lesser — but of course still more than the local!<br />
These things need to stop now by paying someone by the<br />
kind of dress and attire one wears. Even the office joke that goes<br />
around — especially with the teenagers is — “Today you are<br />
wearing shirt and trousers — because you want to get noticed?”<br />
— To a man. And skirt and blouse to the ladies — and with that<br />
hair open — if you are a woman!<br />
Take Care!
Weekend<br />
I don’t have the body for an item number: Sonam<br />
SHE is slim, tall and pretty, but<br />
Sonam Kapoor feels she can't<br />
do justice to a saucy and pacy item<br />
number.<br />
"I don't have a body to do an item<br />
ASIN Thottumkal is in<br />
no mood to return to<br />
southern movies — at least,<br />
not right now. The actress is<br />
comfortable in Bollywood and<br />
number. I am slim, trim and healthy but<br />
I don't have the grace and style and all<br />
that requires a little time to develop. I<br />
am a little young right now," Sonam<br />
said at an event here. — IANS<br />
Southern film industry can wait: Asin<br />
says she is happy to see how<br />
technology and awareness<br />
have brought the two film<br />
industries closer than ever<br />
before. — IANS<br />
Chief Executive Officer:<br />
Dr Ibrahim bin Ahmed al Kindi<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Fahmy bin Khalid al Harthy<br />
16 BOLLYWOOD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012<br />
Actress Nupur Mehta arrives<br />
for a press conference to<br />
address a UK daily’s charges<br />
that she was involved in<br />
match-fixing. — AFP<br />
I’m not dating Amita Pathak: Pulkit<br />
ACTORS<br />
Pulkit<br />
Samrat and<br />
Amita Pathak<br />
( pictured)<br />
are playing<br />
a couple in<br />
Bittoo Boss,<br />
but the former<br />
denies any<br />
romantic<br />
involvement<br />
with his costar<br />
in real<br />
life.<br />
"I'm not<br />
dating her (Amita) at all.<br />
We shared just a normal<br />
chemistry and had fights<br />
on the set," Pulkit, who is<br />
making his big screen debut<br />
with Bittoo Boss, said<br />
on phone from Mumbai.<br />
Pulkit, who hails from<br />
Delhi, was seen in popular<br />
Indian soap Kyunki Saas<br />
Bhi Kabhi Bahu<br />
Thi as Lakshya<br />
Virani. He took<br />
a break from<br />
television after<br />
the show as he<br />
had got bored.<br />
"I was not<br />
challenging<br />
myself to perform<br />
while I<br />
was doing TV.<br />
So I was also<br />
losing interest<br />
in doing any<br />
more shows.<br />
You need a change and you<br />
have to go for new things<br />
in life... so I did," he said.<br />
During his three-year<br />
break from showbiz,<br />
Pulkit enrolled himself in<br />
a graphic designing course.<br />
In Bittoo Boss, Pulkit plays<br />
a videographer and sports a<br />
desi look. — IANS<br />
Vidya’s Kahaani hit among online gamers<br />
AFTER getting positive reviews from critics<br />
and audiences, Vidya Balan's Kahaani has<br />
now become a huge hit among online gamers.<br />
It got 50,000 hits within the first 10 days of its<br />
launch.<br />
"The Great Indian Parking Wars" requires<br />
gamers to park Vidya's taxi on a friend's street to<br />
help her in the journey to find her missing husband.<br />
Gamers can play the game at ibibo.com and<br />
can get in touch with Vidya through her gaming<br />
profile on the website. "It's amazing to see the<br />
kind of popularity Ibibo has developed about the<br />
film on social media," said the actress about the<br />
association with ibibo.com. — IANS<br />
Don’t want my<br />
son in films:<br />
Akshay<br />
ACTOR-PRODUCER<br />
Akshay Kumar,<br />
who spends quality time<br />
with his 10-year-old son<br />
Aarav despite his busy<br />
schedule, says that he<br />
wants to keep him away<br />
from films.<br />
"He is too young. I want<br />
my son to be away from<br />
films. I want him to enjoy<br />
childhood. I want him to<br />
go and play football. Go on<br />
the beach and enjoy life,"<br />
Akshay said. — IANS<br />
Popular show Uttaran is set to take an 18-year leap,<br />
with actress Tina Datta playing a double role as 35plus<br />
Ichcha and her young daughter Meethi.<br />
The show will air on Colors from March 26 and<br />
Tina is excited about her double role. — IANS<br />
Actors Azim (left) and Faith<br />
pose during the music launch<br />
for the forthcoming Hindi<br />
film Qasam Se Qasam Se in<br />
Mumbai. — AFP<br />
Actress Yuvika Chaudhary<br />
seen during the launch of a<br />
clinic in Mumbai. —AFP<br />
Multi-starrers<br />
are important:<br />
Shreyas<br />
ACTOR Shreyas Talpade,<br />
who has starred in a<br />
slew of multi-starrers, feels<br />
such films have their own<br />
charm and should not be<br />
missed in the race to bag<br />
solo roles.<br />
"Multi-starrers have their<br />
own charm and uniqueness,<br />
which I don't want to miss<br />
out on just because I want<br />
to do a solo film. The speciality<br />
of a multi-starrer is<br />
that so many people come<br />
together and try to make an<br />
entertainer," said Shreyas.<br />
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