y magazine #342, 30 october 2014
DESCRIPTION
Your top guide to the best of Oman, every week.TRANSCRIPT
N O V E M B E R 24 / I S S U E 2 5 8 0 1
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Your top guide to the best of oman, everY week
PL
US
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OCT 30 - NOV 05 / ISSUE 342 • WEEKLY
Free!EVERY THURSDAY
NOW AVAILABLE IN BARKA ALL THE WAY TO SOHAR
Black Tie
GolfinG Gizmos
sTrive for fiTness 4032 44
TasTe TesT: LeylakiDesTINaTION: sur in black and white
News: Schoolchildren injured at Sohar Port10
FUll SpEED
Portrait By A NationThere’s sTill Time To enTer
Top GearThe LOgIsTIcs behIND F1
Oman set fOr a transpOrt OverhaulAhead
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O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 2 0 3
Y Magazine is published by SABCO Press, Publishing &
Advertising LLC / Y is a SABCO Media product.
We’d love to hear your news and views. For editorial
enquiries, please email [email protected]
EDITOR’S NOTE
Welcome to Y Magazine –
your indispensable guide to everything modern Oman has
to offer.
EDITOR IN CHIEFSayyida Iman bint Hamad
bin Hamood Al Busaidi
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Eihab Abutaha
MANAGING EDITORFelicity Glover
DEPUTY EDITORKate Ginn
ART DIRECTOR Matthew Herbst
CONTRIBUTORS Matt BlackwellAdam Hurrell
Jerzy Wierzbicki
INTERN Deeba Hasan
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING
Feroz Khan
Write to us at Y Magazine, SABCO Media, PO Box 3779, Ruwi 112, Sultanate of Oman.
@ytabloid /ytabloid www.y-oman.comfO L L O W U S O N :
,
Fast forwardThe future of transport in the Sultanate is looking bright, with a streamlined
public transport system on the cards, as well as the new or extended airports in Muscat and Salalah. Then there’s the GCC Rail network, which will link the six-member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, not to
mention the north and south of Oman.If the master plan by INECO, the Spanish firm advising the Government on the
development of the country’s integrated transport network, is anything to go by, these are exciting times. INECO’s master plan includes a range of transport options, such as a light rail transit service in the long term, the development of ferry services and the integration of urban rail systems with other modes of transport.
As Y’s cover story this week finds, the plan is not only designed to get cars off the road – it also forms a vital element in the Sultanate’s goal to turn Oman into a logistics and industrial hub.
Meanwhile, we head to New Orleans in Postcard, check out the latest golf gadgets in Y-Fi, take the new Mercedes-Benz C200 for a spin in Car of the Week and put ourselves to the test in a CrossFit session.
Have a great week – and stay safe on those roads!
Want to read Y on the go? Scan our digital issue here:Download any QR reader from iTunes or Google Play to read Y on the go
Team Y has been learning how to make great coffee, heading off to the Royal
Opera House to catch the brilliant Manon Lescaut
performance and enjoying a few shrimps on the barbie (as well as other char-
grilled delights) with Merge
104.8’s Chris Fisher, who wins this week’s “Host
with the Most” award!
THIS WEEK…
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See P17 for details. And don’t forget to enter our final Kaya Skin Clinic competition – all you need to know can be found on P35.
GoinG uPEBOLA CHECKS
Health officials have upped the ante in their fight against Ebola entering the country, with cruise passengers now being checked for the deadly disease
at both Port Sultan Qaboos and the Port of Salalah.
GoinG doWnOIL
The recent steep drop in the price of oil could force the Government to start cutting some state subsidies,
according to Minister for Financial Affairs Darwish al Balushi. While not specifying which subsidies would be
targeted, we could see the cost of filling our petrol tanks rising from next year.
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Ways to get your Y fix
contentsO C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 2 0 1 4
Yo u r O m a n06 Coffee With Deeba Azzan Al Rumhy
08 Voice of Oman Ali Al Rahma
10 News School Group Injured In Sohar Port Accident
T h i s w e e k16 Movie Listings Left Behind
18 This Week Beautiful Ballet
C a r s a n d A d v e n t u r e s38 Destination Tones Of Sur
40 Indoors Strive For Fitness
42 Postcard From New Orleans
44 Y-Fi Golfing Gizmos
46 Car of the Week Mercedes Benz C-Class
44
Fe at u r e20 All Aboard Oman Set for A Transport Overhaul
24 44th National Day Portrait By A Nation
26 F1 Logistics The Fastest Move In Motorsport
H e a l t h a n d B e a u t y32 Fashion The Main Event
34 Health Sharing Is Caring
35 Beauty Away with Acne
PORTRAIT BY A NATION / THE BOLLYWOOD / NISSAN X-TRAIL / MERCEDES-BENZ TRACK DAY / GEELY COMPETITION
NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE...
12
33
18Fo o d a n d D r i n k28 Food Feature Pretty Piñata
30 Taste Test Leylaki
28
25
Ooredoo Y-Tabloid 34x24cms.indd 1 10/27/14 6:55 PM
c a r s a n d a d v e n t u r e s38 destination Tones Of Sur
40 indoors Strive For Fitness
43 Postcard From New Orleans
44 Y-Fi Golfing Gizmos
46 car of the Week Mercedes Benz C-Class
Portrait BY a nation / the BollYWood / niSSan X-trail / MercedeS-BenZ tracK daY / GeelY coMPetition
25
Ooredoo Y-Tabloid 34x24cms.indd 1 10/27/14 6:55 PM
J U LY 0 3 - 0 9 / I S S U E 3 2 70 6
Deeba Hasan sits down with one of Oman’s top golfers,
Azzan al Rumhy, who shares his passion for the sport
as well as his aspirations for the future
As I walked towards the clubhouse at the Ghala Valley Golf Club to interview
Azzan al Rumhy, I saw him
arrive in a golf cart. He was
dressed in a t-shirt, white
trousers and white cap – very
“golf-like”, I thought to myself.
But then again, I would expect
nothing less from one of
Oman’s top golfers, a man who
won the Muscat Open Golf
Championship at the age of
19 and has toiled on courses
around the region to become
what he is today.“I started playing golf in
1998, when I was 14,” Azzan
says. “My father was already
playing golf back then and
seeing him play gave me the
inspiration to pursue the sport.”
Azzan also drew inspiration
from perhaps one of the
sport’s most famous names: “I
remember when Tiger Woods
started becoming popular
because he was one of the few
young golfers.” It was only
when Woods won the Masters
in 1997 that Azzan realised golf
was not exclusively for older
people and from that moment,
he was hooked. Azzan recently had the
opportunity to meet with his
golfing hero at a competition
in Abu Dhabi, where he was
acting as his father’s caddie.
“My father was invited to play
at that tournament and I was
lucky enough to be his caddie.
Because of that, I was able
to meet Tiger Woods who
was also playing at the same
tournament.”Now 30 years old, Azzan
has been playing for the Oman
National Golf Team for 12
years and the sport has come a
long way since he first picked
up a club. Azzan reflects upon
those early days, saying: “When
I started, there were no grass
courses in Oman – we had to
play on sand. There were also
no professional coaches at that
time either and I had to go to
Dubai in order to learn and
practice on grass.“I think everyone has their
own struggles with anything
they start doing, Tiger Woods
must’ve had his struggles and I
had mine. It’s all about working
hard and staying in the game.”
Golf runs in Azzan’s blood,
with his father, uncle and
younger brother all involved
in the sport. “Whenever we
travelled abroad for vacations,
we all played together and I
think it was wonderful.”
Azzan hopes his own children
will uphold the tradition. “I
want my son to play golf and
I would like to play with him,”
says Azzan, who thinks that
the father and son bonding he
experienced through the sport
was very helpful. “It helped us
get close and it helped me not
get distracted, especially in my
teenage years.” The father of
two has also purchased a golf
club set for his four-year-old
daughter to play with.In his youth, Azzan was
also part of the Junior Tennis
team of Oman, representing
the Sultanate at international
events. Seeking more of a
balance, Azzan quit tennis in
1998. “I thought golf was more
challenging, plus you also get to
play at different types of golf
courses.”Keen to pass on his skills
and knowledge to the next
generation of golfers, Azzan
is looking at creating his own
academy in the future, which
would allow students to play
golf while also studying regular
school subjects.Before that, though, Azzan
still has competitive goals he
wishes to achieve in the sport.
“I want to win the GCC Golf
championship individually. I
was very close to doing that last
year and came fourth, but I am
hoping to finish first in Kuwait.
Azzan’s advice to those who
want to become golfers is to
commit to the game. “I had
friends who wanted to play,
they came to me asking for
clubs, which I gave them, but
they didn’t bother coming after
that. You need to love the game
if you want to make a name for
yourself.” Looking ahead to the
National Bank of Oman Golf
Classic, which begins today at
Almouj Golf, The Wave, Azzan
is very positive, “This will be
my second time playing in the
NBO Golf Classic. I am feeling
confident and hope to qualify
for the final two rounds of
the tournament. I also thank
NBO for sponsoring such a big
golfing event here in Oman.”
Have you got a unique story
to tell or do you know someone
who has? Contact us to have
coffee with Deeba and be featured in Y Magazine. Email: [email protected]
Azzan al Rumhy
0 6 O C T 0 1 / I S S U E 3 3 8
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Sad rent realitieS
correspondencethe voice of oman You can never underestimate the importance of a good friend, says ali al rahma
NExt WEEK: FElIcIty GlovEr
Dear Editor,
Thanks a lot for the feature “For Rent In Muscat” (Issue 341). It’s a heartbreaking reality that certain expats whose contribution in developing this nation cannot be questioned are facing extinction due to this housing quandary.
What’s more, a landlord may now charge any rent since there is practically no legal assistance available in favour of the tenants.
Regardless of all this, Oman is still one of the
most foreigner-friendly countries in the world. When it comes to value for money, Oman is the most economical country to live in compared to the other Gulf nations in my opinion. Hence, it is my belief that the government will indeed take the required action rapidly in order to wipe out the discrepancy.
Thanking you once again for the eye-opener.
Regards, Gautam Ghosh-Dastidar, Muscat
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What is friendship? Can it even be defined? “A state of being friends”, one
dictionary suggested, which I’m sure you’ll agree is pretty vague.
There is in fact, a differentiation between being “friends” and “close friends”. Being a friend has limits on personal interaction, while being a close friend has far fewer boundaries. Close friends are limited in numbers in your life (usually the ones you trust completely), while normal friends can be more than quadruple the number of people and have certain friendship boundaries.
Having a close friend is not based on the number of years you’ve known that person, or the level of interests that both friends share in common. It is the feeling of brotherhood/sisterhood, praising your friend when they succeed and being there for them when they need you. You have to ride life’s roller coaster with them.
More importantly, even if close friends fight, the appreciation and love of their friendship will never tear them apart. I’ve got friends who I’ve known since third grade and we still stay in touch. Maybe we don’t talk to each other every day, but when we do, we often can’t stop! I also have friends who I met after starting my professional career, but it’s as if we’ve known each other for years. The worst ones are those to whom you gave your trust, only to have it destroyed, or the ones who are nowhere to be found when you need them most. So be careful who you trust as your friend, as sometimes they can transform from friend to a fiend.
Dear Editor and Jane from Qurum,
I apologise for the lateness of my reply to the “Having Kittens” letter (Issue 340).It is not the Municipality’s concern to deal with the “problem” you have identified.
We have two issues here: one is for concerned citizens like Jane and me to capture the cats, especially the females, take them to the vet to be spayed and then release them back to where they came from.
The problem is finite. Once you have neutered all the cats in an area you won’t have any more kittens!
The quality of life for those cats will improve greatly, as there will be more food to go round and contrary to popular belief, other cats won’t encroach on their area. Cats – spayed and non-spayed – are very territorial!
The cost is RO30 for females and only RO15 for males, so Jane – why have you fed an un-neutered dominant Tom but not
taken him to the vet? If the municipality does anything at all for these dustbin cats, it will be to destroy them somehow. Not a very civilised or responsible approach for the 21st century.
The other issue is funding. Let’s spread awareness and have a few fundraisers to finance the spaying and neutering of Muscat’s feline population.
A purrfect solution as opposed to the “Final Solution”.
Regards, G Benison, Boushar
KittY control
O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 2 0 9
New Debate:“The recent news that bad drivers will
face heftier fines is a welcome move, but is enough being done to curb irresponsible
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of winning dinner for two.
Devansh muDGal was spotted with his favourite Y Magazine in Al Qurum Complex
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We askeD: “Do you think rents in Muscat are spiralling out of control? should the rental cap be reintroduced?”
SoNu SoNu Well, it looks like someone with more than half a brain has finally thought about the problem of hyperinflation of rents in Muscat. How to control those rents? It is time to impose rent capping to tackle landlord profiteering and relieve hard-pressed tenants.
AWAIS KHAN Yes, I definitely think the rental cap should be reintroduced because rents have increased dramatically over time. It has become incredibly tough for a common man to afford living with his family. There shouldn’t be any third person between the owner and the tenant.
AMItA NAGpAl Yes, it should be reintroduced, considering the agony of the expats. There is no doubt Oman is a beautiful country and a lovely place to live, but expats are very important for the growth and progress of the country. I just hope the government will take stern steps to control this so that it will be beneficial in both ways.
ArcHANA IyEr Oman is a beautiful and developed country. Expats come here for work and contribute to the growth of the country when they stay here with their families. If rents continue increasing, it will become difficult for them to survive. We need a rent cap to be controlled by the government. The owners of buildings and flats shouldn’t take tenants for a ride.
clyDE DANIEl-pAlMErI think rents are not increasing, or at least they are definitely not spiralling out of control. It’s just that rents are being increased for some tenants for their current residences (not everyone), and they pay it, as they don’t want to move or presume the rent will be higher elsewhere. I read a few days ago that between last month and this month around 3,200 working expats have left
deBate oF the WeeK
Oman, showing a dip in the expat working population. This could mean that 1,600 flats have been vacated, assuming both members of the household were working.
SyEDA KABIr Yes! Muscat rents have been increasing dramatically and it’s flowing out of control because the money is being handed over to a second person and not to the original house owner. A rental cap must be reintroduced and the deal must be bound only between the owner and the tenant.
MErzIA vAJID I agree that rents in Muscat are increasing, but not really spiralling out of control. However, some of the landlords are definitely making the most of it. Just to ensure that such landlords don’t cheat any tenants, I think rental caps should be introduced.
KrISHNA SANAl Unless you want people camping on parks and beaches, yes, we need a rent cap most definitely!
MoNIKA KAuSHIK Yes, of course. Some of owners are making fun of it. Time to time they can increase, but there should be rent control or caps in place.
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O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 20 1 0
A police investigation has been launched after a group of schoolchildren and staff from Al Batinah International School (ABIS) were injured in an
accident at Sohar Port and Freezone shortly before the Eid Al Adha holiday.
“Emergency services responded to an incident on one of the terminals in the port on Thursday morning, 30 September, 2014,” a port spokesman told Y Magazine.
The pupils and staff, who were on a field trip to the port, were watching a high-powered water display by two tugboats from one of the terminals when the accident happened, the spokesman said.
“The incident happened during a visit by a group of schoolchildren and accompanying staff members from Al Batinah International School, who were watching a water display by fire monitor on two of the tugboats that operate in the port.
“The unexpected turning of one of the tugboats caused the water jet from a high-pressure nozzle to reach the quayside and hit the bus and the group of onlookers, causing personal injuries and damage to vehicles.”
Sohar Port and Freezone is managed by Sohar Port and Industrial Company, a 50:50 joint venture between Oman and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The deep-sea port, 200km north of Muscat and headed by Dutch CEO Andre Toet, was opened in 2002 and became a free zone in 2010.
The school has declined to comment on the accident.
According to its website, ABIS was set up in 2008 by Sohar Aluminium to meet a rising demand for international education for expatriate students in the Al Batinah region of Oman.
The port spokesman said 24 people were injured in the accident, including students and staff from the school, and were taken to hospital, where most were treated for minor injuries and discharged on the same day.
However, one adult, believed to be a parent of one of the children, was seriously injured.
“One adult was treated for more serious injuries and remains in hospital, but [is] in a stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.”
Royal Oman Police and Sohar Port and Freezone have both launched investigations into the ABIS accident, the port spokesman said.
In December 2010, the Times of Oman reported that five workers were killed and another two seriously injured when the boom of a tower crane collapsed in windy weather at the L&T Modular Fabrication Yard in Sohar Port.
school Group injureD in sohar porT acciDenT
enD of The roaD
Words: Felicity Glover
N E W SYOUR OMAN
Our selfie competition, held in conjunction
with City Cinema, has finished and we hope all our winners have enjoyed watching their favourite movies for free. We are now collating all the entries we have received and will hold a special draw to find out who will be winning the goodie bags on offer from City Cinema.
Our final congratulations goes to Meghna Khakhkhar Joshi, who submitted a charming picture of herself and her daughter.
Congratulations to all our winners and don’t forget to keep an eye out in next week’s Y for the winners of the goodie bags!
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O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 20 1 2
What’s the master plan all about?Basically, the transport master plan is all about transforming Oman into a regional logistics and industrial hub. And while it will definitetly help the traffic problems in Muscat, that’s not the only aim as it will ultimately connect the Sultanate from north to south. The Ministry of Transport has started making plans for a Public Transport Master Plan that is expected to be laid out by the end of 2014. And what will happen then? The idea is to then design a public transport network that will be integrated with a bus rapid transport (BRT) and light rail systems (LRT). Metered taxis will also be part of the plan, making lengthy bartering sessions before you’ve even set foot in the car a thing of the past. Who is going to organise all this?A new government body will be arranged called the PTA. No, not the Parent Teacher Association, the Public Transport Authority. You can’t beat a good acronym!You certainly can’t. Acronyms in a title or department somehow make it seem more significant. It’s a bit like how one of the most important departments in the British government is called the TVIDTETIAFTBITP – otherwise known as The Very Important Department That Ensures There Is Always Fresh Tea Brewing In The Pot. Surely this plan is just a ploy to delay a much-needed public transport system further?Not at all. When governments are considering infrastructure projects on such a massive scale, a huge amount of planning and investigation has to happen first. After all, the project has to be implemented and built correctly to ensure its future functions are maximised. Failure to plan is planning to fail. This is the first and very important step in the right direction for the country to have a proper public transport system. Don’t say: It will never be built…Do say: Soon, we won’t have to take the car everywhere. Turn to P20 for the full story.
B i t e S i z e dOUR WEEKLY SLOT TAKES A LIgHTHEARTED
LOOK AT A NEWS ISSUE Of THE WEEK.
PUBlic TRANSPORT MASTER PlAN
g a l l e r y I n t e r v i e w N E W SYOUR OMAN
It seems the message about safety on the roads is finally getting through to drivers in Oman if the latest statistics are anything to go by.
Not only have the number of road accidents in Oman fallen by 30 per cent this year, but injuries caused on the roads have dropped by an astonishing 56.8 per cent.
Deaths from road accidents also declined, the figures released this week from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) revealed.
It’s good news for the Royal Oman Police and a national strategy that aims to tackle the Sultanate’s appalling record on the roads.
Last year, it emerged that Oman had the highest death rate from road accidents in the GCC and the third highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But now, it appears the tide might finally be turning.
NCSI data shows that the number of road accidents during the period of January to August 2014 totalled 3,880, compared with 5,554 during the same period in 2013, an annual drop of 30 per cent.
However, there was a slip in August this year with a monthly rise to 505 accidents, 30 more than in July.
Perhaps the most dramatic figure is the halving of injuries caused by traffic accidents, which dropped to 3,232 from 7,474.
An earlier report released by the NCSI in January this year revealed that 12 per cent of the
roaD acciDenTs fall BY 30%
It’s official: the much-anticipated rebranding of Nawras has taken effect and the communications company is now known as
Ooredoo. The milestone means that customers in Oman will become part of a global brand, joining more than 95 million subscribers in numerous countries across the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia.
Ooredoo is a GCC-based telecommunications provider that has rapidly grown in the recent years through acquisitions in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the Maldives, Algeria, Oman and other countries.
Most of you have probably already noticed that Nawras stores across the Sultanate have already been decorated with the distinctive red and white colours of Ooredoo.
An Arabic term, Ooredoo translates to “I want” in English and through this name, the company aims to deliver on its brand promise of human growth and to better serve the communities they operate in.
“Our core beliefs and values, our focus and commitment to the customer and our people, as well as our day-to-day operations, will not change,” Greg Young, the CEO of Ooredoo, said at a press conference this week.
“But what we know you will see is an exciting new focus for growth and innovative and inspiring new products and services.”
Mr Young said the company would continue to encourage youth to pursue their hopes and dreams by connecting them to advanced 3G and 4G networks, caring for their future and challenging them to keep improving together and make a positive difference.
Ooredoo has already announced that Argentinian football star Lionel Messi will be its global brand ambassador and the company has agreed to support the Leo Messi Foundation as part of its continued commitment to making a difference in communities across the world.
“Ooredoo has planned several activities in the coming months to celebrate the rebranding and create awareness among the public about it,” Mr Young added.
nawras reBranDs as ooreDoo
road accidents in Oman resulted in a fatality, producing an average of one death in every 10 road accidents.
Fewer people are losing their lives on the roads, said the recent report. A total of 555 fatalities were recorded by the end of August 2014, a fall of 12.7 per cent from 636 in 2013. Of these, 345 were Omanis and 210 expatriates, both figures less than last year.
In July this year, 80 people died in road accidents. Thirteen people were killed during a spate of road accidents over the Eid holidays alone and a further 71 lost their lives in August.
Latest figures also show that the number of Omanis injured in road accidents declined by 59 per cent, with 2,439 injuries recorded by the end of August 2014, against 5,954 injuries during the same period in 2013.
The number of expatriates injured in road accidents also dropped, with 793 injuries compared with 1,520 last year.
Earlier this month, police revealed that speed radars were helping to reduce road accidents. A traffic awareness campaign, “Thanks for abiding by the speed limit”, was launched in October.
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g a l l e r y I n t e r v i e w N E W SYOUR OMAN
Reports that tropical storm Nilofar was barrelling towards Oman this week led to widespread fear of floods and destruction.
In an update early Tuesday (October 28) morning, the Met Office at the Public Authority of Civil Aviation warned that the storm had
intensified, but said it was not expected to directly hit Oman. “Moderate to heavy rain is likely over the governorates of Al Wusta and south Al Sharqiyah,” the Met Office said earlier this week. “The sea is expected to be very rough over the Arabian Sea and rough over the Oman Sea.”
This is the second close call for Oman this year. In June, a severe cyclonic storm was said to be on the way but petered out and changed its path at the last minute.
Nilofar developed in the middle of the Arabian Sea last Saturday and was said to be building to the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane, with its sights set on parts of Oman, Pakistan and India.
As word spread of the cyclone racing our way with speeds of up to 100kph, social media went into overdrive, whipping up a storm of its own. Fishermen were warned not to take to sea by metrological experts in Oman. Speculation by some was that Nilofar’s impact could be on a par with Gonu, the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea, which left a trail of devastation when it hit Oman in June 2007, killing 50 people and causing an estimated RO1 billion worth of damage from winds and flooding.
Gonu forced almost 7,000 people to leave Masirah Island and more than 20,000
sTorm fizzles ouT
people were evacuated to emergency shelters as winds of up to 240kph battered the coast and a state of emergency was declared for the nation.
Nilofar – meaning Lotus or Water Lily – was at one time said to be tracking along the same path.
Thankfully, there was to be no repeat of Oman’s worst natural disaster as Nilofar weakened early in the week. It was predicted that by the time it made landfall, only the outer fringes of the storm would brush Oman’s coast.
Tropical cyclones are normal at this time of the year and are caused by low pressure over warm water. They are one of the most dangerous natural hazards to people, often unleashing violent storms and torrential rain.
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An all-star cast comes together to bring the remarkable true story of a huge drug conspiracy to the screen. Garry Webb (Jeremy Renner) is a journalist who stumbles across a lead that implicates the CIA in arming Nicaraguan rebels and smuggling cocaine into America. Webb must decide how far to pursue a story that threatens not only his career, but also his life and the safety of his family.
Bollywatch
john wick
There seems to have been a spate of films lately that deal with an ex [insert deadly profession here] coming out of retirement to avert or avenge [insert terrible wrong here]. Keanu Reeves is the latest to throw his hat into the ring and stars as the eponymous John Wick, a retired Left Behind
MOVIES MOVIEShitman who is dragged back into his former life after a group of thugs take everything from him (namely an adorable beagle puppy). Far from original in terms of subject matter, but an explosive return to the screen for Reeves.
The Dead 2: india
Okay, so zombie films are nothing new, but The Dead series offers a refreshing break from the done-to-death formula (excuse the pun), by taking an infectious epidemic and letting it loose in a country that isn’t America. This time, it’s India’s population of 1.2 billion that is plagued by the ravenous undead and American turbine engineer Nicholas Burton (Joseph Millson) must battle his way across hundreds of kilometres of wasteland to save his pregnant girlfriend, who is trapped in the slums of Mumbai.
roar Roar tells the story of Pundit (Abhinav Shukla), the captain of an elite commando team, who enters the jungles of the Sundarbans to claim his brother’s body and hunt down the Bengal tiger responsible for his death. The team of soldiers become involved in a deadly cat-and-mouse game, with the distinction between hunter and hunted becoming blurred at times.
Based on the best-selling series of 12 novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins, you’d think Left Behind would be one of the year’s most anticipated releases with the possibility of establishing a strong film franchise. Sadly, it’s not. It is essentially an end-of-days disaster flick with strongly religious overtones. Nicholas Cage plays airline pilot Rayford Steele, who is forced to turn a transatlantic flight around after numerous passengers and crew disappear into thin air. Millions go missing worldwide, which, understandably, leads to pandemonium with driverless cars
and pilotless planes causing mayhem. Meanwhile, on the ground below, Rayford’s daughter Chloe (Cassi Thomson) runs around dodging the aforementioned obstacles in an attempt to clear a space for her father’s malfunctioning plane to land.Almost everything about this film is just wrong. The dialogue seems forced, the effects are weak, the directing is uninspired and the acting lacks intensity. Left Behind really should have been left behind before it got anywhere near a theatrical release.
Review by Matt Blackwell
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IEW
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My Geely Join the Geely gang and you’ll be part of the coolest car revolution on the road. There’s a chance to win an iPad mini as well in our fabulous competition to find the best Geely facts out there
You may have already seen one of the cars out and about on the road in Oman, but not been sure what it was. Perhaps it was the sleek lines as it zipped past you on the highway or the rugged looks of another SUV off-roading in a wadi that caught your eye.
Whatever it may be once seen, a Geely is never forgotten.Since the Chinese automotive brand launched in the Sultanate in 2011,
the Geely range has made a name for itself with Oman’s discerning drivers, becoming synonymous with great looks, features and safety at very affordable prices.
Whether it’s the hot hatch GC2, the cheeky Geely LC – known as the Geely Panda in China for its appearance based on the iconic black and white bear – the crossover GX2 for the style conscious or the elegant Emgrand 8 sedan, with its outstanding performance and comfort, there’s a Geely to suit every driver and every need.
Now Y, in association with Geely and Towell Auto Centre, the sole distributor of Geely Emgrand in the Sultanate, is on a mission to grow the Geely gang with our car competition for both current Geely owners and prospective buyers.
To enter, all you have to do is submit a question about a Geely and we’ll pose it to a current owner. It could be about any of the models and on any topic. Be as fun and creative, or as straightforward as you like. For instance, you might want to know how the Emgrand X7, Geely’s SUV, handles off-road. If you’re in the market for a family car but are on a budget, why not ask the owner of the Emgrand 7 about its value for money?
If you’ve got your eye on a zippy small-size Geely LC, one of the brand’s fastest-selling models launched in Oman in June 2012, you could ask one of the owners of the car: “What’s the best feature of your LC?”
Starting on November 6, we’ll feature the four best questions and answers every week for the next three weeks. Two iPad minis will be given as prizes for the best Q&As and the winners will be announced in our November 27 issue. It really couldn’t be easier! Geely means “auspicious” or “lucky” in Mandarin Chinese, so the omens are good to be a winner.
Send your Geely question to [email protected] with your contact details by Monday, November 3, and we’ll do the rest. If you are a Geely owner, you can also register via the above email address to answer our reader questions.
Join the Geely Gang!The Geely Middle East
Facebook page has almost 14,000 likes. Check it out at /geely.me
Geely GossipBelieve it or not, Geely began life as
a fridge parts supplier in 1986, before being transformed into one of the
leading Chinese car manufacturers.
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WHAT TO SEE.
WHAT TO HEAR.
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Let the Latino rhythm flow through your body as Cuban fever comes to Oman! Six introductory workshops will be held by the masters of the art, Aloy Junco and Leo Charanga, giving you the opportunity to lean more about Cuban Salsa, Afro-Cuban and Rumba dancing. Tickets cost RO20 and the event will take place at the Hafa House Hotel. Call Saud on +968 954 74043 for more information.
T H E W H AT ’ S O N g U I D E
Muscat Women’s Fellowship is a group that meets once a month and aims to create an environment for women to develop relationships with others, as well as allowing for spiritual growth and the enrichment of the community. They will be holding their annual Women’s Conference, featuring keynote speaker Lana Packer, at the Al Falaj hotel in Ruwi on November 1. Email [email protected] to register.
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Beautiful Ballet
The Ballett am Rhein will be gracing the stage of Muscat’s Royal Opera House in November, performing pliés and pirouettes to the music of Brahms and Schubert, as one of the ballet world’s most innovative choreographers, Martin Schläpfer, brings his acclaimed creations to Oman. Go to www.rohmuscat.org.om to book your tickets.
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I must admit, I do rather enjoy my evenings out at the Royal Opera House Muscat. Last Thursday’s opera was Manon Lescaut, one of Puccini’s greatest works. The storyline is one of great love and tragedy. The eponymous Manon is a woman who was lured by a
wealthy man away from the man she really loved. After a brief reunion with the man her heart truly desires, she is disgraced, imprisoned and faces deportation to the United States. Des Grieux is a penniless student desperately in love with her and pleads with the captain to let him sail with her. The captain relents and Manon and des Grieux sail to Louisiana together. After escaping New Orleans, they travel through the desert, a journey that eventually kills Manon, who dies in the arms of des Grieux. It’s a somewhat overly dramatic tale and the plot is rather thin, but in reality that doesn’t matter because the music more than makes up for it.
Soprano Hui He, in the lead role as Manon Lescaut, gave a spectacular performance with great depth and range. Hui’s strong, hearty performance must go down in Royal Opera House history as one of the greatest performances of a Puccini opera that Muscat has seen.
Her opposite lead, the Bulgarian tenor Kamen Chanev, played des Grieux and his performance was delivered with equal quality. His stage presence when pleading with the boat captain was exceptionally dramatic and emotional. They both played their parts with passion and vast amounts of energy, making the audience believe in the drama that was unfolding on the stage in front of them.
Act I and II were light and full of the joys of spring and this was reflected in the palette used in the sets and costumes. The light of the first two acts directly contrasted with the doom and gloom of the final two. This is an obvious metaphor for the downfall of Manon, who moves from grace to disgrace.
The Deutsche Oper Berlin – under the direction of Gilbert Deflo, accompanied the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and its conductor Roberto Rizzi Brignoli – put on a fabulous evening’s entertainment, leaving me to wonder how the Royal Opera House Muscat will top Manon Lescaut. The Deutsche Oper Berlin are known as one of the best in world and for good reason – I’ve not seen a company to date that have bettered them.
For details of The Royal Opera House Muscat’s upcoming performances, go to www.rohmuscat.org.om
If you or your child has an interest in studying abroad, then this event is certainly for you. AMIDEAST and EducationUSA will be hosting an evening of workshops and networking with several international universities, which will help you to learn how to write winning university applications. The event is taking place at the Ramada Hotel Muscat; go to www.gulfuniversity.com for more information.
The annual celebration of the Sultanate’s National Day has been extended over three days this year due to phenomenal demand. This outdoor performance at Royal Opera House Muscat will see several military bands pay a rich musical tribute to the nation and is sure to delight all those who attend.
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MILITaRY MUsIC
Manon LescautAdam Hurrell enjoyed an evening of love, frailty and despair at the Royal Opera House Muscat
The future for Oman will see it transformed into a global hub with a first-class transport system and airport. Matt Blackwell and Deeba Hasan look at the shape of things to come
Imagine Oman in 10 years time: a fully functioning rail system spans the Sultanate from north to south, not only linking people
all over the country, but also reaching beyond our borders, connecting us with the wider GCC region. The world-class airport in the country’s capital sees more than 12 million passengers come and go each year and upon touching down in Muscat, you can choose between a metered livered taxi, metro or bus ride to whisk you to your final destination in comfort, whether it’s an office for a corporate meeting or one of the city’s newer luxury hotels for a relaxing break.
But back to the present. Standing on one of the many footbridges that crosses Sultan Qaboos Street, the main artery that runs through Muscat, this comprehensive level of infrastructure may seem like little more than a pipedream. However, if INECO, a Spanish engineering and consultancy firm tasked with coming up with a public transport revolution, have anything to do with it, the hopes and prayers of thousands look like they could be answered over the next few years.
The middle of October played host to the first Oman Public Transport Conference, which was called to address the dire situation that is the Sultanate’s road and public transport system, or rather lack of one. Organised by the Oman Road Transport Association, the conference received full support from the Ministry of Transport.
Speaking at the conference, top INECO executives, including José Manuel Tejera, the company’s managing director of infrastructure and transport, unveiled their fledgling plans for a Public Transport Master Plan, which will specifically target the Sultanate’s capital city. They also looked at
the wider picture as a whole, providing a global overview at the “Strategy and Future of Oman’s Public Transport” session. The findings and recommendations INECO presented at the conference were based on eight months of studying the current situation in Muscat.
If approved, the master plan could see Muscat granted the kind of services many will feel are long overdue as the country’s swelling population – over four million and counting – stretches the already creaking infrastructure.
These could include the extension of the urban bus service, the introduction of a ferry service, metered taxis and a light rail transit.
However, a light rail transit – such as the metro that has transformed Dubai – has not been made a priority, instead being pushed back to the third or fourth stage of development. This means that it could be up to seven years before Muscat gets its own metro.
The project’s leader, Emilio Miralles Claver, said: “It’s quite singular, the situation we found here. It’s a very modern city [Muscat] developing with the economic level and so, but with a very limited public transport system.”
As many of Muscat’s drivers will readily attest, the city’s main highway, Sultan Qaboos Street, simply has too many cars clogging it up. The
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daily commute to and from work can take hours, even when the distance in need of covering is only a handful of kilometres.
This is something that Mr Claver is in agreement with and feels the solution lies in discouraging the use of private cars. “It requires a change in attitude of people,” he told a local newspaper in Muscat. “It is a process we have to start as soon as possible.”
In a country where the car is king, ruling the roads in the city and Interiors, it could be quite a big ask.
Many drivers may find themselves in somewhat of a catch-22 situation, where the only reason they drive to work is because of the lack of a fully integrated public transport system.
While the revamp of Muscat’s public transport system is desperately needed, it will take several years to implement all the necessary changes, subject to government approval. The city’s transport renaissance has also experienced another setback, with the recent delays to the completion of Muscat’s new international airport.
After speaking to a source at the Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), Y has learnt that the plans for the new airport are back with the Ministry of Transport awaiting final approval. The OAMC were unable to clarify when the plans would be given the green light or when the new airport would be completed.
Initially, the new airport was slated for an opening in 2015, but many now think that 2016 is a more realistic expectation.
The international airport that currently serves Muscat is struggling to cope with the influx of
passengers arriving into the Sultanate as the country grows in popularity as a tourist destination and a centre for industry.
Tourism and business leaders believe further delays to the completion of a new terminal may actually be inhibiting the growth of Oman in certain sectors.
Marius Wolmarans, the general manager of Radisson Blu Muscat, says the current airport gives visitors a “very negative first impression”. Several of his guests have commented on how long the visa and immigration process takes upon entering the country.
“To grow as a tourist destination, it is essential to have a world-class airport. Oman is already perceived as an expensive destination. The airport is not reflective of this. If tourism is going to grow, it can’t be through airport arrivals. It will have to be either through road arrivals or cruise ships.”
Garry Friend, the general manager of Grand Hyatt Muscat echoes these sentiments.
“To help boost the tourism sector, we need to be able to cater to an increased number of travellers. This will not happen until the new airport is up and running to handle the increased volume of tourists,” he says.
“It would definitely be another window of opportunity for the economy as well as the hotel industry. Increased demand for hotels will be a priority and more footfall will definitely help boost tourism.”
It’s not only Oman’s tourism sector that is suffering at the hands of an inadequate airport though.
Maggie Jeans is the director of
IT’S quITE SINGulAR, THE SITuATION WE FOuND HERE. IT’S A vERY MODERN CITY
[MuSCAT] DEvElOPING WITH THE ECONOMIC lEvEl AND SO, BuT WITH A vERY lIMITED
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Al Manahil International LLC, a wholesale book importer supplying both
the government and private sector. The company receives a regular weekly air consignment from the UK, as
well as occasional sea shipments and air consignments from the US and other countries. “The company was established 18 years ago and during this period, we have
watched a gradual deterioration in service at both the air cargo and sea cargo terminals,” she says. “The Air Cargo Terminal at Seeb International Airport has remained unchanged, although the volume of imports and exports has increased enormously.”
Cargo ports are vital to the economy of any country as they are where most of the goods are imported. Yet, according to Maggie Jeans: “The existing facility is old and hopelessly overstretched.
“It’s so overcrowded that cargo often cannot be located, which results in many delays and calls from angry customers. No goods are cleared over long public holidays and this causes a huge backlog. The cost of all this inefficiency to the Omani economy must be enormous and we hope that the powers that be are able to rectify matters soon.”
Elsewhere in the country, an incredible project has been launched, with the aim of building a high-speed, 2,224km rail network that incorporates every major port, airport and city within the Sultanate. This project is still in the development stages, although construction is expected to begin on the first phase in the first quarter of 2015. Some of the unique obstacles to be faced will include how to stop camels wandering across the railway and sand blowing on the tracks.
Oman’s Railway Project – part of the GCC Rail Network – would see thousands of kilometres of rail track cutting through sand and mountains in the most ambitious project the country has ever undertaken.
Imagine alighting at Muscat and then getting off in Salalah, some 1,000km later. Large amounts of freight could be shipped across the country and the GCC in super fast time, placing Oman at the forefront of the region.
Oman has also been chosen as the country to host the GCC Rail and Metro Conference in 2015. The GCC railway project is a multibillion-dollar project that would see it connect the six-member nations. The project is expected to boost the GCC’s economy, allowing not only for an influx of tourists into each country, but also new labourers who will diversify and enrich the job market with their varied forms of expertise. Once again, this project is in its early stages, although it is expected that the member countries of the GCC will be forever linked by rail by 2018.
While the utopian dream of traffic-free roads and an efficient integrated public transport system is still several years away, there is no doubt that the Sultanate and the region as a whole is moving in the right direction.
The population of the country continues to grow exponentially as people discover the potential Oman has as both a business and industrial hub and tourist destination, and it is imperative that the transport system does not inhibit this growth.
It may be easy to complain about the state of the roads and public transport when stuck in the morning rush hour, but it is important to keep in mind how far the country has come in just 44 years. The Sultanate is well on it’s way to becoming a major world player; just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
It’s time for the next stage of the journey and it’s going to be fast ride.
Buckle up and get ready.
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In Numbers
Oman Rail Project, part of GCC Railway Network
2,244km total length (in Oman)9 segments linking Omani borders with UAE to Muscat, southern parts of the country at Port Duqm and Port Salalah to Yemen border220kmh maximum speed for passenger trains120kmh maximum speed for freight trains12,000km of rails10.2 million sleepers6,500km of security fencing35km tunnels45km viaducts39km rail bridges48km wadi bridges 310 animal crossings98 pedestrian crossings245 flyovers/underpasses
In Numbers
New Salalah Airport
1 million initial passenger capacity rising to six million4,000m new runway25 check-in counters10 passenger boarding bridges1,957 total car park capacity10 emigration counters – for departures20 immigration counters – for arrivals57m height of Air Traffic Control Tower65,638sqm total floor space of terminal building
In Numbers
New Muscat Airport
12 million passengers a year the new airport will be able to handle, rising to 24, 36 and ultimately 48 million 2 parallel runways96 check-in counters29 passenger boarding bridges5,500 bags per hour capacity for luggage system 8,000 parking spaces for vehicles20 self-service check-ins31 emigration counters – for departures56 immigration counters – for arrivals24,000 meals can be catered for every day334,995sqm total floor space of new airport
40 freight locomotives30 multi-use passenger units15 passenger trains80 passenger coaches500 freight wagons6 large stations30 small stations1 main operational control centre
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Time is running out to enter Y Magazine’s historic art project celebrating Oman’s
44th National Day!Presented by Bank Sohar and
in association with Shell Oman Marketing, Jotun Paints Oman and Markaz Al Bahja Mall, registration for our “Portrait By A Nation” competition ends on November 4.
The competition is a unique platform for the children of Oman to create a lasting tribute to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said.
“As we celebrate the 44th National Day, it is indeed heartening to see the ‘Portrait By A Nation’ initiative from Y Magazine,” says Mohammed al Farsi, the general manager of external affairs and business development at Shell Oman Marketing.
“Children are the future of any country and more so in Oman, since they form a significant section of the population pyramid.”
Y Magazine can think of no better way to memorialise His Majesty than in a portrait created by the children of his own nation – and we are looking for young artists to use their budding talents to help.
To that end, we are inviting children of Oman between the ages of six to 17 years to harness
their creativity and paint a portrait of His Majesty.
Our month-long activity will not only encourage local talent, but also provide children with a platform to feel proud of their country and home.
“This artistic initiative will hopefully help contribute to child development in the Sultanate, as research shows that arts education can connect children more deeply to their communities and open them to new ways of comprehension; creating the foundation to form social bonds and community unity,” says Mr al Farsi, of Shell.
This exclusive artwork saluting the architect of modern Oman will go on public display during National Day celebrations.
To take part, children need to register their interest and select the correct age category they will be entering. Entrants will be invited to take part in the event hosted by SABCO Media, Y Magazine’s parent company, at Markaz Al Bahja Mall on November 7-8, where the children will be able to paint their portrait. The canvases will be supplied by Y Magazine, but children must bring their own art supplies, such as paints and other materials they wish to use.
A panel of judges, including art experts and representatives from Y Magazine and Bank Sohar, will choose 44 entrants
to make up our “Portrait By A Nation”.
The winners will be announced on November 13, along with the four entries that have been chosen as the top pieces of artwork. The winners of the age categories will receive RO500, while the runners-up will each collect RO250.
All 44 portraits will be collated and spread on a larger canvas that will be presented as a giant collage of the many faces of His Majesty the Sultan, as seen through the eyes of the nation’s children.
The canvas is then set to be unveiled in a grand ceremony on National Day, November 18, attended by the young artists and their families, before going on public display for the duration of the country’s celebrations.
The chosen 44 pieces of art will be displayed at Markaz Al Bahja Mall for sale from National Day until November 27. Open to the public, the artwork will be available to buy in person or online, with the proceeds of the sale given to each of the child artists.
“We also take this opportunity to pay tribute to our great leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, on this joyous occasion towards further progress and prosperity under His Majesty’s wise leadership,” adds Mr al Farsi.
44th National Day
Hurry! There’s just a few days left to register your entries in Y’s historic 44th National Day tribute to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said
Simply pick up a registration form at any of the 10 Bank Sohar branches below, complete and post it in the drop box on site. The full list of participating Sohar Bank locations is:
MBD, Azaiba, Al Khoudh, Barka, Sohar, Nizwa, Ibri, Sur, Ibra and Salalah
You can also post your details on Y’s Facebook page ytabloid or simply drop us an email at [email protected]. You can also drop off your registration form at Y’s office in Seeb or at Markaz Al Bahja Mall. We will need your name, age and contact number to verify your registration and add you to the event. Otherwise, click on the QR code below to download the registration form.
Parents may complete the registration form – but remember, the children must create the actual portrait.
Entry is restricted to children aged between six and 17 years old. There are two categories to enter: one for six to 10-year-old children, the other for 11 to 17 year olds.
Only one entry per child.Paints and other materials needed for the
painting of the portrait must be brought by the child to the November 7-8 event. Y Magazine will supply the canvases used by the entrants.
children selected to go forward for the painting event at Markaz Al Bahja Mall will be notified and must be free to attend on November 7-8.
The judges’ decision is final.
Moh
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In Association with
On entering his studio in his father’s home in North al Maabela, I instantly recognised it as a busy artist’s
studio. There’s rolled-up paintings stacked in the corners, paintbrushes of different sizes and shapes left on small tables, unwashed colour palettes and a large canvas with an unfinished painting of His Majesty the Sultan. Everything in the room tells me that Mohammed is working on creating another masterpiece.
Mohammed started painting early in life and his passion led him to join a summer workshop at the Omani Society for Fine Arts in 1996, when he was a teen. It was this workshop that opened his eyes to various art schools and techniques and after this, Mohammed knew that he wanted to pursue art as a serious hobby.
“When I was in primary school, I used to compete with my friends,” he says. “We used to draw different cartoon characters, things like Ninja Turtles, Street Fighter and Tom and Jerry [the television cartoon
characters].”Even though he has recently
moved to an apartment in Al Khoud after getting married, his studio remains in his father’s house. “My father constructed this little studio when I was doing my Masters degree because I was messing up our house with my paints and colours and he wanted to give me my own little place. I still keep coming back to my studio and paint here for hours.”
Mohammed showed me his sketch books from his early teenage years, which are carefully preserved. I saw Arabic comics, Street Fighter characters and unique mini masterpieces that Mohammed had drawn in his childhood years.
Now in his early 30s, Mohammed has a full-time job at the Ministry of Finance and sees himself as a surreal painter. He draws inspiration from Hungarian artist Istvan Sandorfi, who is known for his works on hyperrealism (a genre of painting that resembles a high-resolution photograph). In Oman, he admires
the work of local artist Saud al Hunaini, who helped to mentor Mohammed from an early age.
“I am not very fond of abstract art, even though it is highly admired, I don’t fancy doing that type of art – I remember when I went into the museums in Italy and France, most paintings were realistic and I just loved them.”
Mohammed is known for realistic impressionism, portraits and calligraphy. Although he has proudly displayed his work at numerous locations both inside and outside of Oman, he hopes his first solo exhibition will take place in February 2015 at the Bait Muzna gallery.
Mohammed was interviewed on TV in 1997, when he was still a teen. He recalls being very nervous: “My lips were trembling but when the interviewer asked me what I wanted to do, I told him that I want to be an international artist one day and I am happy that I am still following that particular dream.”
❶ The participants need to first get a proper measurement of His Majesty’s portraits. Small variations in the measurement and dimension can sometimes look very big and make the painting look very different from what it actually is. Participants can measure using the grid referencing system.
❷ concentrate on the eyes. it is important to get the proper shape and dimensions of the eye in relation with the canvas. Eyes are important to focus on because they can draw people to the painting very well.
❸ Get the right colour tone for the skin. Human skin has many sets of colours and you need to create a mix of different shades before you get that perfect tone. Participants can mix the colours and apply them onto paper to check if it is a suitable tone.
❹ Reflection is also something to focus on – when light falls on the face it creates a certain effect and this needs to be captured in the painting as well. Take care of the little details.
Favourite technique: I see the picture as a mix of colours and try and figure out the tone for each area. after that, I experiment with the colours to get the right tone.
Tips:
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Deeba Hasan speaks to local painter Mohammed al Ma’amari to get an insight into his life as an artist, as well as tips and tricks on how to make your art stand out from the crowd for our ‘Portrait By A Nation’ event
Join the Geely gang and you’ll be part of the coolest car revolution on the road. There’s a chance to win an iPad mini as well in our fabulous competition to find the best Geely facts out there
What is DHl’s involvement in Formula one? DHL has been providing logistics solutions for Formula One (F1) for over 25 years now and has been the Official Logistics Partner since 2004. Throughout the season, tonnes of highly sensitive freight – including cars, engines, TV equipment and fuel – have to be moved between19 races on five continents. For all overseas races, DHL works closely with Formula One Management to ensure the freight arrives on time. What is unique about the logistics requirements for F1? We have a core team of around 30 DHL specialists dedicated to supporting the logistics of F1 around the world full-time, with 20 to 30 people from our DHL Motorsport division supporting Formula One Management and the teams at every race, supported by local staff.DHL handles a wide range of transport duties for F1, including the overseas transportation of racing cars, engines, tyres, spare parts and general team equipment. We manage the transportation of hundreds of tonnes of racing, hospitality and TV equipment against the most demanding turnaround times by road, ocean and air. We also organise customs clearances and pick-up services. We also handle all the fuel for the cars. Each F1 team now travels close to 160,000km a year between races and test sessions. On average, DHL transports materials (including race equipment, spare parts and supplies) weighing an average of 600,000 kilos by land, air and sea in and out of every race. As an example, DHL shipped 100 ocean freight containers to Melbourne for the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. For long distance races, between six and seven jumbo jets are needed to carry all the shipments for the paddock to and from the team’s headquarters.
What exactly is involved in shipping these goods? For example, do the car parts need to be disassembled before loading? For DHL, a Grand Prix weekend starts nine days before the actual race, with freight being packed in boxes or temperature-controlled containers, depending on the requirements and seasonality. Post-race, the pit crew will dismantle the garages, working through the night from Sunday to Monday to pack everything up. How does DHl protect the parts from being damaged during travel? The cars will generally be protected by the chassis/car protection panels to prevent any movement or accidental damage during transportation. Special trucks, equipped with the racing tail lift and fittings are used to transfer the cars to and from the paddock and the airport. More importantly, the flooring of these trucks must not have any rails as the dampers of these cars are fragile and extra care has to be taken. All cars have to be securely latched and loaded onto specially designed cargo crates prior to take off. Each team is also responsible for the safe packing of broadcast equipment, spare parts and other material in special boxes.
The Formula 1 World Championship next travels to Austin, Texas, in the United States, where the Grand Prix will be held on November 2. But the biggest ticket in town – at least for the GCC – is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be held from November 21-23. As the final race of the season – and with double points on offer – it promises to be a thrilling finish.
With the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix fast approaching, Adam Hurrell sits down with Ali Thabet, Oman's country manager of DHL Express, to discuss the logistics of moving precious F1 cargo around the world
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FOOd
DRINKANd
T r e n d N e w R e s t a u r a n t R e v i e w s
hiDDen charmsIf you’ve got a sweet
tooth, the latest hot cake in the bakery world is for you.
Piñata cakes combine layers of sponge with a secret surprise – the middle is
filled with treats.Perfect for little and
big kids alike.
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N e w sT R E N D N e w R e s t a u r a n t
Pretty piñata cakes are all the rage and the secret is in the centre. Cut it open and all is revealed, finds Kate Ginn
With its vibrant colouring and numerous layers, the piñata cake is certainly not the shy and retiring type.
There’s more to this bakery item than meets the eye, however. Slice into those vivid slabs and you’ll find a sweet
surprise waiting, with hidden treasures tumbling out from the centre, making for a double treat. Traditionally, piñatas are often associated with Mexico. The decorated containers made of papier-mâché are filled with small toys and candy before being broken for a ceremony or special celebration.
The confectionary version is based on a similar principle and has become the cake of the moment in both the UK and US, with recipes swapped on social media and Instagram awash with photos of amateur baker’s efforts. Supermarkets are stocking them and everyone wants one for their birthday or other celebration.
It appears the rule of thumb is the more over the top the better. Think icing of a shocking pink or electric blue colour in swirling patterns and eclectic designs.
“For a steer on piñata cakes, you need to ask: what would Katy Perry look like if she was a baked product?” says Poorna Bell, Lifestyle Editor of the Huffington Post, an American online news site.
“Think lots of colour, as much random tat as possible from chocolate buttons to KitKats to multi-coloured M&Ms and Smarties. There is no such thing as too much.”
It won’t be long before the piñata makes its way over to Oman and into Muscat’s bakeries, so stay one step ahead and try making your own one first.
All you need is a plain sponge base and a wild imagination. It’s great fun to do with kids, too.
Just remember, the key to a good piñata is all in the middle.
IN THE MIDDLE
Recipeingredients § 460g butter, softened, plus 450g for the icing, softened§ 460g caster sugar§ 8 large eggs§ 460g self-raising flour§ Yellow, red, pink & blue food colouring§ 900g icing sugar§ 1 tsp vanilla extract§ 90g Smarties § 90g M&Ms§ 90g Dolly Mixture§ 90g Jelly Babies Feeds: Over 10
Method● Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line 4 x 20cm sandwich tins. Beat together 115g butter and 115g caster sugar until light and creamy. Add a few drops of yellow liquid food colouring and beat in. Sift 115g of the flour. Beat in 1 egg, then add 1 more egg and a spoonful of the flour. Beat again, then fold in the rest of the 115g flour.
● Put the mixture in one of the cake tins and level the top. Repeat the process to make another layer of cake, colouring the mixture orange by combining yellow and red colouring. Then make a reddish-pink layer using just the red or pink food colouring and a blue layer with the blue colouring. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from the tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. using a spoon, mix the remaining 450g butter with the icing sugar, vanilla and 4 tbsp cold water until the sugar is just blended in, then beat until light and creamy.
● Cut out 10cm rounds from the centres of the orange and pink sponge layers. Spread some of the butter icing in a ring on top of the yellow layer, leaving a 10cm circle bare in the centre.
● Put the orange sponge ring on top of the iced yellow layer. Spread icing on the orange ring. Put the pink ring on top.
● Fill the hole with the sweets. Spread icing on top of the pink ring, then cover with the blue layer. Put 2 heaped tbsp icing in a bowl and thin down with 2 tsp water. Spread thinly over the sides of the cake. Divide the rest of the icing into five equal portions. Put two portions together in a bowl and
colour yellow. Colour the other portions blue, pink and orange (by mixing yellow and red or pink).
● Get four plastic piping bags and cut off the ends. Fill each bag with a different colour icing. Pipe blue icing around the base of the cake, then use a palette knife to spread it around the sides of the first (yellow) layer. Pipe and spread pink icing around the edge of the orange layer, and orange icing around the pink. Pipe and spread some yellow icing around the sides of the top (blue) layer, then spread the rest over the top of the cake. To finish, make a spiral pattern on top using the back of a teaspoon that has been quickly dipped in boiling water.
Tips: You’ll need four layers of sponge for the cake, so if you only have two cake tins, bake them in two batches. When picking sweets to put in the centre, look for smaller ones that will tumble out when it’s cut.Source: asda.com
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The Walk at The Wave, Muscat, is slowly but surely coming to life. One by one, all those “Coming Soon” signs are being replaced by boards that read
“Now Open”, and one such establishment is Leylaki.
I was having one of those busy days, running around in preparation for the arrival of a friend from back home in the UK and after realising I had barely eaten anything all day, decided to drop into The Wave on my way back from a quick shopping trip.
The purple branding of the Lebanese café had caught my eye as I passed through The Wave on two prior occasions, although when I’d enquired at the desk I was informed that they did not yet have all the items on their menu. Third time lucky and after finding out they now had everything apart from a small selection of sandwiches, I felt it was high time that I sampled their fare.
Leylaki’s seating is all open-plan, lending it the air of a food court as it sits nestled in The Walk among several chains of culinary competitors. Having never eaten Lebanese food before, I found myself at a bit of a loss as I scanned the menu, but thankfully the employee on the till was both incredibly helpful and patient as he carefully talked me through the different items on offer.
Rows of skewered of meat were on display in the glass case next to the till and in the end, I settled on the recommendation of my server’s personal favourite: the fried kebbe stuffed with meat from the hot starters section and the tawouk for a main.
It was about 3pm on a Saturday and one large family party and a handful of couples populated the small café. I had no trouble finding a place to sit and settled down for a spot of good old people watching as several groups of friends and family all hurried about their business at The Wave.
My observations were cut short mere minutes later by the arrival of the fried kebbe. Made with cracked wheat, minced onions and finely ground meat, they looked worryingly dry upon first inspection. My initial fears were allayed after the first bite, however, with the meat inside (I’d guess beef or lamb, although the menu didn’t actually specify) pleasingly moist. The portion size was good and I hungrily tucked into the torpedo-shaped croquettes, although an accompanying sauce of some kind would’ve been a welcome addition.
Leylaki is an above-average fast-food joint, but falls short of a full-blown restaurant, which led me to wonder about their style of service and, in particular, when my main would arrive.
But these questions were quickly put to bed, with the tawouk brought to my table just as I was finishing the first of the four kebbe.
Luckily, I have a large appetite and this did not present a problem, but perhaps it would’ve been clearer to label the “starters” as “side dishes” as this is effectively the role they fulfilled on my visit.
Served on a plastic plate, the meal would score no points for presentation, but my word did it taste good. Even before I could sample what had been placed in front of me, the aroma of the chargrilled meat had my mouth watering.
The cubes of chicken were unbelievably succulent and tender, with the faint charred taste only serving to enhance the flavour. When combined with the garlic paste, pickles and wrapped in one of the two pieces of Arabic bread, it certainly made for a hearty lunch.
One word of warning, though. While pleasant, the garlic paste was dangerously potent, to the degree that it was probably a good thing that I wouldn’t be entertaining guests until the following day!
At RO6.3, it’s certainly not the cheapest lunch option, but Leylaki is head and shoulders above your everyday fast-food outlet in terms of quality, while the portion size was such that it easily kept me satisfied for the rest of the day.
In addition to the grilled options, Leylaki offers an extensive range of soups, salads, shawarma and starters.
It also has a selection of manakeesh and pastries, all of which are made on site using fresh ingredients.
While this was my first experience of Lebanese cuisine, with so much on offer at Leylaki I’m almost certain it won’t be my last.
T r e n d N e w R e s t a u r a n tfOOd
dRINkaNd R E V I E w S
Info BoxLEYLAkI
The Walk, The Wave, MuscatTel: +968 2418 7444
Opening Times: Sunday – Saturday 8am-11pm
Lunch for one including a drink: RO6.3
LEBANESE LOVE AFFAIRIN NEED OF SOME HIGH-quAlITY FOOD ON THE GO? lEYlAKI, THE NEWlY OPENED lEBANESE CAFé IN THE WAvE IS THE PlACE TO GO, SAYS MATT BlACKWEll
Verdict 7 / 10 Service
8 / 10 Food 5 / 10 Ambience
Great quality food for those on the move.
Y Magazine reviews anonymously and pays for its meals
IN ADDITION TO THE GRIllED OPTIONS, lEYlAKI
OFFERS AN ExTENSIvE RANGE OF SOuPS, SAlADS,
SHAWARMA AND STARTERS, AS WEll AS A SElECTION OF MANAKEESH AND PASTRIES,
All MADE ON SITE uSING FRESH INGREDIENTS
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HEALTH&BEAUTY
H e a l t h B e a u t y fA S H I O N
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Dress well With evening wear, it’s all
about quality for men. Cheap, poorly fitting clothes and
rough accessories will get you noticed, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead, take the
leap, invest in some classics and you’ll be looking like a
million dollars.
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THE MAIN
EVENTThe social season has begun – and it’s imperative that you’re not underdressed, says Adam Hurrell
1. learn how to tie a bow tie – and make sure it is always black. This is real life; not your end-of-term disco. Novelty cufflinks are also banned. 2. Your collar should always be a fold-down collar. Wing collars are for white tie only. 3. Team your black-tie look with elegant, good-quality accessories and you will look like a million dollars, as they say.
dEBONAIRE DETAILS
Adam’s tips on going black tie
This double-breasted dinner jacket (trousers sold separately) is meticulously tailored by Ede and Ravenscroft. It retails for RO280 and is available at edeandravenscroft.com
The temperatures are starting to drop and as we enter the final months of the year, it can only mean one thing: the beginning of
the autumn/winter party season. For many, this may bring a feeling of dread, but the key to formal wear is buying quality.
Treat your formal wear not as a seasonal purchase, but as a lifetime investment opportunity. Chosen well, with thought-out accessories, there is no reason why your formal wear needs to be changed more than once every five years – if not longer. For example, my smoking jacket, once ordered from a tailor on London’s Savile Row is probably knocking around the 100-year-old mark. There are some wonderful formal wear options available this season, for both entertaining at home and going out. As the Royal Opera House’s programme of events gets busier and Christmas and New Year loom ever closer, us chaps must make sure we are not lagging behind our female counterparts in the style stakes.
With evening dress, less is always more. Nobody likes to see crass cufflinks worn with half-decent tailoring. Equally, no novelty ones are allowed – we have moved on from 2002. Instead, try these smart silver and enamel cufflinks from Gieves and Hawkes. RO183 at gievesandhawkes.com
TM Lewin make some of the best-value quality men’s clothing on the planet and this black self-tie bow tie from its evening wear collection is no exception. At this price, it makes sense to buy two so you can even out the wear and tear. RO16 at tmlewin.co.uk
Be the king of your castle if you are entertaining at home with these Crockett and
Jones slippers. Price on application. Crockettandjones.com
Some say that wearing a visible timepiece with formal wear is not done, but nobody likes to be without a watch. This elegant Calatrava analogue watch from Patek Philippe is perfect for the man about town. Price on application. Patek.com
The great thing about this Marcella evening shirt from Thomas Pink is that it offers good quality at a phenomenally affordable price. Pair it with some metal collar stiffeners and silver and black onyx shirt studs to complete the look. RO63 at Thomaspink.com
No formal outfit is complete without patent black shoes, such as these Alastair Black Patent shoes from Church’s. Unless you are going bespoke with something from Alfred Sargent, you will struggle to do better. RO200 at church-footwear.com
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HEALTH&BEAUTY
Sharing
H E A LT H B e a u t y f a s h i o n
Many illnesses are inherited, which means it’s vital to keep your loved ones up-to-date with your family’s health history
Family is one of the most important foundations of Omani society – from parents to children and grandparents to extended relatives such as cousins,
aunts and uncles.Family gatherings are very popular in the
Sultanate – and they are a great opportunity to connect and turn relationships into strong, eternal ties. But perhaps it’s time to start trying a new tradition – sharing your health history with your family.
Passing down family health history can be as important as sharing that recipe your great grandmother shared with your grandmother, who then passed it down to your mother.
Many health conditions run in the family, so knowing the history can help you or your loved ones take the right steps to stay well and get tested if any of you are at risk.
Sharing health history means having a conversation about your health conditions or those experienced by another family member. These conversations can transform a simple update about a loved one’s well-being into a piece of prevention. Why is sharing health history important?
Though marked with stories and laughter, family gatherings are also a perfect time to talk about important matters that affect the health
of your family members. As the number of those with common ailments such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer continues to rise in Oman, other major conditions should not be overlooked, such as kidney disease.
There are usually no symptoms for the early stages of kidney disease, which is why it is sometimes called a “silent disease”. The two primary causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which have high incidences in Oman.
In countries such as the US, the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) is encouraging relatives at family gatherings to talk about the connection between diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease. The Program’s Family Reunion Health Guide is designed to help you plan large group or one-on-one conversations about kidney disease. And while it is a US-based programme, you can still download a copy of it at www.nkdep.nih.gov.
According to a recent report in the local press, more than 1,500 people are receiving kidney dialysis up to three times a week in Oman. The report added that at least 50 per cent of patients on dialysis would need a kidney transplant, while many of the “patients undergoing treatment in Oman are in their 20s and 30s”.
Kidney disease is also caused by a lack of water content in the body, which is also
common to the region, and can lead to kidney stones.Five tips for starting the conversation
Talking about health history at family gatherings can be challenging, especially considering cultural taboos in the GCC region. But having a strategy for difficult conversations can help guide the discussion and make it a meaningful and productive experience. Here are some tips for getting a one-on-one conversation started at your next gathering:❶ Ask permission to have the conversation and try to choose a convenient time and comfortable environment. Look for a quiet, private place that is free from distractions. ❷ Acknowledge that it is not always easy to face personal health problems. Try to be supportive and listen to everyone’s concerns.❸ Include personal stories in your health discussion. Try sharing your story on how you manage diabetes or high blood pressure to help put them at ease.❹ Offer to go with family members to their health care provider and encourage them to bring information about kidney disease, diabetes and high blood pressure to appointments.❺ Follow up with family members in ways that work for them. Some relatives may prefer a phone call to an email or text message.
Is Caring
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H e a l t h B E A U T Y f a s h i o n
Fight back against rebellious skin with expert tips and tricks from Kaya Skin Clinic
Your Skincare Expert
I have followed your advice and my acne has cleared up. But what can I do to prevent acne from recurring once it
has gone away?
Q&A with Dr Maria Vega: Acne
It’s great to know that your acne has cleared. Now, to prevent the acne from recurring I would advise you to be
very regular with your skin-care routine. Use a good cleanser and toner meant for acne-prone skin twice daily. In the mornings, this needs to be followed by a suitable sunscreen meant for oily skin. Avoid heavy make-up on a regular basis and see that you remove it carefully before you go to bed. There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to restore skin health. So try to retire to bed early and sleep for at least seven to eight hours per night. Also, pay attention to your diet and eat healthy foods including fresh fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water.Hormonal issues can also play a role in acne, so if you notice any irregularity in your menstrual cycle, get this problem attended to with a consultation with your doctor.
We’ve all suffered at the hands of a spot or two, but acne can be a different story
altogether. The condition can affect anyone of any age and a range of factors, including diet, hormones and stress, can aggravate the condition. Acne is caused by a build up of sebum, the oils naturally produced by skin – it has nothing to do with how clean or dirty skin may be. While not a life-threatening condition, acne can cause emotional distress and breakouts can cause severe discomfort. “We know that no one, young or old, is immune to acne and this can leave scars that last a lifetime,” says Dr Majd Abdulkhalek, a dermatologist at Kaya Skin Clinic.
To avoid scarring don’t pick, squeeze or irritate acne in any way – your skin will thank you in the long run! Check out Kaya Skin Clinic’s beauty tips to help ease your acne woes:➀ While science has proven there’s no link between chowing down on your favourite chocolate bar and spots, it has been proven that eating a diet low in processed foods is better for your all-round health – including your skin. Some foods even help to fight inflammation. These include tomatoes, spices such as ginger,
walnuts and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids. ➁ Severe acne has been linked to a zinc deficiency. To counter this, you can incorporate more zinc-rich foods such as seafood and spinach into your diet, or add a zinc supplement to your breakfast. ➂ Resist touching your skin. Your hands spread bacteria like wildfire – think about what you come into contact with every day. Acne isn’t dirty, but your hands definitely are! Touching your face with grubby hands can potentially irritate your skin further, so fight the urge for the sake of your skin.
While acne may clear, the scars it leaves can serve as a constant reminder. Kaya’s revolutionary new laser treatment targets specific areas of scarring, making it highly effective in reducing acne’s after-effects. Small micro beams treat the deep tissue, kick-starting the body’s natural healing process and encouraging new collagen growth. “Producing more collagen is paramount in effective skin rejuvenation and is a highly beneficial effect,” says Dr Abdulkhalek. Collagen fills out the skin, diminishing the effects of scarring. Additionally, a larger laser beam then treats the wider areas of skin, resulting in an overall smoother, fresh-faced and younger look.
wiTh kaYa skin clinic
Away withAcne
Y wants to know how readers have treated their problematic skin. Send your tips and tricks for battling breakouts to us and you could win an exclusive Kaya Skin Clinic gift hamper.
Email your tips to [email protected]. The best tips and tricks, chosen by Y, will win the gift hamper. And don’t forget, the deadline for entries is Monday, November 3. Good luck!
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P o s t c a r d s f r o m I n d o o r s Y - f i C a r s
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Rowdha• OmanDiveClub• ShangriLa-Barr
AlJissahWadi Kabir• AlMaya
Hypermarket• KhimjiMart• LuluHypermarket• National
HospitalityInstitute
• ShellMBD• BankDhofar• MooreStephens• NBO• OmanOilAhlain• PizzaHut• PizzaMuscat• ShellCBD• AlMaya
Hypermarket• AlizzIslamicBank• BahwanTravel
Agencies• BankSohar• Centrepoint-
Splash• CopperChimney• CostaCoffee• HSBC• LamaPolyclinic• NBO• OmanArabBank• Standard
CharteredBank• Woodlands
RestaurantMuscat• Muscat• BaitalBaranda• BaitalZubair• Diwan• ShellDarsait• CaveRestaurant• IndianSocialClub• KhimjiMart• KIMSHospital• LuluHypermarket• MuscatBakery• ShellAL Falaj/Rex Road• AlFalajHotel• BadarAlSama• GoldenOryx
Restaurant• KamatRestaurant
• ToshibaShowroom
RUWI• KamatRestaurant• KFC• Khimji’sWatches-
Showroom• KMTrading• OmanAir• OmanUAE
Exchange• OTE• SarwanaBhawan• SwaroskiHamriya• ApolloMedical
CentreWattayah• AhliBank• Bestcars• BLS• Ford• GM(Chevrolet)• HatatHouse• Honda• Hyundai• Kia• Lexus• NationalTravel&
Tourism• PassagetoIndia• SABCOGroup• Shell• Subaru• Suzuki• ToyotaQurum• AlAraimiComplex• BalanceGym• BankNizwa• BMWshowroom• BurgerKing• CapitalStore• Chili’s• CrownePlaza• FinlandEye
Center• FunZone• GloriaJean’s
Coffee• JungleRestaurant• LeftBank• McDonald’s• MercedesBenz• MumtazMahal• Nandoos• Nissan• OmanOilAhlain• PizzaHut• Qurum
CommercialComplex(OldCCC)
• SABCOCentre• SecondCup• Starbucks• TchéTchécoffee
shop• TheSultancentre
(TSC)PDO• PDO• OmanOilHead
Office• PDO• RasAlHamraClubRoyal Opera House• IndusRestaurant• MoreCaféShatti Al Qurum• BareeqAlShatti
Complex• CarribouCoffee• Darcy’sKitchen• GermanEyeLaser
Center• Intercontinental
Hotel• JawaharatAl
ShattiComplex• KayaSkinClinic• MuscatEyeLaser
Center• OasisByTheSea• SecondCup• StarbucksSarooj• AlFairS/M• AlMasaMall• AlShattiCinema
(DunkinDonuts)• AyanaSpa• Cosmeclinic• EmiratesMedical
Center• McDonald’s• ShellMQ• AlFairS/M• ArabOpen
University• BritishCouncil• CostaCoffee• Darcy’sKitchen• EmiratesAirlines• HanaSlimming
Centre• KargeenCafé• KFC• Mackenzies• MoodCafé• OmanOilAhlain• PapaJohn’s• PizzaHut• SaharzBeauty
Saloon• Starbucks• TBWAZeenahAl Khuwair• BadarAlSama• BaitAlReem• BaitAlReem-
CoffeeShop• CaféVergnano
• Centrepoint-Splash
• DiplomaticClub• FriendiMobile• GrandHyatt
Muscat• GrandHyatt
Muscat(Saloon)• GulfCollege• HarleyDavidson• HSBC(OldOIB)• KFC• KhimjiMart• Khimji’sWatches-
Showroom• KMTrading• LandmarkGroup• McDonald’s• Ministryof
Information• MuscatBakery• MustafaSultan
Enterprises• OmanBowling
Center• OmanOilAhlain• OmanUnited
Insurance• OMRAN• PizzaHut• RadisonBlu• Shell• TGIfridays• TheKebab
Factory• TheTikkaPlace• VLCC• ZaharaTravel• ZakherShopping
MallMGM• CarribouCoffee• GloriaJean’s
Coffee• JustFalafel• Nawras• PaulPatisserie• TimHortonsBousher• Collegefor
Banking&FinancialStudies
• CostaCoffee• CrepeCafé• DolphinVillage• ModernCollege
OfBusinessStudies
• Moka&MoreCafé
• MuscatCollege• MuscatPrivate
Hospital-Emergency
• MuscatPrivateHospital-Outpatient
• OmanMedicalCollege
• StationeryHutGhubra• AlHayatPolyclinic• AlMaya
Hypermarket• AsterHospital• BankofBeirut• GMC• LuluHypermarket• OmanOilAhlain• ParkInn• Porsche• TheChediGhala• NationalMineral
Water• TAISMAzaiba• AlFairS/M• AlMaha• AlMeeraH/M• Audi• Bentely• BrandOman• CarribouCoffee• CostaCoffee• GoldenTulip• InfinityService
Station• Jaguar• Jeep• LandRover• Mazda• McDonald’s• Mitsubishi• OmanArabBank• OmanOilAhlain• Peugeot• SevenSeas
Complex• Shell• Skoda• TheSultancentre
(TSC)• Towell• VolksWagon• Volvo• Yamaha• ZubairAutomotive
(Sayarati)Al Murtafaa• BankMuscat• DHL• KFC• MuscatHillsGolf
Club• OmanAirMawaleh• Chili’s• CostaCoffee• MakkanCafé• NoodleHouse• Starbucks• StarcareHospital• TimHortons
• VLCCHail• AlMoujGolfClub• Amouage-Oman
PerfumeryLLC• BaitalHail• BurgerKing• Caledonian
College• CostaCoffee• MarkazAlBahja• McDonald’s• OmanFootball
Association• OmanSail• Shakespere&Co.• TheWaveH.O.Rusayl• KnowledgeOasis
Muscat-1• KnowledgeOasis
Muscat-2• KnowledgeOasis
Muscat-3• KnowledgeOasis
Muscat-4(ITA)• MiddleEast
College• Omantel• SQU-Diplomatic
Club• SQU-Collegeof
Commerce• SQU-Students
BankingArea• SQU-Hospital• WaljatCollegeSeeb• McDonald’s• SABCOMediaAl Khoud• BadarAlSama• AlFairS/M• PizzaHutBarka• AlNahdaSpaand
Resort• LuluHypermarketSawadi• SawadiBeach
ResortMassnaah• MillenniumHotelSohar• Centrepoint-
Splash• CrownePlaza• NationalGift
Market• Nawras• PizzaHut• SafeerMall• SoharBeachHotel• SoharPort• SoharUniversityNizwa• NizwaUniversity
@ytabloid facebook.com/ytabloid
fo l l o w u s o n :
Dive inA dip in the waters
around Sur can provide a refreshing break on warm and
humid days.
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CARS ANdOUTDOORS
D E S T I N A T I O N P o s t c a r d s f r o m Y - f i I n d o o r s C a r sCARS ANdADVENTURES
Destination
TONES OF SURTHiS week, we Head Back iN TiMe TO auGuST 2011 TO expLORe THe capiTaL OF THe aSH SHaRqiyaH ReGiON
iN aTMOSpHeRic BLack aNd wHiTe
TONES OF SUR
Former Y photographer Jerzy Wierzbicki may have left us, but the
memories of his hundreds of trips around the Sultanate live on. As part of our retrospective series, we dig out some of his most breathtaking pictures from years gone by for the benefit of those who may have missed them the first time around.
This week, it’s the historical port city of Sur that gets the treatment. Here’s Jerzy’s take on it:
“In Europe and America, photographers who specialise in black-and-white photography often choose dark, cloudy days for capturing their photos. The reason for this is low-contrast, long-time exposure – moody conditions always work well with this style of photography.
“Josef Koudelka, one of the most eminent contemporary art photographers in the business, did some extraordinary work documenting the gypsies of the Czech Republic in low light and dark conditions.
“He obtained some very specific and unforgettable photographs. These pictures are an unmatched example of fantastic modern
photojournalism.“The weather in Oman,
is very different to that of Europe and photographers here do not have many opportunities to capture images in low contrast. However, when I went to Sur, I had the fortune of taking pictures of a fishing harbour in cloudy weather.
“I reached Sur by noon and was greeted by dark, grey clouds that covered the old town in warm light tones. Local boys were jumping into the water from the bridge that connected the two sides of the bay. On both sides of the natural harbour, I saw several dozen traditional Omani fishing dhows, some docked in the local shipyard, some ready to go out on a fishing trip and some simply in for repairs.
With the mood fit for monotone photography, I began clicking away, capturing some 150 pictures in the process.
“I sincerely recommend a trip to Sur for a photography session, especially amateurs looking for great opportunities to practice this art.
This is one of the best places in Oman for cityscape photographs.”
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Sur is just over 200km southeast of Muscat. Take road 1 out of the city until you see the exit for road 17. This road will take you all the way to Sur.
GPS location of Sur: 22°34’3” N 59°31’44” ETR
AVEl
GUI
DE
hoW to Get there
O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 20 4 0
CrossFit is the word on every fitness fanatic’s lips. Matt Blackwell
decided to try it for himself
CARS ANDOUTDOORSCARS ANDADVENTURES
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Standing in “The Box” – the penthouse fitness suite that Revolution Group Exercise (RevGX) calls home – I have a panoramic view looking out over the
white-washed villas of Azaiba. But there’s no time to admire the view for the dozen attendees of this Monday afternoon fitness class, who are pushing themselves with round after round of hand-release press ups, sit-ups, squats and shuttle runs until the sweat forms a glistening sheen on their skin.
It’s a gruelling routine and, believe it or not, this is only the warm up. With the kind of intensity that can push even the fittest people to near breaking point, it can, of course, only be CrossFit. And it’s big news in Muscat.
There’s a good chance you’ve heard the term before – it’s one of the buzzwords of the fitness world at the minute – but what actually is CrossFit? I put the question to personal trainer and the leader of this class, CrossFit Wadi, Lyle Foster.
“CrossFit in essence is really the sport of fitness. It takes the many different elements of fitness – speed, power, strength, cardio endurance, stamina, flexibility – and trains them all as different disciplines.”
The concept was conceived in 2000 and has since made huge waves in the fitness community, who are renouncing hours spent slaving in the gym pumping out those five sets of 10 in favour of explosive workouts that mix Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics and gymnastics among others. “You’re training in so many different ways that your body doesn’t become accustomed
to one thing,” says Lyle, adding that it is this element that is the key to success. With so many different aspects to the training, I’m assured that you could go six months to a year without coming across the same workout twice. “Basically, anything you can think of that requires some form of work capacity, we will utilise in training,” says Lyle.
Back in The Box, the warm up is over and it’s time for the real fun to begin. One of the first things that struck me about this place was how unlike a traditional gym it was. Gone are the rows of mirrors and machines. In their place, there is a large metal pull-up rig, a collection of Olympic barbells and piles of weight discs. With the exception of all but a handful of fitness aids, you are largely the equipment here.
The first thing the CrossFitters are tasked with doing is to find their strict press two-rep max. While this instruction may well have been issued in a foreign language for all the sense it made to me, the CrossFitters, all of whom have to go through a five-session foundation course to learn the basics of CrossFit technique, eagerly set about their challenge.
A wall-mounted flashing timer dictates every aspect of the CrossFit session and once this challenge is completed, it’s time to move on to the “Workout of the Day”. This is the part of the training that differs from session to session and today it’s AMRAP (which translates to “as many reps/rounds as possible”). Cleans – an Olympic lift – along with knees to elbows and handstand press-ups are the exercise of choice, with the CrossFitters starting with two reps of each and
increasing to four, then six, then eight and so on, over the duration of 15 minutes.
While training at a traditional gym can at times be daunting, one of the things Lyle is keen to stress about CrossFit is the strong community element and competitive but friendly camaraderie. “I think everyone is naturally pretty competitive,” he says. “You train within a group so the person next to you is pushing you to go harder and you’re pushing yourself.” This is something that proved to be very true and shouts of encouragement filled the room.
As the timer ticks over to 15 minutes and Lyle calls time, several people collapse to the floor in exhaustion, but from the huge smiles on their faces you can tell that it was all worth it.
“I’m definitely fitter and stronger than I’ve ever been,” Lyle tells me before I leave. “And CrossFit is the vehicle that has gotten me there.” Maybe it can get you there, too.
I N D O O R SP o s t c a r d s f r o m Y - F i C a r s
To find out dates and times for the next CrossFit foundation course, give RevGX a call on +968 9781 4636
Search for CrossFit Wadi on Facebook and follow @CrossFit_Wadi on twitter
www.revgx.com
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p O S T C a R d S f R O md e s t i n a t i o n I n d o o r s Y - f i C a r s CaRS aNdadVENTURES
my favourite place New Orleans has always been a city of music and was instrumental in the emergence of jazz in the early days of the 20th century. The French Quarter is the vibrant heart and soul of the city’s music scene and Bourbon Street is where the pulsating rhythm beats loudest. Live bands can be found at almost all of the bars and cafés that line the streets and no matter what time or day of the week, you’re guaranteed to find them packed to the rafters. Whether you fancy a spontaneous dance to something upbeat from the many street performers, or want to relax with a spot of jazz, you’re sure to find the right music to suit your mood on Bourbon Street. The atmosphere of the area is one of constant carnival, with music spilling out from various cafés and onlookers from the balconies above raining the traditional Mardi Gras throws (beads, doubloons and cups) on the revellers below, putting almost everyone in a good mood. You certainly don’t see many frowns on Bourbon Street. Hours can be spent taking a slow and meandering walk up and down the streets of the French Quarter and this is a great way to absorb the sights and sounds of this colourful city.
Highlights The city is perhaps most famous for Mardi Gras, a celebration that takes place in February each year and lasts around two weeks. Arriving in summer, I sadly missed the festivities, but thousands of tourists flood the city during Mardi Gras to catch a glimpse of the elaborately designed carnival floats in one of the many parades that pass through. The food of New Orleans is also worth a mention. Over the centuries, the city has acted as a cultural melting pot and this has had a unique effect on the cuisine. Strong French, Creole, African and Caribbean influences have all left their mark on the menus of restaurants. Make sure you try out some form of gumbo and jambalaya and, if you’re up for the challenge, you can always attempt to tackle one of the unfeasibly large “po-boy” sandwiches. Lowlights The summer days in New Orleans are more often than not hot and humid, but we also experienced several extremely heavy downpours that appeared without warning. The hurricane season runs from June through to the end of November, with the most active month being September. Souvenirs The French Quarter is also home to the French Market, which spreads over six blocks, making it the perfect place to pick up the kind of trinkets and curios you won’t find anywhere else – think ornamental alligator heads and dozens of carnival masks. Several food stalls can also be found and it would almost constitute a sin to leave Louisiana without trying alligator in some form or another. After all, as the sign at one stall read: “You can’t beat ’gator meat”.
where to stay We stayed at one of the many hostels that can be found a short and reasonably priced tram ride away from the main action New Orleans has to offer. Of course, this may not to be to everyone’s taste and there are numerous hotels on offer in and around the French Quarter.
NEw ORLEaNSMatt Blackwell recommends
N e w O r l e a n s i s a n A m e r i c a n c i t y w i t h o u t p a r a l l e l . Fo u n d e d o n t h e b a n k s o f t h e M i s s i s s i p p i R i v e r a l m o s t 3 0 0 y e a r s a g o b y Fr e n c h s e tt l e r s , t h e c i t y h a s r e t a i n e d l a r g e a s p e c t s o f i t s c o l o n i a l h i s t o r y a n d a s t r o n g
E u r o p e a n i n f l u e n c e i s d i s c e r n a b l e e v e n t o t h i s d a y . T h e m a j o r p o r t a n d l a r g e s t c i t y i n t h e s t a t e o f L o u i s i a n a w a s d e v a s t a t e d b y H u r r i c a n e K a t r i n a i n 2 0 0 5 , b u t t h e r e s i l i e n t r e s i d e n t s h a v e b o u n c e d b a c k a n d e m e r g e d s t r o n g e r t h a n e v e r .
T h e B i g A p p l e , w i t h i t s h u s t l e a n d b u s t l e i s a l l w e l l a n d g o o d , b u t t h e B i g E a s y w i l l u n d o u b t e d l y w i n y o u o v e r w i t h i t s q u a i n t c h a r m , r e l a x e d s t y l e o f l i v i n g a n d s t r o n g C a j u n f l a v o u r .
A MARdi GRAs FLOAT ON CANAL sTREET
sTREET pERFORMERs
pLAyiNG BLuE GRAss-sTyLE
MusiC
A BuiLdiNG iN THE FRENCH QuARTER iN NEw ORLEANs
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-FIT H E T E C H I N Y O U
Y - f IP o s t c a r d s f r o m C a r s I n d o o r s
O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 20 4 4
GOlFING GIZMOS
BALL HUNTER THE ONE THING ABOUT GOLF THAT CAN BE A REAL HEADACHE IS LOSING YOUR BALLS. FINALLY, THERE IS SOMETHING TO GET BOTH YOU AND YOUR CADDIE SMILING – THE BallFinder Scout. PROVIDING A BALL IS 1 PER CENT VISIBLE, THIS HANDHELD DEVICE WILL SEARCH UP TO 600 SQUARE FEET IN JUST ONE SECOND IN ORDER TO LOCATE IT. THE BALLFINDER SPORTS A HANDY HI-RES DIGITAL CAMERA TO LOCATE BALLS UP TO 35 FEET AWAY; ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS POINT THE DEVICE IN THE AREA WHERE YOUR GOLF BALL LANDED. WHEN THE BALL HAS BEEN LOCATED, THE DEVICE WILL VIBRATE AND DISPLAY A RED CURSOR BRACKET AROUND THE BALL ON THE 1.25-INCH LCD SCREEN, USING BLUE LIGHTS TO GUIDE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE BALL. TERRIFIC! FIND IT FROM ro47.74 AT WWW.BAllFINDErScout.coM
in ranGe You’ll be glad to know that GPS devices aren't just for navigating roads. After all, with 18 holes' worth of meandering fairway, a golf course can be just as much of a maze as any city. Now, golfers can put GPS to good use with the Skycaddie SGXw, an electronic rangefinder preloaded with 30,000 mapped golf courses. Optical finger navigation allows for precise distance and target selection, giving you unmatched accuracy on the course. The only slight downside is that you’ll have to become a member of at least one of three plans to download updated golf course information. ro68.92 at www.amazon.com
As scores of golfers descend on Muscat to take part in the National Bank of Oman golf Classic this weekend, Matthew Herbst brings you everything you
need to lower your handicap and bag that ever elusive hole-in-one
EDITO
R’S pI
CK
hooK, Slice and SinKer You may think you’ve come down with sunstroke when you hear your golf partner’s club talking, but relax, they’ve probably just invested in a Golf hook/Slice talking Swing Meter. This nifty bit of kit acts like your very own golf coach, with phrases like “Hook”, “Slice”, or “Nice shot”. This digital coach clips on to your club and uses built-in sensors to evaluate your performance. Nice and easy from ro6.04 at www.overstock.com
on the Green Need to call your golfing buddies and gloat over that hole-in-one they just missed? Then ensure your caddie keeps your mobile phone charged with the izzo Golf Sun Spot universal Golf GPS Solar charger. That's right, you can charge pretty much any of your gadgets by hooking this clever device to the side of your golf bag. It includes a four-piece adaptor set and carabiner for attaching it to your golf bag. Go green and solar charge your devices on the course for ro7.58 at www.amazon.com
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f I N D O U T W H A T ’ S H I P & H A P P E N I N g I N g A D g E T S
O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 2 0 4 5
neW - tWiliGht tracer liGht-uP GolF Ball
App of the Week
Score ShareSGPS and Scoring Apps are a popular choice among avid golfers, but none more so than the Golfshot classic. It’s clean and intuitive, offering stat tracking and a great level of interactivity when it comes to the social media side of things. Now you can share your scorecards live from the tee! Available on Google Play and itunes.
SunnY SonGS If the sounds of the driving range – the thumping of irons on turf, the purring of the golf cart engines and the chit-chat of fellow golfers – are putting you off your game, then you need to consider investing in these MP3 Sunglasses from oeM Systems company. With up to six hours of playback and 2GB of flash memory, you’ll be able to protect your eyes and get into your golfing zone all at the same time. An absolute bargain at ro10.76 from www.amazon.com
With the sun going down earlier each day, you may soon find it too dark to tee off (heaven forbid). It’ll come as a great relief to know that the twilight tracer light-up Golf Ball eliminates such worries. This regulation golf ball features an inner core that contains circuitry, a lithium battery, and two red LED lights that are programmed to flash at a rate of 7.2 flashes per second. You shouldn’t have to spend time rummaging around to find lost balls either as once hit, it will remain lit for around six minutes. Prices start at ro5.37 and you can get a pack of nine for approximately ro26.93 from www.amazon.com
MOH No. 68/2014
O C T 3 0 - N O V 0 5 / I S S U E 3 4 20 4 6
Adam Hurrell takes the new Mercedes C-Class C200 AMG for a drive and discovers it is one of the best cars he’s driven all year
Mercedes Benz C200 AMG Specifications:
Engine: 2.0L four-cylinder with turbochargerHorsepower: 184
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic with manual
selectors0-100kph: 7.3 seconds
Top speed: 235kph
The newest version of the Mercedes C-Class was launched recently and I have to say that I was
excited about taking one for a drive. You see, there’s been a Mercedes in my family since before I was born, so it’s a brand I am very familiar with. It was almost like a little slice of home here in Muscat.
On the outside, the 2015 C200 model is handsome. The sweeping carriage lines along its flanks, the deep front air-damns and the low front splitter give the car an imposing look. At the back, the wide shoulders and swept-back tail lights give a great sense of sportiness and power. Similarities in appearance with its much bigger brother, the S-Class, are deliberate and give the C-Class a premium look.
The high-end feel continues on the inside, with leather upholstery and a leather roll-top dashboard. The door-cards and dashboard of the car I drove had aluminium highlights and these gave the interior an executive feel. From the way the door clunks shut to the way the wonderful sunroof glides back silently, it’s sheer quality from top to toe. The attention to detail in the interior is exceptional – an element I like in a car. Nothing has been overlooked here.
On the road, the new C-Class continued to impress. I began my drive in Comfort mode, which perhaps could be called “everyday mode”. The two-litre four-cylinder turbo charged unit in the C200, pulled nicely and
the ride was smooth and comfortable. But the fun started when I flicked from Comfort to Sport+ mode and nailed the throttle. For an engine that only produces 184bhp, it certainly didn’t hang around. The little paddles behind the steering wheel for manual gear changes are a great addition. While the gear changes had been seamless before, they now came with feel and precision. Sport+ mode tightens the suspension, holds gears for longer and makes the throttle immediately more responsive. It also allows for a little bit of slack in the rear end. I discovered that after exiting a tight roundabout, where a little flick of opposite lock was required to correct the back end. This may be a four-door saloon with a two-litre engine, but when when put through its paces, the rear-wheel drive chassis rewards the driver in abundance. Sport+ allows you to have a bit of fun without letting you completely lose the plot. Although I wasn’t quite expecting the back end to slip the way it did, I tried a similar trick in Comfort mode and the car did cling on in the way I expected. It’s a nifty bit of engineering here – if you want to be a bit boisterous, the car will allow that within certain parameters, but equally when you’re just pottering to the golf club it will do so quietly and comfortably.
Throughout my drive, on a mix of both twisting roads and the motorway, the C-Class felt composed and tight. The car really is built like a tank and that solidness gives the driver a huge
amount of confidence – a welcome feeling when driving in Muscat.
When I returned to the Mercedes-Benz dealership in Qurum, I met up again with Rajwinder Singh, the company’s senior executive of fleet sales, who explained there was one extra feature he needed to demonstrate before I left. The feature? Active Parking Assist with Parktronic – a feature that took my breath away. This system really took my breath away. Raj pulled up to a bay parking space, selected the system and took his hands off the steering wheel. Keeping a close eye on his surroundings using the mirrors and reversing camera, he was able to supervise the car as it automatically positioned itself into a tight spot with astounding ease and pinpoint accuracy. The car then exited the same space automatically as well.
This rates as one of the most impressive features I’ve experienced on a car.
In my time as a journalist and as someone who has worked in the car industry, I’ve seen a lot of features that are just gimmicks. Mercedes Active Park Assist with Parktronic is no gimmick. It’s a feature that works and will honestly change your life. No more scuffed alloys or dinged bumpers – at least caused by you.
Overall, the C-Class is a hugely competent car. Not only is it better looking than its direct competitors, but it drives exceedingly well.
And without a doubt, it is one of the best cars I’ve driven all year.
CARS ANdADVENTURES
C A R SD e s t i n a t i o n P o s t c a r d s f r o m I n d o o r s Y - f i
CAR OF THE WEEK
leather interior lED Intelligent
light System Active Parking Assist
with Parktronic Blind Spot
Assist Reversing camera Collision Prevention
Assist Automatic panoramic
sliding sunroof Eco start/stop function Cruise control Run Flat Tyres 18” AMG alloy wheels
They say: “Impressive to
the end”We say:
“It certainly is”
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
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J03017-MuCC-JungleBook-YMag-H340xW240-Eng.ai 1 10/23/14 7:33 PM