N O V E M B E R 24 / I S S U E 2 5 8 0 1

BEAUTY: A World Of Colour

News: PLAN TO EASE THE SCHOOL GRIDLOCK IN DARSAIT10

Rising TalentFOOTBALL FEVER STRIKES KIDS

Kung Hei Fat Choi!WE CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR

Free!EVERY THURSDAY

NOW AVAILABLE IN BARKA ALL THE WAY TO SOHAR

YOUR TOP GUIDE TO THE BEST OF OMAN, EVERY WEEK FEB 19 - 25 / ISSUE 358 • WEEKLY

PL

US

!

OSCAR WATCH

SMOOTH RIDE

FLOWER POWER 3217 46

AFTER DARK

COMPETITION: The Weight Is Over

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 3

Y Magazine is published by SABCO Press, Publishing &

Advertising LLC / Y is a SABCO Media product.

CEO Eihab Abutaha

We’d love to hear your news and views. For editorial enquiries, please

email info@y-oman.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

Welcome to Y Magazine – your

indispensable guide to everything modern Oman

has to offer.

Write to us at Y Magazine, SABCO Media, PO Box 3779, Ruwi 112, Sultanate of Oman.

/ytabloid ymagazine

FO L L O W U S O N :

,

Fast forwardA

s a journalist, I’ve had my fair share of shiftwork over the years. From starting work at midnight to finishing work at midnight and kicking off my day at 5am or 4pm – I’ve done it all in the name of deadlines and 24/7 news coverage.

Living in this twilight world meant living a life outside of the norm. In western countries, this can be difficult and occasionally lonely.

But what I love about the Middle East – and Oman, in particular – is that even if I’m working late, I can still get my errands done, catch up with friends over a coffee; even buy a pet or get my daughter’s bike fixed.

Muscat thrives at night, with many SMEs open for business throughout the city. And if you stay away from the bright lights of the malls, you’ll come across some interesting characters plying their trade, as Y discovers this week in our cover story.

Meanwhile, we find some amazingly talented young footballers at the Arsenal Soccer School in Outdoors, reveal our top picks for next week’s Oscars and celebrate Chinese New Year in Food.

Have a wonderful week!

editor@y-oman.com

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 celebrating yet another birthday (many happy

returns, Adam!), catching the end of the Muscat Festival and doing the usual touristy things with visitors

from the UK.

THIS WEEK…

Did you win a romantic night at

the Golden Tulip hotel to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Turn to P24-25 to

read some wonderful messages of love and

to find out if you are our grand prize winner!

GOING UPINFLATION

The cost of living in Oman rose 0.4 per cent in January thanks to an increase in cheese and eggs, oil and fats and a 3.19 per cent increase in the price of cigarettes, which should only mean

one thing: it’s time to give up smoking!

GOING DOWNRUNS

Pakistan was hit for six by India in their opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup, going down by 76 runs to

their traditional cricketing rival.

COMPETITION

Online: Visit y-oman.com for even more inspiration.

Smart device: Catch up with Y on the go by scanning the QR code below

Ways to get your Y fix EDITOR IN CHIEFSayyida Iman bint Hamad

bin Hamood Al Busaidi

MANAGING EDITORFelicity Glover

DEPUTY EDITOR

Kate Ginn

ART DIRECTOR Matthew Herbst

PHOTOGRAPHER Shaquel al Balushi

CONTRIBUTORS Matt BlackwellAdam Hurrell

INTERN Deeba Hasan

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING

Feroz Khan

@ytabloid /ytabloid www.y-oman.com

/ymagazine

THE BAROMETER

contentsF E B R U A R Y 1 9 - 2 5 2 0 1 5

Yo u r O m a n06 Coffee With Deeba Nadeem Al Balushi

08 Voice Of Oman Jane Jaffer

10 News School gridlock plan

14 Gallery Tour Of Oman

T h i s w e e k16 Movie Listings Still Alice

17 Oscar Watch Y’s Top Picks

18 This Week Nuts About Ballet

H e a l t h a n d B e a u t y32 Fashion Blooming Marvellous

34 Beauty Colour Me Happy

35 Health Folly Of Ignoring Folic Acid

DANGEROUS DRIFTING / AFTERNOON TEA / LASER BLAST / GADGETS / TASTE TEST / EVENTS / FASHION

NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE...

11

33

Fo o d a n d D r i n k28 Food Feature Year Of The Feast

30 Taste Test Steak Escape

28

19

Fe at u r e20 Night Life Muscat At Midnight

24 Wish My Valentine Y Reveals Winners

26 The Weight Is Over Slim To Win RO500

26

C a r s a n d A d v e n t u r e s38 Destination Searching For Siya

40 Indoors Football Focus

42 Postcard From Cornwall, UK

44 Y-Fi Sports Tech

46 Car Of The Week Jeep Cherokee Longitude

45

J U LY 0 3 - 0 9 / I S S U E 3 2 70 6

Deeba Hasan sits down with Nadeem al Balushi, a self-taught Omani

singer who released an album with songs in six different languages

Nadeem al Balushi, or NB as his friends call him, was a shy

child. Too shy to even hold a microphone or speak in front of an audience.

It may come as a surprise then that he took up a career in singing. Fifteen years later, he has performed on stage hundreds of times in front of thousands of people.

NB, who considers himself a musician first and foremost and then a singer, admits that

music was pivotal in bringing him out of his shell. He was 10 years old when he took up

the piano and six years later he started singing as well. “At first, I played the piano and just sang along with the music,” he says. “Slowly, I realised that I was getting better at singing and started to

take it more seriously.” Initially, the performances

were in front of friends and family, but as his talent and confidence grew, NB went on

to perform at various places around town, including at hotels and weddings.

Things soon escalated though, as NB remembers, “My first big concert was in 2002 in Dubai. I went out on stage and found myself face to

face with 6,000 people.” NB’s latest album, the

appropriately titled For All, features songs in Arabic, Balochi, English, Hindi, Swahili and Punjabi. But can he speak them all? “Arabic and Balochi are both native to me,” he says. “I also speak fluent English and Hindi, but I am not very good at Punjabi

or Swahili.”

Many will wonder why NB

chose to present his music in

such a variation of languages.

“I started with Arabic, but people began to ask me why

I didn’t try other languages,”

he says. “I noticed there was a

demand for it, so I thought why

not give it a try?”The album took three years to

make and the idea behind it was

to create something unique. “It

was a dream to launch such an

album that would target people

who speak different languages,”

NB tells me. “As the name suggests, the album is for all.”

The Omani singer has recently started working with

an Indian music production

company to film two music

videos in Kobala and Manali in

India. I was lucky enough to get

a sneak peek before their release

and was impressed.“The reason I chose Kobala

is because a lot of Omanis visit

the place, so they can relate to

it. Manali is again a very scenic

place and it goes with the serene

music of the song.”Despite his success, NB is

only a part-time singer. During

the day, he is a banker and

had to take several short leaves

from work to get the album

together. He loves his job at the

bank and has worked hard to

attain a good position, however,

when asked if he was a singer

or a banker, Nadeem said he

would always be a singer. “In

some countries, you can make

a living as a writer, singer or an

artist, but to do the same here

is a bit difficult. You need a

job to support you.” Nadeem’s

parents are very supportive of

his chosen career. “From day

one, my parents have been very

encouraging; they put their trust

in me.” NB married in 2008 and has

two young children, but does

he want them to follow his path

and become singers as well?

“I am not the kind of a father

who would want my children to

do only what I did in life,” he

says. “They are free to choose

whatever field they like and if

they want to get into singing, it

will be a delight for me.” NB’s inspiration and

favourite singer of all time is

the legendary Michael Jackson.

In 2010, NB got together with

some fellow fans and organised

a concert at the Al Falaj Hotel

as a tribute to the great singer.

His favorite Indian singer is

Kishore Kumar.At 38, NB says he doesn’t

feel his age. He feels young and

dresses that way – T-shirt, jeans,

sunglasses and a cap when

we met. “At my age people

normally develop a belly and

act boring, but singing has kept

me fit and I just don’t feel my

age,” he says, almost with a

sense of relief.NB has a message for his

fellow talented Omani singers

– he doesn’t want them to rely

on promises made by random

people. “In all these years I have

learnt one very important thing:

the only person who can help

you is you. Don’t rely on people

who say they will do things

for you, you have to do them

yourself.”

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: editor@y-oman.com

Nadeem al Balushi

0 6 F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 8

LEFT ALONE

correspondenceTHE VOICE OF OMAN IT’S UP TO US ALL TO SAVE OUR PLANET, SAYS JANE JAFFER

NEXT WEEK: SHUENA AL MAYAHI

Dear Editor,

The story about abandoned boys (Issue #357) was a shocking read.

It is strange that no one has come forward to claim the isolated toddlers in six months. It is a shame for their parents who left them alone.

Neither Muscat, nor or any other parts of this beautiful country have witnessed such a case in the past. This unfortunate incident opens the eyes of responsible parents and reminds them how much they care about their children when they are so young.

There are many people in this world who live without children due to various reasons and lots of children live in orphanages missing

their true parents and lack real life expectations. At the same time, the incident is indirectly reflecting on the attitude of a section of the people who do not view life on par with rest of the society.

Let us hope for the return of the parents to claim their children.

Best regards,Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

SEND US YOUR letters, photos, news and views to info@y-oman.com / @ytabloid / /ytabloid. Impress us and the winning correspondent will receive a voucher for dinner at the Golden Tulip. Vouchers must be collected from Y’s Seeb offices in person only. For the rest of the terms and conditions see voucher.

WRITE TO US AND WIN A VOUCHER

Dinner for two at Le Jardin restaurant

/GoldenTulipSeebHotel

@GoldenTulipSeeb

What kind of a world do we want our children to

inherit? This week, I have come across cars left with their engines running, air-conditioning units turned up far too high in restaurants and discarded plastic bags on the beach.

Governments need to enforce major changes, but we all need to make a commitment to saving our planet and living a greener, healthier life. Let’s be more aware of the impact of our actions. Here are a few tips:

1) If we all replaced one regular light bulb with a new compact fluorescent bulb, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road. 2) By turning off our computers, instead of leaving them on sleep mode, we can save 40 watt-hours per day. 3) Save energy by not pre-heating the oven. 4) By the time a child is toilet trained, a parent will have changed up to 8,000 nappies, adding up to approximately 3.5 million tonnes of waste in landfills each year. Choose a cloth or environmentally friendly disposable nappy. 5) Eat one less meat-based meal a week. It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest has been destroyed. 6) Take a shower. Baths require twice as much water. 7) Plant a tree. It’s good for the air, the land and provides shade.

Let’s all work together to save our wonderful planet.

WE ASKED: The Muscat Festival introduced some new attractions this year, how successful do you think it was as a whole?”

UMA MENON It was great experience. Dinosaurs may be extinct from the face of the planet, but they are alive and well in our imaginations. Kudos to the Muscat Festival organisers for bringing them alive again in Naseem Gardens.

MOHAMMED SALEEM The Snow Village at Amerat Park was a real waste of time and money. Organisers have to thoroughly review and filter such events, I felt

DEBATE OF THE WEEK

mislead by several exaggerated adverts.

MANUEL MASCARDO I believe there is still room for improvement. It would be better to concentrate more on the festival’s Heritage Village. This is not only so that the young Omanis can appreciate more about their cultural background, but also for expats who want to learn about Oman’s history and traditions. I’m not a fan of the dinosaurs, but would go if there were replicas of great forts like those at Nakhal and Nizwa. Encouraging other countries to participate and display their arts and culture would be a good idea. Having a board with a clear schedule of events would be a big help for those who want to watch specific things like camel racing and traditional dances. Amerat Park is fine as a venue, but Naseem Gardens is quite far. Expat workers with no cars may struggle with transport unless there are scheduled bus trips.

KETAN PATEL Muscat Festival has achieved grand success only because of Naseem Gardens. The Snow Village at Amerat Park had generated a lot of curiosity among people, but it failed to deliver on their expectations. The lack of rides at Amerat Park was disappointing for children. However, the international exhibition for

craft and art was far better than expected, as was the Heritage Village. Naseem Gardens on the other hand, made Muscat Festival a great success. The Dinosaur Village was the main attraction for people of all ages; kids were amazed to see life-sized dinosaurs, while for the adults it was like a reminder of the Jurassic Park film. The amusement park was another reason for the success; the rides were thrilling for both kids and adults.

SHAILSUMAN SINGH The big picture of a yearly festival is superb, but the real experience was not very good. The lack of an interactive information counter and guides were sorely missed. In Naseem Gardens the food counters were small and unable to cope with the demands of the crowd. I waited in line for 30 minutes for a pizza, only to be informed by the person on the counter that they had stopped taking orders. The quality of food was below par and definitely not good value for money. The traffic jams getting in and out of Naseem Gardens put us off from visiting a second time.

ANTHONY CARLTON It was definitely better than the previous years. Kids loved the realistic dinosaurs and they were the star attraction at Naseem Gardens.

MARIO PEREIRA When compared to last year, the dinosaurs were an awesome addition. They looked majestic and real. However, it was disheartening to see kids damaging the dinosaurs. The authorities should do more to prevent this next time.

EF JAY Every year we look forward to the festival and it was great to see new things this time around, but the only problem we always encounter is the traffic. It took us three hours to get there and three hours to reach home. On an ordinary day it would only take 30 minutes to reach Naseem Gardens from my home. I would suggest moving the festival to the Halban area.

BINDI PATEL Muscat Festival is the biggest and most entertaining event in Oman. This year we enjoyed many exciting new events and attractions, such as a Snow Village, Dinosaur Village, a heritage pavilion and new pyrotechnics besides the sound and

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 9

FOLLOW USSCAN THESE QR CODES &

WWW.Y-OMAN.COM /YTABLOID @YTABLOID /YMAGAZINE

light shows.

MUHAMMAD TOFEEQ The idea was good but the effort was lacking. There are two major classifications of dinosaurs, Ornithischia and Saurischia (which are further divided into sub-classes). The dinosaurs displayed at Naseem Gardens were only from the first category. It would be much more interesting if instead of replicating one type, they introduced one member from each class. Amerat Park was a similar story; the concept was attractive, but there’s still scope for improvement. A wider variety of polar animals could’ve been used.

RONNEIL SALES VALIENTE In my opinion, this year’s Muscat Festival was almost the same as previous years, aside from the introduction of the Dinosaur Village and Snow Village. Most of my Omani friends were not interested in going to either location when I asked them to join me. The Snow Village was a great disappointment and closer to laundry bubbles as opposed to snow. Next time, please make the Snow Village more like a replica of a snowy village in America or Europe with ice sculptures. The rides in Naseem Gardens were fun though and the cultural heritage part of Amerat Park was educational and informative, especially for foreign visitors. I’m hoping to see a more unique Muscat Festival next year that is able to attract children and expatriates, as well as Omanis.

RAZMEENA JEMSHEER It was entertaining, joyful and educative. Muscat Festival is the most amazing event in Oman and many different ages can enjoy the event equally. Thank you for creating this wonderful festival.

BEEF LASAGNA CHEESE CHILI FRIES CHICKEN WRAP

Zakher Mall Al Khuwair and Al Araimi Complex, Qurum

FREE DELIVERY92728147 - 24475068 - 22022622

Experience Best Burgers and a lot more!

CHEESE BURGER MEAL

get a FREE EXTRA PATTY!Buy a

#Bestburger Oman

*Special deal valid until Feb 28*Not valid with other promotions

New Debate:“Has society become too

dependent on technology?”

Tell us on Facebook or Twitter and be in with a chance of winning dinner for two.

PAHI & PIHA MEVADA were spotted with their favourite Y Magazine at home in Muscat

THIS IS YOUR PAGE! Just send us your picture

with the free Y magazine or pose with our photographer

and we will publish it on this page

Send it to:info@y-oman.com

The number of crimes registered in Oman declined sharply in 2014, a feat that has

been attributed to increased patrols by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and extensive awareness programmes.

“There was also a remarkable dip in crimes in 2014. The number of crimes committed by both nationals and expatriates dipped by 15 per cent in 2014,” an official at the ROP told a local newspaper.

The number of crimes reported in 2013 was 15,346, a figure which dropped to 13,044 last year. There was no vehicle theft registered with the ROP in 2014, the official noted.

“Intensive awareness campaigns among all segments of the community as well as coordination with Omani families about the consequences of committing crimes has led to a decline in the crime rate,” the official added.

However, 2014 saw an increase of more than 50 per cent in drug-related crimes and violation of labour and residence laws.

The official revealed that it was not only the jobless who commited crimes, but also people from other segments of society.

Mohammed al Wahaibi,

a Muscat Shura member, believes that increased employment rates have significantly helped bring down crime rates in the past three years and explained that social media has helped young people become more aware about legal acts and laws in Oman.

“Educational levels of the new generation also played a big part in enlightening the Omani community not to forget that crime can damage a society,” al Wahabi told a local newspaper.

Anitha Johnson, a long-term resident of Oman, says she feels safe here. “I have been a resident in other GCC countries for more than 22 years,” she told a local newspaper. “I have been staying in Oman for the last six years. When compared to other GCC countries, Oman is the safest. I even feel safe while walking alone in the evening at around 9pm in the town.”

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 1 0

N E W SYOUR OMAN

END TO GRIDLOCK IN DARSAIT

Drivers and residents in Darsait have welcomed a plan by Muscat Municipality to ease the area’s traffic gridlock from next year.

During peak hour, cars can be seen queuing for kilometres on Darsait’s roads, especially in areas with schools. About 13,000 students attend various schools in the area and most of them rely on private cars for transport.

“Children will have to depend on buses and avoid using private cars while travelling to and from schools,” Salim al Ghammari, a Muscat Municipal Council member told a local newspaper.

“Plans are on the anvil to develop the wadi in the area with new exit and entry points in the near future. Moreover, entry and exit timings of vehicles will also be controlled.”

According to al Ghammari, students travelling in buses will not be picked up and dropped off at their houses. Instead, pick-up points will be identified from where children can board the buses and parents can pick them up at the end of the day to avoid unnecessary gridlock in the area.

“The plans, which were discussed, will help in the long term and everyone will benefit from this. Schools will be told to implement the plans in a phased manner and will also be advised to keep

a tab on the number of students,” al Ghammari added.

Residents living in the area are happy with the Municipality’s decision. “It is quite difficult to move out of the area when we leave for the office during peak hours. We either have to park outside the area and walk, or we have to leave early before the chaos unfolds. It is good to hear that the Municipality has come up with a plan. We hope it is implemented soon, as it will be a big relief for residents in and around Darsait,” said Mazin al Hasni, a local resident.

CRIME IN DECLINE

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 1 1

HIGHER WAGE FOR FILIPINO DOMESTIC HELPERS

Filipino housemaids will be costlier to hire from March 1, after the Philippine Overseas Labour Office released a notice setting a minimum salary for those providing domestic services.

“The office is strictly implementing Philippine Overseas Employment Administration [POEA] rules and regulations on the US$400, or RO160, minimum salary for household service workers,” the statement said.

Many Filipinos have been working in Oman as domestic helpers for several years now and government statistics show that at the end of December 2014, there were 31,287 Filipino workers in Oman. No specific figures on household service workers were available.

Although the minimum wage of RO160 has been in place since 2011, Filipino workers have complained that they were not always getting it and were paid as low as RO80 in some cases.

“The minimum salary of RO160 is not a new thing. It was there from long back. But as we were getting complaints about violations, we have

N E W S

issued this notice again to make it strict,” Nasser S Mustafa, labour attaché in the Philippine embassy in Oman, told a local newspaper.

Any recruitment agencies found breaking the minimum wage rule will be disqualified from employing Filipinos.

“Investigations will be held and partner offices in the Philippines will also be penalised if proved that it has acted in contrary to the POEA’s regulations,” he added.

According to Mustafa, the Philippines government has stopped employment of its citizens in some countries that do not pay the $400 minimum wage and this ban will remain in place until an understanding regarding the treatment of its workers is reached.

The minimum wage of Indian and Bangladeshi housemaids currently stands at RO75. Earlier in 2015, the Indonesian embassy issued a similar notice to recruitment agencies where they suspended the hiring of domestic workers from their country, effective from March 1, 2015.

In November last year, the Nepalese government announced that it was preparing to lift a temporary ban on Nepalese women travelling to Oman and other Gulf countries to serve as domestic workers after introducing new guidelines to protect its female citizens.

DIABETES ON THE RISE

Every year, the Sultanate records at least 1,000 diabetes-related deaths and it is estimated that about

5,000 people will contract the silent killer this year.

The percentage of diabetes patients in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is expected to rise by 96.2 per cent in the next two decades, with Oman, Qatar and the UAE under the biggest threat. The disease is not bound by age either; 1,220 people aged between 20 and 79 were killed by diabetes last year.

Doctors view unhealthy lifestyles as a key factor in the rapid rise of diabetes cases witnessed every year. K P Raman, chairman and owner of Al Hayat International Hospital, told a local newspaper that nearly

50 patients suffering from diabetes come to his hospital every day, of which 20 are fresh cases.

Raman has blamed the rising number of cases on sedentary lifestyles, bad food habits and lack of exercise, which lead to hypertension, diabetes and heart problems.

“Instead of making junk food their staple diet, one should concentrate on consuming foods which are good for health,” he said.

Of the 387 million diabetes cases worldwide, 37 million are in the MENA region and this figure is expected to reach

68 million by 2035. In 2013, the Ministry of Health

launched the National Diabetes and Endocrine Centre in Bawshar to help fight diabetes and to prevent the spreading of the disease.

Apart from lifestyle factors, there are other causes, mostly genetic ones, which are known to contribute to the contraction of the disease. “Genetic causes and related medication also constitute a group,” Dr V C P Muhamed, a specialist in internal medicine at Atlas Hospital, told a local newspaper.

Muhamed also said that early diagnosis of the disease can prevent complications that affect the heart, eyes, kidney and other vital organs. “This is simply because serious complications of diabetes can lead to various ailments,” he said.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 1 2

We know that, but has something new happened?Well, you know how oil has been on a

downward spiral since last year? It seems

that Citigroup has come out with a new

forecast for crude and it’s not looking

good for the GCC and Opec.

I see. So how low is Citi going?Are you sitting down?

Is it that bad?To be honest, yes. It’s the lowest forecast

we’ve seen.

But wasn’t the price of oil making a bit of comeback from its lows of last year?Yes, it was. But Edward Morse,

Citigroup’s global head of commodity

research, says the market is oversupplied

and storage tanks are “topping out”.

Oh. This sounds ominous. So what’s Morse’s forecast?Morse is saying that WTI crude,

currently trading at about US$50 or so a

barrel, could fall to within the $20 range

“for a while”.

This is all about the shale thing again, isn’t it?Yep. That’s right. The US is now the

world’s biggest oil producer thanks to

its shale-oil revolution. Many analysts

say this has broken Opec’s ability to

manipulate prices and maximise profits

for its members.

What exactly does Morse say?“It looks exceedingly unlikely for

Opec to return to its old way of doing

business,” Morse was quoted by

Bloomberg as saying. “ While many

analysts have seen in past market crises

‘the end of Opec’, this time around

might well be different.”

Don’t say: It’s the end of Opec as we

know it.

Do say: Stay positive.

B i t e S i z e dOUR WEEKLY SLOT TAKES A LIGHTHEARTED

LOOK AT A NEWS ISSUE OF THE WEEK.

OIL SLIDE

G a l l e r y I n t e r v i e w N E W SYOUR OMAN

A W E E K I N P I C T U R E S

Some 30,000 Danes gathered for a torchlit vigil in central Copenhagen to commemorate the victims of two shootings last weekend. Considered one of the world’s most peaceful countries, the city went into lockdown after 22-year-old gunman Omar el Hussein opened fire on a café, killing one, and then shooting another man outside a synagogue. El Hussain was killed by police in a shootout on Sunday

HEADLINING STORIES FROM THE REGION AND BEYOND

A freight train carrying more than 100 tankers of oil derailed and burst into flames in the US, forcing two West Virginia towns to be evacuated. Officials said at least 14 cars were affected and one plunged into the Kanawha River. There were no injuries

A woman was stung by a scorpion while her Alaska Airlines flight was taxiing for take off at Los Angeles International Airport. Airline officials said the flight originated from Los Cabos in Mexico, where scorpions abound, and the woman was treated immediately

Police officers in Auckland, New Zealand, staged a dramatic rescue of a woman trapped in her car after it crashed into Waitemata Harbour. In a desperate bid to save the woman, the policemen smashed the back window of the car to free her

Muscat Municipality is introducing a new method of trash collection by providing each house with a covered garbage bin to replace the large public garbage

collecting cans in an attempt to beautify the city.

A notice issued by the Municipality further laid down a list of rules that residents must adhere to when using the new bins. Rubbish is to be put in proper bags and then thrown into the bins outside the house. Garbage trucks will then pass by the house every day around 5am in order to empty the container and put it back it in its place. Saturdays and Tuesdays have been allocated for collection of bulky items like furniture and heavy equipment.

“We seek your cooperation by taking such items out and neatly putting them in the assigned places one day before the allocated days, so that trucks will collect them in the morning. This way we keep neighbourhoods clean all week through,” the notice said.

After the notice was released, social media was abuzz with reactions from residents, many of

whom were mostly positive about the new garbage plans. “Many other nations employ this and it seems to work fine. This is so much better than having to put up with smelly trash cans full of cats and tree trunks lying

around giving shelter and a mating ground to the rats,” said one person.Khalid Azim, a resident

of Azaiba said: “The new cans have been given to us by the Municipality for almost a month now. It is a good move because earlier, people dumped all sorts of things into the old trash cans and the empty plot nearby, even construction materials. However, since the new cans were delivered, people take care of what they are dumping. We have also been issued a circular, which gives instructions on the new method.”

Last year, the Municipality introduced underground garbage cans in the Central Business District as a test to see if it was a viable option to

implement in other areas around Muscat.

Y also launched a clean-up campaign last year, encouraging

residents to report any sightings of garbage being dumped

irresponsibly around the city.

EVERY HOUSE GETS A GARBAGE BIN

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 1 4

G A L L E R YYOUR OMAN

PEDA

L PO

WER

THE SIXTH TOUR OF OMAN KICKED OFF THIS WEEK, ATTRACTING THE WORLD’S TOP CYCLISTS AND TEAMS. THE RACE IS MADE UP OF SIX STAGES AND WILL RUN UNTIL FEBRUARY 22

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 1 6

SERENA After a whirlwind marriage, George and Serena Pemberton (Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) move to the North Carolina mountains and forge an empire based on timber that manages to flourish, despite the Great Depression. However, they soon learn truths about each other that could threaten the stability of their relationship, along with all that they have built together.

Y’s Choice

Playing it Cool

Chris Evans plays a screenwriter tasked with writing a romantic comedy, despite his own skepticism when it comes to matters of the heart. He meets a woman who causes him to doubt his stance on love, although she is already engaged, leading the pair to question whether a man and a woman can ever truly be “just Still Alice

MOVIES MOVIESfriends”. The rom-com about writing a rom-com angle gives the film enough self-awareness to differ from the recent What If, which deals with the same theme, but Evans should probably stick to Captain America.

Project Almanac

A group of high school students find and complete the plans for a “temporal displacement device” and set about toying with the recent past, only to realise that their hedonistic fun results in some devastating global ripples. As with most films dealing with time travel, the paradoxes are likely to make your head hurt, but Project Almanac offers a refreshing take on a familiar theme. The film plays out largely as a wish-fulfillment fantasy and there is little exploration into the origin of the device, which is perhaps an opportunity missed.

THE LAZARUS EFFECT From the producers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious, The Lazarus Effect tells the story of a group of medical professionals who are experimenting with a serum that can bring the dead back to life. After successful animal trials, they are forced to jump ahead to human tests when one of the group is killed in a freak lab accident. However, they slowly come to realise that their experiment has opened a gateway to unfathomable evil.

Alice Howland (Julianne Moore) is a well-respected 50-year-old linguistics professor who, after a few bouts of forgetfulness, decides to seek medical help. Alice and her family are delivered a sucker-punch blow when it is revealed she has early-onset Alzheimer’s.

What follows is a heartbreaking battle to beat the unbeatable, as Alice fights to stay connected to the woman she once was through the use of technology and word games. While the emotional fallout and the toll it takes on her husband (Alec Baldwin) and their children are addressed, this is ultimately a film

shot from the sufferer’s perspective, as audiences are put in Alice’s shoes and forced to watch the light fade from her face.

Still Alice has been described as “shockingly accurate” by those suffering with dementia and Moore’s performance has put her in pole position to scoop the Oscar for Best Actress at this week’s prestigious award ceremony, which is reason enough alone to go and watch the film. Just remember to take your tissues with you as there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

Review by Matt Blackwell

PREV

IEW

TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE TO WIN,just answer a question based on the week’s

cinema reviews and send your answer to

info@y-oman.com, along with your name

and contact information.

Tickets must be collected from Y’s Seeb offices in person only. For the rest of the

terms and conditions, see voucher.

GRAB YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

TWO CITY CINEMA TICKETS

Brought to you by

Contact: Movie enquiries 24607360

THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONHow old is Alice Howland?

LAST WEEK'S WINNERJinny Wadhwani

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TIMES, GO TO:

City Cinema: citycinemaoman.netAl Bahja Cinema: albahjacinema.net

VOX Cinemas: oman.voxcinemas.comStar Cinema: Tel 247 91641

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 017

It’s that time of year again. The time when actors, actresses, directors, composers and the hundreds of others that go into making a film come together to honour the cinematic

accomplishments of the preceding 12 months. Officially rebranded from The Academy Awards

to The Oscars in 2013, this year’s ceremony will be broadcast from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 23.

A total of 60 films were nominated in more than 24 categories and the final winners are voted for by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an invitation-only organisation made up of actors, directors, writers, cinematographers, producers and many other industry professionals.

Here, we look at four of the most highly coveted categories and assess the contenders.

Best Picture While there are eight films nominated in total, this one is really starting to look like a two-horse race. Filmed intermittently over a period of 12 years, Boyhood was groundbreaking in its portrayal of growing up in the modern world, but after losing out to Birdman at the Producers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America awards recently, it seems that the latter film has just about managed to get its nose – or beak, rather – in front. The other films nominated are American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Whiplash, The Imitation Game, Selma and The Theory of Everything.

Y’s prediction: Birdman

Best Director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel) Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) and Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) will go head to head in this category. Iñárritu picked up the Directors Guild of America (DGA) award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film earlier this month, which has correctly predicted the Best Director Academy Award for 10 of the past 11 years. However, Linklater took the honours at the British Academy Film Awards,

Golden Globe Awards and the Critics Choice Movie Awards. This is one tough category to call, but we’re going to have to go with the divining power of the DGA.

Y’s prediction: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Best Actor Steve Carell looks destined to be overlooked for his role in Foxcatcher, as does Benedict Cumberbatch for his impressive depiction of the Enigma code breaker Alan Turing, as Eddie Redmayne (Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything), Michael Keaton (Riggan Thomson, Birdman) and Bradley Cooper (Chris Kyle, American Sniper) battle it out for the top spot. Keaton’s performance in Birdman is arguably his best to date, but Redmayne’s poignant portrayal of one of the world’s greatest living minds struggling to come to terms with the debilitating effects of motor neurone disease is simply stunning.

Y’s prediction: Eddie Redmayne

Best Actress Of course there is no such thing as “a given” when it comes to the Oscars, but this year’s award for Best Actress is perhaps as close as you can get. Give it to Julianne Moore. Now. She depicts Alice in Still Alice, playing a linguistics professor diagnosed with

early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, with heartbreaking accuracy. Moore’s closest rivals are Reese Witherspoon for her role as Cheryl Strayed in Wild and first-time nominee Rosamund Pike, who played Amy Elliott-Dunne in the hugely popular Gone Girl.

Y’s prediction: Julianne Moore

The red carpet has been rolled out and the big guns of the film industry are ready to do battle at the 87th Academy Awards. Matt Blackwell gives you the run down on who’s up for what

WATCH

OSCARS TRIVIA Even if they don’t take home one of the coveted statues, each of those nominated in the Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress and Best Director categories will walk away with an Oscars gift bag worth more than RO48,000. Goodies include a three-night stay in a villa in Tuscany, a RO9,625 piece of custom furniture designed by Elena Foccoli and an RO7,700 gift certificate from Enigma Life, a company that offers dream analysis and lessons in mind control techniques.

Meryl Streep has received a record 19 Oscar nominations over the course of her career. The 65-year-old American actress has won three times, but will be looking to make it four with her nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Into the Woods.

Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel are both tied for the most nominations this year with nine each.

The most awards won by a single film is 11. Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) all managed this feat.

Walt Disney holds the record for the most Oscars won by a male with 22, while costume designer Edith Head holds the record for females with eight.

The length of the red carpet that will be laid out at the Dolby Theatre is 152.4 metres.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 1 8

T H E W H AT ’ S O N G U I D E

THIS WEEKF E B - M A R

WHAT TO DO.

WHAT TO SEE.

WHAT TO HEAR.

Your kids can join a sponsored walk for children with all proceeds going to animal welfare group Omani Paws. Bring your dog along for the fun, too! The walk starts at 9am from the Marjan Beach car park (PDO camp). All are welcome. For more information and registration details, email Tracy at tracyrhulme@gmail.com.

DRINK AND CHAT

Join the fabulous ladies from Women’s Guild in Oman (WGO) at one of their coffee mornings. Meet new friends and enjoy tea, coffee and cakes. You can also purchase tickets to other WGO events while there. Starting at 10am, the meetings run until 12 noon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Qurum. Check out womensguildoman.com for more information.

25Feb

Small Steps

20Feb

AboutNuts

27/28Feb

Celebrate the patron saint of Ireland and paint the town green with the Irish Society in Oman’s St Patrick’s Day Ball. Drinks reception 7pm at the Grand Hyatt Muscat hotel, dress code is formal or national dress. Tickets, priced RO45, are going fast for what should be quite a night. Search “Oman Irish Society” on Facebook or call Martina on +968 9944 5201 for more information.

Luck of the Irish

13March

Ballet

Make sure you don’t miss out on Tchaikovsky’s classic, The Nutcracker, as the Hamburg Ballet company make its first appearance in the Arab World. In this charming version, Marie, the central character, dreams of taking part in a ballet production, with the story used as a metaphor for her fragile transition to adolescence. With a sparkling score containing some of the most famous music ever written for the ballet stage interpreted by one of the world’s leading dance companies, it should be an unforgettable night. The performance is for two nights only, each starting at 7.30pm with an interval of 25 minutes. Tickets from RO8. Book now at rohmuscat.org.om

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 1 9

The great Mutrah Souq Treasure Hunt is back and promises to be even better than last year. Scour the souq for clues on a map and race other teams to find the hidden treasure. For

those registering before February 24, the entry fee is RO35 for a team of 1-4

players. Same-day registration is RO40 per team. The hunt is limited to 100 teams

and a complimentary buffet is included in the price. Gift bags for all team players and prizes for the top three winning teams. Check in between 9am and 9.30am at Riyam Park. For online registration, visit centreforomanidress.com or call +968 9891 9809

Make a note in your diary now for the forthcoming Mama’s Bazaar & Family Fun Weekend in Muscat, brought to you by Platinum Events in association with the Creative Centre for Rehabilitation. Enjoy shopping, activities and lots of things to keep the little ones – and mums and dads – amused, from 9am-4pm at the Bahja Hall, The Jungle restaurant near the entrance to Qurum Natural Park. Free entry. Up to 70 stalls plus a food court, classical music and children’s theatre shows. For stall booking and other info, please email mamanmeoman@gmail.com or call +968 9707 7698. Instagram: mamas_bazaar

MAMAS & PAPASIf you’re a teenager and love reading, this is the group for you. Book Club For Teens meet once a month to talk about loads of different books – from The Maze Runner to If I Stay and The Kite Runner. The first book to be discussed will be Life Of Pi by Yann Martel. All welcome, even if you haven’t read the book. From 5pm-6pm at the Let’s Read Book Shop in Al Qurum Complex

(upstairs in Shop 116). Email letsreadoman@gmail.com for more details.

Track Down Treasure

28Feb

Young Readers

F E B 1 9 – 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 2 0

MuscatMidnight In

As the clock ticks over from 11.59pm to 12am and a new day begins, many of Muscat’s residents will be fast asleep at home, recharging their bodies in preparation for the next working day.

For others, though, the night is just beginning. While the rest of the city sleeps, neighbourhoods start to bustle with off-duty shift workers and labourers, all of whom contribute to a vibrant after-dark economy. From barbers to coffee shops, there is a flurry of activity as this night world slowly comes to life, bathed in a bright, warming neon glow.

Here, you won’t find the large multinational chains prevalent in some of the more upmarket districts of Muscat. Many of the companies are family run and have been for decades, silently watching the city spring up around them as Oman continues its rapid development.

Unfortunately, the walls themselves cannot speak, but the shopkeepers’ can. One of the several barber shops that populate the service road in Al Hail South, running parallel to the highway after the Markaz al Bahja mall, has been open for business for the past 25 years.

The open-fronted shop has only two stations, but both are occupied with local gentlemen getting a haircut late at night. Bankar Sharma, from Bangladesh, has been cutting hair at the shop since day one and has effectively run the establishment on behalf of its Omani owner for the past eight years.

Y spoke to Bankar’s brother, Liton, who admits that most customers are regulars and often come at night. The bulk of his custom comes at 9pm he says, although they only really close after the last customer leaves, often in the early hours of the morning. “I don’t ask them why they come so late, it’s just always been like that,” says Liton, suggesting an acceptance of a lifestyle that has simply become the norm. The staff don’t pry into the lives of their customers and, in return, the customers largely sit in silence, breaking it only to direct the barbers in their work.

When the sun goes down, the city comes alive as crowds roam the streets shopping or simply socialising well into the early hours of the morning. Matt Blackwell and Shaquel al Balushi meet the characters that make up the capital’s twilight world

F E B 1 9 – 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 2 1

A little further down the strip, there is another brightly lit barber shop where it certainly isn’t silent. A small TV is positioned in the corner loudly broadcasting a football match, while Fahad al Barwani sits in the chair having his beard trimmed with a cutthroat razor.

“I always tend to do this kind of thing at this time,” he says. “I work shifts at air traffic control and I have just finished.

“I like it because it’s slightly quieter. Sometimes me and my family will go out in a group shopping at night because it is less busy.”

Between the two barber shops, lies the

interestingly titled Sale of Household Items, Gift Items, Novelties and Electronics, at which you can get your hands on almost anything. The shelves are stocked high will all sorts of oddities ranging from cleaning products and shoes to fancy dress masks and toys. Rummaging through the shop’s various offerings is Rashid al Balushi.

Both Rashid and his friend work for Oman Air and don’t clock off until 2am. “Midnight is better for us” he says. “We don’t have a lot of free time during the day and at this time, there is normally slightly less traffic, so it’s easier.”

The shop’s cashier, Raju, is from Kerala in India. Apparently, the biggest portion of trade comes at night and is largely made up of Omanis who will pick up several items, just as Rashid is doing. Again, he doesn’t really have a closing time as such; he stays open as long as the customers are around. Raju says that the Muscat Festival has noticeably affected business over the past month, but he expects things to pick up once again now that the festivities have drawn to a close.

Over in Seeb, there is a bracing wind blowing in from the sea, but the souq area is alive with activity. The glare of car lights mix with the neon of the shops and the shine of the streetlights to banish the darkness and, by the throngs of people, you almost forget that it’s late at night at all.

Walking along the busy streets, it soon becomes clear that you can buy almost anything, at any time of day. Many shopkeepers stand outside their shops chatting or advising customers on potential sales. Mobile phones, computers, watches, bicycles, domestic products, sunglasses and traditional Omani dress – you can get it all, and well into the early hours of the morning.

Said is taking a slow stroll around the streets like he does most nights after having had some food at one of the many outlets that dot the streets. He lives in an apartment close by with his four friends and explains that after having played football or gone to the beach, they often return to wander the souq area.

“In the evening, after dinner, we will take a walk through the market. We’re not really shopping as such, but if I see something I like, I’ll pick it up,” he says. “We’re all single, so it’s not like we have anyone waiting at home for us. We enjoy each other’s company and will come out to sample the buzz most nights of the week.

“You can get it all here, a sample of the whole culture.”

Tailors are bent over their sewing machines hard at

F E B 1 9 – 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 2 2

work, a spice merchant carefully measures a fine yellow powder into a small container for an elderly Omani gentleman and Abdul stands in his roadside kiosk squinting through a magnifying lens while tinkering with a watch.

He arrived in Oman two years ago to run the shop on behalf of his brother, who has since returned to Pakistan, leaving Abdul on his own in Oman. Back home, Abdul comes from a well-respected family, but he never studied much when he was younger and didn’t want to bring shame upon his family by taking a menial job there, so he struck out for pastures new and set up a life for himself in Oman. He says that he sees good crowds in the area both in the day and at night, but admits that business does fluctuate and a lot of it depends on the luck of passing trade.

Coffee shops and restaurants line the main street of Al Khoud on either side and there is a constant stream of cars pulling in throughout the night, sounding their horns to get the attention of the staff who hurry out to provide hungry customers with menus.

On one of the tables sit three men from Kashmir who arrived in Oman on the same day two-and-a-half years ago. After a gruelling 12 hours or more spent on the construction site at which they

F E B 1 9 – 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 2 3

work, they have stopped for some tea as a final call before home. They are excited ahead of their one day off, a Friday, when they will be able to have a lie in (8am), before cleaning their joint apartment and preparing for afternoon prayers. The restaurants often stay open as late as 4am and the friends say they will stay out drinking tea into the small hours so that they do not crash immediately when they go home.

Mohammed Shohaib works at one of restaurants that opens at 5am to catch those attending morning prayers and serves food throughout the day, before finally closing around 2am.

It’s 12.30am and he is on his way home with a cup of tea in hand. He says he will talk to his family back home for an hour and a half or so, before finally calling it a night ahead of his morning shift that will start a few hours later.

“There are times when I get very down and homesick,” he says. “But the whole point of me leaving Pakistan was to provide the bread and butter for my family and that makes me carry on.”

If he doesn’t send money home, he says his family’s income stops; a reflection of the realities of life for many of Muscat’s residents who you often see without truly seeing.

After working more than half the day, often not finishing until late at night, for them, the simplest joy can be found in a cup of tea shared between friends.

facebook.com/OmanAutomobileAssociation

instagram.com/oman_automobile_association

CHANNEL:- Oman Automobile Association

Oman Automobile Association

DEAD LINE 13/3/2015

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOUR CAR

MOST LIKED 10 PICTURES WIN FREE

MENTION#oman_automobile_association

http://www.instagram.com/oman_automobile_association

1 2 4

POWERED BY

Y has been overwhelmed with responses to our Valentine’s Day competition, which we ran in conjunction with the Golden Tulip Hotel, Seeb. Our Facebook page and email inbox has been flooded with special messages for your loved ones and it is with great pleasure that we share some of them with you here.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 24

* FIRST PRIZE: One night’s stay for two at the Golden Tulip, including breakfast.

* FIRST RUNNER-UP: One dinner voucher for two at the Golden Tulip.

* SECOND RUNNER-UP: One lunch voucher for two at the Golden Tulip.

PRIZES

0 2 5F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8

FIRST PRIZE WINNERDear Abhi,

We’ve got old and got used to each other. We think alike. We read each other’s minds. We know what the other wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes we take each other for granted.

But once in a while, like today, I meditate on it and realise how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest man I’ve ever met. You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You’re the object of my desire, the reason for my existence. I love you very much.

Happy Valentine’s Day to my best buddy!

Yours,Aku

SECOND RUNNER-UPDear Sunny,

You are not tall dark and handsomeYou do not have a bank balanceYou do not sing a love song to meBut you have a spirit of sharingYou have the thoughts of caringYou are there for me where I need you mostAnd most importantly, you support meIn whatever I doYou are the wind beneath my wingsI would be nothing without you From: Jonitha D’Cruz

FIRST RUNNER-UPDear Rajesh Kumar,

Days, months and years of our marriage have passed by.With some bumps and some potholes and lots of love for each other.You were there for me through all the ups and downs.I want to tell you that through thick or thin, for better or worse, till death do us part, I love you and will love you forever.I can never imagine my life to be complete without you sweetheart.Happy Valentine’s Day, honey.From: Swapna

VALENTINE MESSAGESMy hubby dear,

From the first day you held my hand I have enjoyed and cherished your loveMy heart pumps when I see you and my thought links you when I don’t see you

Your comfort binds me in all my edges of lifeYou attempt changes for mealYou offer chances for me to shine

You gifted me the best and of course the worst moments in my lifeThat, I trust only you can do for me my sweety, tweety hubby

Come dear, I want to tell youI love you

Whatever hard or soft our way of life will beI want to tell youI love you dear.

Happy Valentine’s Day

From: Deena Abraham

To my loving husband Aassim Shaikh, You met me, married me and have given me the best of life. The best of me and the best of you. Life becomes more beautiful when Allah blessed me with a husband like you.All I wanted to say is, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are the man of my dreams. You are

and will always be, the centre of my universe.Only you with your generous heart could warm my world with so much love.I loved you yesterday. I love you still and always have and always will. Happy Valentine’s Day my dearest and loving hubby Ji. From: Farahat Shaikh

Dear Joni,

All the perfumes of Arabia cannot

match the fragrance that you spread

around in whatever you say and do.

You are the sweetest girl in the world and your

loveliness goes on and on. Even if I searched the whole

world over I wouldn’t find another you. I love you more than words can say, you hold a special place in my heart,Happy Valentine’s Day!

From: Sunil

My Dear husband Rushin

Our Love is a bond so tightAll night it’s so brightThe next day is full of light Please keep me always in sightLet our love be without any fight

I would drive more than a mileTo see your most charming smileKnowing you is an extraordinary pleasureYou are unique and very special treasure

The candle may meltIts fire may dieBut the love you have given meWill always stay as a flame in my heart

From your loving wife,Dimple Kanabar

To my habibi Khalid,

You have always been beside me, shared my pain and

enjoyed my happiness. So on this day of love, I would like to say once again that I love you and want to spend each breath with you.

From: April Joy Pineda

To my wife Joy,

Holding you in my arms and spending a few moments hugging you is all I need after a hectic day’s work. You are like a healing soul that drives away my worries, pains and aches. Happy Valentine’s Day and I love you

until my last breath.

From: Abdulwahab Albulushi

After weeks of anticipation and hundreds of entrants, Y’s “The Weight Is Over” competition has finally begun.

No doubt those of you taking part are feeling excited and perhaps a little nervous at what lies ahead, but rest assured you know that you have made the right decision to make positive changes to your life that will see you become more active and healthy over the coming weeks. By taking part in “The Weight Is Over”, you have made a commitment to yourself to make these positive changes to improve your health – and now is the time to act in order to keep those promises.

“Our ‘The Weight Is Over’ competition has kicked off and it’s the end of the first week for the participants as they try their best to change their lives and get healthy,” says Felicity Glover, Y Magazine’s managing editor.

“Many of the participants are excited to have started and I have to say it’s very encouraging that so many people want to lose weight.

“All participants should be encouraged and congratulated for taking part – it is wonderful to see and in Y’s eyes, everybody will be a

winner regardless! “As we head into the second week of

the competition, we wish

everybody the best of luck and will be following their progress with great anticipation.”

There are two categories, one for men and one for women, and all participants are in with a chance of winning RO500 cash and RO2,200 worth of prizes, including gym membership and health treatments. Whoever has lost the most weight during the four-week period (based on a percentage of weight loss), in both categories, will be crowned the winners, each claiming RO500. There are also prizes for second and third place, plus a special consolation prize.

“The Weight Is Over” is presented by Geely GC7, the new compact sedan, along with our Fitness Partner, Balance Health & Fitness, and our Slimming Partner, VLCC Wellness.

Mr S Kasthurirengan, CEO, Towell Auto Centre is full of enthusiasm for the contest.

“‘The Weight Is Over’ has begun and our excitement knows no bounds for being associated with it,” he says. “The entrants know it is a healthy activity for them and they are all set to take up the challenges coming their way. Three cheers for their zest and zeal.

“As sponsors, we feel delighted to be able to contribute to the health of the Sultanate.”

Padma Kasthurirengan, one of the directors at Balance Health

& Fitness, had these words of wisdom for those taking part in the competition:

“Good nutrition and regular exercise helps one to stay healthy and

live longer. Everything we eat and drink affects the body functions. Combining well-planned, targeted workouts with quality diets maximises the benefits from one’s fitness efforts. In a society that is moving towards a more sedentary lifestyle, there is a greater need than ever to increase the daily physical activity level to maintain both cardiovascular fitness and body weight

“Exercising does not have to be something boring and dreaded. It can be something that one enjoys and helps to increase the overall happiness in life, as well as relieve symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. At Balance, we have designed activities that give you pleasure so that exercise is a fun and enjoyable activity.”

The belief that exercise is a responsibility we should all take seriously was also echoed by the competition’s Slimming Partner.

“Every privilege comes with a responsibility. If you don’t take the responsibility, you will loose the privilege. Your body is your responsibility. Lose weight the scientific way with VLCC.”

The next milestone for participants is the halfway point weigh-in later on this month. Good luck to everyone taking part and keep up the great work!

Week one of Y’s slim to win competition is over and participants are getting into the swing of their new healthy routines

0 24 F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8

0 2 7F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8

Meet Three ParticipantsIt’s been a long time coming, but the competition is finally under way. We caught up with some

of the participants to see how their first week has progressed

SALMAN TARIQUE, 31, STRATEGY AND PLANNING, AZAIBA I have become more aware of what I am eating and what I am supposed to eat. I am taking it easy when it comes to my food portions these days. I find myself hungry during the day because I’m not eating as much as I previously did. No oil, burgers or sugar for me now.

My family is supporting me 100 per cent with my goal – they know what I have to achieve and they are participating with me and supporting me. I haven’t thought a lot about winning the prize money, but if I did win the RO500, I would invest it back into my health, so probably a gym membership or something.

MUNIRA AL KINDI, 33, ADMINISTRATION, AL HAIL I have felt a difference in myself ever since the competition started, not only in my body but also my skin; I just feel better. It was a bit difficult during the first week, but now that I am getting used to it I feel good about slimming. I have been following a diet plan and am trying to be more active. At work, I use the stairs instead of the lift and I am moving around doing more chores at home.

My family is completely supportive of me, they motivate me all the time and when we go to gatherings and parties, they stop me from eating what I am not supposed to eat. If I win the competition, I am going to treat myself to a spa or an overnight stay at a nice resort.

ASHISH PATTANI, 30, ACCOUNTANT, MUTTRAHI haven’t done much about the competition as yet because of the long working hours that I have. However, my wife has been very supportive of me and has been preparing food with less oil, as well as boiling things so that I can control and reduce my weight. She has also asked me several times to wake up early in the morning and go for walks, but I haven’t been able to do that yet. When I went for the weigh-in, the guys there gave me some tips on how to reduce weight, which I am trying to add into my routine. If I win the prize money I will buy a nice present for my wife to thank her for her help.

PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

FIRST PRIZE MEN AND WOMEN:RO500 cash each and a Balance Health & Fitness health club single membership for one year worth RO399 each

SECOND PRIZE MEN AND WOMEN:RO350 worth of VLCC treatments each

THIRD PRIZE MEN AND WOMEN:RO200 worth of VLCC treatments each

VLCC SPECIAL AWARD (FOR MEN AND WOMEN):RO150 worth of VLCC treatments each

* Geely Oman, which is part of the Towell Auto Centre (TAC), has put up the RO500 cash prize for the men’s category, while Y Magazine has matched this for the women’s competition.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 2 8

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

KUNG FU TEAProving that making the

perfect cup of tea is in fact an art, staff at the Al Bustan

Palace’s China Mood restaurant hold daily tea performances, which are a great way to celebrate

Chinese New Year.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 2 9

N e w sT R E N D N e w R e s t a u r a n t

YEAR OF THE FEAST

Today (February 19), over a billion people will come together to celebrate Chinese New Year, both in the country itself and around the world.

Also known as the Spring Festival, the celebration is a momentous affair steeped in myth and tradition that sees festivities last over 15 days, ending with a magnificent Lantern Festival.

On the eve of Chinese New Year’s Day, families will traditionally sit together over a reunion dinner and also clean the house to rid it of any evil, making way for good luck.

Among other traditions, such as lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes called “lai see”, food plays a very important part in the festivities. This week, Y was down at the Al Bustan Palace hotel to get the lowdown on traditional New Year cuisine from Cai Shun Chen, one of the expert chefs at the hotel’s China Mood restaurant.

The ambience and interiors are all very authentic, as is the food. Chef Cai Shun Chen says all the ingredients the restaurant uses, especially those for the sauces, are regularly ordered and flown in from China.

This, he says, is to ensure that he and his team of chefs can recreate the flavours of their home country as accurately as possible.

Chef Cai Shun Chen accumulated more than 20 years of experience working in restaurants in China before he decided to strike out for Oman a few years back to help Omani food connoisseurs savour the best cuisine from his homeland.

As part of this mission, the chefs have put their heads together to create a special New Year’s menu that encapsulates the various smells and tastes of the celebration.

You can expect a mouthwatering selection of appetisers at China Mood, including shrimp dumplings, vegetable spring rolls and marinated cuttlefish and soup.

The elaborate choice of mains have all been chosen to go along with the occasion and include Beijing roasted duck with pancakes, stir-fried prawns with celery and cashews and stir-fried beef with double pepper, among others. There’s also an assortment of traditional Chinese desserts like baked barbeque chicken puff and chilled mango sago cream with pomelo.

Other dishes from the menu are significant to the Chinese New Year, with items carrying special meaning from either the pronunciation of the ingredient or its appearance. Steamed fish with chopped red chilli Red symbolises prosperity and the way the word “fish” is pronounced in Mandarin is similar to “good luck”. It is thought that the dish will bring good luck and prosperity to whoever eats it and consequently it is an integral part of all New Year celebrations.

As Chinese New Year celebrations stretch out over the next two weeks, Deeba Hasan looks at the importance of food in the festivities

Hot and sour soup

Ingredients:§ 170g chicken breasts, cut into thin strips§ 950ml chicken stock§ 1 cup soy sauce§ 1 tsp white pepper§ 170g bamboo shoots, cut into strips (canned is perfect)§ 170g shiitake mushrooms, cut into strips § 1/2 cup cornstarch§ 1/2 cup water

§ 2 eggs, beaten§ 120ml white vinegar§ 170g tofu, cut into strips

Method§ Cook chicken strips until done. Set aside. § Bring stock to boil. Add soy sauce, white pepper, bamboo, mushrooms and chicken and stir. Let cook for three minutes.

§ While cooking, in separate bowl combine cornstarch and water. Add a little at a time to the soup until you reach desired thickness. (All may not be necessary). § Add eggs while stirring and cook for 30 seconds or until eggs are done. § Turn off heat. Add vinegar and tofu, give it a quick stir. Spoon into bowls and enjoy.

Source: chinese.food.com

Rice cakeRice is a very popular food in China, but rice cakes hold a special importance because the way “rice” is pronounced in Mandarin. Rice cakes are thought to help with the promotion of the person who eats them, helping them to rise in life year after year. Sweet dumplingsChinese New Year emphasises the reunion of family. The paste in the dumplings symbolises the family coming together in happiness because family members make a point to spend time together during the New Year celebrations.Boiled Dumplings (vegetable or chicken)These herald good luck in the coming year. The dumplings are round and resemble the appearance of Chinese money that was used years ago. The idea is that money and good luck will come to the person who eats them.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 3 0

I don’t consider myself a demanding person when it comes to eating out. I just want decent food in nice surroundings with good customer service, but when one of these

falls flat, it can be hard to impress me. Cold food in any circumstances leaves me, well, cold.

Steak Escape, a new arrival on the ever-increasing strip of eateries at The Wave, Muscat, should in theory tick all the boxes.

The location is spot on, right in the heart of what is fast becoming a bustling spot at night. The restaurant has kerb appeal, with space for al fresco dining and inside is all wooden tables, chrome and exposed air vents like an American diner (not surprising, as the business was born in Ohio).

Then you get to problem one. Ordering is done at a station right next to the front door, which means when it gets even slightly busy anyone queuing has to constantly move out of the way for other customers coming and going, not to mention people trying to read the menu board above the open kitchen. Trust me, it gets annoying after five minutes.

In the interest of fairness, I went to the Steak Escape twice to check whether this was a recurring issue. It was.

The food is the saving grace here. It’s delicious, packed with flavour and aesthetically pleasing. Steak Escape says it’s all about offering an elevated sandwich experience where “sight, sound, smell, taste, creation and belonging” all come into play.

To start, you choose your sandwich or wrap on brown or white bread, with meat and four poultry choices, plus a vegetarian option (this

is not really a place for non-meat eaters). The first time round I had the wild west BBQ: grilled beef steak with onions, BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese, and was mightily pleased. Delicious!

This time, my companion and I went for the cheesesteak mignon – beef steak, onions, A1 sauce and white American cheese – and the buffalo chicken, comprised of crispy chicken,

buffalo sauce and cheddar cheese.Once you order, the cook in the open kitchen

begins to grill it all up. You can “Watch It Sizzle” in front of you. A nice touch, although a bit of interaction from the staff here would’ve been nice. I’ll put it down to being frazzled after the official launch just a few days before.

We also went for a vegetarian jacket potato (RO2.8), which is smashed on the grill and then served up with your choice of meat or salad in a bowl. There was nothing wrong with the potato, but we were disappointed to find that the “vegetarian” version was just a few things

thrown in from the Garden Salad selection.For a side, we choose loaded fresh-cut fries,

smothered in cheddar and a ranch sauce. As you move down the line – it’s a bit like a production line in a factory – you watch your food being cooked and then passed on to the fillings section, the “Build It” part, with salad and sauces of your choice. This is where you encounter problem two. If it’s busy, the sandwiches needing to be filled by the server soon start to stack up. Sizzling steak or chicken starts to cool down. Frustratingly, you can only pay for your meal once you’re fully out the other end, meaning your food can once again wait in a queue if it’s busy. By the time your dishes are eventually handed over, they are all – certainly in our case, twice – stone cold.

You can also hit problem three here. The till to pay is next to the kitchen door, which staff are constantly in and out of, meaning more awkward shuffling for the customer. I just wish the shop designers had given the layout a little more thought. Both the order and pay stations are in the wrong places.

The actual food is very good indeed (the buffalo chicken was a real hit) and it would be even better if hot. Soft drinks, including some scrumptious, slightly tart lemonade, are refillable. Some people I’ve spoken to quibble about the pricing – RO2.9 for a small beef sandwich and RO4 for a large one – but I’m always happy to pay a premium if I’m getting premium food.

For me, Steak Escape is not there yet, but once the teething problems are sorted it should be a hot place to eat in more ways than one.

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

THE GREAT ESCAPE?IT’S ONE OF THE NEWEST KIDS ON THE CULINARY BLOCK AND PROMISES A SIZZLING STEAK EXPERIENCE, BUT KATE GINN FINDS IT DOESN’T QUITE DELIVER YET

Info BoxSTEAK ESCAPE SANDWICH GRILL

The Wave, MuscatTel: 2418 2323

Opening Hours: Open Daily 11am-midnight

Price: RO13.6 including drinks and taxes

Verdict :7 / 10 Service

6 / 10 Food 7 / 10 Ambience

Tasty food, but need to sort out timing issues

Y Magazine reviews anonymously and pays for its meals

THE FOOD IS THE SAVING GRACE HERE. IT’S DELICIOUS,

PACKED WITH FLAVOUR AND AESTHETICALLY

PLEASING. STEAK ESCAPE SAYS IT’S ABOUT OFFERING AN ELEVATED SANDWICH

EXPERIENCE.

Mid

Market

J A N 2 2 - 2 8 / I S S U E 3 5 40 3 2

HEALTH&BEAUTY

H e a l t h B e a u t y FA S H I O N

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 3 2

FLOWER POWER The floral trend has never

felt fresher. Bold, bijou or brushed on – blooms are beautiful and boldly feminine. Try them on a

belted maxi like this one for extra style points.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 3 3

BLOOMING MARVELOUSBig, bold and worn all over, florals find a new exuberance this season, says Penny Fray

1. Be brave and go for a statement print - the bolder, the better. 2. Fashion wallflowers can always pair a more delicate print with jeans for off-duty dressing. 3. A black background helps tone down a flamboyant floral print and allows you to wear it all year round. STEP INTO SPRING

Penny’s tips on integrating florals into your current wardrobe:

Every season brings new outré creations to the catwalks. So how’s that relevant to us mere mortals? Think of that The Devil Wears Prada moment when Meryl

Streep explains the life cycle of cerulean blue. You get the picture don’t you? Everything filters down into your wardrobe. While you might shy away from Max Mara’s retro brown blooms or Marni’s coat complete with its riot of textured flowers, you may try a pencil dress with a subtle spray of pastel petals. Yes, it’s boring and a bit “mother of the bride”, but mall stores are masters of what’s wearable. Of course, if you’re feeling brave, choose one (and I mean just one) outstanding piece, while paring everything else down with neutrals. My compromise is the hippy haute look featuring florals on a long, delicate dress à la Missoni and Valentino. It’s dreamy and will work wonderfully under the sizzling Omani sun. Wear with boho hair and pared-back accessories.

The artistic among you should channel the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo with flamboyant floral headgear, accented with oodles of gold jewels and black lace. And, of course, no one does sultry florals like Dolce & Gabbana, with rich red poppies and embroidered accessories. Gorgeous!

Haven’t you heard? This season is all about the belt. And McQ by Alexander McQueen’s wide waist cincher is decorated with the freshest of festival florals. This piece gets extra versatility points for its smooth black leather reverse. From RO104

Floral headbands

aren’t going away any time

soon, so embrace the festive look with this bright number from H&M. From RO5.5

The retro print and softly structured silhouette of these wide- leg trousers from Next look best with a matching top. There’s no such thing as looking too busy this spring. From RO22 Set against

flattering black, the florals in Adrianna Papell’s dress has the still- life quality of a painting. From RO71 at selected department stores

A sweatshirt is such a cool way of doing florals. I’ll be wearing mine with a pencil skirt, bare legs and ankle boots. The price of this Givenchy one may be a little steep at RO371, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives in Muscat’s malls

Charlotte Olympia’s “Rosario” sandals have been lovingly handcrafted in Europe from glossy white leather. If the RO312 price tag is too steep, you can easily up-cycle your old shoes with a colourful corsage of pink, red and yellow flowers – or hit Splash for something new

Are you a monotone Gen Xer? Take a leaf out of the Millenials’ book and make a tip-to-toe eye-catching statement with bold colours

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 3 4

B E A U T Y H e a l t h F a s h i o n

S C A N O U R Q R C O D E S

W I T H A N Y Q R R E A D E R A P P

COLOUR

While some say that change is as good as a holiday, a recent survey suggests that change is the only constant for Millennials in the beauty and fashion world.

Also known as Generation Y, women between the ages of 18 to 29 feel empowered to embrace change and showcase a variety of colours when it comes to their appearance.

The survey, conducted by Alcon and Kelton Global, found that Millennial women are more inclined to pull fresh trends and colours into their beauty and fashion selections – a departure from the more simple styles embraced by Generation X. With more than half of Millennials describing their style as always changing, this bold new take allows for a great deal of freedom and flexibility in their personal expression.

Colour is one of the major factors that allows Millennials to stand out and express themselves. In the survey, 71 per cent of women stated that adding colour to their look was one of the most effective ways to showcase their personality.

Additionally, more than 60 per cent of Millennials believe that using different colours can enhance their natural look and boost their confidence. And empowerment is a major factor in all this change, according to the survey, which revealed young women view enhancements to their appearance as both an empowering and fundamental part of their style.

You can follow the lead of these fearless fashionistas

with some simple tips when it comes to adding colour to your own style.

❖ A fresh approach to your make-up instantly transforms your look. Try changing up the colour of your lipstick, eye shadow, nail polish and eyeliner for an instant enhancement. ❖ Express yourself in unexpected ways, such as with your eye colour. Coloured contact lenses (remember, you need to get your eyes tested for these!) were designed for the fashion-savvy consumer to enhance their look and complement their make-up choices.❖ Whether it’s a bold red and cobalt blue, or neon and metallic, ditch the monotone look and mix up colours when it comes to your wardrobe. Millennials in the Alcon survey reported mixing as many as five different colours in a single outfit.❖ Accessories are the perfect opportunity to add a pop of colour to any look. Whether it’s a bold bauble, hot-pink stiletto or a bright-yellow clutch, colourful accessories can turn the simplest outfit into the most eye-catching.

Enhancing your look is an opportunity to showcase your colourful personality. With these ideas for taking your appearance to the next level, you can forget all of the rules and embrace the trend of simply expressing yourself – regardless of what generation you are!

ME HAPPY

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 3 5

B e a u t y H E A LT H F a s h i o n

We know folic acid is vital in the early stages of pregnancy, but experts advise that all women of reproductive age should incorporate it into their diets

FOLLY OF IGNORING FOLIC ACID

Millions of healthy babies are born around the world each year. But not all newborns are so lucky. According to global health records, about 300,000 infants are born with neural

tube defects annually. While there are simple preventative steps women can take, many are generally unaware of the impact that diet, specifically enriched grains, has on pregnancy and infant health.

Folic acid is needed for spinal cord development in the first three weeks of a pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

A Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) survey conducted online in the US last October uncovered that only two in five Americans (38 per cent) were aware that consuming folic acid was a key step a woman can take for a healthy pregnancy. If all women consumed the recommended amount of folic acid, up to 70 per cent of neural tube defects in the US could be prevented. Still, more than half of Americans (51 per cent) are unaware of the positive benefits folic acid provides in preventing birth defects.

According to the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), an international partnership to improve global health, Oman was the first country in the world to achieve national fortification of flour with folic acid “to prevent these permanently disabling or fatal birth defects”. “Oman experienced exceptional results as its incidence of spina bifida dropped from an average of 3.17 per 1,000 births before fortification to an average of 0.96 per 1,000 births after fortification for a 70 per cent reduction,” the FFI said in a 2011 report.

Oman introduced fortified flour in 1996, while other countries, such as the US and Canada, trailed by another year or two.

“All women of reproductive age need to follow a healthy lifestyle, whether or not they’re planning to have a baby,” says Dr Bruce Young, a leader in obstetrics and gynaecology and GFF Scientific Advisory Board member. “It is important that women, even at an early age, become vigilant about having folic acid in their diets. Most of the folic acid and B vitamins actually come from enriched grains in our diet, so fortified foods made from enriched white flour are great sources.”

Experts advise women of reproductive age to follow a healthy lifestyle, including a diet rich in folic acid, whether they are planning on having a baby or not. Ensuring your diet contains ample enriched grains, such as white bread, tortillas, pasta and cereal, is the easiest way to up your folic acid intake. Other foods that can reduce one’s risk of having a child with birth defects include leafy green vegetables, dried beans, peas and fruits.

Enriched grains, such as white bread, are the number one source of folic acid in the diets of most Americans, and can contain two times as much folic acid as their whole grain counterparts.

“Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps cells grow and develop, which is why it’s so important for a healthy pregnancy and preventing spina bifida,” says Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, registered dietitian and GFF Scientific Advisory Board member. “The single biggest step women can take to prevent spina bifida from occurring is consuming enough folic acid before getting pregnant.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) credits enriched grains with lowering the rate of neural tube birth defects in the US by approximately one third since the Food and Drug Administration began requiring fortification of enriched grains with folic acid in 1998. In fact, the CDC recently named folic acid fortification of enriched grains as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the first decade of the 21st century.

For expert information on how folic acid can reduce neural tube defects and tips for incorporating more wholesome bread and grain foods into a healthy diet, visit the Grain Foods Foundation’s website at grainfoodsfoundation.org.

TOO LATE? DON’T WORRY. GET Y INSTANTLY ONLINE USING YOUR MOBILE DEVICES & PCVisit www.y-oman.com/current-issue/

No downloading required

GRAB IT BEFORE IT’S GONE

GET YOUR FREE COPY OF Y AT THE FOLLOWING DISTRIBUTION POINTS…Yiti• Sifawy Boutique

HotelQantab• Al Bustan Palace

Hotel• Marina Bander AL

Rowdha• Oman Dive Club• Shangri La - Barr

Al JissahWadi Kabir• Al Maya

Hypermarket• Khimji Mart• Lulu Hypermarket• National

Hospitality Institute

• ShellMBD• Bank Dhofar• Moore Stephens• NBO• Oman Oil Ahlain• Pizza Hut• Pizza Muscat• ShellCBD• Al Maya

Hypermarket• Alizz Islamic Bank • Bahwan Travel

Agencies• Bank Sohar• Centre point-

Splash• Copper Chimney• Costa Coffee• HSBC• Lama Polyclinic• NBO• Oman Arab Bank• Standard

Chartered Bank• Woodlands

RestaurantMuscat• Muscat• Bait al Baranda • Bait al Zubair • Diwan• ShellDarsait• Cave Restaurant• Indian Social Club• Khimji Mart• KIMS Hospital• Lulu Hypermarket• Muscat Bakery• ShellAL Falaj/Rex Road• Al Falaj Hotel• Badar Al Sama• Golden Oryx

Restaurant• Kamat Restaurant

• Toshiba Showroom

RUWI• Kamat Restaurant • KFC• Khimji’s Watches -

Showroom• KM Trading• Oman Air• Oman UAE

Exchange• OTE• Sarwana Bhawan• SwaroskiHamriya• Apollo Medical

CentreWattayah• Ahli Bank • Best cars• BLS • Ford• GM (Chevrolet)• Hatat House• Honda• Hyundai• Kia• Lexus• National Travel &

Tourism • Passage to India• SABCO Group• Shell• Subaru• Suzuki• ToyotaQurum• Al Araimi Complex• Balance Gym• Bank Nizwa• BMW showroom • Burger King• Capital Store• Chili’s• Crowne Plaza • Finland Eye

Center• Fun Zone• Gloria Jean’s

Coffee• Jungle Restaurant• Left Bank• McDonald’s• Mercedes Benz• Mumtaz Mahal• Nandoos• Nissan• Oman Oil Ahlain• Pizza Hut• Qurum

Commercial Complex (Old CCC)

• SABCO Centre• Second Cup• Starbucks• Tché Tché coffee

shop • The Sultan centre

(TSC)PDO• PDO• Oman Oil Head

Office• PDO• Ras Al Hamra ClubRoyal Opera House• Indus Restaurant• More CaféShatti Al Qurum• Bareeq Al Shatti

Complex• Carribou Coffee• Darcy’s Kitchen• German Eye Laser

Center• Intercontinental

Hotel• Jawaharat Al

Shatti Complex• Kaya Skin Clinic• Muscat Eye Laser

Center• Oasis By The Sea• Second Cup • StarbucksSarooj• Al Fair S/M• Al Masa Mall• Al Shatti Cinema

(Dunkin Donuts)• Ayana Spa• Cosmeclinic• Emirates Medical

Center• McDonald’s• ShellMQ• Al Fair S/M• Arab Open

University• British Council • Costa Coffee• Darcy’s Kitchen• Emirates Airlines• Hana Slimming

Centre• Kargeen Café• KFC• Mackenzies• Mood Café• Oman Oil Ahlain• Papa John’s• Pizza Hut• Saharz Beauty

Saloon• Starbucks• TBWA ZeenahAl Khuwair• Badar Al Sama• Bait Al Reem• Bait Al Reem -

Coffee Shop• Café Vergnano

• Centre point-Splash

• Diplomatic Club• Friendi Mobile• Grand Hyatt

Muscat • Grand Hyatt

Muscat (Saloon)• Gulf College• Harley Davidson• HSBC (Old OIB)• KFC• Khimji Mart• Khimji’s Watches -

Showroom• KM Trading• Landmark Group• McDonald’s• Ministry of

Information• Muscat Bakery• Mustafa Sultan

Enterprises• Oman Bowling

Center• Oman Oil Ahlain• Oman United

Insurance• OMRAN• Pizza Hut• Radison Blu• Shell• TGI fridays • The Kebab

Factory• The Tikka Place• VLCC• Zahara Travel• Zakher Shopping

MallMGM• Carribou Coffee• Gloria Jean’s

Coffee• Nawras• Paul Patisserie• Tim HortonsBousher• College for

Banking & Financial Studies

• Costa Coffee• Crepe Café• Dolphin Village• Modern College

Of Business Studies

• Moka & More Café

• Muscat College• Muscat Private

Hospital - Emergency

• Muscat Private Hospital - Outpatient

• Oman Medical

College• Stationery HutGhubra• Al Hayat Polyclinic• Al Maya

Hypermarket• Aster Hospital• Bank of Beirut• GMC• Lulu Hypermarket• Oman Oil Ahlain• Park Inn• Porsche• The ChediGhala• National Mineral

Water• TAISMAzaiba• Al Fair S/M• Al Maha• Al Meera H/M• Audi• Bentely• Brand Oman• Carribou Coffee• Costa Coffee• Infinity Service

Station• Jaguar• Jeep• Land Rover• Mazda• McDonald’s• Mitsubishi• Oman Arab Bank• Oman Oil Ahlain• Peugeot• Seven Seas

Complex• Shell• Skoda• The Sultan centre

(TSC)• Towell• Volks Wagon• Volvo• Yamaha • Zubair

Automotive (Sayarati)

Al Murtafaa• Bank Muscat• Golden Tulip• DHL• KFC• Muscat Hills Golf

Club• Oman Air Mawaleh• Chili’s• Costa Coffee• Makkan Café• Noodle House• Starbucks• Starcare Hospital• Tim Hortons

• VLCCHail• Al Mouj Golf Club• Amouage - Oman

Perfumery LLC• Bait al Hail• Burger King• Caledonian

College• Costa Coffee• Markaz Al Bahja• McDonald’s• Oman Football

Association• Oman Sail • Shakespere & Co.• The Wave H.O.Rusayl• Knowledge Oasis

Muscat -1• Knowledge Oasis

Muscat -2• Knowledge Oasis

Muscat -3• Knowledge Oasis

Muscat -4 (ITA)• Middle East

College• Omantel• SQU - Diplomatic

Club• SQU - College of

Commerce• SQU - Students

Banking Area• SQU -Hospital• Waljat CollegeSeeb• McDonald’s• SABCO MediaAl Khoud• Badar Al Sama• Al Fair S/M• Pizza HutBarka• Al Nahda Spa and

Resort• Lulu HypermarketSawadi• Sawadi Beach

ResortMassnaah• Millennium HotelSohar• Centre point-

Splash• Crowne Plaza• National Gift

Market• Nawras• Pizza Hut• Safeer Mall• Sohar Beach Hotel• Sohar Port• Sohar UniversityNizwa• Nizwa University

@ytabloid facebook.com/ytabloid

FO L L O W U S O N :

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 3 7

P o s t c a r d s f r o m O u t d o o r s Y - F i C a r s

CARS ANDADVENTURES

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS You’re unlikely to be

short of company as you scale the path through

the mountains that leads to some fantastic natural pools high above Siya.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 3 8

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 O u t d o o r s C a r sCARS ANDADVENTURES

SEARCHING FOR SIYA SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO LET OFF SOME STEAM AND THE

NATURAL POOLS IN THE MOUNTAINS AROUND SIYA ARE THE PERFECT PLACE TO DO JUST THAT, FINDS SHAQUEL AL BALUSHI

Destination

SEARCHING FOR SIYA

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 3 9

HOW TO GET THERETake road 17 from Muscat, passing through Amerat. About 10km after Hajar, there will be a turning on the right for Jaslut. Take this road and stay on it for 50km until you reach Siya. Park your

car at the mosque and make your way into the mountains by foot.

GPS location of Siya: N23° 12’ 29” E58° 41’ 04”TR

AVEL

GUI

DE

I’d never been to Siya before, but having witnessed the breathtaking scenery of the mountains around the village

last week, I know I will be going back for sure.

My friend visited many years ago and spoke of some great natural springs, which persuaded me to go back there with him recently. After settting off from my house in Amerat at 6.30 in the morning, we got slightly lost and a journey that I imagine would usually take 30 to 40 minutes ended up taking a little longer.

When we reached the village, we parked our saloon by the mosque and decided to walk the path up into the mountains. The track is wide enough to take a 4x4, or even a good saloon, but there are many steep inclines and descents along the way, as well as several twists and turns, so you’ll need good breaks if you want to drive. After a while, the track made way to a small path, we walked along it, bearing to the right and continued to climb.

The views as we got higher were amazing. The jagged mountains were incredibly dramatic and the lush green of the palm trees combined with the clear blue sky to create a stunning vista.

The early morning sun was warm, but not yet unbearable and the lighting was fantastic for many different styles of photography. Morning shoots are my favourite because not only is the traffic always lighter, but the lighting is often perfect. As the sun gets higher in

the sky, everything becomes a bit flat in terms of photography; you don’t get a lot of shadows.

The trek, which took around an hour, was relentless and exhausting, but what awaited us made the exertion well worth it. As we rounded a bend, completely out of breath, we spotted a collection of freshwater pools that were simply too inviting to pass up.

The water was crystal clear, enabling you to see right down

to the bottom and in places it was quite deep. My friend I jumped right in and as soon as I did, I could feel all the stress leaving my body.

The water was close to room temperature, which was welcome and refreshing after the strenuous walk, the wind passed through the area nicely and we could hear some birds singing. It was incredibly relaxing.

What fascinated me the most about this area were the contrasting textures of the rocks. In places, it almost looked as if someone had thrown acid on the rocks and they had melted, but just a few metres away, the rock would be completely different.

As is so often the case when I am out shooting my Destination pieces, we lost track of time, but spent several hours up in the mountains, most of which was spent in the water simply chilling and contemplating life.

The whole area was very clean, which was pleasing and shows that it’s not a place often frequented by people. You could even camp, providing you are willing to carry all your equipment with you, and take your litter when you leave, of course.

On our way back down, both a local man and a herd of goats greeted us warmly, before we took some lunch in the village below.

I had an amazing time discovering the natural pools around Siya; it’s a beautiful place and I will definitely be returning in the not too distant future. I may even tell the friend who revealed the hidden side of Yiti (Issue #354) to me about the area, as she loves quiet and secluded places where she can achieve a bit of “me time”, which is certainly possible in the mountains of Siya.

CARS ANDOUTDOORSCARS ANDADVENTURES

Running down the wing, ball glued to his feet, Gustav Hemmingsen rides the challenge of one of his opponents with strength and expert balance before cutting inside, skipping between two defenders in an almost balletic

fashion. Clear on goal, he launches a curling shot.The goalkeeper scrambles across his line and makes an acrobatic

leap, but is ultimately powerless to stop the attempt from flying into the top corner. The crowd goes wild.

Or at least they could do in a few years’ time, as the hot young prospect has recently undergone trials with two prestigious English Premier League clubs.

And it all started at Arsenal Soccer School Oman.As anyone with an interest in the beautiful game will know,

Arsenal Football Club is one of the most successful teams in English football, with a string of league titles and cup wins to its name over

Matt Blackwell catches up with the Arsenal coaches who are teaching Oman’s youth the intricacies of the beautiful game

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 4 0

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 4 1

the club’s 129-year history. Nicknamed the Gunners, Arsenal play a unique brand of passing football that is pleasing to the eye and often leads to impressive goals after prolonged periods of possession.

For the past five years, some of the north London club’s top coaching talent has been running soccer training programmes for both Omani and expatriate children to raise the standard of football here and give kids the opportunity to hone their skills in a structured environment.

The programmes run over 10 weeks and cater for children as young as two years old, right up to the age of 16. Coach Davis Rizzolo, who joined the soccer school towards the end of last year, explains the structure of a typical coaching session. “We will start with a warm-up and then we go on to a warm-up with a football. Then we go into the main skills session along with a progression and we usually end with matches,” he says.

Each week focuses on a different facet of football, starting with the basics like dribbling, passing and shooting, eventually moving on to more complex ideas and tactics such as attacking and defending in numbers.

Head coach Luis Miguel Gorgulho has coached all around the world, including the UK, Australia and Portugal, and has been based at the soccer school in Oman for the past four years. Over this time, he’s watched the number of children taking part steadily rise and has seen some serious talent along the way.

“In terms of technical abilities, Omanis are no less gifted than anyone else that I’ve come across,” says Miguel. “From a technical point of view, the kids are no weaker than we are in the UK or Europe. What they lack is structure and discipline, which we provide for them.”

The under 10 group is focusing on defending, while the under 14s and under 16s are learning about attacking when Y attended a session held at British School Muscat. From the way the young footballers eagerly run around with balls at their feet, responding obediently to the coach’s instructions during the drills, communicating and helping each other out during the match situations, it’s plain to see they are enjoying themselves immensely.

“I love coming here,” says Sparsh, who is nine years old and plays in midfield. “My favourite thing is playing matches and scoring goals, but I have learned a lot of shooting skills and free-kick techniques.”

Khalid is 14 and a regular at the soccer school, having attended for the past three years. His favourite team is Barcelona and he would like to grow up to become a footballer like Messi,

Arsenal Soccer School runs 10-week programmes. For information on availability and prices, go to arsenal-soccerschooloman.com, search “Arsenal Soccer School Oman” on Facebook or call +968 24483344 / +968 2448 8565.

but also admires the old greats like Maradona and more recently, Zidane. Khalid was told he was too young to join a local team and so the Arsenal Soccer School is giving him an opportunity to pursue his dreams in other ways.

“We learn everything here; football skills, but also how to keep your fitness levels up,” he says.

However, it’s not just football skills that the soccer school teaches the kids. “I’ve been coming for two years and have learned how to play with others, to respect people and not to be rude,” says Rashid, 12.

Miguel says the coaches have a great relationship with the kids. “They come to talk to us about school and what they do outside of school, especially the older ones,” he says.

“It’s hugely rewarding to see the kids progress. If you’re passionate about football like I am, then your reward is seeing a child improve. They don’t have to be an amazingly gifted footballer, just the fact that they’ve gone from a level zero to a level three is sufficient.”

And once they reach that level, it’s up to the children. Arsenal Soccer School hosts and attends tournaments around the country and some youngsters will go on to join local teams. As the profile of the game continues to rise in Oman you never know, we could be looking at more Ali al Habsis in the future, ready to play football on its biggest stage and competing with some of Europe’s top teams.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 4 2

TOP FIVE THINGS TO DO:1. Visit Truro Cathedral2. Visit the Eden Project3. Take afternoon tea in a typical Cornish café4. Visit St Catherine’s Castle in Fowey5. Take a walk along one of Cornwall’s many award- winning beaches

THE BIG BLUECornwall is a varied

English county with miles of award-winning beaches and beautiful coastline just waiting to be explored by

either land or by sea.

CARS ANDADVENTURES

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 4 3

P O S T C A R D S F R O MD e s t i n a t i o n O u t d o o r s Y - F i C a r s

My favourite place Truro Cathedral, in the city of Truro is the only cathedral in Cornwall and is built in the gothic revival style. It is also one of only three cathedrals in the UK that has three spires. Compared with many English cathedrals, it is quite new as it was only finished in 1910, which makes Truro Cathedral an interesting place to visit from an architectural point of view. Major restoration work was carried out in 2002, with a lot of the decorative work done in Bath stone. The cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Chapel of Unity and Peace is reserved for quiet prayer throughout the day. Truro Cathedral welcomes visitors from all faiths and even has a messy play area to keep the little ones entertained while the adults marvel at the vision of the stonemasons responsible for the building’s construction.

Highlights Fowey has been a thriving port for hundreds of years and is home to many trawlers and pleasure yachts. In the latter days of the port’s main industrial period, it was famous for exporting clay that was then used for porcelain. During the summer season, boats can be rented and taken on trips inland up the River Fowey. On the east side of the port entrance stands the ruins of St Catherine’s Castle. This small port defence castle was built in the 1530s by Henry VIII and is now a local landmark. It was used during the reign of the Tudors, during the English Civil War, again during the Napoleonic wars and it was finally utilised as a gun and observation post during the Second World War. Just down the road from Fowey is the Eden Project – a haven of environmentalism and green thinking. Since opening in 2003, the multiple greenhouse complex has been hugely expanded and now features the world’s largest rainforest grown in captivity. The Eden Project is a beacon for sustainable living and the domes are an incredible sight. Walking around them and experiencing the flora and fauna growing there is a very special opportunity not to be missed.

Lowlights Cornwall is a charming place, but with no highway it can be a tricky place to get around by car. The Eden Project is brilliant and well worth a visit, but at RO15 for an adult ticket, it is a little expensive. Souvenirs With Cornwall attracting millions of tourists every year, there is no shortage of tourist souvenirs in shops all over the county. Make sure you try one of the famous Cornish pasties before leaving.

Where to stay Cornwall is literally littered with guest houses and little hotels to cater for the year-round tourist market and The Fowey Hotel occupies a charming little spot right on the waterfront. There is also a booming rental market, meaning picturesque cottages can be rented for periods of a week or longer. Cornwall is also a good area for camping and caravanning.

CORNWALL, UKAdam Hurrell recommends

Ne s t l i n g i n t h e s o u t h w e s t c o r n e r o f E n g l a n d , C o r n w a l l i s a p e n i n s u l a a n d a r g u a b l y o n e o f t h e c o u n t r y ’ s m o s t p i c t u r e s q u e c o u n t i e s w i t h k i l o m e t r e s o f b e a u t i fu l c o a s t l i n e a n d u n r i v a l l e d v i e w s o u t t o w a r d s t h e E n g l i s h C h a n n e l t o t h e s o u t h a n d t h e C e l t i c S e a t o t h e n o r t h .

I t h a s b e e n i n h a b i t e d fo r s e v e r a l t h o u s a n d y e a r s a n d w a s e s p e c i a l l y b u s y d u r i n g t h e B r i t i s h I n d u s t r i a l R e v o l u t i o n , w h e n C o r n w a l l w a s f a m o u s fo r i t s t i n a n d c o p p e r m i n i n g . T h e s e d a y s , f i s h i n g a n d t o u r i s m a r e t w o o f t h e l a r g e s t p a r t s o f t h e C o r n i s h e c o n o m y .

D u r i n g m y v i s i t i n t h e s u m m e r o f l a s t y e a r , I w a s a b l e t o s e e r e l a t i v e s i n t h e i d y l l i c v i l l a g e o f Fo w e y o n C o r n w a l l ’ s s o u t h c o a s t , p a y a v i s i t t o t h e w o r l d - f a m o u s E d e n P r o j e c t a n d h e a d t o t h e m a g n i f i c e n t T r u r o C a t h e d r a l .

TRURO CATHEDRAL

AFTERNOON TEA WITH CLOTTED

CREAM AND JAM SCONES

THE EDEN PROJECT

J U LY 0 3 - 0 9 / I S S U E 3 2 70 4 4

-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 O u t d o o r s

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 4 4

GAME ONHold on to your hats sports fans. Matthew Herbst brings you the gear that's

going to help you get your head in the game

EDITO

R’S PI

CK EASY RIDER THE TURBO TRAINER IS PERFECT FOR INDOOR CYCLING AND CONNECTS TO YOUR COMPUTER, GPS, IOS OR ANDROID DEVICE USING A WIRELESS SENSOR. NOT ONLY ARE YOU ABLE TO TRAIN FOR YOUR NEXT BIG RACE BY ADJUSTING RESISTANCE UP TO A 20 PER CENT INCLINE, YOU CAN ALSO USE THE APP DURING AN OUTDOOR TRAINING SESSION ON YOUR BIKE TO RECORD SPEED, DISTANCE, ALTITUDE, ROUTE MAP AND CALORIES BURNED. THIS DATA CAN THEN BE SAVED TO BKOOL.COM AND LOADED ON TO A LAPTOP IN ORDER TO SIMULATE THE RIDE INDOORS. WORTH THE RO277.44 PRICE TAG.

SMART SHOOTER It looks just like a regular basketball – but don’t be fooled. The 94Fifty Smart Sensor Basketball doesn't just shoot into hoops, but also sends smart, actionable and precise data and feedback to your smart device. All you need to complete the set are two more things. The 94Fifty Smart Net is a high-quality net that works with any rim and can be used indoors or outdoors. The special rugged material communicates with the 94Fifty ball to show when shots are made or missed. Lastly, to have your ball and net communicate the information to you, you will need the 94Fifty Basketball app. The App provides real-time audio and visual coaching feedback for both ball-handling and dribbling skills to improve your game and skills. You'll be shooting like a pro in no time! From RO76.57 for both ball and net at shop.94fifty.com

IN THE GAME Evaluating and analysing your performance has never been easier. Meet your new gaming partner: the Babolat Play, a tennis racket with built in sensors that record information about your game. Check up on everything from shot power, ball impact and number of strokes (forehand, backhand, serve, smash), to spin, endurance, technique, consistency, energy and rallies. When you’ve finished playing, the information is then transmitted via Bluetooth connection to your smartphone or from a USB to a computer. You can also share your recorded data on Babolatplay.com or on the Babolat Play App. From RO153.53 at tennis-warehouse.com

SOCK SENSESensoria smart socks are infused with comfortable pressure sensors that help you monitor your foot-landing technique by giving real-time updates as you run. Simply pair your Sensoria Fitness socks and anklet to your smartphone via the Sensoria Fitness mobile app and let it continuously monitor your running form. The anklet doesnt store any data, so it is important to carry your phone along with you so that both are able to provide feedback through audio and video cues during your run. Prices start at RO76.57. Take a look at store.sensoriafitness.com (note, there is a waiting list).

J U LY 0 3 - 0 9 / I S S U E 3 2 7 0 4 5F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 8 0 4 5

NEW XON SNOW-1

App of the Week

THIS CENTURYAs the ICC World Cup has just kicked off, you'll not want to miss any centuries your country clocks up. It is useful that the ICricket app sends you match updates through push notifications, so no lingering to wait for something major to happen. The best part of the app is the running commentary along with scores, which, as we all know, is the most essential part of any cricket match. Free for iOS and Android users.

With the introduction of the XON Snow-1, which is due for release this year, your snowboarding adventures are set to be the best they've ever been. The bindings that clip on to your snowboard use an array of sensors to provide you with all sorts of information on your runs, aiming to improve your board skills. There are four load sensors, two flex sensors, and an accelerometer. Data is sent to your smartphone via Bluetooth and is then analysed through the app. As a result, you're provided with feedback on things like weight balance, centre of gravity, acceleration, and board bend. The data is seen after the run, but the XON Snow-1 bindings also include LED lights that indicate riding position on the fly. This allows you to make small adjustments to your stance while showing off, making it easier to impress on the go. Check it out at xon.cerevo.com. Price yet to be confirmed.

DIGITAL COACHIf you're aiming to play like Messi, then the miCoach Smart Ball is for you. Learn jawdropping skills with step-by-step guidance and instant feedback via the app that communicates with the high-tech football. Push your talent to the max by putting yourself under pressure to gain confidence in match play scenarios by trying to match pro-level kicks or go head-to-head with a friend. Learn from every kick with immediate stats regarding speed, spin, trajectory and strike point. From RO76.96 at micoach.adidas.com

HIGH JUMPHow high can you jump? Let VERT tell you just that. VERT is a device worn near the waist of an athlete and measures your jump before transmitting the data to a smartphone or tablet. You can see all your jump measurements immediately on the VERT device and simultaneously on a smartphone or tablet with the downloadable VERT app. Perfect for budding basketballers or netballers. Jump to it at squareup.com from RO48.10.

F E B 1 9 - 2 5 / I S S U E 3 5 80 4 6

The Jeep Cherokee Longitude is a smooth ride that offers a touch of luxury even when off-road, writes Felicity Glover

2014 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 LongitudeSpecifications:

Engine: 3.2L Pentastar V6Horsepower: 271Torque: 316 Nm

Roughing it is so passé these days. In a world that now boasts glamping (glamorous

camping for the uninitiated), taking to the great outdoors has never been so comfortable.

The purists would argue that this is cheating and a far cry from experiencing the real outdoors, while others would say there’s nothing wrong with taking on Mother Nature armed to the teeth with as many comforts as possible.

I see both sides of the argument, having spent numerous weekends roughing it in my youth. Age (and perhaps a touch of vanity), however, has interfered and going without a hairdryer or Wi-Fi is practically unthinkable for me these days.

Which brings me to my latest adventure: a weekend-long test drive of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 Longitude.

Targeted firmly at the adventurer who clearly can’t go without some comforts, it’s a sleek-looking car that sports the renowned Jeep grill, not to mention offering a smooth and comfortable ride.

It’s not the biggest SUV on the market – in fact, I’d have to say that it’s pretty small, although it is described as being mid-sized.

I have to confess here that its size is more noticeable as I’ve been driving a rather large Nissan Xterra for the past few months, which gifts me with a pretty good

bird’s-eye view of the world, not to mention what’s happening up the road.

My first impressions were good, despite being a lot closer to the road than I was used to. Lowering myself onto the driver’s seat, it took a moment to realise (happily) that I could adjust the height of the seat – a feature that is sadly lacking in my basic model Xterra 4.0.

The interior is smooth and clearly designed to appeal to the more masculine among us. That said, I liked the dark colours and visible stitching, while the seats were also comfortable. The interior isn’t as spacious as I’d like and neither is the boot area. I mean, if you are heading out for a weekend camping or off-roading, you may have to leave a few “essential” luxuries at home.

After a quick go-through of all the features on the dashboard, it’s time to start the car and drive off.

My first blonde moment comes pretty quickly: I needed to change radio stations, but the screen on the media centre had mysteriously disappeared. I know, I know, it’s a pretty lame priority, but the music’s got to be right before I drive anywhere. Of course, this is also linked to some vital information on the dashboard in front of me, such as how much fuel I’ve got to play with.

I was tempted to run back inside the dealership to sort it out, but decided to “man up” and tackle

the situation myself.An hour later, and now in The

Wave, Muscat, I’d finally figured it out. At least my daughter, who reckons she’s a tech whiz, wasn’t there to roll her eyes at me.

Music sorted and knowing I had a full tank, I was finally able to relax and enjoy the ride.

After bouncing about in the Xterra for so long, from which I emerge occasionally feeling as though I’ve gone a couple of rounds in a WWE bout, I was struck by how smooth and easy the Longitude was to drive. And the more I drove it, the more obvious this became.

On the highway, it handled well, taking on curves and bends with aplomb and giving me the necessary bursts of speed when needed. You can easily switch between automatic and manual via the gearstick – and with nine speeds, there’s more than enough to get you cruising comfortably.

But I have to say that I’m a pretty lazy driver and stuck to automatic most of the time. The Alpine music system is top quality and gives off great sound, while connecting your phone through the Uconnect system for hands-free communication is easy.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take the Longitude off-road to put it through its paces, but would love to try that in the near future – with some of the comforts of home, of course.

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 O u t d o o r s Y - F i

Uconnect technology Daytime running lights 8.4-inch media control centre Alpine premium audio system Climate control 9-speed automatic transmission

They say: “Adventurous curiosity

satisfied.”

We say: “A smooth ride for the

adventurer in you.”

AG_6624_BMW_7Series_Runout_Campaign_OMAN_YMagazine_24x34cm_Eng.indd 1 2/9/15 12:10 PM

BM_Lulu Credit Card_Y Tabloid english 24wx334+5mm bleed.ai 1 2/8/15 4:01 PM