This ad appeared in a weekly newspaper.
Omanis, I am told, have a fetish for car number plates bearing special numbers. Imagine buying a number plate for RO1,000 which translates into US$2,600!
Phew!!!
Car number plate craze
Reply
Monthly Archives: March 2007
No so hot
Looks like Hotmail has finally decided to take on Gmail and Yahoo mail head on with the latest offering of 2GB space per account. Although they started off quite well, somewhere down the line, Hotmail allowed Gmail and Yahoo mail to bite into their share. Even now, their UI is quite archaic and not user friendly.
Although I’ve been a Yahoo mail fan for quite sometime, I can’t but ignore Gmail these days. I started off with Usa.net/Netaddress.com in 1998. That was pretty cool during those initial years!
Is it worth it?
Indian cricket fans use black paint to deface pictures of Indian cricketers in Mumbai on March 24, 2007, following the team’s loss against Sri Lanka in the World Cup.
Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag (Top L) covers his face as he watches his team bat against Sri Lanka with teammates Sachin Tendulkar, (Top R) captain Rahul Dravid, (Bottom L) and Anil Kumble (Bottom R) at the Queen’s Park Oval, in Port of Spain.
(Pic source: AFP)
Watch it till it lasts
Finally, the satellite DTH TV distribution establishments like Pehla and Real Media Corp have awakened from the slumber. And, this time, only to threaten the viewers with their somewhat arrogant advertisement in local dailies over illegal use of Dish TV‘s DTH services in Oman.
Imagine a scenario year back wherein the Indian expats were forced to cough up a minimum of RO7 (nearly 800 INR) to RO RO15 (1600 INR) for a handful of paid channels provided by Pehla. At such exorbitant prices, the customer service provided was too amateurish with reminders for renewals being a rarity. At this point, entered Dish TV, albeit illegally. Result: a majority of Indians in Oman have embraced the DTH operator from India which provides as much as 100 channels, including a majority of paid channels, for as little as RO 3 (350 INR). The initial investment for installing Dish TV will be around RO25 (nearly 2570 INR) for the decoder which has to be purchased legally in India. The same dish and LNB of Pehla/others can be used to get the signals in Oman.
In a competitive world, companies like Pehla and Real Media Corp must try to reduce the prices and attract customers. Sadly, they are taking to arm twisting tactics by threatening the customers of ‘dire consequences’ if they continue to use Dish TV in Oman.
During the World Cup soccer in Germany last year, ARR had bungled by offering live packages at phenomenal rates, and the soccer aficionados quietly installed Hotbird decorders for viewing the matches at affordable costs, though illegally. It is sad that these companies never learn from their past mistakes.
Soon, the DTH distribution biggies might join hands to block signals of Dish TV in Oman. Until then, happy viewing!
Men in Blue(s)
My prediction has cleared the first hurdle.
(Pic courtesy: Reuters)
Heavy downpour in Muscat
Heavy rains lashed Muscat and surrounding areas on the wee hours of Sunday and continued till around 8am. Like it happens always, life is tough after rains!
Waterlogged areas in Ruwi.
Dark skies at 7am.
The usually busy road near Sheraton Hotel in Ruwi wore a deserted look in the morning.
A deserted road between Sheraton and Star Cinema.
A gushing wadi near Omantel office, Ruwi.
Roads in a mess.
What’s missing?
This job ad appeared in a local weekly a few days back.
Cricket mania is set to touch dizzy heights…
…and Google is not the one to be left behind. They come up with cool logos for every reason, every season!
My favourite restaurants in Muscat
In the order (Hotel -> Location-> Must Try)
Saravana Bhavan-> Ruwi-> Dosas, Mini Idlis, Meals
Woodlands-> CBD-> Breads, Koli Varutha Curry, Malai Kofta, Fish Tikka, Butter Chicken
Jean’s Grill-> Sultan Center-> Dinner buffet
Nando’s-> CCC-> Chicken espateda
Golden Oryx-> Ruwi-> Golden fried prawns, Satay chicken, Thai yellow curry, Singapore fried rice, fried ice cream
Chili’s-> City Centre-> Steaks, grills, molten chocolate cake
Istanbuli-> Al Khuwair-> Chicken shawarma, tikkas, Turkish tea
Mumtaz Mahal-> Qurum-> Breads, chilly prawns, tikkas
Oh lord, have mercy on Indonesia
Disasters hit Indonesia one after another. Twenty-two people are killed after an Indonesian passenger jet overshoots the runway and bursts into flames on landing in the cultural capital of Yogyakarta on Wednesday.
Following is a list of some of the disasters to hit Indonesia since the Asian tsunami of 2004:
Dec 26, 2004 – Nearly 132,000 Indonesians are killed and more than 37,000 listed as missing after a 9.15 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia and a tsunami triggered by it in the Indian ocean region. The toll in affected Indian Ocean countries reaches 230,000 dead.
Feb 21, 2005 – At least 96 are killed in landslide that sweeps through two West Java villages near a garbage dump.
March 28, 2005 – Nearly 1,000 are believed killed after a quake of magnitude 8.7 hits the coast of Sumatra.
July 20, 2005 – Indonesia confirms first deaths from bird flu. To date the disease has killed 63 people in Indonesia, the world’s highest bird flu death toll.
Sept 1, 2005 – Landslide on island of Sumatra kills 14 and more than a dozen are missing.
Sept 5, 2005 – Domestic airliner operated by local carrier Mandala Airlines crashes in residential area of Indonesia’s third biggest city Medan, killing 102 aboard and 47 residents in an inferno on the ground.
May 27, 2006 – Earthquake rocks area around ancient royal city of Yogyakarta killing at least 5,000 and destroying or damaging 150,000 homes.
July 17, 2006 – A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills at least 550 people. At least 54,000 people are displaced.
Dec 30, 2006 – A ferry with at least 600 aboard sinks during a stormy night voyage as it travelled between Borneo and Java.
Jan 1, 2007 – An Adam Air passenger plane flying from Surabaya to Manado with 102 people aboard crashes into the sea off the west coast of Sulawesi.
Feb 22, 2007 – At least 42 people are killed when fire breaks out aboard a ferry which was heading from Jakarta to Bangka island off Sumatra.
March 6, 2007 – Two strong earthquakes kill at least 72 people and injure dozens in the West Sumatra provincial capital of Padang.
March 7, 2007 – Twenty-two people are killed after a passenger jet of national carrier Garuda Airlines overshoots the runway and bursts into flames on landing in the cultural capital of Yogyakarta.
(Source: Reuters)