(Left) Khalid Al Nabhani, Omani tennis player. (Right) Irfan Pathan, Indian cricketer.
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Category Archives: India
Oman’s Asma a hit with Indian audience
Omani singer Asma Mohammed Rafi has been voted out of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Zee TV’s popular talent show, last week. Asma, who has no formal training in music, had reached the last six stage with the mere support of audience who loved her innocent, chirpy, bubbly and humourous ways more than her singing abilities. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Asma added value to the talent show by just being Asma – there was something genuine about her. The producers of the show were so amazed at the TRPs which Asma brings to them that they decided she will be the co-host after her exit. So from last week, she reappeared on the stage as a co-anchor. Asma has done her bit of branding for Oman, Muscat as well in the process because not many people earlier in India knew about the two names — Muscat and Oman.
Asma as a co-anchor in December 2008. (Pic: Internet)
Asma at Muscat in February 2008. (Pic: AM)
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It’s all about money, honey!
On the house food reviews aren’t for me
I had made a passing reference to a food outlet some days back on this blog, and yesterday, I received a mail from their manager extending me an invite for two people to try out their menu. This, I guess, was to write goody good stuff about them by offering me a ‘on the house’ deal. I wrote back stating I was not keen on the offer as I was morally obligated to write only positive feedback.
Being in the field of media, it is a tricky situation every time an invite lands up on the desk for food reviews, new menu launches etc. Officially, like some of my fellow hacks, I tend to take a neutral stand by neither praising, not ridiculing the food. Anyways, unofficially, I tend to be objective as far as possible (after all I am paying for the food). Food reviews will be sprinkled with generous doses of good and bad wherever required.
Generally, I have an aversion to read food reviews which appear in magazines and newspapers. Eight out of ten times the reviews are horrible, exaggerated. As a PR consultant for a 5-star hotel chain in Bangalore some years back, I have interacted with top ‘food reviewers’ in Bangalore who write reviews based on the personal rapport the group maintains with them and not on the actual food. No wonder top food critics in Europe pay for their food and visit anonymously the places they wish to review. Such is their credibility.
Writing food reviews for a blog is easy, but not taking food pictures. Sometimes it is embarrassing to click pictures when a restaurant is packed and a lot of people are watching you. I have learnt to withstand “what-the-heck-is-he-doing” glances now. So next time you see bad food pictures on this blog, you know why. When I visited a well known restaurant in Al Khuwair, the manager couldn’t resist and he asked, “Sir, are you from some other restaurant.” I said no. Maybe he assumed I was an “agent” of his competitor (similar restaurant) because I was clicking pictures non-stop.
This and that
A couple of weeks back, I had written about bad luck for Indian politicians soon after their visit to Oman. Call it myth or coincidence, the latest victim is Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who was in the Sultanate last month. Just three weeks after his visit to Oman, his government is drawing flack for the inept handling of Mumbai terror strike, which is billed as the worst India has faced till date. Although he is not in the firing line directly, his party has lost confidence of people, and by looks of it, Manmohan Singh’s government will fare very badly in the general elections in 2009.
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A report says:
Oman now has 1,100 reported cases of people living with HIV, according to the Ministry of Health statistics. There has been an increase of 90 cases since last year.
Next year, I predict, could see a rise in the number of cases. Thanks to this bit: Oman Air expands Bangkok service!
Terror terrorises India for once
101 killed, foreign nationals among hostages, gallant officers die while on duty, landmarks hotels under siege, city comes to a standstill…this is the worst terrorist attack on India till date. Unfortunately Fortunately, nothing can damage the spirit of new India. We’ll be back very soon!
This combo shows file photos of Mumbai’s Taj Mahal hotel in November, 2004 (bottom photo) and late on November 26, 2008 (top photo) as fire engulfs the top floor after a shootout with terrorists. (Photo: AFP)
Exclusive photos of ship released by hijackers M V Stolt Valor in Muscat
MV Stolt Valor at Muscat corniche.
Ship released by hijackers arrives today
MUSCAT: MV Stolt Valor, the Japanese-owned ship that was taken hostage by Somali pirates two months ago, will anchor at Muscat Anchorage today at 8am. The ship will berth at Port Sultan Qaboos after the necessary formalities have been completed. The date for berthing has not yet been decided, sources revealed.
“The formalities will be completed once the authorities here grant the necessary permission and also according to the instructions from the owners of the ship,” sources said.
The nearly 25,000-tonne chemical tanker, which was bound for Mumbai from the United States of America, was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, on September 15. It was released from the Somali pirate port of Eyl on November 16. (more)
One down, plenty to go
Stationed off Salalah in the Gulf of Aden, Indian naval warship, INS Tabar (pictured above), yesterday destroyed a pirate ship off the Somali coast. On an anti-piracy mission, the naval warship has been stationed in Salalah from October this year. I am sure the marine commandos at INS Tabar will be enjoying ‘war-like’ trysts with Somalian pirates. Some match practice for them, free of cost. INS Tabar will offer protection to vessels heading to Oman as well, after all India and Oman signed a defence pact during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Oman a few weeks back.
(Photo: AFP)
Who’s cheating? Employee or employer
DELHI BOY sends me this mail:
I am an Indian working in Oman for the last five months. Due to some urgency back home, I asked for emergency leave, but it was denied. Finally, I had to resign from the job. I was humiliated and told that “we do not care for your family”. Frustrated, I resigned as per the terms mentioned in the offer letter. Soon after, the employer started creating problems and I was asked to pay some money in return.
My resignation date is November 1, and I requested the company that I shall serve a notice period of three weeks rather than one month and for rest of the days, I will pay cash as I have to be back in my country on November 25. But the company did not agree on same. Now, I fear that they may not give me salary on December 1 as I am leaving on that day. Kindly suggest me what should I do. I have been harassed, and also the company has been deviating from the offer letter terms.
Seriously, I don’t want to take sides at this point. If this guy’s case is genuine, then he deserves better treatment on humanitarian grounds. What if he is coming back to Oman with a better job in another company? With economy booming, jobs are plenty for professionals in certain sectors, and they are milking their way up. I remember a certain time during the dotcom boom in 2000 in Bangalore. Those days, ‘arrogant’ employees displayed offer letter from one company to the HR guys of another company, and cunningly forced companies to offer them sky-high salaries. It is a different story that dotcom boom went phut in a while.
Life is tough for employers in Oman too. To get an expat staff from India, it takes a cool 2-3 months (processing, etc), and they would have spent money for his tickets, visa, and accommodation, furnishing. Imagine, the employee deciding to quit after five cool months. Naturally they will be pissed off.
Red carpet welcome for Indian prime minister
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Setting aside protocols, which stipulates red carpet welcome only for heads of state, Oman yesterday rolled out a red carpet to the visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Oman in a decade.
(Photo: Oman News Agency)
Oman, Indian politicians and bad luck
Visiting Oman has not been lucky for top Indian politicians. They seem to get into some kind of trouble soon after. Check these examples:
Natwar Singh, Minister of External Affairs
Visit to Oman: December 2004
Impact: Resigned over bribery charges in December 2005
Present status: Political wilderness
Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister
Visit to Oman: August 1998
Impact: His government lost confidence vote in April 1999
Present status: Not active anymore
Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister
Visit to Oman: June 15-16, 1993
Impact: Bribery allegations against him on June 17, 1993
Present status: Dead
Present Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be visiting Oman next week on a two-day visit. Keep a check on his career graph once in a while to prove or dispel this theory.
(Photos: Internet)