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Signature - English - May 2010
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Indulge in everyday luxuryBAGNO design is a premium retail concept showcasing the world’s finest bathroom fittings and accessories. Welcome to our world to see a range of exquisite bathroom solutions from iconic European brands and build your own private sanctuary to rejuvenate your spirit.
Al Ghubra, Tel: 2449 9050, Mob: 9981 7786
NABIL AL BUSAIDI PENS HIS THOUGHTS FROM EVEREST BASE
CAMP
NOTES
inside
Food Court SHANNON BENNETT
REMINISCES ON MUSCAT’S VIBRANT, VERDANT HEART
AND THE MAGIC OF FESTIVE OMANI FOOD.
Food A PERFECT COFFEE IS ONLY
AS GOOD AS ITS ROAST, SAYS JIM REGAS.
38
ShowFOUR TALENTED
PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ONE STUNNING VISUAL TREAT…
3430
16
AN AUTO ENTHUSIAST’S DREAM COME TRUE:
THE SPORTS AND LUXURY CAR SHOW
Event
24
FOR SOME SUN, SAND AND REGGAE MUSIC,
VISIT ANTIGUA, SAYS HER HIGHNESS MUZNA AL SAID.
Destination
Music DIRECT FROM THE SOUL:
JEAN-PHILIPPE RIEU
Golf THE BEST GOLF COURSES
IN THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO BILL MCCOLL
Accessories JAN JANSEN ON HOW
‘BAMBOO SHOE’ MADE HIM A HOUSEHOLD NAME
BeautyOLIVIER ECHAUDEMAISON
SHARES HIS 10-YEAR JOURNEY AT GUERLAIN..
72
64
CarsIF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR CAR IT WILL, IN TURN, TAKE CARE OF YOU, FEELS COEN
FOSSEN.
ArtMATTHEW GIRLING SPELLS
OUT SIX PRE-REQUISITES TO BECOMING THE SAVVY
COLLECTOR
70
74
60
56
44
NINE SPECIAL VILLAGES DESIGNED TO MAKE HOLIDAY SHOPPING
ALL THE MORE SPECIAL…
Shop
48
Upfront
The Last Word
8
80
As usual Signature offers an eclectic range of subjects, this issue is no exception; from art collectors,
to extreme explorers.
No sooner had that pair of subjects appeared on the screen of my laptop I was struck by the strange
undertone that binds them together. I hope you will indulge me by reading on...
At an instinctive level both pursuits are evidence of good genes.
Art collectors show us that they are either rich and or, intelligent, that they can dedicate all their time
to a non utilitarian end, in fact specialising in art collection in certain environments would run entirely
against mans survival instinct. In nature those creatures that can afford to carry an art collection
around (the peacock or bower birds come to mind) these creatures are in fact saying; I am so
superior that I survive in spite of my oversized anti camouflage appendage.
Explorers are telling the same story; “I am able to survive and possibly provide for others in the most
hostile environment our planet has to offer.”
These arguments have been presented much more eloquently by the likes of Jared Diamond and
Richard Dawkins and it is difficult to paraphrase them in the context of a short introduction, when
looking at the details of our societies through their lens we find a common thread to the most diverse
human activities, and our readers can rest assured that the eclectic nature of this issue represents
the surface and that below lie all the natural tendencies that make us the people that we are.
I’d like to commend Nabil Al Busaidi on the great work he is doing to promote Oman and the region
and the inspirational nature of his pursuits, may he inspire others to prove their genetic worth and
may he have fun doing it, keep up the good work!
And, I hope you enjoy this issue...
Tarik Al Said
COVER IMAGEPhotographer: Ahmed Shukaili
CONCEPT & CREATIONPRIYA NAIRCONTENT
DEEPA RAJANGHALIB ABDULLAH AL FORI
FATMA AL ARAIMIMOHAMMED FAHMI RAJAB
EXPERTSTravel - BRUCE STEWART, ANNE COLBYFashion - NATASHA LUNN, NADIA FOUZI
Technology - PAUL VILESWatches, Pens & Jewellery - BRIAN. TFinance & Investments - K. L PRASAD
Art & Culture - FREDERIQUE. BART
Art DirectorsSANDESH S. RANGNEKAR
MINAAL G. PEDNEKARDesigner - MARYAM RASHID AL SARMI
PRODUCTION HEADGOVINDRAJ RAMESH
ADVERTISING & MARKETINGGroup Advertising Manager - MIMI DEB
Sr Media Executive - FAREEDA S AL BALUSHICORPORATE
Chief Executive - SANDEEP SEHGALExecutive Vice President - ALPANA ROY
Vice President - RAVI RAMAN
DISTRIBUTED WITH OER by
United Media Services LLCSignature is an OER presentation published monthly and released in the first week of every month. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of
the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person or organisation acting or refraining
as a result of material in this publication. Signature accepts no
responsibility for advertising content.
Correspondence should be addressed to Signature
United Media Services LLC, PO Box 3305, Ruwi, PC 112, Muscat,
Sultanate of Oman,
Mobile +968 99849242 Fax +968 24707939
e-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]
An
PresentationCopyright © 2010 United Press & Publishing LLC
Some good genes & good reading...
FOREWORD
38
39
Picture Perfect
OMAN IN ITS MYRIAD HUES
AS SEEN THROUGH THE
LENS OF FOUR TALENTED
PHOTOGRAPHERS…
SHOW
rfect
OMAN IN ITS MYRIAD HUES
AS SEEN THROUGH THE
LENS OF FOUR TALENTED
16
17
NOTES
WRITE FROM THE TOPIt is an eternal question... why?
Why climb the highest mountain in
the world?George Mallory gave the most famous answer when he did a
lecture tour of the USA in the 1920s, answering in frustration and
exasperation; “Because it’s there.” Unfortunately this answer is never sufficient for most listeners
and the other answer given by experienced climbers is that if you
have to ask the question, you will never understand the answer,
and it will probably not satisfy either. After all, I hate the cold, hate
walking, hate camping, hate the outdoors, etc. It’s a paradoxical
answer, that makes little sense, but nevertheless I will try to
explain.
My standard answer is fourfold. I want:
1.To be the first Omani to climb Mt Everest
2.To raise money for charity
3.To inspire the youth4.And to present a positive image of Arabs and Muslims to the
Western media.
Nabil Al Busaidi pens his thoughts
from Everest Base Camp as he
prepares for the Falcon Oilfield
Services Everest Expedition.
1000’SOF APPS
500MB every month for 3 months on Mada 500MB every month for 2 months on Hayyak For all existing and new customers
freeFor more information contact Customer Service on 1234 or visit www.omantel.om
*With every purchase of an android smartphone until 24 July 2010.
*
8
RIDE THE LOTUS Lotus Cars Limited is back in Oman. Brought to Oman once again by Shanfari Automotive, the impressive portfolio brings together the fabulous new multi-award winning Lotus Evora, the iconic Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige and the ultra-lightweight Lotus 2-Eleven (for track use only). The Lotus has always been known for its lightweight high performance cars and their astounding handling and ride quality. While Lotus Elise may be the basic entry model, it still has all the hallmarks of a Lotus and is by far one
of the most iconic names in the brand’s line-up. The Exige boasts of higher levels of performance and perfectly fills the gap between the track-only 2-Eleven and the Elise. The latest model to join the Lotus stable — the Evora — is the most family-friendly of all the Lotus vehicles.
UPFRONT
THE LATEST AND OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY…
Here are two new weapons to fight the aging process without surgery. ATP Hyaluronic Acid and ATP
Keratox, available at Essence Spa, can be used by both men and women and are popular because of
their rejuvenating qualities and because the dramatic improvements are achieved without invasive
treatment. ATP Keratox has the enhanced effect of relaxing wrinkles in the area it is applied to, instead of paralysing it like other treatments. This ensures more
natural expressions can be preserved. It is a unique anti-aging wrinkle cure concentrate for fine lines under
and next to eye area (crow’s feet), wrinkles on the forehead (frown lines) and any other place fine lines
and wrinkles are present.
BOTOX IN A BOTTLE
JAGUAR-ME. COM
RO. 15,750Available for
TTTEST DRIVEE THE EEXXTRAORDINARYY XF TODDDAY.
Muscat: Vinesh - 97232595, Manoj - 96937299, Rakesh - 99349324, Salalah: Tabook - 99480660, Murali Krishna - 95754411, Sohar: Manjit - 99485327, Sur: Khalid - 99600355
E XT RAO R D I N A RY P R I C EJ UST O N E I N A LO N G L I ST O F
E XT RAO R D I N A RY STA N DA R D F E AT U R ES .
BBluetooth, 7” touchh ssccreen, Leather, Electronicaally adjustabble seaats,
IPOD & USB conneccttivvity, Rotating AC vents, Jaagguar Sensee™ touuch seensors,
66-speed ZF aautomaatticc traansmission witth Jaguarr sequential shift™™,
FFormula 1 styyle padddlee shiftters, JaguarDDrive Seleccctor™, Fronnt & reear parking
sssensors, Reveerse caammeera, 117” alloy wheeels. All excceptional feeaturees and all
ssstandard in thhe XF LLuuxxury..
The Capital Store showroom at the Sabco Commercial Centre reopened with an all-new look recently. The store now sports a spacious and modern look in soothing white. The store offers world-renowned fragrance and cosmetic brands like Dior, Guerlain, Clarins, YSL, Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez and Thierry Mugler to name a few. You can also shop from a wide range of handbags and wallets from luxurious brands such as Lancel, Givenchy, Thierry Mugler and Paris Hilton.
LUXURYREDEFINED
10
UPFRONT
Bait Al Ahlam’s sixth outlet at Al Ghubrah houses a comprehensive range of creative bathroom solutions under the Bagno Design concept from Italy. ‘Bagno’ in Italian means ‘bathroom’. Bagno Design brings together leading designer brands in tiles, sanitary ware, accessories, luxurious mirrors, Jacuzzis, and steam rooms under one roof to offer you the best in luxury bathrooms. The brands include names such as Apape, Apaiser, Bertocci, Art Cream, Bossini, Bonqio, Bati, GSI, Effegibi, Bugnatese, Geberit, Fantini, Galassaia, Nicolazzi, Hoesch Design, Vado, Reginox, Simex, Sanit Zucchetti, Wagner Ewar, and Stone forest.
A LUXURIOUS FIT
SPARKLING FLUIDITY From the house of jewellery iconoclast David Yurman, comes his perfumery’s de-but fragrance that was launched at a glittering function at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa recently. Called ‘David Yurman’, the fragrance’s sturdy clas-sical structure comes from a well-built base of sensual patchouli, exotic woods and soft musk. To this core, fluidity and modernity are enhanced with feminine florals of delicate peony, water lily and one of the most precious ingredients — natural rose otto. Accents of vibrant mandarin, fresh green petals and delicious cassis add sparkle, thus reflecting the brightness of David Yurman’s gemstones. Pick up a bottle from your nearest Capital Store outlet..
THE SCENTS OF
MADAGASCAREsetée Lauder’s new Hydrationist is just the right serum to quench your
skin’s thirst. The Hydrationist will work to hydrate your skin immediately and sustain its moisture over time to help resist the signs of premature ageing and with continued use, it will help skin hold and preserve its own internal
moisture for exceptional long-lasting, youth-infusing hydration. With its sweet-smelling signature scent inspired by the Madagascar coast, it brings
together a signature aqua coral note, a touch of algae, fresh ozone, refreshing grapefruit, tangerine and juicy pear to create a citrusy yet invigorating,
aquatic-smelling fusion. The fresh blend is then enhanced with hints of hyacinth, white lily, sheer rose, sandalwood and luscious musk.
12
UPFRONT
Sole distributors in the Sultanate of Oman
14
It has won the hearts of queens, movie stars and rock icons; of men and women around the world who share this precious bond: a Possession ring from Piaget. And, for its
twentieth birthday, it has a new, rather provocative look. The concept is still the same: two rings, one of which turns around the other. The surprise is the second ring: for 2010,
it is a chain. Two circles of white, yellow or pink gold, sometimes even set with diamonds, which tinkle slightly
as they rotate. It is bold and asserts its sensuality; just like the men and women for whom it is destined. For further
details contact Khimji’s Watches.
UPFRONT
LOVE LINKS
IN FULL BLOOM Displaying stunning boldness in a design with a contemporary touch is Breguet’s Crazy Flowers series. Housing a calibre 586 self-winding mechanical movement, the watch case features asymmetrical rows of baguette-cut diamonds mounted on minimalist settings affixed to the case from the middle section up to the bezel. These supple, springy settings make the most of the stones’ brilliance, swaying gracefully in response to movement. This dazzling tour de force comes with a Crazy Flower Haute Jewellery suite made up of a ring featuring a blooming-flower motif along with earrings, pendants and motifs also displaying mobile diamond clusters.
UPFRONT
16
NOTES
WRITE FROM THE TOP
It is an eternal question... why?
Why climb the highest mountain in the world?George Mallory gave the most famous answer when he did a
lecture tour of the USA in the 1920s, answering in frustration and
exasperation; “Because it’s there.”
Unfortunately this answer is never sufficient for most listeners
and the other answer given by experienced climbers is that if you
have to ask the question, you will never understand the answer,
and it will probably not satisfy either. After all, I hate the cold, hate
walking, hate camping, hate the outdoors, etc. It’s a paradoxical
answer, that makes little sense, but nevertheless I will try to
explain.
My standard answer is fourfold. I want:
1.To be the first Omani to climb Mt Everest
2.To raise money for charity
3.To inspire the youth
4.And to present a positive image of Arabs and Muslims to the
Western media.
Nabil Al Busaidi pens his thoughts from Everest Base Camp as he prepares for the Falcon Oilfield Services Everest Expedition.
17
18
NOTES
19
This expedition is such a feat
of endurance that having
clear goals is essential and I
realised one day when I was
floundering with the enormity
of the task and the breadth
of scope, that I knew I had to
focus my efforts into a few
distilled mission statements,
and from then on, exclude
all ideas that did not sit well
within those parameters.
1) My first goal might
seem obvious but,
sitting at home,
reading this, why is it me out
here, and not you? Although I
am just as guilty, I personally
get frustrated by the legions
of critics, who complain about
what is wrong with the world,
or why something is not done
and not doing something
about it themselves. Most
people completely miss the
fact that they could make a
difference.
I originally got roped into this
rather innocuously one day
when I was getting lunch and
bumped into a friend who had
tried to climb Everest before
and not succeeded and was
planning on going again.
He asked me if I wanted to
go with him, but I laughed
and said I had to get back to
work. Although I hadn’t seen
this friend much over the
last few years, I bumped into
him several times over the
next few weeks and so the
idea was sown and began to
germinate in the back of my
head. Eventually I asked a
few friends with expedition
experience for their opinion,
and one suggested I walk
to the Magnetic North Pole
instead of going to Everest, for
a couple of reasons. One was
that nearly 3,000 had already
climbed Everest whereas only
around 200 had walked to a
pole, so it was more unique.
Another was that no Arab had
walked to a Pole but two had
climbed Everest.
I think I was slightly bullied
into this ascent after walking
to the Magnetic North Pole
in 2009 for three reasons.
Because I had walked to the
pole, people would naturally
ask when I was going to climb
Everest, as if I hadn’t done
enough already! It was idle
light-hearted conversation,
but repeated enough, it
became stuck in my mind.
Secondly, I have lost count of
the number of times I have
been asked if the North Pole
is on top of Everest! Not at all
a good reason for climbing
the highest mountain in the
world, but nonetheless a
reason. And finally, I have
had so much criticism over my
walk to the Magnetic North
Pole, that I felt I had to do
something more.
It is strange that I should get
criticised for something that
did no harm, and probably
a lot of good. One criticism
is that it isn’t the real North
Pole, but if it weren’t real, why
do compasses point in that
direction? I understand that
the geographic North Pole is
where all Cartesian maps
point to, but it doesn’t make
the Magnetic Pole any less
real.
Another criticism I had, from a
Ministry official no less, was
that going to the North Pole
was easy, and he had been
there several times. Obviously
he hadn’t, and on closer
examination, it turned out
he had flown over it several
times. I tried to explain that
driving 26 miles to work every
morning wasn’t the same as
running a marathon everyday,
but when someone is
convinced of their divine right
there is no talking to them!
2) Bizarrely, some
people have said
that I only walked
to the North Pole for my own
selfish reasons, and there
is a lot of truth in that, but
considering I have helped
raise more than US$ 100,000
for charity, I think the world
could do with a lot more
selfish people like me.
Doing some things for
personal vanity is a strong
motivator, but when you
are doing something that
requires so much endurance
and perseverance, if there
isn’t a reason a lot bigger and
nobler than personal glory,
the lure quickly loses its
lustre. The idea of supporting
charity came to me during
Ramadan, when charity is a
big part of that month, and if
it hadn’t been for the money I
was raising, there are times
I would have given up. But
the thought of letting down
so many charities kept me
going at moments when
there was almost no reason
to go on. There is a saying
that to those whom much is
given, much is expected, and
I have been very lucky in
my life, even though I don’t
realise it or acknowledge it
sometimes. This is one way of
trying to redress the balance
and help those less fortunate
than myself. I am certainly
no Mother Teresa, but no
human can be expected to
be perfect, but trying to be a
better person should be good
enough. Luckily in my case,
it takes very little effort to be
a better person than I was
before!!
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Sir Winston Churchill
3) As a child my
parents bought me
Ladybird books to
encourage me to read. Most
were about historical figures
like kings and queens, but
some of them were about
explorers and adventurers.
These were my heroes
when I grew up. They were
not perfect people but they
were doing things for the
betterment of mankind, the
expansion of knowledge, and
usually at great personal
sacrifice.
Nowadays, the big heroes
for school kids are film stars,
footballers and the latest
winner of ‘Big Brother’. A lot of
this encourages lazy ambition.
And the hope that you are
secretly the next big thing
just waiting to be discovered,
completely ignoring the fact
that most real stars have had
to sweat their way to the top,
after putting hours of practice
and training.
Now I have no delusions that I
am anywhere near as famous
or influential as these modern
day heroes, but:
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”
Shakespeare Merchant of Venice Act 5, Scene 1.
My modest hope is that my
efforts will inspire one of the
school kids that I visit to do
more than he thinks he is
currently capable of.
The most beautiful and
rewarding moment was going
to talk to a school where a
child asked me if I wanted to
get out of my sleeping bag in
the morning, during the North
Pole trek. I told him I didn’t,
but I wanted to be the first
Arab to walk to the North Pole
even more, so I had to get out
of bed.
A few days later, I got an
email from one of the teachers
who was teaching some of the
dyslexic kids. She was getting
them to do word searches and
one of the kids was refusing
because he found it hard.
Another kid piped up and
said, remember what Nabs
said, he didn’t want to get out
of bed, but if he wanted to get
to the North Pole, he had to
get up. So if you want to be
able to read, you have to do
your exercises. The kid didn’t
complain again!
I have no idea if I have had
any influence on anyone
else, but I like to think that
I have inspired one child to
be a better reader and that is
enough.
4) As a Muslim and an
Arab, it is difficult
to hear the Western
media always follow the
word Islamic with terrorist
or fundamentalist, as if the
two words are intrinsically
linked. There are no positive
examples, and certainly
none that are mentioned,
of Muslims or Arabs in the
international media. As I
like to tell the school kids,
I am going to be the first
Arab famous for not blowing
something up. Kids always
like that joke, adults rarely
do, and I think that just proves
how sensitive a subject it has
become.
In my expeditions, I have
been stopped at nearly every
border and had to justify
my appearance. In Canada
it happened five times in
one expedition, but each
time I left them with a better
impression of Arabs and
Muslims and a little history
of Oman. It is a small drop
in the ocean, but it makes
a difference. And having
completed my expeditions, it
has taken me places I never
expected when I started. As
a direct consequence of my
accomplishments, I have been
on Italian state TV with Miss
Italy, met the Crown Prince of
Bahrain, gone on Umrah, and
met my fiancée.
Having done one expedition,
I found it so rewarding in
different ways, that I have
never wanted to go back to an
ordinary job. In fact, I left a job
where the owner’s values and
my own did not coincide, so
it made the decision to resign
and go my own way very easy.
Whilst I was in the Arctic, one
of the employees was working
overtime before going home to
study for professional exams.
When his study partner
came to his flat, he found my
colleague dead. Even though I
had resigned several months
before, the staff were trying to
get in touch with me to assist
them in sorting the situation.
The owner was contacted and
came to see the scene. After
surmising that the employee
had died of natural causes,
he announced that he was not
liable and walked off.
The widow and children were
not given his last salaries
and due to cost-cutting by
the owner, an item we had
disagreed upon, all the staff
life insurance policies were
not paid as per the contracts,
so the widow had to leave
empty-handed as well as
heart- broken.
That owner wasn’t the only
awful boss I’ve had, but easily
the worst. And this engineer
had spent the last hours of
his life working overtime and
then getting ready to study
for professional exams for an
owner that didn’t care.
Remembering death has
made me enjoy my life more.
I had a friend who died from
breast cancer several years
ago, and in her last few
months, she had the best time
of her life. I thought she would
be depressed with the weight
of her prognosis, but instead
she knew she didn’t have long
left, and spent her remaining
time on earth enjoying it to the
full. She only did things she
liked, enjoyed or wanted to
do, and she avoided negative
people and situations.
And that could be the best
thing to come out of all this.
I have less time to waste
on negative people and
situations, and knowing I
could die at any moment,
want to enjoy what time I
have left. Of course I have put
myself at so much greater risk,
but when things are tough,
and they frequently are, I
just think, would I be happier
working overtime for an owner
who couldn’t care less, dying
slowly in a corporate rut, or
being uncomfortable and
miserable doing something
worthwhile? I am just lucky
to have supportive sponsors
who have allowed me to
answer that question to my
satisfaction
(My thanks to my sponsors Falcon Oilfield Services, Sohar Aluminium, SABCO, Renaissance Services, Mistal, Nawras, Omantel, ICAP, KPMG, BMMI, Qalhat LNG, Ministry of Sports, and Desert Line.)
NOTES
20
NOTES
Nabil Al Busaidi setting off to climb Lobuche Top of Mt Lobuche
21
24
A Glorious Collection of CarsThe Palm Garden at Intercontinental Muscat was the venue of the first ever Sports and Luxury Car Show in Muscat. It was a show that would make any auto enthusiast burst with excitement!
EVENT
25
The Porsche 911 GT2 aka ‘the Widowmaker’
26
The two day event was
inaugurated by HE Ahmed
bin Saleh al Maimani,
Undersecretary of
Administrative and Financial
Affairs and Regional affairs at
the Ministry of Commerce and
industry, who was seen visiting
and experiencing almost each
and every car at the show.
These included a wide range
of grand tourers, hatchbacks,
convertibles, coupes and
supercars lining the lawns,
occasionally busting into life
with a throaty roar of power
and barely contained intent.
Guests and visitors alike
moved from car to car,
eagerly snapping away
with cameras and taking the
opportunity to explore their
favourite machines. All the
while the DJ was adding flair
to the professionally created
ambience. The manufactures
were no doubt pleased with the
turnout, with a constant stream
of car enthusiasts and potential
buyers listening in rapt
attention as experts explained
key points of interest about their
high performance products.
For lotus in particular, this event
gave them the exposure they
needed especially considering
that they were launched just
a few days prior to the show.
“This event couldn’t have
come at a better time for us, it’s
a chance to get customers to
Open- air freedom - the
Ferrari California
Light and nippy - the Lotus Elise
SC
The collection of Hamaan vehicles
from UAE
EVENT
28
know what Lotus is all about,”
said Chris Edwards, General
Manager Shanfari Automotive,
the distributors of the Lotus
brand.
Al Nimr International
Exhibition Organisation, the
event organisers, expressed
satisfaction over the turnout
and the cars on display. “It
was our job to organise this
event, the main aim of which
is to generate publicity for
the vehicle manufacturers.
Diplomatically, I can’t say I
have a favourite, we are just
pleased to have gotten all these
cars under one roof especially
Mitsubishi, Lamborghini,
Maserati, Ferrari, Porsche,
lotus, Bentley, Audi, VW, Dodge,
Peugeot and even Hamann
from UAE,” said Salim Al
Hashmi, CEO at Al Nimr.
In case you missed the show,
or you just want to admire
these high-performance works
of art again, feast your eyes
on the following pages of
automotive glory. One would
be hard-pressed to find a better
collection of cars elsewhere in
Oman, especially when you
consider that they were all in
just one garden
Last of the great Murciélagos -
the LP 670-4 SV
Signature was a media partner for this event
Affordable performance -
the VW Gti
Luxuary at its best - the Bentley Continental Flying
Spur Speed
EVENT
29
30
The Bean Story
THE PERFECT COFFEE, FROM THE WORLD’S BEST MOUNTAIN GROWN
ARABICA, IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS ROAST, SAYS JIM RAGAS
FOOD
31
One of the first things you
need to understand about
coffee is how easily its
environment affects it. The
coffee tree is a product of
its environment; it draws its
nutrients from the soil in which
its roots are firmly planted
and its growth depends on the
climatic patterns, rainfall and
temperature. The care of the
farmer’s husbandry is equally
important, as is the care and
thoroughness of the processing
given to the coffee after it is
harvested.
The best coffee actually comes
from the cooler, more temperate
environments of the higher
mountainous regions within
the tropics. Conditions most
suitable for coffee growing
include: abundant rainfall,
mean annual temperature of
about 70 degrees Fahrenheit,
and well drained, nutrient-rich
soils — elements that can be
found at a variety of altitudes.
Coffee is cultivated at all
altitudes from sea level up to
the frost level.
The higher mountainous
elevations yield the ‘best
32
FOODFOOD
33
coffees’, ‘Arabicas’. Rainfall
is sparse, and the much cooler
temperatures and shortage
of oxygen at these altitudes
slow down growth, causing
the beans to mature more
gradually and develop more
flavour, essence and become
more delicate and delectable.
Higher grown coffee beans
usually have a higher density
than lower grown beans, which
enhances the complexity
of the flavour profile. The
soils in these mountainous
terrains lack the nutrients to
support the coffee trees, a hard
environment for the coffee tree
to contend with. In response to
these conditions, the trees only
produce a small annual yield
averaging about one pound per
tree every year. Yet, each one
of those beans is plump full of
valuable essence and coffee
flavour.
These coffees, because of their
low yield nature, tend not to
be very abundant. However,
their scarcity, along with the
special attention required
for their cultivation, makes
these genuine mountain
grown coffees costlier and
more special than the mass-
produced, commercial
varieties. Produced from these
extreme conditions is a flavour
that is worth all the hardship. It
is a taste that can be described
as rich, deep bodied, well
balanced, delicate, aromatic,
and overall an excellent coffee.
Companies such as Second
Cup select from only the top
one per cent of the world’s
coffee grown each year. Only
the world’s best mountain
grown Arabica coffee is chosen
from coffee producers who lead
the industry in the cultivation
of premium, specialty grade,
Arabica coffees. These include
farms like Hacienda La
Minita in Costa Rica, Fazenda
Vista Alegre in Brazil, Café
Volcan Baru in Panama, and
Exportadora De Café Condor
in Colombia and COCLA
Cooperative in Peru.
Not only do these farms
and co-operatives produce
exceptionally high
quality coffee, they set the
benchmark for both social and
environmental stewardship.
Our relationship with these
producers allows us to buy
directly from the growers and
mill operators and to see the
results of their social and
environmental activities first-
hand.
Of course, the perfect coffee
is only as perfect as its roast!
During roasting we bring out
the aromatic oils inherent in
the beans and reduce their
moisture content. Roasting
coffee evolves flavours and
aroma in the coffee producing a
complex and highly developed
beverage
Second Cup has grown to
over 400 cafés worldwide and
50 internationally. Second Cup
offers a variety of innovative
and exclusive blends,
espresso-based beverages
and iced drinks, signature
foods, indulgent treats and
premium beverages in a warm
and comfortable setting. You
can find more information on
http://www.secondcup.com
The author is Vice President, International Business Development &
Operations in Second Cup Canada.
34
Sights, Sounds and Spices
No travel guide, travel
magazine or pithy travel
agent spiel could have
prepared me for my arrival
in Oman, and that first
glimpse of the glittering jewel
that is Muscat.
Departing the airport,
monolithic dunes and
rippling sand that seems
to swallow the horizon,
till suddenly, the endless
expanse parts to admit an
emerald oasis of English
country gardens! The contrast
between greater Oman
and its vibrant, verdant
heart could not be more
startling. With the advent
of desalination, Muscat has
achieved the seemingly
impossible: bringing to life a
lustrous, thriving metropolis
deep in the deceptively
barren desert.
A more magical, inviting
city I would be hard pressed
to name, from its ancient
Souk to its achingly beautiful
mosques, its timeless culture
and thriving industry, Muscat
offers new and breathtaking
discoveries at every turn.
We were totally unprepared
for the sheer magnitude of
the bustling Souk, Madeleine
(my wife) swiftly opted to
purchase her first head scarf,
brilliant orange among the
iridescent blues, heavy reds
and vivid purples of the
hand-dyed pieces on offer,
and donned it quickly. Whilst
her blonde locks and bare
arms exposed by her simple
western dress didn’t attract
SHANNON BENNETT TAKES A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE AND
INTO MUSCAT’S VIBRANT, VERDANT HEART AND
DISCOVERS THE MAGIC OF FESTIVE OMANI
FOOD...
FOOD COURT
35
any animosity, we were clearly
something of a curiosity, so we
happily bowed to custom so we
could better enjoy the mind-
boggling sights and sounds of
this wonder. Spices, fabrics,
garments, jewels…you name
it the Souk sells it, running late
into the night beyond dawn till
the searing sun closes its doors
temporarily each day.
Naturally, our most anticipated
discoveries in Oman would
revolve around its food.
While Muscat does boast
the ubiquitous international
chain-fare, most eateries we
encountered were modest
Lebanese and Turkish food
stands. Dining out typically
takes place in hotel restaurants,
but as first-time visitors we
eschewed the more European-
influenced cuisine options in
favour of a true taste of Oman,
and thanks to the incredible
hospitality of its people, this
was no great feat.
Arriving in the last days of
the holy month of Ramadan,
the exclusion of the wining
component from the dining
equation was no great shock,
and despite observance of
daily fasting, the coming of
Iftar as the sun sets brought
its own delights: Sakhana (the
satisfying sweet soup of wheat),
dates, molasses and milk, and
the restorative fatta (meat
and vegetables mixed with
unleavened Omani bread).
As Eid-Al-Fitr approached, a
palpable excitement brought
Ramadan to its close. Muscat
hummed with preparation and
anticipation. Lacy trails of fairy-
lights festooned surrounding
parkland in our quarter as
the square became suddenly
animated with festival
attractions and long tables
ready to be burdened with the
accoutrements of feasting.
The first day of Eid brought
Mashuai (spit-roasted kingfish
on lemon rice), and Mugalab
(tripe slow-cooked in ground
cinnamon, clove, cardamom,
black pepper, ginger, garlic
and nutmeg) a veritable spice
market of dazzling aromas.
On our second day, we
welcomed the variety of
skewered meats cooked over
charcoal that is Mishkak, and
the tender delights of Arsia
(lamb and rice). This is truly
food you first eat with your
eyes, each dish seeming to
capture the rich hues of sunset
with their complex spicing.
The third day, the last and
most eagerly anticipated of Eid
introduced us to the delights
of Shuwa. Not many dishes
can boast they require an
entire village to aid in their
preparation; hence Shuwa
is served only on special
occasions. A whole goat,
marinated in red pepper,
turmeric, coriander, cumin,
cardamom, garlic, and vinegar
is wrapped in a sack made
from dry banana or palm
leaves. The sacks are then
laid in smouldering ovens
prepared in a pit dug into the
ground and roasted for up to
two days. The resulting meat is
breathtakingly succulent and
tender. This is followed by the
traditional desserts such as
Omani Halwa and Lokhemat
(delicious balls of deep fried
flour and yeast in sweet lime
and cardamom syrup). And
of course, no meal in Oman
would be complete without a
bitter, bracing shot of Kahwa
(Omani coffee).
The sense of pride, humility
and ceremony with which
each dish was prepared
and presented portrayed
how important food and the
rituals associated with it is
to the Omani way of life:
respecting its source, observing
seasonality and celebrating the
joy of feeding those you love is
a crucial part of this intricate
culture, and accordingly each
dish is received as no less than
a great gift.
Muscat is a revelation. The
warm evenings hum with
the energy of a city at once
being thrust headlong into
the future, while remaining
steadfastly faithful to its rich
cultural heritage. Overlooking
the city each night from the
vantage point of my balcony,
as the bustling city below is
lulled by the omnipresent song
of evening prayer and the
soothing desert winds full of
silent promise; I felt I stood with
one foot each in two utterly
diverse destinations. This
rare and startling sensation
is one I’ve never experienced
before, and it is a feeling only
heightened by each eagerly
anticipated return to the
majestic Muscat
The author is an internationally acclaimed chef and owner of ‘Vue De
Monde’, Australia. In Oman, the Al Bustan Palace Intercontinental Muscat
houses ‘Vue by Shannon Bennett’.
38
Picture Perfect
OMAN IN ITS MYRIAD HUES AS SEEN THROUGH THE
LENS OF FOUR TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHERS…
SHOW
39
40
“Photography is the essence
of my life. It leads me on a
voyage of discovery. Through it
I examine and record the beauty
of nature and the environment
of my country. I present my
visual impressions and vision
of beauty surrounding me.”
Ahmed Al Busaidi
SHOW
“I am still a beginner in
photography, I started in mid
2006, but then the world of
photography enchanted me.
I don’t consider photography
to be just a hobby for me; it’s
something more than that in
my life. Photography to me is a
lifestyle that connects me more
to Oman and its culture, its
places & people. Photography
made me appreciate the
moments more, and made me
crave to record a moment, with
all its details and emotions,
to be a reminder for me once
it’s forgotten from the memory.
Photography is a never ending
story between me & light.”
Ahmed Shukaili
42
“Photography is quite simply
a way of life. Photography is
part of my daily life, it helps me
to discover the world in which
I live and travel to. It enables
me to constantly search for new
things, meet new people and
respond to my surroundings.
Photography allows me to
constantly challenge myself to
produce better art and explore
and push the boundaries of
expression.”
Ibrahim Al Busaidi
SHOW
Visual Impressions is on at the Art Gallery at Al Bandar Hotel, Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat in
partnership with Bait Al Zubair Museum.
“For me, photography is not
just a hobby, it`s my passion,
it`s the best thing I do, every
single photograph I take — be
sure that I have enjoyed taking
it, just going outdoors for
photography is an adventure
to me. I use photography to
capture a story that can be
remembered forever.
I mostly like to photograph
nature, Oman’s valleys,
mountains and coasts are
what truly inspire me. I feel
the incredible and diverse
nature that the Creator granted
us needs to be documented;
therefore I chose the camera to
help me to achieve this task.”
Salim Al Wardi
44
The
Sun, Sea
and Some
Regga
e... For those who love the
sun, sea and reggae music, Antigua is the place
to be, says Her Highness Muzna Al Said.
DESTINATION
45
It’s January 29, 2010. It’s a
cold, rainy and miserable
day and I can’t wait to
escape it as I look out
of the small, rounded
window of the Virgin
Airways flight that will
take me to my holiday
destination. The flight
takes around eight and
a half hours (non-stop) to
get from the London Gatwick airport, UK to the
island of Antigua, located in the middle of the
Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean.
When the plane lands at the V.C. Bird
international airport of Antigua, the sun
is shining and the temperature is perfect,
around 26 degrees Celsius. I am greeted with
smiling faces and the sound of Caribbean
music in the distance. This is my third trip
to Antigua and even though there is a sense
of comfort and familiarity, I can still feel my
DESTINATION
47
heart racing with excitement.
I can’t wait to get to the hotel
and then proceed to lie on the
white sandy beach and swim
in the clean, cool, turquoise
Antiguan Ocean.
Antigua has 365 beaches,
one for every day of the year.
The people who usually visit
Antigua are touring on cruise
ships or come to the island
on their yachts. However,
it is quite the popular
vacation spot for families and
honeymooners alike because
of its beauty, climate and
friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
The hotel I chose to stay
at was the 5-star Carlisle
Bay Resort, owned by
Campbellgray hotels, which
is located on the southwest
shore of the island. In fact,
the Carlisle Bay is said to
be the first bay of the island
that explorers set foot on
centuries ago.
Of course, there are several
hotels and resorts on the
island, depending on
your style and budget.
The top five, I would
recommend are the
Carlisle Bay Resort,
Jumby Bay Resort,
Sugar Ridge Resort,
Jolly Harbour Resort
and vacation
rentals and the
Sandals Resort.
All of these are
family-friendly and
have access to beaches and
an abundance of fun activities
from water sports to hiking
to zip-lining through the rain
forest.
There are four main places to
visit apart from the stunning
beaches on the island; St.
Johns, English Harbour, Jolly
Harbour and Shirley Heights.
Antigua is rich in history and
culture and has a couple of
national museums that must
be stopped at when exploring
the island. St. Johns is the
capital of the island with lots
of bustling, colourful street
life. It has wonderful markets,
from local Antiguan crafts,
artwork and food to boutiques
stores and designer labels.
English Harbour is a historic
town and is surrounded by
old stonewalls and look out
points. One of the main and
famous dockyards is located
in English Harbour: Nelson’s
Dockyard, named after Horatio
Nelson, the British naval
officer in 1784, who developed
naval facilities here.
The Island has lots to offer
in terms of cuisine as well.
Restaurants that I dined at
included the Johnny Coconat
that serves some amazing
Italian food and Catherine’s
Café that serves French and
European cuisine. Both are
on the waterfront overlooking
the harbour and hillsides. For
some great seafood, local food
and a chilled out atmosphere
on the west side of the
island, I recommend Dennis’
Restaurant. Another popular
location for locals and tourists
alike is the Shirley Heights,
especially on Sundays when
there is live Reggae music
and barbeque that starts
at sundown. Its partially-
restored fortifications of the
harbour’s colonial observation
post offers stunning views
looking out over the harbour
and the Caribbean towards
the Montserrat island, where
lies one of the few remaining
active volcanoes in the
world, and Guadeloupe (an
archipelago located in the
Leeward Islands).
The Island also celebrates the
Carnival, which many people
fly in for every year. Held
from July 24 to August 3 every
year, the vibrant and colourful
Carnival commemorates the
abolition of slavery. Carnival
hosts steel band competitions,
beauty pageants such as
The Caribbean Queen
competition, local concerts,
food fairs, parades and much
more. I am yet to attend the
Carnival and look forward to
returning to Antigua soon.
I encourage anyone who
enjoys the sun, sea and some
reggae music to visit this
paradise island. Whether
you are with friends, family
or your partner, Antigua
welcomes you all!
H.H Muzna Bint Kais Al Said
Born in London in 1985. Raised in the Sultanate of
Oman and educated in the UK and Oman.
“Motivated by creativity, I consider myself a free
spirit. I’m working towards my goal in life, my passion
that is Art.”
48
SHOP
Whether it’s a break dedicated to boutique browsing or a day of
splashing out as part of a longer stay, holiday shopping always
holds that special charm and with The Chic Outlet Shopping ®
Villages special becomes exceptional.
Chic Outlet Shopping ® Villages comprise a collection of nine
designer outlet shopping Villages throughout Europe offering the
previous seasons’ collections of the world’s leading luxury fashion
and lifestyle brands with up to 60 per cent of the recommended
retail price, all year round. Each is within easy reach of an iconic,
‘must-see’ European city, yet a world away from the urban frenzy.
Here, retail really does equal relaxation. Stylish and open-air, each
Village has been designed to echo its surroundings. Depending on
your destination, you could be strolling around a Catalan market
town or a quaint English country village. And along the way you’ll
find some of the world’s most luxurious brands, many of which
are stocked exclusively at the Chic Outlet Shopping ® Villages:
Anya Hindmarch, Antik Batik, Armani, Escada, Mami, Matthew
Williamson, MCM, Paul Smith, Roberto Cavalli, Smythson, TAG
Heuer, Tod’s, Tumi, Versace...the list goes on. There are more than
460 luxury labels showcased in more than 875 boutiques — the
finest clothing, accessories and homeware.
Here’s an exclusive peek into these shopping destinations...
a boutique vacation
dedicated to boutique browsing or a day ofe a d b i w n r a fd d d b b d fd b fd d d b b d f
t of a longer stay, holiday shopping alwayso l g t h d s p g w st of a longer stay holiday shopping alwayso l g t h d s p g w st of a longer stay holiday shopping always
arm and with Ther a w e Chic Outlet Shopping ® u p npp g
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49
Designed to emulate some of the most famous retail destinations in the
world — Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, Bond Street in London, Rome’s
Via Condotti — the scene is set for one of the choicest shopping
experiences in Spain. Just 35 minutes from central Madrid, Las Rozas
Village has more than 100 boutiques with exclusive price reductions.
What better place than here to indulge yourself with famous Spanish
labels including the globally-recognised Custo Barcelona, Antonio
Miró, and Purificación García alongside the best international labels.
How to get there: 1. Shopping Express from main hotels in Madrid,
ask your hotel’s concierge. 2. Public Bus – line 625, 628 and 629
from Madrid’s Moncioa bus station every 20 minutes. 3. Taxi from
Madrid is only around US$ 35.
For brands of international acclaim and local designers, the
residents of Munich make Ingolstadt Village their first-stop for
affordable luxury and high-end fashion and it’s as much a must-
do for visitors too. From Munich it’s an easy, 50-minute drive
into the beautiful region of Bavaria. The Village has more than
110 luxury boutiques including For All Mankind, Philipp Plein,
MCM, Aigner, Bogner, MCM, St.Emile — offering reductions
of up to 60 per cent on the recommended retail price. Prevent
shopping fatigue by sitting down to an authentic Bavarian lunch.
How to get there: 1. Shopping Express direct transfer every
Thursday and Saturday from Munich Main Train Station at
9.30am and from Odeonsplatz at 9.45am; 2. Ingolstadt Airport
Express Shuttle; 3. Train from Munich Central Station and then
bus service to Ingolstadt Village.
Las Rozas VillageMadrid (Spain)
Ingolstadt Village Munich (Germany)
MiróM
HowH
ask a
fromr
MadMM dMM d
Travel Tip:
Combine shopping at Las
Rozas Village with a tour
of Segovia or a visit to San
Lorenzo de El Escorial.
Travel Tip:
Combine shopping at
Ingolstadt Village with a
Danube boat trip or a visit
to Audi Museum.
50
SHOP
Amongst fairytale castles and enchanting scenery of the Romantic
Road, Wertheim is an essential stop. Only 50 minutes from Frankfurt
and Nuremburg, Wertheim Village is as charming as the nearby
picturesque towns that inspired it. Adding to the serene setting are
amazing price reductions on international brands as well as exclusive
German labels such as Aigner and Baldessarini, Steiff bears (the most
famous teddy bears in the world) as well as international names such
as Escada, Longchamp and L’Occitane en Provence.
How to get there: 1. Shopping Express direct transfer every Thursday
and Saturday at 9am from Frankfurt Marriot Hotel Trade Fair Centre;
at 9.30am from Main train station; 10am from Westin Grand Hotel; 2.
Train from Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Würzburg to Wertheim – regular
service from main city station and then free direct shuttle transfer to
Wertheim Village.
Only 60 minutes from Brussels, Antwerp and Cologne, Maasmechelen
Village is Belgium’s largest shopping attraction. More than 150 up-
market labels in more than 95 luxury boutiques offer savings of 30 to
60 per cent on the recommended retail price: fabulous Belgian brands
include Chine and Olivier Strelli, as well as such renowned names as
Scapa, Strenesse and Versace.
How to get there: Train from Brussels – SNCB services to Genk
or Hasselt and then bus line 45 to the Village; SNCB services to
Maastricht and then bus line 63 to the Village
Wertheim Village Frankfurt (Germany)
Maasmechelen Village Brussels (Belgium)
Itinerary Tip:
Combine shopping at
Wertheim Village with a
tour of Würzburg or a visit
to Medieval Aschaffenburg.
Maastricht and tha
Itinerary Tip:
Combine shopping at
Maasmechelen Village with
a tour of Maastricht or a visit
to the Fashion Museum in
Hasselt.
51
Kildare Village is Ireland’s premium designer brand outlet Village making it a must-
visit place to Ireland’s capital city. Only an hour’s drive from Dublin, it’s simple to
swap the bustle of the city for the beauty of the countryside and browse brands
such as Bally, Anya Hindmarch, Thomas Pink and L.K. Bennett. Whether it’s
designer names or cult brands you’re looking for there are more than 55 boutiques
offering luxury with savings of up to 60 per cent off the recommended retail price.
After a day of boutique browsing, grab something to eat in the Village or taste the
local cuisine in one of the cosy pubs nearby.
How to get there: 1. Shopping Express – direct transfer on Saturday at 10am and
on Sunday at 11am from outside the Dublin Tourism Office on O’Connell Street; 2.
train from Dublin – Irish Rail direct service from Dublin’s Heuston Station to Kildare
town station and then complimentary shuttle bus to Kildare Village.
For a country that does luxury as well as any in the world,
Fidenza Village stands out as one of its finest shopping
destinations. With more than 90 boutiques all with fabulous
price reductions even the Milanese are willing to step outside
their city to seek their fashion fix here — assurance, if any were
needed, that this is a ‘must-see’ for any visitor. It is a mere hour
from both Milan and Bologna. Unsurprisingly, given the Italian
influence on fashion, many of the labels here are native —
Missoni, Furla, Class Roberto Cavalli, Trussardi Jeans, Bruno
Magli — as well as the international names Brooks Brothers,
Escada, Diesel and many more
How to get there: Shopping Express – direct transfer with daily
departures from P.zza Castello 1 in Milan at 10am.
Kildare VillageDublin (Ireland)
Fidenza Village Milan (Italy)
HowH
on Soon S
trainr
towoTravel Tip:
Combine shopping at
Kildare Village with a visit
to the Irish National Stud
and Gardens.
Travel Tip:
Combine shopping at
Fidenza Village with a
visit to Ferrari Museum
or a spa treatment at
Salsomaggiore Terme
52
As enticing a ‘must-see’ as the stately homes and celebrity mansions
of the Oxfordshire countryside, Bicester Village is another kind of
luxury. Just 20 minutes from Oxford and only an hour from London,
its A-list clientele includes Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham. Pick up
British designer labels including Anya Hindmarch, Luella, Marni, Paul
Smith, Smythson, Temperley London, Tumi and Vivienne Westwood,
as well as cutting-edge brands such as All Saints and Reiss — all
reduced by up to 60 per cent off the recommended retail price. Choose
from a range of restaurants and cafés within the Village, or take a
short drive to a nearby Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Manoir aux
Quat’Saisons
How to get there: By train from London – Chiltern Railways’ service
journey takes 60 minutes and runs up to four times an hour from
London Marylebone to Bicester North and then direct shuttle transfer to
Bicester Village.
Shopping is at its chicest best at La Vallée Village. The charming
setting, just 35 minutes East of Paris, is fairytale-esque. Yet it’s the
exclusive price reductions on all the best luxury brands that are truly
magical. Browse the boutiques for fabulous French labels and the best
of its fashion boutiques including Antik Batik, Jimmy Choo, Sandro and
Zadig & Volatire. Stop for a coffee and croissant or finish the day with
a glass of bubbly nearby.
How to get there: Shopping Express – direct transfer by Cityrama,
daily departures from Place des Pyramides, at 10:15am.
Bicester Village London (UK)
La Vallée Village Paris (France)
Itinerary Tip:
Combine shopping at
Bicester Village with a
tour of Oxford or a visit to
Blenheim Palace
se
ex
mm
of
Za
a
HoHo
da
Itinerary Tip:
Combine shopping at La
Vallée Village with a visit to the
Château de Vaux le Vicomte
or a tour of the Champagne
Region
SHOP
Discover the Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages, a collection of nine luxury brand outlet Villages offering previous seasons’ collections of the world’s leading designer fashion and lifestyle brands with upto 60% off the recom-mended retail price, all year round. Make a trip to Chic Outlet Shopping® Village part of your travel itinerary. Set in beautiful countryside, and within easy reach of Europe’s destination cities, the nine villages provide a perfect comple-ment to visiting London, Dublin, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich and the surrounding regions. Tax refund service is available in all the Villages. OVER 850 boutiquesAnne Fontaine, Antik Batik, Alexander McQueen, Anya Hindmarch, Armani, Bally, Brooks Brothers, Cacharel, Calvin Klein Jeans, Diesel, Diane von Fursten-berg, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada, Guess, Jack Wills, Jimmy Choo, La Perla, Luella, Marni, Mathew William-son, Missoni, Paul Smith, Roberto Cavallu, Salvatore Ferragamo, Smyth-son, Temperley London, Tod’s, Tumu, Versace… and many more in nine Villages through-out Europe.
www.ChicOutletShopping.com
DISCOVER THE CHICOutlet shopping® Villages
An Associate Company of
54
La Roca Village Barcelona (Spain)
Itinerary Tip:
Combine shopping at La
Roca Village with a visit to
Girona or some sunbathing
on the Costa Brava
beaches
In the style of a traditional Catalan market town, La Roca Village, a
most exclusive of outlet shopping destinations, is only 40 minutes
from Barcelona. Shopping in style couldn’t be simpler. Amongst the
wealth of international labels are Spanish-born brands, including the top
names Barcelona-born Antonio Miró and Adolfo Dominguez, with the
international names represented by TAG Heuer, Belstaff and Carolina
Herrera. With prices reduced by up to 60 per cent off the recommended
retail price, there’s more than just the sunshine to enjoy at this open-air
shopping experience. There are some fantastic eating options within and
nearby the Village with traditional Catalan food on offer to add to your
taste of the area.
How to get there: 1. Shopping Express direct transfer in Winter (Jan
1 – Apr 30 / Oct 1 – Dec 31): Monday, Friday and Saturday. In summer
(May 1 – Sep 30): Daily from Monday to Saturday, Departures at 10am,
4pm and 6pm from Plaza Catalunya to La Roca Village. 2. Public Bus –
service by Sagalés, departures Monday to Friday from Fabra i Puig Bus
Station (Barcelona) to La Roca Village (www.sagales.com) 3. Train from
Barcelona – RENFE operates regular trains from Barcelona Sants Station
to Granollers Centre Station, the nearest train station to La Roca Village,
then take a 20-minute direct bus journey or a short taxi ride to La Roca
Village. 4. Return trip from Barcelona €110.
To book your experience contact on 24559977You can also email at: [email protected]
SHOP
SEIKO SHOWROOM: E-Mart, Al Raid House, Ground Floor, Qurum Shopping Area, Muscat. Tel.: 24571376
56
ThePerfect
10Look. Listen.
Dream. Imagine. Invent. Develop.
Try. Nuance. Refine. Rework. Accomplish.
Start again. Olivier Echaudemaison
shares his 10-year journey at Guerlain...
GUERLAIN AND ME...When I was 20, I wore Vetiver
and I loved to go and buy it.
For me, Guerlain was the very
embodiment of fine perfumery;
a world overflowing with
beauty. When I began working
as Creative Director for
Make-up, I still had this image
in my mind. I also had an
objective: To do even better;
to be the Prince Charming
who exalts the radiance and
brilliance of his beloved…
I’ve had a long love story with
this sensual and chic brand,
which has style, but isn’t
arrogant. It gives makeup its
true meaning, which is to be
simple and embellishing.
APPRENTICE-SHIPS... I started on photo shoots
with Alexandre in Paris. I did
hairstyling and then moved
on to make-up, because I
loved fashion. At the time,
there was no make-up artist
for the photo shoots. The cover
girls of the 70s did their own
make-up. I learned so much
just by watching them. Then,
with Harriet Hubbard Ayer,
I discovered the incredible
pleasure of carrying my vision
all the way through and
mixing and creating my own
textures and colours. This was
followed by a stint in America.
And the rest is history: First,
Creator of the Givenchy make-
up line and now Creative
Director at Guerlain.
BEAUTY
57
tMY A-LIST... You could say that I’ve done
the make-up of the most
beautiful women in the
world. It had even become
my speciality: Princesses, in
particular. Just imagine me,
a timid young man showing
up at the Buckingham Palace
without even knowing
why and finding myself
doing the make-up for the
official photos of Princess
Anne, who was about to get
married. I could not have
asked for a better debut!
This was followed with all
the princesses of Europe,
including the lovely Grace
and Caroline of Monaco, and
many film stars including
Audrey Hepburn, Sophia
Loren, Ava Gardner, Jackie
Kennedy, Romy Schneider and
the most beautiful face I’ve
ever seen: Elizabeth Taylor.
Everyone was fascinated by
these women! They truly lived
up to their status.
MUSES... I love discovering faces
and telling stories through
them. With my makeup, they
incarnate the spirit of a brand.
For Givenchy, I chose a model
who was just starting out:
Carla Bruni! I can always
sense the possible harmony
between the personality of a
model and that of Guerlain
immediately. I felt this
as soon as I laid eyes on
Natalia and Nora (the faces
of Guerlain). With Natalia,
there’s this absolute chic,
grace and youthfulness. She
loves to play. She’s elegant
and a rocker at the same time.
Nora has a sculptural and
ultra-feminine presence. Both
are great inspirations for me
SIMPLICITY...I hate complicated things that
are launched for image alone.
And women don’t fall for their
tricks either. We forget only
too quickly that women spend
an average of eight minutes
a day doing their make-up. At
Guerlain, we have a single
objective: to make women
more beautiful. To do so, we
have to give them textures
and tools that fulfil a very
precise mission. Even the most
sophisticated products are
incredibly simple to handle.
Just look at LE 2. I wanted
to move away from heavy
mascaras that made upper
lashes ultra-thick and left the
eyes looking severe. I wanted
to give women the desire to
apply mascara to lower lashes
and show off more delicate
and more innocent eyes. So
yes, two brushes and a very
elaborate construction, but
also foolproof application and
an amazing result. In terms of
its design, each product has
to correspond to an authentic
makeup object and allow the
consumer to attain results
with no risk of mistakes. When
the consumer feels wonderful
because she’s applied the
product perfectly and when
it makes her more beautiful
and people tell her so, then we
know we’ve done our job.
SENSUALITY...If there’s one thing that still
amazes me, it’s the vocation of
make-up: In the beauty world,
everything is literally right
on the skin. The contact of the
hand on the face, the colour
and texture that we smooth on
and that glides over the skin,
the object that we hold, the
mixing and handling in the
labs and studio…The shapes
and materials must also be a
joy to look at. Make-up must
be a moment of pure pleasure,
both aesthetic and sensory.
Long live the beauty of the
skin!
58
BEAUTY
TERRACOTTA FOUNDATIONS...It was such a thrill to become
the Creative Director for a
house with products that had
truly revolutionised make-up.
The make-up world would
never be the same after
Météorites and Terracotta.
Furthermore, Terracotta has
become a benchmark in
the make-up world — but
we have the one and only
creation! Do you realise how
incredible this is? It was
the first purchase, the first
make-up, for thousands of
women who never put a hint
of colour on their face… Now
they are Terracotta women.
But with this chance comes
the responsibility to go even
further. Today, Terracotta has
expanded. There are several
colour intensities and even
a specific one for men. It’s
a line in itself, one that is
continuously developed. And
it’s as successful as ever. I’m
a fan. And as I like to finish
what I start, I’m twice as
happy.
DESIGNERS...Contemporary art and
design have interested and
fascinated me for years. I
also like to consider beauty
as a whole. I believe that an
innovative formulation finds
its natural complement in
a beautiful and functional
shape. And let’s not forget that
Guerlain has always called on
avant-garde designers.
The boutique on the Champs-
Élysées, for example, was
entrusted to Jean-Michel
Frank. So it comes as no
surprise to see our very fruitful
and wonderful partnerships
with the stars of contemporary
design.
Hervé Van der Straeten for
KissKiss, Helle Damkjaer for
LE 2, Lorenz Bäumer for Rouge
G; I loved working with all of
them and consumers adore
the result (they can’t stop
raving about the little mirror
on Rouge G!). So, we will
continue this approach.
THE FUTURE...Creativity runs through the
very genes and history of this
house. It’s so motivating for
an enthusiast like myself. I
am absolutely certain that
Guerlain will always have
something to say. And I
also believe this because I
know the laboratories well:
they have exceptionally
innovative equipment and
they make breakthroughs at
an incredibly fast pace. I get
the feeling that everyone here
runs on adrenaline. And, more
than anything else, it is this
passion that fuels the future.
How do I see the future? I see
products that are more and
more intangible and invisible,
application that is easier and
easier and a make-up finish
that is more and more subtle
and long wearing. Especially
for the complexion, because
the complexion is everything.
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT...My personal projects… Do
they stray from makeup?
Not really, because I gave
a makeover to the trams of
Cosmetic Valley with a new
look and new colours. The first
one started running in Orléans
on December 22. I created
two palettes to adorn these
trams: the first in very warm
brown and honey Terracotta
tones and the second in more
‘girly’ turquoise, violet and
pink colours. But both versions
have something in common…
The ceiling is like a sunny sky:
blue, luminous and radiant.
For a beautiful journey every
time!
The author is the Creative Director, Guerlain Paris
60
aDutch shoe artist Jan Jansen on
how the ‘Bamboo shoe’ made him
a household name…
Shoe &A Success
Story
ACCESSORIES
61
aIt was September, 1973 and my first
shoe fair abroad; the ‘Semaine
du Cuir’ in Paris. It was for this
event that I designed my ‘Bamboo
shoe’. I made the first prototypes
by hand. A rattan artisan taught
me how to bend the rattan (general
term for species belonging to the
palm family) under a flame of fire.
(Everyone called it ‘the bamboo
shoe’, but in fact it was made of
rattan). The units I made looked
horrible. So, I asked the rattan
artisan to do them for me. He made
six pairs of bottom sole units and I
made the upper design.
These units looked nice and drew
the attention of the world. The New
York Daily News wrote: “Jan Jansen:
the star of the French Leather
SOMETIMES, THINGS COME
TO YOU A LITTLE LATE. BUT, IT’S ALL RIGHT AS
LONG AS THEY FINALLY COME
ALONG.
62
Fair… His name will be in no
time a household word in the
US….”
A customer walked into the
booth and wanted one pair for
each store he owned. He said,
“I do not intend to sell them,
but I liked the design so much
that I would like to display
it in my offices.” He asked
me about the price. I had no
idea of what I could quote,
and I didn’t have production.
I asked for US$100 per pair,
just to dissuade him. Because
I knew I couldn’t deliver. But,
he agreed to pay the price. I
asked him how many stores
he owned. “I am from the
Edison Brothers’ group and we
own 1,000 stores,” he replied.
As fate would have it, I never
could deliver the US$100,000-
order, which was an enormous
amount of money then. I had
no producer at the time.
It was only two years later
in 1975 that I would find an
artisan in Italy by the name
of Aldo Binarelli, who would
make the bamboo shoe
together with a small group of
workers. The collection was
launched in ‘De Bijenkorf’, a
department store, in 1975 in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
At the launch, I received a
golden clog for selling 100,000
pairs of my clogs (wooden
soles with leather upper).
At the same fair, I met Roland
Jourdan, owner of Charles
Jourdan Shoes, France, who
thought that the bamboo
shoe was not commercial
enough, but he told me, “If
you can think of this, then you
also can do something easy
and simple.” I got my first
freelance assignment at the
Charles Jourdan Shoe factory
for three weeks. Since then,
I have worked with Charles
Jourdan every season.
The publicity I got from
the bamboo shoe has been
enormous. So much so that
fifteen years after its creation,
I met an American importer,
Norman Finn, in an Italian
factory I was working at.
When he heard my name, he
asked, “Are you the guy who
made ‘the bamboo shoe’?” and
promptly hired me to design
shoes for him at the United
States Shoe Corporation, in
Taiwan.
The bamboo shoe has been
exhibited in museums all
over the world, including the
Museum of Contemporary
Craft in New York. Brigitte
Bardot, Priscilla Presley and
many other celebrities have
also bought a pair.
Such was its popularity that,
during my first exhibition
(held at the Parco museum
in Tokyo in 2004) of the six
exhibitions held in Japan, I
was asked if I could attempt
another bamboo shoe like the
one I made in 1973.
I thought it was quite
impossible. The rattan
artisans in Italy were either
retired or dead. But, in 2004, I
searched for them and found
a new generation of artisans,
who, under the guidance of
artisan Aldo Binarelli, who is
still alive, remade the bamboo
shoe. Only this time, the shoe
was a technical improvement
on its predecessor.
I showed my remade bamboo
shoe collection in Paris in
2004, this time at the Salon
Premier Classe. Yet again,
it drew attention, especially
of the ‘shoe people’. I had an
open booth at the fair and we
had a lot of visitors who kept
coming back for one more
look. The shoe had lived up
to its name. Its purpose was
clear to me.
In 2006, Prada came out with
a bamboo shoe, very much
like mine and in autumn of
the same year, the shoe was
nominated by UK Vogue as
‘THE spring shoe for 2006’. A
lot has changed in this world
between Charles Jourdan in
1973 and Prada in 2006.
Over the years, I have
safeguarded many of my
shoes’ prototypes and
ACCESSORIES
63
samples, especially the ones,
such as the ‘bamboo shoe’,
which I made by hand in the
sixties and the seventies.
In 2007, the VandenEnde
Foundation offered me
an auction at Christie’s,
Amsterdam (The auction was
held to celebrate Jan Jansen’s
65th birthday, as well as his
45th anniversary as an artist).
I had over 1,000 original
shoes that I had designed,
of which I offered 125 pieces
for the auction. The most
expensive boot was estimated
at €600 to €700 (US$ 800-900
approximately). It was sold for
€4,650 (US$ 6,277 approximately
for half a pair). The catalogue
also had the bamboo shoes.
Later, I got a phone call from
Ina Brouwers, who having
seen my shoe designs, felt that
furniture could be made based
on the ideas. Her father was
the owner of a furniture factory
in Gelderland. We met and
subsequently we got together
to produce a furniture line
consisting of bamboo chairs,
chaise lounges and tables.
Today, 37 years later, I am still
making bamboo shoes, and
the furniture line —launched
in 2008 — is selling very well.
Sometimes, things come to you
a little late. But, it’s all right as
long as they finally come along.
After all, perfect timing doesn’t
exist. Who knows what
‘perfect’ is?
The author is a well-known and celebrated shoe designer based in the Netherlands.
64
ART
DANCERS IN THE HAREM; ARTIST: FABIO FABBI
65
The Art of Art AppreciationTHE PRE-REQUISITES TO BECOMING THE SAVVY COLLECTOR, ACCORDING TO MATTHEW GIRLING...
With no fewer than 57 specialist
areas, from Old Masters to
Classic Cars and Entertainment
Memorabilia to Musical
Instruments, Bonhams provides a
vast historical base from which I
have seen many art enthusiasts
cultivate their knowledge and skill in appreciating art. Whether
it is for the simple appreciation of beauty, the desire to pursue
a pleasurable pass time, or the drive to build an alternative
investment portfolio, it is a skill that can be innate, but it can
also be cultivated. And Bonhams is committed to allowing
art enthusiasts all over the globe — regardless of the reasons
for interest — enjoy this wonderful experience and grow their
knowledge base in the process.
I personally believe there are six words that encompass the
process of the ‘art of art appreciation’: personality, eye, passion,
education, intelligence and aesthetics; and the savvy collector
will put all of these together to build a collection of true
significance.
PERSONALITY: You need to have a driven personality to collect.
Those who do are part of an exclusive group and do us all a
service. They travel the world seeking artefacts which they often
generously share with others. Collectors help to educate us in
the fields that interest them. We are all in their debt.
EYE AND AESTHETICS: You cannot spend much time in the art
world before becoming aware of the term ‘to have an eye for’.
66
ART
MICHMICH, A STREET IN CAIRO; ARTIST: ARTHUR VON FERRARIS
67
All truly great collectors have
an intrinsic understanding
of beauty, colour, balance
and aesthetics when looking
at an object. To have an eye
for something can mean
something as specific as the
ability to choose bloodlines
for breeding racehorses, or
it can be the ability to select
gems or old masters or glass,
silver or ceramics. It is hard
to define this quality, but it is
relatively easy to understand
its working when looking at
a collection of someone with
this great gift. One of the first
times I realised this was when
I walked through the fabled
Gulbenkian collection in
Lisbon, a collection that had
been offered by the collector
to Britain, which short-
sightedly turned him down.
Portugal is richer for housing
this splendid example of
a collection that covers
everything from ancient
ALL TRULY GREAT COLLECTORS HAVE AN INTRINSIC UNDERSTANDING OF BEAUTY, COLOUR, BALANCE AND AESTHETICS WHEN LOOKING AT AN OBJECT.
BEDAWEEN CARAVAN, SINAI; ARTIST: RICHARD BEAVIS
DANGEROUS PLAY; ARTIST: ANTONIO MARIA FABRES Y COSTA
68
ART
Egyptian art to Lalique glass, Persian carpets to silver.
The man had an eye that seldom failed him. I suppose we
should fuse the two words ‘eye’ and ‘aesthetics’ together,
because they both address the issue of harmony, the one
singular quality possessed by all great art. It is this that
activates and excites the eye of the collector and drives the
desire to own.
PASSION: What is it that affects us so powerfully; that one
emotion that makes us stop mid-stride — that feeling deep
within our soul that is hard to name when looking at a
really beautiful artefact or work of art. We call it passion,
a word that has to serve, but is perhaps inadequate to
describe the strength in its emotional power.
EDUCATION & INTELLIGENCE: I combine these two
qualities not because they are the same or similar, but
because they complement each other. In my experience
you need an education to understand and appreciate
art effectively. If you are blessed with intelligence you
are doubly fortunate, in that education has the power to
accelerate and deepen your love of art. An education can
provide a valuable skeleton of information upon which to
hang and develop the skill of art appreciation.
These are the qualities I believe will provide you with an
understanding of the ‘real art of art appreciation’.
Few people can honestly say their work is their passion,
but I am one of those very fortunate few. As the Chief
Executive for Bonhams UK and Europe it was my
responsibility three years ago to launch the Bonhams name
— founded in 1793 — in the Middle East region and I am
proud to have led four sales since its inception in Dubai.
At Bonhams, I am surrounded by heads of 57 specialist
departments who are leaders in their fields, world
authorities in their chosen subject and they are constantly
educating me in my approach to appreciating art. It is
indeed a great privilege
The author is Chief Executive, Bonhams Europe.
69
Bonhams’ Orientalist Auction of Pictures and Works of Art will take place on May 13, 2010 at the Royal Ballroom at the One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai. Bonhams will be selling the most valuable collection of Orientalist paintings to have ever been offered by auction sale in the Middle East. Values now range
from US$3,000 to US$1,500,000.
OTTOMAN ENCAMPMENT; ARTIST: ADOLF SCHREYER
70
the language of the soul WHEN IT COMES FROM THE SOUL, NO WORDS ARE NEEDED, OR EVEN SUITABLE, SAYS JEAN-PHILIPPE RIEU
Music is the
language
of my Soul.
Always has
been. The
thought of a single day without
music is simply too horrendous
to bear.
Today is my daughter’s
birthday. She is 16. How
time seems to fly by. Roos
shares my love of music. She
listens to it every day. Her
schoolteachers repeatedly tell
my wife and me how she is
either profoundly discussing
all matter of important issues
with her girlfriends or intently
immersing herself in her
personal music. I love it.
Of course, my role is to impress
upon her that she needs find
the balance between avoiding
impoliteness towards her
teachers and learning enough
to pass her exams well.
But I do feel that her social
development must be equally
as important as her academic
achievements. Perhaps even
more important. It causes me to
ponder.
Does it matter what type of
music she listens to? When I
hear the music Roos listens to
during her schoolwork or whilst
chatting it strikes me that her
music deeply touches her spirit.
It’s not just noise. I certainly
couldn’t have written it.
Sometimes it’s Rap, sometimes
it’s Rock, and it always has a
Soul. What is this Soul?
And can I be sure I see things
correctly? Am I right in my
assumptions about what is
important? Does someone
need to warn me I’m on the
wrong path? I feel I can only
answer these questions with
the cerebral answer that they
cannot be answered. I just
know, from my Soul, that I am
right. Again, what is this Soul?
Apparently, all I can do is
ask more questions, with the
answers eluding me.
What is this confounded Soul
that seems to be channelling
all my answers? I believe
that the spiritual foundation
of all our lives opens the
doors for our intuition, so
we can balance it with our
intellectual development.
And this, by definition, is a
state of continuous transit and
never a static moment stuck
in time, which is only possible
if one has a sincere respect
of tradition combined with a
creative open mind. I believe
it is this process that creates
a climate of true cohesion and
heartfelt tolerance. Sustainable
for any metaphor, not just for
music, but also for all acts of
creation: architecture, painting,
sculpture, poetry, design,
business, government and
more.
The beauty of it all is that no
words are needed, or even
suitable, for capturing it
completely.
Only the language of the Soul
can ever suffice. A language
I have found to be abundant
during my experiences in
Oman.
I hope my talents and
experience can in some small
part continue to assist in
building further on that, which
is the Soul of Oman. I have
found it to be a great source of
mutual inspiration.
I wish you a very happy
birthday Signature
MUSIC
The author is a well-known Dutch composer, filmmaker, director, writer
and organiser.
RAYMOND WEIL BOUTIQUESabco Commercial Centre
Al Qurum - 1st FloorMuscat - Oman
Tel: 24567638, 92802128
72
I currently work
in the oil and
gas industry
with Petroleum
Development
Oman (PDO)
and have been
in Oman for over six years
now. I have done several
different jobs within PDO. My
current job is ‘Maintenance
and Integrity Manager’ for the
Engineering and Operations
function. PDO operates a very
large fleet of complex rotating
equipment, in addition to others.
So, maintenance is a very big
challenge because we have
equipment that is over 40 years
old now and that equipment
has to be reliable, safe and
needs to be operated in a cost-
efficient way. So, maintenance
has always been a passion
of mine and a part of my
career. When it comes to cars,
regardless of their performance
and class, it is the same
principle. People are always on
the lookout for a reliable, safe
car and of course you wouldn’t
want to spend a fortune on
maintaining it. But keep in mind
that when you balance safety
with money, the former should
always be given priority.
My first car was a Fiat 600
and following that I had a
Mini, Skoda, Civic and even a
Triumph Spitfire. As a student
I had to maintain my own
CARS
currently work large fleet of complex rotating principle. People are always on
The Art of Car Maintenance
73
cars because of the financial
constraints of a student’s
budget and the expensive
labour costs at the dealers in
Europe. Should you choose
to do the same and if you are
meticulous enough, safety
concerns become less of an
issue. Unfortunately, this may
not be quite as feasible today.
With modern cars it can be
quite difficult to maintain your
own car without the correct
qualifications and equipment,
primarily because of the large
number of complex electrical
equipment and computerised
engine management systems. I
am currently the proud owner
of a 20-year-old Jeep wrangler,
a Porsche Cayenne which
is driven by my wife and a
Porsche 911 GT3 which is my
pride and joy.
The ease of living with a hi-
performance vehicle heavily
depends on the vehicle itself.
Some brands, like Porsches for
example, are extremely reliable
and are therefore just as easy
or difficult to live with as any
ordinary car. Others, while they
may be more exotic, may not
necessarily be as reliable. For
the most part though, this is an
issue of the past. Today most
manufacturers understand
the need and importance of
reliability and are all doing
their part to make their cars
as reliable as can be to retain
their customers. Motorsports
has played a big part in this,
namely endurance races. These
races do not reward the fastest
cars; they reward the most
reliable. To put it simply, in such
races you can be as fast as you
want but what is the point if
you never reach the finish line?
Learning from such races and
adopting such technology into
their real-world counterparts
has led to great advancements
in everyday reliability with
Porsche and other such
companies.
While it may not be that difficult
to own and maintain such
cars, you have to keep in mind
that parts tend to generally be
more expensive. Some people
economise on that and try to
get cheap parts and labour
by technicians that are not
properly qualified to handle
such vehicles. By doing so they
might think that they are better
off but in the long-run they
reduce the reliability of the car
and it is a good chance that it
is going to break down in the
near future and to add to that
the trade-in value will also
plummet. This in particular is of
great significance to luxury and
hi-performance cars because
people who are looking for
cars such as Ferraris, Porsches,
Lamborghini and the like; will
also be looking at the service
history. So, if the vehicle has
been dealer maintained
you can obviously charge a
premium over a vehicle that
wasn’t. Also, with a dealer-
maintained car you can always
have the assurance that the car
is safe.
One of the most important
aspects of maintaining a
car is that you should never
economise on things like tyres,
brake pads and other parts
that can wear down. These
can save your life in situations
where you have to depend on
their performance to protect
yourself from injury in case of
an emergency. This is true for
all cars be it a high-end luxury
vehicle or even a budget entry
model. On high-performance
sports cars this is of the utmost
importance, and doubly so
if you take them to the track,
simply because of the speeds
that they are capable of and
the extent to which they rely
on these key components to
keep you safe and in control
of the vehicle. To put it simply,
if you are doing 200kmph on a
track you wouldn’t want to be
questioning the performance
of your brakes right before the
next corner.
Another thing that quite a few
people fail to do is to ‘listen
to the car’. Whenever you
encounter unusual noises for
which the source cannot be
found, it is important to not
keep on driving and to seek
professional assistance from
your dealer immediately. The
same goes for warning lights.
They should never be ignored
The author is the President of the Porsche Club Oman.
and should be
looked into immediately. Also,
basic things like tyre pressure
and fluid levels should be
checked everyday and given
extreme priority before a track
day. Besides, they are easy
enough to do and are vital to
the car’s performance.
One useful tip that I can give
you for maintaining a vehicle
is to clean it yourself. Aside
from making sure that it is done
properly, it also gives you an
opportunity to scrutinise every
inch of the car personally
making it easy to spot any
damage or leakage that your
car may be suffering from.
The gist of maintaining a luxury
car, or any car in fact, is to drive
it sensibly, take care of it, have
it regularly serviced from the
dealer as per the recommended
service interval and always
listen to your car. Remember
that if you take care of your car
it will, in turn, take care of you
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO PROPERLY
MAINTAIN YOUR CAR? COEN FOSSEN
HAS THE ANSWER AND ALSO SOME
VERY USEFUL TIPS YOU’D FOLLOW...
Also,
ssure
e
74
GOLF
The Top TeesHERE ARE FOUR OF THE BEST GOLF COURSES IN THE WORLD THAT ANY GOLFER MUST PLAY AT LEAST ONCE IN HIS CAREER,
SAYS BILL MCCOLL. I
75
started my golfing career in Carnoustie, Scotland
in 1970 and turned pro when I was 16. Later, I
moved to Coombe Hill in London where I got my
first tour card in 1977. I kept my card for14 years
and had success winning twice in Africa and
played in five Open Championships. I coached
in Holland for a spell and later became a club
professional in the UK where I spent the next 15
years, still playing competitively and won the
British Club Pro’s Championship. I followed my
career as a Club Pro until three years ago, after
which I decided to play the European Senior Tour.
A few weeks ago I came here to join Muscat Hills
Golf and Country Club as the Director of Golf.
Having played in many tournaments worldwide I
have visited a number of prominent golf courses.
Here is a list of my four top golfing venues I
would recommend to anyone with a passion for
playing golf.
The first among my list of four, in no particular
order and not necessarily from a golfing
perspective, would be Mauritius. It was here that
we played a senior tour event last December —
The Mauritius Open European Senior Tour. The
Belle Mare Plage, a hotel with a golf course, is
simply an unbelievable place. It was a fantastic
setting, the weather was great and the hotel was
beautiful. Although the course itself wasn’t long,
it was quite narrow, which made it a stern test. It was primarily the beauty of the place —
the golden sand and the crystal clear water that made me place it at the top. The entire
week we spent there was a really stunning experience and playing a tournament just
added to that.
The second would have be Carnoustie, in Scotland, where I was brought up. It is a very
famous links course that hosts the British Open, or the Open Championship as it is more
commonly known. It is a course that any golfer should play, in fact I would go so far as to
say that any golfer hasn’t really completed his golfing career unless he has played it. It is
a fantastic golf course with a lot of history to it and is one of the toughest links courses in
the world. I would have to include it in this list, not because I grew up there, but because
every time I go back I would always want to play it and I never get bored of it. So, from
a golfing perspective, Mauritius wouldn’t be at the top, that honour would have to go to
Carnoustie.
For those of you that are not aware of it, Links golf is different to regular golf. Links was
the original form of golf from way back in the 1800s. The courses are much faster running
and you are completely open to the elements, especially the coastal winds. Unlike
IBelle Mare Plage، Mauritius
76
their regular modern-day
counterparts, they are quite
bleak and open with barely any
trees to shield you. Although
these courses are much harder
they are also more fun simply
because of the challenge
and the fact that this was the
original form of golf. In fact the
Open Championship, which
is the most prestigious golfing
tournament, is held on a links
course to keep the tradition
going and these types of
courses don’t come much better
than Carnoustie.
The next among my favourites
is the Muthaiga Golf Club in
Nairobi, where we used to play
every year. When I played in
the European Tour back in
the 80s and 90s we used to
take part in the Safari Tour
which was held in Africa and
that included Kenya, Zambia,
Zimbabwe and Nigeria among
its tournament destinations.
The reason the Muthaiga Golf
Club is up there is because
I have had some really nice
experiences there and it is a
very old colonial clubhouse
steeped in history. Nairobi,
when I first went there, was
a very interesting city. The
climate was superb and it
was a very fun week. The golf
course was very dry and dusty
but not a bad course and the
atmosphere was fantastic.
Again, the course itself is not in
the same league as Carnoustie
but, as with Mauritius, it is the
destination and the history
of the Club that makes it
desirable to play on. The course
is also special to me because
in the second year I went to
Kenya I hit a hole-in-one at the
11th in the Kenyan Open and
13 years later I did the same,
again at the 11th hole and in
the very same tournament.
That is a feat not a lot of people
have accomplished and it is
also strange to hit a hole-in-one
on the same hole in the same
tournament 13 years apart.
The fourth and final destination
would have to be Muscat Hills.
It is a project that has been on
the go for a number of years
now and a good friend of mine,
Bill Longmuir, a very prominent
Senior Tour player, has been
heavily involved in it. It was
he who persuaded me to come
down here to help organise his
academy and coach the Omani
Golf Team.
Carnoustie, Scotland
GOLF
78
The golf course itself is
fantastic. It is not like the
others in the Middle East, it
is not a flat golf course and
because of that it feels more
like a Scottish-type course. It
is also exposed to a bit of wind
and is bit higher up than any
of the other courses in Muscat.
Every hole is different, you
have the ‘wadis’ that factor into
the game all the year round
and the view from the 18th is
stunning, you can see all the
way to the mountains, the sea,
the course and the villas. It is
just a great setting for a golf
holiday. In fact I came here not
knowing what to expect and
stayed because of the potential
the course holds. It is again one
of those courses that you never
tire of playing.
I always judge a course with
a single question — would I
want to come back? As any pro,
or even for an avid golfer, you
know your favourite courses
when you look forward to
coming back to play them
again given any opportunity.
Muscat Hills, for me, definitely
falls into this category
primarily because it is not your
typical course. It is somewhat
of a mix between a links course
and a regular golf course. Also,
it was a different experience for
me the first time I played on it
because I have never played a
course with ‘wadis’ in it. In fact
I don’t think I have ever played
on any course in the Middle
East that is anything like this
and would recommend anyone
to come and have a go. In time,
as it matures, it will be a very
sought-after location
Muscat Hills , Sultanate of Oman
The author is Director of Golf, Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club
GOLF
Head Office: P.O. Box. 996, Ruwi, P.C. 112. Sultanate of Oman. Tel.: 24709171/73/74, Fax : 24795583 / 24787822, Muscat City Centre • Qurum City Centre • Lulu Ghubra • Lulu Darsait • Lulu Sohar • Lulu Salalah • Lulu Barka
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