Soda Bicarbonate Facial?

Maybe I should call this a beauty blog. I really feel the need to blog about these things because I know there might be so many guys out there who are probably going through what I am. So here goes - after a lot of googling :) I came across this beautiful tip. Mix a tsp of soda bicarb (do not confuse with baking soda) with a drop or two of plain water so that you get a paste like consistency. Now massage this on to your face specially your nose (don't scrub too hard) and then rinse off. Do not massage for more than 15-20 secs as it may start to cause a slight burning sensation If you have sensitive skin you may want to avoid this. Apparently it is supposed to get rid of blackheads. I tried it daily for three days and I am quite pleased. I can't say if my blackheads have disappeared (only because I keep looking at them non-stop - maybe I'm imagining that they have gone) but I can say that my nose is now smooooth. Also I have noticed my facial skin peeling. Ok so it's not as bad as it sounds - it's just dead skin. It could also be peeling as I had undergone a sitting of micro-dermabrasion. But as long as it's peeling I'm glad because this means the acne scars on my face will eventually lighten.

I'm hoping it just gets better from now. Oh and don't forget to apply a good moisturizer after you rinse of the soda bicarb - I go with honey. I will blog about the goodness of honey later.

Have a good weekend!

PS - TGI Friday's has put together a new winter menu!

Microdermabrasion - Part 1

I had my first micro-dermabrasion treatment on Thursday and well it was... nothing! I thought there would be some sort of immediate clearing up of my skin but I couldn't tell a damn difference. It looks exactly the same. The procedure lasted 5 mins and felt like my skin was being sucked in by a pipe - didn't hurt at all. I paid RO 15 for one sitting.

The next treatment is after 10 days. Let's see if that brings about any change!

TSC Sushi - Muscat

Lately I have been craving Sushi. I have no idea why. So anyway I checked out this place called TSC Sushi (Tel: 24567666 Ext 121) at the Sultan Centre. It's tucked away in a corner of something that appears to be a small Food Court. There's not much to it, The seating consists of 5-6 high stools (but not high enough - I had to reach out to the plate every time I took a bite. It was a bit uncomfortable or maybe I'm just a tiny person). The chef was sweet enough to tie 2 chopsticks together so that my brother wouldn't need the fork he had shyly asked for. We ordered 3 dishes (I keep mentioning my small appetite) - Shrimp Tempura, Syo Sushi and Sushi Mix. All were delicious and cost us a total of RO 8.200. Most of the items on the menu range from RO 1.5 to 3.5. I had also been to Wasabi Sushi at Bareeq Al Shatti a few months ago but I can't remember enjoying so much. Maybe that was my first sushi experience and it takes a while to get used to it? Anyway I recommend TSC Sushi for anyone who is shopping at Sultan Centre and even if you're not, head there for some cheap yummy food.

PS - They also cater for parties!

On another note I attended "Hi Happening Fridays" at the Grand Hyatt on Friday. Amazing stand up comedy by Abbas Al Lawati(I missed the first few minutes so I think that's his name and I think he is Omani) He was hilarious (joking about local stuff that happens in Oman - stuff you can relate to). Simon B Cotter (I think Canadian) came up next. There was a raffle draw sponsored by Capital Stores and American Express (I did not get lucky). A mixed crowd. We left after the first half only because we were really hungry :)

More acne?

Not this time. Infact I am pleased to say that after being on zocin azithromycin for 6 days (250 gm per day) I am acne free. I have to repeat the meds next Thursday for another 6 days and then my doc said I can start with microdermabrasion. For those of you who do not know what this is, there is intensive knowledge on the web so just google it up . From what I read it's a milder treatment compared to chemical peels. Some of the side effects could be sensitivity and mild irritation or redness of the skin - nothing too dramatic, which I can manage. As per my doc I need 4 sittings but I don't have too much time so I'm going in for 2.

A very interesting home remedy for dermabrasion involves using the inner skin of an egg shell/shells. So next time you're making eggs for breakfast keep the shells aside. You will notice a very thin pale skin on the inside. You might have to break the shell into a few pieces to peel that skin off. Apply the shell skin on your face (from what I read you have to apply the sticky, gooey side). After it dries up you have to peel it off. I suggest you look this up more on the web as I tried it just once. I was quite impressed. It seemed to work like one of those blackhead removal strips you get at a store. But then I think my skin can take a lot as I have tried almost everything. For those of you who have really sensitive skin may want to avoid doing this altogether and see a doc for best results.

Acne trouble?

Yes me! I'm not 16 anymore but it just keeps coming and coming. I recently went to a very well renowned skin clinic in Muscat and the doctor prescribed me Doxycycline. What she didn't mention were some side effects and precautions - (I am quoting what I just read on a review I saw on http://www.acne.org/prescription.php). The pamphlet reads something similar about nausea etc...

"Do NOT take it with anything dairy. If it makes you sick when you take it on an empty stomach, eat with it [remember, nothing with any dairy]. Make sure to drink A LOT of water. And also DON'T lie down for 30 minutes after you take it. Wait 2 hours after taking doxy before you take any antacids, vitamins, or calcium products"

  

I took the meds after food and I would feel like throwing up so I tried before food and I would still feel the same. My head would feel like it had been banged somewhere 10 times. I took the tablets for 2 days and could not take it anymore. I didn't go back to that clinic. 

I am now going elsewhere and I specifically told my current doc that I do not want Doxycycline or anything that ends with cline. I am on Zocin Azithromycin which I also googled but could not find anything too dangerous :) - no nausea so far...

I pray this works!

Rockstar!

No not me - this is the latest talked about movies in Bollywood featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. I had a chance to see it last evening. Nargis is born to a Pakistani dad and Czech mom. This is her first step into Bollywood. I guess she was spotted when she took part in the Kingfisher Calendar Hunt 2009.

I won't go much into the story of the movie as you should go and watch it for yourself. It's a love story. I am not sure what the director was trying to convey through Ranbir's clothes. His acting was good though. He over-acted a bit in the first half of the movie (which made him seem a bit dumb/slow). As for Nargis - if she had acted well, the movie would have been far far better. The songs are amazing - you can just close your eyes and drift away to the music. The music director is none other than A R Rahman so you can expect nothing short of extraordinary.

Also starring in the movie is Moufid Aziz, a Brazilian model (who I must say has done a good job in the Hindi department).

If nothing else, watch it for the music and watch it for Ranbir who seems to have worked hard.

Have a "Rocking" holiday next week :)

Browniz - Muscat

A cozy cafe located very close to Grand Hyatt in Shatti Al Qurum. If you sit outside you are facing the beach. I went for lunch with my colleagues yesterday. It was a bit sunny but just the perfect weather for snoozing under a tree :) The menu is quite extensive than what I thought it would be. They have cold and hot coffees, fresh juices, burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, fish and chips, crepes, brownies, cheesecakes and some other items which I can't remember. The food is not overly priced and you may end up sepnding RO 4.5-5 for a yummy and filling sandwich and dessert/juice/shake.

One thing I noticed was, the server asked me if I would like honey or sugar in my juice and when I said sugar, she asked me if I would like less or just normal. It shows that they are aware that people might be health conscious. The watermelon juice I ordered came out just the way I wanted with very less sugar. I had ordered a steak sandwich which I could not finish on my own :) I ended up taking it home with me. I didn't try their coffee but I am sure going there again to try some!

Dreamland Aqua Park - Dubai

And yet again holidays go as easy as they come - we had a 6 day break for Eid (inclusive of weekend). As I mentioned in my previous post I had gone to Dubai to spend the holidays with my fiance. One of the fun things we did was go to the Aqua Park. The weather was just perfect - not too sunny and not too windy. The water was a little cold - it could have been temperature controlled (if it was then I don't think it worked too well). Once you're out of the water you're kinda freezing. 

Let me mention some of the rides there -

Wave Pool - A perfect way to laze around in the pool...

Dream Stream - You basically do nothing here - just float ...

Twister - I did not go on this one - you have to be a good swimmer which I am not! It throws you around a big bowl and then drops you into a small pool...

Family Raft Ride - The most amount of fun we had - not too scary (we went about 4-5 times)...

Pool Bar - It's a bar!!

Dead Sea - This was weird - tasted of salt and burned your eyes out..

Kamikaze - Can't remember which one this was as there were a couple of slides - amongst which I went on 2 of them (some of the slides were scary)...

Twisting Dragons - see Kamikaze...

Slide 5 - see Kamikaze

There is also a kiddies pool play area with 19 game options (fun water guns, showers,  water sea saw, a big bucket that splashes an insane amount of water if you stand beneath it etc)

There are many more attractions. For more information you can visit their website - http://www.dreamlanduae.com/. If you don't have proper swim wear you can buy it from a store at the park. It is preferable that you wear appropriate swimwear as you may not enjoy most of the rides/slides if you don't. Entry fees to the park is AED 135 - 35 extra for a lunch buffet (which was really good). Lower rates are applicable for seniors and children.

 

Amma's Steak House - Muscat

I recently ate at the Amma's Steak House in Madinat Qaboos (MQ). It is situated next to Costa Coffee and HSBC and opposite to Bamboo Spa. I thought I must mention how lovely their service is. When you enter, the staff greets you with a big smile, when you're in the midst of your meal they make it a point to ask you how it's going and if you are enjoying the food - so much so that we had 2 guys asking us how it went (each thinking that the other had not asked us already). The second girl was so sweet and nervous that she couldn't quite complete her sentences but I understood that she was trying to ask us if we were enjoying our meal (my guess is she is new there). After we finished, she asked us to write our comments on a notepad and well of course I mentioned their outstanding service. 

The food is also quite reasonable. We spent a total of RO 16.4. We ordered 2 mains, 1 starter and 1 drink. We were 3 of us but we only ordered 2 mains because personally I cannot finish a whole steak by myself. We decided to order less because we always end up wasting food, which is not a good thing.

After our meal we decided to go to Starbucks, which is next to Pavo Real (just a minute walk from the Steak House). I ordered the white chocolate milkshake - which was good; just that I don't like a lot of ice.

Right now I am in office (yes I am free because no one is in the mood to work considering the up coming long Eid Holidays and the amazing weather outside).

The weather calls for some hot "vada pavs" and "chai" - there is a small shop in Ruwi. It is at the Petrol station (can't remember if it was shell or oman oil, but you cannot miss it as it's on the main highway - if you are going towards wadi kabir it will fall on your right, so just look out for a petrol station on your right).

I will be leaving for Dubai tomorrow night to meet my fiance and will be back after a week.

Eid Mubarak everyone!!

Splash Fashionista Photos

 The Media Guys who participated in the ramp walk (as below)

Splash Fashionista!

Last night I attended the Splash Fashionista Event at Shangri-La. The event was by invitation only. I have a friend who works with Times of Oman and that's how I got to go. There were professional models brought in and dancers who entertained the crowd quite well. I assume the dancers were not from Oman. Drinks and snacks were on the house. Participants from the media industry also walked the ramp. I understand they had been groomed and styled by an international stylist. The event was to mark the launch of Splash Autumn and Winter Collection. Some of the outfits were quite eye-catching. As soon as I get some photos I will upload them but I imagine they will be out in the newspapers very soon. The ramp walk and entertainement got over at around 9 after which the "after party" started. The after party was just ok - a few people were dancing, the music could have been better (the sound was not very clear) and I personally think there could have been more options in food :) I had attended the one they hosted last year as well and I remember they had no after party - it was just the ramp walk followed by food (by which I mean snacks or finger food as they call it).Anyhow last night was definitely a fun night out and I imagine the media industry had a ball of a time. My friends and I left at 10.30pm.

Eve Teasing at Qurum Beach Road??

My friend and I decided to go for a walk on the Qurum Beach Road (the one where Japengo and Tche Tche are located). It was around 8.30pm. There were a few women and men walking too. I was really upset that we got a lot of unecessary comments from men and one of them even walked right into my friend on purpose. On the other hand I noticed a woman walking alone by herself. Wasn't she getting any of these annoying comments? Was it only us? We were decently dressed in track pants and tee shirts. If this is the case we are really  re-considering going there for a walk again. Why can't men mind their own business and not remark at women who just want to enjoy a walk on their own?

Goa and marriages!

I'm back from a 2 week vacation. I had gone to Goa and Bombay (Mumbai). Let me take this opportunity to say that I am getting married next year on Jan 8th 2012 in Goa. My fiance is working in Dubai and I will be leaving Muscat in December to join him. My trip to Goa was to sort out all pre-wedding formalities. I must say they don't make it so easy. Incase there are any Chrisitians wondering what they are required to do I will list a few things you need to get in order - 

1) Ensure you have a "Confirmation" and a fresh "Baptism" Certificate (by fresh I mean you will need to ask for an extract from the church where you have been baptised, a few months before you tie the knot. As far as my understanding goes they ask for a "fresh" copy because - a baptism certificate extract is only needed in order to get married. Extracting a recent copy shows that you have not been married previously.) 

2) Enroll for a marriage preparation course at your present Church. Once you have completed it, they will hand you a certificate. Once you have this certificate ask the Church to give you a "No Objection" certificate - which states that you have not been married previously in that particular church and they have no objection to you getting married.

3) Once you have these certificates in hand you will need to do a civil marriage (this is how it's done in Goa - I am not sure about other states in India). You will need to visit the marriage registrar's office (make sure you go before to take an appointment) and complete a few forms he tells you to. The normal procedure is that he will call you back after 2 weeks to obtain another set of signatures. Incase you do not have time to go after two weeks (say, you are living abroad), show them a copy of your ticket and visa and ask him to give you an exemption. You will need to pay Rs 2000 or so. He will then hand you over a provisional certificate, the final which you can ask anyone to collect on behalf of you after a period of 2 weeks. This can then be couriered to wherever you are.

4) Make a trip to the local church where you wish to get married in Goa and meet the priest. Ask him to do a pre-nuptial enquiry (different priests insist of having it done differently. Some states allow you to do in the country where you are residing). For my fiance and me the Goa priest insisted we do it in his church, which we did. He told us we will need a final "No Objection" certificate from him before the wedding date. So we have set an appointment to meet him again in January.

It is very important to meet the local priest (where you are getting married) so he can advise if your set of documents is complete.

I think that should complete it all. You can start this whole procedure 6 months before you tie the knot. If you do not have a "Confirmation Certificate" as mentioned in step 1 then maybe you will need to visit the Church where you reside and inform them that you wish to appear for the ceremony (this might have to be done a year in advance).

I may have missed something out. It sounds simple now that I'm putting it down but when I went about it I had no prior information. I had to go around asking various people. Everyone seemed to have a different opinion of how things were done. 

This trip to Goa had indeed been successful. By the way I am now legally married :)

on a serious note - must read!!

Guys please check out this link - http://www.squidoo.com/female-circumcision. Also please check out my fellow blogger's post at http://howtolovedavey.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-all-dhofari-girls-will-go-to-heaven.html. 

It is very informative.

Aches for cakes

People if you are aching for some delicious cakes/cupcakes please check out this facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/#!/achesforcakesoman. I am sharing it as it is definitely a motivation and inspiration for all of us that we can do anything we want.

PS - I am yet to place an order and I can't wait to do so soon.

Cheers

some more...

I read a post on Muscat Mutterings that HBSC were giving out voucher booklets to their credit card holders. I was quite pleased because I immediately contacted them for mine. And I must say it has lots of vouchers for hotels, restaurants and spas and the like. To name a few - Grand Hyatt/Marriott Salalah/Trader Vics/Bollywood Chaat/Al Ghazal Pub/Rock Bottom/Hannah's parlour and there are many many more.

So if you are a HSBC credit card holder please go and collect your vouchers as they expire on 30 December 2011. I dont know why they didn't extend the validity for a year. The only clause is that you must pay for all the services with your credit card. So it may not be possible to transfer these vouchers to your friends.

Last week I checked out O Sole Mio. It was lovely. There was live music, the ambience was lovely and the food was amazing. We were three of us and we ordered one pizza, one pasta, a bottle of water and one coke and it was enough between us. Infact the pizza was left over. We paid a total of RO 15. The waiters were very polite and the manager was making rounds to ensure all diners were comfortable.

This week its Hot Pot and Grills :)

Eid

I'm a bit late to post this blog as Eid has come and gone but nonetheless - Eid Mubarak to everyone!! We had a 5 day holiday announced in Oman which was a welcome break. A couple of relatives flew down from Dubai hence the 5 days passed by in entertaining them around Oman. We went to Nizwa (Tanouf); it was beautiful.We also camped at Jabal Al Shams and the temperature was colddd. At night it was pitch black. It's the first time I have camped out in Muscat and it was a good experience. We slept in the car and the guys took the tents. Next morning was sunny and we drove almost 10 hours both ways. Apart from the long drive it was fun. We went to Zouk (Crowne Plaza) on Friday 2nd November for "Bollywood Night". There were some great Hindi tracks played and the crowd started to pour in only after about 12 midnight.

All in all a great longgg weekend.

Looking forward to some more...

Back to the Desert!

So I was in India for the past one month...I visited Goa and Bombay (Mumbai). The weather was a welcome change; it was raining cats and dogs in both cities. I am a bombay lover and I can't imagine staying anywhere else. It's a mad rush, the city. There is absolute chaos on the roads - filled with humans, animals and vehicles. There are lanes filled with street food (vada pav/dosas/pani puris/bhel etc etc). You can find clothes that cost a 100 Rupees (little less than a Rial), ofcourse there is no guarantee how long it will last. But if you're really lucky it will. You can also bargain with the vendors to bring the price down a bit, but I never go below 100 Rupees. It's somewhat embarrassing to go that low :). There are a few "must see" places like the Gateway of India (which I have never been to myself), the famous "Leopold Cafe", "Fashion Street" etc. The city is divided into the "town" and "suburbs". I spent most of my time in the suburbs (you don't get rickshaws once you cross Bandra - you are allowed to take only cabs and they are more expensive.) and somehow I prefer them since I know my way around. The other side is a bit more posh but apart from that I dont really see any difference. Bandra is a popular part of the suburbs and most Bollywood stars reside there. It's a shopping heaven too; a perfect place to spend your day. 

I didn't do much in Goa as I had gone for some work. But it is another must see citiy in India. It's laidback and perfect for lazing around at the beach sipping on cold beer.

Well I am back to the office and it's a drag. I miss the holidays. They always seem to pass by so quickly.

Transformers

Last evening I went to watch the Transformers (3D) with a couple of friends. This is the first time I have been to a 3D movie and I must say I quite liked it. The first few minutes gave me a slight headache and ear pain but then after that initial discomfort it was much better. The movie is produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Michael Bay. For all those transformers fans it is a must watch. The movie was not too "fast" nor too "slow". I thought it went at quite the right pace. I did get lost a few times in between but cars changing to machines! - I loved it! It was a long movie though - ran for a good two and a half hours. So keep that in mind if you want to go for a late night show. 3D is the only option right now at the Shatti cinema as the non 3D runs only in the morning and afternoon - it's impossible to catch it during the week.

More later!

lamb chops

Yesterday my family and I enjoyed a single plate of lamb chops. It was a nearby "shawarma" joint...a barber shop next door. My brother decided it was time for his (yearly?) haircut. I didn't want to go alone to place an order but when I got out of the car, my brother was no where in sight. I marched boldly to the guy who was neatly scraping out delicious meat from the skewer like thing which holds it all. I said I want one plate of lamb chops. He didn't seem to understand. Of course, because I said it in Hindi, thinking he was an Indian. He looked confused so I repeated slowly...laaammmb chopsss onee platee. He nodded and I went back to the car. After a good 15 minutes I went back (lest my borther should point out that I couldn't even order a plate of lamb chops). I said "Lamb Chops ready?". He nodded again. I took the parcel with great pride. It felt like I passed an interview of sorts. My brother came out at the same magical time. We drove home. I warned him that the lamb chops could turn out to be fish (briefing him on my communication or rather lack of it with the "shawarma guy"). It turned out - they were lamb chops - 4 pieces - along with salad, hummous, quboos and french fries. All for RO 2. I loved it.

Oh and the "shwarma guy" .... yea he was Indian!!

weekends fly...

So we had a 3 day weekend (30th June, 1st and 2nd July). I say 3 days because my weekend is on a Friday and Saturday and Thursday was a public holiday; so there, I get 3 days. Now what was I upto in those 3 days...it all went by so quickly. It's like one moment its a Wednesday and you can't wait for it to be 6pm so that you press that favourite button on your pc - "SHUT DOWN" and the next moment you're back in the office at 8am pressing a not so favourite button - "START".

Wednesday - I went over to a friend's place for dinner and a movie. The movie we saw was titled "The Warriror's Way" and for those of you who like japanese (could be Korean?) kung-fu and what not, this seemed to be pretty good. It was a bit slow but I did like the "action" scenes.

Thursday - 6-9pm; a Hindi movie titled "Delhi Belly" at the Shatti Cinema, Ruwi. The movie was again slow and not up to all the hype that surrounded it. Now for those of you who are not avid fans of Bollywood movies - this one was produced by the very famous Aamir Khan, so of course we expected it to be a great movie. I must say it didnt quite meet my expectations. We did enjoy a few laughs here and there though.

Later in the evening I went for a dinner party at Pavo Real.  We were celebrating a school friend's wedding (yet to take place).  My other very good friend was also enjoying the last few days of his "independence". He will be married on 14th of this month. I  am very happy for him and at the same time sad that another friend is hopping on the wedding train (only because I feel friends move away once they are married and things inevitably change). The dinner was great and we went for drinks and dancing to Copa Cabana at the Grand Hyatt. The club was crowded but not to an extent where you have people breathing down your neck. The dance floor was apparently only for couples or single women. It was not open to single men. If this a good idea I can't say because I noticed a lot of single men almost ready to cross that thin line on to the dance floor, and if not that then ogling their way to heaven at the few women who had the courage to take the floor...

Friday - Was a quiet day for me.

Thats all for today folks!!

starters...

So here goes. My first blog ever. I wonder if anyone out there will read it. But I was really inspired after reading a couple of local blogs here, like Muscat Mutterings which is my absolute favourite. To start of with I am not even sure if I am someone who would blog on a regular basis. I never really understood the concept. My life here in Oman is pretty much straightforward. I work in a law firm (let's call it "office"). I think we work long hours and I envy people who wind up at 4 in the evening and start at 9 in the mornings. I envy the people working in Ministries even more. I believe they get to go home early. Why couldn't everyone work for 6 hours a day. We would have so much time to do everything else. Luckily I do not have to cook when I go home. I have mom for that :).

Got to go back to mundane work...