ONTC announce rapid bus lane for Sultan Qaboos St

In an announcement from Faisal Dropoly, a spokesperson for Oman National Transport Company, as part of their plans to roll out a complete and competent bus network by 2015, announced in a press conference last night that in partnership with Muscat Municipality and the ROP, a dedicated rapid bus lane will be installed between the Al Sahwa Tower r/a near Muscat City Center and the Qurum City Center junction in Qurum.

The dedicated bus lane will be installed as part of the Sultan Qaboos Street re-building following changes to account for building the airport, which is already evidenced with work at the Azaiba and Ghubra junctions, as well as a new section running in parallel to the airport.

The estimated journey time from end to end in rush hour in the morning will be just 20 minutes and will cost 100bz one way, or a book of 20 tickets will cost RO 1.500. Wow. 20 minutes for that distance in the rush hour in the morning?! Thats amazing.

The ROP are involved as part of their drive to reduce traffic related injuries and fatalities - Taxi's will no longer be allowed to pull in on the side of the highway to solicit for fares as this has been highlighted after an extensive research study conducted by the Oman traffic safety awareness committee as a particularly dangerous practice.

The announcement did not contain an exact date for when the bus lane would be completed (no surprise there then), but it did indicate that trials would begin before the end of the year. Exciting times indeed.

More tomorrow.

le fin.

How To Get The Body Of A Male Fitness Model And A Few Male Fitness Model Pictures

Male fitness models build muscle but do not become huge and overly muscular like bodybuilders. It's proven that women find the male fitness model physique more attractive than the bulky bodybuilder look. However, many bodybuilders tend to look down on guys that possess the fitness model type physique.

You see many bodybuilders are under the impression that everyone wants to be as big and strong as them. They see a guy who is lifting lighter weights and doing cardio as someone who isn't as successful in the gym as them. They mistakenly believe that bigger muscles equates to being more attractive to women. Nothing could be further from the truth!

The Male Fitness Model Body Is Held As The Hollywood Sex Symbol Look

Men in the entertainment industry who're held as sex symbols are not huge and buff. Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey, Taye Diggs, Shermar Moore, Taylor Laurtner and  Daniel Craig are just some of the names who're regarded as sexy men. These men are muscular but are well defined. How many huge and buff bodybuilders you know are held as sex symbols? I'm sure the answer is not much. Therefore, it pays to have a lean muscle build, not a bulky bodybuilder type look.

Male Fitness Models Have To Workout Harder Than Bodybuilders

Lifting weights and bulking up is MUCH easier than burning body fat and getting lean. No matter how big you are...you know it's true! To get big, you just lift with a high volume of lifts and progressively increase the weight over time. You don't have to be on a strict diet and you don't have to hit cardio hard. To get lean, you have to lift to maintain your muscle mass, you have to watch what you eat, and you have to hit cardio like a maniac. The reason you see very few guys in the gym with "six pack abs" is that getting lean is tough work.

A Simple Approach to Leaning Down if You Are Bulky

Getting that lean look is actually simple, but not easy. If you are kind of bulky right now and need to lean down you just need to do a few things:

1) Perform Intense Cardio At Least 4-5 Times Per Week for 30-45 Minutes

2) Multiply Your Body Weight by 12. The Number You Get Will Be The Total Maximum Amount Of Calories You Are Allowed To Eat Each Day...Aim for Less If Possible

3) Quit Obsessing Over Strength

4) Quit Obsessing Over Protein Consumption

5) When In Doubt, Cut Back on Lifting And Increase Cardio

6) You Will See "Six Pack Abs" When You Get Lean Enough. Don't Go Overboard With Crunches and Ab Movements. Cardio is Your Ticket To a Six Pack.

Quit Trying To Impress Guys In The Gym...The Goal Is To Impress Women

When you are hitting cardio hard and limiting your calories, you won't get as big of a pump as you are used to. You will also most likely lose a bit of strength. The big and strong guys in the gym command respect from all the other guys in the gym. I made the decision that it was more important for me to be physically attractive to women, than it was to impress the other gym rats. I aimed to get a physique similar to Matthew McConaughey and haven't looked back since. I don't care if the guys in my gym think that Matthew McConaughey is a wimp...women drool over this guy. Aim for The Male Fitness Model Look  and Don't Look Back!

Before You Do Anything Else Checkout Visual Impact Muscle Building. This Is The Best Guide To Use To Get The Body Of A Male Fitness Model  Click Here NOW To Learn More.

About the Author:

Rusty Moore is a trainer who gives advice to men and women who want a body that attracts the opposite sex. Don't train to be bulky! Learn the Fitness Tips and techniques of Hollywood's finest and get lean and sexy instead. Check out his mens course Visual Impact Muscle Building 

Pictures Of Male Fitness Models

SHILPA SHETTY WORKOUTS AND DIET

 SHILPA SHETTY WORKOUTS AND DIET

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• SHILPA SHETTY WORKOUTS ROUTINES
• SHILPA SHETTY FITNESS SECRETS
• SHILPA SHETTY YOGA PLANS

Shilpa shetty don't avoid any food. Her calorie intake is about 2000 per day. She don't need that much carbs because I don't do manuel work .Because She work out, She don't cut down on my carbs. So the scale tilts towards high protein.Shilpa actually encountered yoga to recover from a neck problem. It was her physiotherapist who recommended it. After trying it out for some time, she felt more and more intrigued and took it up.I'm a non-vegetarian on every day of the week except Thursdays. My breakfast every day is a bowl of

Continue Reading..

Earth Hour: Oman

Last year, the Environmental Society of Oman joined the rest of the world for the first time in the Earth Hour. It's an initiative where people turn off their electrical appliances, lights and whatever else uses electricity for an hour between 8:30 and 9:30 pm on a designated date, this year the date is today: March 31st. Last year here in the Sultanate, an estimated 20,000KW of electricity was saved, enough to supply 250 houses for a whole day or the whole district of Al Khuwair in Muscat for an hour (ripped that from this Oman Tribune article). This year the ESO are targeting a saving of 50,000KW of electricity, no small mean feat as it means we will have to collectively do more than twice as well as we did last year to hit this target.

Here's a few tips to help save some electricity during the hour, and in general:

1. Turn lights off in rooms you are not in. If you have outside lights, turn them off too.
2. When you are done charging your mobile device, camera or whatever, turn the power off at the wall - chargers suck electricity whether you have a phone plugged into them or not.
3. Turn your TV/DVD/Sound off at the wall, even in "Standby" mode, they are still using a surprising amount of power. Check out this graph and this table showing just how much various appliances use around the home when in standby mode, it's quite interesting to see.

As for things to do during the Earth Hour, here's my suggestions:

1. Dinner by candle light
2. Going for a walk
3. Talking with friends
4. Take a nap!
5. Play hide in the dark!

Remember, as the Tesco supermarket chain loves to remind its customers, "Every little helps", so join in, whats turning some lights off for an hour really going to do to you?

le fin.

SHAHRUKH KHAN WORKOUTS AND DIET

 SHAHRUKH KHAN WORKOUTS AND DIET

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• SHAHRUKH KHAN WORKOUTS ROUTINES
• SHAHRUKH'S FITNESS/BODYBUILDING SECRETS
• SHAHRUKH'S LIFESTYLE

Shahrukh Khan's six pack abs in Om Shanti Om was the news of the year 2007. Though actors like Hrithik Roshan (Hrithik's Diet Secrets Revealed) and John made girls go gaga over their body, what amazed the young crowd was the fact that a 40+ actor's transformation into a dude. And this is what the actor had to say about his six abs.It's the same this time around. Ra.One’s poster showcasing SRK’s 8-pack abs seems a little too impressive.Ra.One is a sci-fi flick and SRK is playing a superhero in the film.  During the shooting of the film, Khan lost around 10kg of weight. It is rather surprising to see his abs in just a single scene and no where else in the trailers.

FOR WORKOUTS 

 Shahrukh Khan believes it's important to allow muscles time to recover and 

 suggests

 that you only lift weights and train your abdominal muscles four times a week

 resting one day in between strength training. However, you need to sweat 

 cardio will help you lose body fat to reveal your six-pack abs. The Bollywood 

 actor also says that if you slip up on the diet, doing 50 minutes of cardio will

 get your body back on track. Try 30 to 60 minutes of running, jogging, cycling

 or aerobics every day. The actor revealed that he does 100 push ups and 60 pull ups daily to maintain his abs. According to the actor doing push ups and pull ups regularly for month will start showing the results.

FOR DIET

Shahrukh Khan's diet is very strict. He avoids all breads and rice, as well as high-fat foods made with ghee -- clarified butter. Lean meats, chicken, turkey, egg whites, paneer -- a type of farmer's cheese -- fish and skim milk are allowed. All simple carbohydrates, including refined grains and anything with added sugars should be avoided. High-fiber complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, legumes and whole grains are acceptable. Khan recommends eating a piece of fruit if you have a craving for something sweet and drinking between two and three liters of water each day. He also suggests a protein drink after every workout.

• Drink 4-5 litres of water everyday
• Follow a low carbohydrate and high protein diet
• Have a protein drink after your workout 
• Avoid sweets. If you have a craving for anything sweet, eat fruits as this is usually enough to satisfy and sugar cravings 
• Increase your intake of protein rich foods such as chicken,egg whites, turkey, lean meats, skimmed milk, pulses 

Use these simple Diet and Workouts of Shahrukh Khan and get the abs like the actor. It will be surprising for you to know that the om shanti om look of SRK was so famous that all the B-town's young stars started to try the look by making a good business for the Mumbai fitness centres.

SHAHRUKH'S FITNESS MANTRA

 Never train your abs more than 3 times a week, that too on alternate days. Your abdominal muscles need to recover after every workout so that they can become stronger. Working out your abs everyday will not help you develop them faster, but will only lead to muscle damage and injury.


 Avoid alcoholic beverages and try to eat grilled, rather than fried, food

.Although Khan's plan is not low-fat, he does shy away from excess calories. 

 Fat has 9 calories per gram, while protein and carbohydrates only have 4 

 calories per gram. Avoid snacking in between meals. Start slowly; Khan says

 you can expect to see results in 30 to 40 days, but that you must be very 

 disciplined. If you are strict and regular with your exercise and diet, you will 

 succeed.

AKSHAY KUMAR WORKOUTS AND DIET

AKSHAY KUMAR WORKOUTS AND DIET 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 

• AKSHAY KUMAR WORKOUTS ROUTINES

• AKSHAY KUMAR FITNESS/BODYBUILDING SECRETS

• AKSHAY KUMAR'S LIFESTYLE

"Akshay Kumar constantly encourages youth to remain fit instead of going for muscles. He denounces the use of food supplements and Steroids in a bid to look muscular". His fitness mantra revolves around myriad exercises.For Akshay Kumar impossible is nothing. He makes jumping from a helicopter look like a walk in the park, he wears a python around his neck as if it’s a scarf, switches being the best action hero to the best comic hero, and yet be a grounded family man.

• Try and eat within 20 minutes of waking up 

"The most important thing to do in the morning is cleanse your body and boost your metabolism. Start with hot lime water. Then start with slow cardio so your body can immediately go into 'fat burning' mode".

 

• What does energy mean to you?

It’s all about being positive. It is also about being fit, healthy and having a lean body. Today’s mantra, I feel, is ‘health matters most’. Life is super-hectic—you barely have time to take a deep breath, and the stress never seems to go away. To cope with this, you need to be physically fit and be able to find your inner balance. This applies to everyone, not just to those in the show business.

• What do you do to keep your body and mind active?

I play basketball thrice a week to stay fit. I also walk and trek to stay fit and keep my stamina up. I frequent the gym, swim with my son, meditate, jog, and practise yoga and martial arts.

It’s important to vary your fitness routine so that you don’t get bored. Yoga, meditation and martial arts help in staying physically fit and bringing about the inner balance.

• DIETING ROUTINES

Akshay seldom takes his fitness for granted. He does not subscribe to dieting. He maintains that the secret of his physique is the healthy home cooked food. However, he does not eat like a glutton. He stresses on eating a balanced diet. He has abnegated liquor, smoking and partying from his life. Another astonishing fact about his diet is that, he has never even tasted tea or coffee. He scrupulously forbears from nicotine or caffeine.Eat as often as possible. Keep the portions small. Make sure you are getting enough of carbs, proteins etc. Go for steamed, sauteed or grilled food instead of deep fried. Eating every two hours may seem boring but that's the only way to keep your metabolism high, burn fat and stay healthy. You should never go without food. If you starve yourself, your body goes into shock and stores the food you eat instead of burning it.
You don't have to be so strict on your diet, you just need to be sensible. Eat everything in moderation. If you restrict yourself from eating something you like, it won't be long before you lose control and start to binge. That's the biggest failure of all dieting techniques. Diets are a regime; they are not there to kill you, just to guide you.

• Try to finish eating your meal at least two hours before bedtime 

At night, your body is resting so it doesn't need a big meal. Ideally try and have your dinner no later than 7-8 pm. Soups, salads and veggies are perfect for dinner. Definitely no carbs (rice, bread) because your body will not burn them while you're sleeping. It'll only gift you the famous Indian paunch.

Bits and pieces

Ahh Wednesday, your here. Joy.

So what's going on this weekend? Quite a lot it seems.


Tonight, of course, there is the Bollywood Rocks gig brought by Roar Entertainment at the Qurum Amphitheater, tickets are still available if your interested, they start at a fiver - click here for more information.

However, over at Zouk tonight from 8pm there is Ministry of Sound's Patrick Hagenaar dishing out his brand of house music. Cover is RO 5 for ladies, or RO 10 for couples / single guys. Rather amusingly, they want you to "Dress To Impress And Come To Party hard" (perhaps someone should tell them about the rule with capital letters)?

The Muscat International Film Festival is happening too, and here's the program for today thru Friday. We'll skip over the drama caused by the grand Mufti who said that the whole thing was Haram and then SQU subsequently pulling out of the festival. heh.

March28/Wednesday

12noon - Oman auditorium

English: Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky

6.00pm -8 pm

OMANI: ASEEL premiere

Director Dr Khalid Zadjali

9pm -10pm

French:  The Artist

Director star cast

March 29/Thursday

10.30am – 12noon - Oman auditorium

English: Dr Zhivago

Omar sheriff, Victor Banerjee

5.30pm -8pm

English: Passage to India

Omar sheriff, Victor Banerjee

8.30pm -10 pm

English: Salmon goes fishing in Yemen – premiere

Director/star

11pm -12.30midngt

UAE: See the shadow

Director: Nawaf Al Ganahi

March 30/Friday

9.00am – 11noon - Oman auditorium

English: Spy who loved me

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Sir Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Director John Glen, Rila & Sumith band

5.00pm -8pm

Malayalam: Vanaprastham

Mohanlal, Major Ravi

9pm -11 pm

Oman auditorium

Arabic: Now, where are we going?

Lebanese Director Nadine Al Labaki

11pm -12.30midnight

Arabic: On the edge

Director Laila Al Kelani- Morocco

As blogged by Dhofar Eco bug, and reblogged by Dhofari Gucci, Thursday 29th March is clean up Oman day. There is a Facebook group here but I could not figure out how to see what events are going on up here in Muscat tomorrow - so if you know more about that please do share.

And finally, on Friday there is Sunidhi Chauhan at the Qurum Amphitheater from 5pm. Tickets start at RO 7 and can be bought from Lulu's. More information here.

Enjoy the weekend.

le fin.

London Day 2: Thorpe Park

On Day two of my London Trip we spent the day in Thorpe Park. It was so much fun, although if you're thinking of going don't pay the full £42 ticket, it's not worth that. We used Tesco clubcard points and 2for1's. Anyway, the weather was gorgeous as we had a great time. 

Trying on Glasses at 7am | Lunging with the Dr Pepper Man | Drinking my Free Dr Pepper | Emily & Me Cueing | The Whole Gang | Post Log Flume | Tom & Me Dolled up for the Pub | Giant Tub of Pick'n'Mix

If you want to see my vlog's of the weekend just go to my Youtube Channel.

Onna x

Sunidhi Chauhan: The winner

This Friday evening, Sunidhi Chauhan is playing live at the Qurum Amphitheater with thanks to npa events who have arranged the gig. A special thanks to Hi FM for giving me 2 VIP tickets to give away to this event as well.

Congratulations to Mani who was applicant #44 out of 45 who's number was chosen at random by @gsureshgopalan earlier this afternoon. An email has been sent to the lucky winner and for those of you that didnt win, thanks for entering! I'm sure there will be plenty more giveaways to come!

Tickets to this event are still on sale, and there are a few different prices - RO 7, 20, 40 (VIP) and there are also a select number of VVIP tickets available as well. Tickets can be purchased from the following LuLu outlets: Darsait, Wadi Kabir, Bousher and Barka.

More soon.

le fin.