23 April was a cause for celebration as the WGO President, Judith Dodson and WGO Vice-President and News Coordinator Cherie Gooding accepted the Silver Award at the 7th Annual Oman Web Awards for the WGO website. The WGO website had been entered in the category of NGO/NPO, along with Jusoor, Municipal Council, Oman Aids, Safety First Oman and The National Association for Cancer Awareness. This was a very special evening for the WGO as two years ago we went ahead with a rebrand of our image starting with our logo, newsletter and website. To be acknowledged is this way is the [...]

by Dr. Patricia Groves An anchor in the artistic community, providing support and opportunity to all her colleagues, Sarah White will be wholeheartedly missed. Very much loved by all who had the privilege of her friendship, Sarah was first of all a wonderfully generous and giving person, very caring, warm, lively, interesting and energetic. She was down-to-earth, very human - an absolute joy to be with. A person of natural authority and stature, Sarah was also modest and thought more about others than about herself. Sarah’s outstanding contribution lies not only in her prolific and innovative artistic creativity, but also in [...]

by Sunaina Serna Ahluwalia Muscat Daily April 15, 2013 Marcel Proust said, “People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were travelling abroad.” Which is exactly how I feel about Sarah White who left us on April 10 and I know I speak for each and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. Talented, warm, intelligent, dynamic and a complete people’s [...]

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. That doesn't mean September. This year, 2012, it will begin on July 20 and end August 18. The Islamic year has twelve lunar months, totalling 355 days. Each month starts on a new moon. This means that Ramadan begins about 10 days earlier each year. The Islamic New Year also advances by 10 days per year (compared with the Gregorian Calendar used in the West). The current Islamic year 1433 began on November 26, 2011 and will end on November 15, 2012. What is special about Ramadan? According to tradition, it was [...]

Dr. Donald Taeke Bosch, a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather passed away at Khoula Hospital on February 6, 2012. He was a friend to all who met him and spent his life serving others, and he was known for his warm smile, quick sense of humor, and his empathy for those in need. As a specialist surgeon who worked in Oman for most of his medical career, he operated on at least one member of every extended Omani family, and saved many lives at a time when medical services were limited. He was the first American to be awarded the [...]