Rejoicing the Song of Life

By: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi

Over the years I have formed a habit of watching the birds orchestrating the song of life at the Muttrah Corniche. Watching them in full spirit of extreme joy and happiness is a real soul elevating scene. You see them celebrating the gift of life flying with agility and freedom across the blue sky of Muttrah.

This scene is a daily joy for those who are fortunate to enjoy a walk along the corniche . Their testimony will certainly speak loud to invite you all to spare a few moments to appreciate this magnificently breath taking scene. A scene, which  restores ones happiness and proves beyond doubt that there is more to life than being trapped in our daily routine.

The chirping of the birds attracts the attention of all the visitors of the traditional Souq in Muttrah. As if it is welcoming them to enjoy the serenity of the oasis of peace.

Their joy is elevated to climax of joy and lucidly expressed when flying with speed spreading their wing to the fullest momentum.

They fly in flock as if they are in a racing mood. You see them exhibit their skills with a sense of pride and proficiency and send out their chirping to add a flavor to the fantastic atmosphere around them. Every now and then they take some timeout to rest. They land on the shore and some even land on the wall of the fence that separates the shore from the land. You hear them chirping as if they are singing the song of life. Seeing them gathered in one spot and dancing in circles at the shore is so mesmerizing.

Some choose to sit at the surface of the sea water as if they are meditating and recollecting their thoughts. They are fascinated with the beauty of the place around them. You see them rocking back and forth as if they are in groove just like the boats around them.

Over the years an unmatched affinity developed between them and certain people who admire serving them food. Many of these admirers come to see the birds either early in the morning or in the evening. Their relations became an odyssey that can be narrated over the years between many generations.

You see these people carrying bags of bread to feed the birds.  Each has his own style of feeding. Some of them like to throw at them small pieces of bread while others throw slices. Their presence behind the wall noticed and diligently observed by the bird. Once the bread is thrown at them, you see them follow its direction. Their movement in search of the pieces of bread is fast and focused. They race each other perseveringly to win a piece and fly away to eat it peacefully away from the rest of the competitors. Such a zeal and self motivation makes you wonder what if we the human being embrace such a positive attitude. You do not see them bicker with each other rather their team spirit is vivid and alive.

Sitting in one of the benches that are scattered along the side of the Muttrah corniche with a touch of breeze blowing  at your face is  so sensational. It brings pleasure and delight to your heart and makes you so fascinated with the beauty of nature.

It makes you think how lucky we all are to have such heaven that is sought and visited by tourists from all walks of life. They all arrive to enjoy the mystery of our beloved Oman. You could literally see them stunned with the beauty of the place and the birds salute them by orchestrating the song of life. They cannot help focusing their cameras to take as much photos as they can. You see them chatting with each other with broad smiles and the Qahwa (coffee) vendor Salim serves them a cup of his delicate Omani Qahwa welcoming them with a hospitable touch.

Watching the birds rejoicing the song of life, rejuvenating the atmosphere around them makes my young boy so attracted to them. He points his little fingers at each scene that attracts his attention. When we go back to our house walking on the corniche he narrates his reflections about the birds and cannot help draw the birds to share with his school mates the next time he meets them.

 Life as short as it is ought to be explored, enjoyed and celebrated. We all should watch these beautiful birds flying, dancing, chirping and rejuvenate our spirit with a glimmer of hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Let us all be positive, motivated and passionate towards life.

A Trainer with a Captivating Style

Interviewed by: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi

Chris Schiller

Our guest was recently in Oman to conduct a four days training program on “Managing learning and Development” as part of the collaboration between Oman Telecommunications and Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.

Chris Schiller was born in Liverpool, England. He has been working as an international training consultant for the last 14 years. He is specializing in leadership, performance & management development, recruitment and selection and trainer training. When he is not working he enjoys rock climbing and spending time with the family.

What is your impression of Oman?

My impression of Oman is that people are warm, genuine and friendly. They go out of their way to greet you and they will do whatever they can to make you feel welcome. There is a real sense of excitement about the future and a passion for learning.

Can you give us some highlights about CIPD?

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development -CIPD is world renowned for providing the highest quality of HR advice, guidance and training in the people development arena. They operate at a level that all other vendors aspire to achieve. They select only the best trainers for projects and get hundreds of applications each year from consultants wanting to be a CIPD trainer.

What differentiates CIPD programs from others?

The CIPD programs are interactive, dynamic, and powerful and focus on the needs of the learner as well as the organization. Power point supplements key learning points. Courses are not lectures and delegates work on live issues. 

What is the role of L&D in organizations?

 We need to remember that L&D supports the business, not the other way round.

Evolution of L&D and where is it heading?

Learning and development is becoming more strategic as HR aligns more closely with the business. Organizational goals, business plans, departmental targets and KPI’s are being used to inform the creation of training plans in addition to the traditional approach of using personal development plans that come out of appraisals. We are also seeing training courses being supported by other delivery mechanisms such as coaching, mentoring and e-learning.

How is L&D being affected by the new generation.?

Learning & development (L&D) appears to be moving even more towards individuals taking personal responsibility for their own development. Recent advancements in the World Wide Web means that people can access models, approaches and concepts much quicker and easier than before. Having said that there will always be a need for learning practical, managerial and social skills with others. For example if you want to learn how to conduct an interview you will definitely benefit from practicing in a safe environment, where mistakes do not matter and where you can get good quality instant feedback.

The makeup of a competent trainer from your perspective?

Personally I would rather be trained by an excellent trainer with just a bit more knowledge and skill than me than being trained by an expert with poor trainer skills. Trainers need to help people learn which is different to preaching at them. They need to remember that their job is to make learning easy. Good trainers understand how adults learn and can use accelerated learning techniques like providing a context, breaking the course down into bite sized chunks, keeping sessions short, giving plenty of practice, doing lots of short reviews and relating the training back to the workplace. All to often the only person who knows what is going on in the training room, where they are upto and what is coming next is the trainer. That’s not right.

Last word.....?

Learning & development is probably one of the most rewarding professions imaginable. For me it never feels like work. I’m one of the lucky few that loves their job. It has taken me to some great places around the world and I’ve met some truly wonderful and amazing people. Never stop exploring as they say....