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Express rider

MARK BENTON
Country manager
DHL Express

“A man can never have enough motorcycles.�Coming from a man who has bought 30 motorcycles in the last 25 years, this is not surprising. What is surprising is that his current motorcycle, a Ducati, has stayed with him through two countries and five years. “This is my dream motorcycle. I’m looking for another one now, something more flexible than the sports bike, but that is as a second one. I will keep this one.�br>
Growing up in the countryside of New Zealand, Benton’s first motorcycles were, predictably, off-road ones. But then a friend, while going on vacation, handed over the keys to his Kawasaki 50S and thus began his love affair with road bikes. “I will never forget that first ride. That was my first road bike experience. Within a week I bought my first road bike, a Honda VF750.�br>
“Motorcycling is a much more raw experience than driving a car. You can smell things, you can feel things, and you are very much out there, a part of the environment. When you are cocooned in the air-conditioned comfort of the car, you will just be observing things. But when you are riding, you are not a mere observer, you are a participant, you are one with your surroundings. In this lies the joy of motorcycling.�

He has a budding biker at home in his three year old son, who is already fascinated by bikes. But the toddler has to wait a bit longer for a ride on his dad’s ‘Ferrari of the motorcycles� “His mother won’t be too happy if I take him now,�chuckles Benton.

Life in perspective

Mohammed al Jahwari
Managing director
Midwest Oilfield Services

For a person who is on his way to participate in the International Game Fishing Championship in Mexico in May 2007, Jahwari’s foray into fishing two and a half years ago was a rather tame one. Standing on a cliff at Qantab, he and his friend caught about half a kilo of snappers. “That day I was very stressed out about a business-related problem. A colleague of mine suggested we go fishing and took me to Qantab. We had just the basic gear and we caught about half a kilo of snappers. But that experience got me hooked.�Soon he had bought full fledged fishing gear and a boat to boot. “I looked at others and thought, ‘Hey they are catching big fish �40-50 kg ones while I am getting just sardines��

Jahwari says fishing involves a lot of things �foremost is planning. “You have to know what kind of fish you plan to catch and carry the appropriate tackle, bait and then plan your moves depending on the fish movement and feeding pattern. Even then, there is always an element of unpredictability. You may have all the right elements, but still you may not get anything, sometimes even when the fish has taken the bait. At times, in spite of having the fish hooked you may have to let go if the struggle becomes too much. It’s the fish against you �both have the chance to win, unlike in spear fishing.�
Out on the sea one realises how small and inconsequential one is. “When you sit inside your office, or when you are at the marina, you think you are big. But out there in the sea, even with the biggest of boats you are like a small leaf floating. There’s nothing like going into the sea for a reality check.�br>
Scaling heights

GAUTAM BROOTA
General manager
Zahara Tours

Gautam Broota has spent his childhood climbing mountains. Growing up in Mumbai, the largest city of India, he was lucky enough to be in a suburb, which was close to three hill stations in the area. “As kids my friends and I used to spend weekends climbing the hills around Khandala, Matheran and Mahabaleshwar. We didn’t even know the term trekking, it was just a fun thing to do in childhood.�br>
Though he has done trekking trips in Australia, Switzerland, the US and Nepal, Oman is his favourite. “I trek more in a casual way. I don’t have any professional gear, it is just a good trekking shoe and a backpack with bare necessities. For me it is more about stepping out. The areas around Jebel Shams, Jebel Akhdar and Misfat al Abreen are my favourites. Apart from the stunning landscape, it is the people and their friendliness that make the difference. It is a very soothing experience.�/p>