June 2010 Issue 24

NBK Insider

Changing

Life

EDITORIAL

Have you taken any steps to extend a

helping hand?

At one point in time, we’ve all passed by people who

live on the street or have known a family that is in

desperate need or have been approached to support a

good cause. Have you taken any steps to extend a

helping hand?

A golden heart or in other words volunteering to sup-

port is a great humanitarian act that makes one feel

great about one’s self! It is a duty but a duty which we

go about with full conviction that our efforts will

change somebody’s life for the better.

Volunteering is not necessarily time-consuming or

expensive. It all boils down to choosing those activities

that are right for us. We can help kids learn and grow,

we can give back in holidays, we can play with pets at

a local shelter, we can protect the environment or we

can stand by a health-related cause, to name a few in a

million things which we can do to help expand our

mind and broaden our horizons.

This month, NBK Insider invited Dr. Nizar Issa to

share with us his thoughts on the art of volunteering.

In a special report, we examine some facts about

blood donation and how each one of us can make a

difference to help save people’s lives. Let’s hear from

some of the staff on how they can contribute to the

society in the NBK Street section.

We dedicate the June issue of NBK Insider to those

who have contributed their blood during the World

Blood Donor day on June 14 and of course to our NBK

staff who have done their share when we did our Blood

Donation Drive.

A selfless act makes you feel good about yourself and

most importantly it gets you a new perspective on your

own life and that of others.

So why don’t you take a minute today to think about

the next best thing you, your family and your friends

can do to bring a little sunshine into the world of oth-

ers?!

WORDS FOR THOUGHT

The Gift Of Volunteering By Dr. Nizar Issa

“Volunteering is an activity we all can do, not only to serve our neighbors and communities, but also to improve our own well-being,”

Though it feels good to volunteer

and to give back to society, some

people may think that volunteering is

a luxurious behavior for whom ex-

periencing void in their social lives

or seeking publicity. Well it is not.

Volunteering is about giving your

time, energy, experience and talent at

your own free will to benefit others

and expecting nothing in return.

Moreover, people might be volun-

teering without realizing it such as

giving guidance and providing feed-

back on a non reward basis.

Volunteers are needed in almost

every aspect of any community from

simple volunteer work such as read-

ing books to seniors to a more com-

plicated volunteer involvement in

providing sophisticated medical aid

to the needy. Active volunteers

can make real differences within their

community. Volunteering means

nothing in return but does it mean it’s

free of charge? In most cases yes it is

but in certain situations when volun-

teering becomes a profession then it

is a paid job and not necessarily free

of charge. Volunteering is seen as a

serious commitment as a paid or non

paid job without expecting any ser-

vices or favors in return. A brilliant

example is MSF Médecins Sans

Frontières (Doctors without Borders)

which is an international independent

medical humanitarian organization

that delivers emergency aids to peo-

ple affected by armed conflict, epi-

demics, health care exclusion and

natural or man-made disasters. At

MSF there is no set description for

volunteers nor why they volunteer.

They come from all around the world,

both sexes, all ages and are consid-

ered volunteers though some are re-

cruited by MSF on a long term or a

temporary basis. MSF was awarded

the Nobel Peace Prize 1999.

By definition “quoted” Volunteering

is the practice of people working on

behalf of others or a particular cause

without payment for their time and

services. Volunteering is generally

considered an altruistic activity, in-

tended to promote good or improve

human quality of life, but people also

volunteer for their own skill develop-

ment, to meet others, to make con-

tacts for possible employment, to

have fun, and a variety of other rea-

sons that could be considered self-

serving.

Volunteers must have an open mind,

be willing to embrace wisdom

learned from others and also let the

experience of volunteering lead to

personal inner growth. Volunteers

realize the importance of time and

kindness. With the wide range of

opportunities, volunteers have the

freedom to find an organization that

best suits their needs.

Why Do People Volunteer?

Among many reasons, a person may

volunteer to:

1. Give back to whom or what

helped him/her in the past.

2. Support a specific cause he be-

lieves in.

3. Gain experience.

4. Lower stress.

5. Meet new people.

6. Simply because he/she has the

time and want to.

What do you have to give as a vol-

unteer?

Time-Your extra time can brighten

the day of a small child who

needs a mentor or a senior who

needs a companion to talk

to. Time is one of the most im-

portant things that you bring to

volunteering.

Experience- Your skills can make a

world of difference to people

around you. For example, if you

had teaching experience in the

past, you could share those skills

by teaching a child how to read

Wisdom- Life knowledge is a won-

derful gift to bring to volunteer-

ing, being able to under-

stand what others are going

through and being able offer a

lending hand or kind word can

really make a difference in peo-

ples' lives.

Patience- Patience is a gift that few

have, sitting with someone whom

otherwise does not have someone

willing to do so, can greatly enhance

the quality of life for someone who is

isolated or ill.

What can a person gain from vol-

unteering?

Enhance or develop skills that you

will better negotiate future en-

deavors in life such as finding

employment or even dealing with

some of life’s problems.

Gain "hands on" work experience that

can be very beneficial when ap-

plying for a paid position.

Find new talents whenever trying

something new, you could dis-

cover a talent that you didn't

know you had!

Meet new people who bring wisdom

and talents of their own that you

can learn from. You may even

meet some friends.

Learning is part of life; volunteering

helps expand your knowledge by

assisting you to learn about your-

self and your community.

Discover more about yourself which

is one of the greatest benefits a

volunteer receives, self satisfac-

tion and personal growth come

from taking the time to give a bit

of yourself to help others.

Critical thinking so you get the op-

portunity to look at your commu-

nity through a new angle that

allows you to critically assess

some of your past ideas and

views about your community and

yourself

Donation in the world of volun-

teering:

People volunteer their time and effort

not their belongings where it is called

give away, charity or donation.

Nonetheless, donation of money,

food, furniture, clothes and person’s

own blood or organs contribute to the

welfare of community and usually

dealt with through a volunteer net-

work. Donation finances the volun-

teer work and pays for the materials

and manpower.

Volunteering in Qatar:

Qatar was chosen as the Best Arabic

Volunteer Center for the year 2009.

Many centers in Qatar accept volun-

teers to mention few of many: ROTA,

Al-Fakhoura, Qatar Center For Vol-

untary Activities, Qatar Red Crescent,

Injaz Al-Arab.

Resources: Canadian information

network, Calgary Center for Culture,

Médecins Sans Frontières, Injaz Al-

Arab, Qatar Center For Voluntary

Activities, Qatar Red Crescent.

NBK IN THE NEWS NBK STAFF TEAM UP FOR BLOOD DONATION DRIVE

QAC was crowned champion of NBK mini-football tournament. In May 2010, NBK kick-started the first NBK Mini-Football Tournament, a 3-week sports initiative for staff at Al-Sadd stadium. The NBK Mini-Football Tournament aims at improving employee relations and further-ing team-spirit within the organization. Joining the competing teams were person-nel representing 16 of the various NBK departments and subsidiaries and includ ing members from HR, NBK Ready Mix, NBK Real Estate, NBK Fashion, Prime Ride, Powered Sports, Administration, Finance, Bosch, NBK Medical Equipment, Qatar Automobiles Company, Prime Food, Mer-cedes-Benz After-Sales and Mercedes-Benz Class Leasing.

QAC CROWNED WINNER OF NBK

MINI-FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

NBK has recently joined hands with Hamad Medical Corporation to support the blood donation drive. 50 NBK staff from various departments gathered at NBK headquarters. The initiative is part of NBK’s commitment to serve its community and help raise awareness of the need for more blood donors and support. Abed Mawass, Acting PR Manager of NBK said: “A core workplace value, corporate social responsibility tops the agenda of Nasser Bin Khaled’s norms and principles. Since inception, the family holding has committed itself to a multi-faceted community-serving role be-lieving in its significance to help build and support a prosperous and productive society. The presence of our staff today is a testament to that.”

NBK Fashion invited Lanvin Made to Measure Manager Mr. Frederick Gelberg to do made-to-measure suits for their VIP customers in Doha NBK Fashion has recently hosted, straight from the Parisian House of Lanvin, Fashion Guru and expert tailor Mr. Frederick Gelberg for a made-to-measure fashion tailoring service for VIPs in Doha. Gelberg provided private consulta-tions and added his personal and unique stylish touch turning those made-to-measure fashionable pieces into collector’s items.

Al-Hiba, a charitable group established in 2008 and en-dorsed by Qatar Centre for Voluntary Activities, recently organized its first charity gala dinner with the presence of Sheikha Leena Bint Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani, founder, and over 260 attendees, at the W hotel whose team pro-vided immaculate hospitality and banqueting services. Proceeds and donations amounted to QAR 1,350,000. Al-Hiba founder, Sheikha Leena said: “It is great to see that many supporters joining hands for a great cause. What is a productive community if it wasn’t for a strong

solidarity feeling which is bound to bring us altogether to maintain the welfare of its members? Al-Hiba aims at spreading the charitable outreach to various walks of our society. It is our role as conscious citizens to devoutly commit ourselves to those endeavors that see our community proper and develop and we can only do that by amalgamating community relations within our daily transactions, whether personal or corporate.” During the gala dinner, ZAI held a distinguished fashion show culminated with an astonishing wedding dress straight from Paris to the event by Lanvin. The show exhibited the latest runway fashion items. Nails provided cosmetics and beauty care to the fashion show models. Alongside the show, an auction was held comprising such as a unique handbag worth QAR 50,000 from Loewe sold at QAR 65,000, an artistic photograph by famed artist Maher Attar worth QAR 30,000 and sold at 100,000, a silver antique carafe priced at QAR 13,000 and sold at QAR 30,000, an exquisite artwork by Youssef Ahmed priced at QAR 10,000 and sold at QAR 30,000, a Tanagra EGO Laptop from Shalhoub Group priced at QAR 40,000 and sold at QAR 50,000, a handmade clutch by Sheikha Nora Bint Thani priced at QAR 3,000 and sold at QAR 20,000, a Givenchy bag priced at QAR 6,000 and sold at QAR 10,000 and two prestigious Abayas from Sheikha Sarah Bint Abdullah priced at QAR 3,000 each and sold at a total of QAR 25,000. The dinner was catered to by W Hotel whose team provided immaculate hospitality and banqueting services.

Al-Hiba’s first charity Gala dinner at

W Hotel draws over

QAR 1 Million in proceeds!

LANVIN TAILORING GURU HOSTED IN DOHA

NBK IN THE NEWS

This initiative was in line with NBK Fashion’s commitment to offer customers the ultimate and hottest top fashion experience with the opportunity to custom-order according to their individual measure-ments and style preferences.

LANVIN

HR NEWS

On 25 May 2010, 23 new employees attended the orientation program held at the NBK audi-torium. Participants were given an overview and history of our organization, how it played a big role in the development of Qatar, and the industries, products, and services that NBK offer to the community. Participants also learned more about living in Doha and had the opportunity to meet fellow employees from other divisions and department promoting comradeship and belongingness in the NBK family.

New Hire Orientation

NBK Insider Welcomes the Newly Hired Employees

Amr Youssef Group Accounts

Jacqueline R. Pretesto Internal Audit

Hom Kumar Lama HE ALMADA

Mohamed Alfassy M Ibrahim HE ALMADA

Deepak Giri HE ALMADA

Ramzi Cherni QAC

Ahmed Gamal ElTaweel QAC

Elliot Amable QAC

Dennis Nii Krakue QAC

Salim Fadel Natour QAC

Fazil Abdul Hameed QAC

Isaac Amissah QAC

Robert Andrew Kelly Harley Davidson

Zeina Ahmadieh QAC

Farhan Z.Dallul Group Accounts

Chakramon Buami QATALUM

Nawadip Rai QATALUM

Rik Bahadur Mangar QATALUM

Thusthakeer M.Thamby QATALUM

Mohd. Hanifa QATALUM

Jivan Lama QATALUM

Madhusudhan Upreti QATALUM

Mohd.Rizwan MB

Will you Donate

your Blood?

SPECIAL REPORT

Blood is the essence of life. We can’t live without it. Blood is indispensa-

ble as it is the medium for carrying all oxygen and nutrients to the tissues of the body for it to

function properly. In fact, it cannot be manufactured or replaced by any other material making

We know first hand that when accidents

happen, when illness intervenes, and

when tragedy strikes, life is measured in

units: units of blood. Blood delivers

healing, health, and hope. Blood is life’s

most precious and natural ultimate re-

source and it’s all around us, and in all

of us, yet it’s still in short supply.

Today, the demand for blood continues

and Hamad Hospital Blood Donation

Unit is doing their best to maintain a

sufficient and safe stock of blood to

meet the increasing demand of the vari-

ous blood groups.

Since blood cannot be manufactured, it

must come from volunteer donors, who,

with every donation, are making a world

of difference. They are not only saving

the patient’s lives but touching the lives

of the entire families as well.

Blood donors play an important and

valuable role in today's health care sys-

tem. As of 2008, as much as 85 percent

of the 17,000 units of blood used in all

transfusions in Qatar was from blood

donations. Alternatively, other sources

of blood for patients are donations

frompatients’ relatives and self- dona-

tions made 10 days prior to an operation.

Why donate blood? You don’t need a special reason to

give blood.

You just need your own reason. Some of us give blood because we

were asked by a friend. Some know

that a family member or a friend

might need blood some day. Some

believe it is the right thing we do.

Whatever your reason, the need is

constant and your contribution is

important for a healthy and reliable

blood supply. And you’ll feel good

knowing you've helped change a

life.

Some Health Benefits

You will receive a mini physical to check

your:

Pulse

Blood pressure

Body temperature

Hemoglobin

Facts about blood and its components

• There are four types of transfusable prod-

ucts that can be derived from blood: red cells,

platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Typi-

cally, two or three of these are produced from

a pint of donated whole blood – hence each

donation can help save up to three lives.

• Donors can give either whole blood or

specific blood components only. The process

of donating specific blood components – red

cells, plasma or platelets – is called apheresis.

One transfusion dose of platelets can be ob-

tained through one apheresis donation of

platelets or by combining the platelets derived

from five whole blood donations.

• Most donated red blood cells must be

used within 42 days of collection.

• Donated platelets must be used within five

days of collection – new donations are con-

stantly needed.

• Plasma and cryoprecipitate are stored in

frozen state and can be used for up to one year

after collection.

• Healthy bone marrow makes a constant

supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The

body will replenish the elements given during

a blood donation – some in a matter of hours

and others in a matter of weeks.

Facts about Donors

The number one reason donors say they give

blood is because they "want to help others."

Two most common reasons cited by people

who don't give blood are: "Never thought

about it" and "I don't like needles."

One donation can help save the lives of up

to three people.

If you began donating blood at age 17 and do-

nated every 56 days until you reached 76, you

would have donated 48 gallons of blood, poten-

tially helping save more than 1,000 lives!

Half of Red Cross donors male, and half are

female.

The American Red Cross accepts blood dona-

tions only from volunteer donors.

Among Red Cross donors in a given year, 19

percent donate occasionally, 31 percent are

first-time donors, and 50 percent are regular,

loyal donors.

Only 7 percent of people in the U.S. have O-

negative blood type. O-negative blood type

donors are universal donors as their blood can

be given to people of all blood types.

Type O-negative blood is needed in emergen-

cies before the patient's blood type is known

and with newborns who need blood.

Forty-five percent of people in the U.S. have

Type O (positive or negative) blood. This per-

centage is higher among Hispanics – 57 per-

cent, and among African Americans – 51 per-

cent.

Only 3 percent of people in the U.S. have AB-

positive blood type. AB-positive type blood

donors are universal donors of plasma, which is

often used in emergencies, for newborns and

for patients requiring massive transfusions.

Why is there a special need for type O

blood?

Type O negative blood is called the "universal

blood type" because it can be transfused to

people of all blood types. Type O positive can

be given to anyone with a positive Rh factor.

In an emergency, a person may need blood to

survive. If their blood type is not known, type

O negative blood is given to them. When emer-

gency situations such as car accidents or shoot-

ings occur, type O negative blood inventories

can be used up quickly. In addition, infants

who require transfusions immediately after

birth often need type O negative blood. The

Red Cross especially needs to provide an ade-

quate supply of type O negative blood to treat

emergencies in the community. Source : www.redcrossblood.org

In The Spotlight

Hesham Sabri

A People’s

Person!

This month, we meet Hesham Sabri, our new HR Manager. In this issue, the Insider gets a

glimpse of the lighter side of Hesham!

Of Egyptian origins and father of 2, Hesham holds a Masters degree in HR and Organizational

Behaviour and a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Hesham Sabri is a Human Resources expert.

He is a management and organizational development consultant who specializes in human re-

sources issues and in management development to create forward thinking workplaces.

This soft-spoken yet bubbly gentleman definitely knows how to deal people and gain their re-

spect. One would easily feel comfortable as you talk with him more. Let’s meet Hesham Sabri

through a quick chat.

Tell us a bit about your career life Although I am holding an MBA in Organization Behavior, I graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Alexandria/Egypt. I started my career as a Production Manager in a factory and this position necessitated a lot of interpersonal skills, which spurred my interest in human resources management.

I later on worked as an Assistant Personnel Manager at Modern Technology Co, a Multinational joint ven-ture between the States and Egypt before I moved to Doha in 1993 where I took a job at the Ministry of Labor, as a Recruitment and Manpower planning Consultant, developing new HR policies and consult-ing on OB matters for banks, Oil & Gas and other private sector companies. Then, I was appointed HR Director at QNH where I created the “New Blood Plan” through which I evalu-ated the performance of staff, recruited new qualified talent and upgraded the overall performance of the organization. I furthered my expertise in HR by work-ing with QSI where I focused on organizational be-havior and the structure of the company and its sub-sidiaries. Until this day, I am still conducting training workshops and provide HR consultancy. I also work as an HR Consultant on a freelance basis for some companies in Egypt and GCC. In your opinion, what is the most important as-pects of HR Management? Recruitment. It’s the basis of the success of any company. Our business is managed by people there-fore our human capital is our most important asset. Recruitment is almost central to any management process and failure in recruitment can create difficul-ties for any company including an adverse effect on its profitability and inappropriate levels of staffing or skills. How do you find Qatar? Life in Qatar is changing fast but still a very nice and peaceful place to live. It’s great for families, work and Social Life. How do you spend time with your family espe-

cially with 2 boys? We go out every weekend and visit some of Doha’s entertainment places. I enjoy traveling with my family and we have visited the majority of the countries. Personally, I’m a big fan of fishing and sports!

From the many countries you have visited, which is your favorite and why? I love my own country Egypt. Especially Sharm El Sheikh, But when it comes to place I have visited i like USA/ New York, because it is so diversified. When making personal decisions, does emotion play a big part or based it in rational reason-ing? Sometimes, a lot of decisions to be made every day. There will be some that seem to be the proverbial

no-brainer and emotions play a big part in taking those decisions, and many more that will require some thought before announcing the decision. By any way I am taking the majority of my decisions based on the facts and not the emotion of the indi-vidual circumstance. How do you want people to remember you? I would like people to remember me as trustworthy and want them to believe that i made a big impact in their life. As i knows how to respect other people Any tips or advice on how to succeed in one’s career or improved one’s career? Love your job and Learn To Appreciate Time , You must remember the expression that time is long for the weary, short for the happy and dreadful for the scared Finally, do you have a message for NBK employ-ees? NBKS is one of the leading successful companies in Qatar and I believe that one reason of this success is due to the good performance of our people. We want to stay focused as a group as we continue to pursue our objectives and we have to achieve our results through teamwork

“Our business is managed by people

therefore our human capital is our

most important asset.”

“Failure in recruitment can create difficul-

ties for any company including an adverse

effect on its profitability and inappropriate

levels of staffing or skills.”

NBK STREET As a staff member of NBK, what's your ideal initiative to manifest your

support towards the society you live in?

May Sheqem

Saving Planet Earth by Starting with

Ourselves

While any initiative with a cause to it is

certainly a noble one, I would like to see

NBK pay special attention to its carbon foot print.

A great documentary to watch about that is the 11th hour, which

discusses the environmental problems that are MAN MADE and

that earth is currently drowning in.

A simple research on the internet will show us how we can take

minimal steps that are doable by anyone to minimize our carbon

footprints as individuals and as corporate bodies. Things like recy-

cling, saving energy, lights off for an hour everyday, planting trees

and getting indoor plants, using basic cleaners (vinegar and perox-

ide) or green products, using a pet’s natural discharge as fertilizers

will all help the environment.

My 6 year old daughter gave me a lecture a few days ago about

recycling, and explained how they do it at her school, and it got

me thinking that a big organization like ours can certainly afford to

do it as well, and contribute to saving the planet! I am not a tree

hugger.. but I just believe that we are not only causing animal

exctinction, greenhouse effect, and other phenomena, we are also

paving the road to the extinction, or defect, of the human race.

Beng Lacuata

Donation Drive

Living in a community like Qatar means having social respon-

sibility each one of us has to fulfill . Social responsibility is

being responsible to people, for the actions of people, and for

actions that affect people. We're committed to the communities

in which we work. In my case since I can’t donate blood, I can

still do something in my own little way to contribute for the

betterment of the society I lived in. I would suggest to the

management of NBK to lead in a donation drive or charitable

work like collecting stuff from the employees and giving these

collected stuff to the less fortunate residents of Qatar. This

drive will not only focus to the employees of NBK but to the

residents of Qatar who are willing to give what they have to the

needy. The donation can be in kind or cash. I will encourage

people to work relentlessly in making this town a better place

and a fairer place to live in.

Marinda Thornhill

Support for a cleaner environment

As a bigger group of employees, we can all

be involved by acting conscious and respon-

sible to keep our environment clean. It is a

standard here in the community of Doha to

drop rubbish on the floor without feeling

guilty. To the more practical of the subject and as a person who

loves the desert, I should influence the people in my environ-

ment to take care of their rubbish. One example is the Sealine

beach. So many people visit the beach every weekend to relax

and enjoy, but sad to say, after the weekend the place is look-

ing like a rubbish dump. People just leave their rubbish behind

without taking care to place it in a dustbin. There are not dust-

bins on the beach itself available, only three big containers and

that is not convenient for people to place their rubbish in, they

rather leave it just behind.

I think by placing rubbish bins on the beach will help to keep

our environment clean. The company can be involved by spon-

sorship in the form to place rubbish bins on the beach and at

the same time use it as and advertisement. The staff of NBK

can get involve to arrange a Saturday driving along the beach

during low tide to clean all the plastic bags, containers, etc. that

is on the shore.

Zulfa Al-Disi

Reduce , Reuse, Recycle

It is important to know that we can SAVE trees by Reducing , Reusing , Recycling of Papers , this has been in

my mind for long time.

Fazal Malik

Initiative

We all are born into this world for a reason and

noble purpose, to rightly use the many gifts of

ALLAH to contribute to our society. At work we

can contribute by excellent performance, hard

effort to master our jobs, collaboration with others, good character,

discipline and positive attitude.

I believe that a river will be dry if it stops receiving water, and a

goat does not receive more milk if it stops giving milk. So, as we

receive on one hand so much from Allah, we should on the other

hand be giving to our fellow beings. Besides money or material,

we can also contribute by giving talent, skill, personal example,

love and care or coach and guide someone.

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

29 employees have

been honored last

April at NBK Automo-

biles. This league of

stars demonstrates our

colleagues’ efforts and

competitive sports

spirit into making right

to the top by accom-

plishing outstanding

sales, service and per-

formance results.

Adriano Robles

Atef Sobhi

Ahmed Korani

Allan Alea

Aravinda Perera Mohammed Risnan

Ariel Egdanie

Urulam Said

Naseem Tajbar

Walayat Shah

Kurien Varghese

Mote Omar

Shahidul Alam

Saida Jouri

Sheikh Zahed Sultan

Mustafa Habbab

Tassaduq Hussain

Mohamed Aslam

Nazer Husain

Rafael Morabe

Feras Chakou

Mahmood Barakat Gyanlal Maharjan

Eduardo Nape

Generoso Dionisio

Fadi Al Arab

Rinil Thothenmadakkara

Nicasio Fiedlan

APRIL STARS LEAGUE These 3 QAC staff made it to the

top! Congratulations to all the

Stars who have dedicated all the

time and efforts that are neces-

sary to make things

happen!

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

While the world is abuzz with soccer fever, and nations from around the globe gather together to experience this momen-

tous event, , NBK Insider take the opportunity to discover amazing fun facts and trivia about the FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest soccer tournament in the world with over a billion people tuning in to watch 32 countries battle it

out at different venues in the host country to lift the much coveted FIFA World Cup. 18 tournaments have been held since 1930, only

seven nations have won the prestigious World Cup, Brazil is on top of the list with 5 wins, followed closely by Italy and Germany

with 4 and 3 wins respectively. Argentina and Uruguay have 2 titles each and England France with one each.

The World Cup was first televised in 1954 and is the most widely watched sporting event in the world. The cumulative audience of all

the matches of the FIFA World Cup 2006 is estimated to be over 26.29 billion.

FIFA World Cup Fun Facts

• The record number of World Cup career goals is 15 by Brazilian forward Ronaldo.

• The record number of appearances in world cup matches is 25, held by German footballer Lothar Matthaus.

• The fastest goal in the world was scored by Turkey’s Hasan Sukur, 11 seconds into the game against South Korea in the 2002 World Cup.

• Oliver Kahn is the only goalkeeper in the history of FIFA World to have won the Golden Ball trophy.

• India withdrew from the 1950 World Cup when they realized that according to FIFA regulations players had to wear football boots and would not be allowed to play barefoot.

• The record for most defeats suffered by a nation in World Cups is held by Mexico with 20 losses.

• Norman Whiteside was 17 when he played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup making him the youngest player to play in the world cup.

• Out of the 18 world cups, South America and European countries have won 9 titles each. No other continent has produced a world champion.

• 42-year-old Roger Milla in 1994 became the oldest goal scorer and the oldest player in World Cup history.

• In 1986 FIFA prohibited shirt swapping because they did not want players to ‘bare their chests’ on the field.

• Brazil is the country to have appeared for every finals tournament. They have appeared for the last 18 tournaments, won five of them and will be appearing in the 2010 World Cup as well.

FIFA World Cup Trivia

Haitham Ebef Mohammed Ramahy Zaher Janbih

Get Inspired

something to show you.” In the kitchen,

the grandfather prepared three pots of wa-

ter on the cooking range. On the first pot,

he placed carrots. On the second pot, he

placed eggs. On the third pot, he placed

coffee beans. And he lit the fire beneath

each of them.

For twenty minutes, they sat in silence

as the fire heated the pots. After twenty

minutes, the grandfather said, “If you no-

tice, the fire underneath the pots are the

same. Same heat. Same temperature. Yet

you’ll notice how different things react to

the fire.”

He fished out the carrots and placed it

in a bowl. He made his granddaughter

touch it.

“It’s soft,” she said.

He got an egg, broke it, and gave it to

her.

“Hard boiled,” she said.

Finally, he opened the coffee pot—its

fragrance filling the room. He poured a cup

for her. She took a sip.

“That’s nice,” she said, “thanks,

grandpa. But what does this all mean?”

He said, “Child, you’re going through

fire. You’re going through tri-

als. Everybody does. But how are you re-

acting? Are you like the carrot who

thought it was hard and strong, but when

the fire came, it became weak and lost all

its strength? Or are you like the egg that

had a malleable spirit and a tender heart,

but when trials came, hardened its

heart? Or are you like the coffee bean? The

fire released its flavor and aroma. Your

trials can release your gifts and

dreams. Your trials can set you free. So tell

me, are you a carrot, an egg, or coffee

beans?”

Your Trials Can Set You Free Did your boyfriend

leave you for another

girl? You’re now free to

find a better man who’ll

be faithful to you.

Were you laid off at work? You’re now

free to get a better job at

a better company or be-

come an entrepreneur.

Are you sick right

now? This is a wake up

call. Your body is telling

you, “It’s high time to

care for me.” You’re

now free to become the

healthiest person you can

become.

Eleven years ago, my friend had cancer

of the breast. But that cancer set her

free. Because of that cancer, she served God

more, she loved her family more, and she

took care of her health more. She started

eating more fruits and vegetables. Eleven

years later, she’s a healthier person, she’s a

more loving person, and she’s a more spiri-

tual person. Her cancer set her free.

Did your business fail? You’re now free

to start all over again and make it better.

Don’t Lose Hope Friend, are you a winner?

Stop focusing on your trial.

Stop focusing on your problems. Right now,

you may be undergoing fire.

Perhaps your marriage is being torn apart.

Perhaps you’re buried in a mountain of debt.

Perhaps the doctor said you’re never going

to get well.

Friend, don’t lose hope.

Friend, don’t lose hope

Don’t give up.

You will win the race.

You will win the prize!

In the fire, don’t be a carrot or an

egg. Don’t weaken or harden. Rather, be a

coffee bean and let the fire set you free for

action!

This fire will make you better.

This fire will make you grow.

This fire will make you succeed

even more!

So focus on the finish line.

Focus on your dream.

Focus on the prize before you.

Stand up and keep running!

By Bo Sanchez

Have you noticed?

Bad things hap-

pen to good people.

All the time. Did

you get stuck in

traffic this week?

Or have you

ever lost your cell-

phone—with all the

phone numbers lost

forever?

Or have you

ever had the terrible

experience of your

computer crash-

ing—and all your

files vanishing to

oblivion for all eter-

nity?

Or have you ever experienced your boss

shouting at you for something that wasn’t your

fault?

Or have you ever experienced the pain of

your boyfriend or girlfriend dumping you for

another person?

I repeat. Bad things happen to good people

all the time.

I can’t answer why they happen.

But here’s my bigger question: What do

you do when bad things happen to you?

Do you sulk?

Do you complain?

Do you just stay put and do nothing?

Or do you have a bias for action?

Here’s my simple yet big message for you

today: Winners have a bias for action. That’s

why they’re winners.

But you’ll be surprised that a lot of people do

the exact same thing when bad things happen to

them.

They freeze. They get stuck. They just stay

there. They complain. They complain to the

world.

Friend, has a bad thing happened to you?

Don’t get stuck. Don’t complain. It’s useless.

Stand up.

Instead of complaining, do something.

If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk,

limp. If you can’t limp, crawl. Stumble your

way to greatness.

Why? Because God never said that no bad

thing will ever happen to you. But here’s His

big promise: That every time a bad thing will

happen to you, good things will come out of

it. Every time!

How Do You Respond To Fire? One day, a young woman came to her

grandfather and cried on his shoulder. She

told him of her many problems. She felt so

overwhelmed by them. It seemed like eve-

rything in her life was going wrong.

After she wept many tears, the old man

told her, “Let’s go to the kitchen. I have

Winners Have a Bias for Action

Your Health, Our Concern

Ways to Get More Energy If you’re tired all the time, a change in what you eat (diet) or

what you do all day (activity pattern) may be all you need to

turn things around 180°.

You won’t be able to do everything on this list all the time —

you’d tire yourself out trying to get more energy — but do try

them all to see which ones work for you and your schedule. Add

a few of these tips to your regular routine. Or mix them up to

keep things interesting.

1. Change your socks for refreshment. It’s an amazing trick. Bring a change of socks to work, and

change your socks midway through the day (say, after lunch).

You’ll be amazed at how much fresher you’ll feel. This trick is

especially handy on days with lots of walking — like during a

hike or family outing to the amusement park.

2. Rock out loud. Whether you work alone or in a room with coworkers, a quick

one-song rock out loud session is an effective way to beat back

exhaustion. In a cube farm? Get everyone to sing

along! The key is to choose a song that everyone

can sing along with. The energy boosting effect

comes from bobbing your head and singing out

loud. One song, 3 minutes. That’s a quick boost

of adrenaline that lasts for a bit. You’ll be singing

to yourself the rest of the never ending project

delivery night.

3. Have a piece of chocolate. Not too much, but if you’re going to have some candy, it might

as well be chocolate. We get an endorphin buzz from chocolate

(not to mention the energy boost from the slight bit of caffeine

chocolate contains). Dark chocolate has more caffeine than milk

chocolate.

4. Have an afternoon power snack. An afternoon snack of yogurt, berries, and

nuts will provide the boost of energy to

carry you through the day. A small

healthy snack that is low in sugar and has

protein and/or fiber a couple hours after

lunch helps you finish off the day strong. Some sug-

gestions: mixed nuts, apple and peanut butter , nonfat yogurt,

frozen berrie smoothie, trail mix , granola bar

5. Hit up the water cooler for inconsequential banter. A little midday gossip and random banter is a great pick-me-up

for your tired mind. It works because it gets your mind on zero-

stress thoughts for a while. The mental break for just a few min-

utes will revitalize you.

6. Wear brighter colors. This trick is related to the mood you project to people, and the

reciprocating mood they project towards you. If you wear dark,

somber colors, you project a dark, somber attitude, and people

will respond to you with a somber attitude. If you wear bright,

happy colors, you’ll get that attitude projected towards you,

which will boost your own mood and energy levels.

7. Take a power nap. But do it in your chair. Don’t lie down on the sofa or you won’t

get back up. Keep it short: 5-10 minutes max. Any longer and it

will have the opposite effect of knocking you out for the rest of

the day.

8. Flirt. It’s fun, it’s harmless (keep it innocent), and it’s effective. Noth-

ing quite gets the heart pumping like a little flirting.

9. Use caffeine wisely. Coffee and caffeinated sodas can boost your alert-

ness, but be careful about letting it be a habitual

crutch. The temptation to drink more caffeine to get

even more energy will be strong. Eventually you’ll

be downing 5 double-shot espressos a day just to function. Drink

coffee earlier in the day to avoid insomnia, which will make the

next day worse.

10. Stand up, stretch and take a couple of deep breaths. Stretch your arms, back, legs, and neck. Take a deep breath

through your nose, hold it, and let it out slowly and forcefully.

Repeat several times. This will take 30 seconds and will be an

instant fix. When you sit back down, you’ll have the clear head

and fresh feeling needed to power through the tough/boring task

in front of you.

11. Take a mini-vacation. Take one day and just do whatever you want. No work, no

chores, no errands. Enjoy your one full day of vacation, then

come back to work more motivated and energetic.

12. Eat a satisfying breakfast but a light lunch. A heavy lunch, especially one with lots of

carbs or fat (like a burger combo) will hit you

as soon as you get back to the office. And it’ll

be a sluggishness that lasts to the end of the

day. Eat a big breakfast instead. It provides

the fuel you need for the day, at the time when

your body needs it the most. Not only will you

avoid the afternoon food coma, the big breakfast will make you

more productive in the mornings.

13. Listen to tunes while you work. It’s well known that our brain’s pleasure centers light up when

we hear music. Throwing on the headphones and listening to

any music you like while working will give you a productivity

boost.

14. Get a massage. Loosen up those tight muscles and you’ll feel more relaxed. A

more relaxed you means a happier and more productive you.

Trade a quick shoulder rub with a coworker after lunch to perk

both of you up for the rest of the afternoon.

15. Dress up. Feeling better about yourself has a magical way of giving you

more energy. Put just a tad more effort into looking your best for

work, and you’ll get compliments from coworkers that will

make you feel better — and make you a perkier, more energetic

worker bee.

16. Take a walk outside. Getting outside for some fresh air, a change of scenery, and a

quick walk to get your blood going will do wonders for your

mood and motivation. Seeing the sun is a signal to your body

that it’s not bedtime yet.

17. Have a laugh. Laughter is great medicine for exhaustion. Make sure you laugh

regularly to keep your mood up. Seek out funny people or sub-

scribe to a daily email joke.

18. Socialize. Turn off the Internet and go socialize with friends. Humans are

social animals, and we need regular socializing to keep our-

selves in peak health and energy.

Life In Motion

Alistair Cook

“The reason I started to give blood was when

my first child was born, a tea spoon of blood

can save a premature baby. I was grateful that

my children have been born healthy. There are

many people, children & adults that need blood every day.

If I can help to save a life by spending half an hour of my

time then it is well worth it. We all have it in us to save a

life”

Samuel Sidan

“You never know, you might need it someday.

It’s my way of helping to save people’s lives.”

Ayad Aldali

“I just wanted to help people…it really

feels good when you know you are going

to save a life of 3 people with just 1 pint of

your blood. Besides, who knows maybe

tomorrow we need it”

Jayantha Devottu

“June 1 is my birthday and I thought it would be

nice to give blood on my birthday. I felt good

inside after donating my blood.”

Mahmoud Churbavi

“A doctor once told me that I have the ability to

renew my blood cells quickly so I started to do-

nate once every 6 months. I have the build and the

health to help people, so……….. Why not!”

Alvin Kuriakose

“I have a friend who got into car accident and

at that time he didn’t get enough blood. So I

promise myself that I’ll donate blood to save

people’s lives.”

Shaju Kodundhare

“It’s a great feeling to know that I can make a

difference in our community!”

Abdul Hameed

“It’s our duty and responsibility to help others..so

whenever we’re giving blood we’re saving lives of

many people.”

Prime Chong

This is my first time I donated blood and it was

because my friend wanted to so we registered

together. While waiting for my turn, I was really

inspired by the people donating their blood. The idea of

saving lives gives me the thrill!

Salim Sulaiman

To save people’s lives..that’s our duty!

Hani Touma

I donate blood every 6 months. Not only I

am saving lives but It’s good for my body

as well.

Mohammad Chibani

The life you save may be your own!

Rochdi Sadalla

“It feels good to donate your blood

regularly,.it’s good for your body too!”

Firas Kadora

“To support life…and that in itself is very

rewarding and satisfying!”

Ehab Diab

“It’s the very least we can do to do

something good for humanity. Donat-

ing blood to those who are in need is a

win-win situation. You save a life

while it’s healthy for your body too! I

suggest we do it at least twice a year.”

Gary Cortez

“Although this is my first time to donate

blood, I was bit more relax and excited to

do such thing. I felt that this is the right

thing to do! Each one of us has the obliga-

tions to do humanitarian acts.”

This month, NBK Insider pays tribute to all those who donated their blood. Each has their own

story to tell and whatever their reason for giving their blood, they definitely made a difference

in people’s lives. Read some of the stories below.