New Office For CSS Maldives

CSS Maldives has been shifted to a new and more convenient office easily accessible for the clients.

The new office address is:

Consolidated Shipping Services
C/o GO Maldives, 66/17, 7th floor
Cyprea building, Bouthakurufaanu Magu
Male, Republic of Maldives
Tel : +960 330 7242,  Fax : +960 332 3523
Email : info@cssmale.com

Rahat Talreja Promoted To VP

Experience is never measured in time but in how much one learns from experiences. And who better to exemplify this than the young, straight forward and dynamic Rahat Talreja , who has recently been promoted to the role of Vice President at CSS India and shall be responsible for adding value to Western and Southern India Imports. A keen learner who also is a trainer and visiting faculty at various reputed MBA schools on International Business and Finance, he has risen from a management trainee who ranked 1st in his post graduation to this senior role in less than a decade in the logistics industry.

Rahat has created a team of highly motivated and trained people in his role at CSS India. He is the oldest member of the CSS India management team, now in the seventh year of operation, and has been a key team member in the success story of CSS India. With his focus on best industry practices and his focus on business financials, he has managed to be highly profit oriented for the company and has upped the bar at every level of professionalism.

We wish Rahat continued success in his endeavors.

Social Outlook Of CSS Group

After the launch of their newly designed website CSS Group has also recently joined various social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter in order to directly interact with their partners and customers.  Social media has become a vital tool in the area of marketing for any company, regardless of industry. The rise of social media has had a definitive impact on print media as companies use it as a interactive tool between its partners and clients. “Here at CSS we hope that through social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter we will not only provide new business opportunities, but also allow us to showcase CSS as a key influencer in the global shipping and logistics fraternity,” said Amith Horra, Marketing Manager, CSS Group .

Pearl Diving

For hundreds of years, the finest pearls in the world were found in the waters of the Arabian Gulf. Pearl diving once represented the rich heritage of UAE, where pearl diving was one of the largest contributors to the economy.

The Pearl divers are known as Ghais (in Arabic). Gulf Pearlers developed their own diving technique and worked in tandem with ‘pullers with strong powerful shoulders’’ known as Saibs. These men were responsible for heaving up baskets of oysters, as well as the divers themselves.

Once over the oyster banks, the oars were lashed on one side of the boat, projecting overboard. Two ropes were hung over each oar. One rope had a basket (Dayeen) attached, the other a weight or heavy stone. The weighted rope (hijara) was looped around the ankle of the diver (ghais) to help him sink to the sea bed.

Once in the water, the diver would place a nose peg made of turtle shell, (Ftaam) to keep his nostrils closed, whilst diving. During the jelly fish season in June, a lightweight cotton suit (Libis) was worn by the divers to protect and prevent serious injury from stings.

PEARLING HISTORY

• The Arabian Gulf was one of the largest natural diving economies in the world.
• By the 20th century, there were more than 1,000 pearling boats along the Trucial Coast employing an estimated 20,000 pearl divers.
• Pearl diving was still in play in the UAE until the 1950s but faded away as less expensive cultured pearls became more accessible.
• The world’s largest pearl, 24 cm in diameter and 6.4 kg in weight is worth $93 million (Dh341.53 million) and was liberated from a giant clam and is currently owned by the Pearl for Peace Foundation, a charitable organization.

CSS Homeward Bound Sponsors Cultural Event Showcase

As part of its commitment to promoting the arts, CSS Homeward Bound recently sponsored Melalayam 2013. Produced by a group called “Wednesday Events” who are known for promoting ethnic art forms of Kerala, the show received tremendous acclaim from the audience.

“CSS Homeward Bound is proud to promote cultural events such as these, as it brings together the large expatriate community of South India that resides in the region and allows them to see traditional performances from back home” said Suku Sudhakaran, General Manager, CSS Homeward Bound.

A major attraction feature during the course of the show was the “Panchari Melam” which is a percussion ensemble comprising of 40 artists using various classical instruments such as the Chenda Ilathalam, Kombu and Kuzhal.

100 Entrants Take On The Greatest Motoring Adventure In The Fifth Peking to Paris Rally

“The Peking to Paris was the first international event for cars and ran in 1907, and was like men landing on the moon – it was a staggering achievement to get a car half way around the world. They had no maps, there were no roads for much of the route, they had no use for money, they shaved bits off silver lumps to barter, there were no petrol stations, cars then used up tyres at a horrendous rate yet the winner, who won by a week, still drove from Paris to his home in Rome on one of the tyres he had set out on (a Pirelli). They cheated on each other all the way. “

Billed as the greatest motoring adventure, the fifth Peking to Paris Rally which started from China’s capital on 28th May successfully completed on 29th June. Organised by the Endurance Rally Organisation (ERA), more than 100 cars from various eras and manufacturers, representing 26 countries, travelled half way round the world in just 33 days before arriving in Paris.

Since the early pioneers first drove from Peking to Paris in 1907, the ERA has organised the rally along the lines of the original pioneering event. Crews will drive the original route of Prince Borghese, the 1907 winner, over the vast wilderness of northern Mongolia, where there are often no roads or tracks at all, relying on their own wits and navigation ability, camping besides rivers and lakes for 10 nights.

It’s the longest and toughest rally a classic car can compete in, crossing mountains and deserts and fording wide and fast-flowing rivers.

Back in 1907 just five cars took part. Now the Peking to Paris receives entries from around the world. The oldest car taking part is a 1913 Ford Model T, while a 1917 LaFrance has the biggest engine at a whopping 14.5-litres. The smallest-engined car is a 1250cc MG TD, narrowly taking the accolade from the youngest car entered, a 1300cc 1982 Renault 4.

From China the route passes through Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated independent country, with the Gobi Desert once again being a rally highlight. From Mongolia the route travels through Russia, avoiding main roads and major towns and cities, and the longest stage sees competitors travelling 668Km (415 miles) in one day, as they journey from Novosibirsk to Omsk.

With such a grueling route, much of which is on unmade surfaces, pre-war cars with their greater ground clearance should perform well. In the pre-1942 classes covering 1920-1931 and 1932-1941 Bentleys remain very popular, with eight entered, and three Rolls-Royces join them. American cars are also a popular choice and in the pre-1942 classes 19 are competing.

Some competitors have opted for rear-engined cars. The field is made up of three Porsche 991, two Porsche 356s, a VW Beetle and a rare 1958 Renault Fregate.

With such a selection of cars and such a long, tough route, there’s all to play for – more than 7,500 miles in a classic car is sure to be a challenge for crew and car…

The international interest in the event is not only with the entrants, who hail from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and all over Europe as well as including a strong British contingent, but with the media too.

The event was filmed by a documentary television team from CBS News while BBC TV from their World Service newsdesk covered the start at the Great Wall in China and the finish in Place Vendome, Paris. BBC World TV is represented in the event aboard the 1938 Ford Coupe of Mike Reeves and travel writer Michelle Jana Chan.

For more information on the Peking to Paris Rally or any future Endurance Rally Association event – call +44 (0) 1235 831221
visit www.endurorally.com