bazaar August 2021 issue

August 2021 | Issue #259

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Int

By popular demand, welcome to the August edition of bazaar magazine! This is the second summer in a row that we publish a standalone August issue instead of a combined and bundled July/August issue, since most of the country hasn’t traveled again this summer, either because they can’t for logistical reasons, or they don’t want to, because of COVID reasons. Regardless, we’re happy that we’re not the only ones here for the summer, and we’re happy that the demand and thirst for new content and information about what’s happening in K-town is higher than ever, both on our website bazaar.town, and on all of our socials, and of course our beloved legacy print magazine that you’re holding in your hands right now!

The bazaar team...

We have been staying busy by following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (not 2021 because it would have been a nightmare to rebrand everything) and were super excited to watch the Kuwait team march in the Parade of Nations, seeing Lara Dashti become Kuwait’s first female flagbearer as well as seeing Abdullah Alrashidi win a bronze medal for Skeet Shooting. We are inspired and feeling hopeful!

Ihab Youssef

A world apart from elite sports, our Truth or Dare candidates this month the intellectuals behind @elmohimreviews. Ahmed Al Shahabi a.k.a Shahabi and Ali AlHasan have been reviewing books, interviewing authors and helping their audience rethink the way they read books and turning it into a more social and interactive activity and not just a solitary one. Yes, to more reading!

Boss

Ahmed El-Adly

Editor

Alia Al Duaij

Operations Manager Content Manager Yasmine El Charif

Mixed Media Solutions Jennifer Cádiz

Design

Shadi Mofeed

You may have already met Meshary AlNassar on our pages, but this time he is back with a new H&M HOME collaboration. We asked him about his design inspirations, how he makes choices and what his favorite items from their latest summer collection are.

We’re hoping his design chops will rub off on us and we can recreate the same serene vibes from his styling ethos.

Staff Writer/Online Media

Our summer and travel FOMO has been at an all-time high, but a visit to the newly opened EL&N Café at the Avenues made us feel much better. It is hands down, the most visually and aesthetically pleasing destination that we have visited in a very long time. With floor-to-ceiling backdrops that are perfect for any photo, and the food and drinks were just as pretty and twice as delicious as they looked! Check out our review and mark a day to visit EL&N Café to while the hours away, you won’t be disappointed.

We love new experiences, but we also appreciate knowing that there are places and dishes that we can always trust and depend on, especially when it comes to burgers, we really don’t mess around. Our favorite Shake Shack just celebrated their tenth anniversary of opening in Kuwait last month, and we take a stroll down memory lane in visual form to highlight this special occasion. Don’t forget that this summer heat always calls for a frozen treat, this is why we scoped out all that Frost Gelato has to offer, and we’ve rounded up our favorite offerings just for you!

Hala Y. Sharara

August is usually the month we start planning for Back-To-School season and while we’re still unsure about the school situation, what we do know is that we’re still going to stock up on our favorite stationery items and get ready anyway. Our friends at MUJI have helped us gear up for a productive, artistic and very organized academic year.

From summer fashion news from our most loved retailers like Debenhams, Houdini Tees and Sunday Afternoon hats which are perfect for this season to fragrance-filled explorations at Zohoor, our pages will help you fill your August days with new shopping experiences!

Happy Staycationing!

Ahmed El-Adly

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Mariam Raslan Yasmin Gamal

Communications Interns

Emile Barakat

Contributing Writers Ahmad Rashad Arafa

Syndicates & Sources Fast Company LA Times MCT International Newsweek

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The views expressed in bazaar magazine are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff (but sometimes they are).

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INDEX AUGUST 2021 26 ON THE ROAD TO TOKYO

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EL MOHIM REVIEWS

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We proudly watched ten Kuwaiti athletes march the parade of nations. They have already qualified for the Olympics, proving their worth and skill as elite in their chosen sports. We’re going to be cheering them from our homes and wishing them the best of luck as well as hoping to see more people become inspired by their actions.

“You simply can’t afford not to read if you are serious in the game of life,” says Ali AlHasan, one half of El Mohim Reviews. We spoke to him and Ahmed Al Shahabi to find out how and why they got into the book review business.

They had us rethink our reading habits as well as our point of view on reading, check out this special edition of Truth Or Dare.

Meshary AlNassar really knows how to make a space unique and refined by adding the right touches. He teamed up with H&M HOME and beautifully transformed an entire home in an edit that can turn your abode into stylish and cozy spaces that you would love living in.

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DEBENHAMS’ BIG NEWS

JOHNNY FPV FOR THE PORSCHE TAYCAN CROSS TURISMO

THE BODY SHOP’S BIG POWER MOVE

We just learned that Alshaya Group, announced their new partnership with boohoo group plc, the worldwide owners of the Debenhams brand since January 2021.

We’ll be seeing boohoo, boohooMAN, Nasty Gal and MissPap in the stores and we will be finally getting an improved Debenhams online experience.

H&M HOME X MESHARY ALNASSAR

How do you capture the power, beauty and performance of the new Taycan Cross Turismo, the world’s first electric Cross Utility Vehicle? You ask Johnny FPV, the world’s best drone videographer to shoot it across two identical racetracks, one in frozen Finland and the other in sandy UAE. Read the special interview right here!

Musk is such a unique scent, its warm and powerful notes deliver instant self-confidence in a bottle. The Body Shop have always been advocates of cruelty-free musk and now have the certificates to prove it, while also moving to more environmentally friendly packaging, their line of Musk products are moving confidently towards a better future.

88 EL&N CAFÉ Everyone is designing their restaurants and cafes for the gram now, but no one has quite done it like EL&N Café.

Every single element is aesthetically dreamy, pink and picture perfect. We fell in love with the food, the drinks and the friendly staff, and lived our best lives during our quick pop in for a delicious meal.

94 IT’S A SHACK’VERSARY! Time really flies when you’re eating delicious ShackBurgers and crinkle cut fries and then chasing them with Frozen Custard prepared right in front of your eyes, ten years of time to be exact. Shake Shack just celebrated a decade of being in Kuwait and the milestones they hit along the years! Check out this special visual feature.

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With a bilingual audience of both English and Arabic, we cover everything from what’s on, to the bizarre. We print and distribute 10,000 copies of bazaar every month; each copy is read by an average of 3 people, giving us a total readership of over 30,000. bazaar is published every month (with a double issue for July/ August), delivered free of charge to a large subscriber database, and distributed free of charge in all of the following locations: Cafés & Eateries

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SCAN THE CODE

VACATION TIME

4 mental shifts that make taking vacation less stressful

By Gwen Moran

You’d think that, after being cooped up for so long, more people would be ready to go—anywhere. But there are a number of reasons why they’re not, a recent LinkedIn study found. Nearly four in 10 (39%) are understaffed at work. In addition, 23% said they had scheduling conflicts and 21% are worried about COVID-19. A 2020 survey by wellness technology company Neuvana found that half of working Americans think that taking a vacation causes more stress.

Celeste Headlee, author of Do Nothing: How To Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving, thinks that not taking the time off owed to you is absurd. “We see this as sort of emotionally taxing, to get permission to take vacation time. And I would want people to stop thinking of this as getting permission,” she says.

If you think you can’t take a break, you’re probably thinking about it wrong. Here are four things to remember when you say you can’t get away: Your employer owes you the time The first key is to shift your mindset, she says.

Stop feeling guilty about getting away. Your paid time off (PTO) is part of your compensation. “The fact of the matter is that is that everybody who has paid vacation time set aside, when you don’t take that vacation time, you’re basically writing a check to your employer, you’re donating money to them,” she says. And the value of that time could be thousands of dollars, she adds.

You’re worse at your job without it There’s a fair amount of research that people who don’t take breaks—both breaks during the day and time off from work—are less productive and engaged, Headlee says. As Fast Company has previously reported, they’re also at higher risk for burnout and other health issues, and may have trouble being creative.

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These issues have been compounded by the pandemic. Christopher Goldsmith, vice president and senior consultant at benefits firm Segal is actually seeing companies offering financial incentives to take their PTO. Some companies are offering cash bonuses—these may be $500, $1,000, or more, he says—to employees who take a vacation and don’t check in. Others are using more of a “stick” approach to getting employees to take PTO, enforcing “use it or lose it” policies coupled with regular reminders to schedule time off so they don’t lose it.

“The importance of disconnecting from work for a period of time can’t be overstated,” he says.

It’s not a competition Headlee says that another reason people put off planning time away from work is the pressure to have a “perfect” vacation, which may not be possible. “Social media has put us in this arms race in terms of picking an ever more fabulous and interesting vacation,” she says. Part of the reason people feel it’s too much trouble is the time and expense of having an ‘Instagram-able’ time away.

You can alleviate that pressure by making a promise to yourself that you’ll keep your vacation off social media—even if it’s fabulous, Headlee says. Whether you’re planning a staycation, visiting a friend, or going to a four-star resort,

focus on rest and restorative activities instead of posting on social media, she says.

It’s not your job to prepare your company for your vacation A number of businesses are finding themselves short-handed these days, but that’s still not a reason to not take time away, Headlee says. If your company isn’t able to survive without you for a few days or a week, there’s something wrong with the structure of the business that needs to be addressed, she adds.

Of course, you want to be sure that people have the information they need to cover necessary tasks while you’re gone. Once you ensure that others have that information, work with your supervisor or a colleague to find the best point person to handle issues during your time off.

“If you had to go into some emergency surgery—have your spleen removed or something—would you tell the doc, I’ve got to delay this because I need to set up all these emails and I need to contact my assistant?”

Headlee asks. Of course not. You can—and should—take the time off that’s coming to you, she says.

Photo by li hao on Unsplash.

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ON THE ROAD TO TOKYO 2020 (21) We’re rooting for our athletes By bazaar staff

The Olympics are always an exciting event; athletes, coaches, family members and the administrators have been working really hard just for a chance to compete. Qualifying for the games tells the world that you are one of a handful of hopefuls who have lived, breathed and walked the many miles needed to become a member of the elite. Even us non-athletes want to join in from the moment the torch is lit, to the exciting and artistic ceremony to cheering from our homes to clapping for our competitors and tearing up when we see our flag raised.

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This year has been exceptional in so many ways. Since the games began in 1896, the event has only been cancelled three times, once for World War I and twice for the second World War. Until 2020, when it was postponed because of the pandemic. And now that they are currently being held, the spectator stands are empty to prevent the spread of the disease. We’re still calling them the 2020 events because of branding and marketing reasons and maybe far off in the future, we will have forgotten that it was the year that changed everything.

The opening ceremony felt muted, shorter and restrained compared to past events. It also doesn’t help that our most recent memory is of Rio, land of Carnavale, huge costumes, loud music and big parties. Tokyo’s games started with a remembrance of all the victims of COVID-19 with a simple interpretive dance. Next they chose to start the games by “building the stage”.

Notably, the performance included differently abled bodies with performers in wheelchairs which was a wonderful nod to how we all want to move towards a world that accepts everyone and makes the world accessible to them.

The ceremony was opened on the 23rd of July

by Naruhito, Emperor of Japan and the Cauldron was lit by Japanese American tennis prodigy Naomi Osaka. This year 205 nations are being represented by 11,326 athletes competing in 339 events in 33 sports. During the opening, the Parade of Nations started with Greece, which has been the tradition since the beginning of the modern Olympics. The rest of the countries followed in Japanese Alphabetical Order. This is always fun to watch, especially for the fashion. It is always exciting to see how countries choose to represent themselves. With some countries opting for very traditional outfits like Bahrain

and Tuvalu, others using their flag colors to adorn tracksuits and other items of clothing like Italy and Ukraine and some like Bermuda showed their sense of humor by donning Bermuda shorts.

Kuwait chose an interesting path, the men wore traditional white dishdasha’s, while the women wore simple darra’as with a banded collar that mirrored the men’s and a woven sadu ribbon down the front. It felt both futuristic and minimalist while honoring heritage and culture.

This year, ten Kuwaitis are in Tokyo hoping for a chance to step up on a podium and hear the anthem, especially that in Rio they competed under the International Olympic Flag. In the track and road events, sprinter and runner Yaqoub AlYouha will be competing in the 110m hurdle while Mudhawi Al-Shammari will run the 100m race.

Mohammad Al-Mosawi is representing Kuwait in Karate.

At the time of writing this Abdullah Al-Rashidi has already won a Bronze medal for the Men’s Skeet Shooting, a recreational and competitive activity where participants, using shotguns, attempt to break clay targets mechanically flung into the air . Alongside him is Mansour Al-Rashidi also competing in the same sport. Similar to skeet shooting, is trap shooting, which involves shooting hundreds of pellets from a single source at a time, at a target that is moving quickly downrange. Abdulrahman Al-Faihan and Talal AlRashidi are Kuwait’s champions and competitors this year.

If you have never, they are rowing boats designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. They are fitted with riggers that symmetrically apply force to each side of the boat and (usually) a fin towards the rear. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhel, will be representing Kuwait in the Men’s Single Sculls event.

This year, we have two swimmers in the games. Abbas Qali is competing in the 100m freestyle swimming race. And first-time Olympian and first Kuwaiti female flag bearer, Lara Dashti is swimming the 50m freestyle race. She posted on Instagram about how excited to be honored by the task and said, “No words can describe the feelings and emotions I had carrying the flag of my dear Kuwait…. It was such an honor” We wish them all the luck in the world, because they have already done all the work they could have. We’re hopeful and we’re glad that we have more representation in the global arena, that inspires younger generations to pick up a javelin, go running or dive off a springboard, thinking that they too could someday end up at the Olympics.

Photo by Ryunosuke Kikuno on Unsplash.

Images from @kuwaitolympic on Instagram, follow them to support our athletes.

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kuwait kulture

OTHERING

On notions of belonging and exclusion By bazaar staff

“Oh, don’t worry, they are like us”, or “He is not like them”, or “She is cool”, followed by a double wink. This seems to be happening more often than not to me. I get introduced to someone new and the people making the introduction want to make sure that I can trust this person. But what they are really doing is “othering” an entire category of people.

Maybe the “others” have different beliefs, dress differently, prefer certain spices or think that vegans are crazy for refusing to eat meat. We are quick to point out the differences between our ingroup and the out-group. We rally the proverbial troops against them. We blame them for their own misfortune while we give ourselves excuses for the same one.

We are going from curious, humble and open to experiences to guarded, distrustful and suspicious of anyone or anything that does not fit our cookie cutter expectations. Our social circles keep getting tighter because we kick out people who don’t agree with our ideals. Whether we exclude people because of their country of origin or the school they went to, we make snap judgements about them before even giving them a chance to see if their chosen values align with ours.

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If you are old enough to have witnessed the birth of the internet you should also remember that it came with a promise of allowing people to come together and share in their humanity. Instead, it is increasingly becoming an echo chamber of one’s ideas and a barrier to anything different. Thank you algorithms. Not. A couple of decades ago it was quite common for friend groups here to be made up of multiple nationalities. Now, people are just sticking to their own kind. And even then, they are selecting based on class, status, ideology, etc. If it stopped there, then that wouldn’t be a problem, but there is a lot of demonizing the “other”.

If you don’t share my beliefs, it must be because you are stupid, uncouth, crazy, dirty, and the list goes on. The truth is, we are a result of chance. Any change in our personal history and we may have turned out

as completely different people and on the other side of the fence that we so vehemently gate-keep.

Instead, if you look for similarities, you might be surprised by how alike we are. Maybe we share a love for ice cream, love watching scary movies with the lights turned on or think that dewy flowers at dawn are the most beautiful thing in the world. You don’t have to be friends with everyone, but you don’t need to exclude anyone who does not fit your mental model of what is acceptable.

Diverse communities are stronger, achieve more and are happier. While fractured ones start wars, are slower to progress and lose out on the true richness of the human experience. Be curious instead of judgemental, and you might be surprised.

Photo by Clay Banks on UnsplashPhoto by Clay Banks on Unsplash.

bazaar weekends

BEACH TIME Salt water and a warm breeze can fix everything By bazaar staff

If you spent most of your life escaping Kuwait’s sweltering summers and jetting off to beaches elsewhere you might not realize that there’s a lot of fun waiting for you. You might not even realize that there’s so much you can do that is easily affordable and accessible. Just remember, wear LOTS of sunscreen.

Public Beaches There are so many spots on the Arabian Gulf in Kuwait where you can enjoy the water and build some sand castles. They’re free to access and there’s probably one near you like Marina, Mahboula and Al Kout. Because of the heat, we suggest you head really early in the morning (right after sunrise) which is perfect for avoiding crowds.

Alternatively you can visit later in the day (right before sun down). Since there aren’t be facilities you will have to pack your own umbrella, towels, water and snacks. The ice box is your new best friend. Just make sure you don’t spend too much time in the sun, because heat and sun stroke can be really nasty.

Hotels There are many hotels in Kuwait that provide beach access, and these come with extra 30

amenities. You can even consider booking a night so you can enjoy a full day of sun without having to worry about driving home in your wet swimsuit.

Rates are always lower during the week and if you can take a day off during the week you might even enjoy the beach all for yourself. Try Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, the Movenpick or The Regency. Call ahead to check availability and make reservations.

Boat trips All the fun, none of the sand sticking to your skin. An all-day boat trip is a great way to enjoy the water without having to worry about social distancing and being able to have some extra privacy. SeaQuest (@seaquest_trips) offer private group tours as well as individual bookings to different islands. It is the perfect way to spend the day.

Watersports If you are looking for something quick and exciting then renting a jet ski for an hour or two is just what you need. There are so many huts that you can rent from and will often provide you with a life jacket too.

A word of warning Make sure to stay hydrated all day. It is easy to get carried away while you are having fun, so set reminders if you have to. Reapply sunscreen regularly, the packaging should tell you how often and how waterproof it is. You should also consider hats and a rash guard, especially for children and people with sensitive skin. The best cure is prevention

Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash.

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TREASURE THE UNICORN

4 ways to unleash the full power of unicorn employees

By Jamie Delgaedo

Do you believe in unicorns? I do. It’s hard not to when I see them at work everyday. Although they may not carry a multibillion dollar valuation like the companies and startups we typically consider “unicorns,” these individuals contribute to their organizations in ways you can’t put a price tag on. Office “unicorns” are standout employees who proactively contribute to organizational improvement. When there’s a problem, they bring solutions to managers, jump at the opportunity to help with projects and come up with ideas to better the company.

Like the mythical creature, office unicorns are also rare. So when managers spot a unicorn, they need to recognize the employee’s potential as an impactful contributor and actively invest in their development. Let’s put it this way—if you don’t wrangle your unicorns, they may return to the wild, i.e., to one of your competitors.

I’ve had the privilege of nurturing many office unicorns at my workflow platform company, Catalytic. With planning, you can develop unicorns into leaders and specialists that drive creativity and innovation for your organization. Here are few principles I’ve followed in my time developing office unicorns: Don’t limit a unicorn’s creativity Given unicorns’ knack for going above and beyond at work, their creative thinking should be encouraged, not discouraged—even when it comes to long-standing organizational processes.

Unicorns don’t operate well in an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” culture. They want to know that new ideas are always welcome if they benefit the business.

This scenario recently played out on my team.

Three unicorns identified that we needed to get better at following up on sales leads from trade shows. The group turned an idea into a reality by building an improved operational workflow for this process on our no-code platform, making it a permanent solution that our entire sales team now follows.

Encourage unicorns to build their own brand Build up your unicorns as thought leaders and role models for the entire team to follow. This offers a two-fold solution—it enables unicorns to develop leadership experience at your company and can inspire other potential unicorns to follow in their footsteps. Without opportunities to build their own brand, unicorns may not feel like they can grow as leaders and experts in your organization.

Give unicorns internal and external opportunities to create their own brand among colleagues and with your customers. One of the most effective brand-building exercises I’ve used for team unicorns is having them present with a client at an event.

Show unicorns their career path In my experience, unicorns want a clear career 32

progression path. You need to have regular conversations with unicorns about organizational growth opportunities, chart a general timeline for promotion and outline the steps they can take to reach the next level. If you can’t provide this framework for unicorns, there’s another company waiting that absolutely can.

Meet unicorns’ expectations by making them a priority. Consistently engage unicorns about what they want to be when they “grow up” in your company. This attention to detail can keep unicorns performing at a high level and set them up for long-term success at your organization.

Invest in a unicorn’s professional development Unicorns expect you to actively invest in their professional development. These individuals have personal and professional goals they want to achieve. And with the right guidance, unicorns can accomplish these goals at your company.

However, if you can’t provide unicorns resources to help them grow, they may feel like their

professional development is stuck in neutral.

Proactively connect unicorns to learning and development opportunities, whether they’re internal or external. If unicorns want to master a skill your organization doesn’t have, set them up to learn it. On my team, for instance, we had several unicorns become “citizen developers”— employees who create new business applications using low-code and automation tools sanctioned

by IT. With their new skills, this group of unicorns developed innovative processes that are now vital to our sales operations, including a new workflow that automatically pulls Salesforce data to populate presentation decks for quarterly sales review meetings.

So, do you believe in unicorns now? You should. By fostering unicorns’ growth, you can develop the innovators and game changers who will take your organization to the next level.

Photo by James Lee on Unsplash.

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truth or dare

EL MOHIM REVIEWS

Ahmed Al Shahabi and Ali AlHasan are making the case for reading more books and why you should start now By bazaar staff

Ali AlHasan and Ahmed Al Shahabi

We live in a world where a three-minute read is considered too long, Twitter threads are becoming a bore, and a caption that’s longer than three lines is less engaging. Today’s digital universe is fast-paced, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that our minds are truly keeping up with the times. And while reading a proper book, fiction or nonfiction, may be a long-winded process, it will always be one that you are better off doing. This is why we were thrilled when we came by the engaging El Mohim Reviews on Instagram, where discussions on books and culture are witty, clever and presented via everyone’s popular content platforms. Founded by Creative Director Ahmed Al Shahabi and Electrical Engineer Ali AlHasan, these avid bookworms are making the case for reading more by purposefully dissecting and examining the content we are consuming today.

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El Mohim Reviews actually got started back in 2015. Shahabi would frequently visit Caffeine in downtown Kuwait City with a book in hand. As serendipity would have it, that’s how he met Ali for the first time. “It turned out that we’re both book addicts, but the difference between us is that Ali likes to highlight on his books and I find that act to be blasphemous!” Shahabi starts us off, “We would discuss books, life and everything else whenever during our weekly rendezvous there, and whenever that happens, we always find ourselves surrounded by friends and strangers joining us to listen to the conversations, so that sparked an idea.” At the time, Shahabi was already doing quick reviews on his personal Instagram account, but from there, the idea of a shared platform developed organically. Today, El Mohim features regular book discussions between Ali and Shahabi, hosts guests, and they discuss everything they consider to be worthy of reading, regardless of the book’s genre. The discussions normally unpack the thoughts behind the written word, with cultural tangents, and relating the relevance of the work to today’s society. Shahabi hopes to see El Mohim emerge into a fuller TV show or cultural platform that talks about books in hopes of encouraging others to take up reading on a local and regional level.

El Mohim Reviews tackle one book every month, where a discussion takes place and a video review episode is prepared and uploaded on YouTube. The duo utilizes Instagram to showcase key highlights and announcements, and a quick follow will also pepper your feed with fun trivia and polls regarding the world of literature. Shahabi told us that both he and Ali tend to prepare their own set of questions, only to surprise one another during the actual review and discussion. “As for the setup,” he adds, “It’s very minimal. We shoot in Ali’s

house using my iPhone and tripod. Afterwards, Ali handles the mixing and editing of the video.” This month, El Mohim Reviews plans on showcasing The Responsibility of the Cultured by Ali Shariati.

Shahabi explained, “It’s an important read that tackles the issue of the role of the cultured person in a world where superpowers are exporting their habits as cultures to the average person.”

For Ali, his love for reading began in highschool, “It was the first time I picked up a novel.

And it was during my finals, and I wanted to get my mind off my studies. Once I opened the book, I didn’t realize that I was on page 50! Initially, I was chasing [a state of] flow of time that doesn’t exist, an experience where you’re totally immersed in this new world between the cover of the book you’re holding.” And while Ali enjoyed this experience, he surely sees the value of reading in all other aspects of his life. For Shahabi, an interruption in his early years of education due to personal circumstances served as a clear motivator to read.

“I was faced with a hard decision at 7-years-old.

Either accept the fate that others have chosen for me, which is to be illiterate, or read ANY book I can get and watch any documentary.” His family called accused him of being a regular book thief, but he didn’t care, “each book represented something I’ve never experienced, its own world! Since then, books played a huge role in shaping the man I am today.”

Both Ali and Shahabi acknowledge the challenges of reading in today’s cultural climate.

Shahabi is grateful that, in the midst of a pandemic, there are still multiple book clubs and bookstores still running. While there is a clear global decline in reading, he describes today’s cultural scene in Kuwait to be “much richer than what than it used to be in the 90s despite restrictions. Although the world went through an online phase in terms

of socializing due to curfews and lockdown restrictions, local discussions continued digitally.

For us at El Mohim, we tried it once or twice but I think people still prefer personal interactions in terms of discussions and debates, so we are keeping our El Mohim traditions in Caffeine while maintaining social distancing. And we hope that in some way El Mohim will inspire people to invest more in reading down the line.” Ali echoes this sentiment, citing how the 90s era in Kuwait saw a steep decline in a cultural scene that once encouraged reading. He positively reflected on the present, “I feel that we are experiencing a beautiful era now in Kuwait. We are waking up from a long period of self-induced hibernation. Art is resurfacing again everywhere. We have the Opera house. You can listen to live music at a restaurant or cafe. There are many poetry clubs that meet regularly. Of course, the pandemic put a pause on all these activities until recently as regulations started to ease up a bit.”

We also asked Shahabi and Ali about how they would go about encouraging others to read more books. Shahabi wittingly told us that “It’s ironic that someone can binge-watch an entire season on Netflix yet they look for a 10-minute read, but I would suggest that they start with smart articles or light books, even if they read a page a day. That’s an achievement.” Ali, however, leaves us with this rightfully poignant statement, “There is a quote I live by, ‘The difference between who you are today, and who you will become in five years are the books you read and the people you meet.’ Anyone who wants a better life should read daily. I don’t think reading is choice… you either read or you die. We are either becoming smarter or dumber, there is no in-between. You simply can’t afford not to read if you are serious in the game of life.”

[Continued...]

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EL MOHIM REVIEWS:

TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE

FAVORITE BOOKS!

How would your mother describe you in one word?

Shahabi: ‫ يحليله‬or kind.

Ali: ‫أخالق‬

“Hands down it’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy! Every year or two, I read this book once.

Its dark sense of humor and beautiful tackle on the hard questions of life, the universe and everything else is an ever reminder to take things easy and enjoy life as it’s happening (and laugh in the process).” - Ahmed Al Shahabi

How would you describe your mother in one word?

Shahabi: Amazing.

Ali: Relationships.

What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked?

Shahabi: Will that be a Diet Coke with your KFC Bucket?

Ali: When placing an order at a drive thru terminal, the cashier asked me the following question after I finished telling her what I wanted: Would you like that to go?

What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Shahabi: I tend to disappear completely off the radar every now and then.

Ali: Jumped out of a plane.

What is your theme song?

Shahabi: “The End” by the Doors.

Ali: Seinfeld!

What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented?

Shahabi: Innuendo! I imagine a two-headed snake moving sideways when I pronounce it slowly, Innyoouuu-weeeen-dohh.

Ali: Inspire.

“That is one of the most difficult questions to ask an avid reader. There are many books that made an impact on my life and it’s really hard to choose just one. So I will cheat and select a book or two per genre.”

- Ali AlHasan Fiction: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts The Fountainhead By Ayn Rand The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera Non-Fiction/Self development: Letters from a Stoic by Seneca The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy 21 Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell School for the Gods by Stefano D’Anna

Where would you like to live?

Shahabi: Chile or Norway.

Ali: Home.

Thundercats, now that I miss.

Ali: Not thinking at all about what others thought of me.

What is your dream retirement location?

Shahabi: Monaco.

Ali: A beach.

If you could change your name, to what would you change it?

Shahabi: Alexander.

Ali: I wouldn’t change it.

What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind?

Shahabi: “The path of excess leads to the tower of wisdom” J. W. Blake.

Ali: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Which animal best describes your perfect partner, be it in business, or in life?

Shahabi: Cat. Ali: Tigress.

Do you miss anything from your childhood and if so, what is it?

Shahabi: I had the entire figure collection of THE 36

[...Continued]

How would you describe your handshake, in one word?

Shahabi: Firm.

Ali: Genuine.

Ali: Being around negative people who complain all the time but do nothing about it.

What do you think is lacking in the world, which [if there were more of it] would make the world a better place?

Shahabi: More humility and respect, authenticity and innovation.

Ali: Treating people with respect and kindness, especially toward others who find themselves living in a different social situation.

What is the toughest part of your character?

Shahabi: My unapologetic honesty.

Ali: My determination.

Why do you think most people who do, like you?

Shahabi: Definitely has to be my dark sense of humor.

Ali: I guess they see humility and integrity in doing what you’re preaching.

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Shahabi: Julius Caesar, Sun Tzu. Ali: Mohammad Ali.

Finish this sentence: “Happiness is…”

Shahabi: A perception (and first edition books).

Ali: Happiness is a decision.

What in the world do you least desire?

Shahabi: Listening to today’s music.

For more information, check out @Elmohimreviews on Instagram and YouTube.

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ARE YOU TURNING INTO A BAD BOSS?

It’s totally fixable if you ask yourself these questions

By Rikki Roehrich

Everyone talks about how hard it is to find a good employee, but no one ever talks about how hard it is to find a good boss.

You know, the kind that won’t literally drive their employees up a wall.

While many bosses may be absolute geniuses in their field of expertise, some of them may be clueless when it comes to simple things like how to treat employees, build team spirit, respect personal boundaries, or simply celebrate the accomplishments of those who labor so hard for their employer each day.

Then there are those who do things like send out demanding text messages at midnight, make condescending remarks during Zoom calls, or gossip in the workplace. The irony is that it’s more important than ever to engage employees since working virtually creates an even greater demand for teams to feel a sense of connection with their company leaders.

But sometimes leaders are so knee-deep in running their organizations or teams that they may not even know that they are behaving poorly or that they have symptoms of Bad Boss Syndrome (BBS). So, here are some important questions to ask yourself to determine if you’re among those who suffer from BBS. Does your entire team walk on eggshells?

Nearly every working adult has experienced a boss who instilled anxiety and fear across their teams. Whether their behavior was marked by rage, insecurity, or general negativity, employees responded by trying not to trigger their bosses.

Unfortunately, this creates a toxic environment where employees feel like they have to hide in the shadows because they are simply too afraid to speak up.

Is it hard to keep good employees around?

There is an old adage that says, “Employees don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.” A bad boss is one of the top reasons people leave their positions. Furthermore, an employee will sometimes quit abruptly if they finally reach their ‘breaking point’.

Is your success all about you?

Challenging bosses may be guilty of taking all of the credit for any company milestones or successes and forget to recognize the contributions of their employees. Employees can sense when they are not appreciated, which causes resentment, especially since they too are contributing their gifts and talents to the company’s performance.

Tips to redirect yourself If you answered yes to any of these questions, there is a cure. Several CEOs shared how their

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experience with bad bosses actually helped them be better and more caring bosses now that they all have to manage and inspire their own teams.

The Ringleader of myWhy Agency EmeraldJane Hunter recalled, “I witnessed that boss speak badly of her colleagues and even speak poorly about the people in her own circle.” Years later when Hunter launched her company she knew she wanted to run it with positive traits like good character and treating people the right way. For example, she often sends personalized Doordash deliveries to her virtual team or holds online wellness classes to give her employees some stress relief and inspiration. She even allows her team to show up for most Zoom calls with “cameras off” so people can gain a little more personal time by not having to fuss over getting dressed up for meetings.

Now take into account what Lydia Pierre, the CEO of Pierre Branding Group, had to share about the time she worked for a boss who was very hostile towards employees. “Being in that situation made me feel insecure and no one should ever have to feel like that at work,” she remembered. When she started her company, she committed to making everyone feel safe and appreciated. To enforce this commitment, Pierre uses the so-called The PBG Commandments, a

document all employees have to sign that outlines principles of respect, patience, kindness, and even has instructions on how to make personal connections with staff and clients.

Lauren Tucker serves as the Inclusion Management Leader of Let’s Do What Matters.

She says that experiences with poor managers actually helped her to better understand the role of a good boss. She shared: “Employees don’t need cheerleaders who stand on the sidelines and hope they win. Employees need champions who get in the game with them to help them win.” As such, she runs a company based on performance and results. Tucker said, “As long as employees provide quality results, I don’t care when they do the work or whether they get it done while watching TV. I want my team to have worklife balance on their own terms.”

A toxic boss experience may be beneficial in that it could inspire you to want to be better for others, once it’s your turn to lead. After all, when you treat your talent with appreciation and respect, you will have a much better chance at hiring and retaining great employees who can provide you with a productive workplace for years to come.

Photo by Hayley Maxwell on Unsplash.

YOUR WISHES, DELIVERED WITH TAMANNA.COM TAMANNA.com is Kuwait’s new favourite online shopping destination with local origins- enabling fashion-conscious Kuwaiti customers a convenient place to explore their favourite international brands all at one online destination, locally- (the way they might shop at their favourite shopping mall.)

Promising convenience at every level of the shopping experience, customers can choose the same to next-day delivery service, with a simple 30-day return policy or choose to click and collect their online purchases by visiting the TAMANNA click-and-collect store located in the Avenues Mall.

TAMANNA lives by the simple promise to its customers - Your Wishes.

Delivered, with a mission to make individuality and shopping satisfaction accessible, convenient and enjoyable for all.

Shop with ease across www.tamanna.com for all your favourite fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. Discover American Eagle, Foot Locker, The Body Shop, Victoria’s Secret, River Island, NYX, Sheisdo, Starbucks, Dr. Vranjes, Mothercare and so many more.

ALSHAYA PARTNERS UP WITH BOOHOO WATCH OUT FOR THE EVOLUTION AND EXPANSION OF DEBENHAMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Alshaya Group, one of the world’s leading international franchise operators, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with boohoo group plc, the worldwide owners of the Debenhams brand since January 2021, and a leading global fashion eCommerce platform.

By bazaar staff The deal maintains Alshaya’s exclusive rights to operate Debenhams stores and gives exclusive rights to launch a brand new Debenhams eCommerce platform in the region.

Alshaya opened the first Debenhams store in Bahrain in 1997, introducing the region to the concept of a department store focused on the needs of all the family. Today Alshaya operates 23 Debenhams stores in leading malls across Kuwait, KSA, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman and Qatar. The brand is unique in MENA for the breadth and scale of its offer, its premium store environment, and its constantly evolving product range across fashion, beauty and home. The new partnership will provide the region with a fresh, young, exciting family department store offer.

The new partnership represents an exciting evolution for Debenhams in the Middle East region.

For the first time, customers in the Middle East will find the boohoo, boohooMAN, Nasty Gal and MissPap fashion brands in store. They will also be able to welcome back Burton, Coast, Dorothy Perkins, Karen Millen, Oasis, Wallis and Warehouse – brands that have all been progressively acquired and refreshed by boohoo group plc in recent years.

Alshaya will also offer customers the Debenhams experience online in the Middle East for the first time. John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group said, “Debenhams is a highly successful and well-loved brand in the Middle East, thanks to sustained store and product innovation over 25 years across fashion, beauty and home. Today we are delighted to stepchange that innovation through our new partnership with boohoo group plc, one of the UK’s leading digital retailers. In a new chapter for Debenhams, we look forward to enhancing customer choice by bringing exciting new fashion brands to the region and by expanding the Debenhams brand online. Alshaya already has the region’s largest digital footprint but I know the team are looking forward to learning from such acknowledged global eCommerce experts.”

Alshaya Group will progressively introduce boohoo fashion brands into Debenhams Middle East stores from October this year. The launch of Debenhams. com in the region is planned for early 2022.

Follow @debenhamsmiddleeast on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates.Visit the Debenhams store in Grand Avenue – The Avenues, Souq Sharq, The Gate Mall and Kuwait Airport. Call Customer Service: 182-1212.

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FOLLOW US @TheBodyShopKuwait

H&M HOME

X MESHARY ALNASSAR Discover the collaboration of the season that is helping us all reimagine our living spaces from living to dining, and everything in betweenBy bazaar staff By bazaar staff

As a prominent designer, Meshary AlNassar is no stranger to H&M HOME, as the designer has been following the concept long before it came to the Middle East. When the store first launched in Dubai, he was happy to shop their products for his various projects, and kept a keen eye on the brand’s seasonal collections when the store opened in Kuwait. “I enjoy finding objects that allow me to style up a space, and H&M HOME offers a wide variety that has made my job a bit easier.” He told bazaar. And while we’d featured Meshary AlNassar’s work in our pages a mere few issues ago, we knew that the designer was already working on something huge, only to learn about his most recent collaboration with H&M HOME! The collaboration saw the designer transform an entire home in Kuwait using his creative eye and his pick from H&M HOME’s summer collection.

The home chosen for this project served as Meshary’s blank canvas, and by choosing from various collections at the H&M HOME store that were released for this summer, Meshary was able to show us his vision for five spaces which ranged from living, eating, sleeping, bathing and outdoor living. We managed to pull Meshary away from his busy schedule to give us all of the amazing details behind this collaboration in this special interview.

How did the collaboration with H&M HOME come about? What were the goals of this collaboration?

As a designer, I do a lot of shopping for my projects. Since H&M HOME is one of my goto stores for accessories that I use to style my projects, I became a regular at the Avenues phase 1 store as well as the Dubai Mall branch. That’s when I was approached by the H&M HOME team for this collaboration, and was very excited to create something for them, as the curation of a space is something I truly enjoy.

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Why did you feel it was important to collaborate with H&M HOME? Firstly, It is important to represent the region, and build a bridge for a young Arab designer like myself to be able to work with such a large scale brand.

But also, I wanted to use H&M HOME’s products to showcase what I as a designer am able to create with it on an empty canvas. It truly shows the versatility of these products and what a designer is able to make of them.

What was your creative process like when it came to preparing for this special collaboration?

Did you prepare in the same way as you would prepare for any design project that comes your way?

Absolutely! For my own projects, we create a visual moodboard and then carefully curate the color scheme and overall theme and feel. We did the same for H&M HOME’S summer collection, which was right up my alley. We used linens, natural accents and olive tree branches to create a warm and laid-back composition. The summer collection is truly something that I would personally use for a Friday morning brunch! The products all seemed so inviting that it was such a natural process putting things together for this campaign.

[Continued...]

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Which pieces did you like the most for each area you were styling as part of this collaboration and why?

My favourite pieces were the olive branch cushion covers and the ceramic vessels at H&M HOME. As they function so well in any setting! I also have a soft spot for anything ceramic or handmade.

Speaking of handmade, when I lined up the blown green glasses, I noticed how slightly different they all are, which shows you how organic the making of these glasses was as a process. I loved those green glasses!

What did you enjoy the most about this collaboration? Did you learn something new about yourself in the process?

Well, transforming five spaces in a record breaking time of 48 hours was definitely fun!

I like to work under pressure and a deadline. It allows me to focus on getting the job done and tweak things around until it’s perfect. It truly has been an enjoyable process. But also, I grew up watching home makeover shows, and it has always been my dream to have my own one day and I think H&M HOME allowed me to live that dream for just a tiny bit.

How can your curation and styling be recreated by the everyday customer at H&M HOME? Any tips and tricks you can share?

Well I always say that there is no right or wrong when it comes to styling, but if you ask me, I would say that personalisation is key! Allowing yourself to curate the space and styling according to how you function and utilize the space is the right way to go. You can change things up by moving things around, but definitely personalise it and show your personality and how you are within the space.

What are some design considerations that every customer should think about before making a purchase for their Home?

Making sure that the purchase is ergonomically comfortable for you, but also that you measure to make sure that it fits your space comfortably without overcrowding. Also, always have a color scheme in mind, so you don’t end up mixing a lot of materials and colors together.

For more information on Meshary AlNassar, check out mesharyalnassar.com and @studiomesharyalnassar on Instagram. Visit H&M HOME at 1st Avenue – The Avenues to see their latest collections, and shop online at kw.hm. com or via the H&M MENA App. Stay updated on socials by following @HMHOME on Instagram and Facebook.

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[...Continued]

+965 66307956

A NEW GEM IN SALMIYA: JADE RESIDENTIAL Form and function in architectural design by Studio Toggle By bazaar staff

The phrase “concrete jungle” started out as a catchphrase and has become our only available reality for urban dwellers. Boring buildings with uninteresting facades and interiors that don’t add any kind of value to our lives. Studio Toggle is quietly but surely changing the landscape, figuratively and literally.

Their latest accomplishment, Jade, is a mid rise multi-unit residential building in Salmiya, Kuwait, that houses 20 independent residential units. Built on an 813 Sqm plot, the building has a double basement parking, an open plan ground floor with a gym and kids play area, 10 stories of residential units, and a rooftop social space with a 15m long pool and barbeque area. The exterior envelope of the building is a composite skin of light concrete, perforated aluminium panels and high-performance glass panels. The design of the building aims to facilitate an urban and sustainable way of living for young families.

The Studio Toggle Team made up of, Hend Almatrouk, Gijo Paul George, Rui Goncalves, Pedro Varela, Fabio Verissimos, Somshekhar Rai, Mani Kuruvilla and Ashlon Frank, worked with the given budget, environmental limitations and proposal to come up with a design that aligns with their values as a firm to design a building that works with the environment and for the tenants and client.

The building occupies a compact urban lot in a high-density area with close proximity to neighbouring buildings. The location straddles the upscale Arabian Gulf Road and the less affluent inner-city neighbourhoods. The site is confined by the main avenue with considerable traffic on the west and a narrow side alley to the north. The placement of the building is determined by the existing plot constraints.

The living units are organized around the access core with interior gardens connecting different living spaces. Social spaces face the main avenue and the sea, while private areas turn to the southeast side. Through the variation of patio and balcony positions, different floorplans are achieved. The singularity of living spaces becomes the essence of the project. The architects decided to use passive systems to generate microclimates within the apartments. A careful analysis of the sun movements with the height of surrounding buildings helped develop the facade by employing strategic subtractive operations. The perforated metal cladding with a weatherproof coating acts as adequate thermal protection, along with the insulated concrete panels, to withstand the harsh desert climate.

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An internal garden was strategically placed inside every apartment unit on the periphery to act as a sun barrier and funnel the wind to facilitate natural ventilation. The facade of the building and the internal gardens helps control the microclimate in the liveable areas. The materials used comprise a very restrained palette of metal surfaces and concrete finish accounting for durability.

Respecting the budgetary constraints, a lowtech approach was used considering sustainable material choices and energy consumption.

Jade is designed to be a housing project that goes against the grain amongst the chaotic urban density. It successfully solves the crucial issues in Kuwait’s current multi-unit housing typology – lack of identity, natural lighting, accessible green and communal spaces, ineffectively planned apartments that create substandard living conditions, and insufficient parking. The building tackles these issues by creating a new apartment typology with efficiently designed and

comfortable apartments with internal garden spaces. The apartments are flooded with plenty of natural lighting, and passive cooling techniques create pleasant habitable conditions. It disrupts the existing monotonous housing typologies by creating apartment units that have character and individuality. Tenants’ interaction is encouraged with social spaces incorporated in the ground and roof levels; furnished lobby spaces, accessible green spaces, kids play area, gym, pool, etc.

The design explores a new typology by adapting and scaling up the traditional middle eastern courtyard house concept with Mashrabiyas (privacy screen) in a multi-level, multi-unit scenario without compromising the vernacular’s original qualities combating extreme weather typical in Kuwait.

Photos were taken by Gijo Paul George @gijo. photo on Instagram. Follow @studiotoggle on Instagram for more information.

‫ﻋﻠﻰ ﺗﺷﻛﯾﻠﺔ ﻣﺧﺗﺎرة‬

HOW VR COULD MAKE YOU SMARTER

Virtual reality is fun. But what if it could be more than fun? What if VR could make you smarter?

By Mark Wilson

For more than 70 years, scientists have known about a brain phenomenon called the “theta rhythm.” To oversimplify it, your brain thinks not just in frequencies but in syncopated beats. And the theta is the most prominent rhythm in the brain.

Theta rhythms are active when we’re awake, then increase when we walk. They disappear when we sleep but crop back up when we dream.

In more than 70,000 studies and counting, theta rhythms have been shown to be critical in cognition, learning, and memory, and we see them go awry in maladies like Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, and epilepsy.

For years, drugs have attempted to boost theta rhythms by attaching themselves to neurons in our brain, with varied success. But now, for the first time, scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have found a way to increase theta rhythms in mice simply by putting them inside a virtual reality simulation. Their findings were published in Nature Neuroscience.

UCLA professor Mayank Mehta, who led the research, believes that this breakthrough will allow VR to be used to revolutionize treatment for mental disorders, and could even be used to sharpen cognition to help people learn faster.

As for how and why it works?

I’m scratching my head, seriously,” Mehta says with a laugh.

In truth, VR is already being used for all sorts of treatments, ranging from its clinical use for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to physical rehabilitation. We know that these headsets—for whatever mainstream market appeal that’s lacking—have proven to be an excellent way to re-create a certain sensation, or offer a particular stimulus, within the tight confines of hospital beds.

Mehta isn’t demonstrating that VR can have positive effects on the brain just because it feels like real life. He’s arguing that something within VR itself—or at least the VR system his lab has built for the mice he studies—can impact the brain at a deep, electrical level, which could impact treatment and learning separately, and on top of VR’s intense visual simulations.

Mehta is a physicist by training, but he has been studying the brain for nearly two decades.

Much like light and sound waves across the universe are just harmonic frequencies playing out across space, so too is human thought powered by the oscillation of energy passing from neuron to neuron. He believed that, with this common entry point between physics and neuroscience, he could begin to deconstruct the mechanisms of the brain.

To unpack how the brain works, he began

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putting mice into extremely complex, tiny virtual reality rigs. What he learned quickly was that even his lab’s own VR system—which puts a mouse on a miniature treadmill surrounded by immersive screens—is not so real to the brain at a structural level. In 2013, he published his findings in Science: that up to 60% of the neurons in the hippocampus (known for learning and memory) shut off in VR. Investigating the relationship between VR and the brain proved to be a deep well for research and a viable tool for unpacking the fundamentals of perception. Over the years the research continued, as his lab leveraged VR to unpack how the brain perceives space and time.

Along the way, Mehta noticed a strange trend.

Theta frequencies (the pitch of some thoughts, not their rhythmic beats) are routinely slower in VR than in the real world. Not a lot slower—we’re talking differences on the millisecond level—but they are slower.

That led to this latest study, in which Mehta’s lab discovered that mice experience boosted theta rhythms while in VR that they didn’t experience in the real world, even though the entire VR environment was meant to duplicate the mice’s real-world environment as closely as possible. Something about VR itself appears to be beneficial to human cognition. As for that one lingering question: How is this happening?

“I think that was witchcraft in the brain, chaos,” he says. “[We have some] funky ideas. We are definitely spending a lot of effort [to figure it out].”

To Mehta, this could lead to a huge breakthrough in how we treat mental health and cognition, even though 60% of the neurons are still shutting down in the hippocampus in VR. As he explains, while it’s counterintuitive that fewer brain cells would make for a faster rhythm and stronger thought, the truth is that we know overactivity of the brain can impede thinking, and even cause problems like epilepsy. “A more active neuron is not necessarily better,” Mehta says. “The brain consumes one-third to one-fifth the energy of the rest of the body, so it tries to optimize.”

“Now we want to take this to town, and potentially use this as a VR therapy,” Mehta says, noting that since human research is far more expensive than animal research, he is looking for funding and corporate partners to realize the work. He’s also open to testing thirdparty VR systems, like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, in the future.

“Fortunately, the way we developed VR, it can be readily used directly for humans,” Mehta says. “So we’re gearing up.”

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash.

DRIVE2EXTREMES Johnny FPV tells us how he collaborated with Porsche on a film that truly took the Taycan Cross Turismo off the beaten track By bazaar staff

Coinciding with the arrival of the first models, Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE is celebrating the new all-electric Taycan Cross Turismo with a thrilling video that showcases the versatile model being pushed to its limits in two remote locations with opposing climatic extremes.

Driving cinematic content creation to a new leveI, it is the first time that an automotive brand released a campaign video captured entirely by a first-person view (FPV) drone in such challenging conditions.

Two identical racetracks, one in the sandy desert in Liwa (UAE) and the other on a snow-blanketed frozen lake north of the Arctic circle in Levi (Finland), play host to the project, titled Drive2Extremes, which sees the Taycan Cross Turismo power between two contrasting worlds. Taking the viewer on this visual journey is the FPV drone videography of talented Johnny Schaer, heralded as one of the world’s top drone pilots and better known as Johnny FPV. Reflecting the nature of the Taycan Cross Turismo,

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the world’s first electric Cross Utility Vehicle, the landmark hero film features ground-breaking FPV drone cinematography capturing epic driving moments, extreme landscapes and genuine, compelling human performances.

Key to the project’s success and the visual appeal is the unique combination of exciting young talent.

Drone innovator Johnny Schaer, and Emmy-awardwinning director, Nicholas Schrunk, link seamlessly with professional racing driver and Porsche driving

instructor, Jukka Honkavuori, to create the worldmerging edit, captured between the biting cold of Levi and the blistering heat of Liwa. We interviewed Johnny FPV to find out more about the project, the process, and his love of racing.

What is your relation to cars? What is your favorite Porsche and why?

I got into cars through filming with the FPV drone a few years back and have been really interested in them

ever since. During the filming for the Drive2Extremes campaign I was lucky enough to get an extra shot of adrenaline when I tested the Taycan Cross Turismo on the ice track in Finland. That was such a crazy moment and so much fun! I love speed and high performance which is something that can definitely be associated with Porsche, and I’d say that my favorite car would have to be the Porsche 911 GT3.

Drive2Extremes was a project of many extremes and firsts. From your perspective, this is the first time you officially cooperated with a motoring brand for film project and it is also the first film production in the industry to be solely filmed using first-person view drone cinematography. What made you interested in this project? Why did you decide to work with Porsche on this?

Well, I guess I’ll start by saying that Drive2Extremes was an awesome concept that came together perfectly through two extremely different worlds - the heat and the cold. I love to challenge myself and something this bold caught my attention straight away. I’m also a massive fan of the brand, so it was an absolute honor to be considered to be a part of something like this. I love to film cars that are immersed in the nature and spitting up material, so whether they’re drifting on ice in Finland and on sand in Liwa. Creating some amazing

[Continued...]

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content is what I’m after and it was definitely one of the most incredible and diverse things I’ve ever worked on.

You were one of the first in the world to get up close with the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, an all-electric sports car. What did you think of the car before the project started and has your perception changed?

I was a bit familiar with the Taycan saloon before the project. I knew it was Porsche’s first all-electric sports car and extremely powerful. Before the project, I didn’t think the Taycan Cross Turismo would be quite as sporty, more like a family-friendly kind of car but I was so wrong! Once we got on site, I witnessed the model in action, I was amazed at how well it was able to perform at the highest level in such extreme climates and terrains, with heavy drifting and the conditions between sand and ice. It was amazing to see and even more amazing to film; it completely blew my mind to be honest. Thankfully, it was that good and whenever there is something that good, it makes the footage so much better as well.

What were the biggest challenges for you with regards to filming on ice in Finland and in the desert of Abu Dhabi?

Working in the cold where your fingers are frozen was tricky, but we were lucky to have an incredible support team that provided us with portable heaters! Also, the equipment would get hit with ice which would then again melt, causing the drones to have some electronic issues. Filming in the desert also presented some challenges, like getting hit by rocks and pebbles that were shooting up from the car as it drifted. We were breaking a lot of propellers at the start because

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of this but then switched to more durable ones which saved us. All in all, I would say that Finland was slightly tougher than Liwa, but they were both challenging in their own ways.

This project involved filming a fast-moving car driven

by Finnish GT3 Cup champion Jukka Honkavuori.

What were the biggest challenges for you and how did you work together to solve them?

Working with Jukka was amazing. His driving skills are incredible, and it was really impressive to see how easily he adapted to the different tracks, which made my job easier. He drove the car extremely well with a lot of passion. When the subject looks cool, it makes my job a lot easier. There were some challenges from the technical side of things, including keeping the equipment working when it was getting hammered by the sand and the ice, but Jukka was very patient and drove flawlessly. Thankfully, we had practice days at each location. The first day was all about figuring out how the car would drive and how fast it would go. After doing that, I synced the speed of the car with the drone speed, as long as Jukka’s driving was consistent - and he was always consistent!

What advice would you give to aspiring creators?

The most important thing you can do in the creative field is doing something unique, even if it’s a slight change to something someone else has already done and putting your own signature on it. That’s the best way to stand out, get recognition and kind of expand your opportunities. Utilize social media and get in front of as many eyeballs as possible – and if you’re lucky it’ll become a monster on its own with fans and people sharing your content. Social media is

definitely a powerful tool any content creator should take advantage of.

Where is the best place to look for advice and guidance as a drone pilot beginner? What is the best way or even exercise to start?

The best thing is to absorb as much info as possible.

For example, if it’s FPV drones you want to know about, make sure you consume all FPV drone material on YouTube to see the different types of drones, how to build your own one, how to pilot them and so much more. Immerse yourself in that world and with so much content out there on the internet, you can easily master something quite quickly. Then practice as much as you can to develop your skills, start off with simulators online to avoid crashing and then get into the real flying of drones.

What made you pick up a drone for the first time and how old were you?

FPV caught my attention when I was 17 or 18, when I randomly came across a YouTube video of an FPV drone flying through an abandoned building. I thought it was the coolest thing of all time. So, the very next day I bought a little toy drone and practiced with it every day before eventually getting the headset to fly an FPV drone for the first time. So, I was basically obsessed with it from the moment I saw I saw the first video.

There is a bit of creativity running around my family that I’ve been exposed to growing up. But I do think a lot of my passion was quite random. It all was unleashed when I started flying with a little bit more finesse than everyone else and the ability to do something different and unique.

Currently you are one of the best in your field. How do you see your competition evolving?

Being a professional FPV filmmaker is something new. When I first started filming about two years, it was something different, something niche. Maybe it was just myself and maybe one or two other people.

Now fast forward, now there are definitely a lot more people doing it on a professional level. So, the industry is definitely growing. There are some really great pilots out there who are doing an amazing job. I guess it’s my job to try and deliver even better work, try and do something that is even more unexpected. It’s all good for the growth of the industry. So, I encourage people to do amazing things with their FPV drones.

As a young successful entrepreneur what is your opinion on the future of cars?

I think the direction of the industry is heading towards electric, but I still really want to buy my first sports car that has a loud, crazy engine. I like that sound. At the same time and especially after Drive2Extremes, it’s amazing to see the ability of electric cars! My guess is in 50 years, there might be some combustion engine cars, but probably not too many.

You can watch the Drive2Extremes video on Porsche’s official YouTube channel as well as on the Porsche Newsroom.

For more information, visit Porsche Centre Kuwait Behbehani Motors Company, please call 1870 870 or head to porschekuwait.com. For the latest updates on social media, follow @PorscheCentreKuwait on Instagram and Facebook.

[...Continued]

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DEALING WITH DOMINANCE

How to work harmoniously with a dominant personality

By Melody Wilding

Almost every team has that one dominant personality who is motivated by winning, competition, and reaching results. While dominant personalities are often seen as commanding and confident, their characteristics have a flip side. They can also become obstinate, aggressive, and overly direct.

Take Gabe, a business development manager at a food and beverage company. Gabe was regarded as a “doer,” or someone who is outgoing and always up for a challenge. He was decisive, never hesitated, and took fast action to drive new sales. His demanding, assertive style landed the company new accounts, but it came at a cost.

Gabe often upset senior leadership when he circumvented authority in order to push through new procedures. He also tended to fixate on sales targets to the detriment of long-term client relationships.

Working with someone like Gabe can be a challenge, especially if you’re on the opposite end of the personality spectrum. Many of my coaching clients, who tend to be reserved, empathetic, people-oriented professionals, struggle with dominant personalities. They find their dominant colleagues’ controlling, demanding nature hard to deal with, and many of my clients have difficulty standing their ground in the face of the dominant type’s strong will.

If this sounds familiar, then you may find yourself wondering why your dominant colleagues do what they do and how to find peace in working with them. The good thing is that you don’t have to give up being kindhearted and caring, if that’s your natural disposition. But if you want to be successful in work life, then it’s essential you learn to work with personalities that are different than your own, including dominant types.

Here are a few ways to adapt your style to work more effectively with dominant personalities like Gabe.

Focus on the “what”—not the “how” Dominant personalities are task-oriented.

They care about outcomes, not processes.

When speaking with them, focus on concrete, tangible facts. Opt to make direct assertions or suggestions rather than approaching conversations as a brainstorming session. Talk about how your proposal affects the bottom line and the expected results.

Skip the small talk Dominant personalities operate on urgency and appreciate efficiency. They are the type of colleague that you should skip pleasantries with and get straight to the point. For example, omit phrases, such as “How are you?” or “I hope you’re doing well,” from the start of your emails.

Similarly, jump right into your meeting agenda,

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ensuring you keep banter to a minimum.

Don’t waste their time rehashing events, repeating details, or building up to your point. Lead with your key message and cut to the chase.

Give them independence To influence a dominant personality, you have to understand what motivates them, which is achievement and control. The more you can give this person room for independent problemsolving and decision-making, the more effective they’ll be. Dominant personalities prize autonomy, so don’t be surprised if one-on-ones are brief or non-existent. Before delegating to a dominant personality, make sure the areas of authority are clearly defined and articulated. Focus them on bold, ambitious long-term goals to keep them consistently aiming higher.

Thoughtfully highlight areas for improvement When giving this type of person feedback about their performance, focus on how the behavior changes that you’re requesting help them reach their goals and get better results. For example, one of Gabe’s colleagues pointed out that Gabe’s bluntness was negatively impacting his direct reports. The colleague shared that if team members left, it would mean Gabe had fewer resources with which to fulfill client sales, and therefore, he may fall short of his targets. That framing inspired Gabe to change his approach. You can also use comparison as a way to constructively motivate those with dominant styles. For instance, highlight competitors who

are performing better as a way to energize them to improve.

Fill their gaps Healthy, productive teams require a mix of personalities. If you’re working alongside a dominant personality, boost their behavior by being their foil.

While dominant types tend to be innovative and progressive, they can also overlook risks and act too quickly. If you tend to be a more careful, deliberate decision maker, you can interject stability and reason into the process. Likewise, you can be the one to break down ambitious plans into specifics and guide actual implementation.

Don’t take their actions personally Dominant types may respond curtly. Remember that their brusqueness does not mean they’re angry, upset, or rejecting you. Recognize that if they ask you pointed questions, it’s because they are engaging you, not because they lack trust. Expect brevity in your interactions, and understand that it’s part of their normal pattern of behavior—not a reflection of your adequacy.

If you’re someone who has struggled to assert yourself and speak up in the workplace, or have battled with overthinking and a lack of confidence in your decision making, then there’s a lot to learn from dominant types. Integrate the upside of their style into your own, and you’ll be amazed at your team’s effectiveness.

Photo by Frida Bredesen on Unsplash.

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DISNEY AT DEBENHAMS Alshaya And Disney open the MENA region’s first-ever Disney Store Shop-in-Shops in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai By bazaar staff

The Walt Disney Company Middle East and Alshaya Group are bringing magic to the region, with the opening of the Middle East’s first-ever Disney Store shop-in-shops. With six stores now officially open for business, the highly-anticipated shop-in-shops in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai will transport visitors to the wonderful world of Disney.

John Hadden, Alshaya Group CEO, said “We all grew up with Disney and we all have a favourite character. We are delighted that Alshaya Group has been able to collaborate with The Walt Disney Company Middle East to bring the magic of Disney, not only to a new generation, but also to life-long fans. We look forward to introducing these exciting new shop-in-shops to the region and hope to welcome customers back time after time.”

Vice President and General Manager, Disney Consumer Products Southeast Asia, India & MENA, Dan Dossa, commented: “We are thrilled to see our Disney Store shop-in-shop concepts in the Middle East come to life and for the first time outside the Americas. At Disney, we are always looking for new ways to be closer to our fans, while delivering unforgettable retail experiences.

With the help of Alshaya Group, these stores will 56

connect children and families in the Middle East with their favorite Disney characters and stories, while allowing them to create new and long-lasting memories”.

In Kuwait, a new flagship Disney Store shop-inshop is open at The Avenues, inside the Alshayaoperated Debenhams. The flagship is joined by two more shop-in-shops, now open inside Mothercare stores at Fashion Way, Salmiya, and Souk Sharq.

Featuring a brand new store design unique to Disney Stores, each shop-in-shop includes a widerange of products from your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters and movies, all carefully curated for the region - including apparel, costumes, toys, and home goods. Whether it’s the perfect gown for a special ball, or bare necessities for back-to-school, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

In the UAE, three Disney Store shop-in-shops have opened their doors. The stores are located inside Debenhams at Dubai’s City Centre Mirdif and Abu Dhabi’s The Galleria Al Maryah Island, and inside Mothercare at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi.

Residents also have a flagship store to look forward to which is set to open this summer inside Debenhams at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates.

Over the next four weeks, an additional 26 locations are set to open across the region - in Kuwait and the UAE, as well as in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Follow @debenhamsmiddleeast on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates. Shop the Disney collection at Debenhams in Grand Avenue – The Avenues. Call Customer Service: 182-1212.

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DELIVERY

HOUDINI TREE TEES

Progressive and innovative garments from Explorer’s Base By bazaar staff

What is one item that lives in every closet on the planet? The ubiquitous and often unassuming tee shirt. It is a simple but versatile garment. You reach for it if you are headed to a workout, going to meet friends or just chilling. They are easy to wear, simple to care for and can be dressed up or down. The perfect plain canvas for whatever your style is.

Yet, not all tees are created equal. We discovered the Tree Tees from Houdini and we’re completely sold. The 100% Tencel fabric is super soft, cool and feels amazing against our skin. It is perfect for everyday use and hot summer days outdoors. The Tree Tee might not look very different from a normal t-shirt but once you try one on, you will feel the difference.

Tencel is a very interesting material, it is made from sustainably sourced wood fibers. It is a natural material that just needs rain, soil

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and sunshine to produce. From nature and fully biodegrades back to nature once the garment has been worn out, which makes it fully circular.

The fiber for Houdini’s Tree Tee fabric is produced in Lenzig, Austria, using only sustainably sourced wood carrying the FSC certification. The production process to transform the wood pulp to cellulose fibers is a closed loop process where 99% of the spinning solvent is recycled. So, not only is the tee good for you, it is also great for the environment.

Houdini first started serving the climbing community and has grown into a much larger value-based and responsible business. With the passion, determination, planning and execution of mountaineers, they took on the challenge of designing the business to become a force for good while never compromising on their values.

The company’s manifesto is simply stated as “Every resource we use is borrowed from nature and we will therefore treat it carefully.”

The tees come in several cuts, colors and

sizes. They are Incredibly soft and comfortable.

You can find the basic men’s tee at Explorer’s Base and the timeless cut and cool, stretchy fabric make it a perfect everyday companion for the active person. Alternatively, there is also a sleeveless tank version.

The Women’s Tree Tee is the ultimate combination of timeless design and innovative textile engineering. We wear them at the gym and under a blazer to business meetings and they look great either way.

In a world of mass consumption where quantity and frequency are often prioritized over quality and good design, Houdini’s design philosophy is something radically different.

The tees are designed with the intention of making a difference for you as the end user and for the world, from a short- as well as long-term perspective. The innovation, design and development process of each style is a strategically important long-term investment for the company, with a clear vision of what we want

to accomplish and no room for compromise.

And that is obvious every time we pull on a Houdini Tree on.

Houdini Tree Tees areavailable in Explorers Base in Al Tilal Complex and Carbon Fiber Stores – The Avenues Mall and Kuwait International Airport.

Follow @ExplorersBase and @Carbonfiberq8 on Instagram to stay up to date. You can also shop the collection online at ExplorersBase.com or call 2225 6323 for more information.

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JUST GO FOR IT

How permissionless organization design gives your company an advantage

By Michael Sikorsky

How do you make sure you discover the next Tony Fadell, who is already on your team? With a permissionless organization.

The advent of machine learning and AI is allowing more companies to have the opportunity to embrace the permissionless org—and they must, I believe, if they don’t want to be left behind.

A permissionless org pushes decisionmaking out to the farthest edges of your organization, capitalizing on the scale of ideas you already have. It empowers the people removed from the C-suite to make decisions and seek new opportunities to improve the business—without requiring approval. Said another way, it means, “Follow the talent.” It empowers your team to run experiments in the firm, and creates an environment of innovation where your team decides the where and how of projects and mandates. In an era of more and more silicon staff, the opportunities for your team to flourish are endless.

Silicon staff translates into opportunity redistribution. Scarce talent can focus on the novel, transformative work and leave the monotonous tasks to the automated systems. Companies that ignore the benefits of permissionless org are investing in a tremendous resource (humans) while not getting anywhere near their full benefit. Top talent are abandoning companies in place of modern organizations that offer greater freedom to do the work they love. It’s critical for leadership to enable them now if they want to be ready for the future.

The permissionless idea came to me early in my career after reflecting on my first company and realizing I did it all wrong. I didn’t leverage the potential and let those working for me flourish. I realize now this is a differentiator; that for ideas to transform from flames into infernos, people need ownership of their ideas.

There are three key benefits to embracing the permissionless org beyond the obvious financial benefits, but, as we’ve heard time and time again, keeping the talent happy keeps a business healthy: 1. It allows humans to shine where they are uniquely human, while augmenting their work with silicon staff.

2. It increases autonomy, ownership, and entrepreneurial thinking.

3. It lets the voice of talent be heard in the oft bubble-wrapped echo chamber of C-suite.

If you want to benefit from a permissionless org, a Permissionless Innovation Process (PIP) is an easy first experiment. The idea is simple: Senior leadership sets the budget, but the 60

talent sets the agenda. Here’s how it works: • All talent is asked to pitch their idea. It can be something like rolling out slack, all the way to a new digital business model.

• The talent who created pitches then pitches to the whole team.

• Talent who did not pitch then votes for their favorite ideas.

• The winning pitch gets the time and resources that have been approved to build their idea.

So, what does this do?

As business leader Andy Grove said, “Snow melts from the edges,” which gets the voice from the edge right to the center.

It engages the entire company.

It yields a feeling of genuine autonomy. Talent has a chance to win the pitch and advance the organization’s mission in a novel way.

So, how do you know if you are ready for a permissionless org? There are some criteria: • It is an organization.

• It employs people.

• The technology could have a profound impact on your business.

• You believe that you are not always the most intelligent/creative person in the room.

Org design, in general, is clearly a source of competitive advantage. The declining need for permission is one approach to enable both silicon-staff and carbon-staff. Humans have and always will be poor substitutes for robots, especially when it comes to tasks that require endless repetition, with precision.

The biggest downside I’ve seen with permissionless orgs is when they are not communicated clearly: If you fail to explain why and how, it can come across as playing favorites.

That is why a process is so important, until it is fully ingrained in your culture.

In an ever-shrinking global arena, you need to be pursuing every opportunity for asymmetric returns in the war for talent and market share.

Remember, just 15 years ago, offering work from home was an absolute differentiator.

Now, it’s a table stake. Decision rights for your talent will just be the next domino to fall. The alternative scenario: Risk your company joining the statistical average of a 15-year life span for companies on the S&P 500.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.

PLAYGROUND BULLIES NO MORE

Kids bullied each other less during the pandemic. Here’s how we keep it that way

By Ruth Reader

Despite the duress many kids suffered during the pandemic and anecdotal reports about an upswing in bullying, a new study indicates that bullying among students was down in the last year. The decrease is likely due to the way that schools transitioned to online learning and hybrid formats, where students spent sometime in classrooms and sometime working from home. That resulted in reduced class sizes to accommodate socially distant learning. The findings confirm what experts already knew: small class sizes and increased teacher oversight reduces the opportunity for abusive behavior. Because of the pandemic, they say, schools now have an opportunity to keep bullying down going forward.

The study took place among 6,578 students in grades 4 through 12 across several different schools in Southern Ontario, Canada. Prior to the pandemic, nearly 60% of students reported being bullied. That figure dropped to less than 40% during the pandemic. Conversely, nearly a quarter of students admitted to bullying other students before the pandemic, while during the pandemic only 13% did so.

What changed? For schools that opted for a mix of in-person and online learning, class sizes were smaller. Teachers were also more present in hallways to make sure students were keeping socially distant. In general, there was less opportunity for student interaction and more oversight from adults. “We’ve long known that supervision decreases bullying,” says Tracy Vaillancourt, professor at University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in SchoolBased Mental Health and Violence Prevention, who led the study. The pandemic forced schools to test that theory, she says.

The study stands in contrast to anecdotal media reports from teachers who felt that bullying had increased last year.

Vaillancourt 62

says bullying may have been more apparent, but based on her study and reports from UNICEF, it did not actually grow in volume. Why then do teachers feel like bullying is on the rise?

“They see it more,” says Vaillancourt. Bullying often happens in places that teachers can’t see, like in the hallway between classes, she says. On Zoom, teachers are more privy to student interactions: “Let’s say I’m a teacher and I’m teaching remotely, or I’m a parent—I can see what’s happening in the chat room,” she says. Even so, students reported that even cyberbullying went down slightly.

Students experience bullying at roughly the same rate in Canada and the U.S., according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment. Roughly a quarter of North American students report experiencing bullying a few times a month. Historically, Canada has had higher rates of bullying than the U.S., though the two countries have become more comparable in recent years.

The key to keeping student bullying in check is to retain the small class sizes and strong oversight, says Vaillancourt. Even putting teachers in the hallway during class transitions could help bring bullying down. There is also a roll for remote learning, she says. Though she found through her research that students who received their learning online felt less valued by both other students and their teachers, she says that there are other students who could benefit immensely from a more flexible educational format.

“Online is good for kids who aren’t managing the school system,” says Vaillancourt. “Child psychologists will tell you there are a lot of children and youth who don’t attend school because of mental health issues and because of bullying.” For those students, she says, schools should consider offering remote learning. “The nice thing about the pandemic is we realized we could get this done,” she says. “It was a forced innovation.”

Photo by Dee @ Copper and Wild on Unsplash.

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BACK TO SCHOOL WITH MUJI

WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS By bazaar staff

Last year’s academic year was unusual to put it mildly. This year we’re hoping for a return to normalcy and that includes an exciting and fun school year which includes Back To School Shopping. Even as adults, we remember the anticipation of being taken to pick out a new backpack, pencil case and brand new crayons and markers. Knowing that we were going to start with a clean slate and fresh pens meant we could start over in September.

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We’re still unsure whether it will be a full return to classroom-based education or if we’re looking at a hybrid model, but what we do know is that the secret to a productive year is organization.

So here’s our list for all the stationery and tools you will need this year whether you are starting Kindergarten or working towards your post doctoral degree.

Colored Gel Pens MUJI’s Gel pens have a cult following all over the world and with good reason. They write super smoothly, never skip and last for ever! They come in so many colors which we love for taking notes.

It makes color coding things fun and easy. You can find them in several thicknesses and either with a cap or the clicky kind.

Tip: We love adding a key to the back or front of our notebook to remind us which color we’re using for what. For example, titles are in bright blue, while bullet points are in magenta.

Erasable BallPoint Pens Mistakes will be made, that is the whole point of education and past a certain age, you are expected to use a pen and not pencil, which is why we love erasable pens. Don’t cross it out, just undo it.

Tip: If you are using a non erasable pen but still want to correct a mistake, you can use the corrector fluid pen from MUJI can help you fix things and it dries quickly without getting crusty.

High Quality Paper Notebooks You might think that all paper is created equal but that’s not really true. The paper doesn’t bleed or ghost (show faint writing on the other side). MUJI omits anything that is unnecessary and focuses only on quality and functionality. The covers are plain so you can use the notebooks from either side, whether for an English or an Arabic class.

They come in several sizes, different bindings and in lined, unlined and grid paper. So you can find the perfect thing for your needs.

Tip: Your inner artist can decorate the covers to make them truly unique and fully yours.

DIY Your own binder If notebooks aren’t your thing, you can purchase the binder and pre-punched loose leaf paper. This makes it easier to share notes with friends or add and remove sheets when you need to without having to tear out pages.

Tip: Add the dividers so you can use one binder for all your classes.

Acrylic Organizers One of our favorite product lines at MUJI are the acrylic organizers. The see-through boxes, drawers and trays make keeping our desk tidy a breeze. Everything is where we can see it and we can reach for whatever we need without getting out of our creative or studying zone.

Tip: Add labels to each compartment so you don’t start using them as a catch-all.

Highlighting with a view Highlighting your text makes it easy to pick out key points later and helps you remember important sections. But it can be tricky, unless you have a MUJI highlighter with a window. The smart design helps you see what you are marking so you don’t run over the wrong text.

Tip: Use different colors for different topics and match your highlighter with your gel pens for maximum effect.

Get Artsy Inspiration strikes when it is ready, so you too, need to be prepared. At MUJI you can find colored pencils, marker sets, washi tape, rulers and scissors. Having the tools ready means that you can just start making stuff instead of spending precious minutes looking for things you need.

Tip: Add a piece of washi tape at the top of your page and add your title on it. It looks fun but also helps you find information faster.

Buy 2 and get 1 free in MUJI stores in 2nd Avenue – The Avenues, Grand Avenue – The Avenues and Al Kout Mall or get 30% off when shopping online at muji.com.kw from August 16th to September 11th. For more information, follow MUJI on Instagram @mujimiddleeast.

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ARE YOU RUINING YOUR JOB PROSPECTS?

6 simple mistakes that can sabotage your job search

By Judith Humphrey

There are no shortage of tips on how to have a successful job search. But when you fail to get the gig you want, you may be left wondering why. Hiring professionals are deluged with applications and don’t have time to write a “thank you for applying” letter. So candidates are left guessing.

I decided to go straight to the source and asked a seasoned career recruiter what the most common pitfalls are. In a far-ranging discussion with Tejal Wagadia, a career expert at Jobscan who has interviewed close to 10,000 job candidates in the past seven years, Wagadia shared the biggest things that can trip up job seekers.

1. APPLYING FOR EVERYTHING IN SIGHT The No. 1 thing that will derail you, according to Wagadia, is applying for a broad range of jobs that you’re not qualified for. It’s understandable that with so many jobs being advertised on job boards, and coming to you directly from sites like LinkedIn, you’ll feel you’re in demand.

But think again before you apply. “Unless you have 70% to 80% of the qualifications, you shouldn’t go for it,” says Wagadia. And that doesn’t mean you anticipate that you can do 80% of the job. It means you have already done 80% of that job. “It’s one thing to say ‘I can do this,’ and it’s another thing to say ‘I have done this.’”

2. USING THE SAME RÉSUMÉ OVER AND OVER AGAIN A second roadblock to landing a job is using a single résumé for all your job applications.

“Candidates apply with the same résumé, over and over again,” says Wagadia. “They haven’t looked closely enough at the job description and made sure the skills listed are reflected in their résumé.”

The solution, she says, is to customize every single résumé you send out. Make sure the skills you have on your CV align with those in the job description. If you want to know how well your résumé matches the job description, check out this site. “It’s particularly important to customize your résumé,” says Wagadia, “when applying for ‘bridge’ (contract) jobs or when making a career change, like going from one industry to another.” You will be evaluated on the fit.

3. FAILING TO SHOW YOUR IMPACT The third thing that can trip job seekers up, according to Wagadia, is “not showing the impact you’ve had in the jobs you’ve held.”

Not giving figures for your impact is a serious problem. “Almost every résumé I’ve seen just 66

lists job duties rather than the value created,” says Wagadia. “Candidates copy and paste the job description they were hired into and forget to show the impact they had in that role.” If you want to impress the recruiter or hiring manager, give the quantifiable results you’ve attained.

4. ASKING THE INTERVIEWER NO QUESTIONS Another thing that can derail candidates is their failure to ask the recruiter or hiring manager questions in an interview. “When they have no questions,” says Wagadia, “they appear not to be interested in the position.”

5. MISREADING YOUR INTERVIEWERS A fifth way to undercut yourself, is to misread people in team interviews. These group interviews are becoming more common, and they present challenges.

“Be aware how you are addressing the interviewing team,” says Wagadia. She has seen situations in which male candidates don’t address the female interviewers, especially in tech companies. Also beware of directing all your attention to the team leader or hiring manager. Treat everybody equally.

Group interviews can also be challenging because you have to customize your answers for each person. Think about who’s asking the question and choose a narrative that the person can relate to. For example, if an internal customer asks for an example, make it a customer-centric story. And size up whether the person wants a short answer, a big-picture answer, or a detailed “nuts and bolts” answer.

6. BEING DISENGAGED IN INTERVIEWS A final way job applicants can go astray is to appear disengaged by giving short, curt answers in interviews.

I asked Wagadia if there was a point in an interview when she made a decision not to proceed with a candidate, and she replied, “Yes, when they’re giving me one-word or onesentence answers.” “When it feels like I’m pulling teeth,” Wagadia says, “I decide not to proceed with that candidate. An interview is a conversation, not an interrogation.”

Photo by inlytics | LinkedIn Analytics Tool on Unsplash.

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MORE THAN A SINGLE USE

What will it take for brands to design products that aren’t disposable?

By Adele Peters

In a throwaway society, we take it for granted that products aren’t designed to last. If an electric toothbrush or a cheap sofa breaks, it ends up at the curb, not repaired. When the latest smartphone comes out, the model you spent hundreds of dollars on 18 months ago feels dated. When a new pair of running shoes wears out after a few months, it goes in the trash.

For companies, there’s little immediate motivation to change, since short product lifespans mean that people end up buying more.

But just as designers a century ago pioneered planned obsolescence—the idea that products should rapidly need replacement, either because of frequent upgrades, cheap materials, or because they’re intentionally made impossible to repair— it’s possible for businesses to embrace a new paradigm and redesign products that people want to keep for years or decades or longer.

In a new book called Meaningful Stuff: Design That Lasts, Carnegie Mellon design professor Jonathan Chapman explains how product design can change course. Chapman started thinking about the problem as a design student at the turn of the millennium. “I would see things like a dumpster full of bricks and construction rubble, and then on top of it would be a Dyson vacuum cleaner that someone threw out,” he says. “Isn’t it strange that a couple of years ago, that product would have been in a showroom window, and now it’s sitting there with this completely worthless crap? It just got me thinking: Why does that happen? Why do things make that transition so quickly?”

The waste starts before a toy or toaster or smartphone ends up in a landfill. By one estimate, for every ton of consumer products that are manufactured, another 40 tons of waste is produced. Massive mining operations pull rare earth elements from rocks and soil to make things like computer chips that might be tossed out months later. Even when components are valuable, they typically aren’t recovered. There’s “approximately 80 times more gold in a ton of smartphones than in a ton of rocks from a gold mine,” Chapman writes. “However, because of the way we have designed our industrial systems, the rock-bound gold is currently considered to be more economically viable to extract than its phonebound counterpart.”

Part of the solution is to make products that can actually be repaired, whether it’s a vacuum or a computer. Fairphone, a Dutch phone manufacturer that uses conflict-free materials and aims to make its tech last as long as possible, makes it simple for people to take apart their phones and repair or upgrade parts. Beyond the practical value, it can help people care about their phones more.

“There’s something about investing time and care in an object which then deepens your connection with the object,” Chapman says.

Chapman, who studies what makes people feel an emotional connection to some of the things 68

they own, says that designers should think about how they can design a meaningful experience connected to a product. “Does it get better through time? The more you use it, does it open up new features or become more powerful? How can the object engage you in more complex interactions, and demand a little bit more of you as a user, rather than being a passive button pusher? It can invite you to participate in a more complex, interesting way,” he says.

He points to a simple example of brass pens from a Taiwanese company called YStudio. As you grip the pen to write or draw, your hand polishes the brass. It creates a “really interesting pattern which is, in a way, a reflection of you and how you use the pen,” he says. For any given product, the approach may be slightly different. Some kitchen appliances might be designed to last a lifetime. Other products that can’t last, like printer cartridges, can be designed for a circular system that reclaims the materials for recycling.

While some large brands are taking some small steps toward longevity—Samsung, for example, recently released a repair manual for one of its smartphones in France, where a new law requires companies to grade their products for repairability—thousands of other companies aren’t even thinking about the problem yet. The best-known brands are most likely to be thinking about the issues, but “anyone who spends a few

minutes shopping on Amazon will know that the majority of products that flow through our lives from companies you’ve never heard of,” Chapman says. A typical home might have 300,000 objects, he says, most of which aren’t from big names. And almost all of it should be designed differently.

As consumers start to make more purchasing decisions based on sustainability—and as companies face some sustainability constraints, like shortages of some rare earth materials— designing products that last makes business sense, Chapman says. “We’ve got this really old model, which is about just blasting products out into the ether, hoping somebody buys it,” he says.

“And then when they get bored of it, which they will, they’ll come back and buy another one. That’s a dead system.”

Instead, he says, companies can focus on making money from service, upgrades, and repairs, rather than new sales. And they can also gain more loyal customers. “The second approach is more to do is more to do with seeing consumers as people, not consumers, and seeing them as people that a business should try and establish an ongoing relationship with,” he says. “By allowing people to upgrade and repair and occasionally replace products, you’re actually kind of using the product as a talking point that connects brands to people.”

Photo by Gary Chan on Unsplash.

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THE BODY SHOP’S BIG POWER MOVE

Discover The Body Shop’s Black Musk – same fierce fragrance, but redefined!

By bazaar staff

Seemingly small acts of self-love (like spritzing on your favorite fragrance) can lead to big changes. At The Body Shop, Black Musk is a long-lasting, fierce and warm fragrance with powerful effects. You don’t just wear this fragrance, it’s a part of you, to remind you of your self-love, self-expression and strength.

With notes of spicy pink pepper, ylang ylang, vanilla and deep musk. The Body Shop’s bestselling Black Musk is a dark and addictive, warm and musky scent. Its notes awaken your self-confidence. And that’s powerful.

Self-confidence is a complex, beautiful, multifaceted, ever-changing thing and it’s time that was celebrated. We wear Black Musk because it reminds us that we have the power to define ourselves. Your body, your power. Everything starts with you.

Lovers of The Body Shop’s signature Black Musk fragrance are in for treat! The Body Shop’s bestselling black musk fragrance is now registered as vegan and features a more ethical packaging. Plus, there are some innovative new additions joining the musk family too.

GAME CHANGER The Body Shop has been championing the use of cruelty-free musk for decades, and in 2021 they’ve taken it one ethical step further. Black Musk is now registered as vegan, it comes in a 100% recyclable bottle, which is made of 42% recycled glass and has a removable pump (for recycling ease). Plus, there’s no unnecessary or secondary packaging (a box). Like we said, small acts can lead to big changes.

LET’S MEET THE MUSK FAMILY Developed in 1981, the White Musk scent was one of the first fragrances specially blended for The Body Shop. Not only was it an instant bestseller, but it was revolutionary in the perfume world; it represented a landmark in the fragrance industry as it was one of the first to pioneer synthetic, cruelty-free musk in replacement of animal-derived musk, which is extracted from the civet deer via cruel and painful methods. It is an icon of The Body Shop and became the signature scent of a generation.

Over the years The Body Shop extended the fragrance family by blending cruelty-free musks with complimentary ingredients. Today there’s 70

a variety of musks with various notes to appeal to every type of nose.

Starting with the classic White Musk with notes of jasmine and lily of the valley, it’s a little floral, a little musky and presents a longlasting scent with a light touch. White Musk can be worn daily. For fans of fruiter scents, the White Musk L’eau Eau De Toilette is sweetened with notes of pear for a fruity layer that fits effortlessly with the iconic floral blend of lily of the valley, jasmine and rose essence. Also, the White Musk Flora Eau De Toilette arrives as a modern floral reboot of the original, blending uplifting notes of bergamot and pink pepper with a blooming bouquet of peonies and lily of the valley for a fresh, modern and daring twist on the original White Musk. Last but definitely not least, the firm bestseller and cult favorite is The Body Shop’s Black Must Night Bloom Eau De Toilette, which is inspired by flowers that bloom at night to reveal their secret scents.

This sensational eau de toilette combines notes of ylang ylang and heliotrope, blended with juicy blackcurrant and warm musk.

NEW WHITE MUSK ELEMENTS: THE NOTES YOU KNOW, WITH ADDED ‘YOU’ You can now wear your signature scent in a brand-new way! The Body Shop are introducing three new fragrance toppers, specially created to be layered on top of the original White Musk, so that you can customize your scent and make it last longer. Make your fragrance fit every element of you– made for every mood.

You can layer your favorite musk fragrance with citrus-green and earthy notes with the White Must Radical Eau De Parfum, or perhaps opt for spicier and colorful notes with the White Musk Lover Eau De Parfum. If you prefer to cool down your favorite Musk fragrance, choose the White Musk Free Eau De Parfum, as this special fragrance topper offers fresh and mineral notes.

Stay updated with the latest from The Body Shop by following @TheBodyShopKuwait on Instagram and Facebook, or shop online at www.thebodyshop.com.kw.

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BATTLING BURNOUT

Here are the tactics that will actually help

By Kelley Bonner

As companies grapple with the lingering effects of the pandemic and try to make a way forward, work from home has emerged as a go-to strategy to minimizing burnout within organizations. While increasing workplace flexibilities is crucial to battling burnout in your organization, there are three vital elements often left out of the discussion. To create a workplace ready to tackle burnout, consider these three steps.

Develop a holistic strategic plan Many companies are quick to highlight one or two strategies they’ve adopted as the complete solution to burnout. New apps for the workforce or no meeting Zoom days will have little impact if they are not accompanied by a strategic plan that links to your company’s goals and vision. Action plans should have these main components: Ask better questions: For companies looking to banish burnout in their workforces, assessing their employees’ perceptions of burnout isn’t enough. While surveys can be impactful tools, asking an employee their perceptions will only give you half of the picture. Go beyond perception questions that simply ask an employee if they feel burned out. Instead, lean into questions that provide information about how many hours they are working each week and how often they have called in sick the past year.

Avoid survey fatigue by leveraging HR data to complete a picture of your organizational health.

Engage in comprehensive assessments by utilizing data from HR to learn your attrition rates, utilization rates of EAP (and for what topics), the number of harassment and discrimination complaints you have.

Educate the entire workforce: From the C-suite to the newest employee in your company, increase your employee’s literacy in burnout.

For leaders and managers, educate them on the signs and symptoms of burnout in their direct reports. Encourage flexible and collaborative leadership and teach your managers strategies to enhance innovation and efficiency. Empower leaders to regularly check in with their staff and ask for feedback on what resources are needed to complete tasks. When training the general workforce, provide education around stress and time management, task anxiety, and collaboration.

Instead of “check the box” training, provide workshops where your workers can practice the skills they’ve learned.

Make concrete policy changes: One thing the pandemic has taught us is the way many companies operate. Companies need to operationalize the beloved phrase of “working smarter, not harder.” Use the actionable data you’ve collected to create effective policies that incentivize innovations that reduce employees’

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time and enhance their wellbeing. When expanding workplace flexibilities, employee incentives, and changes to your operations tempo, cement them into policy. Embed them into the fabric of your company and then commit to checking the effectiveness of the policy every 2-3 years.

Stay in constant communication Ultimately your employees are your best recruiters and testimony to the health of your company.

When it comes to any incentives and flexibilities you’ve developed to address burnout, marketing is everything. Companies who wish to avoid burnout need to have a consistent marketing campaign notifying and encouraging employees to utilizes specific flexibilities and perks.

If you provide an app to help your employees with stress, go beyond a one-time email announcement that is sure to get buried along with others—instead, follow up with best practices on how to use the app. Remind the workforce of the flexibilities available to them by making sure managers bring them up quarterly at team meetings. Keep the conversation going and make sure your employees are aware of the perks of working at your company. Invite any feedback they may have on the incentive, including if they are using it.

Address the underlying issues that masquerade as burnout As happy as burnout experts are around the increased awareness about burnout and what it

is, often it is labeled burnout is mistaken for toxic workplace culture and lack of diversity. Burnout is the result of chronic unmanaged workplace stress. It’s the distress that results from too many demands, not enough resources.

However, for many in the workforce (particularly those with marginalized identities), it’s not only the volume for work that is causing distress but rather workplace culture. Organizations that create environments of tokenism, onlyness, and discrimination are often culprits that tax workers far beyond traditional burnout. A simple work-from-home (WFH) policy will not erase the microaggressions and harassing behavior that may be occurring daily in the company.

Hybrid work models and WFH have many benefits for a company, however, without a comprehensive corporate strategy, they only provide part of a solution for those looking to prevent burnout. Leaders must look holistically at their company to assess how employees feel. They must also assess their policies and procedures, operations tempo, and rates of harassment and discrimination.

Burnout can be mitigated in any workplace, however, it takes a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to address its underlying causes. While this is no small task, companies will reap the rewards for years to come if they invest in these efforts.

Photo by Morgan Basham on Unsplash.

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MAKE THINGS EASY

The one extraordinarily simple hack you need to beat procrastination

By Haley Goldberg—Shine

A wise woman once said: “Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?” When Avril Lavigne belted those words in her 2002 breakout hit “Complicated,” she was probably thinking about an annoying boyfriend—not the way our minds tend to block us from getting stuff done.

But consider it an ode to your complicated brain, too.

As humans, we have something called a “complexity bias.” It’s our tendency to make things that are simple seem way more complicated. It makes us more likely to ignore or overlook simple solutions and instead sink our teeth into the more complicated option.

Our complexity bias loves to steal the mic right before we start something big.

It’s that voice in your head that tells you the presentation won’t have a cohesive argument, it’d take hours to find all the right ingredients for that recipe, or mailing that greeting card would be a full-day affair of finding the card, getting the stamps, thinking of what to say—you get the gist.

For me: My complexity bias always strikes when I’m about to dive into a new long-term project at work.

Before I can even get started, I spend at least a few days weaving a complicated web, imagining all the different ways I could tackle the assignment, ways it could go wrong, how I’d adjust my plans, and more. Needless to say: My stress skyrockets, as does my procrastination.

Turns out, that’s why our brains like the complexity bias so much. It gives us an “out,” so to speak, to avoid doing something.

“Of the fight-or-flight responses, complexity bias is the flight response,” Shane Parrish explains on his self-improvement blog Farnam Street. “It is a means of turning away from a problem or concept and labeling it as too confusing. If you think something is harder than it is, you surrender your responsibility to understand it.”

The good news: There’s a hack to help you override the complexity bias and start seeing the simpler path forward. It comes from Tim Ferriss, entrepreneur, author, and productivityguru.

What would this look like if it were easy?

In his book Tribe of Mentors, Ferriss drops a gem of a question that he likes to ask himself before diving into his work: What would this look like if it were easy? “‘What would this look like if it were easy?’ is such a lovely and deceptively leveraged question,” he writes. “It’s easy to convince yourself that things need to be hard . . . This leads us to look for paths of most resistance, creating unnecessary hardship in the process.”

The “easy” question, Ferris explains, challenges 74

us to frame a task in terms of “elegance instead of strain.” “In doing so, we sometimes find incredible results with ease instead of stress,” he writes. “Sometimes, we ‘solve’ the problem by simply rewording it.”

“Easy” helps you find step 1 It’s important to remember that a task can be simplified and still require work to get it done. The “easy” question isn’t about finding the lazy way out—it’s about creating a more straightforward process that we have an easier time wrapping our brains around and starting.

Complexity, after all, means having “many parts” while simplicity is something that’s “easy to understand.”

Asking yourself the “easy” question before you start a task helps you cut through the complexity

bias and get a sense of direction—making it easier to start at all.

Next time you find yourself falling into Avril Lavignelevel complicated territory, try asking yourself “What would this look like if it were easy?” and simplifying the situation.

Some other questions you can ask yourself, too: What would this look like if it were fun?

What would this look like if it were quick?

What would this look like if it were meaningful?

What would this look like if I asked for help?

When a situation feels too big, too scary, too complicated—that’s your cue to reframe it. Don’t be afraid to take the “easy” way out.

Photo by Emma Matthews Digital Content Production on Unsplash.

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ZOHOOR Get ready for an empowering journey of self-expression through your personal, signature fragrance By bazaar staff

From picking the right everyday fragrance, to choosing the right scent for our very own living spaces, it goes without saying that we are obsessed with the power of scent. Fragrance plays a massive role in our culture and has shaped our everyday rituals, and while we have access to the finest perfumes from all over the world right here in Kuwait, it is very hard to come by a concept that effortlessly brings together the best of the East and West like Zohoor does. And with the recent launch of their new packaging, the entire range just got a makeover, and it is scent-sational!

Dubbing themselves as artisans and mixologists of fine perfume oils, Zohoor fully understands the importance of uniqueness, and finding the right scent that tells your very own story. Using the finest, organic French perfume oils, Zohoor has perfected the craft of perfume making and today, they offer a wide range of everyday fragrances and bath and 76

body products, fine perfumes, home scents, and our personal favorite experience, Mixology by Zohoor.

THE HOME OF MIXOLOGY Home to over 120 scents in total, Mixology by Zohoor is an experience which pays homage to the art of fine perfumery. They blend the best of

French and Arabian perfume oils, all safe to use in your favorite everyday products. Whether you are seeking to create your very own fragrance blend, are looking to enhance your everyday moisturizer with an elevated scent, or you simply want to create a signature scent for your home, you can do it all here!

We paid a visit to Zohoor store at Al Koot Mall, and we were astounded by the number of perfume oils waiting to be discovered, mixed and enhanced to create our unique, one-of-a-kind fragrance. All of Zohoor’s oils are safe, non-toxic and can be used in any way you prefer! We loved their custom blends on offer as well. From their famous ‘Floriential’ custom blend, which is feminine and fresh, to the light and zesty Floral Fresh mix, which can be blended for you as a body mist spray, added to your favorite body lotion or shower gel for an even longer lasting fragrance!

The experience in and of itself is deeply personal, very luxurious yet simple and nontasking. The team at Zohoor will ask you about your preferred scents, and are happy to offer their expert advice on how to create your perfect scent. And

for each purchase of a personal Mixology private blend, a code will be printed at the till in the store.

This will allow you, the customer, to easily repeat purchase your own private blend while making you feel extra special at the same time.

THE ART OF FRAGRANCE LAYERING WITH ZOHOOR

Zohoor are renowned for their floral fragrances and bath and body range. Their products utilize the highest quality ingredients and the finest perfume oils, and this shows in all of their famous ranges.

We absolutely cannot get enough of the uplifting Lily of the Valley range, a floral symphony of lilies with crisp cedar and rich vetiver, or the indulgent Pretty Poppy, a bright, fruity floral scent with ripe plum, luminous poppy and pure vanilla. One of

Zohoor’s most famous ranges is also the Sweet Camellia. With its deep rich base of sandalwood, this is a firm customer favorite as it also presents a delicate floral bouquet of tender rose. We were told by Zohoor’s team that Sweet Camellia is a trusted base to enhance with the various perfume oils available in the Mixology department!

With a wide range of offerings for each of their famous fragrances, from body shower oils, soothing body butters enhanced with shea butter and Vitamin E, to deodorants, body scrubs and body mists, you can make your favorite scent last even longer by exploring Zohoor’s art of layering rituals. By using specific combinations of products from each fragrance range, you can make your preferred fragrance last you up to 6, 12, 24 and even 48 hours!

You can even gift your loved ones one of Zohoor’s amazing gift sets! Choose from Modern Rose, Sweet Oud or Gardenia. The Gift box is complete with a beautiful bottle of perfume, body lotion of the same scent, and the cutest handbag holder for whenever you’re on the go!

The best part? You can shop all of Zohoor’s products from the comfort of your own home by visiting their website zohooralreefkw.com! Visit any of their locations in Kuwait at Al Bairaq Mall, Vilavie store in Al Kout Mall, Almaghatir, Andalus Coop, Sabah Al Nasser Coop, AlKout Souq, Sama Al Sulaibakhat, Awtad Mall, Almanar, Alqaser. Visit @zohooralreef_ kw on Instagram for their latest updates!

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OWN THE ZOOM ROOM

How to own the room in your next Zoom meeting

By Stephanie Vozza

When you’re making a presentation or conducting a meeting in a conference room, it’s easy to tell when people are engaged and when they check out. If you’re open to them, body language clues can help you know when to change your delivery or ask for questions. When you’re in a Zoom room, however, much of the context is missing.

Zoom fatigue is real, but that doesn’t mean you have to surrender to the technology, says Susan McPherson, author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships.

“Technology is a tool, not a means to an end,” she says. “To forge lasting relationships, we need to learn to be more intentional and authentic and reconnect with people as human beings— especially right now. It’s using our tools with intention and compassion.”

While most of us would agree that meetings were tedious before, virtual meetings can make them even worse, adds Karin Reed, CEO of Speaker Dynamics, a corporate communications training firm, and coauthor of Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work. The book was recently added as part of Stanford University’s School of Business’s “Essentials of Strategic Communication” course for the Spring 2021 semester, proving that Zoom meetings and the like aren’t going away soon.

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“Remember all that stuff you’ve known forever about what makes meetings more effective, that you never bothered to do, like having an agenda or coming prepared?” she asks. “All of that is more important online because the flaws in the process are even more obvious.”

To connect with people and read the room, you need to know how to overcome the shortcomings of the technology and resort to some best practices.

Ice breakers McPherson suggests starting meetings with an ice breaker—but not about the weather.

“This goes back to years of conference calls when you’re waiting for others,” she says. “The default is always, ‘What’s the weather in your area?’ But that doesn’t do anything for the meeting.”

Instead, she suggests asking a question. For example, If you could be anywhere when the pandemic is over, where would that plane take you? Or, how are you really doing? Is there anything you need support with?

Eye contact Don’t interpret someone’s body language as compared to when they’re in real life meeting.

“Lack of eye contact doesn’t mean they’re not listening,” she says. “We’re not the same when we’re in these tiny boxes. Unlike real life, you’re

not seeing their whole body, which takes a lot of information out of the equation.”

Those slides Stop letting your slides dominate the screen.

You bring the value to the meeting, not your visual aids. Instead, deliver your presentation in digestible chunks, sharing only a few slides at a time before toggling back to gallery view.

Dealing with distractions When you’re in a Zoom meeting, active listening is important, even though it’s also hard. Depending on the dynamics of the meeting, McPherson says the senior person in the room should set the stage for compassion and empathy. “We all can benefit from more of that,” she says. “These are some of the hardest times people have ever gone through, and compassion can go a long way to help the meeting and help each other.”

The truth is that virtual meetings are a separation from real life, says McPherson, but you can still use them to connect. “Honor that the experience is different,” she says. “But bring in some of the similarities can make it feel more humane. Lead with kindness compassion and bring your best listener to the table.”

Photo by Charles Deluvio.

MORE READING

4 ways to read more books this year

By Herbert Lui

If you’ve decided to read more, you’re not alone. According to Statista in 2018, 23% of respondents resolved to read more in the new year. Yet reading surged in the early days of the pandemic, with 41% of respondents reporting reading more books.

One of the challenges with books is making time to read them all. In their classic guide How to Read a Book, Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren propose a solution: Don’t try to read them all, because most of them aren’t worth it. They write, “Every book should be read no more slowly than it deserves, and no more quickly than you can read it with satisfaction and comprehension.”

You can get the best ideas from most books simply by skimming them. Skimming also prepares you to learn more when you actually read the book.

Howard Yale McClusky published an experiment in the Journal of Educational Psychology that concluded that preliminary skimming could improve the subsequent reading process for students.

There are two levels to Adler and Van Doren’s method of skimming. One involves sifting through the table of contents, the index, and conclusions of each chapter and making note of what you already know or whether this book contains information you want to learn.

The second is known as superficial reading, which is basically reading through a book really fast, just to get a surface-level understanding of it. You may know superficial reading as “speed reading,” a term popularized in the 1950s by Evelyn Wood and her husband. It has since become a key part of self-help, with an author or startup reviving interest in it every few years or so.

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Even though speed reading is a useful technique, our obsession with reading faster and learning more is misplaced. Reading two books doesn’t make a person twice as learned as a person who reads one book twice (or even once, carefully). Here’s how you can really use skimming to your advantage.

Read 10% of a nonfiction book, and apply one lesson from it There’s a lot of value in simply getting one idea from a book. Joss Whedon did not finish Getting Things Done, but he got the idea of taking “next actions” from it.

Don’t feel bad for skimming instead of reading. The author would likely appreciate that you’ve at least skimmed their book, rather than not read it at all.

And if the book was any good, it’s likely that when you skim the book you’ll realize how important it is you read the whole thing. I generally like to read 50 pages, but they don’t have to be the first 50.

Skim uninteresting books “I read for a lot of reasons, pleasure being the least of them,” author and master choreographer Twyla Tharp writes in The Creative Habit. Tharp is in search of inspiration or insights that she can apply to her work. If you can relate to Tharp—and need to read documents for your work, or to improve

your skills—then the technique of skimming will be incredibly useful. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read for fun; it’s worth noting that reading for pleasure has its own health benefits as well.

Put down a book that you feel obligated to finish Francis Bacon said, I could relate to Bacon’s comparison of reading on food. Whenever I picked up a book, I felt the need to finish it, an impulse similar to finishing all the food on my plate.

Read more slowly When you do find a book you like, don’t try to rush through it to the end. Slow down and take notes. Reread certain parts you don’t understand.

Connect the book’s ideas with other ideas or experiences you have.

Skimming, or speed reading, is simply a tool to support the overall reading experience, but it is not an alternative to reading. It helps you choose the right thing to read. Learning is not about how many books you read, or even how fast you read. It’s about what you get from each of those books, and deliberately choosing which books to spend your hours, days, weeks, months, and years with.

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash.

SUNDAY AFTERNOONS HATS Protect yourself from the elements any day of the week By bazaar staff

Just think about the ghutrah, Arabs have always known that covering the head is the best protection against the sun. And while we love culture and tradition we appreciate modern technology that helps us stay active and safe while we’re out and about. We have been reaching for our sun hats whenever we’re out during the day. And we have fallen in love with the wide range of hats from Sunday Afternoons, which are available in Kuwait at Explorer’s Base.

While hats are a fashion statement and a great accessory to express your personal style, they are also beneficial in so many ways. They protect your face and head from sunburn. A hat also protects your eyes from the brightness of the sun, which causes more damage as you get older. And if you care about your skin (which you should), a hat can help prevent damage and skin cancer. On the other hand, during colder months a hat protects your head, face and ears. So whether it is hot or cold outside, your headgear helps your body regulate its temperature as well as keeps your hair and scalp safe from sun damage and sunburn.

Sunday Afternoons was born out of one 82

family’s love for adventure and fun when a young California couple started making the the Original Adventure Blanket, a colorful picnic blanket and in 1995 they started offering hats. Because the founders of the company love the outdoors themselves and have always relied on their customer’s feedback, they keep adding styles, options and materials that support the explorer lifestyle. From UPF fabrics to full coverage styles, a Sunday Afternoons hat offers you protection as well as the freedom to be active and enjoy life instead of worrying about the weather.

We love the truckers which offer strategic crown ventilation, a wicking sweatband, and adjustable sizing to make for lasting comfort

as well as featuring hand-drawn limited edition artwork by select artists. If you love a cap style hat but need some extra protection, the Campfire Cap offers UPF 50+, and is durable and made from 100% cotton Bedford corduroy. The stretch comfort adjustable sizing and moisture-wicking sweatband make it comfortable enough for everyday wear, and the pen and ink patch motif adds an inspired touch.

The brand also offers lots of different styles for kids. Because we all know that they are usually very excited to enjoy their beach or pool time, and we’d rather let them soak in vitamin D without worrying. The Kids' Fun Bucket and the Kids' Clear Creek Boonie (which is reversible) are

waterproof, colorful and come with comfortable adjustable chin straps so the hats stay on their heads instead of falling off.

You can also find the beautiful Tradewinds straw hat and the classic Havana. Perfect for spending the day at the beach or strolling lazily through old European cities. There are also some interesting designs that offer smart options like the Lookout Hat, made from waxed canvas that only gets better with age and has a built-in Sunglass Lock that keeps glasses in place and a hidden crown pocket. Alternatively, the Sun Tripper is made from performance fabrics and uses a ventilated design that ensures a comfortable fit and helps you score major style points.

There is one thing you should consider before buying a hat, and that is sizing. An ill fitting hat will not be comfortable and might not even stay put on your head. All Sunday Afternoons hats come with clear sizing information. Just measure the circumference of your head by placing a tape measure over the middle of your forehead, just above your ears and make sure that it sits midway at the back of your head. Fortunately, most of the brand’s hats are also adjustable. So you can make it fit perfectly.

You should also consider what you might be doing as you wear your hat. If you will be spending hours in the sun, a hat with neck coverage might be a better idea, while netting will protect you

from pests and insects if you plan on doing some gardening. Waterproof hats are perfect for activities like sand castle building and jet skiing.

While classic styles like the Bahama are perfect for touring foreign cities, because you will look fashionable but still be protected.

Sunday Afternoons hats are available in Explorers Base in Al Tilal Complex and Carbon Fiber Stores – The Avenues Mall and Kuwait International Airport.

Follow @ExplorersBase and @Carbonfiberq8 on Instagram to stay up to date. You can also shop the collection online at ExplorersBase.com or call 2225 6323 for more information.

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MICROWAVE DINNERS ARE BACK

This innovative cookware startup wants you to make dinner in your microwave

By Rachel Kim Raczka

In the dead of summer my apartment dangerously hovers between 85-95 degrees, which makes cooking dinner an absolutely miserable experience. An air fryer became my savior last year, but also proved to be quite limiting. Sometimes I wanted those roasted, juicy flavors and texture that you get from long hours of braising in the oven. So when Anyday, a cookware brand that dares users to make delicious meals in the microwave, started aggressively popping up on social media, I had to try it.

Anyday launched direct to consumer in March with glass dishes specifically designed for microwave cooking. Their collection is made up for four bowls — two deep, two shallow in medium and large sizes — made from frosted, heat-resistant borosilicate glass with microwavesafe stainless steel and silicone-rimmed glass lids. Each features a silicone knob that acts as a steam vent when popped up and creates a vacuum seal when pressed down. Founded by Steph Chen and heavily endorsed by business partner, Chef David Chang, Anyday looks like your average food prep storage — but it isn’t.

Cookware innovations run in Chen’s blood – her family owns Meyer Corporation, makers of Anolon, Faberware, and KitchenAid — and her pursuit of Anyday stemmed from foodies’ distaste for microwave-cooked meals. She found that people (like myself) perceived microwaves as unnecessarily harsh method of cooking, draining food of moisture, texture, and nutrients — which is simply not true. When so many succulent and delicious meals are celebrated as cooked “low and slow,” how could something zapped in minutes be nearly as good?

Anyday’s product is simple enough: the glass bowls are sold individually ($30-$40), lid included, or as a $120 set of four. The set arrives with recipe cards, but users can also refer to the website, where the company has a database of recipes ranging from mushroom risotto to peanut butter chocolate lava cake to shrimp scampi to granola. It emphasizes the versatility of the bowls — whether you want to steam rice or prepare a full one-bowl meal like couscous with lemon, chicken, and dates — noting just how much time you’ll “save” by opting for a microwave, with cheeky suggestions for what to do with the spare minutes. (The 4-5 minutes spent on Chinese steamed egg? Catch up on a podcast.)

Chen explained that the bowls use microwaves’ efficient heating power (rapidly vibrating food’s water molecules to produce heat) to heat quickly, while the vented knobs help keep steam circulating, resulting in moist, never-dry dinner. One of the other big hurdles Chen had to leap over was educating users in how microwaves work in general—in order to sufficiently convince them to try out zapping dinner. That’s where Chang’s help came in, as

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he made a series of very convincing videos of complete microwave meals using fresh ingredients straight out of his refrigerator.

“This is about as good as I can make food at home,” he says while digging into a one-pot rice and salmon bowl.

Following his lead, I made an amazing donothing lunch with a half cup of white rice, frozen stir fry vegetables, and frozen shrimp in the Anyday Medium Deep Dish. Spoon on some chili crisp and you have an incredible lunch with little to zero kitchen time. The shrimp were plump and evenly cooked with zero oil.

Frozen vegetables retained their firmness and slight crunch. Plus, the ability to throw in a

handful of veggies when you cook your protein makes it even more mindless to sneak some green into every meal.

Still, Anyday is brand that I cannot believe isn’t TikTok famous already. Every time I open an Anyday bowl, I turn to my boyfriend and am like, “Can you believe this?!” The experience is almost always a thrill—like those initial months of marvel with an electric pressure cooker or air fryer, except way more low key and inexpensive.

I’ve already shipped an Anyday bowl to a friend who loves to cook but has been having trouble since she had a baby. (Baby food is apparently doable in an Anyday.) It’s an easy win for a busy family in a matter of minutes.

bazaar Apps

PEACE

COLORCULATOR

COLORGIZES

READSTACK

SPACE LAUNCH NOW

PEACENIK

Looking for music to relax to, but aren’t into all the nature sounds and waves? Sleep well with your own sound mixing. Start a new day with motivating quotes. Deep breathing practice to keep calm and peace your mind. Super useful for meditation. Chill out your body with thousands of songs and lofi music.

If you never thought you needed to organize or save color palettes, you might be wrong. Colorgizes is a color tool powered by Alphabag. It is designed for layman use for building color palettes. Perfect for people who are designing or even for discovering interesting color combinations for outfits.

Have you ever looked up at the sky and wondered if there were any rockets being launched? The Space Launch Now app lets you know right away.

The sky just got so much closer. Get updates and notifications for rocket launches from SpaceX, NASA, ULA, ROSCOSMOS, ISRO, and many more!

Everyone needs to have a couple of games downloaded on their phone that allows them to quickly disconnect. Colorculator is a puzzle game that lets your creative juice flowing. By pressing the correct sequence of buttons you can generate the CORRECT color! One press and everything changes and puzzle game for everyone!

Are you guilty of bookmarking sites and never revisiting them? Do you leave tabs open but never go back to them? Save the latest stories, news, articles you want to read later in your Readstack Reading List. When you finished reading - just swipe it to remove. Readstack is designed to bring you zero-stress and zero-procrastination reading experience

Peacenik has many of the same features as Facebook but is not driven by divisive content nor advertising. Peacenik is distributed and relies on techies, like me, willing to host secure / private servers for a group of friends. We might finally be able to break free of Facebook and find a kinder place to connect.

play.google.com itunes.apple.com 86

Dilmah Iced T Box

The Avenues @Dilmah_kw

GET READY TO EAT, LIVE AND NOURISH YOUR SOUL AT EL&N CAFÉ Say hello to Kuwait’s most instagrammable hotspot!

By bazaar staff

When you’re asked to Eat, Live and Nourish you do need a few moments to consider this invitation. Imagine a transcendent, pink paradise setting, an inventive menu offering you food and drinks that invite you to eat with your eyes first, and delectable flavors that stay with you long after you’ve uploaded your picture-perfect meal to the gram. You’re left with a positive feeling that has surely nourished your mind and soul. This is the EL&N experience, magical, enticing and uplifting, all framed for you within an irresistibly chic, pink perfect setting.

Considered as the leading Instagrammable café and lifestyle brand, EL&N hails from the heart of London’s swanky Mayfair district, and has captured the hearts and minds of diners and followers all across the world. Lucky for us, EL&N London is now available in Kuwait, with its iconic flower-clad walls, stylishly pink interiors and gorgeous lattes and desserts that are taking our social media feeds by storm.

Located at Grand Avenue - The Avenues, you can’t help but feel drawn toward EL&N’s

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gorgeous design, with various shades of pink and stunning flower arrangements ushering you in, it’s an experience you simply cannot resist!

With its open plan and positive vibes, your eyes will joyfully wander to explore every corner of the space, from the mouth-watering display of pictureperfect sweet treats on offer, to the deep hues of the almost marshmallow-like ceiling, and the neon signs featuring positive messages will instantly uplift your soul. All of this, and you haven’t even seen the menu yet. This is definitely the type of

space that we would love spending all morning sipping on a warm coffee and whiling the hours away, and that’s why we opted to brunch at EL&N, and we were so glad we did!

A quick scan of the menu will surely invite you to eat with your eyes first, because every offering looks beautiful. EL&N’s menu is also clever, showcasing the most visually stunning offerings for each of your socials. Choose the No 1 rated drink to share on Instagram, have your cameras ready for a color changing drink, to perfectly

pinnable brunch offerings, the menu is ultra engaging! We clearly spotted a sign that read “But first, coffee” and that’s precisely what we started with. With options like the Ghawa Coffee that is brewed with cardamon and served with brownies, to the classic Alex’s Coffee sweetened with maple syrup and oat milk, classic offerings to Instagrammable Lattes (yes, all clearly shown on the menu too!), you’ll be spoiled with endless options at EL&N. But it’s not just about the single origin, Brazilian fair trade coffee, as alternative drinks at EL&N reign supreme, and each offers an experience like no other. We settled on the color changing, vibrantly purple and flavorful Butterfly Pea Flower Mocktail and an Iced Spanish Latte, and began to explore our brunch options.

With all-day brunch at EL&N, you can choose healthful offerings like the classic smoothie bowl with acai, or peruse their grand ‘Eggs of the World’ list with Middle Eastern-inspired faves like Shakshuka, and the Kuwait-exclusive Turkish Breakfast for Two. But our eyes widened when we spotted Balaleet, another Kuwait-exclusive offering and we immediately ordered that along with a classic Eggs Florentine. Let us tell you this, Balaleet never looked this stylish! Presented with a sweet Saffron syrup, cardamon and sauteed onions, the Balaleet were served up in an omelette with crispy onion rings and a super rich tomato and red pepper sauce, beautifully garnished with edible flowers. If you fancy yourself a sweeter take on brunch, then Sweet Plates like the Dutch Pancakes, the Mascarpone & Fig on Sourdough or the Cinnamon S’Mores Waffle, which is pink, of course, will surely tantalize your palate! There’s also a plethora of French Toast renditions, from classic to Banana and Nutella.

[Continued...]

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We weren’t quite ready to end our pictureperfect experience just yet, which is why we decided to delve into EL&N’s Main Dishes offerings. Our eyes immediately gravitated toward the Chicken & Saffron Risotto, envisioned for local diners, and one bite of this beautiful dish instantly said it all. The scent of saffron flavoring a classic risotto, tender pieces of chicken breast and a rich tomato and mascarpone sauce that reminds you of your mom’s classic dakhous sauce, all artfully presented in this penultimate modern dish. We were amazed by how the flavors married so cleverly, yet this dish in particular looked ultra clean and modern. If you’re not sold on our experience, try it out for yourself! Rest

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assured that there are so many other incredible options, like lighter wraps, refreshing salads and even a Cheetos Cheese Burger!

After experiencing dessert at EL&N, we strongly urge you to come hungry, because you simply don’t want to miss out on their amazing sweet offerings. We took a leisurely stroll to check out the dessert display, and our eyes danced with glee. From deliciously glazed donuts, artfully decorated tarts, cheesecakes, brownies and cookies galore to a towering Dulce Mille Feuille from their selection of cakes, we honestly never wanted to leave. Had it not been for the queue forming behind us to share in this experience, we really didn’t plan on going back to our table.

Don’t forget to end your dessert foray at EL&N by pairing your chosen treat with a Latte. We opted for the Red Velvet Cake Latte, prepared with a beetroot base, red velvet cake syrup, melted milk chocolate chips and topped with fun sprinkles!

We walked away from EL&N feeling loved, nourished and uplifted, already planning our next selection from their incredible menu. With queues becoming a regular feature at this special destination, you’re definitely advised to get there as soon as they’ve opened their doors at 10 am.

EL&N Café is located on Grand Avenue The Avenues. For updates, follow @elan_cafe on social media and visit kw.elnlondon.com.

bazaar books

A SLOW BURNING FIRE

by Paula Hawkins, Mystery Thriller

WE ARE THE BRENNANS

By Tracey Lange, Contemporary Fiction

When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home.

Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member.

And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?

THE HUSBANDS

When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it’s not easy. She deserted them all-and her high school sweetheart-five years before with little explanation, and they’ve got questions. Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets-secrets that have damaged the family for generations. In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes-and ultimately find a way forward, together.

WHERE THE TRUTH LIES

By Chandler Baker, Thriller

By Anna Bailey, Genre Fiction

Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too… but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder? When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women-a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling authorwith enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident’s wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all.

One that’s worth killing for.

INSIDE COMEDY

By David Steinberd, Non Fiction

From David Steinberg, a rabbi’s son from Winnipeg, Canada, who at age fifteen enrolled at Hebrew Theological College in Chicago (the rabbinate wasn’t for him) and four years later, entered the master’s program in English literature at the University of Chicago, until he saw Lenny Bruce, the “Blue Boy” of Comedy, the coolest guy Steinberg had ever seen, and joined Chicago’s Second City improvisational group, becoming, instead, the comedian’s comedian, director, actor, working with, inspired by, teaching, and learning from the most celebrated, admired, complicated comedians, then and now–a funny, moving, provocative, insightful look into the soul, wit, and bite of comedy and comedians–a universe unto itself–of the last half-century.

Steinberg, through stories, reminiscences, tales of directing, touring, performing, and, through the comedians themselves talking (from more than 75 interviews), makes clear why he loves comedy and comedians who have been by his side in his work, and in his life, for more than sixty years.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened.

The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.

Among those secrets: Abi’s older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude’s feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words. But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend.

SURVIVAL OF THE FRIENDLIEST

By Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods, Non Fiction

For most of the approximately 300,000 years that Homo sapiens have existed, we have shared the planet with at least four other types of humans.

All of these were smart, strong, and inventive. But around 50,000 years ago, Homo sapiens made a cognitive leap that gave us an edge over other species. What happened? Since Charles Darwin wrote about “evolutionary fitness,” the idea of fitness has been confused with physical strength, tactical brilliance, and aggression. In fact, what made us evolutionarily fit was a remarkable kind of friendliness, a virtuosic ability to coordinate and communicate with others that allowed us to achieve all the cultural and technical marvels in human history. Advancing what they call the “selfdomestication theory,” Brian Hare, professor in the department of evolutionary anthropology and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University and his wife, Vanessa Woods, a research scientist and award-winning journalist, shed light on the mysterious leap in human cognition that allowed Homo sapiens to thrive.

Source: Goodreads.com, Amazon.com 92

DISCOVER OUR NEW SUMMER DRINKS

‫أﻧﺎﻧﺎس ﻣﺎﻧﺠﻮ‬ ‫ﺑﺎراداﻳﺲ‬

‫ﭬﺎﻧﻴﻼ ﻛﻮﻻدا‬ ‫ﻣﻴﻠﻚ ﺷﻴﻚ‬

‫ﭬﺮوزن ﻣﺎﻧﺠﺎ‬ ‫ﻟﻴﻤﻮن‬

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@HaagenDazskw

The Avenues

Souq Sharq

Alraya Complex

Al Kout Mall

Murouj

YAY! IT’S A

SHACK’VERSARY! It’s been an amazing decade of Shake Shack in Kuwait, and they’re only getting started!

By bazaar staff

We can’t forget the very first time we joyfully sunk our teeth into a ShackBurger, it was magical! From the way the ShackBurger comfortably fits in the hand (it’s almost like the folks at Shake Shack researched the perfect bun size for us!), the feel of the soft potato bun between the fingers, to the way the tender beef patty melts in the mouth, the ShackBurger will always have our hearts, especially when accompanied with an order of crinkle cut golden fries! There isn’t an offering we don’t enjoy from Shake Shack, because their menu has been delighting diners in Kuwait for a decade now, and this is definitely a milestone that’s worthy of a great celebration.

Last month, Shake Shack’s very first location in Kuwait 2nd Avenue - The Avenues, celebrated 10 years of bringing happiness to burger lovers in K-town. Complete with balloon decorations in the brand’s iconic green colors, a festive Shackthemed cake and lots of happy smiles, it was fuzzy feelings all around! Each and every member of Shake Shack’s incredible team plays a huge role in how far this beloved establishment has come in Kuwait. It is their love and dedication for the brand that has made a journey that started in 2011 in the heart of Kuwait’s The Avenues grow so much 94

in the minds of locals with so much success. With humble beginnings in the streets of Manhattan in New York and now boasting 13 locations in Kuwait, it is Shake Shack’s constant attention to delivering diners with a quality-centric experience that will continue this success story, wherever they go!

Quality reigns supreme at Shake Shack in all of their offerings, and there is something for everyone at your favorite Shack! From the custom Shack blend of freshly ground 100% ground beef with no added hormones or antibiotics that is used in all of their famous burgers, to the 100% all-natural,

hormone and antibiotic free chicken that makes the delectable Chick’n Shack, the quality of Shake Shack’s premium ingredients ensures that the brand always stands apart from its competitors.

We personally can’t get enough of the iconic ShackBurger, ShackSauce with our crinkle cut fries, and when we’re feeling extra indulgent, we always gravitate towards the Shack Stack, which includes Shack Shack’s famous beef patty topped with a crisp-fried cheese-stuffed portobello mushroom drizzled in ShackSauce, all placed in-between a soft potato bun. Even Hot Dog lovers have a home

10 SHACK FACTS AND MILESTONES 1 10

Shake Shack’s Click & Collect website launched in September 2020 and offers diners the ability to pre-order their Shack meal before arriving to dine-in, order takeaway or order car service.

Your favorite ShackBurger is always made from a custom Shack blend of freshly ground 100% Angus beef, with no added hormones or antibiotics ever.

2

There's always something for everyone at Shake Shack! 5 beef Burgers, 3 chicken burgers, 3 fries and 2 hot dog options!

3

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Kuwait’s 10th Shack opened in Murouj, phase 3 in November 2018.

Look out for MENAexclusive menu releases like Cherry Blossom infused Shake or limited-time BBQ burgers! From special burgers, chicken burgers, lemonades and Custards, Shake Shack is always shaking things up!

4

8

The vanilla and chocolate Frozen Custards at Shake Shack are denser, richer & creamier than regular ice cream. They are spun fresh daily at the Shack and made from all-natural sugar, never from corn syrup.

All of Shake Shack’s delicious classic milkshakes are handspun with Frozen Custard and whole milk. YUM!

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6 Not a fact, but a bazaar hack: you can order ShackSauce as an extra, which we love dipping our crinkle cut fries in.

Vegetarians are welcome at Shake Shack. Choose from two vegetarian options available, the grilled cheese sandwich and the yummy Shroom Burger!

5 The Chick’n Shack was the first chicken burger launched in 2016! Just like the ShackBurger, your favorite chicken burgers are always 100% all-natural and free of hormones or antibiotics.

at the Shack, as their flat-top griddled all-beef Hot Dog is unforgettable.

When we’re craving something sweet, we look no farther than to Shake Shack’s Frozen Custards which are even smoother than ice cream! They are spun fresh daily at any of your favorite Shack, and are always made from all-natural sugar, never from corn syrup. We have our very own love story with their famous milkshakes too that are prepared using the famous custards, and we are always delighted by the limited-time flavors like current Cherry Blossom Shake on offer. Prepared from vanilla frozen custard and blended with cherry blossom pureé, it’s also topped with whipped cream and pink chocolate curls for a fancy touch.

YUM!

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Shake Shack is always fun and inventive, bringing us limited-time menu releases with every season! The options continue to grow, from sandwiches like the Hot Chick’n to BBQ faves that are back for this summer season, and constant twists on their famous Lemonade that is always Shack-made using fresh lemons. From Cherry Blossom infusions to the original version, the Lemonade is our go-to for a summer refresher.

Keep an eye out for Shake Shake’s limited-time releases, as we are sure they will delight your palates with new favorites!

With plenty of delivery options through Talabat, Carriage, Deliveroo and Cravez, you can satisfy your Shack cravings, wherever you are! Growing even closer to their customers throughout these

10 years, Shake Shack has also introduced carpick up service, and a dedicated Click and Collect platform where you can pre-order your Shack meal before you arrive at your chosen Shack to dine in, or order your favorite ShackBurger for takeaway or better yet, you can make it an extra yummy cruise in your car with their car service, just order an extra cold Lemonade to beat this summer’s heat!

Visit your nearest Shack today to enjoy your Shack faves! You can also visit order.shakeshack.me for ordering ahead and picking up from the Shack or get your Shack fix at home with delivery through Talabat, Carriage, Deliveroo or Cravez. Keep up to date by following @shakeshackme on Facebook and Instagram.

bazaar music

AUGUST MUSIC Our music choices are all over the place. Music helps us stay sane and connected. It is background noise as we go through life and sometimes it is foreground to set the mood or shift it. This month, we are reaching into our deepest memories and enjoying Black Sabbath in anticipation of the new re-issue of the Savage Deluxe Set and also feeling tingly about the new Jackson Browne album and other new drops.

Artist: Tyler, The Creator Title: CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST Format: Album Release date: June 25, 2021

Artist: Kanye West Title: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Format: Album Release date: November 22, 2010

Artist: Frank Ocean Title: Blonde Format: Album Release date: August 20, 2016

Tyler, The Creator’s sixth studio album is a collection of songs based around Tyler’s alternative personality, Tyler Baudelaire. Tyler uses a mix of different beats bringing back his old controversial style of music in songs like MANIFESTO featuring Domo Genesis. While in other songs like SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE, featuring Brent Faiyaz and Fana hues, he uses his newer sounding style from albums like IGOR.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is considered a masterpiece and Kanye West’s best album by critics. The album was made on a secluded island on hawaii with kanye and fellow artists to make the perfect album. Kanye west and his crew’s daily routine was to wake up and work non stop to make the perfect album.

Frank Ocean’s second and latest studio album Blonde was released in the summer of 2016. When blonde was released it received critical acclaim and peaked at the number 1 spot of the billboard top 100 charts. The album was received extremely well and was used as a pillar for new music and helped new artists find their style.

Artist: J. Cole Title: 4 Your Eyez Only Format: Album Release date: December 9, 2016

Artist: Black Sabbath Title: Sabotage Format: Deluxe Album Set Release Date: 11 June, 2021

Artist: Jackson Browne Title: Downhill from everywhere Format: Album Release Date: 23 July, 2021

J. Cole’s 4 Your eyez only is an album that talks about the struggle of a young man, as he matures from selling drugs in the streets to starting a family and having a daughter. It takes the listeners through a story of how he grew up and on the final track he reveals that the man has died. The whole tracklist was made for his daughter and that’s why the album is called 4 Your Eyez Only.

The deluxe reissue of the British rock band’s sixth studio release includes a new remaster of the album, 16 live tracks (13 previously unreleased) from the 1975 North American Tour and the Japanese 7” single that contained “Am I Going Insane (Radio)” and “Hole In The Sky.”

Nearly five decades since his debut LP, the songs on Jackson Browne’s new album Downhill From Everywhere sustain the soulful intimacy of his first release, combined with a power and wisdom gained from a life pursuing positive change.

Source: Genius.com 98

Al Hamra Tower | 360 Mall @illy_kw

FROST GELATO This summer, we’re saying hello to the life-changing magic of gelato By bazaar staff

A sweet frozen treat makes everything better. It is the perfect ending to a scrumptious meal, a pick-me-up after a long work day or an energy booster while you are running errands. But not all frozen desserts are equal, and Gelato is in a league of its own. Italy has given us many fabulous things like fast cars, fantastic fashion and pizza, but their sweetest gift to humanity is gelato. And Frost Gelato has helped bring this sweet magic for us to enjoy in Kuwait.

Gelato is made with a base of fresh whole milk and sugar. It is generally lower in fat than other styles of frozen desserts like ice cream. Gelato typically contains less air and more flavoring than other kinds of frozen desserts, giving it a density and richness that distinguishes it from other ice creams. And that’s exactly why we head to Frost Gelato regularly, decadence and indulgence that comes from fresh ingredients.

Frost Gelato is an American Gelato brand that started when friends were looking for a refreshing drink of water while they were touring Rome on a hot summer day and ended up at a gelateria and instantly, they fell in love. Frost Gelato arrived in Kuwait, bringing with it the best Gelato in town.

And have since become a local hot-spot and fanfavorite.

You can get your creamy, sweet Gelato fix in over forty flavors, from classics like chocolate and vanilla to exciting local concoctions like Ashta and Saffron. Everything is made in-house including the pasteurization of the milk. There are also several lighter options for people who are watching their sugar intake. Others who are avoiding gluten whether for health or lifestyle reasons will be happy to learn that all the flavors are gluten-free.

If you are avoiding dairy, you can instead opt for a sorbet, which is often called “Italian Ice”, uses fruit juice or purees to make a frozen dessert. All of Frost Gelato’s fruit flavors are available as a sorbet, and they are just as creamy as the gelato.

You can enjoy your gelato in a freshly made cone or in a cup, or in the larger pint options that you can take home. We love visiting the store and picking out our combination of flavors, but Frost Gelato also delivers. You can order single cups or a larger Chalet Box that is perfect for groups and gatherings. The gelato and sorbet is packed in a special foam box and a pack of Nitrogen ice that keeps things cool until you are ready to enjoy.

We love a classic gelato but we also enjoy it in different ways too and Frost Gelato are always creating inventive and delectable treats Like the Frost Bar, Gelato on a popsicle stick dipped in dark chocolate that comes in vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, coconut and lotus flavors. It is always a 100

hit with the kids (and the young at heart). We’ve also been the stars of the show when we showed up to gatherings with the Frost Bites. They’re small balls of gelato covered in chocolate. No scooping necessary, just grab one and enjoy! If you are looking for a more traditional dessert to take to friends or family, a gelato cake is for you!

Choose from lotus, pistachio, Nutella or saffron.

If you are in the mood for something sweet but prefer something different, we suggest an Affogato or Gelatte. Because who doesn’t love spiking their caffeinated beverage with their favorite gelato flavor. The staff at Frost Gelato are helpful and knowledgeable, they can offer great advice on flavor pairings and options that you might not have thought of. Because milkshakes never go out of style, and are a preferred treat by little ones, Frost Gelato also offers yummy milkshakes which you can create from your favorite Gelato flavors! But our favorite treat at Frost Gelato that is perfect to beat this summer heat has to be Frost Gelato’s Sorbettini, where you get to mix your favorite sorbet flavors into one fizzy yet fruity icy drink to make for the ultimate summer refresher.

If you thought that was it, then you might be surprised and delighted to find out that there’s more. Waffles, mini puffs and mini pops are the perfect warm companion to delicious cold gelato!

The secret to Frost Gelato’s success and loyal fanbase is their high quality ingredients. By only sourcing the best and freshest ingredients, Frost Gelato offers consistently delicious gelato and sorbets that are unrivaled. Life is short, have a gelato.

Check out @frostkwt for some sweet eye candy and to learn more about the menu offerings and delicious Gelato flavors. Visit Frost Gelato at The Cube Mall - Salmiya or The Avenues. Order directly from frostgelato.me or via Talabat, Deliveroo or Bilbayt.

bazaar movie night August Movies

THE COMEBACK TRAIL

THE SUICIDE SQUAD

ROGUE HOSTAGE

OLD

SEOBOK

FREE GUY

Release Date: 5 August 2021

Release Date: 5 August 2021 Genre: Comedy, Crime Genre: Action, Adventure Cast: Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Cast: Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, John Cena De Niro Synopsis: The government decides to send the most dangerous supervillains in the world -Synopsis: Two movie producers who owe money Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn to the mob set up their aging movie star for an and others -- to a remote, enemy-infused island of insurance scam to try and save themselves. But they wind up getting more than they ever imagined. Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the

ground to make them behave.

Release Date: 12 August 2021 Genre: Drama, Thriller Cast: Vicky Krieps, Gael García Bernal Synopsis: A thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into a single day.

Release Date: 12 August 2021 Genre: Action, Thriller Cast: Park Bo-Gum, Gong Yoo Synopsis: The ex-intelligence agent, Min Ki-Hun, is a damaged fella with a brain tumor and only months to live. The young man is slow with superhuman powers. They’re chased by very violent groups — including unsavoury Americans — aiming to capture them.

Source: cinescape.com.kw 102

Release Date: 5 August 2021 Genre: Action, Thriller Cast: Tyrese Gibson, John Malkovich, Christopher Backus Synopsis: Single father and former Marine Kyle Snowden, on a routine stop for his job in Child Protective Services, finds himself and a group of innocent customers trapped inside his stepfather’s store.

Release Date: 12 August 2021 Genre: Action, Comedy Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Taika Waititi, Jodie Comer Synopsis: In “Free Guy,” a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story... one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way... before it is too late.

INDIAN STREET FOOD JOINT CELEBRATES 50 YEARS IN KUWAIT Celebrating Amman Bhelpuri’s Golden Jubilee

By Ahmad Rashad Arafa

Upon discovering that Amman Bhelpuri, an iconic, all-vegetarian Indian street food joint that’s also one of my favorite haunts, is celebrating its 50th year anniversary this year, I quickly jumped at the chance to write a piece on it. I wanted to commemorate this monumental moment and pay homage to a place cherished by so many.

To put things into perspective, the restaurant is only ten years older than Kuwait itself, which was officially established in 1961, thus making Amman Bhelpuri one of the oldest, long-standing Indian restaurants in the country.

I sat down with Mr. Hitesh Joshi, the secondgeneration owner of Amman Bhelpuri, to talk about the restaurant, its humble beginnings and its Golden Jubilee.

“My father, Mr. Pranshanker Joshi, came here to Kuwait in 1969. He was the cook for a Kuwaiti family that owned a large jewelry business. His dream however was to open up a restaurant. He wanted the restaurant to be next to an Indian school so that he can cater to them and the neighboring community.

He eventually chose to open next to the Indian Community School in Salmiya.

At first, the restaurant just served vegetarian samosas and then, as time went on, he started selling other street food items like Panipuri (a hugely popular Indian street food that’s also known as “Golgappa” in certain Indian states) and Bhelpuri, another popular Indian street food snack that’s the restaurant’s namesake.”

Knowing full well that the restaurant market can be cripplingly capricious with restaurants and cafés opening and closing in the blink of an eye, I asked Mr. Joshi how Amman Bhelpuri was able to remarkably sustain itself over the decades.

Apparently, it all boils down to Mr. Joshi's nofuss, no-muss approach to the restaurant that he strictly adheres to – “Fresh food that tastes good.

It’s a simple as that. We never compromise on our ingredients or our proportions even when inflation goes up. Our prices have remained the same over the last ten years.”

As someone who has been a loyal customer for ten years and change, I can definitely attest to that entire statement. Amman Bhelpuri’s food is consistently and irrefutably tasty, fresh and yes, in sharp contrast to other establishments, the prices haven’t budged.

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Mr. Pranshanker Joshi at the restaurant circa 1970s

Mr. Hitesh Joshi, the second-generation owner of Amman Bhelpuri And although the restaurant has its absolute bestsellers, the dishes that form the backbone of Amman Bhelpuri, which are “Papdi Chaat, Chana Puri, Falooda and Gulab Jamun,” I also wanted to ask Mr. Joshi about the origins of my own favorite, go-to dishes.

Whenever I find myself missing Bombay – which, sadly is always - I typically also start developing a hankering for Vada Pav, the city’s unofficial dish.

Simple in theory but explosive in flavor, the Vada Pav is essentially a lightly fried potato patty sandwiched

in a soft dinner roll, or pav. It’s the combination of that paired with the dish’s rich chutneys and raw onions that really make it sing. Luckily for me, Amman Bhelpuri’s Vada Pav is the closest iteration in Kuwait to the iconic street food I find in the legendary Vada Pav walas of Bombay.

“When I joined Amman Bhelpuri in 1994 after I finished my studies, I wanted to put my own spin on things so I expanded the staff and added some new items like Vada Pav and Falooda (an aromatic South Asian ice cream desert). I conducted a lot of

research and development with my customers before I introduced those items to the menu.

“My father did the same thing back in 1982 when he introduced Dosa and what was to become one of our bestsellers, Chana Puri (a very popular North Indian dish made up of puri and a flavorful chickpea stew)."

He used to always take in the suggestions and recommendations of our customers who come from all over India and South Asia. Hence, we started to develop a taste that was suitable for the Kuwaiti market. Our Dosa for example is from South India but our recipe is distinctly ours.”

I must admit that Amman Bhelpuri’s take on the Dosa, an incredibly delicious South Indian dish comprised of a savory crepe with a side of coconut chutney and vegetable stew, holds its own among the plethora of Dosas found in Kuwait. I honest to God can’t remember the number of times I’ve heard South Indians tell me in full confidence that Amman Bhelpuri serves one of the best Dosas in the country.

However, it’s not just Indians and other South Asians that are now frequenting the restaurant. Over the years, due to the ubiquity of social media and the recent surge in popularity of YouTube food channels, people’s taste in food across the world has become much more refined and adventurous.

“People are much more knowledgeable these days about food because of social media. That’s why, in the past five years you can say, we have started attracting more and more customers from other countries and backgrounds. I remember this one time not so long ago when an Arab customer asked for Papdi Chaat because he saw the dish on Snapchat or when another customer asked us for Dhokla (a Gujarati delicacy) because she saw the actress, Kareena Kapoor Khan, eating one in the Bollywood film, 3 Idiots.”

Still, the restaurant is able to retain its core clientele, who keep coming back to Amman Bhelpuri to get their Indian street food fix even when countless, similar establishments now permeate the country’s culinary landscape, “People who used to come here in the Seventies are now bringing their children and their children’s children!”

The beautiful image pulls at one’s heartstrings.

With all the crazy stuff happening around us every single day, it’s easy to find one’s self feeling over-stimulated and overwhelmed. So, to see a restaurant in the same spot, standing firmly its ground for decades on end, not withered by time or today’s fast-moving, ever-changing world brings one a sense of comfort and reassurance.

Mr. Joshi however refuses to rest on his laurels, “The creativity and drive is always there inside of me.

I’m always testing out new, exciting dishes to add to the menu and I’m thinking of opening another outlet.”

Ahmad Rashad Arafa is a Palestinian Bollywood writer who runs the platform, Bollywood Over Hollywood, visit bollywoodoverhollywood.com to read his latest.

For more information about Amman Bhelpuri, find them on Essa Al-Qatami Street, Salmiya.

Chana Puri

Dahi Puri

Falooda

Vada Pav 105

bazaar around town ABK LAUNCHES REWARDING SUMMER CAMPAIGN Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) cardholders now have a chance to win a stay in a Family Suite with breakfast for 4 adults at Hilton Garden Inn - The Avenues and enjoy KD 500 cashback with the Bank’s latest campaign, ‘Stay the Night and Shop All Day at The Avenues.’ All existing ABK credit and prepaid cardholders will be automatically entered into draws when spending a minimum of KD 500 locally or internationally.

The campaign will run for three months from 10th June to 9th September 2021 and allows 30 eligible customers to earn one draw point for every KD 10 spent locally and three draw points spent internationally. Winners will not be eligible to participate in consecutive monthly draws. Johair Marafi, ABK’s Acting General Manager – Retail Banking said, “This campaign reaffirms our commitment to enhancing our customers’ experience by providing exclusive personalized offerings, rewarding value propositions and shopping experiences with added-value. With the current travel restrictions, we felt it was appropriate to choose a relaxing environment, such as Hilton Garden Inn, where there is an opportunity for the winners to enjoy a weekend break while having one of the largest shopping malls in the region attached to the hotel, with ample entertainment available.”

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ALSHAYA GROUP CELEBRATES THE LAUNCH OF 100 ECOMMERCE SITES AND APPS ACROSS MENA As customers in the Middle East become increasingly digital-first, Alshaya Group this week celebrated the ‘go live’ of its 100th online trading site and app across the MENA region with the launch of new apps for American Eagle + Aerie in Egypt and Qatar. Alshaya customers can now find more and more of their favorite brands online in markets across the GCC, as well as in Egypt; brands including American Eagle, BBW, Boots, Foot Locker, H&M, Mothercare, Muji, Pottery Barn, West Elm and Victoria’s Secret. Further sites and apps are in the pipeline. Details of all live sites can be found in the Customer Zone on www.alshaya.com. Commenting on the pace of Alshaya’s digital transformation, Paul Morris, Chief Digital Officer, Alshaya Group said: “Customers, particularly the under-30 mobile-first generation, have embraced new ways to shop. We have worked hard to meet their needs by bringing their favorite brands to their fingertips through a rapidly growing number of sites and apps. It’s clear when we look at performance that we are delivering what customers want – some of our sites are already accounting for over 30% of total brand sales. Alshaya’s digital expansion responds to an overall shift to online shopping across the region, which has been turbo-charged in the last 12 months as customers looked for new ways to shop their favorite brands during Covid-19 lockdown. Data varies, but overall digital retail purchases in MENA have increased by over 35% compared to a year ago, with consumers in KSA, Egypt and the UAE leading the charge.

Learn more about Alshaya Group at www.alshaya.com. Follow @Alshaya on Facebook, @alshayagroup on Instagram and LinkedIn. AMERICAN EAGLE LAUNCHES ITS MOBILE APP IN THE MIDDLE EAST American Eagle and Aerie fans in the Middle East can now shop their favorite looks with greater ease with the launch of the all-new AE + Aerie MENA mobile app. After the hugely successful website rollout last year, the popular denim and lifestyle brand has further developed its digital offering for the convenience of customers across the region. Customers can purchase online exclusives which are not available in store, create Wishlists, receive instant notifications on promos, track orders and can buy online and pick up in store. The App also features the popular women’s brand Aerie, which has been a pioneer of the body positivity movement, standing for inclusivity, real representation, and no retouching. From its must-have gym leggings through to its wide selection of intimates, Aerie’s aim is to empower all women to love their REAL selves, with every single piece of the collection designed to make women feel good. Putting its customers first and providing convenience anytime, anywhere customers can now shop in store, on web and now on the new app.

Download AE + Aerie MENA on your Android or IOS device today, for an enhanced shopping experience.

106

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bazaar scopes

CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19 All work and no play Capricorn makes you a good provider but also unavailable or exhausted at home. With your ruler in good relationship to Jupiter, especially mid month, you can move to diffuse underlying tensions. If your home and family life has suffered from the necessity or compulsion of work, now is the time to remedy this. Family time should prevail. Restore your connections to your children, partner, family and friends. Family vacations, gatherings, reunions are all favored.

AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18

LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22

The last two weeks of the month are a fine time to re-evaluate this year from a higher perspective. Literally or figuratively, get ye’ to the mountaintop to reconnect to your greater dreams and vision. Practice your “spiritual sadhana,” which is “devotion with effort”. Reaffirm and restate any intention you made six months ago. Keep reinforcing this intention all month and watch the magic happen.

PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 19

The heart of the Lion is restored. Leo’s who have recently suffered ego or heart wounds are renewed and you are revived on the solar return of your birthday. A Solar return, especially for sun-ruled Leo, helps you restore a weakened heart and weariness from life’s troubles. Faithfulness and loyalty are rewarded. Surround yourself with who and what you love. Don’t push at life with your Leo will rather be receptive to being nourished by those who love you.

This month is one of the most revealing cycles of the year for Pisces.

The planetary combination acts like a spotlight, making it easier for you to discern between the materialistic, dense and technologically abstract world and the subtle world of intuition, dreams and symbols. You have greater ability to draw the meaning out of your dreams and to see your life from a more subtle, spiritual or symbolic perspective.

VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22

You may experience a hitch in your plans this month. Tensions exist between your desire to act and the necessity to take time to firm up the details. Information comes haltingly in bits and pieces. Expect more “prickly” interactions, as many are more critical or picky and seem to constantly change their minds. De-stress, not do-stress. Relax on your compulsion to be in control. Be more flexible, accepting and adaptable.

Virgo’s are hardest on themselves. You are probably forced to deal with many changes and little daily frustrations. You may be required to be in hyper motion and feel the nervous tension of so much activity. As a consequence you let the little things upset you and are inclined to pick and nag. Tension for Virgo’s translates into stomach upset or trouble with lower intestines when overstimulated so stay away from eating when emotional or in a hurry.

LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22 You may feel issues of self-worth or self-esteem rise up. You may be sensitive to criticism especially about your creative ideas, sense of style or beauty or lack of availability in personal relationships. Respond gently with the relationships that matter to you most. Be more loving and kind, especially to yourself. On the other hand, end difficult relationships now with a sense of relief, as endings can be clean and permanent.

SCORPIO OCT 23 – NOV 22

ARIES MAR 20 – APR 19

TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20 Love and relationships may have you confused this month. With Venus as your ruling planet this is an extremely “karmic” month for relationships.

Existing difficulties come to a head. Doors may close or new ones open.

If a new love surfaces now it is likely to move quickly into a more serious commitment. Be aware of your most important relationships. Tread gently—if you close the door now it will be difficult to open again. Watch for ill-considered actions or a cold heart that creates permanent walls.

GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21

If you are in a committed partnership (personal or professional) this month may be filled with important conversation and discussion. Use this month to clear the air. What have you been thinking and not saying? If you have not talked deeply lately, take the time to do so. Try this technique, light a candle between the two of you and each takes five minutes to speak what’s on your mind.

Slow down, you move too fast . You are likely to feel flooded with too much input, choice, activity or change. You are more prone to nervous tension due to an overstimulated mind or mouth. Slow your mind and body down. Try to find more peace of mind. Postpone major decisions or important conversations for next month. Breathe more deeply—inhale then exhale each to the count of seven to steady your mind and help you synthesize disjointed thought.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 21

CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22

This is one of your most powerful times of the year and is a crucial turning point for your tactics. Huge potent action brews as Jupiter, your ruler, is in auspicious aspect to Saturn especially mid month. This is much like the opening salvo of battle, a potent auspicious moment, when the Gods are on your side. Genuine co-creative magic can occur. Don’t underestimate this month. Use it to your advantage. Act courageously, consciously and decisively.

Slow down, you move too fast . You are likely to feel flooded with too much input, choice, activity or change. You are more prone to nervous tension due to an overstimulated mind or mouth. Slow your mind and body down. Try to find more peace of mind. Postpone major decisions or important conversations for next month. Breathe more deeply—inhale then exhale each to the count of seven to steady your mind and help you synthesize disjointed thought.

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Source: wisehoroscope.org

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