May 2018 | Issue # 226 www.bazaar.town
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The Avenues - Marina Mall - Muthanna Mall Mohallab Mall - Promenade Mall Eccoshoes
Eccoarabia Tel: 1820012
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Int I’m sure you all know how the saying goes: the more things change, the more they stay the same - right? Well, I beg to differ. So much is going on here in K-town! Major projects have recently been completed, or are about to open to the public: hotels, restaurants, malls, museums, race tracks, opera houses, residential projects, highways, bridges, hospitals and so much more all in the span of the last year or so, that one can barely keep track of it all. Who would have believed that you could buy tickets to Joss Stone, online, right here in Kuwait? And let’s not forget that Sting, Russ and Tyga all performed here recently, as did Ragheb Alama. And when it comes to sports, you’ve got everything from rowing clubs, to sky diving, to flying buggies, to desert expeditions, to trampoline parks, so there’s literally something for everyone! It’s a brave new world, and we’re soaking up every minute of it!
The bazaar team...
But, just because Kuwait isn’t a place where we can complain about not having anything to do anymore, that doesn’t mean it’s changed overnight. With Ramadan quickly approaching, however, one of the many things to love about this country is how the pace changes. It’s all about family, friends and good food spent under the warm summer night sky.
Jennifer Cádiz
Don’t get us wrong, however – the month of Ramadan doesn’t constitute sitting around and doing nothing. While we want you to relax, we also encourage you to be mindful of how you treat your body. This is why, not out of coincidence, both of our profile features revolve around movement. From Zaina Alghabra choreographing her way into our hearts with Zumba in Truth or Dare, to May Motawi teaching us the graceful ways of family values in Up Close and Personal, we see firsthand how exercise has the ability to form strong bonds, communities and change peoples’ lives. Also, it’s the perfect way to keep fit this summer as energy dwindles with the hot weather. Couple that with some of our tips on making an effort towards a more plant-based lifestyle as highlighted in bazaar Tries and our feature on the Kuwait Vegan Society, and you’ll be feeling as good as new. We also have some fun lined up for you with new places to eat and play! Have you visited the New Kout Mall or Phase 4 - The Avenues yet? Blaze Pizza, to us, is the newfound glory of all that is quick, casual and quality dining. We couldn’t believe it ourselves at first, but pizza in seconds truly is the only way to eat it. (And of course, leaves more time for seconds, if you know what we mean!) Have suhour goals been set? We think so. And because shopping is everyone’s favorite pastime, ours included, this issue is filled to the brim with fashionable choices for men, women and children alike. Between Debenhams Grand Avenue’s premium personal shopping service, and the gorgeous spreads we have for SS18 collections from MANGO and River Island, American Eagle and Cole Haan, we’ll be dressed to the nines this Ramadan and Eid season. Don’t forget, TONI&GUY is serving up some awesome offers this month in time for their 8th anniversary in Kuwait, so match your favorite outfits with the perfect hairstyle to effortlessly take you from Iftar to Ghabqa, this Ramadan season. So get out there Kuwait, and try some new things. But, don’t forget to relax this month – find a balance. After all, you’ve earned it.
Boss Ahmed El-Adly
Operations Tim Burns
Business Development Ihab Mokalled
Content Coordinator Yasmine El Charif
Mixed Media Solutions Design Ahmed Al-Ashab
Staff Writer/Online Media Amira Haroun Yasmine Dalloul Yasmin Gamal
Online Producer/Project Manager Umika Pidaparthy
Communications Hala Y. Sharara
Editor Alia Al Duaij
Contributing Writers Ayman Nassar Barry Rodrigues George Tarabay Natasha E. Feghali Nejoud Al-Yagout Dr. Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg
Contributing Photographers Caroline Ericson Muneera Al-Khulaifi
Syndicates & Sources Baraka Bits Fast Company Kingdome.co LA Times MCT International Newsweek
Printing British Industries for Printing and Packaging
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w w w. b p aw w. c o m 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).
Mbarak 3aleikom ilshahar! tel.2571 6122 info@bazaar-magazine.com www.bazaar.town | Zahra Complex, Salmiya. 8th floor, office 35 @bazaargram bazaarmagazine @bazaartweets
Ahmed El-Adly
18
No one likes to be dumped;
recycle me, please.
Jeep
INDEX MAY 2018 34
30
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BLAZE FAST-FIRE'D PIZZA
MANGO
In a fitness rut? What about dancing your blues away? At least, that’s how renowned Zumba instructor Zaina “Zumba” Alghabra discovered her passion and profession! Get to know the well-known fitness maven, and get the scoop behind how she shortly became one of Kuwait’s favorite Zumba instructors.
Pizza in 5..4..3..2..1? Sounds good to us! With a selection of fast-made fresh pizzas steaming hot and placed before us in record time, we can’t imagine a better way to enjoy one of our favorite foods! Read up on our review of The Avenues’ hottest new spot, Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza. Perfect for lunch in a pinch!
This Ramadan is going to be a stylish one with MANGO’s great SS18 collection! Take a sneak peek at the beautiful styles curated to accommodate you all summer long; pre and post Ramadan. With beautiful shades and hues reminiscent of the summertime sky’s horizon, MANGO 2018 will make you want to be one with the moonlight.
TALABAT
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INTERNATIONAL OPTIQUE
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AMERICAN EAGLE
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TONI&GUY CELEBRATES
With Ramadan fast approaching, we're sure that your mind is abuzz with excitement and stress, so much so that little details could be forgotten. Luckily, Talabat give us the pro-tips on some life hacks that are sure to make your Ramadan run a little more smoothly. Read about it in this issue.
2018 marks the 40th anniversary of this renowned optician and eyewear boutique’s inception in Kuwait. Since 1978, the International Optique family has been serving our eyes with wellness from inside and out. Meet the amazing team and founding family in this issue!
Casual, bohemian vibes are on the forecast for Summer 2018! American Eagle Outfitters has some delicious styles lined up for you to transform from iftar to funky within minutes this Ramadan. If the beautiful, festivalinspired floral motifs aren’t enough to get you excited, we don’t know what is!
After 8 years of success in Kuwait between two salons, TONI&GUY has captured our hair and our hearts as much as this beauty empire has felt encapsulated by the charm of the country. Read all about the beautique team’s accomplishments in this month’s issue.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL Kuwait School of Dance is a legacy that’s touched many lives and homes since its inception over forty years ago, so who better to grace our pages than original head girl, May Motawi? From rugrat on the barre at 9, to headmistress of KSD, May has seen it all, and we’re here to tell her story.
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TRUTH OR DARE
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P. 34 UP CLOSE & PERSONAL 20
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what's on May 2018
THE LIVARY SESSIONS Date: May 5th Location: The Hub, Kuwait City Hosted monthly, THE LIVERARY Sessions will be sharing a session by a new musical act from any genre with the public. The launch will feature Ashley Young (Vocals) and Harriet Bushman (Piano). Capacity is limited at this seated event and there will be no tickets or passes at the door, so make sure to have your barcode saved. Show starts: 7:30 – 9:00 pm, for ages 16+. For more information and tickets, visit www.eventat.com.
WINGS FOR LIFE WORLD RUN Date: May 6th Location: Boulevard Salmiya On May 6, 2018, tens of thousands across the globe will run, roll, and walk in the Wings for Life World Run with one goal: to raise funds for Wings for Life, a foundation that supports the most promising spinal cord research projects from around the world, all asking different questions to find a cure. Sign up and join the journey, but be sure to be there on time; the run starts at 2 pm. Sign up by downloading the app, or visiting www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.
FOOD DRIVE CHARITY LUNCH Date: May 12th Location: Fintas, Block 2, Street 16, House 39 A Run by Maria Teresa Ortega, this monthly food drive delivers staples like rice, lentils and tea to workers with a salary of around 70KD a month. You can help raise money for this worthy cause by buying a ticket for a place at the luncheon on the 4th, or volunteer your time to help pack the charity food boxes on the 10th and/or actually deliver the packages on the 12th of May. Every little helps! For more information email foodcareq8@gmail.com.
THE WOMEN FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT Date: May 9th (registration deadline), May 19th (orientation) Location: Al-Ardiyah The 2018 Women Football Tournament will be hosted at Jaber AlAhmad Fields in Ardhiya from May 20th to June 4th, 2018. This is the third edition of the tournament, which is open to any team or individual who would like to register. Individual registrations will be placed on a team of individuals put together by the organizers. Each team will consist of 12 players: 7 on the field, and five substitutes. Teams will play every other day, with each game lasting 40 minutes total, with 20-minute halves. For more information and registration, visit https://form.jotform.me/80516868836470.
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Jumeirah 2
what's trending May 2018
What: @fitfoodiekw Info: Clean food, easy wholesome recipes, and fitness tips/ideas. Editor’s note: A lifesaver for Ramadan.
What: @thouqi Info: Embracing the style of the modern Arab woman! Editor’s Note: We love these gorgeous looks.
What: @bastakw Info: A local sustainable non-profit based in Kuwait. Editor’s note: Donate, sell and buy for a better Kuwait.
What: @iklikl_kw Info: Your new go-to platform for sourcing local goods. Editor’s note: Kindly send a bouquet of sunflowers my way! Kthnx.
www.bazaar.town
What: @ecruonline Info: Beautiful, one-of-a-kind accessories and houseware. Editor’s note: Keep an eye out for their pop-up!
What: @beesideas Info: The house of Bibi Salem’s annual Ramadan coloring and activity book! Editor’s note: Find out where to buy it in her bio.
What: @thehanger.kw Info: Stunning kaftans, accessories and more, all locally sourced. Editor’s note: Turn heads at the first Ghabqa of the year!
What: @january.eleven Info: Your go-to spot for kids’ kaftans. Editor’s note: Prepare yourselves for an adorable Ramadan.
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RUN FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T
Wings For Life World Run Comes to Boulevard Mall to Battle Spinal Injury By bazaar staff
At 2 pm Kuwait time on May 6, tens of thousands of participants across the world will run, roll, and walk to raise funds for Wings for Life. The foundation supports the most promising spinal cord injury research projects in the world, each asking different questions to find a cure. You still have time to join the Wings for Life World Run yourself by downloading the app or visiting www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com. The concept is simple, you get 30 minutes of a running head start and then the “Catcher Car” chases you. Once it catches you, that’s your run finished, but can you dig deeper and push yourself just that little bit further once you feel the car bearing down on you? The Catcher Car can be virtual too, so if you have downloaded the app you would be running from a virtual car. This way, you can run anywhere, and even by yourself, if you can’t join the organized track or road races on location. You can even do this on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym! bazaar has chosen to run on the Boulevard track, we may regret this. It has been five years since the Wings for Life World Run charity event started the world running as one. Every year, it has grown bigger and better with hundreds of thousands of smiling runners and wheelchair participants beginning to run with a synchronized global start. Over the years, the event has blossomed into a worldwide movement with die-hard fans running year after year. It has developed as a race and as a community. As a charity event, millions has been raised for the Wings for Life Foundation to fund research into a cure for spinal cord injury. This is what it is all about – running for those who can’t; running for people with spinal cord injury, whose lives changed in a heartbeat from a slip, trip or everyday accident. Day and night, spring and autumn, on May 6, 2018, Wings for Life World Run participants will once again walk, run and roll to stay ahead of the Catcher Cars for as long as they can. They dive into the fun of the race, enjoying the sense of togetherness and the rush of excitement as either the real Catcher Car in the events or a virtual Catcher Car in the App approaches from behind, pushing each person to keep going and feel the pride of finishing. As always, the 2018 Wings for Life World Run promises a wonderful atmosphere. The Catcher Cars – some driven by celebrities – will chase participants in the event locations until they pass them and end their race. The 2018 edition also sees the growth of the Organized App Runs, so people can run their own track alone, create or join a local community to share in the joy and spirit of the day, or explore the world 28
and be a part of an Organized App Run somewhere they have always wanted to visit. This is a race for everyone – no experience required, but having fun is a must. The Wings for Life World Run encourages everyone of all abilities to join the race – from absolute beginners to international athletes. The real and the virtual Catcher Car makes everyone’s
race personal, meaning that everyone finishes and everyone is part of a global running movement that focuses on the power of good, with 100% of registration fees and donations going directly to spinal cord injury research. Sign up for the Kuwait organized app run by downloading the app or visiting www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.
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truth or dare
ZUMBA BY ZAINA
Dancing towards confidence, one class at a time By bazaar staff
“Did you not see how all the Zumba instructors are posting funny Zumbawear videos?” Zaina Alghabra says between sips of her turmeric latte, bonding with fellow Zumba instructor and friend Tamara. We were in Zaina’s Zumba class at the Palms only moments ago. The energy was high and alive with positivity, movement, unity and community. Sporting traditional “zumbawear” in the form of tanks with neon “Zumba” emblems splashed across, the ladies exude a sense of fun and happiness. If this is what Zumba does for a person, sign me up. Though she discovered Zumba completely by accident about four years prior to her becoming certified, it was a discovery that would soon after change her life. “I was never into working out. When I was studying abroad in Oklahoma, I was a Kuwait girl – I loved to eat and loved being lazy like anyone else,” she laughs. “One day, I went to the gym with a friend of mine and was mesmerized by the sound of Sean Paul playing loudly in a nearby studio and saw people dancing, and thought ‘let’s go there!’” It took Zaina nearly four years to make her way from student to certified instructor while living in the States, subbing classes taught by her instructors at first, and then eventually landing a full-time instructing gig at Gold’s Gym in Edmond and Northwest OKC. It was this experience that gave her lessons as to why she was doing what she was doing. “In my class, there was this man who was truly dancing to his own rhythm and beat in a way that didn’t really go along with the rest of the class, but nonetheless, he was trying really hard. After class, and after telling him he did a great job without receiving any response, he took out his phone and wrote ‘it was an amazing class – thank you so much.’ He was deaf, and didn’t let it stop him from enjoying himself and making the most out of his workout despite not being able to hear the music. THIS is why I do this.” This ethos is what Zaina, as an instructor, carried on with her in each class she’s ever taught to this day. A belief that Zumba is for everyone, and that everybody can practice, and enjoy themselves. “There are no restrictions, and after a few times, people always end up catching up and getting the hang of it.” Furthermore, it solidifies that Zumba is about empowerment, and in a country where Zumba as a workout attracts more women than it does men, there’s room for Zaina to spread female centric confidence and strength to the ladies who attend her classes. “I especially love that younger ladies, like teenagers and adolescents are among the regulars in my classes,” she confidently states. “It boosts their 30
confidence from an early age, and instills a bond with other women that uplifts rather than brings down.” Zumba classes are fun and hard work, but the beautiful thing about them is the sense of community they create. Women of different ages, sizes and abilities becoming regulars who frequent her classes three times a week, go on to become instructors, form friendships and comradery, and who discover their love of dance – all the while the effervescent little Zaina guides them with pep, encouragement and pizzazz.
TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE
How would your mother describe you in one word? Determined. How would you describe your mother in one word? Superwoman. What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked? Being asked if I rode a camel to school. What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented? 3asal (honey). Where would you like to live? What is your dream retirement location? LA or Spain. As long as it’s active and has a beach nearby. Retirement has to be on an island! Costa Rica, maybe? What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind? “Don’t worry, be happy.”
What animal best describes the kind of partner you’d be interested in? Values of an elephant and the cuteness of a dog! What do you miss about your childhood? Summer camps in the US. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Tala. How would you describe your handshake in one word? Regular. What is the toughest part of your character? I think my friendliness, because it can often be misunderstood Who is your favorite historical figure? Mahatma Ghandi. What in the world do you least desire? Judgement. What do you think is lacking in the world, which if there was more of would make the world a better place? It sounds cliché but love, tolerance, honesty and acceptance. Why do you think most girls/guys like you? We should ask them! Finish this sentence: “Happiness is a thing called…” Freedom.
Zaina Alghabra teaches Zumba and Strong by Zumba regularly at The Palms Beach Hotel and Spa. Follow her on Instagram @zainazumba for more information.
lazy boy
WHAT TO DO DURING RAMADAN?
While away those long hours of the day with these great tips By Natasha E. Feghali
Although it may seem like a time where life stands still for a moment; there are plenty of things to do during the Holy Month of Ramadan to keep you busy and creatively stimulated. With more hours during the day, Ramadan can be an excellent time to catch up on all your “tasks” and/or any pending duties that you may have around the home or in your personal life that needs a little tweaking. Sometimes, we procrastinate as humans and leave everything to the last minute. Yet we know that some areas of our life are totally cluttered and need that tune up and then we may also have areas of our life that we want to personally develop. These areas may include our personal development, a new hobby, a research project a new exercise routine that is gentle and relaxing such as yoga, Tai Chi or maybe even a craft. Either way, Ramadan offers people a time to reflect, rest and develop one’s self. 32
This time of year is always good for new beginnings for changes in ourselves and our personal lives. Some people choose to change completely and develop a new life by changing up their routines. With time, we can develop new habits and skills that take affect after 28 days, or so they say. Therefore, why not this time of year to make that change since it only takes 28 days to make a change. Perhaps a change may make you feel uneasy yet change always make us a bit uneasy! It is needed. Things do happen for a reason and yet we resist. During Ramadan, however, we have that extra time to make those changes and survive the unease that such change may bring. Having a hobby is a new way to relieve any pending stresses, presents itself as a creative outlet for you and can be an excellent way to meet new people. A hobby can be a great way to invest in something new that is not hard to digest and can be done at quite a low cost. Perhaps coloring, yoga, light walks in the early morning, knitting? Either or, it can be a great stress reliever. A new hobby can bring so much joy to your life and if you are unhappy with it, the solution is easy! Just dump it and move on to something new.
Exercise is also a great lifestyle to take up and maintain. Ramadan provides an excellent time for you to develop a healthy a lifestyle (albeit avoiding the amazing dishes and meals… hmm) In fact, there are lots of ways lifestyle hobbies can be good for you. But if you don’t have a regular exercise routine or leisure activity that you enjoy, we know that it can be difficult to find one that you enjoy… So try them all! Research and a read new book. This could be worth a try and even bring about some new knowledge for your intellectual property. It will be a great way to enrich those amazing conversations that you will have during Ramadan iftars and gatherings. Not only are you enriching your mind, you will also have something new and exciting to say as opposed to the same old conversation starters that revolve around the weather. At the end of the day, think about all the things that you enjoy doing and expand on them. If you’re up for new things then it can be a great time to try them during Ramadan. It doesn’t hurt to expand our horizons and allow ourselves some time to explore new paths and questions or compliment the old ones.
4 seasons
up close & personal
THE TURNING POINT
LEGACY AND COMMUNITY IN KUWAIT SCHOOL OF DANCE By bazaar Staff
I sit alongside May Motawi as she perches herself on the low-ledged windowsill of a studio cradled within the maze-like inner workings of the National Theater at Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center. She firmly calls out feedback to the dancers before her, who are rehearsing their opening sequence for their (at the time) upcoming show, Rise Up and Make a Difference. “I want to see you in time with the count, Leya!” she directs with poise, pride and a sense of experience. This position of power has been earned. 34
Flashback to 1974, in Kuwait’s original Hilton Hotel, where the magic all began. Miss Andi Thomas, who would later be widely known by her marital name, Mrs. Hicks, directed the art of modern ballet to a small group of girls of different ages and ethnicities, eventually forming Kuwait’s first known dance school. At the tender age of nine, May was one of her first students. “I was her first student!” May says fondly, as we sneak off midrehearsal to have a private heart-to-heart about the whirlwind environment she has immersed herself into for the last forty five years. “I was one of her first Head Girls. I was in her first production of Cats in the '80s, and I continued dancing and working with her throughout it all. In between graduating high school, obtaining a university and Master’s degree, starting my career as an English teacher, and even getting married and having babies.” This may seem like a huge accomplishment to the outside eye, but anybody who knows about the sense of community the Kuwait School of Dance instills into you once you’ve been a part of it, wouldn’t be surprised by the sentiment. Because, since its founding in the 1970s, the nomadic institution has bred generation upon generation of ladies who would follow in May’s piqué footsteps. Before the tribes of dancers who have pirouetted on KSD’s many stages, May paved the way towards a rite of passage that gave her the position as one of Mrs. Hicks’ dearest friends and most treasured alumni. In fact, her input and experience to the company dates back to when dancers accompanied Mrs. Hicks on international trips to further their education and experience. In my past as a KSD dancer, I always thought this was a hyperbole, a KSD legend that I had oft misheard from retold tales, but May was able to confirm. “She took us everywhere,” May muses thoughtfully. “We accompanied her to the Minsk Ballet in Russia, the Ballet Rambert and Pineapple Dance Studios in London, and were exposed to so many different courses and classes over there.” It goes without saying that such trips became few, and far between as the years had passed, but a lot had changed over the years in that respect. The days of May’s dance took up way more time and discipline. “We weren’t as busy as kids are today in terms of practice and dedication. Back then, we had three-hour classes – not just rehearsals. We held classes during Ramadan, even if we were fasting. Today, kids have way more activities and interests and it feels like they’re doing a thousand and one things at once.” Change isn’t always a bad thing, however. In fact, KSD under May’s direction has only highlighted the positive messages the school’s legacy has been enforcing over the past 40 years. For one, she has further minimized the focus of classical ballet in the school’s curriculum, giving it a more inclusive and empowering feel to students. “Of course, classical ballet is important as a foundation, but pointe work, going in and out of the studio, gluing yourself to the barre, being obsessed with your body and weight – it’s all so bloody boring! It’s not what we’re about.” Since
May and daughter Jailan her full-time takeover in 2015 after Mrs. Hicks’ departure back to the U.K., each performance done by May has been completely contemporary. 2016’s Arabian Nights, loosely based off of the famous Aladdin, had “a jazzy feel to it, really,” and of course, 2017’s Rise Up was completely contemporary. This ushered in their latest production, having recently taken place at the grand stage of JACC’s National Theater, as a derivative of the previous year’s performance [of the same name]. “We expanded Rise Up to give a message. Everything that happened in the world last year is still happening this year, and will still be happening next year. I think the message is strong, and I believe in it.” That’s not to say that the performance is completely identical to the one that preceded it. In fact, KSD has been known to repeat its productions over the year, but does so with new interpretations, updated choreography and detailing that makes it another unforgettable show. “It all depends on the company you have,” May says in response to my wonderment of why the school, for example, performed in Cats at least 5 times since its initial showing in the 80s. “The production we give at the
end of the year is reflective on the dancers we’ve had, and the ideas we’ve had. But because we’re all about self-expression, each girl who comes into our studio offers something different while she expresses herself. No two dancers are ever the same, and with an ever-changing company, no two performances have ever been the same.” One thing that can be agreed on, however, is the legacy the Kuwait School of Dance has held in Kuwait, and the impact its founding mother has had on most people who have met her, danced for her, or worked with her, May included. “Andi Hicks,” she says with a warm smile, “has this thing about her that just makes you want to please her. Growing up, I never cared about the audience who would come watch us dance. I just wanted to please her. Everything I did on stage was always for her, and I’d look out to see the light shining on her face as she watched me. I was always terrified she’d wake up one morning and think I wasn’t as good as she thought I was, or as she used to say I was.” May’s fear never came true. Instead, she lived to become an important member of the KSD family, and even inspired her teenage daughter Jailan, KSD’s current Head Girl, to follow in her [Continued...] [Continued...]
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footsteps since the age of 4. “She’s even better than I was!” she says enthusiastically, “and I would like to think that she’ll continue to carry on the school’s legacy like I did.” But is Mrs. Hicks, KSD’s backbone, still involved in this legacy? “Oh, I know she’s watching over us,” she says wryly with a tired smile. “And I’m sure she has comments, and yes, she sees everything we do.”
What is it that you most dislike? People who chew or eat with their mouth open.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
If you could have any job, what would it be? I have it already- the dance school and being a mother.
What do you most value in your friends? Honesty and compassion.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? It does not exist, but contentment comes close.
Which talent would you most like to have? Singing.
What would you consider your greatest achievement? Haven’t reached it yet and hope I never do because that is when you stop trying and creativity dies.
What is your greatest fear? Not being able to give.
What is your most treasured possession? What do we truly possess? Everything is transient- savor what you have for what is here today may not be here tomorrow.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Self-doubt and availability.
What is your most marked characteristic? Passion, and speaking without a filter.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Dishonesty, cruelty and apathy.
Where would you most like to live? By the beach.
Which living person do you most admire? The person who lives to give, works from the heart and does everything with passion.
What are your favorite words to live by? Treat others how you like to be treated yourself.
What is your greatest extravagance? My productions.
The Kuwait School of Dance welcomes new students every September. Follow them on Instagram @kuwait_school_of_dance and on Facebook as Kuwait School of Dance. Studio photos taken by Muneera Alkhulaifi @i9ora on Instagram. Performance photos courtesy of Kuwait School of Dance.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Hamdilla. 36
[...Continued]
chilli beans
A GREENER WORLD
Dr. Melanie Joy, Tobias Leenaert and the Kuwait Vegan Society By bazaar staff
Have you ever wondered why more people around the world are turning towards a plant-based lifestyle? From the products they use, to the clothes they wear and most importantly, the food they eat, veganism has been erupting as a global trend to the masses. Could it be that amidst all the fault and suffering we’ve imposed onto the environment, we’re finally getting the picture? Last month, The Kuwait Vegan Society (KVS) did its part in spreading the word about the vegan movement by hosting a two-day workshop with renowned speakers Dr. Melanie Joy and Tobias Leenaert at the Australian College of Kuwait. KVS, a non-profit organization (currently under establishment) has a vision to create a world in which people are healthy; a world where exploiting animals is a thing of the past and where the environment is clean and protected, and finding like-mindedness was key. Who better to invite to step up alongside KVS representative, wellness advocate Dr. Abir Alsharhan than the two valued guests? “They’re both brilliant people,” Dr. Abir swooned with contentedness that comes from what one may assume are the benefits of a healthy, plant-based lifestyle. “They’re practically celebrities in the vegan world!” In a world that centers around good ethics and wholesomeness, notoriety in the vegan stratosphere comes from a place of morality and noble behavior. Both Dr. Melanie and Tobias are published authors, helping make the world a greener place through psychology, theory and the power of message. Dr. Melanie Joy, public speaker, psychologist and animal rights activist is known for coining the term “Carnism”, which she describes as the opposite of veganism. “It’s the invisible ideology of why people still choose to eat meat, despite knowing all what they know about animal suffering.” Spending years of researching psychological inclinations towards meat in average joes and janes during her doctorate program, Dr. Melanie would interview people, asking them about their experiences behind eating, butchering and killing animals. “I found that they had the same attitudes and same feelings around it which were inconsistent. They cared about animals, were uncomfortable with the idea that animals had to suffer or die, and when the suffering is completely unnecessary, and yet, they continued to do it.” Further illustrated in her book, Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism, Dr. Melanie concurred that people used these psychological mechanisms to really distance themselves mentally and emotionally from the truth or reality of what they were experiencing. 38
Tobias Leenaert and Dr. Melanie Joy. The Vegan Strategist blogger Tobias made his global mark with a similar message. Living with two dogs and six cats, it’s no question that the cofounder and formal director of the Belgian organization EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative) is an animal lover, and a big part of his message conveys that a love of animals and the environment should be enough to sway people towards veganism. “But I know firsthand that it’s difficult for people to make the full transition into a plant-based lifestyle. It takes a lot of time. It took me ten years to stop eating meat after my “aha!” moment, and even then, I was still having pasta with meat sauce!” The food struggle, led him to vegan teaching via a pragmatic approach, highlighted in his book How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach. “I think that the most pragmatic approach to encouraging people towards a life of veganism is through food. Vegans have more options now than they have before, and the food can still be exciting – it isn’t the way it used to be.” The two-day workshop welcomed the public in for holistic thought, theory and conversation. Dr. Melanie and Tobias started dialogues curated to consider how an abundance of the world’s issues could be solved with veganism, or at least a vegan alliance. “That means that people don’t have to go cold tofu and switch to veganism automatically, but awareness and small changes here and there can surely make a difference,” Dr. Melanie pointed
out. Some topics that attendees were engrossed in included Sustainable Activism, Effective Vegan Outreach, Making a Difference for Animals and Making Compassion Easier. With at least 95 people registering for the workshop weekend, Kuwait’s efforts towards a healthier lifestyle are more prevalent than ever. “I think that awareness about veganism isn’t only positive for the environment, but for health as well,” Dr. Abir says, following KVS's mission to provide resources and support the community in adopting a plant-based life style. “It’s the best way to get the country back on a healthier track.”
For future events, educational workshops and updates, follow Kuwait Vegan Society on Instagram @kuwait_vegan_society. For inquiries, email them at info@kuwaitvegansociety.org.
iconic
STOP BULLYING MARKETERS And let the experts do their thing! By Barry Rodrigues
In most cases, marketers will tell you that they almost always have a hard time proving to their CFOs that their digital marketing efforts are paying off. Getting sales is one surefire way of showing this and is not that difficult; what's difficult is pushing online users to an online store. Challenges occur with pushing online users to brick and mortar stores. Or if you’re creating brand awareness using digital channels and your bosses want to see hardcore results in the real world. Some of you might argue that you can have systems integrated with your Point Of Sale system to tell you how many sales you are generating through an online campaign. While this may be true, there will always be a large part of your user base that might have seen the marketing message and appreciated it, or made a note of it but have not made a purchase during that particular campaign. Does this mean the campaign is a failure? Of course not! But more often than not, it is the marketing team that seems to take the flack for too few sales. For one thing, there is no surefire way of measuring the recall of a campaign but rest assured, if the message is memorable, there will be top of mind retention with your potential customers. For another, if you want your marketing to work, there needs to be a holistic approach towards every marketing touchpoint that enables a consistent, concise and memorable customer journey that sooner or later evokes a sale. I have been in the midst of this scenario myself on multiple occasions, and I have to admit, it isn’t very flattering. My message to all you CEOs and CFOs out there is, If you’ve confident that you’ve hired the right people to handle your marketing, the best thing to do is get out of their way and let them do their job. Too many times, I have seen the efforts of talented marketers either go to waste or go unnoticed because the C-Suite has different plans for the company, and wants to justify the marketing department’s existence in the company based on sales. Or in most cases, the multiple marketing touch-points I mentioned above are either not in place, or weak, resulting in a lackluster and unsuccessful campaign. Metaphorically, it is akin to throwing gasoline on to an unlit flame. No matter how much gasoline you throw, it won’t make a difference. The trick is to infuse some spark into the proverbial fire so that whatever the
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desired action is, be it likes, impression, calls, downloads, calls, leads etc. can be achieved. So what can we do to ensure that everything is in place before the start of the campaign? COMMUNICATE INTERNALLY Disseminate information to all internal stakeholders regarding a campaign before it is launched. This should include your sales teams, public relations teams, C-suite, operations teams, legal teams, contact center and everyone else in the spectrum. Sending out emails with detailed information of the campaign, some samples of the content (either static artworks, copies of the video commercials etc.) can help people visualize the campaign and give them an idea of what to expect. Sending out campaign procedures (in case it is a coupon redemption scheme or exchange scheme) also helps in standardizing the approach in handling customers. As simple as this may sound, you would be surprised to know how few companies actually carry this out. This exercise ensures that every individual and every team is on the same page and knows about the campaign and the mechanics involved. TEST Make sure you test everything, before going live. If you’re expecting calls, make sure you
give your Contact Center a script to ensure consistency in all communications. If it is an email lead generation campaign on a landing page, make sure the clicks get forwarded to the right landing page and that the data is being cached in the format that you desire. If it is an SMS campaign, ensure that your links are unbroken and that they actually work. The key is to figure out all the gaps in the campaign before it goes live so that you can catch the inconsistencies and get them fixed beforehand. EVALUATE After your campaign, make sure you evaluate the success (or failure) to help figure out where you can do better. This not only helps you understand what not to do again but on a more positive note, helps you understand what is working for you so that you can focus on that aspect of the campaign in future. In closing, no matter what you do, there is no other formula for a successful campaign than adapting a holistic approach for its success.
Barry Rodrigues is Head of Marketing & Product Development at Future Communications, Kuwait and founder of NexGen Digital. For comments, please email Barry at barry.nexgen@gmail.com
Royal Hayat
THE LIST
Female founders whose innovations inspire By David Lidsky
Do your thing, sisters! Here’s a list of the founders behind some of the most influential enterprises, companies and products that have changed our lives today. What they all have in common? They’re all women. 1905: Sarah Breedlove, Madam C.J. Walker Breedlove made her own scalp conditioner, barnstormed African-American communities to demonstrate it, and later set up a college to train "hair culturists" to sell her goods. The impact: She built the template for success in the cosmetics business. In 2016, Sundial debuted a hit line of Madam C.J. Walker-branded products. 1945: Ruth Handler, Mattel Once described as a "one-woman sales merchandising promotion administrative force," Handler bet on TV ads, created pioneering sales-tracking and forecasting tools-and dreamed up Barbie. The impact: Handler focused on design and marketing while outsourcing manufacturing, a new business model that Apple would later adopt. 1950: Lucille Ball, Desilu As the cofounder of the first indie TV production company, Ball had the power to cast her real-life husband (and Desilu cofounder), Cuban-born actor Desi Arnaz, in I Love Lucy. The impact: Ball was later the first to syndicate reruns, creating a multibillion-dollar system that persists to this day, even on streaming platforms. 1963: Jean Nidetch, Weight Watchers A self-described cookie addict, Nidetch discovered that communal support helped her lose weight. She turned her "little group" into a business model built on selfempowerment. The impact: Nidetch leveraged social networks to develop a lifestyle brand. In 2015, self-help queen Oprah Winfrey bought a 10% stake. 1966: Mary Wells, Wells, Rich, Greene Wells, a rising star in advertising's Mad Men era, built a fast-growing indie agency, took it public, and won over clients with dazzling bravura. The impact: Wells used irony to elevate underdogs and pioneered experiential branding (revamping airlines' ads and their service)--ideas that now pervade all of modern marketing. 1979: Judy Faulkner, Epic Faulkner was among the first to see the potential for how tech could revolutionize healthcare. She started with bookkeeping software but struck gold with electronic medical records for Windows. 42
The impact: Microsoft has its own healthtech initiative (as do Apple and Google), but the giants still envy Epic's $2.5 billion (KD 750.5 million) in annual revenues. 1984: Jin Sook Chang, Forever 21 Two recent Korean immigrants opened "Fashion 21," appealing to women with designs popular in Seoul. Chang's merchandising savvy generated $700,000 (KD 210,470) in year one on an $11,000 (KD 3.300)investment. The impact: Forever 21, as it became known, was the first to offer Americans fast fashion and is now a $4 billion giant with almost 800 stores. 1992: Donna Dubinsky, Palm In 1981, Dubinsky joined Apple because it epitomized the future. Ten years later, she had a hunch about handheld devices and cofounded Palm. The impact: Dubinsky brought to market the PalmPilot, then the best-selling gadget of all time. In 2003, she
launched the first smartphone, creating today's mobile computing world. 2014: Lucy Peng, Ant Financial Services Peng, an Alibaba cofounder, grew Alipay (its digital payments division), then merged it with the smallbusiness financial services business she created within the Chinese commerce titan. The impact: Ant is valued at $60 billion (KD 18 billion) and has more than 450 million users, and Peng is expanding its fintech services worldwide. 2017: Jessica O. Matthews, Uncharted Power As a 19-year-old, Matthews invented a soccer ball that generates kinetic energy to bring electric light to a small home. A decade later, she pivoted her startup around the idea. The impact: Uncharted Power now also makes kinetic road materials and sidewalks that power microgrids in African nations such as Nigeria.
bio oil
MORE THAN AN EYE FULL
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of International Optique in Kuwait By bazaar staff
International Optique partners left to right: Rolf ,Erika, April, Haussam and Alexi
Picture an optician, what do you think of? Sunglasses, glasses, contact lenses, maybe an annual eye test, if you’re conscientious about looking after your eye health. This is basic eye care. However, not even keen optometrist Rolf Habig could see the impact his arrival in 1978 would have in Kuwait. Keeping customer service and the science of solutions to visual impairment at the core of International Optique means that 2018 marks an impressive 40 years of serving satisfied customers. Over the years, International Optique has expanded and serves the local communities of five locations across Kuwait. 44
bazaar went to meet the team at the helm of this successful local brand. Today there is an entire second generation of the Habig family running the business. These three sisters, April, Erika and Alexi, work alongside fourth partner Haussam Adlouni on a daily basis. Today’s mission though, before the store opens, is to corral their father into the photographs bazaar needs to take for this article, no easy task for the daughters. Getting the daughters and Haussam to pose for these photos is equally difficult, as all of them keep busy preparing for the day ahead; the apples fall not far from the tree in the daughters’ cases. It is probably no wonder then that each of them followed their father into the family business. There is a huge amount of pride for what Rolf Habig has achieved with International Optique. April tells us about the members of staff who have been with them for years, decades even. In this day and age of portfolio careers where it is common to jump from one thing
to the next, it stands out for a company to be able to hold on to its members of staff for such long stretches. Only the showing of appreciation and respect achieves this level of staff loyalty. There is no room for solipsism here, the knowledge of the veteran staff who started on the shop floor with no prior experience in optometry, is considered just as valuable as the staff who are fresh out of college. There is a reputation which proceeds the staff of International Optique too. On their travels, it is not unheard of for industry colleagues to commend International Optique and Rolf Habig for having such high standards, assuring quality and keeping one eye on the future, with another focused on learning from traditional service culture. “Ah, you work for International Optique!” is often accompanied by a knowing smile and appreciative nod. “This is nice for them,” says April, “it makes them feel proud.” Rightly so. There is a charming anecdote too, that an Olympian
Founder Rolf K. Habig
The partners in International Optique Central Plaza
for sharp shooting is a long-term International Optique customer. if ever there was a ringing endorsement for an optician, this would be it. Seeing that there is some activity outside the main shop where we are taking photos, a customer heads toward the open double doors. Evidently, he has a query but checks his watch to see the time, a little confused that there is such a hubbub of activity when the opening time clearly states 9.30 am, a good thirty minutes from now. Immediately founder Rolf has spotted this customer and approaches him with a smile and a determination to serve, all thoughts of the photo shoot gone as his priority of the last 40 years makes itself clear. The customer. So, what are the plans for the immediate future, let alone the next 40 years for International Optique? Firstly, the company will be hosting the entire staff to say “thank you” for their service over the years. The Kids’ Optical Boutique is being transferred along the first floor to a more spacious location making it easier and more comfortable for families to manoeuvre around the vast number of children’s brands that are available. This month, bespoke designer Tom Davies style collection arrives instore. His glasses are regularly worn by the likes of Angelina Jolie, Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora. Later on in the year, the Central Plaza boutique hopes to introduce an industry breakthrough. 18 months ago, when we interviewed the sisters for bazaar, they mentioned 3D printing technology for a customized fit and how they were hoping to introduce that to the Kuwait market. Perfectly formed for your face, the frames are uniquely designed to fit and suit you. The only thing that hampered this project being launched was waiting for the second generation of machinery and software to ensure a better standard of aftersales care. It is vital that International Optique be able to deliver top class aftersales care…and they tirelessly searched for a partner who could provide this. They have now found the perfect partner with the same excellent service standards to launch 3D printed frames later in 2018. So what more can International Optique offer you, apart from expertly trained opticians, optometrists, audiometrists, technicians and sales staff in a bright, modern environment with the largest selection of top quality brands and styles, using the latest technology with a service center on site, home service offered and contact lenses delivered to your door? For the first two weeks in May there will be a gift for each customer purchasing eyewear, while stocks last, and other exciting celebrations too! Keep your eyes focused on social media, and pop into the stores to check out the latest collections!
To find out more about the 40th anniversary celebrations follow @Intoptique on Instagram. Visit www.intoptic.com for more information about the services offered at their boutique locations in Central Plaza, Souk Sharq, Arraya Mall, Al Muthanna Complex and Yaal Mall. Visit www.kuwaitCL.com to order your contact lenses online. Photography by Caroline Ericson, @PixbyCaroline on Instagram. 45
NEVER FORGET SOMETHING IMPORTANT AGAIN
Use these five tricks today! By Stephanie Vozza
Forget to send that email? Return a call? Meet a deadline? If you chalk up memory mishaps to having too much to think about, you might be making excuses. “We all have a good memory; the problem is no one taught us how to use it,” says four-time USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis. Dellis says he always had a mediocre memory, and didn’t think he had championship-caliber memory potential. Today, he’s the record holder for remembering the most names, memorizing 201 in 15 minutes. He was inspired to train his memory after his grandmother passed away in 2009 with Alzheimer’s disease. “She had been of sound mind just 10 years before,” he says. “I didn’t want that to happen to me. I wanted to find something I could do now that would prolong my brain health.” Dellis decided to enter the championship as a way to measure his memory gains. While you might not be interested in remembering a couple hundred names, you can use Dellis’s favorite tools to improve your memory and focus. MAKE IT EXCITING One of the best ways to boost your memory is to take advantage of what the brain is naturally good at: remembering the extraordinary. “Most people can recall a traumatic or memorable event,” says Dellis. “It’s not some sort of super human memory; in those instances, there was something special and our brains absorb that better. Ninety percent of your day is non-interesting; you need to turn it into something memorable.” Trick yourself into making things exciting. It helps to understand that your brain works well with pictures instead of abstract ideas. If you want to remember to pick up pizza on the way home, for example, picture the cheese sizzling and then burning your mouth. “Give it a color and make it as real as possible,” says Dellis. “If you want to remember a name, come up with picture of what the word could represent.” For example, picture someone named Nelson turning into Nelson Mandela. Once you have a picture, it’s more easily stored in your mind, says Dellis. USE A MEMORY PALACE Dellis’s most tried-and-true technique is creating a memory palace, which involves creating pictures and memorizing them along a path through a space that you know well, such as your home or office. “You could probably walk through with your eyes closed,” he says. “If you want to remember grocery items, link each one to that space.” For example, imagine toilet paper covering your front door, then make up a story about why it’s there. “Did kids come by and throw it on your door?” asks Dellis. “Take it as far as you like. If the next item is milk, imagine a 46
cow spraying milk all over the door. Continue to create mental pictures through your house. When you get to the store all you have to do is think of your house and mentally walk the same path, and the pictures will be waiting for you. All elite competitors use some form of memory palace.” LINK THINGS Another memory tool is using a linking method. “You’re still coming up with pictures, but the way you store them is different,” he says. “A linked list connects each item to the next, so it’s a narrative.” For example, if you need to reply to an email, call the IT department about computer issues, and schedule a meeting, imagine the person you need to email is involved in a crime ring after receiving dozens of stolen computers and you need to go to a meeting to decide what should be done with him. “The more bizarre, over the top, hilarious, or vulgar it is, the easier it is to remember,” says Dellis. “We remember things that are truly out of the ordinary.” GET READY FOR INFORMATION A lot of memory is about paying attention. “It sounds obvious, but we live in a day when our attention span is very fickle, because there’s so much coming at us all the
time,” says Dellis. “Force yourself to be laser-focused on one thing at a time.” For example, when Dellis meets people and wants to learn their names, the first thing he does before asking their name is to mentally ask himself, “What is this person’s name?” over and over. “This process, as insignificant as it seems, does wonders,” he says. “You’re not thinking about what to say or noticing something across the room. You’re paying attention to the person in front of you, getting ready to accept their name.” DAILY PRACTICE Tools and tricks can help you remember things, but the key to building a strong memory is practice. Dellis recommends a few websites that will help. MemoCamp is a paid site that tests you on remembering names, numbers, words, and more. Dellis uses it to get ready for competition. Another tool is MemRise, a free site that helps you memorize words with games. Anki is another app Dellis uses for memorizing language. And Dellis is also the cofounder of Art of Memory, a website that helps you learn and practice memory techniques. Featured photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash.
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bazaar tries
IT’S EASY BEING GREEN Tackling veganism for a week By bazaar staff
Veganism has been creeping up in conversation a lot lately. These days, more and more people are boasting benefits of being completely plant based, and about the positive changes it does for the environment and general health and wellbeing of humankind. All signs pointed to “yes” last month when I reasoned to myself that I should give veganism a temporary try. From Kuwait Vegan Society’s anticipated two-day workshop with public speakers and animal rights activists Dr. Melanie Joy and Tobias Leenaert, to Ramadan looming and its requisite need for a detox before the food-centric holiday season’s meals were due to hit my digestive system with vengeance. I set the rules with reasoning: for a duration of exactly one week, I would act like a vegan, think like a vegan, and eat like a vegan. No dairy, no animal products of any kind. No fish, meat, eggs or palm oil – though we should be avoiding that in all cases. Not even honey, which most vegans argue against the use of due to modern processed honey’s exploitation of bees, was allowed to make its way into my ecosystem. In short, if it wasn’t plant based, it couldn’t pass my lips. For the most part, the entire experience was a breeze. I was feeding myself, mostly, cooking at home and enjoying concocting vegan substitutes to heighten meals I always loved. Breakfasts were easy, because my everyday breakfasts usually fall into the “accidentally vegan” variety. I don’t believe in drinking cow’s milk in excess, and already was accustomed to buying and consuming nut-based milks of the almond and coconut variety. Couple that with some raw oats, fresh blueberries, or a sliced banana and some cacao nibs, and you have yourself a filling breakfast! Other vegan favorites for breakfast include Middle Eastern crowd pleasers more suitable for the weekend like foul moudames (pureed fava beans topped with olive oil and eaten with bread and garnish) and za’atar manakish. Calzone or flatbread style, a thyme and olive oil concoction is enough to relieve you from filling any cheesy void you may feel. The same could be said for making pesto with cashews and nutritional yeast rather than parmesan. But, nutritional yeast is hardly a miracle worker, and there are some things it could never replace. This is where veganism showed its ugly side: when I wanted pizza. Day two into my excursion, I thought it would be interesting to order a cheese-free pie from an unnamed spot I hold dear to my heart as my go-to delivery joint. Using a well-known, trusty app, I placed my order with request for the pie to not have even a sprinkle of dairy on it. Lo and behold, the request was ignored. Maybe it was the restaurant’s fault, perhaps 48
it was the app’s fault, and it could have possibly been my fault, but nonetheless, I spent the rest of the evening pizza-less and pouting Forward to another disappointment I discovered, which is that continental restaurants don’t always take the time to understand a vegan’s needs. This proved to be an experience when I went out dining with a seasoned vegan friend of mine who took me to a foolproof Mexican spot and ordered her usual altered chimichanga with such great skill and detail that I highly doubted the possibility of our competent waiter messing it up. Needless to say, once our golden chimichangas had appeared, they were infused with chicken, and my friend sat there preaching about how she just unknowingly paid for yet another animal’s suffering while our waiter stood uncomfortably, not quite knowing what to do. The chimichanga was
delicious though, once it came correctly. In conclusion, the vegan experience had its highs and lows. Highs included an increase of energy, and a surge that had me considering to convert to this lifestyle full-time. I kept preaching about how good I felt, and how clear my inflammatory skin was. Lows were the moments I missed cheese – the moments I realized that I could never have steak, salmon or real pizza ever again (pizza without cheese is amazing, but it’s literally just flatbread.) Could I do it full time? There’s no reason not to, honestly. Plant based is the way to go. We really don’t need animal proteins, and science is making it easier to find happy substitutions that will satisfy our cravings. Let’s just pray that a decent vegan cheese hits the marketplace soon. Photo by Helena Yankovska on Unsplash
Regency 1
MEDITATION AND COFFEE How yoga can help your mindset
By Dr Susannah Joy Schuilenberg
A few years ago, I tried yoga. In fact, I tried hot yoga – in this case, Bikram style. It was, well…hot. Really, really hot. I have terrible balance, and more than once, I fell over trying to do one of the pretzellike moves all types of yoga seems to require. Fortunately for my dignity, it was a beginner’s class and I wasn’t the only one suddenly flinging out a hand in order to avoid bonking some unfortunate body part on the polished wooden floor. In spite of this rather humiliating proof of my lack of flexibility, I enjoyed the class. The final pose was Savasana, or Corpse Pose. As we’re all laying there in the hot, humid room (I did mention it was hot, right?) the Yogini began to talk about the practice of meditation. Since I was trying out yoga as a way to have some mental peace and quiet, I closed my eyes and honed in on her lovely, soft voice, following the instruction to "feel the mat beneath you", and to "focus on the breath". I fell asleep. Yes. Right there in that hot, humid room, surrounded by sweaty bodies, I went to sleep. When people around me began to move, I woke up, and laid there quietly, eyes closed, until the room was empty. I went to yoga a few more times, enduring the whole class for those last 10 minutes of mental peace and quiet. I didn’t get any better at the poses – I have Multiple Sclerosis and my balance is unfixably sucky – but Savasana? Heaven. I don’t know about you, but I have a mind that never shuts off. It’s constantly busy and seems to ramp up to light speed as soon as I try to go to sleep. It seems to me that every thought I’ve ever had suddenly needs to be considered right now. All at once. No matter how tired I am, my wretched mind is determined to solve all of my problems, all at once, immediately. The benefit of meditation is actually wellresearched, and most recently, has been the focus of intense investigation with relation to the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Developmental Trauma or Complex PTSD. Dr. Matthew Thorpe, writing for the blog Healthline.com reviewed multiple studies on meditation, and offered these three top benefits to a regular meditation practice. Reduces stress. Too much stress is a very bad thing. (Too little stress is not so good either.) Mental and physical
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stress increases cortisol, which in turn causes the release of inflammation-producing chemicals called cytokines. What is needed is a way to reduce stress when necessary. In other words, take control and manage stress. Meditation can do this. Controls anxiety. Studies have shown that as little as eight weeks of mindfulness can reduce anxiety, which also reduces stress. Anxiety is the mental habit of imagining a negative event or outcome and experiencing physical symptoms as a consequence. When we are able to quiet our minds, developing a new habit of staying present and connected to NOW, we are able to learn to control and sometimes even eliminate the habit of anxiousness. Promotes emotional health Remember those cytokines? These inflammationproducing chemicals released as a response to stress are implicated in the development of depression. Meditation reduces stress, decreasing the production of cytokines, elevating mood and lessening depression. One controlled study compared electrical activity in the brains of people who practiced mindfulness meditation and those who did not. Those who meditated showed increased activity in the areas related to positive thinking and optimism.
Meditation includes a whole gamut of different practices, but all have one commonality – quieting the mind. In looking up meditation, I discovered I could go to an Ashram in India and meditate in complete silence for a whole week (Eek!) or I could download an app and do a 10-minute guided meditation every day from the comfort of my own sofa, coffee in hand. Guess which form of meditation I practice? (Hint…coffee is involved) Have you ever wondered about meditation? I mean, deep down where no one can see it, mentally rolled your eyes at the latest Elephant Journal post extolling the virtues of meditation? I know I did …but not anymore. Developing and maintaining a habit of meditation has long term benefits with potential to increase your quality of life and decrease those nasty feel bad chemicals. My favorite resources for meditating (when I’m not sweating my way through a real yoga class) are all apps. I use Calm (Calm.com), Headspace (Headspace Meditation Limited), Breethe (OMG. I Can Meditate! Inc.), and Relax Meditation (Ipnos Software). All available for iOS and Android. Why not try it for yourself? Dr Susannah is a leading psychologist, registered professional counsellor and Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling based in Canada. For more information, please follow @DrSusannah on Twitter and Instagram and stay tuned for her latest updates.
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CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF RAMADAN AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KUWAIT AT BURJ ALSHAYA Relaxation, staycation, and lots of good food
By bazaar staff
The Holy Month of Ramadan is a joyous time of year when families, friends and loved ones gather to share special moments together. This Ramadan, making its mark as part of the celebrations, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya has prepared an exclusive selection of delightful culinary experiences and spa packages for guests to enjoy. From delightful Iftar and Ghabqa feasts to rejuvenating Spa packages, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya will have something for everyone. 52
The Hotel’s Al Bidaa Ballroom is set to be transformed into a tented Ramadan venue for the duration of the Holy Month. Named the Jawaher Tent, the venue will offer an authentic ambience and the finest in traditional Arabian hospitality. The dedicated spread makes for a mouth-watering Iftar or Ghabqa experience within a wonderful setting, all thanks to Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya’s impressive slew of chefs. Courtesy of the merger between Kuwaiti Chef Zeyad Hamadah and the Hotel’s Executive Chef Sebastiano Spriveri, a sumptuous array of dishes have been crafted for the Jawaher Tent. Armed with an international team bringing talents from China, Egypt, India, Italy, Lebanon and Mexico, the chefs have curated an appetizing buffet and live cooking stations. The extraordinary kitchen team has assembled a delicious selection of traditional Kuwaiti cuisine, including local favorites such as jareesh, harees, qabot, marqoq, tashreb and lamb machbos. Savor Turkish pide, Moroccan tagine, homemade pasta and items from the extensive international buffet selection. Don’t forget to leave room for dessert, as the buffet includes an abundance of family favorites, in addition to a free-flowing chocolate fountain accompanied with live entertainment by local musicians. Iftar will be served in the inviting surroundings of the Jawaher Tent from sunset until 8:00 pm for KWD 21 per person, including beverages, Ramadan juices, water, coffee and tea. The Ghabga will be served from 9:30 pm until 1:00 am for individual bookings at KWD 18 per person, including Ramadan juices. The tent can accommodate parties of up to 600 persons for private or corporate Ghabqa bookings. Should you prefer to dine a la carte this Ramadan, guests are welcome to visit the Hotel’s acclaimed Dai Forni and Al Bandar restaurants, as well as the chic Al Soor Lounge. Elements and Sintoho restaurants will be closed throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan; but Elements will reopen the first day of Eid! You’ll have to wait till July 15th, 2018 for a Sintoho reunion. Another elegant option for a gracious end to the Holy Month would be to join Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya for a special Eid Brunch, served from 1:00 and until 4:00 pm to mark the first, second and third days of Eid Al Fitr. It is also imperative to treat yourself during Ramadan. Regenerate, cleanse and boost your mind and body this Ramadan with an exclusive spa package at Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya. Unrivalled in Kuwait for luxury and cutting-edge treatments, the Spa welcomes guests to a calming cocoon graced with sensually curving walls and gentle neutral colors, where one can enjoy a series of rejuvenating therapies in the hands of highly trained experts. Indulge in a Twohour Cleansing Ritual to detoxify your body, the ritual includes an exfoliation treatment to renew the skin and a detoxifying wrap. This is followed by a calming massage, after which guests will receive a hair mask treatment and complimentary
facial exfoliation. Book this exclusive package for just KWD 100 per person. Another treatment to try would be the Twohour Regenerating Treatment, the perfect way to kick off your Eid. Equally luxurious, this starts with a regenerating facial, and continues with a back and shoulder massage designed to induce total relaxation. The skilled therapist works out any remaining tension with reflexology applied to key pressure points and a paraffin treatment. A complementary back exfoliation treatment is also included as part of this package. A complementary back exfoliation treatment is also included as part of the package, which can be booked at KWD 120 per person. And because you’re still entitled to a staycation, even during Ramadan, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya invites guests to
spend an unforgettable time at the hotel all throughout the Holy Month and Eid holiday. Take advantage of the special Family Getaway offer and enjoy 50 percent savings on a second room for kids when booking a guest room, or a complimentary Superior Room when reserving a suite or guest room. All in all, it sounds like a perfect Ramadan spent to us!
To make a reservation, please contact ramadanres.kuwait@fourseasons.com or call +(965) 2200 6065. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter @fskuwait, and Facebook: FourSeasonsHotelKuwait for more information and the latest updates. 53
FROM THE INSIDE OUT
Awatif Al Sabah and Fabiana Santana empowering personal change By bazaar staff
At the end of the day, we’re all human, and it’s that humanity that brings us all together. We all react the same way at our core. Inside Out, a series of courses to help you identify and deliver change from within for yourself, is all about learning about why we react a certain way. It also empowers us to take-action in what we do, and don’t want for our lives by looking at ourselves first to make the change. So far, four courses have been successfully completed, the first being open to both men and women, and then females-only were the focus as “women need us more at this stage. For them to empower themselves sometimes they need an external resource to help.” bazaar discovered the intrepid duo made up of Awatif Al Sabah and Fabiana Santana at the end of 2017, when they put on their inaugural course entitled “Introduction to Mindfulness”. The technique 54
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of practicing mindfulness, or being mindful, is gaining popularity in the West from TED talks to magazine articles. 2014 saw an increase in publication of nearly 3000% to 535 journal articles covering the topic. It is not considered unusual in the West for your average person to undertake some sort of mindfulness activity but this is not something that you often hear about in Kuwait unless by those who have read our 2015 and 2017 bazaar articles (which can still be seen on bazaar. town if you search for “mindfulness”). Mindfulness is a mind-body-soul approach to life that helps us be present in an experience in a non-judgemental way. It is the “non-judgement” here that is most critical. As with most relationships that work out well, it was through a mutual friend at an event that the two women met. “I saw her card,” says Fabiana “and I thought wow, a life coach in Kuwait!” Awatif grins and adds, “We went to Mubarakiya, do you remember, and we talked about everything and I said we have a good energy, we have to do something together!” Awatif had already been delivering one-on-one life coaching sessions, and saw this opportunity with Fabiana to do something with a broader audience, and in English.
Married at 18, pregnant in the first semester of university and eventually having 4 children in total over the years, Awatif felt like she was on a constant rollercoaster in life. As many mothers do, she found herself giving love and care to her husband, children and family first, while putting herself last. Finally, in her thirties, she decided to do something for herself. “I was always a reader and had read many self-help books”, she explains, “I always liked to help people too. So, I found a life coaching course and took it.” Totally immersive, the course had the participants living and breathing what it means to be a life coach from 9 am12 midnight. After that she completed a certification for “Master Life Coach”, because a little voice told her that she needed to certify further to be considered credible, which is an almost perfect example of why Awatif felt compelled to learn about being a life coach and delivering the skills to others in the first place. That “little voice” women often hear needs to be overcome, it’s often denigrating and destructive. Knowing the beliefs which limit you allows you to successfully change your character and define your own values, and this is something Awatif would attest to. Fabiana says what they have discovered over these
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Inspirational design in the offices of Awatif Al-sabah courses is that so many women are experiencing an epiphany regarding their relationships and existence. Participants are discovering a transformational moment where they realize their true value, and that they should be respected. “Of course, if I do the cooking my husband will do the dishes,” smiles Fabiana, “but this is the first time these women had heard of this type of shared partnership in their relationships with their husbands. They learned to say and believe that they should be respected, and that they are worth it.” One needs a level of self-awareness and openness to realize that these types of courses are useful and to sign-up for them, so it’s a puzzle to work out how they found their first participants, and isn’t it preachingto-the-choir in a way. Fabiana responds, “Social media opens a different world for many people and Awatif has her followers and they listen to her spiels daily.” The self-help empowerment message is already a familiar one to this group in that case. Fabiana continues, “Word of mouth helps. We started small group, a good group and they left saying ‘my friend must come and see this’. It grew from there.” On her own social media platforms, Fabiana tackles a self-help topic weekly in both English and 56
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Portuguese, her native language, as she hails from Brazil. No one likes a stranger telling them what to do; we wondered if the duo often hear, 'how can these speakers possibly comprehend the complexities of our lives if they aren’t living it?’ Fabiana answers, “I have a different perspective, [being] from outside [Kuwait], but I also understand humanity through my marketing experience. I have to understand how people think and how they react, the psychology of it. We make a good team, Tofy and I, because she knows exactly what happens here behind closed doors” While Fabiana is South American, Awatif is Kuwaiti born and bred, and she knows “how the people here suffer.” You get both the external and internal understanding of Kuwaiti culture, and this empowers the participants to believe in the course leaders and the messages they are delivering. Awatif adds, “Here, women don’t [feel they] have the right to complain.” “Or to dream!” mentions Fabiana. Inside Out teaches women to not only identify the things that are lacking in their lives, but gives them the skills to empower change. Hypnotherapy, meditation, mindfulness, these services and skills are all explored in the courses. The women-only, safe
environment helps participants to find their voices and they are often speaking about their experiences for the first time. It is going to take a long while to seriously make a cultural impact. As with most campaigns, awareness has to be raised. “To change a culture takes a generation,” admits Fabiana. It is a welcome start that these two powerful women are making, first learning about their own strengths and skills then teaching these to others with empathy, showing true concern. There is great affection between these two, evident in the shortening of each other’s names to “Fabi” and “Tofy”, smiling at each other genuinely, and bursting into laughter at times. It is a joy to watch them interact with each other, and leaves bazaar highly anticipating the next Inside Out course.
For frequent self-help tips, follow Awatif Al Sabah on Instagram @puresoulq8 or for appointments call 6700 7000. Visit www.iamfabianasantana.com for more on Fabiana’s work, follow her on Instagram @iamfabianasantana.
Jumeirah
STOP STAYING LATE AT WORK BY DOING THESE THREE THINGS It’s not enough just to work faster
By Elizabeth Grace Saunders
Leaving work late sucks. As if fluorescent lighting and empty cubicles aren’t depressing enough, you know what lies ahead: a heart-pounding dash to the train, a night of unhealthy takeout, and your spouse giving you that disappointed “working late again?” look. If you can’t seem to make yourself leave work on time no matter how hard you work, give yourself a break for starters. It’s a difficult skill to master. Second, don’t stress yourself out by trying to work faster. In my experience as a time management coach, that just doesn’t work, but three these hacks and habits often do. 1. SET FAKE DEADLINES You might hate planning because you’re scared that structure hampers spontaneity, and you’ll get worse at dealing with unexpected assignments as a result. But the opposite is actually true. The more you plan, the more choices you’ll be able to make over the course of your workday that can improve your chances of leaving whenever you want. That’s where fake deadlines come in. Add weekly reminders to your calendar to work on key activities–just set them at least one day ahead of the actual due date. For example, plan to finish a report that’s due on Friday by Wednesday or Thursday. That way, if something unexpected comes up, you can still leave work on time and finish up the report by the real deadline in the next day or two. When you plan your day, ask yourself: What would keep me at work late? Whatever your answer is, put that task at the top of your to-do list first thing in the morning–no procrastinating. Don’t tell yourself that you’ll get it done later in the day. That’s a recipe for trying to tackle it in the last hour you’re in the office, because as soon as something unexpected comes up, your already-delayed task will spill over into your evening. You buy yourself flexibility, on the other hand, just by committing to working on it earlier. 2. SCHEDULE TWO BLOCKS OF “SMALL TASKS ONLY” TIME When you’re heads down on a big project, it’s tempting to leave all your small tasks like emails and administrative work until the end of the day. But scheduling two blocks of time–once early in the day and once later in the day–can spare you from having to knock those out after hours. I find it useful to block out the first hour of my day, free from meetings, to get my work in order. Then I’ll use another block later in the day to cross 58
some quick items off my to-do list. I try to have my last meeting end at least 30 minutes before I want to leave the office. That allows me time to wrap up any notes, do a quick scan of my email, and generally get everything buttoned up before I head out, which makes it easier to unplug from work completely when I leave the office. 3. SCRIPT YOUR DEPARTURE You can’t plan everything, but you can impose some regularity on the end of your workday even when unexpected issues arise. For example, if you tend to lose track of time, set a recurring reminder on your calendar or phone to prompt you to start getting ready to leave. Many of my clients set their reminders for around 30 minutes before their desired departure times. If you can’t stop yourself from checking emails “just for a few minutes,” set a cut off time for those, too. Fifteen minutes before I need to leave, I’ll shut down my inbox and ignore calls that come my way.
These habits and reminders function like “scripts”–they prompt you to behave in predictable ways no matter what’s going on at the moment (and they’re helpful even if you can’t always follow the exact same routine every single evening). That’s because imposing a little more regularity can help you reset your own expectations. If you underestimate how long it will take to get your stuff together, for instance, a daily ping from your phone can help nudge you to start putting on your coat, changing your shoes, emptying your coffee mug, and gathering your papers about 15 minutes before it’s actually go time. Then, if you have extra time once you’re entirely ready to stand up and walk out the door, you can squeeze in one last little task. Most likely your time will already be used up, though–and that’s exactly the point.
Featured photo by Giu Vicente on Unsplash.
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IN THE MOOD FOR MOONLIGHT Your go-to guide for Ramadan looks with MANGO
By bazaar staff
As the weather turns from pleasantly warm to scorching hot, your wardrobe requires a bit of breeze. Couple that with the magic of the early days of summer, and of course, the comfort that pairs necessarily with the holy month of Ramadan, and you’ve curated yourself an ideal summer wardrobe. Or at least, MANGO has. 60
With all of these factors in mind, MANGO’s SS18 collection covers it all, while exuding a feel for warm and mysterious nights illuminated by the powerful light of the Ramadan moon. From on-trend, bold summery hues in shimmering metallics and desertinspired tones in yellows and terracottas, earthy floral prints and relaxed, gauzy fabrics, versatile styles are on offer to ensure style, taste and comfort all around. Dress it up while dressing down this summer and keep it simple, pairing easy kimonos over easy ensembles to create pop and polish. Comfortable, elasticized trousers are also an option, to take you from errands to a family meal and post-bread breaking congregations with ease. For the awaited Eid celebrations, opt for timelessly elegant looks in neutrals and navy tones heightened with shimmer. The modest flowy cut is also the new preferred routine in lieu of figure-hugging pieces, allowing for breathability and flattering, billowy fabrics. The best part? Pair it all with sandals for a relaxed, yet chic, style that is appropriate for any occasion.
Shop the latest collections from MANGO at The Avenues, 360 Mall, The Promenade, Gate Mall, and Kout Mall. For more information or to shop online, please visit shop.mango.com/KW. 61
HEALTH=WEALTH?
How a sudden financial loss can compromise your health By Karen Kaplan
Your financial health may have more bearing on your physical health than you realize. American adults who experienced a sudden and substantial loss of wealth were 50 percent more likely to die in a 20year period than were others in their age group whose financial picture remained relatively stable, or improved. As bad as things were for those who experienced a “negative wealth shock,” they were even worse for Americans who didn’t have any wealth in the first place. These folks were 67 percent more likely than their financially secure counterparts to die during a 20-year study period. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggest that you should treat your bank account balance as a vital sign. The same goes for the value of your stock market investments, your individual retirement account, your home, your vehicles, your business or your “other substantial assets.” Researchers tallied all of these things for a group of 8,714 Americans who participated in the Health 62
and Retirement Study. They were born between 1931 and 1941 and were tracked from 1994 until death or 2014, whichever came first. The study authors calculated the net worth of each participant in 1994 and updated that figure every other year. People were judged to have experienced a negative wealth shock if their net worth fell by 75 percent or more in a two-year period. This sad fate befell 2,430 — or about 1 in 4 — of the study participants. Among them, their median loss was 92 percent of their net worth, which amounted to a median value of $101,568. This sudden loss could have caused stress, inflammation and/or high blood pressure, any of which could make serious cardiovascular problems more likely, the study authors noted. In addition, a financial blow of this scale may well have prompted people to skip important (but expensive) medical appointments or to stop filling necessary (but pricey) prescriptions. The Health and Retirement Survey data didn’t provide researchers with clarity on these points. But it did show that the mortality rate for this subset of participants was 64.9 deaths per 1,000 personyears. That was more than double the mortality rate for those in the financially stable control group (30.6
deaths per 1,000 person-years). After the researchers adjusted for factors such as race and ethnicity, age, education level, body mass index and smoking status, they calculated that the risk of dying between 1994 and 2014 was 50 percent higher for those who experienced a negative wealth shock. This held up regardless of how much money people had at the start of the study. However, the more risk-averse a person was, the stronger the association between a negative wealth shock and the risk of early death. “The approximately 50 percent relative increase in all-cause mortality that follows a financial loss of this magnitude is similar to the increase associated with a new diagnosis of coronary heart disease,” according to an editorial that accompanied the study. “It is sobering to contemplate that mortality rates were even greater among people who had no assets to lose.” For the 749 people who began the study with no net assets or a negative net worth, the mortality rate was 73.4 deaths per 1,000 person-years. After adjustments, their risk of premature death was 67 percent higher than for those in the control group, the study authors calculated.
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AMakeJUMEIRAH MESSILAH RAMADAN it a month to remember By bazaar staff
Ramadan is the most magical time of the year. From the miracle of the new moon’s crescent, to the serenity and holiness of the month that somehow always manages to bring people closer together. During this special time, as you anticipate the first sightings of the first day of Ramadan, Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa has orchestrated a variety of Ramadan offerings for its guests to enjoy with their family and friends. Renowned for its commitment to creating unforgettable experiences while celebrating local culture, the hotel is recognized for hosting opulent Ramadan events in Kuwait. This year, the hospitality innovators have once again exceeded expectations by creating stunning settings that truly capture the spirit of Ramadan. Kick off the month by visiting the hotel’s iconic ballroom, Badriah. Known as the largest pillar-less 64
ballroom in Kuwait, this beautiful space has been transformed into a breathtaking Ramadan tent, providing a truly authentic setting for breaking your fast with dining counterparts such as family, friends and colleagues. For essential iftars and ghabqas where a celebratory theme is key, Badriah is beautifully adorned in mesmerizing traditional décor to enhance your experience, enabling you to fully embrace the Holy Month. Soft sounds of the traditional live Arabian oud melodies will envelope the tent and add to the ambiance. The hotel’s attentive team will be on hand to ensure guests have everything they need to break their fast the way they desire. Special touches of tradition and culture are complemented by authentic dishes full of flavors. The expert team of culinary connoisseurs will be present to serve you from the full spectrum of live cooking stations featuring favorites and specialties, while the generous buffet offers the very best of international cuisine leaving you spoilt for choice. From cold appetizers or soups, hot mezzes, extensive grill options and Ramadan sweets, there will be something to suit all tastes. Make sure to keep some room for the all-encompassing tantalizing dessert selections and traditional Kuwaiti sweets to round off your meal.
On the other side of the luxurious resort lies another popular experience for Ramadan. Garden Café’s tent has been extended to accommodate even more guests this year. The restaurant will be hosting Ghabqas under a specially decorated tent that offers picturesque panoramic views on the scenic gardens. The tent will be home to offering a precious opportunity to unwind, relax in luxurious serene surroundings and spend time with friends while tasting the delights on offer from a lovingly prepared buffet. Embracing the spirit of Ramadan is one thing, but experiencing a Ramadan in ultimate luxurious hospitality at Jumeirah Beach Hotel & Spa is unforgettable. This Ramadan, branch away from the ordinary, and treat yourself to something that’s worth remembering. For more information and advance bookings, the Restaurant Reservations team is pleased to receive your calls on 2226 9666. The Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa is located in Messilah, Al Ta’awun Street, Block 7, Building 13. For more information, please call 2226 9666 or visit Jumeirah.com. Follow their latest updates on Instagram, @JumeirahMessilahBeach, Twitter @JumeirahMB, and Facebook.com/JumeirahMessilahBeach.
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CLASSIC STYLES COME TO LIFE IN RIVER ISLAND’S SPRING SUMMER COLLECTION This Eid, make your celebratory outfit an unforgettable one
By bazaar staff
With the launch of River Island’s latest womenswear edit, get pictureperfect looks for Eid and the summer season. The collection consists of 40 key styles, providing an edit of chic full-length dresses and jumpsuits, co-ords and separates that make for flawless occasion dressing.
Purse KD 10.900
Necklace KD 12.900
Sequin maxi dress KD 59.900
Sandals KD 28.900
Jumpsuit KD 39.900
We can’t get enough of River Island’s elegant collection of stylized florals and embroidered patterns etched onto feminine silhouettes. The collection is built up in soft pinks juxtaposed with tonal earthy accents. Statement soft ruffles feature throughout, with intricate beading adding a premium edge. Bardot frill necklines and heavily embellished pieces round out the core look and feel of this edit.
Sequin skirt KD 39.900
Shoes KD 21.900
Embellished Kimono KD 49.900
Prepare to fall in love with the ultra-glam, eveningwear-inspired occasion edit. Featuring bodycon styles in elegant woven crêpe fabrics and heavy sequin embellishment and built on a color palette consisting of emerald green, jet black and deep blue, key styles are accented with bold appliqué floral prints. Statement pieces include full length sequinned maxi dresses, Bardot frill jumpsuits, and decorative bodyconfit co-ords.
Shop the River Island Collection at 1st Avenue-The Avenues, Marina Mall and Al Fanar Mall in Salmiya. For updates follow @RiverIslandME on social media.
EMPLOYEES FANTASIZE ABOUT KILLING THEIR BOSSES
More often than you might think! By Joanne Kimberlin
About 12 percent of workers have fantasized about killing their bosses, according to a recent survey conducted in the United Kingdom by consulting company Expert Market. Rates varied by industry. Construction workers were at the top, with 22 percent admitting that, at some point, they’d had bloodthirsty thoughts about supervisors. The survey responses shouldn’t be taken too literally, said Rachel Frieder, an assistant professor of management at Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business. “We’ve probably all joked, ‘He makes me so mad, I could kill him,’” Frieder said. “But it’s just an expression. We’d never act on it.” Even then, such thoughts are likely reserved for the worst managers. Some tension is inevitable. Workers spend much of their day on the clock, earning paychecks that are vital to their family’s stability. Managers can stir emotions that can get out of whack. One in five workers surveyed said they’d give up 68
a pay raise in exchange for having their boss fired. Frieder said employees want different qualities in a leader. Some like plenty of interaction. Others prefer the boss at a distance. But two traits lead the typical wish list: warmth and competence. Of those, warmth is the most important. Incompetence — though frustrating and annoying — is easier to forgive. Good managers see their employees as valuable individuals. “They step outside their office and talk to people,” Frieder said. “They find out what they need, what motivates them, what makes them tick.” On the flip side: bosses who steal credit and dodge blame, treat workers like easily replaceable property, have over-inflated egos or are chronically grumpy, angry and disappointed. Of the people who said they hate their jobs more than half said they felt that way because of their bosses. “But hating your boss is a lot different than actually wanting to kill them,” Frieder said. “That’s not dealing with the normal deck of cards.” Instead, the downtrodden look for other
jobs. Companies have money invested in trained employees; bad bosses drive them away. Frieder remembers her own “Tasmanian devil of a boss.” She was heading for the world of finance, and had just landed a summer internship at her “dream company.” “He left nothing but havoc in his wake. Everything you could do wrong, he did. A classic kiss up, kick down. Kiss up to everyone above him. Kick everyone below him. That summer, I had a death in my family and he never even mentioned it. Never noticed my puffy eyes, or the tissues all around me or anything. He just didn’t care.” Did she ever lie awake at night plotting his demise? No, “but I did dream about giving him an eloquent rendition of what I thought of him.” She never did, preferring not to burn bridges. But she was so baffled that such a person could rise so high in a multibillion-dollar, international organization, and was obviously being groomed for more, she changed her field of study. She dedicated her doctoral dissertation to her “loving husband, and to the one absolutely horrid boss who changed the course of my career for good.”
E fashion
AEltonTRIBUTE SALUTE John and Bernie Taupin’s new albums By Randy Lewis
A bevy of pop, R&B, rock, country and Americana artists are paying homage to the 50-year collaboration between Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin with not one, but two separate collections of new interpretations of more than two dozen of the team's biggest hits and many lessfamiliar selections. Revamp and Restoration, curated by John and Taupin, respectively was released last April. Revamp is a pop-R&B-urban-leaning album including recordings by John himself, accompanied by Pink and Logic, as well as Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Sam Smith, Mumford and Sons, Alessia Cara, Queens of the Stone Age and Q Tip featuring Demi Lovato, among others. 70
The country-Americana-themed disc that Taupin has supervised features Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Don Henley and Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, Little Big Town and several others. Miley Cyrus is the only artist who appears on both albums. "We have two completely different albums," John, 70, said in a statement. "We have so many great artists doing our songs, it's quite incredible." Added Taupin in the same statement, "Because of our love of all kinds of music, we're not stuck in one genre. From day one we borrowed from everything that's good about American music whether it's blues, country, gospel, pop, or pure rock, everything got thrown in the mix. I think that's why our music over the years has been so varied." The albums, both subtitled "Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin," set the stage for the recently announced "Farewell Yellow
Brick Road" tour that John has proclaimed to be his final concert tour, which begins Sept. 8 in Allentown, Pa., and is scheduled to take three years to complete with 300 stops on five continents. The albums also preceded the recently aired two-hour, multi-artist network television special filmed in New York recently in conjunction with the 60th Grammy Awards ceremony. Elton John: I'm Still Standing a Grammy Salute included live performances by album participants Cyrus, Cara, Lambert, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Sheeran, Smith, Little Big Town and Maren Morris as well as John Legend, Kesha, Shawn Mendes and SZA. John and Taupin met in 1967 through an ad in England's New Musical Express (NME), which brought the composer and lyricist together and started one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in pop music history.
The Best Birthday Parties in Town Create unforgettable memories with five exciting new party themes to choose from.
Kidzania
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GET FESTIVE READY! With American Eagle
By bazaar staff
This season, American Eagle provides you with a beautiful collection displaying the perfect balance of modern and traditional design. Made to layer for modest style, there are so many colors and patterns, shapes and styles to choose from. Floral dresses are flowy, blouses are embroidered, striped jumpsuits take center stage and all are radiantly feminine with details featuring Broderie Anglaise and Bohemian Chic ruffles. Complete your outfit with a denim jacket that can take a look from day to night with fashionable flair. Be confident in the knowledge that your evening outfit is transformed from casual to chic with this staple of the season; the embellished denim jacket is ideal for those formal or family gatherings. “All that glitters is not gold� but these metals are certainly precious: Holographic haematite, playful platinum and showers of a range of shimmering golds can be found in accessories from bags to jewelry and watches, the stunning reflections of these metallic finishes are reminiscent of twinkling stars in evenings shared with friends and loved ones. Style Guide: 1. Deep V Pompom Maxi Dress, KD 21/Tubular Strap Gladiator Sandals, KD 12/ Saddle Belt Bag, KD 9/ Nude Plastic Shield Glasses, KD 5. 2. Gold Watch, KD 9/ Rose Gold Gray Wrap Watch, KD 9/ 5-pack Gold Star Ring, KD 4/ Blush & Yellow 3-tier Ball Earring, KD 4. 3. Deep V Pompom Maxi, KD 21/ Toe Ring Asymmetrical Slide, KD 8/ Bucket Bag, KD 27/Black Tassel Necklace, KD 5. 4. Corseted Tube Midi Hanky Hem Dress, KD 21. 5. Tie Waist Long Sleeve Maxi Dress, KD 21.
For details on discounts of up to 40% on select styles from May 18 and onwards, follow American Eagle on Instagram @americaneagleme and Facebook @americaneaglemiddleeast. American Eagle stores can be found in 1st Avenue - The Avenues, The Mall - The Avenues, Grand Avenue - The Avenues (Inside Debenhams), Marina Mall and Al Kout Mall. 72
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A TROPICAL SUMMER WITH RIVER ISLAND
RI Kids Studio collection By bazaar staff
Just in time for Eid, RI Kids Studio is back with a fabulous 13-piece range for girlswear. The Floral Fiesta delivers luxury pieces inspired by world treasures that will complement any little fashionista’s Eid and summer wardrobe. Fit for any occasion big or small, these stand-out pieces will transport the RI girl to tropical destinations.
Playsuit KD 17.900
Ruffle top KD 13.900 Trouser KD 13.900
Intense oranges and pink flushes are combined in this tropical palette collection, with touches of monotone stripes and florals adding a pop art feel. Relaxed smock fabrics, bardots and loose, frilled hem trousers are taken to the next level with pom pom tassels, embroidery and coin embellishments. Rich florals, exaggerated ruffles and clashing Aztec prints are styled head-to-toe with oversized flower headbands, serving a melee of summerready pieces with a twist of tropical realism, allowing little girls to mix and match their style and embrace their individuality. Shop the RI Kids Studio collection at 1st Avenue -The Avenues, River Island Kids The Mall - The Avenues, River Island Kids Grand Avenue - The Avenues (inside Debenhams), and Marina Mall. For updates follow @RiverIslandME on social media. 74
Embellished Jacket KD 29.900
Promenade
WHY DOES QUALITY BEAT QUANTITY? By George Tarabay
Him: “Oh wow George, you must be running out of ideas to choose to write such a clichéd statement.” Me: “Nah fam! It’s just that no one has ever explained it.” The “him” in question quits his job and leaves on a journey to find his soul. Alright, the joke is over. Let’s dig in. You’ve heard it, I heard it, they heard it and he most certainly heard it too. Yet, it was never explained to you, me, them and most importantly him (who is this guy, anyways?). As simple as you might think it is, most people still struggle to find the balance in that statement and subsequently, cannot apply it. Therefore, an intervention was staged via this article. Let’s go back to the roots: quantity is a product of a time lapse applied to a defined, systematic process. Meaning, you know how to do something, you do it over and over again to produce carbon copies, bi-products, or derivatives from the initial model. Be it art, a product, work, or whatever the case may be, you’re expected to attend to a list of quotas. In its notion, quantity encapsulates stress. When you quantify whatever it is you’re trying to do, you lose the sense of pleasure of producing it, and all of your focus falls into that digit you are trying to entertain. Therefore, you would be stripping the 76
process from its essence by pushing yourself to optimize the process to solemnly be on time, or to meet a production deadline. Now, looking at quality, the game changes: it is the product of a time lapse applied to an undefined, unsystematic skillset. To elaborate, you know how to do something, you are satisfied with it but you are also certain that it can be done with more soul, so you put all your own resources into it, such as time, effort, discipline etc. Because your aim is to push the experience, the pleasure zones in your brain are fired up. Even if the process is stressful, unknown and ends up in failure, you’re still excited to see where you will reach with it. In doing so, you would be retaining the truthfulness of your inner voice. You are not accepting that gleeful high accomplishment creates, you are rather challenging it with a self-inflicted downer to keep your ego in check. Your creation, art, or whatever you want to call it, is a mirror of your soul being poured into the work to perfect its purpose. Yet the trap of time remains embedded in the qualitative process. When do you stop? When is the quality good enough for the product to be rolled out? When it achieves a different purpose than it was originally intended for. That last statement especially rings true for art. When your painting surpasses in its beauty your initial intent for it, then it is a work of quality. It is undoubtedly a masterpiece that is worthy of its label. To broaden the view to the world,
even in product design, it is proven that the biggest companies have made their success out of their products being used for something other than their intended designed purpose. Then, the following question is posed: “Yes George, but these companies mass produce, isn’t that quantity?” This is true. But, those who care about growth, real growth, create an entire division for Research and Development and allocate a huge budget to it. Because, great products or art, are not the result of a one-time hit. It is a product of the brain manipulating the heart and vice versa. Great things do happen when this infinite exchange is mastered. I also believe that, the more you gaze at a product that you’ve already rolled out, the more you become inspired. Therefore, the product feeds your imagination once more, after it was already finalized with the magic of time and perspective. That is the type of quality that you can touch in space, in your brain and in time…and that, is just priceless. Oh, and about that “him”? That’s was just my ego doubting this article. George Tarabay is a marketing expert/comedian/ Podcaster. Follow him on Instagram @GeorgeTarabay, Facebook.com/Georgethecomic, and on Youtube/ GeorgeTarabayComedy. Listen to his latest podcast on soundcloud.com/George-tarabay. Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash.
savana
A MATCH MADE IN DEBENHAMS Experiencing Debenhams’ Personal Shopper Service
By bazaar staff
Let’s face it. We’re not all blessed with flawless personal style, and with our Instagram feeds constantly being flooded with perfectly composed, fashionable looks, it’s hard to identify a specific style or trend that speaks to your own unique personality. In these cases, perhaps, all you need is a helpful nudge from a style guru. And with Debenhams free Personal Shopper Service, you can rest easy in any of their bespoke personal shopper suites, and let the experts guide you toward recognizing the best styles that suit you, and only you! That’s precisely what we did when we first heard about the service. Located on the first floor of the fabulous Debenhams flagship location at Grand Avenue, The Avenues, the Personal Shopper Service promises customers inspired style advice, in a stress-free shopping environment. While you can call ahead to book your appointment, walk-ins are also completely welcome. As soon as we arrived at the Personal Shopper area, we were greeted by our wonderful Personal Shopper Eva, who warmly ushered us into one of the suites for a relaxing consultation session and some coffee to start off our experience. One Americano, one latte and whole lot of biscuits later, we were laughing over all the different trends that are out there, and how hard it can be to nail down the one that could work to bring out your own personal style. I mean really, not anyone can pull off that Pajama trend! That’s for the truly adventurous. She reassured us, saying that “We’re lucky to be in this amazing space to start off the day. Let’s have some more coffee, try on some looks, and have some fun!” And boy, did we have fun! Eva first asked us about the purpose of our visit, and she claims that identifying your style or wardrobe goals helps in finding key pieces that speak to your style. For instance, if you’re prepping for a big event ahead, then the Personal Shopper Service at Debenhams at Grand Avenue is the perfect fit. The beautiful personal shopper suites are equipped with heels, sample bags and clutches, and even that helpful shapewear for those form fitting gowns. Every personal shopper suite is equipped with these necessities to tempt your fashion palates, along with beautiful fragrances, and did we mention that the lighting is amazing too? While our eyes gleamed over the pristinely decorated suites, where mid-twentieth century design meets glam. I was also completely distracted by the selection of shoes on display, but 78
Eva veered us back on track to identify our style goals. I personally was after curating some looks for a beach getaway weekend, while my friend felt that she was ready for a breezy seasonal wardrobe update that can take her straight from work to a dinner party. I also asked Eva if people can sometimes ask for help on how to style a specific item, and she smiled, saying that this was actually one of her favorite tasks, “I love it when I get to walk around the shop to put together different pieces to complete a look—it’s so much fun and it pleases me when I see the smile on our customer’s faces.” After our consultation was concluded, a perfectly curated selection of swimsuits, kimonos, and accessories made their way to our fitting area. An on-trend straw bag, the perfect summer hat, along with stylish swimwear, along with floralinspired printed kimonos and kaftans were exactly what I had in mind. As I was always impartial to twopieces, Eva helped me find a more modern, and fashionable one shouldered one-piece that worked for my body type. Truth be told, I was smitten when those kimonos came out—it’s as if Eva went on my Pinterest page, and saw my summer style board, studied it, and came back with an even better selection than what I had in mind. For my friend’s seasonal wardrobe update, we fell in love with every single piece Eva presented. I think what I loved the most about the experience is how she captured my friend’s penchant for colors, but was able to translate that into uber-chic pieces by Preen, rather than her regular go-to colors. She tried clashing patterns (yes, we went there!) with statement necklaces, along with eye-popping heels and fashionable bags that simply made the outfit selections sing. I also loved the Personal Shopper service because it allowed us to indulge in the latest collections from all the different new brands that have arrived at Debenhams, such as Jennifer Lopez handbags, Quiz, Forever New, Inwear, Preen, Karen by Simonsen, as well as Guess, amongst many others! We perused incredible pieces, from the comfort of the lavish suites. I asked Eva if the service is also available for men, and Eva confirmed this, cheekily offering that sometimes, “Men need more help!” If you find yourself still asking, “Who needs a personal shopper?” I can safely tell you from our experience that it the service is for someone who is ready for a style change. And sometimes, you absolutely need an outsider’s point of view, so why not let the experts help you? After our experience, I’m definitely going to book myself another appointment at Debenhams this month to curate my Ramadan wardrobe for those festive Ghabqas and grand Iftars. Try out the Personal Shopper service at Debenhams today! Find Debenhams at Grand Avenue – The Avenues. The store is open from 10 am to 11 pm, and from 10 am to midnight on Thursday, Friday & Saturday. For more information please follow @DebenhamsME on Instagram. 79
ZOE SALDANA Going big for Avengers and Avatar 2 By Brian Truitt
Between guarding the galaxy and hanging out on the colorful planet of Pandora, Zoe Saldana isn't getting much of a chance to show her real face these days. That's why her role as a good-hearted psychologist reaching out to a struggling young girl in the fantasy adventure I Kill Giants is so different but also so important to her. Ms. Molle (Saldana) is a school counselor and more importantly a confidante to 12-year-old Barbara (Madison Wolfe), who's convinced she's the only one who can keep her town safe from a dangerous giant. "The message that gives out what happens when an adult reserves judgment as best as she can, and how much that can aid a child who's in dire need of the right kind of attention is what moved me the most," Saldana says. The actress takes a bigger role in saving the day in her upcoming big-budget fare. She's back as greenskinned Guardians of the Galaxy assassin Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War, joining Earth's mightiest heroes in fighting off her adoptive father, cosmic villain Thanos. And Saldana reprises her role as blue 80
Na'vi warrior Neytiri in the next two "Avatar" movies (out Dec. 18, 2020, and Dec. 17, 2021), sequels to James Cameron's massive sci-fi hit. Saldana, 39, talks with USA Today about her busy movie slate, plus her "labor of love" BESE, a new social platform dedicated to highlighting stories of underrepresented communities. Gamora probably needed somebody like Ms. Molle to talk out issues with her dad. You're so right! If Gamora had a Ms. Molle, she probably would have never met the Guardians. (Laughs) How different was filming Avengers: Infinity War than a Guardians movie? The thought of it was more daunting than the reality. It was so even keel, and the energy was so welcoming and positive and exciting. From the trailer, we know at the very least that Gamora meets Thor. I would have wished for her to be a little more excited. She's very much like, "Eh." The Guardians are so arrogant - like the way we say in Queens, they're so "ghetto". They didn't have great upbringings, and their manners aren't as polished as one would like them to be. Their reaction to amazing people is just not what you're expecting.
In building BESE, how much have you been inspired by a changing culture i.e., Black Panther, Me Too and the Parkland kids? I was inspired by Millennials right now. Their demand for transparency, their curiosity, their identity and their sense of justice has overwhelmed and humbled me. After becoming a mother, it became a mission to me because I can't just be empathetic. I have to be compassionate, and compassion requires action. How much did you miss Neytiri over the years? So much. I couldn't wait to get back to Pandora. It's going to be a very emotional and moving saga that Jim has built for all of us to experience. It is an extension of the conversation that he started in the first Avatar, of the relationship and the care that we need to have with our environment. You didn't have kids yet when doing the original movie. Has being a mom changed your approach to that world? Absolutely. Becoming a mother changed just the kind of projects I want to be a part of. I've become a little relentless about exercising my voice about what I feel should be an accurate representation of females and also race and culture. I'm proud of that because I'm also conveying it with love and respect vs. coming from anger, which I don't think is the right approach anymore.
That Alsalasil
RAMADAN MADE DELICIOUS Just moments away with Talabat By bazaar staff
Ramadan is a season where family and friends get together to enjoy the simple pleasures of life: spending a whole day fasting, then breaking bread with loved ones after the maghreb dusk prayer call. In this day and age, however, the feasting doesn’t end after iftar, and likely goes on until the night. Besides, most things are closed during Ramadan’s fasting hours, and don’t open until right before iftar. Also, we aren’t superhuman. We’re likely too tired to go out and run errands (especially food related ones) before breaking our fasts – right? Especially since Ramadan days are especially hot this year. And so what other solution is there than to peruse Talabat’s wide range of offerings? Snacks, desserts, mains and coffee are just a dent in what Talabat has on hand to elevate your Ramadan, but the below have been carefully handpicked for your satisfaction. Al Kanafani Nothing says “first Iftar goals” like some classic desserts. We guarantee that if you don’t have the essential sweets on your table (Qatayef, Kanafa, Om Ali) you’ll never hear the end of it. Save yourself the stress and time by ordering from Al Kanafani, Kuwait’s premier location for top-notch, shaami approved Kanafa! To make your iftar even more festive, include Aish Saraya: Kanafani’s Ramadan specialty. This delicious syrup-soaked casserole decorated with fresh cream, pistachios and cashew nuts is as aesthetically pleasing as it is satisfying, and pairs wonderfully with a digestive cinnamon tea. Chubby Balls Ramadan is a season where we can justify eating dessert on almost a daily basis, so why not indulge? Chubby Balls is our personal favorite way to enjoy a treat, any time of year. What makes it even better is the festive flavors they have on offer. Dates and pistachio are extremely appropriate options to have at the dessert buffet on top of classic, Oreo and peanut butter. Helo Ell-samady This sweet haven is sure to be a crowd pleaser for any event you may be attending. Whether it’s iftar at your mother in law’s house, your friend’s ghabqa, or even a pre-Ramadan Ghraish held by your cousin, you’re sure to get on any hostess’ good side with Helo El-Samady’s famous basboosa. The semolinabased dessert drenched in syrup is a Ramadan cult classic, and always a crowd pleaser. Helo Ell-Samady has three types of classic basboosas on their menu: hazelnut, almond and cream. CocoVia We all have the “hip” person in our lives who’s constantly trying to encourage the rest of us to update 82
our taste in desserts for the Ramadan spread. Save yourself the headache and please their cosmopolitan palate with a makeshift buffet of waffles, crepes and pancakes! CocoVia’s menu includes it all, along with cookies, molten cakes, milkshakes and more! The best thing about CocoVia is their creative use of flavor, giving you the option to sample a brilliant concoction marrying brownie and waffle. But don’t say we didn’t warn you how good it would be! Al Rifai Still feeling peckish after hours? No problem! Al Rifai has its own store on Talabat’s platform to make your life a lot easier. Just select, click, and your order will be at your door in no time! All that’s left to do is start a nightly routine with your favorite nuts in front of your favorite Ramadan TV shows. Al Naibari Coffee And we know what’s been missing the longest (and what you miss the most) during your long days of fasting: Your coffee. We bet you’d give up eating altogether for the rest of your life if you could only have a cup of coffee, right? Well, Talabat can have your coffee delivered via Al Naibari Coffee, so that you
can avoid feeling teased and tantalized by watching it get ground up in front of you at your local co-op. Al Naibari is also a hit with the locals, and will deliver the best taste in the Arabic and Turkish coffees you serve to your guests after your meal. Lunch for Kids Talabat is also reasonable. They know, just like you do, that children will get hungry, and they'll either be doing a half-day fast, or won't be fasting at all. And so they've launched a "lunch for kids" campaign, where you can find healthy delivery options for your children to enjoy midday. They really do think of everything!
Find the above concepts listed on Talabat by visiting www.talabat.com/kuwait, and download the Talabat app, available on the App Store and Google Play. For the latest updates, follow @talabatkwt on Instagram and other social media platforms.
Blaze
حياكم عندنا في
غراند بالزا -األڤنيوز
STEP INTO THE LIGHT
Find fresh styles in the new Cole Haan Al Kout store By bazaar staff
There’s nothing quite like comfort to make you feel at home, and Cole Haan combines the comfort of its ever-stylish offerings featuring innovative Stitchlite technology with new surrounds designed to feel like a home. The iconic American lifestyle accessories brand, and retailer of premium men’s and women’s footwear and accessories, can now be found in Al Kout Mall, located in the vibrant area of Fahaheel. This third location is the largest Cole Haan store in Kuwait. The new spacious store design showcases the brand’s leading-edge lifestyle products and also allows for a wider range of footwear and accessories to be elegantly displayed. 84
Cole Haan’s innovative Stitchlite technology is featured across a range of products that suits both men and women alike. The 2.ZERØGRAND with Stitchlite collection is a take on the standard oxford and remarkably lightweight, breathable and cushioned. The stitch design promotes airflow and cooling, while the Grand.ØS energy foam delivers targeted cushioning. On dark-wood edged presentation trays on newly polished tables and in shelves, sit the Spring 18 Campaign visuals. The men’s and women’s 2.ZERØGRAND with Stitchlite Oxfords are pictured floating effortlessly in the air as rays of colored light shine through the open stitch. The light-infused bright colors, coupled with the next-level iteration of Stitchlite technology, results in an uplifting, energizing visual expression that’s perfect for Summer 2018. The shoes from the visuals themselves are presented perfectly in the sections which are neatly divided into different categories. You can find from super lightweight sporty Stitchlite to business attire Stitchlite, so comfortable that whatever you are doing you can keep your mind sharply focused throughout the day. You can also find the GRANDPRØ Tennis Sneaker with Stitchlite in the new Cole Haan Al Kout store. This sneaker has eliminated all the unnecessary weight of traditional court shoes and kept the Grand.ØS principles of flexibility, cushioning, and ergonomics. This sneaker is a shockingly light shoe you must feel to believe. The Men’s GRANDPRØ with Stitchlite Running Sneaker features stitching that delivers dramatic advancements in lightness and breathability. Grand.ØS innovation grips and comforts every bold step and stride. The design features of the 2.ZERØGRAND Ballet with Stitchlite allow your feet to breathe and keep cool, ideal in a Kuwait summer. The signature Grand. ØS energy foam footbed delivers next-level lightweight cushioning. The Women’s GRANDPRØ Spectator Slip-On Sneaker makes ishoe life easy and no-fuss. With the Grand.ØS rubber outsole and woven suede upper in leather trim, the sneaker is built to comfort your every move. To learn more about the Spring / Summer 2018 collection, visit Cole Haan stores to witness the transformation for yourself and shop the latest in innovation and elegance from Cole Haan’s offerings.
To find out more about Cole Haan and its full range of innovative designs and outstanding collections, customers should visit Cole Haan stores located in Al Kout Mall, Grand Avenue The Avenues, and in 360MALL. For the latest updates, events and offers make sure to follow Cole Haan on Instagram @colehaan.kw and click Like on the Cole Haan Kuwait Facebook page @colehaankw. 85
bazaar movie night
The latest from the big screen playing in cinemas across Kuwait in May
LIFE OF THE PARTY
BENT
ISLE OF DOGS
TERMINAL
A WRINKLE IN TIME
TAXI 5
Release Date: May 10 Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Comedy Cast: Gillian Jacobs, Melissa McCarthy, Debby Ryan Synopsis: When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into re-set by going back to college - landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who's not entirely sold on the idea. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken Deanna -- now Dee Rock -- embraces freedom, fun, and frat boys on her own terms, finding her true self in a senior year no one ever expected.
Release Date: May 10 Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Drama, Thriller Cast: Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg, Mike Myers Synopsis: Starring Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg, Dexter Fletcher, Max Irons, and Mike Myers. In the heart of a and anonymous city, two assassins carry out a sinister mission, a teacher battles a fatal illness, an enigmatic janitor and a curious waitress lead a dangerous double life. Murderous consequences unravel in the dead of night as their lives all intertwine at the hands of a mysterious criminal mastermind, hell-bent on revenge.
Release Date: May 10 Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Crime, Thriller Cast: Karl Urban, SofĂa Vergara, Andy Garcia Synopsis: When a drug bust goes wrong, ex-cop Danny Gallagher's quest for justice leads him to the car-bomb murder of a government official's wife. As Gallagher learns the woman's secret lover was a seductive federal agent (Sofia Vergara, Modern Family), he finds himself under fire. But from who? His own cops, a vengeful drug lord, the CIA, or someone even more ruthless? This thriller also stars Grace Byers and Andy Garcia.
Release Date: May 17 Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy Cast: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon Synopsis: Meg Murry and her little brother, Charles Wallace, have been without their scientist father, Mr. Murry, for five years, ever since he discovered a new planet and used the concept known as a tesseract to travel there. Joined by Meg's classmate Calvin O'Keefe and guided by the three mysterious astral travelers known as Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, the children brave a dangerous journey to a planet that possesses all of the evil in the universe.
Release Date: May 10 Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Cast: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton Synopsis: Set in Japan, this film follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog. When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone in a miniature JuniorTurbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey.
Release Date: May 24 Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy Cast: Franck Gastambide, Malik Bentalha, Bernard Farcy Synopsis: Taxi 5 is a 2018 French comedy film directed by Franck Gastambide and is is the fifth installment of the popular Taxi series. A police officer who's transfered in the police of Marseille gets assigned to take down a group of Italian robbers who drive the most powerfull Ferrari's in the world with the older niece of Daniel, a terrible driver who gets the legendary white taxi. The Fast and The Furious, in France!
For more details on movie timings and the cinema nearest you, visit Cinescape at www.cinescape.com.kw. *Above programs are subject to change without prior notice. 86
Regency
YASEEN HEIKAL DISCUSSES FROM EARTH TO MARS Meet the ten-year-old author living in Kuwait By Nejoud Al-Yagout
Yaseen Heikal has just published his first book titled From Earth to Mars. Not only is this a feat in and of itself, but to add to the glory, the author is also a fifth-grader who, at the age of ten, is among the youngest authors in the world. We are proud of this young boy and cannot wait to support this lofty achievement. By saluting the creative manifestations of our youth, we welcome a new paradigm where young minds are also celebrated as trailblazers. We interviewed Yaseen and were granted a glimpse into his process as a young writer and first-time author. What was the reaction of your publisher to your age when you submitted From Earth to Mars? Actually, my mom is the one who contacted them and she told me that when they knew that the story is written by a 10-year-old, they were fascinated and impressed that such a young boy wanted to do something big like that, especially from this region. They were pleased to get contacted by people in Kuwait! 88
The story revolves around the adventures of a young space traveller, Koy, set in 2050. Did you research about spaceships and aeronautics or was the story a figment of your imagination? The story is purely from my imagination, but I love space and astronomy. I’ve read so much about the galaxy and the planets and I keep up to date with news related to this area in science. For example, a new planet is being discovered that could have life on it. I’ve also learned a lot about planets at school. Science is actually a lesson that I most I enjoy! How did the process of writing begin for you? Were you inspired by other young minds, an adult figure, or did the story evolve on its own? Well, the story evolved on its own, but I always wanted to write stories the way Roald Dahl did. I was moved by his imagination and his stories are fun to read. I’ve been writing short stories for a while, mostly from my bed! I would illustrate them and bind them as well. “From Earth to Mars” is one of them. I showed my story to my parents just like I showed them all the other ones. But I told my parents I wished to publish this one! Adults have trouble, sometimes, getting children to read, but From Earth to Mars is also a coloring book - which will surely pique the interest of
restless readers. Was this intentional? When Mom and I first thought of the book, we didn’t intend it to be a coloring book as well. But as we decided to have the illustrations more ‘cartoonish”, we thought, why not keep them black and white so that the children can color them? For this reason, we had to choose a certain type of paper - which is purely white - to print the book. The activity at the end of the book is actually Dad’s idea! Finally, they say "age ain't nothin' but a number", and you are a testament to that. Are you planning on galvanizing your peers to achieve their dreams as well? Yes, of course! I would love to inspire little kids! That's one of the main reasons why my family and I wanted to make my dream come true by publishing my story. People, both parents and kids, should see from this book that a family should support and help their children try to fulfil their dreams… Why not? The sky is the limit! From Earth to Mars is now available on Amazon and Author House websites. For more information, follow the book’s page on Instagram @_from.earth.to.mars_. You can follow Nejoud on social media @coexistkuwait or visit her website www.nejoudalyagout.com.
Talabat
HERE’S TO 8 MORE! TONI&GUY’s years of success By beautique team
8 is our magic number. It symbolizes power, strength and achievement. It showcases the loyalty we’ve found since opening our first salon in Kuwait, and celebrates the number of successful years we’ve had since first opening. It also resembles the symbol for “infinity”, which we feel, with 8 years under our belt, is very fitting – especially due to the infinite amount of positive moments we’ve experienced along the way! The past eight years have been immensely rewarding, reaping much of what had been sown since our initial opening. Our clientele continues to flourish, keeping our stylists elated day to day as they see their hard work build confidence and spread smiles. As Villa Style director Cathryn, (AKA: Creative Cat) puts it, “The best bit about working at TONI&GUY Villa is how well we work as a team to create a great atmosphere which brings clients back again and again. I love what I do!” We’ve also recently met our clients’ demand for nail services, as we now offer it at the Corniche branch with Villa’s very own Raquel De Guzman. Annaliza still heads the Villa nail services and both technicians are specialized in using the best professional nail care brand, CUCCIO. Another huge achievement in the last year was our first expansion across the GCC, as we opened in Muscat, Oman, located in Holiday Inn Al Seeb where we offer special discounts to guests. In the short time since opening, TONI&GUY Oman has become one of the partners of the Women’s Guild and has went on to sponsor the Women’s Guild Awards along with other events and the exceptional stylists even created stunning updos for a local fashion show! Furthermore, we received valuable input and lessons from special guests visiting from some of our favorite brands. Corniche's Salon manager Samantha Curatolo states that “Here at TONI&GUY Corniche, everyday is a school day as we are always learning and practicing new ideas and techniques to keep on top of the latest fashion ensuring our clients return time and time again knowing they will walk out confident with the latest trends." This past year alone, we hosted two experts, the lovely Sylvia from Leonor Greyl and Max Lamparter from label.m. Sylvia refreshed our stylists’ understanding of the luxury French products that do wonders to the hair through naturally derived ingredients from around the world, and Max showcased his talents as he demonstrated cutting-edge techniques in cutting and styling. Such opportunities over the year have only given our team growth in numbers and skill. We’ve opened doors for new stylists from the UK, Zoe Rowland, Fiona Docherty and Leah Mansfield. Our newest additions, Gretta Mendonca, Senior Beauty Therapist with over 90
General Manager Beverley Van Staden
eighteen years of experience in Kuwait, and Preetha Pillai is a certified Beauty Technician whom will be heading our eyelash services with the most advanced techniques. We also welcomed Ricky Timbas, Senior Stylist/Barber who has joined our T&G Guys Salon in Corniche. Our longterm stylists Emma Verey and Samantha Curatolo both began at the start of it all. Emma manages TONI&GUY Villa, whilst Samantha manages TONI&GUY Corniche. Each member of the salons has unique qualities that bring them together in the most beautiful of ways! Emma Verey says jovially, “It's been a pleasure working for TONI&GUY Kuwait for the last 8 years, I've been lucky
enough to see the company flourish, each member of staff have their individual style, which is portrayed through their amazing work. As a team our knowledge continues to grow, as does our fabulous clientele.” But of course, none of our success could have been made possible without the leadership of our fearless General Manager, Beverley Van Staden, who started it all with the vision of bringing the British franchise to Kuwait. Beverly is known best for her constant strive for the utmost quality and highest of standards, and all that she has done for TONI&GUY Kuwait has exceeded all expectations of excellence. “Big thank you to all our
beautique cosmetics and TONI&GUY staff for being part of our company's success over the last 8 years.” We greatly appreciate and value your hard work. Happy Anniversary!" Villa TONI&GUY for Ladies is located in Cliffs Residential Tower, Salmiya, Block 9, Baghdad St. Lane 7, Bldg 638 (2572 3381). TONI&GUY Corniche for Ladies & Gents is located in Al Corniche Club, Shaab Al Bahry, Gulf Road (2566 3286). Follow @toniandguykw and @toniandguyoman on social media. For more information, visit www.beautiquecosmeticsintl.com. 91
bazaar techno
PUNKT MP 01 PHONE
The MP 01 Phone is meant to put the spotlight back where it belongs: on calls and messages. The 2-inch LCD display — protected by Gorilla Glass — is ideal for dealing with SMS messages, and the built-in noise cancellation ensures that your conversations sound great. It does have Bluetooth, since handsfree setups are handy, but without the need for a bevy of other radios, battery life is fantastic. Not to mention, we could all use the occasional socialmedia detox.
MOASURE ONE MOTION MEASURING TOOL
The One Motion Measuring Tool uses the same tech that rocket guidance systems utilize to keep track of movement in 3D space. Using accelerometers, gyros, and magnetometers, the Moasure one plots a 3D position in any space to measure distance, angle, level, and more. It fits in the palm of your hand, is more accurate than lasers, GPS, and camera-based apps, and has 24 different measuring modes.
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MOMENT ANAMORPHIC LENS
Moment is making the legendary anamorphic lens available for your smartphone. The lens has been a staple in the film industry since the 50's and will give your videos the widescreen look and character of 2:40:1 Cinemascope. Part of Moment's newly released Filmmaker Collection, the lens is compatible with the iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy / Note phones with Moment's Photo Case or Battery Photo Case and is built with cinema quality glass and proprietary lens coatings.
LENOVO MIRAGE CAMERA
The Lenovo Mirage Camera offers powerful virtual reality capabilities with point-and-shoot simplicity. Limited to just three buttons, it's simple to use, with a companion app that lets your phone act as the viewfinder. Two 13-megapixel fisheye cameras give you a 180-degree field of view while creating depth perception similar to the human eye. There's 16 GB of onboard storage for saving all your 4K video, and everything you shoot can be automatically uploaded for instant sharing.
PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI MATE RS SMARTPHONE
Touted by the company as the "911 GT3 RS of smartphones," the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS has a 6-inch OLED display with an in-screen fingerprint sensor. It's AI-assisted triple camera setup developed by Leica pairs a 40-megapixel color sensor with 20-megapixel monochrome and 8-megapixel telephoto shooters. It's powered by a speedy Kirin 970 processor, offers up to 512 GB of internal storage, and comes in black or red.
TIVOLI MODEL ONE DIGITAL
Part of Tivoli Audio's new speaker lineup, the Model One Digital is the company's wireless update to the original Model One, allowing you to stream music over WiFi, Bluetooth, or tune to FM radio. A handmade, real wood case protects the compact sound system and Danish fabric is used for the speaker grill. Listen to it on its own, or craft a modern home listening experience with mid-century design by wirelessly pairing it with one or more of the Tivoli Sphera speakers in matching finishes.
Source: blessthisstuff.com Source: uncrate.com
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THE PROMENADE ICE SCHOOL Serving the community through sport education
By bazaar staff
“I didn’t want a cinema!” Exclaims Adnan Al Othman, when asked how and why he thought of an Ice Rink when designing The Promenade, and he’d seen the ice rinks abroad to cement the inspiration. “[Cinema] does not serve my preliminary idea of Promenade to be for family and kids, adding value to the community.” These are lofty ideals indeed for a shopping mall but not surprising when you consider the Soapbox project (coming soon!) and the mall tenants already in situ; a cavernous bookstore complete with a piano for community events, child care options, a supermarket, brain-engaging skilled entertainment for all the family, healthier food options available in the food court, and a cultural centre. The goal of Promenade is to operate as a business but in conjunction with serving the community. 94
The Ice Rink on the first floor is a humble size, at 1000m2 and deliberately so; it is strategically designed to cater for younger children, or at the very least, those who are physically smaller. It is just the right size, enough to give the ideal practice space for little kids to use the ice. The smaller rink size naturally filters out older teenagers and young adults, those more inclined to hang-out, rather than use the space how it was intended. As well as being a place for sporting activity and entertainment, Promenade Ice is an ice skating school aimed specifically at younger children. “If you don’t create programs in line with creating the rink,” says Adnan Al Othman earnestly, “it will end up [as] something else and doesn’t serve the original idea.” The targeted demographic of 4-13 years is prudent. Start with a young child if you want to see the long-term difference that positive experiences can instil. Given an all-round education, one with sport included, youngsters can learn team-work, commitment and consideration, which bodes well for Kuwait’s future.
This isn’t the only example of incredibly astute and longer-term thinking on the part of qualified engineer, business mogul and philanthropist Adnan Al Othman, where everything must have a purpose. If you don’t challenge yourself, then what’s the point? He insisted on the ice rink itself being elevated to the same floor of the mall on which the children’s activities and shops were located, and he absolutely refused to compromise on this. As an Engineer, he knows that anything can be achieved, you just need to find the solution. As much as the contractors objected, Adnan Al Othman stuck to his principles and today, you will find Promenade Ice on the first floor and not in the basement like the contractors originally wanted. This way, busy mothers and families can conveniently do everything child-related on the one floor, so they naturally will spend a longer time in the mall. This is not only good for business, but also for the families enjoying The Promenade. Once the decision was made to build the rink and school, Adnan Al Othman’s vision never wavered, and because of that tenacity everything
Engineer Adnan Al Othman
seemed to fall into place, like finding the right trainers for the school. “I am from the school of outsourcing” Adnan Al Othman says matter-offactly. He knows that if you must find the best trainers, you may need to look beyond your own borders. “When Promenade Ice began to hire trainers, they [exceeded] my original vision” he proudly admits, going on to explain also about the qualities of passion and patience it takes to deal with children, as well as previous skating experience. Currently, there are thirty children in the skating program, but there is room for more. Just because there is space, that doesn’t mean that all the spaces in the school will be filled. They are looking for passion, raw talent and a real desire from the kids to learn. It is not always someone who has approached the school that will get on the team; the keen-eyed staff also are on the lookout for talented skaters and have successfully brought participants into the school this way; talent spotting from the children visiting and trying out Promenade Ice for themselves just for fun. Occasionally, children who start the program may not complete it, which inspires a greater respect for all the ones who do accomplish a full season. The training entails a grueling 12-15 hours a week closer to competitions, but in general can take 2-4 hours a week, every week, throughout the year. The proof is less in the pudding and more in the trophy cabinet, with numerous medal wins in international competitions. The 2018 haul so far includes 73 Gold, 42 Silver and 16 Bronze! Most recently, the Promenade Ice Team competed in Skate Emirates winning First place overall, improving upon their impressive 2017 Second place. “Competition isn’t scary” insists Adnan Al Othman, explaining that it gives a sense of purpose and introduces young children to a life of responsibilities and gives them a foundation on which to build confidence and meet challenges head on. The next challenge for the Promenade Ice Team? They are keen to improve upon the number of participants in Skate Asia, last year coming in a respectable ninth with only four competitors. Hopefully and with a lot of dedication, the team will achieve this, as well as individual members developing all the additional skills it will take to get these adventurous youngsters to competition. Perhaps it may be your child next!
For details on rink activities and ice camps please call 2227 7138 for more information. Promenade Ice is open from 10:00 am-10:00 pm on weekdays and from 10:00 am - 11:00 pm on weekends. Follow @thepromenadekw for further mall activities and @promenadeculturecentre for culture centre events. For Facebook updates, check out @thepromenadekw. Images courtesy of Promenade ice. 95
THE OBESITY PARADOX DEBUNKED People with extra pounds do not live longer By Karen Kaplan
For several years, researchers have struggled to explain the obesity paradox. This is the observation that, after being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, people who are overweight or obese live longer than people who have a healthy weight. How is it possible for those extra pounds to provide extra years of life? The answer, it turns out, is simple. They aren’t. A new study shows what’s really going on: People who are overweight or obese are being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease at younger ages. Although they do spend more years living with the disease than their slimmer peers, they do not live longer overall. Indeed, one of the main effects of carrying around too much excess weight is that you get fewer years of disease-free life. A team of researchers led by Dr. Sadiya Khan of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine figured this out by examining data from the Cardiovascular Disease Lifetime Risk Pooling Project. They pulled medical information on 190,672 Americans who did not have cardiovascular disease when they began being tracked by researchers. All of them had their height and weight measured at least once, and all of them were followed for at least 10 years. Altogether, they provided researchers with 3.2 million years of health data. The researchers grouped the study participants according to their age and their weight status. Starting with people between the ages of 40 and 59, they saw that those who were overweight or obese had a higher risk of a heart attack, stroke or congestive heart failure than did those with a normal weight. For instance, among middle-aged men, 37 percent of those who were overweight (that is, with a body mass index between 25 and 29.9) experienced some type of cardiovascular event after joining a study. So did 47 percent of men who were obese (with a body mass index between 30 and 39.9) and 65.4 percent of those who were morbidly obese (with a BMI of 40 or above). By comparison, 32 percent of men with a BMI in the normal range (between 18.5 and 24.9) suffered a cardiovascular event. Among middle-aged women, 27.9 percent of those who were overweight had a heart attack, stroke or congestive heart failure after joining a study, as did 38.8 percent of those who were obese and 47.6 percent of those who were morbidly obese. Among women with a normal weight, 21.5 percent experienced one of these cardiovascular events. After adjusting the data to account for risk factors like age, race, ethnicity and smoking status, Khan and her colleagues found that the higher the BMI, 96
the greater the lifetime risk of some type of heart problem. For example, compared to middle-aged men with a normal BMI, the risk of a heart attack (either fatal or nonfatal) was 18 percent higher for men who were overweight, 42 percent higher for men who were obese, and 98 percent higher for men who were morbidly obese. For middle-aged women, the risk of a heart attack was 42 percent higher for those who were overweight, 75 percent higher for those who were obese and 80 percent higher for those who were morbidly obese. The researchers found that middle-aged adults with a normal weight lived the most years free of cardiovascular disease. For instance, men who were morbidly obese experienced their first cardiovascular event 7.5 years sooner than men with a normal BMI. For women, the difference was 7.1 years. In addition, a normal weight was associated with a longer life overall. Middle-aged men with a normal BMI
lived 5.6 years longer than men who were morbidly obese, while women with a normal BMI lived 2 years longer than women who were morbidly obese. All of these patterns were similar in younger and in older adults, the researchers found. By looking at people’s health over a longer period of time — not just after they’ve been diagnosed with a heart problem — the true significance of the obesity paradox comes into view. “The obesity paradox … appears largely to be caused by earlier diagnosis of CVD,” the researchers wrote, using an abbreviation for cardiovascular disease.“Adults who were obese had an earlier onset of incident CVD, a greater proportion of life lived with CVD morbidity (unhealthy life years), and shorter overall survival compared with adults with normal BMI,” they concluded. The study was published in the journal JAMA Cardiology. Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash.
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Hagen Dazs
@HaagenDazskw
The Avenues
Souq Sharq
Alhamra Tower
Alraya Complex
The Gate Mall
HYGGE YOUR RAMADAN WITH JYSK
Update your home for Ramadan for maximum coziness By bazaar staff
It is not a typo! "Hygge" is Danish for cozy. It is pronounced hoo-ghah. It is the feeling of coziness, whether alone or with others, at home or outdoors. It is being present and finding warmth and connection in the ritual of living. For Danes, it is a way of life. Using their favorite mug for tea and wearing their comfiest pants, surrounded with loved ones in front of a fireplace. And while we all know what the concept is and probably aspire to it, we forget to live that way. That’s why Ramadan is the perfect time to get your hygge on. Iftars, ghabqas, suhours and gatherings with friends and family. And we think the Danes have a great solution for that too. The Danish home store brand JYSK (pronounced yoosk) is your one-stop shop for transforming your home into a very cozy environment. The relative newcomer to Kuwait has more than twenty-five hundred branches in fifty countries. There is one in every neighborhood in Europe. JYSK is trendy, affordable but does not compromise on quality. Don’t take my word for it. The Queen of Denmark granted them a royal warrant of appointment. It is a way for recognizing companies that have supplied the royal household with quality goods for long enough. If it is good enough for the queen, it is good enough for me. Regal quality-priced items make JYSK accessable for everyone. Hygge is all about intention and a conscious desire to find warmth. I find that the first step to get there is to turn off all of your harsh overhead lighting. Candles are your new best friend. JYSK stock a very diverse selection of candle holders from the industrial to the dainty and pretty. And since it is Ramadan, you still need the quintessential lantern! Be sure to grab a few while you are there. Having people over in Ramadan means that your home will probably be overflowing with visitors. Nothing will make them feel more welcome and comfortable like sitting down and finding themselves surrounded by softness. I believe that the proper ratio of cushions to people should be two to one and during Ramadan, you can totally up that number. We’re tired, hungry and grumpy, so what better way to chill than to take a quick nap on the couch surrounded by fluffy goodness. The faux sheepskin ones are adorable and so soft. Or maybe grab a beanbag or two for ultimate sink-inyour-chair bliss. Even better, get a sofa-bed! JYSK has some great choices. Make your guests feel welcome enough to just flip it open and sleep off that famous post-iftar food coma. They should be able to just 98
grab the nearest throw, which are available at JYSK and come in different colors that will match any theme you might have inside your home. A good host/hostess is a considerate one. Which is why you need side tables. You really don’t want people sitting around, while holding their plates or coffee cups. That is just stressful and not hygge or good Ramadan etiquette at all. Round tables, square tables, little tables, big tables. You will find one, or four, that suit your space and wallet. While we are on the subject of tables, you might want to consider upgrading your dining room set. Tables in particular are sold separately so you can mix and match the chairs. Opt for an expandable table so you can accommodate all of your friends and family without having to have a huge table for everyday use. After everyone has gone home and you are ready to find your own inner hygge, you will be glad that you got one of their mattresses and pillows. Their slogan is Scandinavian sleeping and living, and they are serious about the sleeping part. Engineered to give you support and comfort, the mattresses live up to that claim. Climbing into a warm bed after a long day and knowing that your bedsheets look as great as they feel makes it all worth it. And with Ramadan nights being really short, it will definitely be a worthy investment. Their prices are so budget-friendly that you can stock up on everything without worrying about breaking the bank! We are sure you won’t walk out the door without filling a shopping cart or two. And you will definitely be back for more. They are all about choices that fit your every-day life! We are so grateful for the Danes for giving us JYSK and hygge. But let’s not forget those Hyggebukser pants that you would not be caught dead wearing in public, but are so cozy and comfortable. They should totally be the Ramadan uniform so that we can stuff our faces and still be comfortable, all month long. Anything in the name of full, happy souls and bellies.
The JYSK flagship store is located in the Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa showroom at Dajeej, Airport Road 55. For customer support or more information, please call 222 61 884, or email JYSK@aaw.com. JYSK is open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m.- 10 p.m. Delivery and assembly services are also available for a minimal additional price. Follow @JYSK_Kuwait on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and JYSK Kuwait on Facebook and YouTube. For more home inspiration please visit www.jysk.com, www.jysk.co.uk or www.jysk.ca and for more about AAW visit www.aaw.com. 99
bazaar apps
JUST A LINE
LIFT STORAGE
KUNI ANALOG FILTERS
OTTER VOICE MEETING NOTES
LEAN LAUNCHER
REMEMBEAR
Just a Line is another new ARCore app from Google Creative Lab. This one lets you draw things in your camera viewfinder. Basically, it opens the camera, you draw stuff, and that stuff stays where you drew it. That means you can turn away from the drawing, turn back, and it's still there. Like most ARCore apps, it's a tad buggy,but at the same time it's also kind of fun. The app is free with no in-app purchases or ads.
KUNI Analog Filters is a new vintage photo filter app. It features over 100 photo filters, non-destructive editing, and some very basic photo editing. The app's claim to fame is its 1990's style filters. They include film grain, various styles from old disposable camera companies, and yes, it has the classic filter with the date in the bottom corner. The app goes for $0.99 (300 fils) with an optional $0.99 add-on purchase listed as an in-app purchase. It's not bad for some nostalgia.
Lean Launcher is a surprisingly good new launcher. It features a minimal style along with a fairly modern list of features. The features include support for notification dots, app shortcuts, Google Now, dynamic icons, and more. There are also a few customization features and it can lock the home screen to prevent accidental changes. Otherwise, the launcher is quite minimal. This should work best for those who don't need every bell and whistle, but want at least some of the main ones.
Lift Storage is a simple, minimal workout app, but it doesn't show you workouts like other apps. Rather, it lets you store and schedule your own workouts at the gym. The app also attempts to adjust the weights, scheduling, and routines automatically to challenge you. We also liked that it required no logins or customization. It is a very new app thus, there are almost certainly bugs. However, this could be a decent low key workout app for those on a budget.
Otter Voice Meeting Notes is a note taking app as well as a voice recorder app. The app functions mostly as a voice recorder for things like team meetings at work, sudden ideas while you’re otherwise engaged, dictation and more. It generates notes from the voice recordings. It also lets you customize those notes for further organization. It's a new app that could use some optimizations. However, it otherwise works very well. The app is also free with no in-app purchases or advertisements.
RememBear is a new password manager app from the developers of TunnelBear VPN. The app features encryption along with other security features. You can also use your fingerprint for quick access. Some other features include third party audits for extra security, a password generator, auto-login, and more. Like most new apps, it's a little rough around the edges, however, given the success of TunnelBear and its affordability, we assume it won't take long for this app to come into its own.
tomsguide.com androidauthority.com 100
Zitaat
RUN FOR THE ANIMALS!
Accomplished triathlete Aziz completes 24 hour awareness run in Kuwait By Ayman Nassar
For most people, the concept of staying up for a period of 24 hours is out of the question. The idea that someone would not only stay up for 24 hours, but continue to move, is beyond comprehension. However, Aziz has long since sought to do the incomprehensible. On the outside, Aziz appears to have it all. An accomplished triathlete, he swims, runs and cycles his way across various countries and terrains with a smile on his face. On the inside, a heart of gold beats for our less fortunate friends - the animals. The majority of Kuwait's sports community are well aware of Aziz, who’s friendly ‘Atta boys’, antics and whacky costumes go far in cheering people to take the next step towards the finish line. Many among us will donate their time and some money for animal welfare, Aziz went above and beyond, and on a hot summer’s day last March, he set out to move all over Kuwait for 24 hours straight to raise money for the animal shelters. What most people do not know is that prior to that, he had been busy flying around the Gulf participating in marathons where he successfully placed in the top 3 on several occasions; the prize money went towards his cause. What made you decide to do this? I like exploring my physical limits and figured this challenge would do the job. I wanted to make it more meaningful hence the run4theanimals came into play. I follow a couple of local rescue groups and continuously see the increasing hospital bills of injured animals. I hoped to make a difference. How many pets do you currently have? One male cat, two dogs (male and female) and two goldfish: Casperburger, Linkalous James, Daisy Doodles Madison, Fred and Barney. Before this, what was the longest distance you ran? 100 km. How many kilometers did you cover? Around 134 km. What did you discover about yourself whilst moving for 24 hours? I realized how incredibly blessed I am to have amazing friends and family who went out of their way to support, cheer, run and bring supplies to me. (French fries really kept me going). How did it work exactly, did you keep moving or did you pause your watch to rest? I never paused my watch, except by accident and only for a second. During my breaks I'd quickly charge 102
my watch and phone so that I could keep the live location up for whoever wanted to join. How much were you able to raise? Just about KD 1800. I was ecstatic to reach my donation goal and so thankful for all the generosity out there. Would you do it again? Most definitely! Tell us something that happened along the way that you wouldn’t want people to know. There were some interesting bathroom breaks along the way… Any special thanks you wish to give? To everyone one who helped make this a successful, memorable event. I truly have never, ever felt so much love in one day. Special thanks goes to: Fatemah Alghanim for the much needed sunscreen. Aziz and Ahmed for lacing up and clocking in good mileage. Asmi Khan for making t-shirts to support the cause! Diya for coming out and running twice, and to her family for supporting! Pablo, Ichi and Dagza, for their magnanimous support and clocking in 24 kilometers! Mullet and Betool for the push and laughs! May and her family for the goodie bag of gels. Jonathan Wick for providing the yummy chewables and dates as well as being a great support vehicle! Joel Cruz, Emz Antonio, Emily and Cherish Ann, who came at the right time with a boost of energy and great signs! Ma Estela Barros for staying until the end as a support car and having medical supplies on standby. Elmimso Desiempre for the surprise guest appearance, the memories and laughs! Khaled for setting a new PR earlier that morning then coming out to clock additional mileage. Justi Medelo and Rima for the supplies and the support vehicle. India Satya for the much needed massage. Pascal and Sofie, for going out of their way to support even after a long night out! Melwyn Pereira for his company and conversations during the final countdown. Jalil Marvin for capturing the last moments of the run! My big brother Hesham Al-Khamis who, despite being halfway across the world, still made an appearance on Instagram Live and helped kick off the first kilometers of the run. Honorary thanks goes to Mr. Charlie Burns, husband to the amazing Chal De Leon Burns who rescued four kitties himself. His continuous words of encouragement made it feel like he was running beside me. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for my lovely, kind hearted, give-her-last-fils-to-a-stranger mother, Cheryl Kraft. She brought all the reinforcements and nutritious foods to help keep the entire support crew fed. To everyone who liked, commented, and shared the posts, sent words of encouragement and donated to this cause, the biggest thank you goes out to you all!! This could not have been possible without each and every one of you. Who would you say supported you the most? My better half, Stacey “The Manager” Murakami,
hands down! The list of her support is unending. She was the Queen Bee in this, taking care of EVERYTHING from dropping me off at the starting point (meters from the Saudi Arabian border) to being the main support vehicle, a taxi for supporters, my mobile aid station being by my side almost the entire run, buying supplies and providing moral support when times got rough. For that I am remarkably blessed and grateful! Love you!
What would you like to impart to the readers? Be kind to ALL living things on this planet. Do something good for others, no matter how big or small it is. Follow Aziz on instagram @zizo1826 for more information and to donate to the animals, visit http://gotapnow.com/mobile/24hrrun4animals. Photography by Stacey Murakami & Ali Al-Abdulhadi, @events.n.kuwait on Instagram. 103
bazaar music
WILDNESS
TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL & CASINO BY ARCTIC MONKEYS
BY SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO
Snow Patrol have shared more details about Wildness, their first new record since 2011’s Fallen Empires. “There are many types of wildness, but I think it can be distilled into two: the wildness of the modern age, all it’s confusion, illogic and alienation and a more ancient wildness,” frontman Gary Lightbody said in a press release. “Something primal, alive and beautiful that speaks to our true connectivity, our passion, our love, our communion with nature and each other. This is the kind of wildness the album is centered around. The loss of it. Trying to reconnect with it. To remember it.”
Arctic Monkeys have announced their new album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. The follow-up to 2013's AM, the group's sixth album marks its first in five years. It will be released via Domino on May 11th. Produced by longtime collaborator James Ford and frontman Alex Turner, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris and London. The 11-track album will be available in multiple formats. In addition to standard CD, vinyl and digital versions, there will also be a silver vinyl LP edition with a gatefold sleeve, lyric and photo booklet exclusively available via the band's website.
Jas Shaw and James Ford combine once more, the pair reconvening at Shaw's studio in the English countryside just on the cusp of the 10th anniversary of their debut album. New album Murmurations isn't some simple look back, however, with Simian Mobile Disco introducing new elements, new collaborators. Out on May 11th, the record is led by fantastic new song 'Caught In A Wave', matching rippling technoled electronics to guest vocals from The Deep Throat Choir. The video is incredible, with Kiani Del Valle directing a clip that is starkly chaotic and beautiful much like the bird formations of the album title.
BY SNOW PATROL
KNOCK KNOCK
FAN
MURMURATIONS
VIOLET PSALM
BY DJ KOZE
BY MERIC LONG
BY FROG EYES
Knock Knock is a guest-packed album feautring vocals from a wild roster including Róisín Murphy, Sophia Kennedy, Arrested Development’s Speech, José González and Bon Iver. "Too many guests” has been a common pitfall for many, but Koze proved a serious exception to the rule with his 2013 masterstroke Amygdala, aligning artists including Caribou, Matthew Dear, Apparat and Milosh under Koze’s euphoric, psychedelic vision. It’s aged into a classic and now the German producer will replicate those kaleidoscopic wonders with a whole new crew.
Meric Long has been making music as one half of The Dodos for over a decade, and recently he announced a brand new solo project entitled FAN. Conceived upon hearing an irreproducible pattern made from the sound of a broken fan in a restaurant bathroom, FAN's music is pulled together from recordings Long made in Galicia, Spain, using synths left for him after his father's passing. "I was aimlessly recording synth drones for months and this was one of the first songs that kinda woke me up. It kinda reminds me of the song 'I Still Believe' from the movie The Lost Boys."
Frog Eyes have made their last album. 17 years after their teetering debut, the Vancouver band unveils Violet Psalms— “a giddy lament; a gnashing jubilee; a rain-drenched allocution on hope vs. horror, paradise vs. pride, Marx and Brexit and bad acid trips.” It’s an ending like a beginning. “We were trying to pretend it was our first record,” Carey Mercer says. This is their final record, Frog Eyes’ last gasp—but the art-rockers wanted to capture the energy of a debut, the freedom you feel “when there’s no expectation that anyone will actually listen.”
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Source: www.amazon.co.uk
Sutis
BRAD KENT: MASTER PIZZAIOLO Discovering the magic behind Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza By bazaar staff
What do you get when you cross science, art, and a passion for pizza? Seasoned pizzaiolo Brad Kent, the executive chef at Blaze Pizza and the man who created their amazing proprietary dough. The self-proclaimed tinkerer started experimenting with making pizza in 2001, and by 2006 he created a mobile business making tapas and catering. He opened his first brick and mortar restaurant in 2010 and by 2012, he was already being called “the pizza whisperer”. That was when Brad was approached by Blaze to come up with a recipe for a fool-proof and delicious crust, and he thoroughly delivered. Today, the chain has more than 250 locations in the US, Canada and now in the Middle 106
East. His own restaurant, Olio Pizzeria in Los Angeles, offers a pure artisanal pizza experience. Brad started young. At the age of seven he was already experimenting in the kitchen. He went to college for a business degree, which he got. But his passion for good food led him to the Culinary Institute of America and then a Food Science degree from Cal State Long Beach. That, and his hands-on experience in running his own food businesses, has really helped shape the way he thinks, from recipe creation to the holistic experience of his clientele. Brad gave me a tour of Blaze Pizza’s kitchen. We first stepped into the dough room and that’s when it was clear that he has definitely thought of everything. Nothing is left to chance, because consistency is the name of his game. The water that is used in the dough
is run through a very complicated filtration system, then the right ratio of minerals are then added back in. Details are everything. Brad is soft-spoken but his passion for pizza is contagious, not that I need any encouragement. He wants to make sure that you get an artisanal pizza, for the price of a fast-food one. He insists on using the best ingredients. For instance, Brad never compromised on always using cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, and never the refined stuff even though it is more expensive. He learned early on that if there is any oxidation in the oil or it is of lower quality, it affects the gluten development in the dough. He even had it validated and tested by a chemist and a biochemist—Brad is a food scientist, after all. I asked him about his recipe development journey.
And he explained that he had tasted many pizzas and had favorite elements in many of them, but had yet to find one that hit the sweet notes for him in every way. Unlike musicians who can avoid listening to other people’s music, he couldn’t really start from scratch. But he could turn that to his advantage. He tested different recipes, techniques and methods. Finally, arriving at the perfect crust for Blaze Pizza. He still has to make sure that every new branch that opens can recreate it consistently every time. When it doesn’t happen, he stays on it until he figures out what needs to be adjusted. He is nothing if not tenacious. Even the pressing of the dough was well thought out! Brad was going for a gentle hand-tossed result. Something that requires years of experience and is impossible to be replicated by everyone at a single branch, let alone a global chain. Instead, he worked with the manufacturers of the pizza press. They taught the machine how to mimic his process. So technically, Brad’s magic does sort of touch every pizza that comes out of a Blaze Pizza oven. He made two pizzas while he was talking to me, never skipping a beat. He would pause sometimes and look at it to make sure that everything was going according to plan. Even when it went into the oven, he kept a constant eye on the pizza. Gently poking and moving it. It all payed off because perfect pizza came out of that oven. He explained how at every step the person handling the pizza has the right and duty to stop and start a new pizza if they feel it won’t turn out perfectly. It is after all a “human-made” product and not a machine creation. He is not ashamed of a mistake, but he does think that they can and should be fixed at the first instance they are noticed. This is another perk of the assembly line system he devised. While for the diner, the pizza building experience also means that the staff are highly trained in their job and can quickly spot and stop a problem. And I realized I had made a mistake when I asked him about reheating leftover pizza. He gave me a really incredulous look. He laughed and asked “Why would there be leftover pizza?”. It makes sense, no one in their right mind would leave a single slice of his pizza behind, but sometimes we order too much. His advice, step away from the microwave and follow the instructions on the box. His personal preference is not to reheat it at all and just enjoy it as it is. The next time I have leftover pizza, (not that it will happen anytime soon), I am going to do just that. It was an honor to taste pizza made by the great pizzaiolo himself. And while I did ask him for tips on making a good homemade pizza. He said, keep it simple. Dough, sauce and cheese is fine. And a maximum of three toppings. It is also the same advice he gives to people building their own pizza. But I think I will just be heading to Blaze Pizza. Simply because, I know that he has personally designed and approved the process and I will always get the perfect pie.
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is located in Grand Plaza – The Avenues. For Blaze Pizza's latest updates and news follow them on Instagram @BlazePizzaME. 107
big boys toys
AURORA STATION SPACE HOTEL
SKY TREK AIRCRAFT CHARTER SERVICE
FIFTYTEN ADVENTURE VEHICLE SYSTEM
URWERK AMC CLOCK & WATCH
ROGUE RIDGE WARRIOR RB1000 E-BIKE
METAXAS & SINS PHONOGRAPHIC PERAMBULATOR TURNTABLE
Very few companies are offering somewhere to go when you get to space. The Aurora Station Space Hotel aims to fix that. This low-orbit space station is shooting for a 2021 launch to orbit and a 2022 opening. It will welcome up to four guests at a time for 12-day stays, with two crew members available to handle requests. Interested guests can expect to undergo a three-month training program before launch, with both that and transportation to and from the "hotel" included in the price.
Inspired by the Sympathique built by Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1793, the Urwerk AMC Clock & Watch pairs an atomic tabletop clock with a wrist-bound timepiece. The 55-pound clock is made from a solid hunk of aluminum and has a special cradle for the watch that allows the clock to wind the timepiece, set the time, and adjust the balance rate. And while the watch looks like a traditional, if chunky, timepiece, the clock could easily sub in as an elaborate movie prop.
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Air travel between major cities is a breeze compared to the challenge of trying to speed to a smaller destination. Sky Trek Aircraft Charter Service solves this problem — in Japan, at least. This membershipbased service lets you book travel from within their app, suggesting the best routes for your trip. When it's time to go, simply arrive at the airport, wait a bit, and an attendant will escort you directly to the plane, where you'll have plenty of room to stretch out and a guaranteed view of your surroundings.
The Ridge Warrior features a carbon belt drive system that is comprised of a 1,000-watt motor and a Panasonic 48V13AH Lithium Ion battery. The carbon fiber belt lasts for more than 10,000 miles while the bike's hand-welded aluminum alloy frame can handle up to 330 pounds of weight. The battery gives riders a range of nearly 30 miles without pedaling, it maxes out at 30mph, and includes a fullcolor display that shows your speed, average speed, trip distance, and remaining battery power.
Instead of spending a fortune buying a custom adventure ride, transform your own truck into one with the Fiftyten Adventure Vehicle System. This DIY kit includes three pieces: a flat tray area that replaces the traditional bed and offers side storage boxes with a large drawer at the rear, a box that sits atop the tray and has T-slots for attaching furniture, kitchen modules, etc, and a pop-up rooftop tent. It's compatible with a wide range of models from companies such as Toyota, Ford, and Mercedes.
The latest creation from Kostas Metaxas is another daring piece of design, only for the most serious audiophiles and money spenders. The Phonographic Perambulator Turntable is machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminum and titanium and features a lathe-turned aluminum platter base. It runs on a Swiss Maxon motor belt-driven system and comes with a tonearm with a pure Sapphire tube and jeweled bearings.
Source: www.uncrate.com
Raising Canes
bazaar goes dining
BUILD YOUR PIZZA AND EAT IT! An artisanal pizza experience at fast-food prices By bazaar staff
I am definitely Team Pizza’s captain. It is the perfect meal: Different textures from a crispy crust, crunchy toppings and beautiful melted cheese. Change the toppings and cheese and suddenly the flavors make for a completely different experience. A good pizza teases your senses. It should be pretty to look at with the toppings offering pops of different colors. You should be able to smell all of the different aromas. When the crust is well cooked, you can hear the crunchiness. And it has to taste just right! Which is why Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza at The Avenues lets you build your own pizza. Blaze pizza is fast-casual dining, at the intersection between affordable fast-food and high-end dining. You get artisanal pizza made with high-quality ingredients at a fraction of the cost. You can also get that feel from the decor. Industrial with a lot of stainless-steel juxtaposed against chairs and tables that are made of beautiful heavy wood. There is a lot of grays and blacks against some fiery reds and oranges making it feel rich but still very down-to-earth. The dough has already been made in-house and has been proofing for the last 24 hours. Everything is precise. The dough press has been programmed to create the perfect base. And that is only the first step. My friend and I stood at the assembly line and it was my turn to pick and choose what I wanted on my pie. At Blaze Pizza, you can choose from the six signature pizzas, tweak them, or even build your own from scratch. Brad Kent, the executive chef and “pizza whisperer” walked us through the process that day. My friend, a vegetarian, chose the Red Vine. Classic red sauce, ovalini mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and extra virgin olive oil drizzle to top it off. The quality of the Italian ovalini mozzarella is apparent as Brad squeezed the whey out of it. When he broke it into chunks, he showed us the strands in the cheese. These strands are a marked sign that you will be getting that elusive perfect melt. While choices can be scary or liberating, I find them to be a mixture of both. So, I decided to go ahead and build my own, because, you only live once! Brad suggested that we try the garlic pesto sauce. Next step was the cheese. I love mozzarella on my pizza, so that was an easy choice. Some ricotta because sometimes it is healthy to break the rules. Blue-cheese, feta, goat, shredded mozzarella, parmesan and even a vegan shred option were available, but Brad told us to keep it simple. Overloading on toppings overcomplicates the pizza. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, skip this 110
part and move on, but I wanted some Italian style meatballs on my pizza. Brad told us that he had worked on tweaking the recipe and changing the spices so that they worked better with local meats. The outcome was also made slightly spicier and thus more suitable for the Middle East's palate. Pizza is comfort food, it has to taste like home. Blaze Pizza is very big on delivering the same experience of an artisanal quality pizza. They are very rigid in their processes to make sure that happens. Every person in the process can stop it and start over to make sure that you get the perfect pizza, every time. For the veggies, I got some eggplant and roasted red peppers. Fresh arugula, dried oregano and extra virgin olive oil finished off my pizza. That last drizzle of oil is the chef’s signature on his artwork. He has deemed it worthy. Three minutes in the huge open-fire oven and we have pizza. After about a minute and a half, Brad moved it around to make sure they are cooked even and even pokes it to make sure it doesn’t get burned. It takes skill and an eye for detail. The crust is like nothing I have had before. It is very thin, really crispy but is still airy and chewy, like a cross between a New York pizza and an Indian Poori. The unmistakable aroma of garlic hits you first, but the olive oil keeps it from being too strong. The meatballs were spicy but not overpowering. And the ricotta was so rich and creamy. Since the pizza didn’t say long in the oven the Arugula is still bright green and crunchy. Everything is tied together nicely. The vegetarian pizza was just as good. Islands of melted cheese in a sea of delicious bright tomato sauce were a feast for the eyes and the stomach. It is a generous single-person sized pizza and very filling. We washed it down with some lemonade. There is Original, Mint, Blood Orange and Blueberry Hibiscus. I am a huge fan of Blood Oranges but the Blueberry Hibiscus was amazing. Twangy, sweet and refreshing. The acidity and tartness is balanced nicely with the sweetness. Everything is about being “just right” at Blaze. Goldilocks should have come here in the first place. For dessert we had two options. Brownies and s’mores! I love a good brownie, but s’mores are such a rare treat here that we had to have them. The marshmallows were golden brown and gooey, just the way they should be. It was the perfect ending to a very enjoyable meal. We loved everything about our experience at Blaze Pizza. The next time we are at The Avenues, broke and hungry from all the shopping, Blaze Pizza will be our final stop. It is the best most-affordable pizza you can hope for.
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is located in Grand Plaza – The Avenues. For Blaze Pizza's latest updates and news, please follow them on Instagram @BlazePizzaME. 111
bazaar books
SHE PERSISTED AROUND THE WORLD By Chelsea Clinton
Women around the world have long dreamed big, even when they've been told their dreams didn't matter. They've spoken out, risen up and fought for what's right, even when they've been told to be quiet. Whether in science, the arts, sports or activism, women and girls throughout history have been determined to break barriers and change the status quo. In this companion book to She Persisted, Chelsea Clinton introduces readers to a group of thirteen incredible women who have shaped history all across the globe. She Persisted Around the World is a book for everyone who has ever aimed high and been told to step down, for everyone who has ever raised their voice and been told to quiet down, and for everyone who has ever felt small, unimportant or unworthy. This book features: Marie Curie, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Viola Desmond, Sissi Lima do Amor, Leymah Gbowee, Caroline Herschel, Wangari Maathai, Aisha Rateb, J.K. Rowling, Kate Sheppard, Yuan Yuan Tan, Mary Verghese and Malala Yousafzai.
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THE ESCAPE ARTIST
EDUCATED: A MEMOIR by Tara Westover
By Jason Matthews
By Michelle Obama
Who is Nola Brown? Her body was found on a plane that mysteriously fell from the sky as it left a secret military base in the Alaskan wilderness. Her commanding officer verifies she's dead. The US government confirms it. But Jim "Zig" Zigarowski has just found out the truth: Nola is still alive. And on the run. Zig works at Dover Air Force Base, helping put to rest the bodies of those who die on top-secret missions. Nola was a childhood friend of Zig's daughter and someone who once saved his daughter's life. So when Zig realizes Nola is still alive, he's determined to find her. Yet as Zig digs into Nola's past, he learns that trouble follows Nola everywhere she goes. Nola is the U.S. Army's artist-in-residence-a painter and trained soldier who rushes into battle, making art from war's aftermath and sharing observations about today's wars that would otherwise go overlooked. On her last mission, Nola saw something nobody was supposed to see, earning her an enemy unlike any other, one who will do whatever it takes to keep Nola quiet.
Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling homecanned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills” bag. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged metal in her father’s junkyard. Her father distrusted the medical establishment, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes, concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. When a brother got himself into college and came back with news of the world beyond the mountain, Tara taught herself enough mathematics, grammar, and science to take the ACT and was admitted to Brigham Young University. She studied psychology, politics, philosophy, and history. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
From the New York Times bestselling author and veteran CIA officer Jason Matthews comes the electrifying modern spy thriller Red Sparrow, which is also now a major motion picture, recently nominated in the 2018 Oscars. In contemporary Russia, state intelligence officer Dominika Egorova has been drafted to become a “Sparrow”—a spy trained in the art of seduction to siphon out information from their marks. She’s been assigned to Nathaniel Nash, a CIA officer who handles the organization’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception and, inevitably, a forbidden spiral of carnal attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America’s valuable mole in Moscow.For fans of John le Carré and Ian Fleming and featuring “highlevel espionage, pulse-ponding danger, romance, double agents, and double crosses” (Nelson DeMille), Red Sparrow is a timely and electrifying thriller that is impossible to put down.
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first AfricanAmerican to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two downto-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare. In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address.
By Brad Meltzer
RED SPARROW
BECOMING
Source: www.amazon.co.uk
Mac
ONE LOVE FOR TODD GRAVES Dream big, plan bigger and conquer the world By bazaar staff
Founders of large global chains rarely have the time or energy to go around visiting all of their branches, but Todd Graves of Raising Cane’s is an exception. When you meet him, you are hit with an infectious smile, bursts of energy and excitement. He is a dreamer. Todd started out with a vision for opening a restaurant just outside his college campus and worked some of the toughest jobs to raise the capital. He was a boilermaker in California and a commercial fisherman in Alaska, proof that he would go to the ends of the earth to see his dream come to fruition. But he has also become a planner. Todd acknowledged that being an entrepreneur means that you want to do all the things to make your dreams come true, but you also need discipline, planning and dedication to actually see things through. If you spread yourself too thin, operations suffer. This is a lesson that he learned really well. Because, when the time came to transform the company from an entrepreneurial one to a global chain, Raising Cane’s retained its spirit and seamlessly moved forward with professionally managed strategies and plans. Raising Cane’s is a billion-dollar company. It is the fastest growing restaurant concept in the United States and has the highest ratings for satisfaction, taste and intent to return. They operate 375 restaurants all over the world. And it only took two decades to get this far. Todd’s vision for the restaurant is very clear, and it isn’t just a slogan for him. The brand is committed to growing all over the world and to be the brand for quality chicken finger meals, a great crew, cool culture and active community involvement. Which is why they have One Love, and do one thing and do it really well. If they don’t, they are no longer special, and people can easily recognize if anything is off. So, Raising Cane’s is committed to making sure every meal is perfect. The crew is very involved and loyal to the brand. They are not considered employees, instead it is a huge family. They genuinely welcomed Todd with open arms when he visited Kuwait and were happy and excited to see him. His crew is treated fairly, gets to learn new skills and can move along their career paths easily. He is very proud of them and their happiness is important to him. He never once called them employees but always a crew. During the entire time I spent with Todd, he would smile, wave and yell hellos to all of them. He is also very proud of seeing his company grow. But it is not about him, it is about being 114
able to give back to the people that they serve. Locally, they are involved with schools, hospitals, gardens and the disabled community. He is partial to teachers. For him, teacher appreciation is a huge deal. Teachers do so much for our children, simply for the love of teaching more than anything. Their efforts deserve acknowledgement and support. This is something that Raising Cane’s regularly does, and they aim to be involved more with schools in Kuwait soon. It is about making a real difference for local people. I asked him if he still gets cravings for chicken tenders in the middle of the night. “Oh yeah!” Todd replied excitedly. He still eats them at least once a week, perhaps on a Sunday when he is tired and in the mood for some comfort food. Everyone can relate to that. The two most asked questions he gets in Kuwait, is when will they be opening their next branch and when will they start delivering. Raising Cane’s is working on fulfilling both requests. For now, the Jabriya branch will start delivering soon and Kuwait Ahmadi branch will be opening for Dine in and take away sometime in May 2018. Todd let me in on a not-so-secret secret. I asked him how he orders his meal. His go-to choice is chicken tenders with no salt, and trades the slaw for extra sauce. Turns out that this is also an option for all of us. The next time you are at Raising Cane’s you can choose to get extra of your favorite side, although that does seem like a very difficult choice, because I can’t possibly think of the side I am willing to miss out on.
Raising Cane’s is located in Grand Avenue – The Avenues (2228 3803), Jabriya (2208 1392), and Kuwait International Airport (2208 1395). Follow them on Instagram @raisingcanesme for the latest updates! 115
BOSCH EXCLUSIVE SHOWROOM
Visit the Bosch showroom to simplify your Ramadan routine! By bazaar staff
Consider the hours of work put into the home over Ramadan. Breaking the fast with family and friends isn’t as effortless as the finest hosts make it seem. While we all may enjoy the fruits (and dinner, and dessert) of the labor that is so lovingly put into preparing meals and the home over this time, let us consider what this represents. Hours of chopping, slicing and whipping that goes into each and every dish which is then baked, grilled or fried for our delight and delectation. And the person who cooks should not clear up after as well, so what happens with the mess and the huge pile of dishes left over? All the table linens that need to be washed and dried ready for the next day? Bosch to the rescue and with plenty of discounts too! 116
Bosch has been finding solutions to make your life easier for over 130 years. In 1886, Robert Bosch founded the “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering” located in Stuttgart, but you don’t have to travel that far to see for yourself exactly how this expertise is evident today. Exclusively distributed by Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa (AAW) the expansive Bosch Kuwait showroom can be found in Al Dajeej. It is as immaculately fitted as any welldesigned living space, with dedicated sections colorfully accessorized so you can perfectly imagine fitting out your home with Bosch, the winner of numerous Industrie Forum or iF Design Awards over the decades. As you enter the pristine showroom you are immediately presented with four rows of counter tops, each one laden with appliances ranging from food preparation and beverages and breakfast to floor care. There’s a quote on the wall about Bosch vacuum cleaners which reads, “Power you can see, not hear” which for those many of you residing in apartment buildings is a useful thing to learn.
Silence is golden but sometimes you just have to get rid of those dust-bunnies before you leave for work, forget that not everyone living in the building around you gets up at the crack of dawn! Good to know that Bosch prides itself on thinking of ancillary solutions too; quieter vacuum cleaners, energy saving washing machines, and refrigerators with smoothly opening doors. There is a Bosch After Sales and Service center located Shuwaikh Industrial Area too, so you can maintain your Bosch products in tip top condition at all times, ensuring the promised reliability continues beyond the typical warrantee. Bosch says, “Our products and services are designed to spark enthusiasm, improve quality of life, and help conserve natural resources. We want to deliver top quality and reliability. In short: we want to create technology that is ‘Invented for Life’.” One of the best ways to witness this is to see the products in action, and a visit to the showroom allows you to experience this yourself. There is a live kitchen demonstration area in the “Cooking & Baking” section, with a back wall of ovens that has
to be seen to be believed. Opening the door of one behemoth of a built-in oven, it is the seamless way it opens that brings a smile to your face. Reach in and pull out a baking tray and it’s reminiscent of the smoothest of gear changes in a manual sports car; you can feel the precision mechanics behind the experience. It’s not just this attention to detail that makes Bosch appliances easy to use, but safer too in a busy home. Bosch puts its products through hundreds of thousands of stress tests, so you can be sure that they will survive life every day in your home. Because we don’t all live in huge homes with massive kitchens, you must take a look at the wonderfully compact oven in the featured display wall immediately on your left as you enter the store. You may even decide that this is the size you want to go for, if only so that you can fit other built-in appliances too! The built-in coffee maker is clean, quick, instant and consistent, ideal for giving your family and guests exactly the kind of coffee they require at the end of an appreciated iftar gathering, all at the touch of a button. Exploring the showroom further, there is a fitted section which displays how compactly the essentials of the home fit together. Side by side there is a refrigerator, dish washer, washing machine and dryer. Plus, the section has been accessorized so you can imagine a complete utility room perfect to do the ironing in using your choice of Bosch steam irons. There are also shelves dressed with small kitchen appliances so you can see how easy it is to store and put away these products when not in use. You may want to keep your appliances on display however, as they are as beautifully designed aesthetically as they are mechanically. This Ramadan, Bosch makes it simple and easy to survive the stresses of the season giving you solutions to food storage, cooking and cleaning. This leaves you more time to enjoy and appreciate your friends and family, or sit back and relax watching those wonderful Ramadramas! Let the experienced staff at Bosch demonstrate for you exactly how Bosch appliances can fit into your busy life. Plus, they can give you more details on the amazing deals to be found this Ramadan on all the products at the Bosch Kuwait showroom. See you there!
The Bosch Kuwait showroom is located in the AAW complex, Al Dajeej, Airport Road, building 22, Block 1. Opening Hours are from Saturday to Thursday 9.30 am - 9.30 pm, Friday 4.30 pm - 9.30 pm. For more information about Bosch, please visit their website www.aawkitchens.com. For the latest updates, Follow AAW on Facebook and Instagram @aawhomeappliances and @aawkitchens. Please visit the Bosch website www.bosch-home.com/ae/ and follow the latest updates on social media @Boschhomegulf. Photography by Caroline Ericson, Instagram @pixbycaroline. 117
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CENTREPOINT’S 2018 RAMADAN EXCLUSIVE SELECTION DELIVERS ELEGANCE FOR FASHION Centrepoint’s Ramadan 2018 fashion brings luxury and modest glamour to the region with a stunning collection for the whole family. For women, this season’s collection is themed around the “desert of Arabia” with a liberal use of metallic and a range of surface finishes, from polished to brushed or perforated styles. The Splash collection displays items that offer versatility and the flexibility of wearing day to night, and are highlighted with sequins, crystals and embroideries in hues of dusty rose, champagne, black and off white in items that have been created especially for this festive season. Airy kaftans, glamorous sequined evening dresses, metallic sheath dresses and luxe, bejewelled tops will address your Iftar needs during the month of Ramadan. For a more refined, yet festive look, the collection also introduces ruffles and lace to tops and dresses, in addition to classy flowy trousers and overalls. To complete your look, Shoemart has a range of footwear and purses to complement any outfit, from highly wearable brown and nude pink shades through to more psychotropic and glittery shades that will work all summer. Babyshop is taking kids out on a rollercoaster fashion ride this Ramadan. Pastels, muted and bright colors are dominating this season for boys and girls for summer warmth and brightness. The stylish girls collection includes designs in floral patterns, lace, ruffle and embroidery in wearable styles perfect for all occasions. Boys can go all out with Centrepoint's Ramadan 2018 exclusive fashion, and look dashing during the holy month at their family gatherings. The color theme this season has white, off-white, nude brown, yellow, sky blue, blue, and grey. The collection is quite rich with colored stripes on plackets, stitch details on buttons, cross stitches, stripe sets, funky ties and suspenders. If you’re looking for new stylish handbags, look no further. Lifestyle brings you an elegant selection that will catch the eye, with sparkly embellished clutches a perfect choice for a Ramadan gathering. On the other hand, when it comes to makeup, Lifestyle offers a range of dark eyeliners perfected by dewy eyeshadow colors, and bold lipstick, giving you a flawless look, which will surely let you sparkle and glow with your family and friends at this year’s Ramadan gatherings. The Centrepoint Ramadan collection is available in all stores across all stores located at Al Rai, Avenues, Salmiya, Fintas, Jahra, Fahaheel, Sulaibhikhat, Kuwait City, Khaitan and Hawally.
VOLUME ENHANCE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER PERFECT FOR YOU! Designed to transform lifeless, tired-looking hair, the Volume Enhance Shampoo delivers long-lasting, volumizing results with every wash. Working in partnership with KeraStraight Volume Enhance Conditioner and made from a beautiful blend of volumizing and conditioning ingredients, KeraStraight Volume Enhance Shampoo adds a subtle yet strong hold to fine, thin hair types. Free from harmful ingredients including sodium chloride, sulphate and Cocamide DEA, Volume Enhance Shampoo lathers in a way that performs beyond conventional shampoos and makes shampooing a heavenly experience. KeraStraight Volume Enhance Shampoo and Conditioner both include the specially formulated KS Complex. This innovative compound, made from African and Amazonian fruit and plant extracts, protects hair from the elements and help it stay healthy and strong for longer. Exclusively distributed by beautique cosmetics international. Call 2225 1285 for more info or visit beautiquecosmeticsintl.com.
MCDONALD’S MOBILE APPLICATION IN KUWAIT McDonald’s have launched the official McDonald’s mobile application in Kuwait, providing customers with a one-stop application for all things McDonald’s. The highly interactive digital platform gives McDonald’s fans across Kuwait access to countless exclusive offers and special deals on the McDonald’s food they love. It also features all the latest news regarding McDonald’s, including events, campaigns, initiatives and, of course, new products and menu items, and full nutritional information on all McDonald’s products. Additionally, the dynamic Restaurant Locator feature enables customers to search for a McDonald’s restaurant based on location and store features. The McDonald’s application is available on both iOS and Android, and is available in both Arabic and English. For more information, please visit McDonalds.com. Don’t forget to also follow McDonald’s Kuwait on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (@McDonaldsKuwait).
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CHILLI BEANS: HIGH FASHION SUNGLASSES MEET AFFORDABLE PRICES! We have been wearing sunglasses since they were invented in 1929 by Sam Foster, allowing us to look at the world through colored lenses. Sunglasses are a way to protect our eyes from strong sun rays but have also become an essential part of the fashion industry. They make the old look young and the young look fashionable. From the beginning, Chilli Beans have experimented with different designs and colors, using the latest technology during production. They have abided with the most famous Brazilian fashion designers to help them create designs that no other company can. People wear them for many reasons; some to get attention, some as a fashion statement and some medically. Huge celebrities such as Elton John and Lady Gaga have revolutionized and influenced the sunglasses industry, wearing crazy, uniquely designed and fashionable sunglasses. Inspired by such icons and designs, Chilli Beans produces highly fashionable sunglasses at a very affordable price that allows everyone to feel special. Chilli Beans has been growing worldwide, with many happy and loyal customers to the brand. Their monthly selections and quarterly limited edition sunglasses make Chilli Beans one of the industry leaders, and they continue with their commitment to make unique, specially styled sunglasses. Look out for Chilli Beans in your nearest mall! To find out more about Chilli Beans visit their locations at Avenues Mall, 360 Mall, Al-Fanar Mall, Marina Mall, Solaris, and Promenade. Please call 9993 6046 for more information.
MCDONALD’S BRINGS THE MAGIC OF MOVIES TO CHILDREN WITH A SPECIAL SCREENING OF “PETER RABBIT” McDonald’s Kuwait brought the magic of cinema to a very special group of children with a private screening of the new animated hit, “Peter Rabbit”. At the exclusive show held at Marina Mall Cinescape, the audience featured children from Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital (KACCH), Kuwait Down Syndrome Society and Al-Kharafi Activity Kids Center. The young audience was invited to spend a fun evening in the company of Peter Rabbit and his friends. The family-friendly film proved to be a big hit with the children, who walked away with huge smiles on their faces. Following the screening, the children were treated to special Peter Rabbit Happy Meals and toys, before wrapping up the evening and leaving with goodie bags filled with Peter Rabbit memorabilia. Speaking about the screening, Sherif Coutry, Marketing Director at McDonald’s Kuwait, said: “The McDonald’s experience is all about bringing joy and laughter to our communities, and that is something we always strive to live by. That being said, nothing makes us happier than drawing smiles on the faces of children, and these movie screenings have become a beloved tradition for us over the past few years. For more information, please visit McDonalds.com. Don’t forget to also follow McDonald’s Kuwait on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (@McDonaldsKuwait).
BLAZE PIZZA OPENS IN KUWAIT Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, the recognized world leader in build-your-own artisanal pizza, has opened its first store outside North America in The Avenues in Kuwait. The store is the US-based fast casual brand’s first restaurant in partnership with leading international retail franchise operator M.H. Alshaya Co. Since 2012, Blaze Pizza has been serving artisanal pies that are both fast and affordable. Founded by Rick and Elise Wetzel of Wetzel’s Pretzels, each restaurant features an interactive open kitchen format that allows guests to customize one of the menu’s generously-sized personal signature pizzas or create their own, all for one price , one size. Each ingredient and recipe has been perfected by critically acclaimed Executive Chef Bradford Kent (“The Pizza Whisperer”). “We’re elated to bring Blaze Pizza to the Middle East and couldn’t ask for a better partner than Alshaya, who is a pioneer and leader in the franchise industry,” said Jim Mizes, President and CEO of Blaze Pizza. “We’re proud to be changing the way people eat pizza and can’t wait to cultivate fanatics across Kuwait and beyond,” he added. Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is located at Grand Plaza - The Avenues. To find out more about Blaze Pizza, follow them on Instagram @blazepizzame or Facebook at facebook.com/BlazePizzaMiddleEast.
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PORSCHE CENTRE KUWAIT CELEBRATES 70 YEARS OF THE PORSCHE SPORTS CAR AND INTENSIFIED EXCLUSIVITY In the spirit of commemorating the ‘Sports Car Together Day’ whilst celebrating 70 years of the Porsche sports car, Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, an Exclusive Manufaktur Partner, collaborated with Porsche Club Kuwait to configure the next Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur model to Kuwait. Porsche Centre Kuwait allowed brand ambassadors who are also members of Porsche Club Kuwait to embark on a one-of-a-kind challenge to re-imagine and customize their dream sports car. An introductory event was hosted earlier this year to announce the competition and guide participants on ways to submit a complete vehicle configuration layout for a chance to realize their dream car and configure the next Porsche 911 masterpiece that celebrates the essence of individualization by Porsche and named as Porsche Club Kuwait Special Edition. The winning configuration of the 911 Carrera S Porsche Club Kuwait Special Edition, combines the performance and efficiency of the vehicle with an increased level of individualization. Genuine sports cars aesthetics are visible with the 20-inch Carrera sports wheel, tinted taillights, and the 'PORSCHE' logo and model designation painted in Black at the rear of the vehicle that will be available in Crayon exterior colour. The harmony of colors continues with the interior through the use of Black leather with seat centres in a contrasting color that is accentuated with seat belts and instrument dials in Bordeaux Red. The headrests of the adaptive sports seats feature the embossed Porsche crest for increased exclusivity as well. The vehicle is expected to arrive to Kuwait during the month of June and will be sold at the price of KD 47,710. For more information about Porsche in Kuwait, you can visit Porsche Centre Kuwait on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the currently available models and new vehicle launches, please visit www.porschekuwait.com or call 1870 870.
H&M REVEALS THEIR DESIGNER COLLABORATION WITH MOSCHINO THROUGH INSTAGRAM LIVE An Instagram live call from Gigi Hadid to her friend Jeremy Scott revealed H&M’s next designer collaboration is with MOSCHINO - the iconic Italian brand to which Jeremy Scott has injected a new pop energy since he became Creative Director in 2013. The collection, MOSCHINO [tv] H&M, will be available in selected H&M stores worldwide from November 8. The call, from Gigi Hadid to Jeremy Scott, was projected on digital screens at the annual MOSCHINO party in Coachella, California and live broadcasted on @hm, surprising guests with the big news. Jeremy and Gigi were dressed in the first looks from the MOSCHINO [tv] H&M collection, a collection full of the vitality, playfulness and humor that has made the label one of the most beloved in fashion today. For H&M, Jeremy Scott has designed new MOSCHINO collections for both women and men, as well as a full range of accessories and some extra surprises too. The MOSCHINO [tv] H&M campaign is a radically innovative TV concept enmeshing social and traditional media to create a multi-platform takeover – a captivating new “zapping” experience for the digital world. For more information on Moschino, visit www.moschino.com or @moschino on Instagram. To find out more about H&M, visit www.hm.com or @hm on Instagram.
ICONIC LAUNCHES SUMMER’18 CAMPAIGN ICONIC, the youngest fashion destination from the stable of retail conglomerate Landmark Group has just launched its Summer’18 campaign with brand ambassador Varun Dhawan. Adding oomph to the campaign alongside Varun is Bollywood star Esha Gupta. The fresh and youthful campaign will showcase the best of the summer trends in true ICONIC style. With the new collection, you can define your seasonal style with an array of trends ranging from the casual safari look that highlights comfort and relaxed attitude to a more feminine and whimsical ladylike dress code. Casual resort wear is key for women while men lean towards a minimal line with a contemporary look playing with prints. Men can take their pick from collections that feature a ton of pink for those who embrace more washed out tones. The new campaign and the uber cool TVC is out in the GCC and across varied communication channels including outdoor, radio, TV & online platforms. Head over to ICONIC and shop the latest Summer collection available at Salam Mall in Salmiya and at Sama Mall in Fintas.
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Tangle Teezer NEW MINNIE MOUSE Compact Styler detangling hairbrushes Soft, shiny and tangle-free hair. Slip into your handbag for on-the-go touch ups.
Exclusively distributed by beautique cosmetics int’l. Call 2225 1285. beautiquecosmetics beautiquecosmetics beautiquecosmeticsintl.com
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INVISIBOBBLE NANO – THE STYLING HAIR RING Hair tie or bobby pin? With its unique benefits invisibobble NANO bridges the gap and creates a whole new way to wear your hair up, without compromising any of the classic invisibobble benefits! Whether beginner or pro, romantic braided style or casual half bun – the little styling tool is there to offer a helping hand. The spiral shape of the invisibobble NANO provides a firm grip in the hair and is the perfect tool for updos with a strong hold. As a styling hair ring the invisibobble NANO combines functionality of hair tie and bobby pin, so you can create amazing looks.The basic colors True Black, Pretzel Brown, To Be Or Nude To Be and Crystal Clear of the invisibobble NANO blend in perfectly with your hair. With the NANO you a can separate smaller hair sections, fix elegant updos or secure impressive braided styles – no need for clips or bobby pins! Exclusively distributed by beautique cosmetics international. Call 2225 1285 for more info or visit beautiquecosmeticsintl.com. MCDONALD’S: BEST IN THE QUICK SERVICE FOOD SECTOR For the seventh time in its history, McDonald’s Kuwait has nabbed first place in the quick service food category from Service Hero, the only customer satisfaction index in the region. This latest edition of the awards was announced at the annual ceremony held recently to honor the top service providers across Kuwait. This year, the customer satisfaction index included companies from across 15 different industries and sectors. Companies in each category where evaluated and assessed using eight different service dimensions, namely: reliability, speed, product quality, value, location, staff quality, call center and website. It serves to note that this marks the seventh time that McDonald’s has ranked at the top of the fast food category, since the launch of the index back in 2010 – demonstrating yet again the brand’s leadership within the local market. For more information, please visit McDonalds.com. Don’t forget to also follow McDonald’s Kuwait on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (@McDonaldsKuwait). “SHINING HOPE 6” FOR THE SPECIAL NEEDS SHINES AGAIN AND CREATES A SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP The Commercial Real Estate CO. (Al-Tijaria) concluded the “Shining Hope 6” festival and exhibition for those with special needs, highlighting their slogan for the event - “Building Hope Together… Share Their Joy With Us”. This celebration resulted in the fruitful partnership between private and governmental schools along with public benefit associations. Symphony Style Mall was decorated with the talents and creations of the children involved. This celebration was coincided with Mother's Day and Family Day in recognition of all the mothers and the fundamental role they play in shaping Kuwait’s society. The festival showcased the talents and creations of people with special needs. Guests and participants also enjoyed theater and artistic performances by the children and adults with special needs. The festival was successful with the participation of many private and governmental schools. The event helped to create a solid relationship between the sponsors and all the participants in the event and this led to successful contributions towards creating a better environment and brighter future for those with special needs.
TRANSFER YOUR SALARY TO ABK AND THE CHOICE IS YOURS! Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) announced the launch of its new salary transfer campaign. This promotion, which is open to ABK’s new customers only, will last until May 31, 2018. Running under the tagline ‘Transfer your Salary and the Choice is yours!’ the campaign offers new customers a choice of one of three benefits upon salary transfer: Up to KD 500 cash gift, up to KD 5,000 interest-free loan and up to 100,000 Skywards Miles issued on a free prepaid card. Prior to this, ABK launched several promotional campaigns that allowed customers to receive various benefits including the recent ‘Spend and Win’ draw, which offered a chance to attend the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ live in Russia. For more information, please visit eahli.com or call Ahlan Ahli at 1899 899.
EASY ACCESS TO FACES Whether for an occasion or “just because”, Faces has the perfect gift to suit everyone. From fragrances, to cosmetics and gift sets, Faces is there to assist and create an enjoyable buying experience for all. Faces offers a variety of brands including cruelty-free brands like OFRA and Anastasia Beverly Hills. Faces was born in Kuwait in 1987. Today, Faces has 5 stores in various locations.
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bazaar scopes
LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22 A colleague could be in a very bad mood, and not be the easiest person in the world to deal with. In fact, he or she could resist working at all, and you might feel obligated to take up the slack. Only do it if the tasks are urgent - it isn't fair to you to have to do someone else's job.
VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22
PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 19
You might want to spend most of the month outside. You could have some serious thinking to do and feel the best recourse is to be by yourself for a while. Decisions won't come easily, so don't try to force them. Sometimes things come together more quickly if you forget about them for a while.
An opportunity to travel to a place you've always wanted to visit could come your way. This could be very exciting, but you might have some difficulty making the arrangements. Flights could be full, hotels too costly, and responsibilities at home might need attention. But you can find a way to deal with any obstacle. Think creatively and get busy!
ARIES MAR 20 – APR 19
LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22 Speculation of any kind now could be risky at best and disastrous at worst. Romance is also likely to be blocked, since you're probably feeling a bit lethargic and not very sociable. Read a good book. That's the most productive thing you could do today!
Your energy is probably pretty low. You won't feel like socializing, nor will you feel like staying in and reading or watching TV. Chances are you won't know what to do with yourself at all. Under these circumstances, the best thing to do is find a distraction. Get your mind off your lethargy and it could well disappear.
SCORPIO OCT 23 – NOV 22
CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22
You're likely to want to retreat into your bedroom and slam the door. Too much work could have you in a state of near exhaustion and almost total burnout, which means that getting some rest is probably the best thing you could do right now. Relax now, and get yourself going again soon.
Career and financial goals could seem completely stalled, and this could have you depressed, frustrated, and in something of a panic. Don't fall into this trap. This isn't a permanent condition. You'll be back on track in a few days. In the meantime, be good to yourself. If nothing else, you'll feel better.
Money problems could be on your mind, perhaps more so than necessary. Try to make a special effort to be objective. You might need to cut a few corners and devise a few temporary economy measures, but your situation should be back to normal within a week or two. Relax!
GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21 TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20 You could look in the mirror and panic about your appearance. You might be feeling a little under the weather and look a little tired. Nonetheless, you probably look a lot better than you think you do. Don't fall into the trap of blowing every little flaw out of proportion. A little rest is probably all you need in order to look like yourself again.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 – DEC 21 This might prove to be one of those times in which it's very hard to get anything related to work or communication off the ground. You could find excuses to stop working more often than usual, particularly if it involves calling people on the phone. Don't fight it. Take care of the most urgent tasks, but the world won't come to an end if you put the rest off a while.
CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19
You might have planned to make a particular purchase, but a quick check of your financial situation could reveal that it would be better if you waited until your next payday. This could prove disappointing and frustrating, but look at it this way - you've waited this long for this item, so waiting a little longer certainly won't hurt.
AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18 A moody family member could have you confused, and you might not be able to discern the best way to find out what's bothering them. The best way is to come right out and tactfully speak your mind. You'll find that this person simply has some minor problems to work through, nothing serious enough to worry about.\
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